tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50910463458730025072024-02-20T09:26:35.474-08:00HISTORY IN IMAGES: Pictures Of War, History , WW2Original Source Of Rare WW2 Images Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comBlogger185125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-84860127969927782022016-06-13T04:22:00.001-07:002016-06-14T02:08:24.353-07:00German Government Pays Pensions To WW2 German (Nazi) Soldiers Row<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The row has broken out again over the issue of the German government paying pensions to German soldiers, including those in the Waffen SS who fought during the Second World War.<br />
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According to a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36489700" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">recent BBC report</a> a Belgian minister has raised objection to German government paying pension to over 2500 Belgians who fought in Hitler's army during 1939-45. </div>
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The subject kicks up a hornets nest now and then even after 80 years since WW2 ended.</div>
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The argument is that many of the pension beneficiaries are former Nazis. </div>
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We have no argument with Nazis who committed crimes being not only disbarred from pension benefits but if possible being tried.</div>
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But why paint all German soldiers with the same brush. For example the men of the Waffen SS were soldiers, barring the Totenkopf. They were elite soldiers, like tahe American Green Berets or Navy Seals.</div>
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They fought and fought hard for their country. Their misfortune was Germany lost WW2.</div>
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Pin pricking about pensions to these few surviving men seems a bit low.</div>
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ALSO READ: <b><a href="https://historyimages.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/1945-after-it-lost-germany-raped.html" target="_blank">Rape of Germany</a></b> </div>
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Even American soldiers committed war crimes during WW2. So did Russian Red Army soldiers who <b><a href="https://historyimages.blogspot.co.uk/2011/10/mass-rape-german-women-red-army.html" target="_blank">raped millions of German women</a></b> in 1945.</div>
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Did anyone talk about depriving them of pensions?</div>
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Germany lost a war in 1945. It suffered untold miseries. It's people were tortured, abused, humiliated. Let us leave the Germans alone, now. Let them deal with the matter as they deem fit. They know their country better than we do.</div>
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It is time to stop berating Germans for the sins of a few twisted individuals who controlled their country during that time in history. They have paid much. Let us not open unhealed wounds again. More than 80 years have passed. It will be playing into the hands of the neo-Nazis this incessant harping.</div>
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Remember the bible quote about the totally blameless throwing the first stone? No country was totally blameless before, during and after WW2.</div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-74604987497807234132014-02-26T23:35:00.001-08:002015-07-27T01:07:50.195-07:001941: Unending Defeats For Russia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">1941. It was a nightmare year for Russia. The Wehrmacht went smashing through the country till it reached the gates of Moscow. Hitler and his generals were exultant. They thought the Soviet Union was about to fall. But it was not to be. The Battle of Moscow changed all that. But that is another story.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Below are some images of the series of disasters for Russia in 1941....</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dZE29JKMR3Q/Uw7rbiUlU4I/AAAAAAAAKsM/kxQs5ltxeOQ/s1600/RUSSIAN-POW-WW2-EASTERN-FRONT-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Invading German soldiers capture Red Army soldier" border="0" height="596" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dZE29JKMR3Q/Uw7rbiUlU4I/AAAAAAAAKsM/kxQs5ltxeOQ/s1600/RUSSIAN-POW-WW2-EASTERN-FRONT-1941.jpg" title="Invading German soldiers capture Red Army soldier" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>“We only have to kick in the door and the whole rotten structure will come crashing down.”</i> <b>Hitler, while leaving for his new HQ in Rastenburg, East Prussia, June 22 ‘41</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>“At the beginning of each campaign, one pushes a door into a dark, unseen room. One can never know what is hiding inside.”</i><b> Hitler to one of his staff later in the day, June 22 ‘41</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>“This is the massacre of the ‘innocents’.”</i> <b>General Kessering, pitying the destruction of the many planes of the Soviet Air Force, June 23 1941</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There existed an almost unbridgeable chasm between the confident expectation of victory which Stalin clung to in the first week of the war and the state of utter chaos and demoralization at the front line. The attack was the very opposite of what orthodox thinking in the Red Army had expected.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Instead often days of initial probing attacks, followed by the clash of the two fully mobilized armies, the entire German force swept forward in the first hours much as German leaders had expected, to all appearances a model of purposeful efficiency pitted against Soviet primitivism.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> ‘The Russian “mass,”‘ wrote a German staff officer, ‘is no match for an army with modern equipment and superior leadership.’ Most foreign observers agreed. ‘I am mentally preparing myself for headlong collapse of the Red Army and air force,’ wrote the British politician Hugh Dalton in his diary on the night of the German invasion. British and American military leaders expected German victory in weeks, months at the most.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">Operation Barbarossa began just before dawn on 22 June 1941. The Germans wrecked the wire network in all Soviet western military districts to undermine Soviet communications.</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">Panicky transmissions from Soviet front-line units to their command headquarters were picked up like this one:</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><i>"We are being fired upon. What shall we do?"</i></span><br style="text-align: start;" /><br style="text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">The answer was just as confusing:</span><br style="text-align: start;" /><br style="text-align: start;" /><i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">"You must be insane. And why is y</span><span class="sewrvieizsu9zj0" style="text-align: start;"></span><span class="sewrvieizsu9zj0" style="text-align: start;"></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;">our signal not in code?"</span></i></span></div>
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Soviet forces were capable of a great deal more than their enemies and allies supposed. They were the victims not of Bolshevik primitivism but of surprise. So insistent had Stalin been that Germany would not attack in the summer that even the most rudimentary precautions were lacking. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Aircraft were lined up in inviting rows at the main air bases, uncamouflaged. At least 1,200 of them were destroyed at sixty‐six bases within hours of the war’s beginning, most of them on the ground. Many units in forward positions had no live ammunition to issue. The speed of the German advance overwhelmed the Soviet supply system; 200 out of 340 military supply dumps fell into German hands in the first month. The army itself was in the midst of a complex redeployment. A fraction of the army was stationed in the forward echelon, another fraction was behind it, far to the rear, and reserves, larger than either of the echelons in front of them, were still further back. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stalin continued to insist on keeping most divisions, approximately 100, stretched out opposite the south‐west frontier, to protect the resource‐rich Ukraine, even after it was evident that the main route of German advance was further north towards Minsk and Moscow. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Many units were in the process of moving to new quarters when the attack came. Most were under strength. In the first days army units were posted to the frontier in almost complete ignorance of the enemy’s position. No coherent order of battle could be established. Divisions were sent into the line as they arrived. Without air cover, adequate weapons or intelligence, they were annihilated, often in just a few hours. In the first four weeks of Barbarossa, 319 Soviet units were committed to battle; almost all of them were destroyed or badly damaged.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: comic sans ms, sans-serif;">Text <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Russias-War-History-Soviet-1941-1945/dp/0140271694/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=incrwarimag-20&linkCode=w00&creativeASIN=0140271694" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">From <b>Russia's War by Richard Overy</b></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pLFMkr3HrUU/Uw7sMAzKg3I/AAAAAAAAKsU/mwij9BHdNhk/s1600/RUSSIAN-POW-WW2-EASTERN-FRONT-1941-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russian POW being marched away" border="0" height="430" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pLFMkr3HrUU/Uw7sMAzKg3I/AAAAAAAAKsU/mwij9BHdNhk/s1600/RUSSIAN-POW-WW2-EASTERN-FRONT-1941-001.jpg" title="Russian POW being marched away" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Stalin returned to the Kremlin on July 1. Two days later he broadcast to the nation for the first time since the onset of the war. It was one of the most important speeches of his life. The delivery was hesitant, interrupted by occasional gulps, as if the speaker were sipping from a glass of water; Stalin had never been a good public speaker. The message was, nevertheless, clear enough. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He began by addressing the Soviet people as ‘brothers and sisters’, ‘friends’, words generally foreign to Stalin’s public political vocabulary. He explained that Germany had launched an unprovoked attack, and that the Soviet Union had ‘come to death grips with its most vicious and perfidious enemy’. He invoked the great heroes of the Russian past who had fought off one invader after another. Russia’s enemies were ‘fiends and cannibals’ but they could be beaten. He appealed to popular patriotism rather than revolutionary zeal. (On June 26 Pravda described the conflict for the first time as a ‘fatherland war’.) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">He called on ordinary Soviet citizens to undertake a levée en masse, like the great popular mobilization that saved the French Revolution in 1792. If retreats were necessary ‐ they could no longer be disguised from the Soviet public ‐ he promised the Germans a wasteland: ‘The enemy must not be left a single engine, a single railway car, a single pound of grain or a gallon of fuel.’ He finished by reminding his listeners that this was ‘an ordinary war’, it was total war, ‘a war of the entire Soviet people’, a choice between Soviet freedom or German slavery. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Luftwaffe reconnaissance units worked frantically to plot troop concentration, supply dumps, and airfields, and mark them for destruction. The Luftwaffe's task was to neutralize the Soviet Air Force. This was not achieved in the first days of operations, despite the Soviets having concentrated aircraft in huge groups on the permanent airfields rather than dispersing them on field landing strips, making them ideal targets. The Luftwaffe claimed to have destroyed 1,489 aircraft on the first day of operations. Hermann Göring—Chief of the Luftwaffe—distrusted the reports and ordered the figure checked. Picking through the wreckages of Soviet airfields, the Luftwaffe's figures proved conservative, as over 2,000 destroyed Soviet aircraft were found.The Luftwaffe lost 35 aircraft on the first day of combat. The Germans claimed to have destroyed only 3,100 Soviet aircraft in the first three days. In fact Soviet losses were far higher; according to Russian historian Viktor Kulikov, some 3,922 Soviet aircraft had been lost. The Luftwaffe had achieved air superiority over all three sectors of the front, and would maintain it until the close of the year.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To many listeners this must have seemed an unenviable choice, but the response was immediate. Stalin’s slow voice gave the Soviet people a reassurance they had lacked in the confused, rumour‐filled early days of war. ‘It was the end of illusions,’ wrote the novelist Konstantin Simonov, ‘but nobody doubted his courage and his iron will… What was left after Stalin’s speech was a tense expectation of change for the better.’ The call to establish a popular militia ‐ opolchenie — was answered overwhelmingly.</span></div>
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<b>Russian POW were ill-treated. That is saying it mildly. They were herded together and left to starve. In the image they are being sent in a train in a manner that even cattle would have hated.</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: start;">In the western areas of the Soviet Union, so recently incorporated into the state, and in the Ukraine, the victim of Stalin’s brutality during the collectivization drive, there were genuine opponents of the regime. When German forces poured into the region they were hailed by much of the population as liberators. For many of them the last experience of Soviet occupation was the sight of straggling columns of prisoners stumbling east and the seizure by retreating troops of anything that could be carried or driven along.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>“It is no exaggeration to say that the Russian campaign has been won in fourteen days.”</i> <b>General Halder, in his diary, July 3</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: start;">By mid‐July Hitler was riding high on a wave of scarcely credible military triumph. Operation Barbarossa had worked like clockwork. The plan, elaborated more than six months before, was to strike a series of heavy blows against Soviet forces on the long western border, followed by encirclement and annihilation. Rapid pursuit was ordered to prevent Soviet forces from falling back in good order and regrouping. German forces were divided in four: a small Norwegian command based in occupied Norway and three larger Army Groups, North, Centre and South. Each Army Group was supported by an air<br />fleet. Army Group Centre got a half share of the German armoured divisions, two Panzer groups out of four. It was to launch a vast encircling movement towards Minsk, with the ultimate axis of attack towards Moscow. The northern Army Group was pointed at Leningrad; the southern armies were to converge on the Ukrainian capital of Kiev. Germany’s mobile and armoured divisions spearheaded the attack, though most of the army moved by foot or horse. The aim was to secure through surprise and speed the main axes of attack with the mobile units. The rest of the army would follow through, cleaning up pockets of resistance and strengthening the German front line.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>“Comrades, citizens, brothers and sisters, men of our Army and Navy! I speak to you my friends! A serious threat hangs over our country. It can only be dispersed by the combined efforts of the military and industrial might of the nation. There is no room for the timid or the coward, for deserters or spreaders of panic, and a merciless struggle must be waged against such people. We must destroy spies, agents provocateurs, and enemy parachutists…anyone who hinders our defence must be shot…The enemy must not find a single railway-engine, not a wagon, not a pound of bread nor a glass of petrol. All the farms must hand their herd to the official bodies and be sent to the rear (of the USSR). Everything else…must be destroyed.” </i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Stalin, in a radio address, July 3 1941</b></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When the German armed forces sprang forward on June 22 they met only slight resistance. Border guards in many cases fought bravely, sometimes literally to the last round and the last man. The great fortress at Brest‐Litovsk, right on the frontier, succeeded in holding out until July 12, its defenders fighting to a standstill. German paratroopers trained for special operations infiltrated behind Soviet lines, cutting communications, seizing bridges and adding to the general confusion. Some Soviet commands could establish contact neither with headquarters nor with the units they were supposed to be controlling. Sheer ignorance about the current military situation was a major factor explaining the disorganized Soviet response. The widespread destruction of Soviet air power made air reconnaissance nearly impossible and meant that forward troops got no respite from the continuous German air bombardment. The Red Army deployed nine mechanized corps in the first two days of the battle, but problems in supplying fuel and ammunition rendered Soviet tank warfare ineffective. Some 90 per cent of the army’s tank strength was lost in the first weeks of the war.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />By June 26 Army Group North had crossed Lithuania, and was deep into Latvia. After pausing for the infantry to catch up, the armoured formations rushed forward to reach the Luga River, only sixty miles from Leningrad. Army Group Centre under Field Marshal Fedor von Bock drove in two massive pincers towards Minsk. Pavlov’s attempt to counter‐attack was swept aside, with high casualties. By June 29 German armies had reached Minsk. In their net they caught over 400,000 Soviet soldiers, in this first of the great battles of encirclement. The Panzer corps simply repeated the manoeuvre as they moved<br />on to Smolensk, the last major city before Moscow, which they took on July 16. Timoshenko was sent to command the Western Front and save Smolensk after Stalin assumed the job of Commissar of Defence. Timoshenko improvised a defence using reserve divisions intended as a strategic counter‐offensive force. The long, extended flanks of the German attacking force were subjected to a series of fierce assaults. Short of ammunition and supplies, with troops weakened from forced marches through the Russian heat, with few tanks and a great many horses, Timoshenko nevertheless succeeded in slowing the German advance and imposing a fearful level of casualties on an army that had conquered all of continental Europe for the loss of 50,000 men. Eighty miles south‐west of Smolensk Zhukov even succeeded in inflicting a local defeat on German forces in the Yelnya salient. On September 6 forces of the Reserve Front retook the battered town in savage fighting but were prevented by the shortage of tanks and vehicles from exploiting their victory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />The actions around Smolensk showed both the strengths and the weaknesses of Soviet forces. Soldiers fought with an extraordinary ferocity and bravery. They inflicted casualties at a high rate and in the early battles often refused to take prisoners. Captured Germans were murdered and mutilated, sometimes ritually ‐ Soviet troops had been told to expect no better from the enemy. It was not Soviet propaganda but the German army chief of staff who observed that ‘Everywhere, the Russians fight to the last man. They capitulate only occasionally.’25 When they ran out of bullets and shells — as was all too often the case in the early stages of the war ‐ they fought with knives or<br />bayonets. Horsemen charged with sabres drawn. Soviet forces soon came to believe that German soldiers disliked fighting away from the support of aircraft and tanks. ‘Bayonet charges,’ wrote General Rokossovsky, whose forces stood astride the road from Smolensk to Moscow, ‘are dreaded by the Germans and they always avoid them. When they counter‐attack they shoot without aiming.’</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Soviet soldiers were also adept at concealment. Hiding in trees and undergrowth, in grassland or in swamp, infantrymen could maintain a chilling silence while the enemy marched past them entirely oblivious to their presence. German patrols took to placing non‐smokers in front because they were more likely to be able to smell the tell‐tale scent of the enemy ‐ the coarse tobacco, sweat, even cheap perfume, swabbed on to keep away lice. The ability to blend into the landscape, summer or winter, was exploited by the Red Army to the full in the later years of war.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />The savage fighting held up but could not halt the German armies. Soviet forces lacked basic military equipment. The standard rifle dated from Tsarist days and was not generally replaced by automatic weapons until 1944. Radio communications were rudimentary and radios in short supply. Radar was not generally available. Tanks, even the most modern T‐34 and KV‐1 tanks, were short of supplies and fuel and were attacked repeatedly by German aircraft, which had local air superiority. Though brave, Red Army soldiers were tactically inept, often absurdly so. Officers were trained to undertake only frontal assaults, even across open terrain. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A German account of Soviet counter‐attacks on a German strong point on the approach to Kiev exemplifies both Soviet persistence and Soviet ineptitude. The attack began with an artillery barrage that fell behind the German emplacement, causing no damage. Then from a thousand yards distant, a hundred yards or so separating each line, wave after wave of infantrymen rose up out of the grass and with bayonets fixed tramped towards the German lines. The first line was mowed down almost to a man by machine‐gun fire; the second was hit but was able to reform. Then the men ran towards the German guns, shouting in unison. They moved more slowly when they reached the piles of dead, stepping over or between them. Officers on horseback bullied them on and were shot by German snipers. The attack faltered and broke, then was repeated, using the same methods, four more times, each time without success. German machine‐gunners found that their guns became too hot for them to touch. ‘The fury of the attacks,’ the report continued, ‘had exhausted and numbed us completely… a sense of depression settled upon us. What we were now engaged in would be a long, bitter and hard‐fought war.’</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cjEFNEAOk2Y/Uw7s-57dgiI/AAAAAAAAKsk/A5HSKdXQd6E/s1600/RUSSIAN-POW-WW2-EASTERN-FRONT-1941-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German points gun Soviet soldier raises hands" border="0" height="452" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cjEFNEAOk2Y/Uw7s-57dgiI/AAAAAAAAKsk/A5HSKdXQd6E/s1600/RUSSIAN-POW-WW2-EASTERN-FRONT-1941-003.jpg" title="German points gun Soviet soldier raises hands" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Soviet dispositions to meet the German attack could not have been worse. The defensive belts were not finished; the reserve army was only just being formed; above all the concentration of forces in the southern zone allowed the weight of the German attack in the north to punch a giant gap in the Soviet front, then swing forces south to eliminate the threat to their flank from Soviet armies that could not be fully deployed. The defensive weaknesses were compounded with the poor state of organization and preparation in Soviet armored and air formations. Unlike the German Panzer armies, the Soviet tanks and vehicles were organized in unwieldy mechanized corps, with large numbers of tanks spread out along the front to support the infantry armies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Armoured divisions were widely scattered, lacked effective communications, were badly under strength and were equipped mainly with obsolete vehicles. Their function was not clearly defined. Force concentration, the great German strength, was impossible under these conditions. The same was true of Soviet air power. Large though the Soviet air forces were, outnumbering German aircraft by three to one, their planes were mostly obsolete. New aircraft entering service in 1941 came in dribs and drabs, and Soviet pilots had little time to be trained on them. Most aircraft were parcelled out, like the tanks along the front line, in direct support of individual ground armies. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A strategic reserve existed behind the front line, directly controlled from the Stavka, but its exact role remained unclear. Soviet air tactics were rudimentary. Few Soviet </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">aircraft had radios, leaving them dependent on close formation flying. Fighters </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">flew three abreast in a fixed line, easy prey for German pilots, who flew in </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">loose vertical formation, using air‐to‐air communication to help each other. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The slow Soviet bombers flew close together at a set height of 8,000 feet and</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">were shot down like migrating geese.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These many differences between the two sides explain the remarkable victories won by German arms between June and September. Soviet forces were sent in piecemeal, to plug gaps in the leaky front line, unable to concentrate for any more ambitious operations. Stalin used his new military powers to push his tired and disorganized troops to the limit, but bit by bit the Soviet line bent and cracked. In the north German armies edged ever closer to Leningrad.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kSyMZ11yhs/UxA6KByywTI/AAAAAAAAKs0/mnHamdQvCJU/s1600/russia-defeat-barbarossa-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German officers ride staff car" border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6kSyMZ11yhs/UxA6KByywTI/AAAAAAAAKs0/mnHamdQvCJU/s1600/russia-defeat-barbarossa-1941.jpg" title="German officers ride staff car" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Operation Typhoon was launched in the south on September 30. Led by General Heinz Guderian, the architect of the German tank armies, it soon lived up to its name. The storm tore open the southern wing of the Soviet armies, commanded by Yeremenko; the soldier who had failed to save Kiev now faced the nightmare of losing Moscow, too. So swift was the German assault that Guderian’s troops entered Orel while the streetcars were still running. A week later Briansk was captured and Yeremenko’s three armies were trapped. Little news could be sent to Moscow; Stalin’s only instruction was to hold tight to</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">every defence line rather than retreat. On October 6 Yeremenko himself narrowly escaped the German encirclement. He was severely wounded by a shell but lived to fight another, and vital, day at Stalingrad.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Further north the attack began on October 2, under cover of artillery and air attack and a smoke‐screen that turned the landscape to deep fog in front of the Soviet defenders. Konev’s armies fared no better than Yeremenko’s. German forces converged on Vyazma, threatening an even larger encirclement of five Soviet armies. In two days the whole Soviet front was once again in crisis, far faster than Stalin had ever imagined could happen. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">October 5 was a critical day. Routine air reconnaissance from Moscow found a column of German armour twelve miles long converging on Yukhnov, only eighty miles from the capital. Twice more aircraft went out to confirm the unbelievable news before it was passed on in full to Zhukov’s successor as chief of staff, Marshal Boris Shaposhnikov. Finally it was believed, though this did not stop Beria from ordering the NKVD to arrest and interrogate the unfortunate air officer for ‘provocation’. Stalin telephoned the Moscow district command at once: ‘Mobilize everything you have.’ He called an immediate emergency meeting of the State Defence Committee.35 Stalin, who had been ordering last</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">stands all summer, ordered one more, the most important of his life. In front of Moscow, along the thinly manned ‘Mozhaisk Line’, the army of the revolution, cornered but defiant, was to face the enemy.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_tiXjw-vH60/UxA6M8bdO_I/AAAAAAAAKs8/Jjt3PSdKdcI/s1600/russia-defeat-barbarossa-1941-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A German soldier orders Russian civilians gather captured Soviet arms." border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_tiXjw-vH60/UxA6M8bdO_I/AAAAAAAAKs8/Jjt3PSdKdcI/s1600/russia-defeat-barbarossa-1941-001.jpg" title="A German soldier orders Russian civilians to gather captured Soviet arms." width="640" /></a></div>
