One of the most interesting threads ....
Historic analysis, Logistics, and small arms tech.
As a german who has studied history
and has been very deeply interested in mil history,
there are many interesting analysis in this.
logistics and timing is key in war.
Germany was tech leader when they started.
The axis in europe had a time window to overcome
west europe AND England.
with the joined-forces Blitz tactic they overran everyone in sight.
If it wasn´t for Hitler being a schizo-dictator-ego-/&%$§" strategically,
England would have surrendered, if invaded early. The Generalstab would
have acted as taught in the academys .. and by Sun Tsu, Napoleon and Clausewitz.
The devastating Uboot-Fleet was supposed to be 3x as big, growing by 100%/yr
when the war started. Hitler new "§$%&" about sea warfare.
He rather had Tirpitz and Bismark built, cause they look mighty.
With the Atlantic jammed from ´39 on there would have been no way
logistics from the US and Canada would have reached England. or later Russia.
---
THE AK.
Germanys tactic was a joined tactic:
- Artillery, mortars, planes, tanks ...
- Infantry with a long range MG42 and K98ers to protect them.
Other than logistic factors, in battle it would be kind of comparable to Afghanistan.
Badly trained, green peasants with AKs and **** ammo, eyesight .....
vs professional soldiers with a MG and good riflemen.
The peasants seem to win due to sheer mass and the fact that
they have a reason to be there.
The PPSHs did extremely well......
Killing power is not essential. A wounded soldier
is even better than a dead one.
i have known old men, who said they shot the "bonesaw"
on the eastern front. Nobody looked happy saying that. Ever.
The sheer factor of Zhukov sending them forward while u have to
reload, eat, rest .... does it.
If the russians had something like trained infantry tactics and AKs and plenty ammo
in that war, now that would have been an immense factor.
---
i´m glad now that Hitler was such an idiot.
With the Tech and the crazy spirit from those times
i wouldnt wanna know what my life would be like now.
My Grandpa did his job ( firing who knows many mortar rounds, not a single bullet)
The GIs and all other Allies did theirs.
Sad story. Good outcome.
By being from where i am i declined an offer (´93)
for greencard and sponsorship for studying with
the US-Army to become Officer.... cause my
Family lost many, and my dad is from a generation
that was exempt from the draft later on, cause they were the genetic backbone
as their generation had just by a few months been too young to be
Volkssturm... and they were to be the fathers of the first new generation.
Most of us around here do not believe in starting wars for power,
that one is not absolutely sure to win, and dying for questionable things.
Nowadays the US has the Tech leadership, but the
industrial might behind it is lacking, compared to its economical
opponents. Watch the Elite that is commanding the infantry.
Sorry if my inspired answer annoys you.
Just came like this.
02$.