<b> A German soldier orders Russian civilians to gather captured Soviet arms.</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In Moscow the mood turned from sombre to panic‐stricken. The public there had few illusions about the course of the war, but propaganda kept up the image of tough, improvised revolutionary warfare that was slowing and holding the fascist horde. Few Muscovites knew anything about what was happening at the front save by rumour. Not even Stalin knew clearly what was going on. He saw the defence of Moscow and Leningrad as a unique challenge.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They symbolized the new Soviet state. The Soviet Union might survive the fall of its capital and its second city, but the effect on the Soviet public and on world opinion would be devastating. Nonetheless Stalin had to face reality. On October i the orders went out to begin evacuating the Government 500 miles to the east, to the city of Kuibyshev. The population of Moscow began evacuating, along with foreign embassies, office staff, archives, art treasures and commissars.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p9GGc_0MJmI/UxA6NAMfp9I/AAAAAAAAKtA/MJvlY_yfYmA/s1600/soviet-pow-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wehrmacht men rest Russia" border="0" height="422" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-p9GGc_0MJmI/UxA6NAMfp9I/AAAAAAAAKtA/MJvlY_yfYmA/s1600/soviet-pow-1941.jpg" title="Wehrmacht men rest Russia" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Not even the threat of an NKVD bullet could stem the wildest rumours. The journalist Ilya Ehrenburg recalled that in Moscow ‘the general mood was appalling’. The panic suddenly burst in mid‐October, just as Ehrenburg, too, got his marching orders for the east. The scenes he found at the Kazan Station defied description. Trains were swamped by desperate Muscovites, who occupied any space they could. Ehrenburg lost his luggage in the melee but was lucky enough to find a place on a long suburban train that took almost a week to reach the safety of the designated capital of rump Russia.42 For those left behind Beria ordered food to be distributed free to the population to save it from the Germans. But by then people were helping themselves. Looters moved into the empty shops and offices. In the modern apartment buildings in the city centre the managers collaborated with thieves to steal paintings and furnishings left behind. Stalin had almost lost control of his capital not to the German army, now only two or three days away, but to his own frightened people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />The panic was triggered by an unusually frank and grim communique broadcast in Moscow on October 16. ‘During the night of October 14—15,’ ran the report, ‘the position on the Western Front became worse.’ The Germans, with large quantities of tanks, ‘broke through our defences’. The following day the radio announced that Moscow would be defended stubbornly to the death, that no thought had been given to abandoning the capital (which was not, of course, true), but that above all Stalin was still in Moscow. Why he chose to remain we cannot know for certain. But on the 17th, instead of following his Government, he went out to his dacha, which had been mined for demolition, to do some work. He found his guards about to blow up the building. He ordered them to clear the mines and started to work in his study.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />In Moscow the NKVD moved in to shoot looters and restore order, while thousands of not entirely enthusiastic volunteers were formed into labour battalions to dig defences or into ramshackle militia to be moved at once to the front. Every tenth apartment building manager was shot as an example. A state of siege was declared on October 19. The city prepared for the showdown. Stalin informed his guards that he was staying put: ‘We will not surrender Moscow.’</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ilb4ROpFjkU/UxA6N2SuW3I/AAAAAAAAKtM/AysCvPAoyYM/s1600/soviet-pow-1941-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Searching captured Red Army soldiers for hidden weapons" border="0" height="496" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ilb4ROpFjkU/UxA6N2SuW3I/AAAAAAAAKtM/AysCvPAoyYM/s1600/soviet-pow-1941-001.jpg" title="Searching captured Red Army soldiers for hidden weapons" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AlecW61E61I/UxA6RGlAlkI/AAAAAAAAKtU/fna_2RRjPUU/s1600/soviet-pow-1941-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German tankers check papers Russian POW" border="0" height="446" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AlecW61E61I/UxA6RGlAlkI/AAAAAAAAKtU/fna_2RRjPUU/s1600/soviet-pow-1941-002.jpg" title="German tankers check papers Russian POW" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>One of the Russian soldier is actually grinning. He perhaps at that stage did not realise what he was in for.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cm0Fl2RDaTw/UxA8E_jIZ5I/AAAAAAAAKtg/-8-fIJFz4vc/s1600/dead-russian-soldiers-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Soviet machine gun crew killed fighting" border="0" height="474" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cm0Fl2RDaTw/UxA8E_jIZ5I/AAAAAAAAKtg/-8-fIJFz4vc/s1600/dead-russian-soldiers-1941.jpg" title="Soviet machine gun crew killed fighting" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Dead Russian soldiers. Many died fighting. Many died as POW.</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3znvZcNhLNI/UxA9CE1o-aI/AAAAAAAAKto/b7YAxqK1W7Y/s1600/captured-women-Red-army-soldiers-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Women Red Army soldiers captured" border="0" height="624" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3znvZcNhLNI/UxA9CE1o-aI/AAAAAAAAKto/b7YAxqK1W7Y/s1600/captured-women-Red-army-soldiers-1941.jpg" title="Women Red Army soldiers captured" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Captured women Red Army soldiers. One admires their courage.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wT3mEDbF1dc/UxBC0R4_NoI/AAAAAAAAKt4/ilCS_GDQijo/s1600/captured-Red-army-soldiers-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russian officer marches captivity" border="0" height="452" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wT3mEDbF1dc/UxBC0R4_NoI/AAAAAAAAKt4/ilCS_GDQijo/s1600/captured-Red-army-soldiers-1941.jpg" title="Russian officer marches captivity" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;"><i>Suggested Reading</i></span></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Russias-War-History-Soviet-1941-1945/dp/0140271694/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=incrwarimag-20&linkCode=w00&creativeASIN=0140271694" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iemXgIjy3i0/UxGc4oxhRaI/AAAAAAAAKuI/0fTPnHyX-9Q/s1600/RUSSIA'S-WAR-RICHARD-OVERY.jpg" width="418" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: #660000; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Russias-War-History-Soviet-1941-1945/dp/0140271694/ref=as_li_tf_til?tag=incrwarimag-20&linkCode=w00&creativeASIN=0140271694" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Russia's War by Richard Overy</a></span></b><br />
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-15711020821566476642014-02-12T23:27:00.002-08:002015-07-28T23:06:11.418-07:00Rare Random Images From WW2: Part 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CsxvqYP1mD4/UvxzG6dSyzI/AAAAAAAAKn4/aEX9JPLg7sA/s1600/captured-greek-soldiers-german-guard-may-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rare WW2 Images Greek soldiers taken prisoner sit around German guard watches " border="0" height="448" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CsxvqYP1mD4/UvxzG6dSyzI/AAAAAAAAKn4/aEX9JPLg7sA/s1600/captured-greek-soldiers-german-guard-may-1941.jpg" title="Greek soldiers taken prisoner sit around as a German guard watches over them" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Greek soldiers taken prisoner sit around as a German guard watches over them. May-June 1941. Mussolini attacked the Greeks first but was thrown back by the tough Greek fighters. Hitler then steeped in. He wanted to protect the Balkans to keep the British out from getting a toehold. The Greek army however brave was no match for the Wehrmacht.</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xV57kwoH4V0/Uvx0kNYINNI/AAAAAAAAKoE/QXS04tNmCiE/s1600/Canadian-pow-supported-german-soldiers-Dieppe-raid-August-1942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Two German soldiers support wounded Canadian soldier after Dieppe raid. August 1942.Rare WW2 Images" border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xV57kwoH4V0/Uvx0kNYINNI/AAAAAAAAKoE/QXS04tNmCiE/s1600/Canadian-pow-supported-german-soldiers-Dieppe-raid-August-1942.jpg" title="Two German soldiers support a wounded Canadian soldier after the Dieppe raid. August 1942." width="454" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For propaganda? Or kind Germans? Two German soldiers support a wounded Canadian soldier after the Dieppe raid. August 1942.</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j0UyksVfIJM/Uvx1-yQ3ZHI/AAAAAAAAKoQ/vCIJBvDyIQ4/s1600/French-legion-wehrmacht-to-Moscow-november-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="French legion German army 638th Infantry Regiment Moscow Smolensk. November 1941 Rare WW2 Images" border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j0UyksVfIJM/Uvx1-yQ3ZHI/AAAAAAAAKoQ/vCIJBvDyIQ4/s1600/French-legion-wehrmacht-to-Moscow-november-1941.jpg" title="French legion of the German army (638th Infantry Regiment) on its way to Moscow from Smolensk. November 1941." width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">French legion of the German army (638th Infantry Regiment) on its way to Moscow from Smolensk. November 1941.</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NMcxSK7tEoA/Uvx3T4KypAI/AAAAAAAAKoc/oZAzgC1_-wI/s1600/German-soldiers-Goliath-Warsaw-Uprising.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers Goliath during suppression Warsaw Uprising August 11 1944 Rare WW2 Images" border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NMcxSK7tEoA/Uvx3T4KypAI/AAAAAAAAKoc/oZAzgC1_-wI/s1600/German-soldiers-Goliath-Warsaw-Uprising.jpg" title="German soldiers prepare a "Goliath" during the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising. August 11, 1944" width="470" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">German soldiers prepare a "Goliath" during the suppression of the Warsaw Uprising. August 11, 1944. (Image by Gutermann)</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YFeyKPufKts/Uvx5GS0iM9I/AAAAAAAAKow/GwN6YhxVU9M/s1600/Waffen-SS-soldier-talks-with-soviet-civilians-Belgrod-1943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Waffen SS soldier chats Soviet women Belgorod. 1943 Rare WW2 Images" border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YFeyKPufKts/Uvx5GS0iM9I/AAAAAAAAKow/GwN6YhxVU9M/s1600/Waffen-SS-soldier-talks-with-soviet-civilians-Belgrod-1943.jpg" title=" Waffen SS soldier chats with Soviet women at Belgorod. 1943" width="490" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Waffen SS soldier chats with Soviet women at Belgorod. 1943. It would be interesting to know what the conversation was about. We will never know.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2XRA9NaqwDA/Uvx6S7aOkbI/AAAAAAAAKo8/j7lcqRQjSSQ/s1600/Sepp-Dietrich-talks-with-Greek-prisoners-april-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Occupied Greece. April 1941. Sepp Dietrich of the 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" talks Greek prisoners. Rare WW2 Images" border="0" height="498" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2XRA9NaqwDA/Uvx6S7aOkbI/AAAAAAAAKo8/j7lcqRQjSSQ/s1600/Sepp-Dietrich-talks-with-Greek-prisoners-april-1941.jpg" title="Occupied Greece. April 1941. Sepp Dietrich of the 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" talks to Greek prisoners." width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Occupied Greece. April 1941. Sepp Dietrich of the </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"> </span><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"> 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"> talks to Greek prisoners.</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uk8N2YFo6TA/Uvx7iyxVZ_I/AAAAAAAAKpE/qZ57FCoaevs/s1600/Soviet-citizens-hanged-by-Germans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Soviet citizens hanged by Germans Rare WW2 Images" border="0" height="512" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uk8N2YFo6TA/Uvx7iyxVZ_I/AAAAAAAAKpE/qZ57FCoaevs/s1600/Soviet-citizens-hanged-by-Germans.jpg" title="Soviet citizens hanged by Germans" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;">Soviet citizens about to be hanged by the Germans. Hitler's orders for Barbarossa was that all Soviet Commissars and partitions were to be executed immediately. The so-called "Commissar Order".</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bk9MgG_aH2o/Uvx82SQHQnI/AAAAAAAAKpQ/r8NI7bOTX-A/s1600/German-soldiers-talk-to-soviet-woman-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers listen carefully Russian lady saying. Novorossiysk, 1942 Rare WW2 Images" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bk9MgG_aH2o/Uvx82SQHQnI/AAAAAAAAKpQ/r8NI7bOTX-A/s1600/German-soldiers-talk-to-soviet-woman-ww2.jpg" title="German soldiers listen carefully to what this Russian lady is saying. Novorossiysk, 1942" width="474" /></a></div>
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;">German soldiers listen carefully to what this Russian lady is saying. </span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Novorossiysk, 1942. Why do men always listen carefully when a woman speaks? Be it war or during peace.</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxCmusVKMR8/Uvx-abPV0WI/AAAAAAAAKpc/UdErhR-OkQs/s1600/warsaw-uprising-german-soldiers-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="September 18 1944 Germans carry their wounded during Warsaw Uprising Rare WW2 Image" border="0" height="486" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxCmusVKMR8/Uvx-abPV0WI/AAAAAAAAKpc/UdErhR-OkQs/s1600/warsaw-uprising-german-soldiers-1944.jpg" title="September 18, 1944. Germans carry their wounded during the Warsaw Uprising" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>September 18, 1944. Germans carry their wounded during the Warsaw Uprising.</b></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nzihvOhV-IM/Uv8XmktstkI/AAAAAAAAKps/kKOKeNOCLr4/s1600/German-soldiers-outskirts-stalingrad-rare-images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers crouch behind Stug 3 assault gun outskirts of Stalingrad 1942 Rare WW2 Image" border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nzihvOhV-IM/Uv8XmktstkI/AAAAAAAAKps/kKOKeNOCLr4/s1600/German-soldiers-outskirts-stalingrad-rare-images.jpg" title="German soldiers crouch behind a Stug 3 assault gun in the outskirts of Stalingrad. 1942" width="474" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> German soldiers crouch behind a Stug 3 assault gun in the outskirts of Stalingrad. 1942</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EBiVDSGUGA8/Uv8XnYyLzRI/AAAAAAAAKpw/8fTLyo--o8A/s1600/German-soldiers-stalingrad-rare-images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers ruined factory Stalingrad November 1942 Rare WW2 Image" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EBiVDSGUGA8/Uv8XnYyLzRI/AAAAAAAAKpw/8fTLyo--o8A/s1600/German-soldiers-stalingrad-rare-images.jpg" title="German soldiers in a ruined factory in Stalingrad. November 1942" width="470" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>German soldiers in a ruined factory in Stalingrad. November 1942. </b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The photo was published on the cover of "Munchner Illustrierte Presse" of 10 December 1942.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6akxsq_8owc/Uv8ZJGMqi3I/AAAAAAAAKqA/l9m_0io7R9c/s1600/French-soldiers-wehrmacht-french-legion-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="French Legion Wehrmacht Smolensk November 1941 Rare WW2 Image" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6akxsq_8owc/Uv8ZJGMqi3I/AAAAAAAAKqA/l9m_0io7R9c/s1600/French-soldiers-wehrmacht-french-legion-ww2.jpg" title="French Legion Wehrmacht Smolensk November 1941" width="466" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">French soldiers in the German army. </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">French Legion of Wehrmacht soldiers during a show in Smolensk before the march on Moscow. November 1941.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_k_p_m0yB1w/Uv8amb-tfLI/AAAAAAAAKqM/dHnLRY7bQj4/s1600/American-general-clark-liberated-Rome.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American Lieutenant General Mark Clark Liberated Rome 1944 Rare WW2 Image" border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_k_p_m0yB1w/Uv8amb-tfLI/AAAAAAAAKqM/dHnLRY7bQj4/s1600/American-general-clark-liberated-Rome.jpg" title="American Lieutenant General Mark Clark Liberated Rome 1944" width="532" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">American Lieutenant General Mark Clark sits on the window sill of a house in liberated Rome. 1944.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gylQA7URjOw/Uv8b4Ag3TWI/AAAAAAAAKqU/N74S8Tmj_7k/s1600/Mussolini-rescued-otto-skorzeny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mussolini Skorzeny September 1943 Rare WW2 Image" border="0" height="418" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gylQA7URjOw/Uv8b4Ag3TWI/AAAAAAAAKqU/N74S8Tmj_7k/s1600/Mussolini-rescued-otto-skorzeny.jpg" title="Mussolini Skorzeny September 1943" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mussolini with a group of German and Italian military at the "Campo Imperatore" after release. He was rescued by a group of SS soldiers led by Otto Skorzeny (seen on the left of Mussolini) in September 1943.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-avkP_9JC2PU/Uv8dgZeru0I/AAAAAAAAKqg/Dyk4SesL-So/s1600/captured-French-soldiers-with-German-soldiers-1940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1940 Captured French pilots chat with German soldiers Rare WW2 Image" border="0" height="448" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-avkP_9JC2PU/Uv8dgZeru0I/AAAAAAAAKqg/Dyk4SesL-So/s1600/captured-French-soldiers-with-German-soldiers-1940.jpg" title="1940. Captured French pilots chat with German soldiers" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1940. Captured French pilots chat with German soldiers.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nR2kLwn7UTU/UwBgWndxYDI/AAAAAAAAKqw/uKP2fhrnF6E/s1600/captured-russian-pilt-kursk-1943-waffen-ss-kicks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Waffen SS soldiers kicks captured Russian pilot Kursk 1943 Rare WW2 Image" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nR2kLwn7UTU/UwBgWndxYDI/AAAAAAAAKqw/uKP2fhrnF6E/s1600/captured-russian-pilt-kursk-1943-waffen-ss-kicks.jpg" title="Waffen SS soldiers kicks a captured Russian pilot. Kursk, 1943" width="474" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not a very nice man. A Waffen SS soldiers kicks a captured Russian pilot. Kursk, 1943.</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y_GMAYcJXUs/UwBgX4T9qcI/AAAAAAAAKq4/3VlIagdL5vw/s1600/german-soldier-lenin-statue-leningrad-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldier Leningrad Lenin statue Rare WW2 Image" border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y_GMAYcJXUs/UwBgX4T9qcI/AAAAAAAAKq4/3VlIagdL5vw/s1600/german-soldier-lenin-statue-leningrad-ww2.jpg" title="German soldier Leningrad Lenin statue" width="464" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Near Leningrad. This German hardly seems to have any reverence towards Lenin. He is using the statue as a sign-post.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fr_U9jmDzLs/UwBjMdP6FtI/AAAAAAAAKrE/ZSH2O6o7zVU/s1600/Waffen-SS-soldiers-Kharkov-1943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Waffen SS soldiers Kharkov 1943 Rare WW2 Image" border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fr_U9jmDzLs/UwBjMdP6FtI/AAAAAAAAKrE/ZSH2O6o7zVU/s1600/Waffen-SS-soldiers-Kharkov-1943.jpg" title=" Waffen SS soldiers at Kharkov 1943" width="542" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tough battle-hardened Waffen SS soldiers at Kharkov. 1943. They were by now fighting a losing war.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CrkF8L-4EaA/UwBkkZVpGsI/AAAAAAAAKrQ/H-BqPdDd9nk/s1600/polish-militia-surrender-Danzig-1939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Polish employees Danzig post office captured September 1939 Rare WW2 Image" border="0" height="442" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CrkF8L-4EaA/UwBkkZVpGsI/AAAAAAAAKrQ/H-BqPdDd9nk/s1600/polish-militia-surrender-Danzig-1939.jpg" title="Polish employees Danzig post office captured September 1939" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Polish employees of the Post Office at Danzig along with a few militia put up strong resistance. The Germans had to blow down a wall using three guns and use flame-throwers to subdue them. September 1939.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vbyy_ACzh18/UwBmaged4YI/AAAAAAAAKrc/U9PCtTu6P_M/s1600/destroyed-warsaw-soviet-sldiers-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Soviet soldiers destroyed Warsaw 1945 Rare WW2 Image" border="0" height="456" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vbyy_ACzh18/UwBmaged4YI/AAAAAAAAKrc/U9PCtTu6P_M/s1600/destroyed-warsaw-soviet-sldiers-1945.jpg" title="Soviet soldiers destroyed Warsaw 1945" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> War destroys. Soviet soldiers walk through a devastated Warsaw. 1945.</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VEE_mEPFi_w/UwBmcHHDTaI/AAAAAAAAKrk/QH4Pd8lxiig/s1600/stalingraD-DESTROYED-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Horse Street Devastated Stalingrad 1942 Rare WW2 Image" border="0" height="562" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VEE_mEPFi_w/UwBmcHHDTaI/AAAAAAAAKrk/QH4Pd8lxiig/s1600/stalingraD-DESTROYED-1945.jpg" title="Horse Street Stalingrad 1942" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A horse stands shaken amidst a destroyed Stalingrad. 1942.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><u>Related</u></i></b></span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2013/10/some-rare-images-from-ww2.html" target="_blank"><b>Rare</b>, Random <b>Images </b>From WW2</a>: Part 1</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2013/11/some-random-rare-images-of-second-world.html" target="_blank"><b>Rare, Random Images</b> From WW2: Part 2</a></span></div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-27699100257991268652013-12-01T23:47:00.000-08:002015-07-28T23:16:48.102-07:00Polish Tragedy: Warsaw Uprising Of 1944.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sqGM5XMHLG8/Upw8E_KWvDI/AAAAAAAAKkM/VeMvRCZPHvE/s1600/warsaw-uprising-armia-krajowa-home-army-ww2-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Warsaw Uprising 1944 German soldiers hiding behind pillarse Grand Opera Warsaw crush uprising" border="0" height="470" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sqGM5XMHLG8/Upw8E_KWvDI/AAAAAAAAKkM/VeMvRCZPHvE/s640/warsaw-uprising-armia-krajowa-home-army-ww2-1944.jpg" title="German soldiers hiding behind the pillars of the Grand Opera in Warsaw as they crush the uprising" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>German soldiers hiding behind the pillars of the Grand Opera in Warsaw as they crush the uprising.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Polish are a very fiercely proud people. So when the Treaty of Versailles gave birth to an independent Poland in 1919, it delighted the Polish heart. But not for long. In 1939 Germany and Soviet Russia swallowed it up after partitioning it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1944. The Germans are being beaten thoroughly by the advancing Red Army. The Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa, the non-communists) thought the time was ripe to throw the Germans out themselves so that they could claim the right to rule Poland in a post-German era.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Home Army thought that the Red Army on the other side of the Vistula would lent a helping hand. But the Russians just watched as the Uprising was brutally crushed by the Germans.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Many say Stalin did not help the uprising because he wanted a pro-Soviet communist government in Poland. This is partly the truth. The Red Army had been on the heels of the retreating Germans for months after Operation Bagration. The supply lines were stretched. The Russians soldiers were tired.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But one must admire the bravery of the Polish who took on the Germans themselves in 1944. What happened is a heart-wrenching story of how the Germans squashed the Warsaw Uprising and eliminated the brave men of Armia Krajowa.</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sHPZyNVmdVg/Up7fvCOUhnI/AAAAAAAAKkc/JTt3UYz1JZ4/s1600/Warsaw-Polish-Home-army-uprising-armia-Krajowa-barricade-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Warsaw insurgents put up barricade street September Uprising 1944" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sHPZyNVmdVg/Up7fvCOUhnI/AAAAAAAAKkc/JTt3UYz1JZ4/s640/Warsaw-Polish-Home-army-uprising-armia-Krajowa-barricade-1944.jpg" title="Warsaw insurgents put up a barricade on a Warsaw street September 1944" width="452" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Warsaw insurgents put up a barricade on a Warsaw street. September 1944.</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zp-RFycBf7Y/Up7huvDYqYI/AAAAAAAAKko/F6GjCge-QMY/s1600/warsaw-uprising-ww2-ss-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="SS non-commissioned officer inspects bodies two Warsaw insurgents November 1944 Uprising" border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zp-RFycBf7Y/Up7huvDYqYI/AAAAAAAAKko/F6GjCge-QMY/s640/warsaw-uprising-ww2-ss-1944.jpg" title="SS non-commissioned officer inspects the bodies of two of the Warsaw insurgents" width="488" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A SS non-commissioned officer inspects the bodies of two of the Warsaw insurgents killed in the Old Town. November 1944.</span></b></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Go6ZgaVqJ3I/Up7ipMotDeI/AAAAAAAAKkw/5h-SolhP-lU/s1600/Warsaw-uprising-German-pow-august-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German prisoners captured by Warsaw insurgents near building Polish telephone company Uprising 1944" border="0" height="464" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Go6ZgaVqJ3I/Up7ipMotDeI/AAAAAAAAKkw/5h-SolhP-lU/s640/Warsaw-uprising-German-pow-august-1944.jpg" title="German prisoners captured by Warsaw insurgents near the building of the Polish telephone company" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A group of German prisoners captured by Warsaw insurgents near the building of the Polish telephone company. August 1944. Don't be confused by the guards wearing German <i>Stahlhelm</i> helmets. The Polish fighters used them too.</span></b></span><span class="sewj3uz1mrbr7zz" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"></span><span class="sewj3uz1mrbr7zz" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxVzbcRaHgo/Up7jyr6Gj_I/AAAAAAAAKk8/NYtWHfaWQZ0/s1600/Polish-fighters-armia-krajowa-surrender-october-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Polish Home Army fighters with 7.92 machine gun Warsaw Uprising 1944" border="0" height="436" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SxVzbcRaHgo/Up7jyr6Gj_I/AAAAAAAAKk8/NYtWHfaWQZ0/s640/Polish-fighters-armia-krajowa-surrender-october-1944.jpg" title="Polish Home Army fighters with a 7.92 machine gun" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moments of despair. Polish Home Army fighters with a 7.92 machine gun (A Polish version of the American Browning gun) in October 1944 sometime before surrender to the Germans in the center of a devastated Warsaw.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrWhabVLf5k/Up7k_qHHFNI/AAAAAAAAKlE/UWB7pLBCAYw/s1600/Polish-Warsaw-uprising-1944-polish-red-cross-german-military-police-September-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="September 7 1944 Representatives Polish Red Cross arrive blindfolded to meet German military policemen negotiate safe passage civilians Warsaw Uprising 1944" border="0" height="446" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZrWhabVLf5k/Up7k_qHHFNI/AAAAAAAAKlE/UWB7pLBCAYw/s640/Polish-Warsaw-uprising-1944-polish-red-cross-german-military-police-September-1944.jpg" title="September 7, 1944. Representatives of the Polish Red Cross arrive blindfolded to meet German military policemen to negotiate safe passage of civilians" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">September 7, 1944. Representatives of the Polish Red Cross arrive blindfolded to meet German military policemen to negotiate safe passage of civilians.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kTTtpNlvxxI/UqAcdWk5bYI/AAAAAAAAKlU/gR7VHd7gLGg/s1600/Polish-warsaw-uprising-1944-captured-german-armored-carrier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Armia Krajowa fighters ride captured German armored carrier streets Warsaw August 1944 uprising" border="0" height="420" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kTTtpNlvxxI/UqAcdWk5bYI/AAAAAAAAKlU/gR7VHd7gLGg/s640/Polish-warsaw-uprising-1944-captured-german-armored-carrier.jpg" title="Armia Krajowa fighters ride a captured German armored carrier on the streets of Warsaw. August 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Armia Krajowa fighters ride a captured German armored carrier on the streets of Warsaw. August 1944.</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sq6M0XsfxYs/UqAc5q3A6pI/AAAAAAAAKlc/9b6n2qBNuZ8/s1600/warsaw-uprising-russian-liberation-army-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Warsaw uprising brutally broken by SS, Police penal battalions and Russian collaborators" border="0" height="464" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sq6M0XsfxYs/UqAc5q3A6pI/AAAAAAAAKlc/9b6n2qBNuZ8/s640/warsaw-uprising-russian-liberation-army-1944.jpg" title="The uprising was brutally broken by the SS, Police, penal battalions and Russian collaborators." width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The uprising was brutally broken by the SS, Police, penal battalions and Russian collaborators. Men from the Russian People's Liberation Army are seen here with SS men.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yyDpRsahXnE/UqAeUO2S0gI/AAAAAAAAKlw/P0gGqmhpwMc/s1600/Warsaw-uprising-Cossacks-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German collaborators included Russian Cossacks Warsaw Uprising 1944" border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yyDpRsahXnE/UqAeUO2S0gI/AAAAAAAAKlw/P0gGqmhpwMc/s640/Warsaw-uprising-Cossacks-1944.jpg" title="German collaborators included the Russian Cossacks" width="432" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>German collaborators included the Russian Cossacks. Seen here are Cossacks (the one with a helmet on is an officer) watching the suppression of the uprising.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rqUxlXdzb5A/UqAfnMNe3PI/AAAAAAAAKl4/mDkauMmThKU/s1600/German-prisoners-warsaw-uprising-august-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="August 1944 German prisoners led by a Home Army soldier Warsaw Uprising " border="0" height="482" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rqUxlXdzb5A/UqAfnMNe3PI/AAAAAAAAKl4/mDkauMmThKU/s640/German-prisoners-warsaw-uprising-august-1944.jpg" title="August 1944. German prisoners led by a Home Army soldier" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>August 1944. German prisoners led by a Home Army soldier.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4Jah6wXnGT0/UqAgkNkRyjI/AAAAAAAAKmA/PnMREfcSB5c/s1600/Polish-women-killed-German-bombing-warsaw-uprising-september-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Polish civilian woman killed during German air raid 10 Moniuszko Street, Warsaw September 1944 uprising" border="0" height="476" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4Jah6wXnGT0/UqAgkNkRyjI/AAAAAAAAKmA/PnMREfcSB5c/s640/Polish-women-killed-German-bombing-warsaw-uprising-september-1944.jpg" title="Polish civilian woman killed during a German air raid at 10 Moniuszko Street, Warsaw. September 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>A Polish civilian woman killed during a German air raid at 10 Moniuszko Street, Warsaw.</b></span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> September 1944.</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AdN46EmxtAo/UqAiHlZQ23I/AAAAAAAAKmM/wDT02qG-BkI/s1600/German-prisoners-warsaw-uprising-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German prisoners marked with swastika line up insurgents against wall ghetto Bonifraterska Street Warsaw Uprising 1944" border="0" height="366" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AdN46EmxtAo/UqAiHlZQ23I/AAAAAAAAKmM/wDT02qG-BkI/s640/German-prisoners-warsaw-uprising-1944.jpg" title="German prisoners marked with swastika line up by the insurgents against the wall of the ghetto on Bonifraterska Street" width="640" /></a></div>
<b style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">German prisoners marked with swastika line up by the insurgents against the wall of the ghetto on </b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bonifraterska Street. Were they shot later?</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lMjVD2N3qng/UqAjrAfHpWI/AAAAAAAAKmY/JtZLMApsST8/s1600/warsaw-uprising-600-mm-shell-germans-Prudential-building-august-28-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Germans used massive 600 mm guns flatten insurgent positions Prudential building Warsaw Uprising 1944" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lMjVD2N3qng/UqAjrAfHpWI/AAAAAAAAKmY/JtZLMApsST8/s640/warsaw-uprising-600-mm-shell-germans-Prudential-building-august-28-1944.jpg" title="Germans used massive 600 mm guns to flatten insurgent positions" width="626" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Germans used massive 600 mm guns to flatten insurgent positions. Here the Prudential building is hit. It collapsed in seconds.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eTfW-CW7tmk/UqAlAl_EefI/AAAAAAAAKmk/62sFazGL0Xc/s1600/German-rocket-launcher-warsaw-uprising-september-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Germans used Wurfrahmen 40 multiple rocket launchers against Home Army positions September Warsaw Uprising 1944" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eTfW-CW7tmk/UqAlAl_EefI/AAAAAAAAKmk/62sFazGL0Xc/s640/German-rocket-launcher-warsaw-uprising-september-1944.jpg" title="Germans use the Wurfrahmen 40 multiple rocket launchers against the Home Army positions September 1944" width="482" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Germans use the Wurfrahmen 40 multiple rocket launchers against the Home Army positions. September 1944.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCmEQJIgwL4/UqAmxgYqvGI/AAAAAAAAKms/eC0kxwz_TCs/s1600/warsaw-street-burning-uprising-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Warsaw burns during Uprising 1944" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZCmEQJIgwL4/UqAmxgYqvGI/AAAAAAAAKms/eC0kxwz_TCs/s640/warsaw-street-burning-uprising-1944.jpg" title=" Warsaw burns during the Uprising" width="424" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Warsaw burns during the Uprising</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-43WmfoWL82c/UqAmyxreQSI/AAAAAAAAKm0/ldRwqeJidZs/s1600/General-Komorowski-surrenders-October-4-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Polish general Komorowski surrender Germans October 4 Warsaw Uprising 1944" border="0" height="494" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-43WmfoWL82c/UqAmyxreQSI/AAAAAAAAKm0/ldRwqeJidZs/s640/General-Komorowski-surrenders-October-4-1944.jpg" title="Polish general Komorowski rides to surrender to the Germans. October 4, 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Polish general Komorowski rides to surrender to the Germans. October 4, 1944.</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jU6faYsHnLc/UqAm0CBUQUI/AAAAAAAAKm8/kET1bDESveQ/s1600/General-Komorowski-surrenders-October-4-1944-Bach-Zelewski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Komorowski after surrender with Obergruppenfuhrer Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski Warsaw Uprising 1944" border="0" height="520" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jU6faYsHnLc/UqAm0CBUQUI/AAAAAAAAKm8/kET1bDESveQ/s640/General-Komorowski-surrenders-October-4-1944-Bach-Zelewski.jpg" title="Komorowski after surrender with Obergruppenfuhrer Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Komorowski after surrender with Obergruppenfuhrer Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2Ju3umj6Zk/UqAppKWcAnI/AAAAAAAAKnI/79orDo-3G6I/s1600/Bach-zelewski-welcomes-captured-Germans-warsaw-uprising-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bach Zelewski welcomes back captured Germans Warsaw Uprising 1944" border="0" height="422" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2Ju3umj6Zk/UqAppKWcAnI/AAAAAAAAKnI/79orDo-3G6I/s640/Bach-zelewski-welcomes-captured-Germans-warsaw-uprising-1944.jpg" title="Bach Zelewski welcomes back captured Germans" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Bach Zelewski welcomes back captured Germans.</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CpA104Kpqgs/UqAprwQkUOI/AAAAAAAAKnQ/ywrmnTaam9M/s1600/Polish-home-army-surrenders-warsaw-uprising-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Home Army fighters surrender Warsaw Uprising 1944" border="0" height="540" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CpA104Kpqgs/UqAprwQkUOI/AAAAAAAAKnQ/ywrmnTaam9M/s640/Polish-home-army-surrenders-warsaw-uprising-1944.jpg" title="Home Army fighters surrender" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> Home Army fighters surrender.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6hMSEJvASnI/UqAptK5KoXI/AAAAAAAAKnY/UDTE2K8Qq8A/s1600/Polish-home-army-surrenders-warsaw-uprising-1944-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Germans pull out Armia Krajowa man from man hole Warsaw Uprising 1944" border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6hMSEJvASnI/UqAptK5KoXI/AAAAAAAAKnY/UDTE2K8Qq8A/s640/Polish-home-army-surrenders-warsaw-uprising-1944-001.jpg" title="Germans pull out a Armia Krajowa man from a man hole" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Germans pull out a Armia Krajowa man from a man hole</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3N9qPLYSL-A/UqApwYYiPuI/AAAAAAAAKng/zL77eSQVmDQ/s1600/Polish-home-army-surrenders-warsaw-uprising-1944-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Polish insurgents hand over arms Warsaw Uprising 1944" border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3N9qPLYSL-A/UqApwYYiPuI/AAAAAAAAKng/zL77eSQVmDQ/s640/Polish-home-army-surrenders-warsaw-uprising-1944-002.jpg" title="Polish insurgents hand over their arms" width="610" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Polish insurgents hand over their arms.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QvuUnNUOKLg/UqAqXboddlI/AAAAAAAAKno/5joFK3871mM/s1600/Polish-home-army-surrenders-warsaw-uprising-1944-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Armia Krajowa fighters march into captivity Warsaw Uprising 1944" border="0" height="390" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QvuUnNUOKLg/UqAqXboddlI/AAAAAAAAKno/5joFK3871mM/s640/Polish-home-army-surrenders-warsaw-uprising-1944-003.jpg" title="Armia Krajowa fighters march into captivity" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Armia Krajowa fighters march into captivity. Very few were left alive by the Germans.</b></span></div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-87356534699630688102013-11-17T23:03:00.000-08:002015-07-27T02:26:57.861-07:00Some Random Rare Images Of The Second World War: Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fEOneJZR6fs/Uom6mii4xHI/AAAAAAAAKgg/psSDoNH9BOM/s1600/American-soldiers-inspect-German-Tiger-tank-February-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American soldiers inspect German Tiger tank Belgian village Corenne February 1945" border="0" height="512" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fEOneJZR6fs/Uom6mii4xHI/AAAAAAAAKgg/psSDoNH9BOM/s640/American-soldiers-inspect-German-Tiger-tank-February-1945.jpg" title="American soldiers inspect a German Tiger tank at the Belgian village of Corenne, February, 1945" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Two American soldiers inspect a German Tiger tank at the Belgian village of Corenne, February, 1945. The third is admiring the passing Belgian women who too seem interested in the Americans</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ESUjqFDead8/Uom85S15qjI/AAAAAAAAKgs/Ajt3106RqdQ/s1600/Romanian-soldiers-Caucasus-1943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Romanian soldiers fire mortar somewhere Caucasus April 30 1943" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ESUjqFDead8/Uom85S15qjI/AAAAAAAAKgs/Ajt3106RqdQ/s640/Romanian-soldiers-Caucasus-1943.jpg" title="Romanian soldiers prepare to fire a mortar somewhere in the Caucasus. April 30, 1943" width="468" /></a></div>
<b>Romanian soldiers prepare to fire a mortar somewhere in the Caucasus. April 30, 1943.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IuBJq5P7YLg/Uom9xLB7iQI/AAAAAAAAKg0/locz6E9izZg/s1600/German-soldier-near-Moscow-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldier directs German war machines near Moscow. Winter 1941" border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IuBJq5P7YLg/Uom9xLB7iQI/AAAAAAAAKg0/locz6E9izZg/s640/German-soldier-near-Moscow-1941.jpg" title="German soldier directs German war machines in the vicinity of Moscow Winter 1941" width="490" /></a></div>
<b>A German soldier directs German war machines in the vicinity of Moscow. Winter 1941. He looks haggard.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rG0vCMm7F0c/Uom_dTpTNyI/AAAAAAAAKhA/Qo9IWZMLfVI/s1600/anton-Klein-warden-Mauthausen-concentration-camp-before-hanging-1948.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Anton Klein warden Mauthausen-Ebensee concentration camp moments before his hanging November 5 1948 at Landsberg Germany" border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rG0vCMm7F0c/Uom_dTpTNyI/AAAAAAAAKhA/Qo9IWZMLfVI/s640/anton-Klein-warden-Mauthausen-concentration-camp-before-hanging-1948.jpg" title="Anton Klein a warden at the Mauthausen-Ebensee concentration camp moments before his hanging on November 5, 1948 at Landsberg, Germany" width="516" /></a></div>
<b>Anton Klein a warden at the Mauthausen-Ebensee concentration camp moments before his hanging on November 5, 1948 at Landsberg, Germany.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--xuC8rFBzzg/UonBD8IbdFI/AAAAAAAAKhM/SdEjvaNJbhw/s1600/British-soldiers-Norway-1940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="British soldiers Norwegian village 1940" border="0" height="498" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--xuC8rFBzzg/UonBD8IbdFI/AAAAAAAAKhM/SdEjvaNJbhw/s640/British-soldiers-Norway-1940.jpg" title="British soldiers at a Norwegian village in 1940" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>British soldiers at a Norwegian village in 1940. They were soon thrown out by the Germans.</b></blockquote>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FTvhgyIk8Pw/UonClyHb16I/AAAAAAAAKhY/7ThADuF0Ess/s1600/Officer-Florian-Geyer-Waffen-SS-division-eats-eastern-front-1943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Officer Waffen SS Florian Geyer 8th SS Cavalry Division eats eastern front 1943" border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FTvhgyIk8Pw/UonClyHb16I/AAAAAAAAKhY/7ThADuF0Ess/s640/Officer-Florian-Geyer-Waffen-SS-division-eats-eastern-front-1943.jpg" title="An officer of the Waffen SS 'Florian Geyer' (8th SS Cavalry Division) eats on the eastern front in 1943" width="474" /></a></div>
<b> An officer of the Waffen SS 'Florian Geyer' (8th SS Cavalry Division) eats on the eastern front in 1943. These men were used in anti-partisan actions in 1943.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zovMMpMYDUE/UonEopkx3vI/AAAAAAAAKhk/3hKBDauZhJE/s1600/German-soldiers-Italy-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers Italian town with Tiger tank 1944" border="0" height="474" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zovMMpMYDUE/UonEopkx3vI/AAAAAAAAKhk/3hKBDauZhJE/s640/German-soldiers-Italy-1944.jpg" title="German soldiers in an Italian town with a Tiger tank in 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>The end was nearing. German soldiers in an Italian town with a Tiger tank in 1944</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QelFdTvcBVs/UosNlyVy_7I/AAAAAAAAKh0/62Ehvo2dHus/s1600/German-paratroopers-Netherlands-May-10-1940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German paratroopers jumping Netherlands Ju 52 plane May 1 1940" border="0" height="528" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QelFdTvcBVs/UosNlyVy_7I/AAAAAAAAKh0/62Ehvo2dHus/s640/German-paratroopers-Netherlands-May-10-1940.jpg" title="German paratroopers jumping into Netherlands from a Ju 52 plane. May 1, 1940" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>German paratroopers jumping into Netherlands from a Ju 52 plane. May 1, 1940</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2gg4R1aS8rE/UosOp5NPFDI/AAAAAAAAKh8/jmdo2lqevGU/s1600/North-african-French-soldiers-pow-German-soldiers-France-1940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Germans with North African most probably Senegalese French POW St. Cloud" border="0" height="444" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2gg4R1aS8rE/UosOp5NPFDI/AAAAAAAAKh8/jmdo2lqevGU/s640/North-african-French-soldiers-pow-German-soldiers-France-1940.jpg" title="Germans with North African (most probably Senegalese] French POW at St. Cloud" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Germans with North African (most probably Senegalese] French POW at St. Cloud, A suburb of Paris. 1940.</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-76OoH-iUtaw/UosQAxMj5bI/AAAAAAAAKiE/3puQXyN-47k/s1600/German-Focke-Wulf-Fw-190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German groundsmen preparing fighter bomber Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-5 Kharkhov" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-76OoH-iUtaw/UosQAxMj5bI/AAAAAAAAKiE/3puQXyN-47k/s640/German-Focke-Wulf-Fw-190.jpg" title="German groundsmen preparing the fighter bomber Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-5 at Kharkhov" width="466" /></a></div>
<b>German groundsmen preparing the fighter bomber </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;">Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-5 at Kharkhov, Russia. April 1943.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VgbW6PFZUC8/UosRaEoe1II/AAAAAAAAKiQ/gururjeFRX0/s1600/American-dead-soldiers-Malmedy-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="dead American soldier shot by SS at Malmedy December 1944" border="0" height="502" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VgbW6PFZUC8/UosRaEoe1II/AAAAAAAAKiQ/gururjeFRX0/s640/American-dead-soldiers-Malmedy-1944.jpg" title="dead American soldier shot by the SS at Malmedy in December, 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An American soldier points to the head wounds of a dead soldier shot by the SS at Malmedy in December, 1944</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gR58X1yT-ns/UosTBUV320I/AAAAAAAAKic/0vNdJoVRL1g/s1600/General-leclerc-Paris-Free-French-August-25-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="General Leclerc Free French 2nd armored division paris" border="0" height="530" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gR58X1yT-ns/UosTBUV320I/AAAAAAAAKic/0vNdJoVRL1g/s640/General-leclerc-Paris-Free-French-August-25-1944.jpg" title="General Leclerc of the Free French 2nd armored division" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">General Leclerc of the Free French 2nd armored division gives orders after reaching Paris. August 25, 1944. The French made a rush for Paris despite American orders to the contrary to revive some of the French pride which was lost in 1940.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iJp05TZQrSY/UosUfG1lcNI/AAAAAAAAKio/fNKGHFvEHqM/s1600/Soviet-T-34-tank-destroyed-near-Moscow-december-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Soviet T-34 tank burns outskirts of Moscow December 1941" border="0" height="438" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iJp05TZQrSY/UosUfG1lcNI/AAAAAAAAKio/fNKGHFvEHqM/s640/Soviet-T-34-tank-destroyed-near-Moscow-december-1941.jpg" title="Soviet T-34 tank burns on the outskirts of Moscow. December 1941" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Soviet T-34 tank burns on the outskirts of Moscow. December 1941. But the Germans never reached Moscow.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xRnoVOyOohk/UosVS-cCv5I/AAAAAAAAKiw/83WSuS4nw_0/s1600/British-POW-Trondheim-Norway-May-1940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="British POW Trondheim Norway May 1940" border="0" height="468" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xRnoVOyOohk/UosVS-cCv5I/AAAAAAAAKiw/83WSuS4nw_0/s640/British-POW-Trondheim-Norway-May-1940.jpg" title="British POW line up for lunch at Trondheim, Norway. May 1940" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">British POW line up for lunch at Trondheim, Norway. May 1940. Hardly the proud, gritty British.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4_Dpi5E5PLM/UosWWPd1yxI/AAAAAAAAKi8/Kk1_dBgH2Is/s1600/German-soldiers-march-Norway-1940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers march Norway 1940" border="0" height="464" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4_Dpi5E5PLM/UosWWPd1yxI/AAAAAAAAKi8/Kk1_dBgH2Is/s640/German-soldiers-march-Norway-1940.jpg" title="German soldiers march in Norway. 1940" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">German soldiers march in Norway. 1940.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9yJ3ZGXruyw/UpWQTOBDWBI/AAAAAAAAKjM/iouOHGZwIKc/s1600/Denmark-German-soldiers-1940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1940 German soldiers having soup street Danish village" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9yJ3ZGXruyw/UpWQTOBDWBI/AAAAAAAAKjM/iouOHGZwIKc/s640/Denmark-German-soldiers-1940.jpg" title="1940. German soldiers having soup on the street of a Danish village" width="490" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1940. German soldiers having soup on the street of a Danish village.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ehIgXzghmfw/UpWRQJVzyoI/AAAAAAAAKjU/Azb3CH16TNE/s1600/German-soldiers-anti-aircraft-gun-Italy-1943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Germans firing 20 mm Flak 30 anti-aircraft gun in Italy 1943" border="0" height="474" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ehIgXzghmfw/UpWRQJVzyoI/AAAAAAAAKjU/Azb3CH16TNE/s640/German-soldiers-anti-aircraft-gun-Italy-1943.jpg" title="Germans firing a 20 mm Flak 30 anti-aircraft gun in Italy. 1943" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Germans firing a 20 mm Flak 30 anti-aircraft gun in Italy. 1943.</span></b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jfm7lHAPOxc/UpWSFA66qAI/AAAAAAAAKjc/ZXRER0cwGuE/s1600/American-POW-1944-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American POW walking through Belgian village December 1944" border="0" height="512" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jfm7lHAPOxc/UpWSFA66qAI/AAAAAAAAKjc/ZXRER0cwGuE/s640/American-POW-1944-ww2.jpg" title="American POW walking through a Belgian village. December 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>American POW walking through a Belgian village. December 1944.</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-udmjZ2MCAUI/UpWTJ9SdMqI/AAAAAAAAKjo/GCQyrs4Uw9s/s1600/Red-army-POW-Finland-1940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Red Army prisoner-of-war Finland train during Soviet-Finnish War 1940" border="0" height="498" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-udmjZ2MCAUI/UpWTJ9SdMqI/AAAAAAAAKjo/GCQyrs4Uw9s/s640/Red-army-POW-Finland-1940.jpg" title="Red Army prisoner-of-war about to be sent deep into Finland by train during the Soviet-Finnish War in 1940" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Red Army prisoner-of-war about to be sent deep into Finland by train during the Soviet-Finnish War in 1940.</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fooCxwCkCrE/UpWT-vSwi6I/AAAAAAAAKjw/r7i-Tg4FGeg/s1600/Battle-of-Berlin-Soviet-soldiers-April-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Red Army soldiers Berlin. April 1945" border="0" height="484" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fooCxwCkCrE/UpWT-vSwi6I/AAAAAAAAKjw/r7i-Tg4FGeg/s640/Battle-of-Berlin-Soviet-soldiers-April-1945.jpg" title="Red Army soldiers in Berlin. April, 1945" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Vision of a nightmare come true for the Germans. Red Army soldiers in Berlin. April, 1945.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fh47lwVK8rA/UpWVnSL5XNI/AAAAAAAAKj8/wnxKov8jcxE/s1600/American-pilots-Battle-Mariana-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="American pilots aboard light aircraft carrier 'Monterey' attack Japanese fleet Battle Mariana Islands June 1944" border="0" height="624" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Fh47lwVK8rA/UpWVnSL5XNI/AAAAAAAAKj8/wnxKov8jcxE/s640/American-pilots-Battle-Mariana-1944.jpg" title="American pilots aboard the light aircraft carrier 'Monterey' before flying out to attack the Japanese fleet during the Battle of the Mariana Islands. June 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>American pilots aboard the light aircraft carrier 'Monterey' before flying out to attack the Japanese fleet during the Battle of the Mariana Islands. June 1944.</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>RELATED....</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.com/2013/10/some-rare-images-from-ww2.html" style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">Some Random, Rare Images From WW2: Part 1</a><br />
<a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.com/2014/02/rare-random-images-from-ww2.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;">Some Random Rare Images Of The Second World War: Part </span></span>3</a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;">INCOMPLETE....WORK IN PROGRESS....</span></b></div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-76071912713086915432013-10-30T00:39:00.000-07:002015-07-27T02:46:29.823-07:00Some Random, Rare Images From WW2: Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VkspFWXCdHo/UnIFvh6VXzI/AAAAAAAAKb0/_mihqDa0iJw/s1600/German-soldiers-lake-ladoga-Leningrad-1943-KV-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers take cover against destroyed Soviet KV-1 tank Lake Ladoga Leningrad September 15 1943" border="0" height="460" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VkspFWXCdHo/UnIFvh6VXzI/AAAAAAAAKb0/_mihqDa0iJw/s640/German-soldiers-lake-ladoga-Leningrad-1943-KV-1.jpg" title="German soldiers take cover against a destroyed Soviet KV-1 tank in Lake Ladoga, Leningrad, September 15, 1943" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>German soldiers take cover against a destroyed Soviet KV-1 tank in Lake Ladoga, Leningrad, September 15, 1943.</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6dZIwYQ1nDU/UnC3NTkCvxI/AAAAAAAAKa0/Zyn_uyTYJuo/s1600/ww2-rare-images-wounded-american-soldier-okinawa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bloody Battle Okinawa" border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6dZIwYQ1nDU/UnC3NTkCvxI/AAAAAAAAKa0/Zyn_uyTYJuo/s640/ww2-rare-images-wounded-american-soldier-okinawa.jpg" title="Bloody Battle Okinawa" width="524" /></a></div>
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<b>The Battle at Okinawa was bloody. It convinced the Americans that the Japanese would not surrender with a fight. Seen in the image is an wounded American soldier.</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wFA6Neq3YHg/UnC4f4ujPCI/AAAAAAAAKa8/0lUuEC_Pwi8/s1600/captured-german-soldiers-anzio-italy-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers captured Anzio Italy 1944 escorted American soldier" border="0" height="516" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wFA6Neq3YHg/UnC4f4ujPCI/AAAAAAAAKa8/0lUuEC_Pwi8/s640/captured-german-soldiers-anzio-italy-1944.jpg" title="German soldier captured at Anzio, Italy in 1944 escorted by an American soldier" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>German soldier captured at Anzio, Italy in 1944 escorted by an American soldier.</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xMH0ApiHcys/UnC5eyjPUTI/AAAAAAAAKbE/i-KWy9eCxyQ/s1600/Romanian-soldiers-Stalingrad-1942-winter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Romanian soldiers with ZB 20 machine gun at Stalingrad 1942" border="0" height="472" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xMH0ApiHcys/UnC5eyjPUTI/AAAAAAAAKbE/i-KWy9eCxyQ/s640/Romanian-soldiers-Stalingrad-1942-winter.jpg" title="Romanian soldiers with a ZB 20 machine gun at Stalingrad in 1942" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Romanian soldiers with a ZB 20 machine gun at Stalingrad in 1942. The flanks of the Germans were covered by ill-armed Romanians and Italians which allowed the Red Army to cut off the Sixth Army in November 1942.</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--JY36YHW1ac/UnH-X4hpFuI/AAAAAAAAKbU/JVm9QdPahCs/s1600/ww2-polish-pow-germany-1938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Polish POW carry loaves of bread escorted German soldier" border="0" height="448" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--JY36YHW1ac/UnH-X4hpFuI/AAAAAAAAKbU/JVm9QdPahCs/s640/ww2-polish-pow-germany-1938.jpg" title="Polish POW carry loaves of bread escorted by a German soldier" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Polish POW carry loaves of bread escorted by a German soldier. The defeat in September 1939 was very bitter for the proud Polish.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mcU5jMyY-EE/UnH-zsNp4CI/AAAAAAAAKbc/9eF7fdfRZSo/s1600/captured-polish-anti-aircraft-gun-1939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A German soldier stands guard over a captured Polish 75 mm anti-aircraft gun atop a railroad car in 1939" border="0" height="452" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mcU5jMyY-EE/UnH-zsNp4CI/AAAAAAAAKbc/9eF7fdfRZSo/s640/captured-polish-anti-aircraft-gun-1939.jpg" title="A German soldier stands guard over a captured Polish 75 mm anti-aircraft gun atop a railroad car in 1939" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>A German soldier stands guard over a captured Polish 75 mm anti-aircraft gun atop a railroad car in 1939</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w0836cqiZl0/UnIEg-UT0sI/AAAAAAAAKbs/qdCLeDcfqTM/s1600/captured-german-u-boat-crew-surrender-polish-sailors-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A German U-Boat crew surrender to Polish sailors at the British port of Portland The U-Boat captain is Lieutenant zur See Uwe Kock" border="0" height="482" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w0836cqiZl0/UnIEg-UT0sI/AAAAAAAAKbs/qdCLeDcfqTM/s640/captured-german-u-boat-crew-surrender-polish-sailors-1945.jpg" title="A German U-Boat crew surrender to Polish sailors at the British port of Portland. The U-Boat captain is Lieutenant zur See Uwe Kock" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>A German U-Boat crew surrender to Polish sailors at the British port of Portland. The U-Boat captain is </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>Lieutenant zur See Uwe Kock</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hcCHBAGvqdk/UnIGNJDMbnI/AAAAAAAAKb8/6wrpl3CaVbo/s1600/German-generals-Soviet-Generals-brest-September-1939-Guderian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German general Guderian and Red Army Commander Vladimir Yulianovich Borovitsky at Brest on September 21, 1939 to work out the German and Soviet boundary demarcation of occupied Poland" border="0" height="438" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hcCHBAGvqdk/UnIGNJDMbnI/AAAAAAAAKb8/6wrpl3CaVbo/s640/German-generals-Soviet-Generals-brest-September-1939-Guderian.jpg" title="German general Guderian and Red Army Commander Vladimir Yulianovich Borovitsky at Brest on September 21, 1939 to work out the German and Soviet boundary demarcation of occupied Poland" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>German general Guderian and Red Army Commander </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>Vladimir Yulianovich Borovitsky at Brest on September 21, 1939 to work out the German and Soviet boundary demarcation of occupied Poland</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nYD0QiAj_pY/UnIHHhDy6uI/AAAAAAAAKcI/RyhCFP0UF9c/s1600/German-soldiers-Lake-Ladoga-1943-Tiger-tank-KV-1-tank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldier beside a Tiger tank and a destroyed Soviet KV-1 tank at Lake Ladoga Leningrad September 1943" border="0" height="436" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nYD0QiAj_pY/UnIHHhDy6uI/AAAAAAAAKcI/RyhCFP0UF9c/s640/German-soldiers-Lake-Ladoga-1943-Tiger-tank-KV-1-tank.jpg" title="German soldier beside a Tiger tank and a destroyed Soviet KV-1 tank at Lake Ladoga, Leningrad, September 1943" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>German soldier beside a Tiger tank and a destroyed Soviet KV-1 tank at Lake Ladoga, Leningrad, September 1943.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x_dgejtnJ5U/UnIHfVNYWSI/AAAAAAAAKcQ/CZZHfrkUHQA/s1600/German-soldiers-Stalingrad-October-1942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers of a machine gun unit change their position at Stalingrad October 1942" border="0" height="440" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x_dgejtnJ5U/UnIHfVNYWSI/AAAAAAAAKcQ/CZZHfrkUHQA/s640/German-soldiers-Stalingrad-October-1942.jpg" title="German soldiers of a machine gun unit change their position at Stalingrad. October 1942" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>German soldiers of a machine gun unit change their position at Stalingrad. October 1942.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6IRNa6JuLIs/UnIH2AD2d-I/AAAAAAAAKcY/iAFqNsc0Sbc/s1600/U-boat-building-yard-bremen-1945-German.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The German U-Boat building yard at Bremen after it was occupied by the Allies. May 5, 1945. In the background from left to right in the center - U-3060 and U-3062, in the foreground from left to right - U-3061 and U-3063" border="0" height="540" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6IRNa6JuLIs/UnIH2AD2d-I/AAAAAAAAKcY/iAFqNsc0Sbc/s640/U-boat-building-yard-bremen-1945-German.jpg" title="The German U-Boat building yard at Bremen after it was occupied by the Allies. May 5, 1945. In the background from left to right in the center - U-3060 and U-3062, in the foreground from left to right - U-3061 and U-3063" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>The German U-Boat building yard at Bremen after it was occupied by the Allies. May 5, 1945. </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>In the background from left to right in the center - U-3060 and U-3062, in the foreground from left to right - U-3061 and U-3063.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--NmjJjwL0jU/UnyCu7dG7AI/AAAAAAAAKdw/3JOMFtINuEA/s1600/waffen-ss-france-1944-Max-Wunsch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Waffen SS Colonel Max Wunsche, commander of the 12th SS Regiment of the Hitlerjugend Division (bandaged head) with men of the 25th regiment of the SS at Po (village in France) on June 9, 1944. Partly seen on the right side of the image is Rudolf, son of German foreign minister von Ribbentrop" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--NmjJjwL0jU/UnyCu7dG7AI/AAAAAAAAKdw/3JOMFtINuEA/s640/waffen-ss-france-1944-Max-Wunsch.jpg" title="Waffen SS Colonel Max Wunsche, commander of the 12th SS Regiment of the Hitlerjugend Division (bandaged head) with men of the 25th regiment of the SS at Po (village in France) on June 9, 1944. Partly seen on the right side of the image is Rudolf, son of German foreign minister von Ribbentrop" width="478" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>Waffen SS Colonel Max Wunsche, commander of the 12th SS Regiment of the Hitlerjugend Division (bandaged head) with men of the 25th regiment of the SS at Po (village in France) on June 9, 1944. Partly seen on the right side of the image is Rudolf, son of German foreign minister von Ribbentrop.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NNR_-uEuTDw/UnyFqgyy4FI/AAAAAAAAKd8/ksTxdf5dIZ8/s1600/Blue-division-250-Wehrmacht.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Franco did not officially involve Spain on the Axis side, but Spanish volunteers did fight in the Wehrmacht. It was called the "Blue Division"(the 250th infantry division). Here a soldier is seen by the grave of a comrade" border="0" height="430" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NNR_-uEuTDw/UnyFqgyy4FI/AAAAAAAAKd8/ksTxdf5dIZ8/s640/Blue-division-250-Wehrmacht.jpg" title="Franco did not officially involve Spain on the Axis side, but Spanish volunteers did fight in the Wehrmacht. It was called the "Blue Division"(the 250th infantry division). Here a soldier is seen by the grave of a comrade" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>Franco did not officially involve Spain on the Axis side, but Spanish volunteers did fight in the Wehrmacht. It was called the "Blue Division"(the 250th infantry division). Here a soldier is seen by the grave of a comrade.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CyLv_CnK6tE/UnyG6hafQsI/AAAAAAAAKeE/KKj7witgqc8/s1600/Hungarian-soldiers-ww2-eastern-front-bicycles.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Hungarian soldiers on bicycles on the eastern front" border="0" height="454" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CyLv_CnK6tE/UnyG6hafQsI/AAAAAAAAKeE/KKj7witgqc8/s320/Hungarian-soldiers-ww2-eastern-front-bicycles.jpg" title="Hungarian soldiers on bicycles on the eastern front" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>Hungarian soldiers on bicycles on the eastern front.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yltVc6FnZzQ/UnyIA9MMSAI/AAAAAAAAKeM/AKo7r7-hYAc/s1600/panther-tank-Paris-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Curious Parisians atop a destroyed German Panther tank. 1944" border="0" height="456" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yltVc6FnZzQ/UnyIA9MMSAI/AAAAAAAAKeM/AKo7r7-hYAc/s640/panther-tank-Paris-1944.jpg" title="Curious Parisians atop a destroyed German Panther tank. 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>Curious Parisians atop a destroyed German Panther tank. 1944</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JFNrXSkYl3A/UnyJLiFNy4I/AAAAAAAAKeU/u9ihvdWv9eg/s1600/German-soldiers-captured-french-armored-amd35-Panhard-178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers examine a captured French armored car, Panhard 178. May-June 1940" border="0" height="398" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JFNrXSkYl3A/UnyJLiFNy4I/AAAAAAAAKeU/u9ihvdWv9eg/s640/German-soldiers-captured-french-armored-amd35-Panhard-178.jpg" title="German soldiers examine a captured French armored car, Panhard 178. May-June 1940" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>German soldiers examine a captured French armored car, Panhard 178. May-June 1940</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bw8eYUJXr6w/UnyKhTugLOI/AAAAAAAAKec/BRy6iDNAQko/s1600/Frederich-Sauchel-body-Nuremberg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fritz Sauckel after he was hanged on October 16, 1946" border="0" height="504" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bw8eYUJXr6w/UnyKhTugLOI/AAAAAAAAKec/BRy6iDNAQko/s640/Frederich-Sauchel-body-Nuremberg.jpg" title="Fritz Sauckel after he was hanged on October 16, 1946" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fritz Sauckel after he was hanged on October 16, 1946. </span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;">Ernst Friedrich Christoph "Fritz" Sauckel was a German Nazi politician, Gauleiter of Thuringia and the General Plenipotentiary for Labour Deployment from 1942 until the end of the Second World War. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;">Sauckel was among the 24 persons accused in the Nuremberg Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal. He was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and was sentenced to death by hanging. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;">Last words: "I respect the American officers and soldiers, but not the American justice system"</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Al9lUhdNYnE/UnyMrHE28aI/AAAAAAAAKeo/cb_aED2hhZk/s1600/Polish-soldiers-captured-Germans-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Polish soldiers captured by the Germans after the fall of Poland. 1939" border="0" height="456" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Al9lUhdNYnE/UnyMrHE28aI/AAAAAAAAKeo/cb_aED2hhZk/s640/Polish-soldiers-captured-Germans-ww2.jpg" title="Polish soldiers captured by the Germans after the fall of Poland. 1939" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><b>Polish soldiers captured by the Germans</b> after the fall of Poland. 1939. The bitterness of defeat shows on the faces of the proud men.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1hiruCYJzcM/Un3mQIgmMfI/AAAAAAAAKfA/QWSO8ds4YIc/s1600/German-soldiers-Netherlands-1940-Wagenbergen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers walk the streets of the Dutch village of Wagenborgen as dead Dutch soldiers lie. May 1940" border="0" height="484" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1hiruCYJzcM/Un3mQIgmMfI/AAAAAAAAKfA/QWSO8ds4YIc/s640/German-soldiers-Netherlands-1940-Wagenbergen.jpg" title="German soldiers walk the streets of the Dutch village of Wagenborgen as dead Dutch soldiers lie. May 1940" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><b>German soldiers walk the streets </b>of the Dutch village of Wagenborgen as dead Dutch soldiers lie. May 1940.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ENq26Ahi6Cs/Un3nfD33IqI/AAAAAAAAKfI/MCuttEtyMGc/s1600/German-soldiers-Novorossiysk-1942.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers adjust their Flak 36 anti-aircraft gun at Novorossiysk Russia. September 1942" border="0" height="508" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ENq26Ahi6Cs/Un3nfD33IqI/AAAAAAAAKfI/MCuttEtyMGc/s640/German-soldiers-Novorossiysk-1942.jpg" title="German soldiers adjust their Flak 36 anti-aircraft gun at Novorossiysk, Russia. September, 1942" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial;"><b>German soldiers adjust their Flak 36 anti-aircraft gun at Novorossiysk, Russia. September, 1942.</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xl0nbXNrE24/UoXNwViuuvI/AAAAAAAAKfo/FdYIiLAt-B0/s1600/Dieppe-Raid-Canadian-POW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Three Canadian soldiers captured by the Germans during the Dieppe Raid" border="0" height="498" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xl0nbXNrE24/UoXNwViuuvI/AAAAAAAAKfo/FdYIiLAt-B0/s640/Dieppe-Raid-Canadian-POW.jpg" title="Three Canadian soldiers captured by the Germans during the Dieppe Raid" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Three Canadian soldiers captured by the Germans during the Dieppe Raid. The Raid was a disaster for the Allies</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S3G-kly73ac/UoXOF5P_2NI/AAAAAAAAKfw/mlnFDwoKnws/s1600/German-Stuka-Dive-bomber-Valetta-Malta-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German Stuka Dive Bomber flies over Valletta, the capital of British Malta in 1941" border="0" height="484" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S3G-kly73ac/UoXOF5P_2NI/AAAAAAAAKfw/mlnFDwoKnws/s640/German-Stuka-Dive-bomber-Valetta-Malta-1941.jpg" title="German Stuka Dive Bomber flies over Valletta, the capital of British Malta in 1941" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>A German Stuka Dive Bomber flies over Valletta, the capital of British Malta in 1941.</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pI3P2YsSFX4/UoXPEnhwEpI/AAAAAAAAKf8/seCq50TNPJ0/s1600/Waffen-SS-soldiers-Hungary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Waffen SS soldiers in Hungary in 1945. It was a desperate losing battle for these tough, motivated fighters" border="0" height="454" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pI3P2YsSFX4/UoXPEnhwEpI/AAAAAAAAKf8/seCq50TNPJ0/s640/Waffen-SS-soldiers-Hungary.jpg" title="Waffen SS soldiers in Hungary in 1945. It was a desperate losing battle for these tough, motivated fighters" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Waffen SS soldiers in Hungary in 1945. It was a desperate losing battle for these tough, motivated fighters.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2B2O7C0Duwk/UoXQUgfm-SI/AAAAAAAAKgE/BqxzGLvBGQA/s1600/British-POW-Italian-soldiers-North-Africa-December-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="British POW in North Africa covered by Italian soldiers. December 1941. The prisoners were captured during the advance of Italian troops in Cyrenaica during the battle at Bir el Gubi" border="0" height="476" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2B2O7C0Duwk/UoXQUgfm-SI/AAAAAAAAKgE/BqxzGLvBGQA/s640/British-POW-Italian-soldiers-North-Africa-December-1941.jpg" title="British POW in North Africa covered by Italian soldiers. December 1941. The prisoners were captured during the advance of Italian troops in Cyrenaica during the battle at Bir el Gubi" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>British POW in North Africa covered by Italian soldiers. December 1941. </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>The prisoners were captured during the advance of Italian troops in Cyrenaica during the battle at Bir el Gubi.</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1QnAMUEJxfI/UoXTIMpuVSI/AAAAAAAAKgQ/2LufmcrMsuc/s1600/Berlin-May-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A destroyed Berlin in May 1945. German civilians walk dazed as the occupying Russian soldiers look on" border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1QnAMUEJxfI/UoXTIMpuVSI/AAAAAAAAKgQ/2LufmcrMsuc/s640/Berlin-May-1945.jpg" title="A destroyed Berlin in May 1945. German civilians walk dazed as the occupying Russian soldiers look on" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>A destroyed Berlin in May 1945. German civilians walk dazed as the occupying Russian soldiers look on.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial; text-align: start;"><b>Related</b></span><br />
<a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.com/2013/11/some-random-rare-images-of-second-world.html" style="background-color: white; color: blue; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Some Random Rare Images Of The Second World War: Part 2</a><br />
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<a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.com/2014/02/rare-random-images-from-ww2.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Some Random Rare Images Of The Second World War: Part </span></span>3</a></div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-78354748992966280612012-10-16T06:37:00.002-07:002015-07-27T03:09:54.112-07:00Women During World War Two<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;">World War Two was a man's war. Perhaps if women had been in charge there would have no war at all. Any way....</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But women did play a significant role during the war. The war production factories in America and Britain had largely women working in them. In Russia too women manned factories which churned out tanks, guns and warplanes with which Stalin's army fought the Germans. Also Russian women played a big part in the conflict zones not only as nurses but also as soldiers. Especially in Stalingrad.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Below is a photo album which shows women in WW2....</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xHqy3CzlPXI/UH1YDS53I6I/AAAAAAAAKO8/dUpQpqLf8z0/s1600/Lyudmila-Pavlichenko-Soviet-sniper-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the Russian woman sniper with 500 Germans kills under her belt" border="0" height="418" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xHqy3CzlPXI/UH1YDS53I6I/AAAAAAAAKO8/dUpQpqLf8z0/s640/Lyudmila-Pavlichenko-Soviet-sniper-ww2.jpg" title="Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the Russian woman sniper with 500 Germans kills under her belt" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Lyudmila Pavlichenko, the Russian woman sniper with 500 Germans kills under her belt.<br /><br />LYUDMILA PAVLICHENKO</span></b></td></tr>
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Lyudmila Pavlichenko sniped a confirmed 309 Axis soldiers, including 36 German snipers, during WWII.
While most of the world shied away from putting women on the front line, the Soviet Union did not, including recruiting about 2000 women as snipers during WWII, one of which turned out to be one of the most successful snipers in history, Lyudmila Pavlichenko. She still holds the record for the highest confirmed kill total of any female sniper in history.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/06/during-wwii-lyudmila-pavlichenko-sniped-a-confirmed-309-axis-soldiers-including-36-german-snipers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.todayifoundout.com/i</a></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oUZ9RzVaXRg/UH1Z5c65o6I/AAAAAAAAKPE/jSrrV0UYGBg/s1600/Leni-Riefenstahl-women-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Leni Riefenstahl, the German film maker whose "Triumph of Will" became the chief propaganda tool for the Nazis" border="0" height="482" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oUZ9RzVaXRg/UH1Z5c65o6I/AAAAAAAAKPE/jSrrV0UYGBg/s640/Leni-Riefenstahl-women-ww2.jpg" title="Leni Riefenstahl, the German film maker whose "Triumph of Will" became the chief propaganda tool for the Nazis" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Leni Riefenstahl, the German film maker whose "Triumph of Will" became the chief propaganda tool for the Nazis. The Economist wrote that "Triumph of the Will "sealed her reputation as the greatest female filmmaker of the 20th century</span></b></td></tr>
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LENI RIEFENSTAHL</div>
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Reni Liefenstahl (August 22, 1902 – September 8, 2003) was a German film director, actress and dancer widely noted for her aesthetics and innovations as a filmmaker. Her most famous film was <i>Triumph of the Will</i>, a documentary film made at the 1934 congress in Nuremberg of the Nazi Party. Riefenstahl’s prominence in the Third Reich, along with her personal association with Adolf Hitler, destroyed her film career following Germany's defeat in World War II, after which she was arrested but released without any charges.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jPT1Fo08sGI/UH1enGLypWI/AAAAAAAAKPk/macfJrUr55M/s1600/German-women-fighters-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="With Hitler facing a soldier shortfall, women were conscripted. Here German women train in the Luftwaffe. November 1944" border="0" height="430" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jPT1Fo08sGI/UH1enGLypWI/AAAAAAAAKPk/macfJrUr55M/s640/German-women-fighters-ww2.jpg" title="With Hitler facing a soldier shortfall, women were conscripted. Here German women train in the Luftwaffe. November 1944" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">With Hitler facing a soldier shortfall, women were conscripted. Here German women train in the Luftwaffe. November 1944.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U4Mi0wzNMrA/UH1b57OyUPI/AAAAAAAAKPM/inknVUtCi-w/s1600/Japanese-women-ammunition-factory-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Japanese women in a ammunition factory in Japan in 1941" border="0" height="470" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U4Mi0wzNMrA/UH1b57OyUPI/AAAAAAAAKPM/inknVUtCi-w/s640/Japanese-women-ammunition-factory-1941.jpg" title="Japanese women in a ammunition factory in Japan in 1941" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Japanese women in a ammunition factory in Japan in 1941</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iD_ugYc5q98/UH1ddaxssjI/AAAAAAAAKPU/kEYqZH5RIig/s1600/women-ww2-russian-partisans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Soviet women partisans fight the Germans" border="0" height="364" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iD_ugYc5q98/UH1ddaxssjI/AAAAAAAAKPU/kEYqZH5RIig/s640/women-ww2-russian-partisans.jpg" title="Soviet women partisans fight the Germans" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Soviet women partisans fight the Germans</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_iE52JnV0NM/UH1eJk3RrJI/AAAAAAAAKPc/PJss46GKhCA/s1600/jewish-fighters-poland-women.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Women Jewish resistance fighters captured by the Germans during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, 1943" border="0" height="468" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_iE52JnV0NM/UH1eJk3RrJI/AAAAAAAAKPc/PJss46GKhCA/s640/jewish-fighters-poland-women.jpg" title="Women Jewish resistance fighters captured by the Germans during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, 1943" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Women Jewish resistance fighters captured by the Germans during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, 1943</span></b><br />
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<b style="font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BfmMmyT7AcE/UH1gzaS47pI/AAAAAAAAKPs/GXKR0lUgbHo/s1600/American-nurses-Normandy-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American nurses land on the Normandy beach in July 1944" border="0" height="536" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BfmMmyT7AcE/UH1gzaS47pI/AAAAAAAAKPs/GXKR0lUgbHo/s640/American-nurses-Normandy-1944.jpg" title="American nurses land on the Normandy beach in July 1944" width="640" /></a></span></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7rvecfBzDLM/UH1g1_o_r3I/AAAAAAAAKP0/hVPqFJvCAbo/s1600/Chuikov-army-stalingrad-women-soldiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Women soldiers in Chuikov's Sixty Second Army which defended Stalingrad from the German assault in 1942-43" border="0" height="420" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7rvecfBzDLM/UH1g1_o_r3I/AAAAAAAAKP0/hVPqFJvCAbo/s640/Chuikov-army-stalingrad-women-soldiers.jpg" title=" Women soldiers in Chuikov's Sixty Second Army which defended Stalingrad from the German assault in 1942-43" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8CLzgReOrL4/UH1g3ZxW1yI/AAAAAAAAKP8/4M0_XSHcDKI/s1600/German-women-soldiers-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" German women man anti-aircraft guns" border="0" height="494" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8CLzgReOrL4/UH1g3ZxW1yI/AAAAAAAAKP8/4M0_XSHcDKI/s640/German-women-soldiers-ww2.jpg" title=" German women man anti-aircraft guns" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HbD5MhcUjaQ/UH1g5vJL54I/AAAAAAAAKQE/59exBXu2zcM/s1600/Polish-women-fighters-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Polish women soldiers on way to meet the German invaders in September 1939" border="0" height="472" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HbD5MhcUjaQ/UH1g5vJL54I/AAAAAAAAKQE/59exBXu2zcM/s640/Polish-women-fighters-ww2.jpg" title="Polish women soldiers on way to meet the German invaders in September 1939" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c0Zy3G4rHM0/UH1g7kN0y6I/AAAAAAAAKQM/baWSY_GXd0Y/s1600/Polish-women-led-execution-ww2-german-soldiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldier lead Polish women to their execution site" border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c0Zy3G4rHM0/UH1g7kN0y6I/AAAAAAAAKQM/baWSY_GXd0Y/s640/Polish-women-led-execution-ww2-german-soldiers.jpg" title="German soldier lead Polish women to their execution site" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U3VAfCZRA9M/UH1g-OTtD-I/AAAAAAAAKQU/5HNkvyVR4EE/s1600/women-guards-at-bergen-belsen-concentration-camp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beasts may be be female too. SS women guards at the Bergen-Belsen Concentration camp after the Allies over-ran it" border="0" height="448" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U3VAfCZRA9M/UH1g-OTtD-I/AAAAAAAAKQU/5HNkvyVR4EE/s640/women-guards-at-bergen-belsen-concentration-camp.jpg" title="Beasts may be be female too. SS women guards at the Bergen-Belsen Concentration camp after the Allies over-ran it" width="640" /></a></div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-13071961468278930072012-10-15T00:05:00.003-07:002015-07-27T03:21:55.857-07:00British Propaganda Posters During WW2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OQ6NrndK2yM/UHuxkStCfoI/AAAAAAAAKMA/LlttTEaHf98/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A poster calling for evacuation of children from London. "Leave Hitler to me, you ought to be out of London"" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OQ6NrndK2yM/UHuxkStCfoI/AAAAAAAAKMA/LlttTEaHf98/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-001.jpg" title="A poster calling for evacuation of children from London. "Leave Hitler to me, you ought to be out of London"" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;"><b>A poster calling for evacuation of children from London. "Leave Hitler to me, you ought to be out of London"</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rzFZnQ7Be3I/UHuxlTkUISI/AAAAAAAAKMI/a5c-3zvLrWA/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Nazi surrender comes nearer every time a woman enters into a subsidiary of the territorial services" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rzFZnQ7Be3I/UHuxlTkUISI/AAAAAAAAKMI/a5c-3zvLrWA/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-002.jpg" title="Nazi surrender comes nearer every time a woman enters into a subsidiary of the territorial services" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Nazi surrender comes nearer every time a woman enters into a subsidiary of the territorial services </span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7qQCl_eJ9Fs/UHuxml1PQxI/AAAAAAAAKMQ/TsywFwwcgsA/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=""They can not do without you." Again the call to join the ATS" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7qQCl_eJ9Fs/UHuxml1PQxI/AAAAAAAAKMQ/TsywFwwcgsA/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-003.jpg" title=""They can not do without you." Again the call to join the ATS" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">"They can not do without you." Again the call to join the ATS </span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0XiWM1J3cZ0/UHuxnxTUa6I/AAAAAAAAKMU/Q0_dQFSp4Q4/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=""We've beaten them before. We beat them again." Poster appeared immediately after the defeat of the British army at Dunkirk" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0XiWM1J3cZ0/UHuxnxTUa6I/AAAAAAAAKMU/Q0_dQFSp4Q4/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-004.jpg" title=""We've beaten them before. We beat them again." Poster appeared immediately after the defeat of the British army at Dunkirk" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>"We've beaten them before. We beat them again." Poster appeared immediately after the defeat of the British army at Dunkirk </b></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SfWLgGGYuPc/UHuxo6vUa2I/AAAAAAAAKMc/q2iv-X3fdHQ/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="And they said, "This was our finest hour" (quote from Churchill's speech, delivered in the House of Commons June 18, 1940)" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SfWLgGGYuPc/UHuxo6vUa2I/AAAAAAAAKMc/q2iv-X3fdHQ/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-005.jpg" title="And they said, "This was our finest hour" (quote from Churchill's speech, delivered in the House of Commons June 18, 1940)" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>And they said, "This was our finest hour" (quote from Churchill's speech, delivered in the House of Commons June 18, 1940) </b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DycF5j5RQCY/UHuxp4LGVaI/AAAAAAAAKMo/UsAuYtt4XJw/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=""We've beaten them before. We beat them again." Another poster, which was released in the wake of the disaster at Dunkirk" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DycF5j5RQCY/UHuxp4LGVaI/AAAAAAAAKMo/UsAuYtt4XJw/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-006.jpg" title=""We've beaten them before. We beat them again." Another poster, which was released in the wake of the disaster at Dunkirk" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>"We've beaten them before. We beat them again." Another poster, which was released in the wake of the disaster at Dunkirk </b></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V3lqSDI-O2U/UHuxq2j3geI/AAAAAAAAKMw/dQOHORVMqXQ/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="And another poster on the theme of "Do not talk." Slogan "Careless chatter costs lives" was popular on American posters." border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V3lqSDI-O2U/UHuxq2j3geI/AAAAAAAAKMw/dQOHORVMqXQ/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-007.jpg" title="And another poster on the theme of "Do not talk." Slogan "Careless chatter costs lives" was popular on American posters." /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>And another poster on the theme of "Do not talk." Slogan "Careless chatter costs lives" was popular on American posters.</b></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rfiRAIxID5M/UHuxsK0tRwI/AAAAAAAAKM4/iOd9TPR36Xg/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Another poster with the theme "Careless talk costs lives"" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rfiRAIxID5M/UHuxsK0tRwI/AAAAAAAAKM4/iOd9TPR36Xg/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-008.jpg" title="Another poster with the theme "Careless talk costs lives"" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Another poster with the theme "Careless talk costs lives"</b></span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dKQPy_lxoLI/UHuxthEMk2I/AAAAAAAAKNA/MPqRpY24QUI/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=""Mr. Hitler wants to know." This poster became popular across the Atlantic" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dKQPy_lxoLI/UHuxthEMk2I/AAAAAAAAKNA/MPqRpY24QUI/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-009.jpg" title=""Mr. Hitler wants to know." This poster became popular across the Atlantic" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">"Mr. Hitler wants to know." This poster became popular across the Atlantic </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-twpBNnInA0U/UHuxvTj07vI/AAAAAAAAKNI/nQ26ZwlMMSk/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="More than eloquent appeal not to talk too much" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-twpBNnInA0U/UHuxvTj07vI/AAAAAAAAKNI/nQ26ZwlMMSk/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-010.jpg" title="More than eloquent appeal not to talk too much" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">More than eloquent appeal not to talk too much </span></b></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2wejZBVUOp0/UHuxwug1o5I/AAAAAAAAKNQ/5IbGQ9pNO-U/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Colonel Schultz calls on British troops to share useful information so that the Germans may know where to bomb and land troops" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2wejZBVUOp0/UHuxwug1o5I/AAAAAAAAKNQ/5IbGQ9pNO-U/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-011.jpg" title="Colonel Schultz calls on British troops to share useful information so that the Germans may know where to bomb and land troops" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Colonel Schultz calls on British troops to share useful information so that the Germans may know where to bomb and land troops </span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aQCkSaT4wmE/UHuxx8SEfjI/AAAAAAAAKNY/O-WxAIEzP8o/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Careless Talk costs lives. "You forgot, she remembers"" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aQCkSaT4wmE/UHuxx8SEfjI/AAAAAAAAKNY/O-WxAIEzP8o/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-012.jpg" title="Careless Talk costs lives. "You forgot, she remembers"" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Careless Talk costs lives. "You forgot, she remembers"</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJI5ABuVfMI/UHuxy7NKYNI/AAAAAAAAKNg/2QrfD2LQMxM/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt=""Careless talk costs lives"" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZJI5ABuVfMI/UHuxy7NKYNI/AAAAAAAAKNg/2QrfD2LQMxM/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-013.jpg" title=""Careless talk costs lives"" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">"Careless talk costs lives"</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vw4eYJsHu3w/UHux0NbRedI/AAAAAAAAKNo/jNIn_XnWRV8/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vw4eYJsHu3w/UHux0NbRedI/AAAAAAAAKNo/jNIn_XnWRV8/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-014.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">"Careless talk costs lives"</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E18ZRapsoCk/UHux1kZ9tbI/AAAAAAAAKNw/OGsnolGr6v8/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Appeal to donate blood" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E18ZRapsoCk/UHux1kZ9tbI/AAAAAAAAKNw/OGsnolGr6v8/s1600/bRITISH-PROPGANADA-POSTERS-WW2-015.jpg" title="Appeal to donate blood" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Appeal to donate blood</span></b></td></tr>
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Image Source: <a href="http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/theartofwar/prop/home_front/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/theartofwar/prop/home_front/</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">SEE ALSO</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>More <a href="http://incredibleimages4u.blogspot.in/2012/11/british-propaganda-posters-during-ww2.html" target="_blank">British Posters During WW2</a></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://pictureshistory.blogspot.in/2012/11/british-paintings-during-ww2-war-and.html" target="_blank">British Propaganda Painting During WW2</a></span></b>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-73777316387869243732012-10-14T23:23:00.002-07:002015-07-27T03:32:02.885-07:00American Propaganada Posters During WW2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Keek7qd_Yl0/UHuqk1CzgAI/AAAAAAAAKJU/tmA32OqIP3c/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The more the women work the sooner we win" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Keek7qd_Yl0/UHuqk1CzgAI/AAAAAAAAKJU/tmA32OqIP3c/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-001.jpg" title="The more the women work the sooner we win" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4nEm5zYgH1k/UHuqmyA8fUI/AAAAAAAAKJc/1wY1_qKIOvw/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Buy war bonds" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4nEm5zYgH1k/UHuqmyA8fUI/AAAAAAAAKJc/1wY1_qKIOvw/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-002.jpg" title="Buy war bonds" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8tcO9opBbx0/UHuqowGN9kI/AAAAAAAAKJk/LGBwEG-2kw8/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="British war relief society ww2" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8tcO9opBbx0/UHuqowGN9kI/AAAAAAAAKJk/LGBwEG-2kw8/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-003.jpg" title="British war relief society" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wkKpQdtIowg/UHuqqxG0ilI/AAAAAAAAKJs/TdGW10J8KNw/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Our flags--Beat Germany Support every flag that opposes Prussianism--Eat less of the food fighters need--Deny yourself something--Waste nothing" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wkKpQdtIowg/UHuqqxG0ilI/AAAAAAAAKJs/TdGW10J8KNw/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-004.jpg" title="Our flags--Beat Germany Support every flag that opposes Prussianism--Eat less of the food fighters need--Deny yourself something--Waste nothing" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zrTB6yUDdOQ/UHuqtRNZesI/AAAAAAAAKJ0/aCGxGvVr_O4/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Three children with toys and a flag, on a lawn scattered with small white flowers, are surrounded by the shadow of a swastika" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zrTB6yUDdOQ/UHuqtRNZesI/AAAAAAAAKJ0/aCGxGvVr_O4/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-005.jpg" title="Three children with toys and a flag, on a lawn scattered with small white flowers, are surrounded by the shadow of a swastika" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UkGqiBDf1w4/UHuqvmbaGFI/AAAAAAAAKJ8/QDTC4MI7nTo/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UkGqiBDf1w4/UHuqvmbaGFI/AAAAAAAAKJ8/QDTC4MI7nTo/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-006.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iAv27AhAX4Y/UHuqxWvg6aI/AAAAAAAAKKE/3aReezXz5RM/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Avenge December 7" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iAv27AhAX4Y/UHuqxWvg6aI/AAAAAAAAKKE/3aReezXz5RM/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-007.jpg" title="Avenge December 7" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a190qMij2Do/UHuqzHFGxzI/AAAAAAAAKKM/JhoHi64undw/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a190qMij2Do/UHuqzHFGxzI/AAAAAAAAKKM/JhoHi64undw/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-008.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jrd_uN3iAMA/UHuq09EZc5I/AAAAAAAAKKU/DBA6TVvxQ78/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Americans will always fight for liberty" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jrd_uN3iAMA/UHuq09EZc5I/AAAAAAAAKKU/DBA6TVvxQ78/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-009.jpg" title="Americans will always fight for liberty" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--6LFk1EFuw0/UHuq20jAM8I/AAAAAAAAKKc/XOzjZKVPHEo/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Give them the stuff to fight with work for freedom" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--6LFk1EFuw0/UHuq20jAM8I/AAAAAAAAKKc/XOzjZKVPHEo/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-010.jpg" title="Give them the stuff to fight with work for freedom" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ABgWNENtVFE/UHuq5NLI3CI/AAAAAAAAKKk/FqJz0dehkag/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The spirit of 1917 Join the marines" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ABgWNENtVFE/UHuq5NLI3CI/AAAAAAAAKKk/FqJz0dehkag/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-011.jpg" title="The spirit of 1917 Join the marines" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ARyax1gbYhM/UHuq6xqJLHI/AAAAAAAAKKs/TLPuHxTEbPo/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ARyax1gbYhM/UHuq6xqJLHI/AAAAAAAAKKs/TLPuHxTEbPo/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-012.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P-NkXUnG4Uo/UHuq8w5NMxI/AAAAAAAAKK0/ShCr_drHylg/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Look talk can cost lives" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P-NkXUnG4Uo/UHuq8w5NMxI/AAAAAAAAKK0/ShCr_drHylg/s1600/American-propaganda-posters-ww2-013.jpg" title="Loose talk can cost lives" /></a></div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-59569528450916562512012-10-04T00:52:00.000-07:002015-07-27T03:40:07.029-07:00Russia Attacks Japanese Manchuria. August 1945<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2xq_LHgnzA4/UG0_prTlMzI/AAAAAAAAKGw/0d4Pdeq3hw8/s1600/Japanese-soldiers-surrender-arms-to-Russian-army-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Japanese soldiers surrender to the Russians in 1945" border="0" height="412" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2xq_LHgnzA4/UG0_prTlMzI/AAAAAAAAKGw/0d4Pdeq3hw8/s640/Japanese-soldiers-surrender-arms-to-Russian-army-1945.jpg" title="Japanese soldiers surrender to the Russians in 1945" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Japanese soldiers surrender to the Russians in 1945</span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lesser known about WW2 is that the Russians too attacked the Japanese. On August 9, 1945. Two days after the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. It was called Operation "August Storm".</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TZw3MbwOtcc/UG0xRg5nzII/AAAAAAAAKDI/TvPVLJ0Nlto/s1600/soviet-invasion-japan-war-1945-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="130" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TZw3MbwOtcc/UG0xRg5nzII/AAAAAAAAKDI/TvPVLJ0Nlto/s200/soviet-invasion-japan-war-1945-001.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Soviet soldiers raise flag over Harbin railway station in northern China which was wrested from the Japanese</span></b></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Soviet invasion of Manchuria began on 8 August 1945, with the Soviet invasion of the Japanese puppet states of Manchukuo and neighbouring Mengjiang; the greater offensive would eventually include northern Korea, southern Sakhalin, and the Kuril Islands. It marked the initial and only military action of the Soviet Union against the Empire of Japan; at the Yalta Conference, it had agreed to Allied pleas to terminate the neutrality pact with Japan and enter the Second World War's Pacific theatre within three months after the end of the war in Europe.</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSWHWZ6fFME/UG0wHZpNFeI/AAAAAAAAKDA/Jpv6vHUxcpc/s1600/Soviet-invasion-japan-1945.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PSWHWZ6fFME/UG0wHZpNFeI/AAAAAAAAKDA/Jpv6vHUxcpc/s640/Soviet-invasion-japan-1945.gif" width="476" /></a></div>
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<b>The Soviet Union had earlier in 1939 defeated the Japanese Army decisively at the Battle of Khalkhin Gol under the command of Zhukov. That was the reason that Japan did not attack Russia in 1941 and instead moved south into Asia. Otherwise Russia would have been squeezed between the Nazi Germans from the west and Japanese Army from the east. But that is another story.....</b><br />
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<b>Note handed to Naotake Sato, Japanese Ambassador to the USSR, by Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov in Moscow, on August 8, 1945:</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">After the defeat and capitulation of Hitlerite Germany, Japan remained the only great power which still stands for the continuation of the war.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The demand of the three powers , the United States, Great Britain and China, of July 26 for the unconditional surrender of the Japanese armed forces was rejected by Japan. Thus the proposal made by the Japanese Government to the Soviet Union for mediation in the Far East has lost all foundation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Taking into account the refusal of Japan to capitulate, the Allies approached the Soviet Government with a proposal to join the war against Japanese aggression and thus shorten the duration of the war, reduce the number of casualties and contribute toward the most speedy restoration of peace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">True to its obligation as an Ally, the Soviet Government has accepted the proposal of the Allies, and has joined in the declaration of the Allied powers of July 26.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The Soviet Government considers that this policy is the only means able to bring peace nearer, to free the people from further sacrifice and suffering and to give the Japanese people the opportunity of avoiding the danger of destruction suffered by Germany after her refusal to accept unconditional surrender.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">In view of the above, the Soviet Government declares that from tomorrow, that is from August 9, the Soviet Union will consider herself in a state of war against Japan.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RYxjT1gy2HQ/UG0yMFwf68I/AAAAAAAAKDQ/zAf4VSjGel8/s1600/surrendered-japanese-officer-soviet-war-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A Japanese soldier surrenders to the Russians in 1945" border="0" height="438" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RYxjT1gy2HQ/UG0yMFwf68I/AAAAAAAAKDQ/zAf4VSjGel8/s640/surrendered-japanese-officer-soviet-war-1945.jpg" title="A Japanese soldier surrenders to the Russians in 1945" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">A Japanese soldier surrenders to the Russians in 1945</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Americans had feared that there would be a bloodbath if it sent its troops to invade the Japanese mainland; so they tried to convince Stalin that Russia too should attack Japan. At the Potsdam Conference he readily agreed. Stalin had ambitions in the Far east too. He agreed to do so three months after Germany was defeated. For Russia it was a sweet victory after the Red Army rolled into Manchuria, Port Arthur and Sakhalin Islands in 1945. It had lost Port Arthur after a humiliating defeat at the hands of Japan in 1904-5</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kr6h5dN90W4/UG005VZ0wlI/AAAAAAAAKDY/uybUmxOz20k/s1600/japanese-soldiers-surrender-manchuria-to-Red-Army.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kr6h5dN90W4/UG005VZ0wlI/AAAAAAAAKDY/uybUmxOz20k/s640/japanese-soldiers-surrender-manchuria-to-Red-Army.jpg" width="446" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Japanese soldiers surrender to the Red Army in Manchuria</b></span>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Many Japanese had moved to Manchuria in early 1945 to avoid the advancing Allied troops. They believed Manchuria would be safer than mainland Japan. How wrong they were!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nXwSteuyKok/UG009DaQMwI/AAAAAAAAKDg/2aF7FN4F1Ok/s1600/russian-soldier-guards-japanese-pow-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A Russian soldier stands guard over Japanese POWs" border="0" height="396" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nXwSteuyKok/UG009DaQMwI/AAAAAAAAKDg/2aF7FN4F1Ok/s640/russian-soldier-guards-japanese-pow-1945.jpg" title="A Russian soldier stands guard over Japanese POWs" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>A Russian soldier stands guard over Japanese POWs</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Japanese army though about a million strong in Manchuria consisted of newly drafted soldiers; the elite were sent to defend the mainland. It was also short of arms and warplanes. In contrast<b> the Russians threw in their best soldiers</b> battle-hardened in the war against Germany. The Soviet war machine was slick and efficient sharpened in the Ostfront.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fis-Y_Vr5d4/UG00_IT8OUI/AAAAAAAAKDo/-HSjoEawUEM/s1600/soviet-generals-interrogate-japanese-officers-1945-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Soviet officers interrogate Japanese generals" border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fis-Y_Vr5d4/UG00_IT8OUI/AAAAAAAAKDo/-HSjoEawUEM/s640/soviet-generals-interrogate-japanese-officers-1945-war.jpg" title="Soviet officers interrogate Japanese generals" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Soviet officers interrogate Japanese generals</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">When the Soviet Army attacked Manchuria, a disgusted Japanese officer remarked,<i> "It's like burglars entering an empty house."</i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kA4yuIZfBcA/UG02Wsi2LBI/AAAAAAAAKDw/SB7_5pCrXqA/s1600/Eussian-soldiers-American-soldiers-Seoul-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Russian soldiers meet American soldiers in Seoul in 1945" border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kA4yuIZfBcA/UG02Wsi2LBI/AAAAAAAAKDw/SB7_5pCrXqA/s640/Eussian-soldiers-American-soldiers-Seoul-1945.jpg" title="Russian soldiers meet American soldiers in Seoul in 1945" width="510" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Russian soldiers meet American soldiers in Seoul in 1945</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Red Army men true to their tradition<b> raped even in Manchuria</b>. Especially men from Rokossovsky's Army. A Chinese man said disgustedly, <i>"We thought the Russians were our allies and friends."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Many Japanese women in Manchuria were raped during and after World War II. Japanese women in Manchuria found life difficult after Soviet troops entered Manchuria near the end of the war. Many of those women were used as "dolls" -- sexual objects. There are many accounts of several Japanese women who were raped or almost raped. In one account, a young girl threw herself out a three-story window to avoid being raped by Soviet troops. Another account demonstrated how not only Soviet troops but also Chinese civilians tried to rape Japanese women. A Chinese man came to a woman's house and asked her to give him her two daughters because his daughters were raped by Japanese soldiers. The woman offered herself instead, but the man changed his mind. Japanese men offered some Japanese women as female Kamikaze troops to Soviet troops to protect their community and other Japanese women and children. Once women were raped, they were no longer part of their community and were often rejected by their husbands.</span><br />
<a href="http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/news/001077.html">http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/news/001077.html</a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u-0WHxJUJTk/UG038m_TujI/AAAAAAAAKD4/C65j1cFJ8Hs/s1600/soviet-soldiers-burn-japanese-lighthouse-cape-kokutan-shumshu-kuril-islands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Red Army soldiers watch a Japanese lighthouse which they burnt at Cape Kokutan, Shumshu Islands, in Kuril Islands" border="0" height="464" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u-0WHxJUJTk/UG038m_TujI/AAAAAAAAKD4/C65j1cFJ8Hs/s640/soviet-soldiers-burn-japanese-lighthouse-cape-kokutan-shumshu-kuril-islands.jpg" title="Red Army soldiers watch a Japanese lighthouse which they burnt at Cape Kokutan, Shumshu Islands, in Kuril Islands" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Red Army soldiers watch a Japanese lighthouse which they burnt at Cape Kokutan, Shumshu Islands, in Kuril Islands</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The <b>last battle of WW2</b> was fought at Hutou, where the Japanese soldiers in their concrete bunkers fought on unaware that their country had surrendered. Hutou was subdued by the Red Army only on August 26, 1945</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l3GrD3ScJac/UG05CbDO-II/AAAAAAAAKEA/d6upjfZBZP0/s1600/soviet-soldiers-with-captured-japanese-flags-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Russian sailors with captured Japanese flags" border="0" height="432" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l3GrD3ScJac/UG05CbDO-II/AAAAAAAAKEA/d6upjfZBZP0/s640/soviet-soldiers-with-captured-japanese-flags-1945.jpg" title="Russian sailors with captured Japanese flags" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Russian sailors with captured Japanese flags</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0RlI8N0TKQ8/UG07w8zLwHI/AAAAAAAAKEI/gkNfGMtfJTY/s1600/Kwantung-army-surrenders-to-Soviet-union-chang-chun-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Japanese Kwantung Army surrenders to the Russians. 1945. Changchun." border="0" height="410" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0RlI8N0TKQ8/UG07w8zLwHI/AAAAAAAAKEI/gkNfGMtfJTY/s640/Kwantung-army-surrenders-to-Soviet-union-chang-chun-1945.jpg" title="The Japanese Kwantung Army surrenders to the Russians. 1945. Changchun." width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The Japanese Kwantung Army surrenders to the Russians. 1945. Changchun.</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fxLU9pxfGNo/UG07yD-cQDI/AAAAAAAAKEk/qK0qnM733QE/s1600/russian-soldiers-in-China-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Red Army soldiers patrol a street in a Chinese town" border="0" height="394" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fxLU9pxfGNo/UG07yD-cQDI/AAAAAAAAKEk/qK0qnM733QE/s640/russian-soldiers-in-China-1945.jpg" title="Red Army soldiers patrol a street in a Chinese town" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Red Army soldiers patrol a street in a Chinese town</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gosvmp1A9qU/UG07z586yeI/AAAAAAAAKFM/NFLgFvWv_ig/s1600/soviet-soldiers-on-the-throne-last-emperor-china-Puyi-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Soviet soldiers sit on the throne of the Last Chinese Emperor, Puyi. September 1945" border="0" height="402" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gosvmp1A9qU/UG07z586yeI/AAAAAAAAKFM/NFLgFvWv_ig/s640/soviet-soldiers-on-the-throne-last-emperor-china-Puyi-1945.jpg" title="Soviet soldiers sit on the throne of the Last Chinese Emperor, Puyi. September 1945" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Soviet soldiers sit on the throne of the Last Chinese Emperor, Puyi. September 1945</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M6LpI2bbojo/UG0-dqcgxBI/AAAAAAAAKFg/8sBchicvr1A/s1600/Russians-send-emperor-Puyi-to-USSR-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><b><img alt="Russians send the puppet Chinese emperor Puyi to the USSR" border="0" height="402" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M6LpI2bbojo/UG0-dqcgxBI/AAAAAAAAKFg/8sBchicvr1A/s640/Russians-send-emperor-Puyi-to-USSR-1945.jpg" title="Russians send the puppet Chinese emperor Puyi to the USSR" width="640" /></b></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">The Russians send the puppet Chinese emperor Puyi to the USSR. </span></b></td></tr>
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At the end of World War II, Puyi was captured by the Soviet Red Army on 16 August 1945 while he was in an airplane fleeing to Japan. The Soviets took him to the Siberian town of Chita. He lived in a sanatorium, but was later taken to Khabarovsk near the Chinese border.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hmmDQ2DnWH8/UG0-e6X9sCI/AAAAAAAAKFo/F077yz4HhNc/s1600/Soviet-marines-pose-with-a-destroyed-Japanes-tank-Shumshu-Kuril-Islands-August-1945.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Russian soldiers pose against a destroyed Japanese tank on Shumshu Islands (in the Kuril Islands)" border="0" height="462" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hmmDQ2DnWH8/UG0-e6X9sCI/AAAAAAAAKFo/F077yz4HhNc/s640/Soviet-marines-pose-with-a-destroyed-Japanes-tank-Shumshu-Kuril-Islands-August-1945.jpg" title="Russian soldiers pose against a destroyed Japanese tank on Shumshu Islands (in the Kuril Islands)" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Russian soldiers pose against a destroyed Japanese tank on Shumshu Islands (in the Kuril Islands)</span></b></td></tr>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-68795165168737323282012-08-26T01:00:00.001-07:002015-08-13T05:09:04.992-07:00Waffen SS In Action: Pictorial<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8RlgbTxI8_8/UDnQpfAXrFI/AAAAAAAAJ3Q/G1l4OGN-5PU/s1600/Waffem-SS-In-Action-Rare-Pictures-Images.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="SS troops action Narva" border="0" height="471" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8RlgbTxI8_8/UDnQpfAXrFI/AAAAAAAAJ3Q/G1l4OGN-5PU/s640/Waffem-SS-In-Action-Rare-Pictures-Images.JPG" title="SS troops in action in Narva" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MbRjrzy3n-Q/UDnUOW6UAsI/AAAAAAAAJ4U/Cln3B0SIFiw/s1600/Waffen-SS-+Friedrich-Zsch%C3%A4ckel-during-Operation-Zitadelle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German war correspondent Battle Kursk. SS-Obersturmführer Friedrich Kriegsberichter Zschäckel" border="0" height="435" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MbRjrzy3n-Q/UDnUOW6UAsI/AAAAAAAAJ4U/Cln3B0SIFiw/s640/Waffen-SS-+Friedrich-Zsch%C3%A4ckel-during-Operation-Zitadelle.jpg" title="German war correspondent with the Waffen SS soldiers seen before Battle of Kursk. SS-Obersturmführer Friedrich Kriegsberichter Zschäckel" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>A German war correspondent with the Waffen SS soldiers seen before Battle of Kursk. </b>SS-Obersturmführer Friedrich Kriegsberichter Zschäckel was a veteran war reporter who went first with SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" in the attack towards Moscow in 1941. In early 1942 he was with the Division "Nord" and then stayed in France with "Leibstandarte" in the summer of the same year. In 1943 he joined with "Totenkopf" during the battle at Kharkov, and then came back with "Das Reich"during Kursk. In 1944 he was with "Hitlerjugend" in Normandy, and is believed to have died in October 1944 (a German documents collected along with archival sheet at the U.S. National Archives say the exact same thing: "believed to have died in October 1944" without any additional information). Zschäckel won the Iron Cross Class 1, and was promoted to Obersturmführer on 20 April 1943. This made him one of the highest ranked Waffen-SS war photographer, who went covered most fronts and divisions! The photo above shows Zschäckel in an anti-tank trench during the first days of Operation Zitadelle July 1943. This photo was taken by SS-KB Hermann Groenert serving with the division "Totenkopf".</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UhLO_4xInnE/UDnXKeWqDjI/AAAAAAAAJ5Y/Chdjba4KnOk/s1600/waffen-ss-motorcyclist-digs-grave-dead-german.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" motor-cyclist Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler Division digs grave bury dead comrade" border="0" height="425" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UhLO_4xInnE/UDnXKeWqDjI/AAAAAAAAJ5Y/Chdjba4KnOk/s640/waffen-ss-motorcyclist-digs-grave-dead-german.jpg" title="Waffen SS motor-cyclist from Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler Division digs a grave to bury a dead comrade" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EHgLKiJEUAk/UDsRjrkZuRI/AAAAAAAAJ6c/lcJDXNSYE5c/s1600/Waffen--SS-in-action-rare-images-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Waffen SS lieutenant smoke cigarette Camaraderie culture" border="0" height="470" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EHgLKiJEUAk/UDsRjrkZuRI/AAAAAAAAJ6c/lcJDXNSYE5c/s640/Waffen--SS-in-action-rare-images-001.jpg" title="Waffen SS lieutenant gives a light to one of his men. Camaraderie and less emphasis on ranks marked the Waffen SS culture" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pptWH0SWQ5E/UDsSm4oB6oI/AAAAAAAAJ6k/be6s7dcfgdY/s1600/Waffen--SS-in-action-rare-images-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" squad leader gives orders men beginning Barbarossa outdated Mauser 1898 rifle" border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pptWH0SWQ5E/UDsSm4oB6oI/AAAAAAAAJ6k/be6s7dcfgdY/s640/Waffen--SS-in-action-rare-images-002.jpg" title="A squad leader gives orders to his men at the beginning of Barbarossa. Not that the Waffen SS men are armed with outdated Mauser 1898 rifle" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S8ZgJGtbkB8/UDsUphSOmaI/AAAAAAAAJ6s/94hoYh-Xg0E/s1600/waffen-SS-Liebstandarte-battle-Kherson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Liebstandarte Division battle Kherson" border="0" height="425" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S8ZgJGtbkB8/UDsUphSOmaI/AAAAAAAAJ6s/94hoYh-Xg0E/s640/waffen-SS-Liebstandarte-battle-Kherson.jpg" title="SS men of Liebstandarte Division during the battle for Kherson" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gjIduP3vJ54/UDsV1xySvXI/AAAAAAAAJ60/9Zvut9rLUuk/s1600/Waffen--SS-in-action-rare-images-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" soldiers trench 1944" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gjIduP3vJ54/UDsV1xySvXI/AAAAAAAAJ60/9Zvut9rLUuk/s1600/Waffen--SS-in-action-rare-images-003.jpg" title="SS soldiers in a trench in 1944" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kfd5mRZfVw4/UDsWvtXKkpI/AAAAAAAAJ68/61mSy5emS1w/s1600/waffen-ss-examine-T-34-tank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Soldiers examine T-34 tank" border="0" height="566" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Kfd5mRZfVw4/UDsWvtXKkpI/AAAAAAAAJ68/61mSy5emS1w/s640/waffen-ss-examine-T-34-tank.jpg" title="SS men examine a T-34 tank" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQo33Nvqn0k/UDsXbr24GyI/AAAAAAAAJ7E/oEwBon66fDA/s1600/waffen-SS-soldiers-soviet-union-drink-milk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" soldier offered milk local Soviet Union " border="0" height="452" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CQo33Nvqn0k/UDsXbr24GyI/AAAAAAAAJ7E/oEwBon66fDA/s640/waffen-SS-soldiers-soviet-union-drink-milk.jpg" title="A soldier is offered milk by a local in the Soviet Union. Stalin was unpopular in many places" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HYC5k0dvs_s/UDsYdVhImgI/AAAAAAAAJ7M/6p5ZT7OXyMI/s1600/waffen-ss-totenkopf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Totenkopf Division" border="0" height="485" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HYC5k0dvs_s/UDsYdVhImgI/AAAAAAAAJ7M/6p5ZT7OXyMI/s640/waffen-ss-totenkopf.jpg" title="Devil-may-care men from the Totenkopf Division" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BBbZYFsUtCk/UDsdwgBGJyI/AAAAAAAAJ8Q/pi2mW4snmdA/s1600/Waffen--SS-in-action-rare-images-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Waffen SS Kursk" border="0" height="452" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BBbZYFsUtCk/UDsdwgBGJyI/AAAAAAAAJ8Q/pi2mW4snmdA/s640/Waffen--SS-in-action-rare-images-004.jpg" title="Waffen SS at Kursk" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UG9aFILxYyc/UDsh1JxR6JI/AAAAAAAAJ84/INJzu-cUcmk/s1600/waffen-SS-soldiers-soviet-union-drink-milk_e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Hitler Youth HitlerJugend Division" border="0" height="451" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UG9aFILxYyc/UDsh1JxR6JI/AAAAAAAAJ84/INJzu-cUcmk/s640/waffen-SS-soldiers-soviet-union-drink-milk_e.jpg" title="Men from Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend) Division" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NNchj2nf738/UDsfJbR-SAI/AAAAAAAAJ8g/0BPfEZ9BuaA/s1600/Waffen--SS-in-action-rare-images-digging-grave-dead-soldier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="SS men dig grave dead comrade awaits burial 1940" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NNchj2nf738/UDsfJbR-SAI/AAAAAAAAJ8g/0BPfEZ9BuaA/s1600/Waffen--SS-in-action-rare-images-digging-grave-dead-soldier.jpg" title="A sobering moment. SS men dig a grave as a dead comrade awaits burial. 1940" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ghLkQQ3q37c/UDsgdrjBblI/AAAAAAAAJ8o/00iCR7Lh05k/s1600/Waffen--SS-in-action-rare-images-wikings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" carry their wounded comrade 5th Panzer Grenadier Division SS "Viking"" border="0" height="376" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ghLkQQ3q37c/UDsgdrjBblI/AAAAAAAAJ8o/00iCR7Lh05k/s640/Waffen--SS-in-action-rare-images-wikings.jpg" title="men carry their wounded comrade. Supposedly from the 5th Panzer Grenadier Division of the SS "Viking"" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XUajCem2Nr8/UDsi-LWmM2I/AAAAAAAAJ9A/jfx7j4KWq14/s1600/waffen-ss-ukrainian-girls_e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="SS men Ukrainian girls Love " border="0" height="423" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XUajCem2Nr8/UDsi-LWmM2I/AAAAAAAAJ9A/jfx7j4KWq14/s640/waffen-ss-ukrainian-girls_e.jpg" title="SS men with Ukrainian girls. Love is in the air" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lkQbgwVLr58/UELz9CHmErI/AAAAAAAAJ-M/6rWY2jB2s2c/s1600/waffen-SS-battle-budapest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" troops fire mortar Budapest 1944" border="0" height="454" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lkQbgwVLr58/UELz9CHmErI/AAAAAAAAJ-M/6rWY2jB2s2c/s640/waffen-SS-battle-budapest.jpg" title="Waffen SS troops fire mortar in Budapest. 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MOTT00vVJGg/UEL1AGkcV4I/AAAAAAAAJ-U/2egQFHZ3tqs/s1600/waffen-ss-rare-pictures-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Refuge trench with Soviet POW" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MOTT00vVJGg/UEL1AGkcV4I/AAAAAAAAJ-U/2egQFHZ3tqs/s640/waffen-ss-rare-pictures-002.jpg" title="Refuge in a trench. in the middle is a Soviet POW" width="456" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OhLwe8TQzow/UEL2Rda6CtI/AAAAAAAAJ-c/ELbS_DZOFSw/s1600/waffen-SS-eastern-front-scorched-earth-policy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Scorched Earth Policy Ostfront burn Russian village" border="0" height="474" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OhLwe8TQzow/UEL2Rda6CtI/AAAAAAAAJ-c/ELbS_DZOFSw/s640/waffen-SS-eastern-front-scorched-earth-policy.jpg" title="Scorched Earth Policy on the Ostfront. Waffen SS men burn a Russian village as they withdraw" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DbJQsuWszkI/UEL3LN8N2FI/AAAAAAAAJ-k/dQhZMqO-Jes/s1600/waffen-SS-Soviet-civilians.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="soldier socialises little Russian girl offer food" border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DbJQsuWszkI/UEL3LN8N2FI/AAAAAAAAJ-k/dQhZMqO-Jes/s640/waffen-SS-Soviet-civilians.jpg" title="The friendlier face of the Waffen SS. A soldier socialises with a Russian girl as their hosts ply them with food." width="460" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A_0fsB_watM/UEL5FbMB1jI/AAAAAAAAJ-s/S7JwEz1WZ4o/s1600/waffen-SS-rare-pictures-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Waffen SS best soldiers world " border="0" height="628" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A_0fsB_watM/UEL5FbMB1jI/AAAAAAAAJ-s/S7JwEz1WZ4o/s640/waffen-SS-rare-pictures-003.jpg" title=" A unit of Waffen SS in the last months of the war. The SS soldiers remained fighters to the end. They were perhaps the best soldiers the world has seen" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pJwfjcEusHY/UEL6TqrXHbI/AAAAAAAAJ-0/2jhSKGC6JWY/s1600/waffen-ss-88mm-gun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Waffen SS soldiers fire formidable German 88mm gun tank-buster anti-aircraft gun." border="0" height="402" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pJwfjcEusHY/UEL6TqrXHbI/AAAAAAAAJ-0/2jhSKGC6JWY/s640/waffen-ss-88mm-gun.jpg" title="Waffen SS soldiers fire the formidable German 88mm gun. It acted both as a tank-buster and as anti-aircraft gun." width="640" /></a></div>
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<b style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://poisonpage.blogspot.in/2015/08/waffen-ss-training-personal-narrative-recruit.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WAFFEN SS: Training Made The The Best: Personal Narrative Of A Recruit</a></b></div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-59856785797220924222012-08-19T00:12:00.002-07:002015-07-27T05:03:57.628-07:00The Decimation Of German Army Group Centre: Belarus 1944. Bagration.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-prLRJqK8TDw/UDHzU-Se9PI/AAAAAAAAJxA/PtaRx4Qc7Hw/s1600/operation-bagration-1944.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German POW captured after Bagration made to march in Moscow in 1944" border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-prLRJqK8TDw/UDHzU-Se9PI/AAAAAAAAJxA/PtaRx4Qc7Hw/s640/operation-bagration-1944.png" title="German POW captured after Bagration made to march in Moscow in 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>German POW captured after Bagration made to march in Moscow in 1944</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fMhbFYIlorw/UDHxNkwhguI/AAAAAAAAJw4/RByyvw2OGwU/s1600/operation-bagration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers captured at Bobruisk in 1944" border="0" height="410" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fMhbFYIlorw/UDHxNkwhguI/AAAAAAAAJw4/RByyvw2OGwU/s640/operation-bagration.jpg" title="German soldiers captured at Bobruisk in 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold;">German soldiers captured at Bobruisk in 1944</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Operation Bagration.The Soviet Army under Stalin began offensive Bagration into Poland; in 6 weeks advanced 500 km to the Vistula. Three years to the day after Germany's 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union, the Red Army launched a massive offensive in Byelorussia. Codenamed 'Operation Bagration', this campaign climaxed five weeks later with the Red Army at the gates of Warsaw. The Wehrmacht's Army Group Centre was routed, a total of 17 Wehrmacht divisions were utterly destroyed, and over 50 other German divisions were shattered. It was the most calamitous defeat of the German armed forces in World War II.
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>And few in the West has even heard of it considering the fact that D-Day was chicken feed compared to Operation Bagration.</i></span></b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDeOvDB9oeU/UDiARGUTZmI/AAAAAAAAJ2E/gMwsuT_RMMo/s1600/belarus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Belarus 1944" border="0" height="498" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JDeOvDB9oeU/UDiARGUTZmI/AAAAAAAAJ2E/gMwsuT_RMMo/s640/belarus.jpg" title="Belarus 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-giuM0khYtgI/UDCN6vmnh8I/AAAAAAAAJvs/s-Aae8tIlLs/s1600/destroyed-german-panther-Belarus-july-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A destroyed German Panther in Belarus in 1944" border="0" height="414" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-giuM0khYtgI/UDCN6vmnh8I/AAAAAAAAJvs/s-Aae8tIlLs/s640/destroyed-german-panther-Belarus-july-1944.jpg" title="A destroyed German Panther in Belarus in 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Mute witnesses to a fierce war. A destroyed German Panther in Belarus in 1944.</b></div>
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Among the Bealrus' large cities were Vitebsk and Orsha, Mogilev, Bobruisk and,of course, Minsk, the capital city of White Russia, from where the first Russian highway led through Smolensk to Moscow. In those summer days this entire country was to play an especially tragic role for hundreds of thousands of German soldiers.</div>
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Thus Army Group Center - at that time the strongest German army group - under its Commander in Chief
Feldmarschall
Busch occupied an extended, semi-circular, eastward-facing salient approximately 1,100 kilometers in length and held by <b>four armies.</b></div>
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The northern wing from Polotsk consisted of the <b>Third Panzer Army</b> with IX,LII and VI Army Corps (nine divisions), in the center the <b>Fourth Army</b> with XXVII, XXXIX and XII Corps (nine divisions) and finally the <b>Ninth Army</b> with XXXV, XXXXI and LV Corps (ten divisions). The southern wing along the Pripyat Marshes was formed by the <b>Second Army</b> with three army corps.</div>
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Although previous experience tended to indicate that the Soviets would launch their new offensive against the eastward-projecting salient occupied by the Army Group Center, Hitler, and with him the entire High Command, assessed the situation quite differently. They expected an enemy offensive all right, but they calculated that it would be directed against Army Group North Ukraine from the area south of Kovel. It was anticipated that in doing so the Soviets would undertake to cut off the salient held by Army Group Center from the rear and then drive in the general direction of the Baltic, causing Army Group North's front to collapse.Thus the German High Command completely misinterpreted the situation.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ncybHhcnncc/UDCN8XOTiNI/AAAAAAAAJv0/mO-qiguw8vk/s1600/eastern-front-soviet-injured-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Red Army soldiers pull a wounded comrade to safety" border="0" height="425" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ncybHhcnncc/UDCN8XOTiNI/AAAAAAAAJv0/mO-qiguw8vk/s640/eastern-front-soviet-injured-1944.jpg" title=" Red Army soldiers pull a wounded comrade to safety" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Red Army soldiers pull a wounded comrade to safety</b><br />
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During the previous winter the Soviets had launched heavy attacks, especially near Vitebsk, but the Third Panzer Army had stood fast. The Soviets had also failed to achieve the desired success in five "highway battles" on the Minsk-Smolensk highway in the area of the front held by the German Fourth Army. Now, following the end of the heavy winter fighting, quiet settled over the front, a deceptive quiet.</div>
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<b>The German troops were pleased - what soldier wouldn't be - their positions had been beefed up in every way possible, and they felt secure.</b> Following the defensive successes of the winter the general mood was one of confidence. When relieved,the soldiers could rest in the rear areas and soldier's homes, swim in the rivers,there was leave, the supply service was functioning smoothly and the troops took the routine of positional warfare - the sentry duty, harassing fire and occasional enemy advances - in stride. What went on in the rear areas with the partisans interested few, there were security divisions to deal with that.</div>
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<b>The quiet held, but with his unfailing instinct the front-line soldier sensed that something was up "over there." There was something in the air</b>. Prisoners brought in by patrols reported attack forces assembling behind the Soviet front, while agents provided similar information. Surveys by observation battalions identified powerful new artillery units in several sectors.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RIFI7Lm16Fs/UDCKx-HSuEI/AAAAAAAAJuY/3YNflW89UX8/s1600/russian-soldiers-belarus-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Red Army soldiers fires across a Belarus river" border="0" height="326" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RIFI7Lm16Fs/UDCKx-HSuEI/AAAAAAAAJuY/3YNflW89UX8/s640/russian-soldiers-belarus-1944.jpg" title=" Red Army soldiers fires across a Belarus river" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Red Army soldiers fires across a Belarus river</b><br />
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By mid-June the Red Army was ready. Once again it possessed a tremendous superiority, with which it was about to fall upon the three German armies and their twenty-eight divisions on a 700- kilometer front.</div>
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During the night of June 21/22 the Soviet Air Force launched massive attacks on every large city in the combat zone. At the same time partisans began a campaign of sabotage against German railroads in the rear areas. 10,500 sections of track were blown, although 3,500 mines were removed from the roadbeds before they went off. As a result of these demolitions, the largest partisan operation to date, almost all German rail traffic was cut for twenty-four hours or more. In addition, communications cables along the highway, which ran to the army group,were destroyed at many locations.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QGEsgYIqyok/UDiAbdze8JI/AAAAAAAAJ2M/HCVv5dNR2R0/s1600/STREET-FIGHTING-VITEBSK-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Brutal street fighting in Vitebsk in 1944" border="0" height="404" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QGEsgYIqyok/UDiAbdze8JI/AAAAAAAAJ2M/HCVv5dNR2R0/s640/STREET-FIGHTING-VITEBSK-1944.jpg" title="Brutal street fighting in Vitebsk in 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Brutal street fighting in Vitebsk in 1944</b></div>
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TRAGEDY AT VIBETSK</div>
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Then another call from Zeitzler: <b>The Führer has decided that Vitebsk is to beheld as a "fortified place."</b> The three divisions are to allow themselves to be surrounded. </div>
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The 26th of June, filled with fighting like the day before, began with the rising of the blood-red sun. LIII Corps began its breakout. At 0830 a German reconnaissance aircraft reported the leading elements of the corps about ten kilometers southwest of Vitebsk. At 1210 Feldmarschall Busch sent another radio message to the 206th Division, ordering that all elements still in Vitebsk were to fight and hold out to the last man.<b> It was the last confirmed radio contact with the city. Aerial reconnaissance reported German troops at various locations in the Vitebsk area moving toward the west and southwest. Fighting between small groups of German troops and enemy forces was observed at several lake narrows.</b> Another report came in that there were larger German concentrations in the villages and woods along the road ten to fifteen kilometers southwest of Vitebsk, and that the area was the scene of fighting and enemy air attacks.</div>
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The commander of the 206th Division, Generalleutnant Hitter, had no thought of defending Vitebsk to the last man. On the afternoon of the 26th he reached the decision to break out of the burning, smoking city. Hitter's troops set out that evening at 2200, taking the wounded along in several horse-drawn vehicles and a prime mover. The assault teams leading the way failed to break through. They were intercepted by Russian blocking units and surrounded. A final charge with fixed bayonets failed. In a small wood the survivors were either killed or captured.</div>
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Late on the morning of the same June 27 a radio message from LIII Corps advised that it had broken through several enemy positions in continuing its breakthrough thirteen kilometers southwest of Vitebsk. The troops were suffering heavily from enemy air attacks and ammunition was running low... It was the last radio message from the corps.</div>
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The desperate battle by the remnants of LIII Corps, individual battle groups and smaller units, ended in the villages and forests fifteen to twenty kilometers southwest of Vitebsk. A few small groups were able to save themselves. Following long, arduous journeys on foot the survivors reached the German lines, where they described the fate which had befallen the rest of the corps.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KFjfMYfscJQ/UDCKzVhN-mI/AAAAAAAAJug/eCp5DpEnJX4/s1600/russian-tank-belarus-1944-dead-german-soldiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russian tanks trundle past dead German soldiers. Belarus 1944" border="0" height="562" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KFjfMYfscJQ/UDCKzVhN-mI/AAAAAAAAJug/eCp5DpEnJX4/s640/russian-tank-belarus-1944-dead-german-soldiers.jpg" title="Russian tanks trundle past dead German soldiers. Belarus 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> Russian tanks trundle past dead German soldiers. Belarus 1944.</b><br />
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GRAPHIC ACCOUNT OF THE WAR: DECIMATION OF THE THIRD PANZER ARMY<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887402828?ie=UTF8&tag=incrwarimag-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0887402828" rel="nofollow" style="color: #660000;" target="_blank">Ostfront 1944: The German Defensive Battles on the Russian Front 1944 (Schiffer military history)</a></b></span></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887402828?ie=UTF8&tag=incrwarimag-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0887402828" rel="nofollow" style="color: #660000;" target="_blank">ALEX BUCHNER</a></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;">The events of those days were described by an Obergefreiter of the 505th Army Pionier Battalion</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">"Our battalion was assigned to the 246th Infantry Division and built a spar bridge over the Düna between Polotsk and Vitebsk. The bridge was planned for the supply of the Third Panzer Army. The spars were already standing and the bridge was provisionally passable. The thunder of guns had been heard in the distance from the direction of the front since June 22 and there were many Russian aircraft to be seen in the sky.This did not concern us greatly. Enemy attacks on both sides of Vitebsk were nothing new, this had happened often in the past. The number of enemy aircraft was unusual though.On June 23, before it got dark, the Spieß ordered us to fall in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">The company commander, Oberleutnant Krause, appeared and reported on the situation: During the night we were to dig in at the north end of the half-finished bridge over the Düna, on which we had been working, to guard against its possible seizure by the enemy.I managed to snatch two hours sleep, then we moved out. The battalion staff was ahead of us. The night was filled with the distant sound of fighting, and the horizon was lit by gunfire, bursting shells and fires.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">The three companies of our battalion reached the bridge unhindered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">In front of the bridge hastily moved in infantry and Luftwaffe troops were already digging foxholes. We, too, dug in. Out of a sense of urgency the bridgehead was established before midnight. Meanwhile vehicle after vehicle rolled across the bridge heading south. As we crouched in our holes facing north orders came down that the bridgehead and the bridge were to be held until all of the units had passed through and reached safety.Some time later we pioniers were assembled once again. 'To the bridge!' The flow of trucks, guns and horse-drawn supply trains across the bridge the day before and throughout the night had left it in a sad state, especially since it had not quite been completed before the Russian offensive began. It had also already suffered damage from enemy air attacks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">Our job now was to shore up the bridge for the new stresses it was expected to have to bear.The first Russian aircraft appeared with the dawn and soon the first bombs were falling. Then more aircraft came. The Russian Air Force appeared on a scale never before experienced during the war. Bombs hailed down on the bridge, but fortunately most of them landed in the water. Vehicles continued to rumble across the bridge. Enemy forces were already around the bridgehead and these now opened fire with artillery.Vast numbers of troops with their equipment were backed up before the bridge waiting to cross. Officers shouted and brandished their pistols, each wanted his unit to be the first across. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">Our company and the other companies of the battalion worked under fire. I was assigned to be company messenger and had to take the company's requests for material to the south bank, where the command post was located.I can't remember how many times I crossed the bridge under enemy fire, perhaps ten times over and back. Dead pioneers lay where they had been hit, an axe, a saw or a hammer still beside them. I sought cover behind them. Several times I lay there for half an hour or longer, unable to rise, while shell fragments splintered the beams and hits tore apart the superstructure. When the firing abated medics ran onto the bridge to the screaming wounded, and I ran to the command post or to the work detail.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">Late in the morning the Russians attacked with tanks. They were beaten off and were unable to break into the bridgehead. But from then on the T-34s stayed within sight of the bridge and kept it under direct fire.On top of it all it was a clear day with its roasting summer heat.Still a continuous flow of men and trucks and horses raced across the bridge. Whatever was hit by enemy fire was tipped over the side.That evening the bridgehead was still holding but the bridge itself had become impassable for motor and horse-drawn vehicles. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">Under the enemy fire the bridge was being swept away from the pioniers piece by piece. Dead men and horses floated among the beams and posts, while wounded clung to pieces of wood.'Pioniers fall in!' came the order. There were not many left to assemble. Those still alive took their rifles and disappeared to the south bank of the Düna. Hand over hand we crossed the battered bridge, which was hanging into the water and under continuous enemy fire. Now and again someone fell into the water or was wounded.After us came the troops who had been defending the bridgehead.The rearguards stayed behind, however, and were shot or captured</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">Great quantities of war materiel, horses, vehicles and ammunition had to be left behind. We could see it lying and standing on the north bank of the river, mostly intact and fully useable by the enemy.Beyond the south bank we ran across an open field, pursued by enemy close-support aircraft. The enemy stood all along the north bank firing at us. The wounded were tended to but were no longer taken along.Save yourself if you can was the new watchword. The Russians were said to have crossed the Düna somewhere else and were already ahead of us. My friend Feichtinger and I found a motorcycle and sidecar and drove off across the dry, open plain.The first Russian soldiers appeared, there was only a few of them.But the enemy had in fact crossed the river already. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">We drove several more kilometers and spotted more Russians, about two battalions or more, ahead of us and to the sides. Their tanks swarmed out of the evening horizon everywhere, including to the west of us.There was an outburst of rifle fire and our machine was hit. We left the motorcycle where it was, having no time to destroy it, and ran off on foot. Like rabbits before the hunt we raced across the field as bullets chirped all around us. There were many other soldiers with us. The enemy fire so intensified that one could not hear the individual shots above the whistling, there was just a rising and falling buzzing and whirring. When it became too bad I threw myself to the ground. There were plenty of others on the ground, but many of them did not get up</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">When we were out of the heaviest rifle fire there followed mortar and artillery fire. Despite all the losses more and more followed.Everyone who could get away did so.Then several air attacks. Squadron after squadron raced over the ground at low level, fighters and close-support aircraft. They attacked with fragmentation bombs and machine-guns. I lost sight of my friend Feichtinger. I didn't know where he was, and didn't see him fall.We escaped the enemy fire in the twilight, and the damned aircraft,too, left us in peace. Everyone was feeling the effects of hunger and terrible thirst, and the many stuck and abandoned vehicles were scoured for food and drink.We assembled in a wood. Orders passed among the cluster of troops to had got this far. Numbers of units were called out. In this way I made contact my the company, or at least what was left of it. There were barely ten men from the battalion's other two companies. The battalion staff no longer existed.Our company commander was still there, though, as was the Spieß</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">I'm not exactly sure how many there were, perhaps thirty or forty men.I searched in vain for my friend Feichtinger.A large number of troops had assembled in the dark wood, at least several thousand men. There were also some soldiers from the divisions which had broken out from Vitebsk, some of whom had reached safety over our bridge. There were also many vehicles there and several tanks and assault guns, but they were almost out of ammunition.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">A General came with several officers and informed us that we were surrounded. The Russians had crossed the Düna northwest of us while we were still holding the bridge. They had also come from the southeast over the land bridge between the Düna and Dniepr. The word was that at dawn we would attack in order to force a breakout to the west. Every soldier was to fight as an infantryman, no matter which branch of the service he belonged to. The infantry attack would have to smash a breach in the enemy lines, then the tanks and assault guns would follow up to complete the breakthrough. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">Our chances were good, said the General. It was expected that we would meet only light security forces. Everything not needed for the breakthrough was to be destroyed.Before midnight the Russians began to lay harassing fire from artillery and Stalin Organs on the wood. It was impossible to sleep. I sought cover behind tree trunks, but had to constantly change positions,listening for the howling of incoming shells before leaping behind the nearest thick tree or into a depression in the ground. Wounded screamed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">They faced the worst fate of all. Anyone who could not walk had to be left behind.The morning of July 26 came and we assembled for the assault.There was no artillery to prepare our attack, as the guns and ammunition had already been blown up. We were told that we were to break through the Russian line of security in a surprise attack. All we had left was light machine-guns and our small arms. I still had my rifle with about forty rounds, as well my steel helmet and light pack.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">Silently the soldiers, among them members of the Luftwaffe and Luftwaffe field divisions, walked into the starting position at the forest edge. Behind them were the Russian volunteer auxiliaries, men and women. What faced them if we failed to get through would be worse than death.No medics followed the assault groups, there was no longer any sense. The badly wounded could not be taken along. Those with minor wounds were helped by their nearest comrades, but the more seriously wounded had to be left behind. Many of the decimated units went to the attack without officers, there were none left. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">Our company commander, Oberleutnant Krause, was still with us, however.As it became light we left the cover of the wood and worked our way forward, creeping and crawling. On a rise we could see the heaps of dirt belonging to a Russian position. Those at the front leapt to their feet and charged the position with loud shouts. Everywhere behind them figures in field gray, blue-gray and camouflage uniforms stood up.Enemy fire began to whip toward us. Shouts of hurray mingled with the screams of the wounded. The heaps of earth were like a fire-spitting wall. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">The first assault wave fell, the second hesitated and went to ground.The surprise attack had failed.We worked our way forward in stages under enemy fire. Nearly every man who stood up was hit. The Russians were firing into our attack with rifles, machine-guns, mortars, anti-tank guns and, soon, artillery.These were no weak pickets. The enemy had obviously been expecting our breakout and had fortified the area during the night. A shell fragment ripped up the company commander's back. Luckily I was able to drag him to a small, shallow ravine without being hit myself. A comrade tossed me a packet dressing. I dressed the chief's wound, as I had done to so many others before. When the fire had abated somewhat, two of us pulled him behind a bush and from there back to the cover of the wood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">The Oberleutnant had been badly wounded and did not recognize me.I don't know if he survived his wounds and captivity. I saw him for the last time in the wood. He was a good officer. We left him with the other seriously wounded.A Major I did not know appeared and got us moving again. My friend and I went back to the forest's edge, ran from its cover and threw ourselves down in one of the ragged skirmishing lines, in which living and dead, wounded and unwounded lay side by side. A new attack was ordered. A young Leutnant tried to lead the way. 'Let's go men, only another fifty meters! Everyone follow me!' A number of men jumped up to follow him - and fell with him.Individual soldiers repeatedly made attempts to work their way toward the hill. They were shot down or forced to take cover. Some tried to approach the enemy positions with hands raised, but they, too, were shot. Our assault guns did not leave the cover of the forest, probably because they had no ammunition.Another charge, again murderous fire, more losses. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">We were forced to take cover again at once. No one made it to the top of the rise. All of those still alive pressed themselves into the ground and tried to find cover. Finally the enemy fire was so heavy that it drowned out the cries of the wounded. The Soviets were now firing on the slope with everything they had, even though there was no one left standing.I lay among the dead, living and wounded under the blazing sun, not moving and almost without any sensory perception. I no longer felt my thirst or the heat. To stand up meant certain death. I lay there until afternoon, when the firing and bursting shells began to abate. The Russians probably realized that they were not going to be attacked again,because they had already eliminated most of us. Finally the firing stopped.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', sans-serif;">A little later I saw several soldiers to my right get up without being fired upon. Then I stood up, too feeble and shaky to still be afraid of surrendering.I saw hundreds of dead comrades lying on the long slope. There were few complaints from the wounded, because most of them had been hit more than once, often a third or fourth time ..."</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E1mTEzZ49N8/UDCN48AjVtI/AAAAAAAAJvk/UyMCrKz3Suc/s1600/German-soldier-paints-Jagdpanther-Belarus-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A German soldier gives a Jagdpanther a fresh coat of paint" border="0" height="402" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E1mTEzZ49N8/UDCN48AjVtI/AAAAAAAAJvk/UyMCrKz3Suc/s640/German-soldier-paints-Jagdpanther-Belarus-1944.jpg" title="A German soldier gives a Jagdpanther a fresh coat of paint" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> The optimist. A German soldier gives a Jagdpanther a fresh coat of paint. Belarus June 1944.</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QSuaWuD5NF8/UDCKp9My6RI/AAAAAAAAJuQ/OCIhfXYcTiI/s1600/polotsk-eastern-front-belarus-1944-ISU-152-self-propeled-gun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Soviet ISU-152 self-propelled gun move past dead German soldiers in Polotsk" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QSuaWuD5NF8/UDCKp9My6RI/AAAAAAAAJuQ/OCIhfXYcTiI/s640/polotsk-eastern-front-belarus-1944-ISU-152-self-propeled-gun.jpg" title="Soviet ISU-152 self-propelled gun move past dead German soldiers in Polotsk" width="460" /></a></div>
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<b>A Soviet ISU-152 self-propelled gun move past dead German soldiers in Polotsk</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n1LUQTvLBq8/UDhhwDW1F9I/AAAAAAAAJyI/Z9jTz1Wkl5c/s1600/German-prisoners-Vitebsk-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Dejected German prisoners in Vitebsk. 1944" border="0" height="420" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n1LUQTvLBq8/UDhhwDW1F9I/AAAAAAAAJyI/Z9jTz1Wkl5c/s640/German-prisoners-Vitebsk-1944.jpg" title="Dejected German prisoners in Vitebsk. 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Dejected German prisoners in Vitebsk. 1944</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R3XmeKM204c/UDCKngFJaYI/AAAAAAAAJuE/itfVOTTlvfk/s1600/eastern-front-german-column-attacked-russian-warplanes-belarus-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russian warplanes attack a German column in Belarus. With the Luftwaffe virtually absent from Russian skies, Soviet planes had a free run." border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R3XmeKM204c/UDCKngFJaYI/AAAAAAAAJuE/itfVOTTlvfk/s640/eastern-front-german-column-attacked-russian-warplanes-belarus-1944.jpg" title="Russian warplanes attack a German column in Belarus. With the Luftwaffe virtually absent from Russian skies, Soviet planes had a free run." width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> Russian warplanes attack a German column in Belarus. With the Luftwaffe virtually absent from Russian skies, Soviet planes had a free run.</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R2s3J6yEwHM/UDCKmn1kD4I/AAAAAAAAJuA/QoQ_Eoj_XoU/s1600/eastern-front-belarus-1944-wounded-german-soldier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wehrmacht was in a similar situation after Operation Bagration in 1944" border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R2s3J6yEwHM/UDCKmn1kD4I/AAAAAAAAJuA/QoQ_Eoj_XoU/s640/eastern-front-belarus-1944-wounded-german-soldier.jpg" title="Wehrmacht was in a similar situation after Operation Bagration in 1944" width="502" /></a></div>
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<b>German soldiers. The Wehrmacht was in a similar situation after Operation Bagration in 1944.</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-waMKdkcuH2g/UDCKlpXLyPI/AAAAAAAAJt4/mVMPRyMOjL0/s1600/destroyed-german-arms-vitebsk-highway-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Destroyed German war material strewn on the side of the Vitebsk highway" border="0" height="436" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-waMKdkcuH2g/UDCKlpXLyPI/AAAAAAAAJt4/mVMPRyMOjL0/s640/destroyed-german-arms-vitebsk-highway-1944.jpg" title=" Destroyed German war material strewn on the side of the Vitebsk highway" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Destroyed German war material strewn on the side of the Vitebsk highway.</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPFXqznbHL4/UDCHWyaXxRI/AAAAAAAAJsg/QiWvOGfm6-I/s1600/eastern-front-1944-belarus-german-gun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A destroyed German gun and a German grave in Belarus" border="0" height="436" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPFXqznbHL4/UDCHWyaXxRI/AAAAAAAAJsg/QiWvOGfm6-I/s640/eastern-front-1944-belarus-german-gun.jpg" title="A destroyed German gun and a German grave in Belarus" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> A destroyed German gun and a German grave in Belarus.</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qnLJif_Qo7M/UDCErMHZOJI/AAAAAAAAJrg/YA4eC0m3jXw/s1600/eastern-front-belarus-captured-german-generals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Questioning captured German officers" border="0" height="388" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qnLJif_Qo7M/UDCErMHZOJI/AAAAAAAAJrg/YA4eC0m3jXw/s640/eastern-front-belarus-captured-german-generals.jpg" title="Questioning captured German officers" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> Questioning captured German officers</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LKGkHpBGtaQ/UDCEpwiGeWI/AAAAAAAAJrY/ywun-Ettc6g/s1600/eastern-front-1944-polotsk-belarus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Red Army soldiers move into Polotsk" border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LKGkHpBGtaQ/UDCEpwiGeWI/AAAAAAAAJrY/ywun-Ettc6g/s640/eastern-front-1944-polotsk-belarus.jpg" title=" Red Army soldiers move into Polotsk" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> Red Army soldiers move into Polotsk.</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nKq5d74UbAA/UDCEoF1wSPI/AAAAAAAAJrQ/e_jeYigZWJo/s1600/eastern-front-1944-captured-german-generals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Interrogation of a captured German officer" border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nKq5d74UbAA/UDCEoF1wSPI/AAAAAAAAJrQ/e_jeYigZWJo/s640/eastern-front-1944-captured-german-generals.jpg" title="Interrogation of a captured German officer" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> Interrogation of a captured German officer.</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w7wwaYzZSgk/UDCEm0KbZQI/AAAAAAAAJrI/F1zwEHgqnfg/s1600/eastern-front-1944-belarus-bobruisk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russian soldiers Moving into the town of Bobruisk" border="0" height="524" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-w7wwaYzZSgk/UDCEm0KbZQI/AAAAAAAAJrI/F1zwEHgqnfg/s640/eastern-front-1944-belarus-bobruisk.jpg" title="Moving into the town of Bobruisk" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Moving into the town of Bobruisk</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7eGYW45Swvo/UDhmnn1QdHI/AAAAAAAAJzs/n1L7EMsL9po/s1600/Belarus-1944-eastern-front-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Germans fighting a rear guard action" border="0" height="464" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7eGYW45Swvo/UDhmnn1QdHI/AAAAAAAAJzs/n1L7EMsL9po/s640/Belarus-1944-eastern-front-001.jpg" title=" Germans fighting a rear guard action" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Germans fighting a rear guard action</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QEGqEyavS8Q/UDhmoxd0XII/AAAAAAAAJz0/HM8-Q8Arrng/s1600/belarus-1944-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers await the Russian attack against the 3rd Panzer Army" border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QEGqEyavS8Q/UDhmoxd0XII/AAAAAAAAJz0/HM8-Q8Arrng/s640/belarus-1944-001.jpg" title="German soldiers await the Russian attack against the 3rd Panzer Army" width="598" /></a></div>
<b> German soldiers await t</b><b>he Russian attack against the 3rd Panzer Army</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wYMawD1k-AY/UDhmp-4DF_I/AAAAAAAAJz4/QMLHRxk0muk/s1600/captured-german-generals-moscow-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German generals captured during Bagration marched in Moscow in 1944" border="0" height="368" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wYMawD1k-AY/UDhmp-4DF_I/AAAAAAAAJz4/QMLHRxk0muk/s640/captured-german-generals-moscow-1944.jpg" title="German generals captured during Bagration marched in Moscow in 1944" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>German generals captured during Bagration marched in Moscow in 1944</b><br />
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-61130407430259339082012-08-01T01:13:00.001-07:002012-08-01T01:28:13.870-07:00Rare American WW1 Propaganda Posters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SXa7bc9VRfQ/UBjlJwhMryI/AAAAAAAAJoI/32vUtCwD1dk/s1600/american-ww1-posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SXa7bc9VRfQ/UBjlJwhMryI/AAAAAAAAJoI/32vUtCwD1dk/s640/american-ww1-posters.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PbVnZxtctCc/UBjoeSv3jqI/AAAAAAAAJoY/25tcdHg_81Y/s1600/american-ww1-posters-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PbVnZxtctCc/UBjoeSv3jqI/AAAAAAAAJoY/25tcdHg_81Y/s1600/american-ww1-posters-001.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>An American Red Cross poster</b></div>
<br /></div>Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-86864481325316125532012-07-28T23:48:00.003-07:002012-08-01T00:23:00.670-07:00Rare French WW1 Propaganda Posters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8BoBp6y4dKI/UBTcd2w5Q0I/AAAAAAAAJgo/ZRTZrEQgECE/s1600/french-propaganda-poster-ww1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8BoBp6y4dKI/UBTcd2w5Q0I/AAAAAAAAJgo/ZRTZrEQgECE/s640/french-propaganda-poster-ww1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Germany defeated. 'Liberation Loan' 1918
Jules Abel Faivre (1867-1945), France</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fG3r7uAUBWo/UBTjE7tjenI/AAAAAAAAJh8/jqBFL4WK8mI/s1600/french-poster-ww1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fG3r7uAUBWo/UBTjE7tjenI/AAAAAAAAJh8/jqBFL4WK8mI/s1600/french-poster-ww1.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>Jesus reproaches the Germans. "Thou shalt not kill"</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mKeAznvpZtA/UBTt19f2j7I/AAAAAAAAJi0/KkdkSvbcwcc/s1600/french-ww1-posters-is-this-the-end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mKeAznvpZtA/UBTt19f2j7I/AAAAAAAAJi0/KkdkSvbcwcc/s640/french-ww1-posters-is-this-the-end.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>"Is this the end?"</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3B2mMEZaPn4/UBjU6xJiJvI/AAAAAAAAJlA/ME0zPBHXqng/s1600/french-ww1-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3B2mMEZaPn4/UBjU6xJiJvI/AAAAAAAAJlA/ME0zPBHXqng/s640/french-ww1-poster.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Jesus has deserted the Germans</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qpXVjhyaNFI/UBjZIobY1eI/AAAAAAAAJlY/oA6154F5HYs/s1600/italian-ww1-propaganda-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qpXVjhyaNFI/UBjZIobY1eI/AAAAAAAAJlY/oA6154F5HYs/s640/italian-ww1-propaganda-poster.jpg" width="438" /></a></div>
<b>An 1915 Italian poster showing German Kaiser Wilhelm 2</b><br />
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<b>Related</b><br />
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<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/british-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">British WW1 Propaganda Posters</span></a></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/russian-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;">Russian WW1 Propaganda Posters</a></span></li>
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</div>Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-38642712136360378472012-07-25T23:00:00.002-07:002012-07-28T23:51:39.431-07:00Rare Austrian WW1 Propaganda Posters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BrVNqzCfdw8/UBDbrnwwuBI/AAAAAAAAJeY/HS7cSBczGeY/s1600/German-ww1-propaganda-posters--001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BrVNqzCfdw8/UBDbrnwwuBI/AAAAAAAAJeY/HS7cSBczGeY/s640/German-ww1-propaganda-posters--001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i>"Austrian conquest of a Russian battery"</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S2Bhz9AiiDE/UBDcwwZEMsI/AAAAAAAAJeg/fk_iMlb54mQ/s1600/austrian-propaganda-posters-ww1-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S2Bhz9AiiDE/UBDcwwZEMsI/AAAAAAAAJeg/fk_iMlb54mQ/s640/austrian-propaganda-posters-ww1-004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i>The Austrian poster shows soldiers and their weapons behind a barricade of Austrian coins. Text: Subscribe to the 7th War Loan, Vienna Commercial Bank.</i></b>
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<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/british-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">British WW1 Propaganda Posters</span></a></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/russian-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;">Russian WW1 Propaganda Posters</a></span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/french-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">French WW1 Propaganda Posters</a></span></li>
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</div>Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-44326134338857566302012-07-25T00:38:00.001-07:002015-06-26T22:52:00.890-07:00Rare British WW1 Propaganda Posters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Br0KxtvDkw4/UA-iSFeJawI/AAAAAAAAJdY/Oku2l0ojHZs/s1600/British-ww1-propaganda-posters-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Br0KxtvDkw4/UA-iSFeJawI/AAAAAAAAJdY/Oku2l0ojHZs/s1600/British-ww1-propaganda-posters-001.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e2OrPDS5Tec/UBDeYFMCbqI/AAAAAAAAJeo/Tg3AZjIf-y4/s1600/bRITISH-WW1-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-Daddy-what-did-you-great-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e2OrPDS5Tec/UBDeYFMCbqI/AAAAAAAAJeo/Tg3AZjIf-y4/s1600/bRITISH-WW1-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-Daddy-what-did-you-great-war.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>A British recruitment poster</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bPd0RjWzCWI/UBDp7cTm8bI/AAAAAAAAJfo/6TD3ZukQUQ8/s1600/bRITISH-WW1-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS--001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bPd0RjWzCWI/UBDp7cTm8bI/AAAAAAAAJfo/6TD3ZukQUQ8/s1600/bRITISH-WW1-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS--001.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fJFe-NLOXBA/UBTZXoBMADI/AAAAAAAAJgI/9R7NjF2mWWs/s1600/british-propaganda-posters-ww1-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fJFe-NLOXBA/UBTZXoBMADI/AAAAAAAAJgI/9R7NjF2mWWs/s640/british-propaganda-posters-ww1-001.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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<b>'Blood and Iron' by Charles Ernest Butler.</b></div>
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<b>The painting is dated 1916, two years after the events it depicts. Kaiser Wilhelm, on horseback with the Angel of Death at his shoulder, turns aside from leading his troops into further action. The response of the man on the ground is defiant but emasculated and Christ, too, is neutered, limited to the role of offering succour. In the background, the Belgian town of Louvain burns.
The work shows no obvious hero to resolve the chaos and destruction. Instead it calls out to the viewer to step forward, to take on the challenge of what looks like an Arthurian quest, and to defeat the foe.
In this work Butler depicts the horrors of war, not as a pacifist statement but rather to encourage the recruitment of men to fight the evil of German aggression, personified in the Kaiser. Although this was neither a commissioned painting nor authorised in any respect, it carries a strongly populist message about the war. It is part of a body of work that described German atrocities with an almost pornographic relish, both in attempting to motivate people to resist aggression, and to justify the Allied war effort.</b><br />
<b>Text: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/wars_conflict/art/art_frontline_gal_02.shtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BBC</a></b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wjhn4yoTnYo/UBTa5j7VE_I/AAAAAAAAJgQ/kqVdaxlzeHI/s1600/british-ww1-posters-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wjhn4yoTnYo/UBTa5j7VE_I/AAAAAAAAJgQ/kqVdaxlzeHI/s1600/british-ww1-posters-001.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>A Punch cartoon from 1915 depicting the stalemate on the Eastern Front</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lT6rS5913sk/UBTqs6hlSyI/AAAAAAAAJik/7jWf8g6b_7U/s1600/british-ww1-posters-help-to-catch-huns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lT6rS5913sk/UBTqs6hlSyI/AAAAAAAAJik/7jWf8g6b_7U/s640/british-ww1-posters-help-to-catch-huns.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMKYnV_fbYc/UBjaDWdXvzI/AAAAAAAAJlg/bMX-OkDxKjE/s1600/British-ww1-posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EMKYnV_fbYc/UBjaDWdXvzI/AAAAAAAAJlg/bMX-OkDxKjE/s640/British-ww1-posters.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pRj1e9ErEKk/UBjhvvDIs0I/AAAAAAAAJnw/8Mk3cpUGsm8/s1600/British-ww1-posters-recruitment-navy-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pRj1e9ErEKk/UBjhvvDIs0I/AAAAAAAAJnw/8Mk3cpUGsm8/s1600/British-ww1-posters-recruitment-navy-poster.jpg" /></a></div>
<b>British navy recruitment poster</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1jD8nNmBGOg/UBjjWRzSHLI/AAAAAAAAJn4/nro2Q07NJuY/s1600/British-ww1-posters-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1jD8nNmBGOg/UBjjWRzSHLI/AAAAAAAAJn4/nro2Q07NJuY/s1600/British-ww1-posters-001.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>Related</u></span></div>
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<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/german-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;">German WW1 Propaganda Posters</a></span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/russian-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Russian WW1 Propaganda Posters</span></a></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/austrian-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;">Austrian Propaganda Posters</a></span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/french-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;" target="_blank">French WW1 Propaganda Posters</a>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;"><i>WORK IN PROGRESS... INCOMPLETE </i></span></b></div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-83371022136419907302012-07-25T00:36:00.000-07:002015-06-26T22:52:37.864-07:00Rare German WW1 Propaganda Posters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uc-Que2KuHc/UA-gNUNRJ1I/AAAAAAAAJdI/G36jeJtoheA/s1600/german-propaganda-posters-ww1-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uc-Que2KuHc/UA-gNUNRJ1I/AAAAAAAAJdI/G36jeJtoheA/s1600/german-propaganda-posters-ww1-001.jpg" /></a></div>
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It says,<i><b> "Niclolas! Nicholas! Dare you just get out of Moscow!. With the sabers we will make Russian salad out of you!"</b></i><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hwJZUWTCs_E/UBDudTkW3bI/AAAAAAAAJf4/YT3HSS6xLaA/s1600/F_A_von_Kaulbach_Germania_1914_German_propaganda_posters_history_in_pictures.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hwJZUWTCs_E/UBDudTkW3bI/AAAAAAAAJf4/YT3HSS6xLaA/s640/F_A_von_Kaulbach_Germania_1914_German_propaganda_posters_history_in_pictures.jpg" width="482" /></a></div>
<i><b>"Germania" 1914. A painting by Freidrich August von Kaulbach</b></i><br />
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WHO WAS KAULBACH?<br />
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Son of the panter Friedrich von Kaulbach. He studied with is father in Hanover and in 1868 in Nürnberg with August von Kreling und Karl Raupp. In 1871 he copied the old masters in Dresden. In 1872 he moved to Munich, where he married and had a studio in the Schwantalerstrasse.
Following the advice of Lenbach he travelled to Italy in 1873-1874. Together with Gedon, Lenbach and Makart he went to Antwerpen during the Rubens year in 1877. He became popular in Munich after he painted the Schuetzenliesl" for a beer hall in Munich.
In 1882 he became a member of the academy in Berlin. He had started with genre pieces, but from 1883 onwards he specialised in portraits. During this time he visited Paris several times and saw the works of Gustave Courbet. In 1886 he was knighted by Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and he succeeded Karl von Piloty as the director of the academy in Munich.
In 1887-1889 Gabriel von Seidl built a city palace for him in Munich and in 1897 he married for the second time. His new wife was the Danish violinist Fride Scotta. In 1898 he portrayed wilhelm II. Among his friends were Lenbach, Von Stuck and Gulbransson.
In recent years his house in the small Bavarian village Ohlsdorf has opened as a museum.</div>
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<a href="http://androom.home.xs4all.nl/biography/p011551.htm">http://androom.home.xs4all.nl/biography/p011551.htm</a>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UrLmFIy3qxI/UA-hnAAtr3I/AAAAAAAAJdQ/fMqkKAYZRQU/s1600/german-propaganda-posters-ww1-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UrLmFIy3qxI/UA-hnAAtr3I/AAAAAAAAJdQ/fMqkKAYZRQU/s640/german-propaganda-posters-ww1-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NoynsbbRYc4/UA-iyK5U0yI/AAAAAAAAJdg/QnUe21Lern8/s1600/german-propaganda-posters-ww1-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NoynsbbRYc4/UA-iyK5U0yI/AAAAAAAAJdg/QnUe21Lern8/s1600/german-propaganda-posters-ww1-003.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><i>This 1916 poster shows the German Emperor Kaiser Welhelm at the grave of a German soldier</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bf96uFH2Th4/UBDYCf_sdBI/AAAAAAAAJeA/q-AorkbzwfU/s1600/German-ww1-propaganda-posters-motherland-have-no-fear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bf96uFH2Th4/UBDYCf_sdBI/AAAAAAAAJeA/q-AorkbzwfU/s1600/German-ww1-propaganda-posters-motherland-have-no-fear.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><i>It says, "Homeland . Have no fear."</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VtbrtjNsuHU/UBDZI9yhg2I/AAAAAAAAJeI/2vTZfiLuqss/s1600/German-ww1-propaganda-posters-faithful-arms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VtbrtjNsuHU/UBDZI9yhg2I/AAAAAAAAJeI/2vTZfiLuqss/s1600/German-ww1-propaganda-posters-faithful-arms.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><i>"Faithful arms. Brotherhood"</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYdDkiHlj4Q/UBDgpfW4ziI/AAAAAAAAJew/GmRX4oIO_Uo/s1600/German-ww1-propaganda-posters--002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYdDkiHlj4Q/UBDgpfW4ziI/AAAAAAAAJew/GmRX4oIO_Uo/s1600/German-ww1-propaganda-posters--002.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><i>Caption says" Hindenburg: So, you pointed Russian boys now bring the stolen pretty carefully not to Berlin to Petrograd!"</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H6WSL9ZPr2Q/UBDo49YxoII/AAAAAAAAJfg/R2FOVpiDEnA/s1600/German-ww1-propaganda-posters--eight-headed-hydra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-H6WSL9ZPr2Q/UBDo49YxoII/AAAAAAAAJfg/R2FOVpiDEnA/s1600/German-ww1-propaganda-posters--eight-headed-hydra.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><i>"The eight-headed-hydra". Germany and Austria fights its foes.</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uZlK0bgqGUg/UBTffe5t9vI/AAAAAAAAJhk/xXvfmgwzcj8/s1600/german-propaganda-poster-ww1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uZlK0bgqGUg/UBTffe5t9vI/AAAAAAAAJhk/xXvfmgwzcj8/s640/german-propaganda-poster-ww1.jpg" width="408" /></a></div>
<b><i>Wilhelm II: "Before God and history is my conscience is clear I have not wanted the war.." A 1915 poster</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wQFKwZuBzPY/UBTgeoWuQ6I/AAAAAAAAJhs/VUEspOz0q4k/s1600/german-poster-ww1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wQFKwZuBzPY/UBTgeoWuQ6I/AAAAAAAAJhs/VUEspOz0q4k/s1600/german-poster-ww1.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><i>The Allies have taken a beating</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9KrSAyfk9SU/UBThShLEOCI/AAAAAAAAJh0/g8wOvn0OENo/s1600/german-poster-ww1-hindenburg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9KrSAyfk9SU/UBThShLEOCI/AAAAAAAAJh0/g8wOvn0OENo/s1600/german-poster-ww1-hindenburg.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><i>Hindenburg prepares arms for Germany</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g_S1C7tUdbs/UBTpDhJqgFI/AAAAAAAAJic/qfU7kjDkNYM/s1600/german-ww1-posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g_S1C7tUdbs/UBTpDhJqgFI/AAAAAAAAJic/qfU7kjDkNYM/s640/german-ww1-posters.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Germany and Austria checkmate the Allies</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pgScZFbGS-c/UBTsv3OIJWI/AAAAAAAAJis/wy3Si5U67YQ/s1600/german-poster-ww1-europena-balance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="402" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pgScZFbGS-c/UBTsv3OIJWI/AAAAAAAAJis/wy3Si5U67YQ/s640/german-poster-ww1-europena-balance.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><i>"The European Balance 1914"</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gPViXr2Bo2Y/UBTuwVo514I/AAAAAAAAJi8/cvIt8AKCFQA/s1600/german-ww1-poster-taming-russian-bear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gPViXr2Bo2Y/UBTuwVo514I/AAAAAAAAJi8/cvIt8AKCFQA/s640/german-ww1-poster-taming-russian-bear.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><i>Taming the Russian bear</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-13RK5FD1Y0M/UBjQ2ni-PgI/AAAAAAAAJkA/TodYd9K_iEw/s1600/german-ww1-posters-jesus-blesses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-13RK5FD1Y0M/UBjQ2ni-PgI/AAAAAAAAJkA/TodYd9K_iEw/s1600/german-ww1-posters-jesus-blesses.jpg" /></a></div>
<b><i>Jesus blesses the German army</i></b><br />
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<a href="http://www.rusempire.ru/gallery/originals/56/B541B2118A15-56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rusempire.ru/gallery/originals/56/B541B2118A15-56.jpg" height="640" width="428" /></a></div>
<b><i>"With full steam ahead, we are with you"</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBCIuGQuams/UBjWeOPipNI/AAAAAAAAJlI/o7M_o4cWlFc/s1600/german-ww1-posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBCIuGQuams/UBjWeOPipNI/AAAAAAAAJlI/o7M_o4cWlFc/s640/german-ww1-posters.jpg" width="468" /></a></div>
<b><i><br /></i></b>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bdw2964-RH8/UBjXJn7GgAI/AAAAAAAAJlQ/zH1mIAikuuA/s1600/german-ww1-posters-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bdw2964-RH8/UBjXJn7GgAI/AAAAAAAAJlQ/zH1mIAikuuA/s640/german-ww1-posters-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kMfu0qtqj9Y/UBjbArpY6fI/AAAAAAAAJlo/48QzF5ENYAY/s1600/german-ww1-posters-russian-bear-washed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kMfu0qtqj9Y/UBjbArpY6fI/AAAAAAAAJlo/48QzF5ENYAY/s640/german-ww1-posters-russian-bear-washed.jpg" width="392" /></a></div>
<b><i>The Russian bear is washed</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t-trCUF4Oi4/UBje7CNuYbI/AAAAAAAAJmw/xugalpt5OPU/s1600/german-ww1-posters-fatherland-rest-assured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-t-trCUF4Oi4/UBje7CNuYbI/AAAAAAAAJmw/xugalpt5OPU/s640/german-ww1-posters-fatherland-rest-assured.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><i>"Dear homeland, have no fear"</i></b><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Related</span></i></b><br />
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<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/british-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">British WW1 Propaganda Posters</span></a></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/russian-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">Russian WW1 Propaganda Posters</span></a></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/austrian-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;">Austrian Propaganda Posters</a></span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/french-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">French WW1 Propaganda Posters</a>
</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><span style="color: #990000;"><i>WORK IN PROGRESS... INCOMPLETE </i></span></b>
</div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-20377340364128229352012-07-25T00:27:00.001-07:002015-06-26T22:53:18.573-07:00Rare Russian WW1 Propaganda Posters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-atX8gBjiZ7E/UA-Q0CCE5DI/AAAAAAAAJb4/J6em3EjjfJc/s1600/RUSSIAN-WW2-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-atX8gBjiZ7E/UA-Q0CCE5DI/AAAAAAAAJb4/J6em3EjjfJc/s640/RUSSIAN-WW2-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-002.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>
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<b>A pre-WW1 Russian poster saying that Russian would give Germany (the figure is Kaiser Wilhelm 2) a good thrashing if it dared attacking Russia. The future turned out much differently.</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjyMK__7fpw/UA-TYoL9-_I/AAAAAAAAJcI/29ZKpORobbw/s1600/RUSSIAN-WW2-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RjyMK__7fpw/UA-TYoL9-_I/AAAAAAAAJcI/29ZKpORobbw/s1600/RUSSIAN-WW2-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-003.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>German Emperor Wilhelm shown as a warmonger</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Azv1--xJpwY/UA-UTmnyIiI/AAAAAAAAJcQ/yQB1xkUEEjY/s1600/RUSSIAN-WW2-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Azv1--xJpwY/UA-UTmnyIiI/AAAAAAAAJcQ/yQB1xkUEEjY/s640/RUSSIAN-WW2-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-004.jpg" width="408" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F7-F2IwXHK0/UA-X67u20yI/AAAAAAAAJcg/tdBnXMXIlbY/s1600/RUSSIAN-WW2-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-fund-raising.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F7-F2IwXHK0/UA-X67u20yI/AAAAAAAAJcg/tdBnXMXIlbY/s640/RUSSIAN-WW2-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-fund-raising.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>A 1916 fund-raising poster</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WzKohLOcHf8/UA-ZHe_oV9I/AAAAAAAAJco/PM0uk9ywfK4/s1600/RUSSIAN-WW2-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-nicholas-peacemaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WzKohLOcHf8/UA-ZHe_oV9I/AAAAAAAAJco/PM0uk9ywfK4/s640/RUSSIAN-WW2-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-nicholas-peacemaker.jpg" width="548" /></a></div>
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<b>The Russian Czar Nicholas 2 the Peacemaker, lauded by Mother Russia</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXvmTVhYvPA/UA-cU44IKLI/AAAAAAAAJc4/Ur6RmFCcM50/s1600/triple-entente-poster-ww1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZXvmTVhYvPA/UA-cU44IKLI/AAAAAAAAJc4/Ur6RmFCcM50/s640/triple-entente-poster-ww1.jpg" width="458" /></a></div>
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<b>1914 Russian poster. The upper inscription reads "agreement". The uncertain Britannia (right) and Marianne (left) look to the determined Mother Russia (centre) to lead them in the coming war. </b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3PhojNGzuPs/UA-kILzwN2I/AAAAAAAAJdo/XfSh06_o5Zc/s1600/RUSSIAN-WW2-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3PhojNGzuPs/UA-kILzwN2I/AAAAAAAAJdo/XfSh06_o5Zc/s640/RUSSIAN-WW2-PROPAGANDA-POSTERS-005.jpg" width="407" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qvSjYGQ2Sxw/UBDjSePfAYI/AAAAAAAAJfA/_0dMrcVJSaw/s1600/russian-ww1-propaganda-posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qvSjYGQ2Sxw/UBDjSePfAYI/AAAAAAAAJfA/_0dMrcVJSaw/s640/russian-ww1-propaganda-posters.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>"The eye, not the bullet travels through the heart."</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7IhztOI6bQ/UBDl7RfinUI/AAAAAAAAJfQ/t97mXZuRtt8/s1600/russian-ww1-propaganda-posters-mother-russia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l7IhztOI6bQ/UBDl7RfinUI/AAAAAAAAJfQ/t97mXZuRtt8/s1600/russian-ww1-propaganda-posters-mother-russia.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tZgWbeKtPXU/UBTkCVC64EI/AAAAAAAAJiE/4PclyJONWuQ/s1600/russian-ww1-poster-a-german-soldier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tZgWbeKtPXU/UBTkCVC64EI/AAAAAAAAJiE/4PclyJONWuQ/s640/russian-ww1-poster-a-german-soldier.jpg" width="469" /></a></div>
<b>The German's shadow shows death</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5oCYgYiT0CY/UBTmW4U75XI/AAAAAAAAJiM/g_-Eo6sgWsw/s1600/mother-russia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5oCYgYiT0CY/UBTmW4U75XI/AAAAAAAAJiM/g_-Eo6sgWsw/s640/mother-russia.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
<b>Mother Russia</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X4PWSWSGUOw/UBTnbdc6PnI/AAAAAAAAJiU/R47mhs_BZpY/s1600/russian-ww1-posters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X4PWSWSGUOw/UBTnbdc6PnI/AAAAAAAAJiU/R47mhs_BZpY/s1600/russian-ww1-posters.jpg" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ2FOH4_uJA/UBTwDxW-jKI/AAAAAAAAJjE/504CiOw66aM/s1600/italian-propaganda-poster-ww1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AJ2FOH4_uJA/UBTwDxW-jKI/AAAAAAAAJjE/504CiOw66aM/s640/italian-propaganda-poster-ww1.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
<b>An Italian propaganda poster. It says "He (Germany) thought he would make the bear (Russia) dance but the bear made him dance"</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cH5TW1Du0Ec/UBjdhYiTF1I/AAAAAAAAJmo/fm28z21wkXQ/s1600/russian-ww1-poster-german-atrocities-poland-1914-18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cH5TW1Du0Ec/UBjdhYiTF1I/AAAAAAAAJmo/fm28z21wkXQ/s640/russian-ww1-poster-german-atrocities-poland-1914-18.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>German atrocities in Poland, 1914-18</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mRVaZDydsxM/UBjkaiazRRI/AAAAAAAAJoA/tW00cRif2EI/s1600/russian-ww1-poster-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mRVaZDydsxM/UBjkaiazRRI/AAAAAAAAJoA/tW00cRif2EI/s640/russian-ww1-poster-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eemYVWkL-I8/UBjmUNHFgYI/AAAAAAAAJoQ/wlcnOny2gZc/s1600/russian-ww1-poster-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eemYVWkL-I8/UBjmUNHFgYI/AAAAAAAAJoQ/wlcnOny2gZc/s640/russian-ww1-poster-002.jpg" width="438" /></a></div>
<b>A 1914 Russian poster. Full of hot air and nothing else it seems in hindsight. Russia left the Great War in 1917.</b><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Related</span></i></b><br />
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<ul style="font-family: arial; list-style-type: none; margin-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px;">
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/german-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">German WW1 Propaganda Posters</span></a></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/british-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;">British WW1 Propaganda Posters</a></span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large; text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/austrian-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" style="color: #4c1130; text-decoration: none;">Austrian Propaganda Posters</a></span></li>
<li style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://historyimages.blogspot.in/2012/07/french-ww1-propaganda-posters.html" rel="nofollow" style="font-size: x-large;" target="_blank">French WW1 Propaganda Posters</a>
</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;"><i>WORK IN PROGRESS... INCOMPLETE </i></span></b>
</div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-32151487872572296512012-06-27T01:13:00.000-07:002015-06-26T22:54:32.106-07:00Some Rarely Seen Images Of The Vietnam War<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-luM8kXF4bvo/T-q41fqcb3I/AAAAAAAAJZs/83vtNh6RsU0/s1600/North-vietnam-POW-camp-1967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="598" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-luM8kXF4bvo/T-q41fqcb3I/AAAAAAAAJZs/83vtNh6RsU0/s640/North-vietnam-POW-camp-1967.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>October 1967. North Vietnam. A POW camp. See the American soldiers washing in the background as a NVA man guards them?</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WhdWSYROWKI/T-q6kYneCgI/AAAAAAAAJZ0/PoWxR1aJZdI/s1600/North-vietnam-women-fighters-sow-paddy-fields.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="560" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WhdWSYROWKI/T-q6kYneCgI/AAAAAAAAJZ0/PoWxR1aJZdI/s640/North-vietnam-women-fighters-sow-paddy-fields.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Cheerful North Vietnamese women cultivating paddy with guns slung around their shoulders. October 1967. And the Americans were fighting such motivated people.....</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hIdzpwk7dt8/T-q83YyUAoI/AAAAAAAAJZ8/u9ZhTBq5juI/s1600/Tired-american-soldiers-dak-to-1967-vietnam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="592" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hIdzpwk7dt8/T-q83YyUAoI/AAAAAAAAJZ8/u9ZhTBq5juI/s640/Tired-american-soldiers-dak-to-1967-vietnam.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Weary American soldiers rest during the Battle of Dak To. November 1967. America was tired and sick of Vietnam.</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qYAEzVwJ9H0/T-q962cuBXI/AAAAAAAAJaE/xxcVw5hkmkk/s1600/fighting-for-Hyue-February-1968-vietnam-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="604" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qYAEzVwJ9H0/T-q962cuBXI/AAAAAAAAJaE/xxcVw5hkmkk/s640/fighting-for-Hyue-February-1968-vietnam-war.jpg" width="640" /></a><b>February 1968. Battle of Hue. An American marine fires</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FgDZWobECwY/T-q-u_RxmJI/AAAAAAAAJaM/6Cv3LMdJvJY/s1600/vietnam-war-south-vietnam-1968.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FgDZWobECwY/T-q-u_RxmJI/AAAAAAAAJaM/6Cv3LMdJvJY/s640/vietnam-war-south-vietnam-1968.jpg" width="496" /></a></div>
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<b>February 1968. Battle of Hue. American soldier in action in the door-to-door fighting</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H8fwoARoPnw/T-q__5IJVoI/AAAAAAAAJaU/3LTZIhsvvBI/s1600/American-and-South-vietnamese-POW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H8fwoARoPnw/T-q__5IJVoI/AAAAAAAAJaU/3LTZIhsvvBI/s640/American-and-South-vietnamese-POW.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>American and South Vietnamese POW</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gPa0qiFOhbg/T-rASTxmySI/AAAAAAAAJac/tF2E3nwQBNU/s1600/Shau-valley-south-Vietnam-1969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gPa0qiFOhbg/T-rASTxmySI/AAAAAAAAJac/tF2E3nwQBNU/s640/Shau-valley-south-Vietnam-1969.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>1969. Shau Valley. Men from the 101st Airborne in action</b></div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-71466373314889288592012-06-24T00:21:00.002-07:002015-07-27T22:21:59.694-07:00Russian-Japanese War 1904-5: IN Pictures<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kqp48oSiVeE/T-qfyZeyaAI/AAAAAAAAJYU/ys3pr36kQTc/s1600/Russian-ships-bombarded-by-japanese-port-arthur-russo-japanese-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russian ship fired Japanese guns 1904" border="0" height="442" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Kqp48oSiVeE/T-qfyZeyaAI/AAAAAAAAJYU/ys3pr36kQTc/s640/Russian-ships-bombarded-by-japanese-port-arthur-russo-japanese-war.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Russian ships fired upon by Japanese artillery at Port Arthur.</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_b7Q8NDLdC8/T-llfve6HMI/AAAAAAAAJYE/QNlZpMERTpY/s1600/Russo-japanese-war-drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russia Japan war 1904-5 painting" border="0" height="322" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_b7Q8NDLdC8/T-llfve6HMI/AAAAAAAAJYE/QNlZpMERTpY/s640/Russo-japanese-war-drawing.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;">The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5 is important because it was the first time that an Asian power had thrashed an European country. It announced the arrival of Japan as a power to reckon with.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It all began over control over Manchuria and Korea. Japan then attacked and occupied Port Arthur. To teach the Japanese a lesson the Russian Baltic Fleet made a long voyage only to have many of its ships sunk by the Japanese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Russia's defeat was complete.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fpeXvQ4dEXI/T-lkqW5zG0I/AAAAAAAAJX8/-IceKdOjhXw/s1600/RUSSO-JAPANESE-WAR.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russian cartoon" border="0" height="432" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fpeXvQ4dEXI/T-lkqW5zG0I/AAAAAAAAJX8/-IceKdOjhXw/s640/RUSSO-JAPANESE-WAR.JPG" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b style="background-color: white;">One of the over-confident pre-war Russian cartoons</b><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR: CAUSES</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, which began with the Japanese naval attack on Port Arthur, had its roots in the simultaneous determination of both Japan and Russia to develop 'spheres of influence' in the Far East, mainly at the expense of China. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Japan fought a very successful war against the crumbling Chinese Empire in 1894-95 and imposed a severe treaty. Japan demanded from China a heavy war indemnity, the island of Formosa, and Port Arthur and its hinterland. The European powers, while having no objection to the indemnity, did feel that Japan should not gain Port Arthur, for they had their own ambitions in that part of the world. Russia persuaded Germany and France to join her in applying diplomatic pressure on the Japanese, with the result that Japan was obliged to relinquish Port Arthur. Two years later Saint Petersburg forced the Chinese into leasing Port Arthur to Russia, together with the Liaotung Peninsula on which it stood. For Russia this meant the acquisition of an ice-free naval base in the Far East to supplement Vladivostok. For Japan it was a case of adding insult to injury. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"> The Boxer Rebellion of 1900 caused the European powers and Japan to send troops to China to suppress the rebels. When the fighting was over, Russian troops were occupying Manchuria. Russia promised to withdraw these forces by 1903, but failed to do so, wishing to hold Manchuria as a springboard for further expansion of her interest in the Far East. Meanwhile Japan was heavily engaged in Korea, successfully increasing her influence in that country. Russia also had interest in Korea, and although at first Russians and Japanese managed to peacefully coexist, it was not long before tensions on both sides led to hostilities. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Negotiations between the two nations began in 1901 but made little headway. Japan then strengthened her position by forming an alliance with Britain. The terms stated that if Japan went to war in the Far East, and a third power entered the fight against Japan, then Britain would come to the aide of the Japanese. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">During her negotiations with Japan, Russia did not expect the Japanese to go to war. After all, Japan was a newly emergent country, whose naval officers might have been trained in Britain and her army officers in Germany, but several of those officers had begun their careers wearing armor and brandishing swords. The Russian army was the world's most powerful, or at least that is what the Russians believed. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">But the Japanese had other ideas. Japan knew that they could not win a long war fought over a vast expanse, but they could win a short localized war.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sDIdMnZTQsY/T-lhD_j7AcI/AAAAAAAAJXc/5eNSrrkdNDw/s1600/japan-attacks+korea-1900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Korea cause war" border="0" height="422" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sDIdMnZTQsY/T-lhD_j7AcI/AAAAAAAAJXc/5eNSrrkdNDw/s640/japan-attacks+korea-1900.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The roots of the conflict. Korea. </b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GnIQfMsmLs8/T-lhGy-mAOI/AAAAAAAAJXs/hk9jCMIfBxc/s1600/russian-japanese-clash-over-manchuria-1902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russia Japan fight over Machuria" border="0" height="419" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GnIQfMsmLs8/T-lhGy-mAOI/AAAAAAAAJXs/hk9jCMIfBxc/s640/russian-japanese-clash-over-manchuria-1902.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Manchuria. </b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ichvOkQQfeE/T-lhFR_wIRI/AAAAAAAAJXk/I64O7ihB-to/s1600/japanese-attack-russia-cartoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Japan attacks Russia Britain tries to stop America uninterested" border="0" height="419" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ichvOkQQfeE/T-lhFR_wIRI/AAAAAAAAJXk/I64O7ihB-to/s640/japanese-attack-russia-cartoon.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>1904. Japan attacks Russia as Japan's ally Britain tries to stop it. America looks on amused</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yed6wiDpCPE/T-a4BbwnelI/AAAAAAAAJSk/xfZOGp3fcFU/s1600/General-Kuropatkin-Russian-Japanese-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" General Kuropatkin Russian Imperial Minister of War responsible defeat" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yed6wiDpCPE/T-a4BbwnelI/AAAAAAAAJSk/xfZOGp3fcFU/s640/General-Kuropatkin-Russian-Japanese-war.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The man responsible for Russia's defeat in the Russo Japanese War of 1904-5, General Kuropatkin. He was the Russian Imperial Minister of War (1898–1904) who is often held responsible for major Russian drawbacks in the Russian-Japanese War, notably the Battle of Mukden and the Battle of Liaoyang. Kuropatkin was heavily involved in the fiasco of the Russian land forces during the war. Although the rationale of his military approach was wage a war of attrition and to avoid an offensive until the Trans-Siberian Railway brought sufficient troops and materiel, his cautiousness and hesitancy markedly influenced the repeated Russian defeats. Military historians consider his indecisiveness and organizational deficiencies in directing large-scale military operations as a major element in the Russian defeat.</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wa-LRMa3k2c/T-lKanL6l5I/AAAAAAAAJW0/cbObAbhH8m8/s1600/rUSSO-JAPANESE-WAR-1904-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russia Japan China map 1904" border="0" height="411" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wa-LRMa3k2c/T-lKanL6l5I/AAAAAAAAJW0/cbObAbhH8m8/s640/rUSSO-JAPANESE-WAR-1904-5.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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RUSSO-JAPANESE WAR IN SHORT</div>
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<a href="http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/514017/Russo-Japanese-War" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/514017/Russo-Japanese-War</a>
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Russo-Japanese War, (1904–05), military conflict in which a victorious Japan forced Russia to abandon its expansionist policy in the Far East, becoming the first Asian power in modern times to defeat a European power. </div>
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The Russo-Japanese War developed out of the rivalry between Russia and Japan for dominance in Korea and Manchuria. In 1898 Russia had pressured China into granting it a lease for the strategically important port of Port Arthur (now Lü-shun), at the tip of the Liaotung Peninsula, in southern Manchuria. Russia thereby entered into occupation of the peninsula, even though, in concert with other European powers, it had forced Japan to relinquish just such a right after the latter’s decisive victory over China in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894–95. Moreover, in 1896 Russia had concluded an alliance with China against Japan and, in the process, had won rights to extend the Trans-Siberian Railroad across Chinese-held Manchuria to the Russian seaport of Vladivostok, thus gaining control of an important strip of Manchurian territory. </div>
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However, though Russia had built the Trans-Siberian Railroad (1891–1904), it still lacked the transportation facilities necessary to reinforce its limited armed forces in Manchuria with sufficient men and supplies. Japan, by contrast, had steadily expanded its army since its war with China in 1894 and by 1904 had gained a marked superiority over Russia in the number of ground troops in the Far East. </div>
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After Russia reneged in 1903 on an agreement to withdraw its troops from Manchuria, Japan decided it was time to attack.
The war began on Feb. 8, 1904, when the main Japanese fleet launched a surprise attack and siege on the Russian naval squadron at Port Arthur. In March the Japanese landed an army in Korea that quickly overran that country. In May another Japanese army landed on the Liaotung Peninsula, and on May 26 it cut off the Port Arthur garrison from the main body of Russian forces in Manchuria. The Japanese then pushed northward, and the Russian army fell back to Mukden (now Shen-yang) after losing battles at Fu-hsien (June 14) and Liao-yang (August 25), south of Mukden. </div>
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In October the Russians went back on the offensive with the help of reinforcements received via the Trans-Siberian Railroad, but their attacks proved indecisive owing to poor military leadership.
The Japanese had also settled down to a long siege of Port Arthur after several very costly general assaults on it had failed. The garrison’s military leadership proved divided, however, and on Jan. 2, 1905, in a gross act of incompetence and corruption, Port Arthur’s Russian commander surrendered the port to the Japanese without consulting his officers and with three months’ provisions and adequate supplies of ammunition still in the fortress.</div>
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The final battle of the land war was fought at Mukden in late February and early March 1905, between Russian forces totaling 330,000 men and Japanese totaling 270,000. After long and stubborn fighting and heavy casualties on both sides, the Russian commander, General A.N. Kuropatkin, broke off the fighting and withdrew his forces northward from Mukden, which fell into the hands of the Japanese. Losses in this battle were exceptionally heavy, with approximately 89,000 Russian and 71,000 Japanese casualties. </div>
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The naval Battle of Tsushima finally gave the Japanese the upper hand in the conflict. The Japanese had been unable to secure the complete command of the sea on which their land campaign depended, and the Russian squadrons at Port Arthur and Vladivostok had remained moderately active. But on May 27–29, 1905, in a battle in the Tsushima Strait, Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō’s main Japanese fleet destroyed the Russian Baltic Fleet, which, commanded by Admiral Z.P. Rozhestvensky, had sailed in October 1904 all the way from the Baltic port of Liepāja to relieve the forces at Port Arthur and at the time of the battle was trying to reach Vladivostok. </div>
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Japan was by this time financially exhausted, but its decisive naval victory at Tsushima, together with increasing internal political unrest throughout Russia, where the war had never been popular, brought the Russian government to the peace table. </div>
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President Theodore Roosevelt of the United States served as mediator at the peace conference, which was held at Portsmouth, N.H., U.S. (Aug. 9–Sept. 5, 1905). In the resulting Treaty of Portsmouth, Japan gained control of the Liaotung Peninsula (and Port Arthur) and the South Manchurian railroad (which led to Port Arthur), as well as half of Sakhalin Island. Russia agreed to evacuate southern Manchuria, which was restored to China, and Japan’s control of Korea was recognized. </div>
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Within two months of the treaty’s signing, a revolution compelled the Russian tsar Nicholas II to issue the October Manifesto, which was the equivalent of a constitutional charter.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E-pZf2bFPUc/T-a9SQaoU2I/AAAAAAAAJS0/GKy--d5Ozwc/s1600/rUSSO-jAPANESE-WAR-1904-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russia Japan war 1904-5 map" border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E-pZf2bFPUc/T-a9SQaoU2I/AAAAAAAAJS0/GKy--d5Ozwc/s640/rUSSO-jAPANESE-WAR-1904-5.jpg" title="" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A9PEfd_BK1k/T-a_mGTITOI/AAAAAAAAJS8/AiQsvTdZqRw/s1600/RUSSIAN-ARMS-CAPTURED-PORT-ARTHUR-BY-JAPANESE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A9PEfd_BK1k/T-a_mGTITOI/AAAAAAAAJS8/AiQsvTdZqRw/s640/RUSSIAN-ARMS-CAPTURED-PORT-ARTHUR-BY-JAPANESE.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Russian arms captured by the Japanese at Port Arthur</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kkbD34BFZ-o/T-gA1qpnlUI/AAAAAAAAJTM/tSzQM7KeDdM/s1600/Russo-Japanese-War-POW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russian officers Second Pacific Squadron captured" border="0" height="476" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kkbD34BFZ-o/T-gA1qpnlUI/AAAAAAAAJTM/tSzQM7KeDdM/s640/Russo-Japanese-War-POW.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Russian officers of the Second Pacific Squadron in captivity. With them are two Japanese officers (with swords).</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zjDO4BWLEAY/T-lLEzuIQ_I/AAAAAAAAJW8/nnLWUekTS6U/s1600/RUSSO-JAPANESE-WAR-1904-RUSSIANS-HANGING-CHINESE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Suspected Chinese spies hanged" border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zjDO4BWLEAY/T-lLEzuIQ_I/AAAAAAAAJW8/nnLWUekTS6U/s640/RUSSO-JAPANESE-WAR-1904-RUSSIANS-HANGING-CHINESE.jpg" title="" width="560" /></a></div>
<b> Russians hanging Chinese suspected of spying.</b><br />
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JAPANESE WERE BETTER IN THE SPYING BUSINESS<br />
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The Japanese, by contrast,employed an extensive network of spies.They were mostly Chinese, under the controlof Japanese officers disguised as Chinese;and they also included disaffected, mainly non-Russian, citizens of the Russian Empire.They supplied geographical information on all of Manchuria and adjacent areas of theRussian Far East, and the Japanese were careful to pay spies far better than the Russians did, thereby acquiring a useful number of double agents</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EWSOLh7MmB4/T-lLHI7cR7I/AAAAAAAAJXE/vnM-pNumGlw/s1600/RUSSO-JAPANESE-WAR-1904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EWSOLh7MmB4/T-lLHI7cR7I/AAAAAAAAJXE/vnM-pNumGlw/s640/RUSSO-JAPANESE-WAR-1904.jpg" width="560" /></a></div>
<b>Japanese executing Chinese suspected of spying for Russia.</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nQH2Nl7lbGo/T-gB0jqQMsI/AAAAAAAAJTU/jUAgEP-sILY/s1600/Russo-Japanese-War-Port-Arthur-Japanese-shelling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Japanese bombing Port Arthur" border="0" height="422" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nQH2Nl7lbGo/T-gB0jqQMsI/AAAAAAAAJTU/jUAgEP-sILY/s640/Russo-Japanese-War-Port-Arthur-Japanese-shelling.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Japanese shelling on Port Arthur</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_GaKJRfdSZI/T-gCdIDdXmI/AAAAAAAAJTc/5-mQ1VUysek/s1600/Damaged-armored-Russian-cruiser-Russia-Vladivostock-August-1904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_GaKJRfdSZI/T-gCdIDdXmI/AAAAAAAAJTc/5-mQ1VUysek/s640/Damaged-armored-Russian-cruiser-Russia-Vladivostock-August-1904.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Damaged armored cruiser "Russia" in Vladivostok after the battle in the Korean Strait. August 1904</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zZhXcHAd6Rg/T-gDZS3Q-BI/AAAAAAAAJTk/efJoEy_wVPc/s1600/Russo-Japanese-war-damaged-Russian-ships.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zZhXcHAd6Rg/T-gDZS3Q-BI/AAAAAAAAJTk/efJoEy_wVPc/s640/Russo-Japanese-war-damaged-Russian-ships.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Flooded Russian cruiser 'Novik'. August 10, 1904. Near Sakhalin. Novik tried to break out of Port Arthur but was hit by Japanese cruisers.</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7qAcOX_s9f4/T-gEeSnMukI/AAAAAAAAJTs/E01GX1LHOkc/s1600/Russian-sailors-Rurik-Russo-Japanese-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russian sailors Gunship Rurik" border="0" height="444" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7qAcOX_s9f4/T-gEeSnMukI/AAAAAAAAJTs/E01GX1LHOkc/s640/Russian-sailors-Rurik-Russo-Japanese-war.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Russian sailors aboard the Gunship 'Rurik'</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J8URKTrPyEk/T-gFIZGCymI/AAAAAAAAJT0/tEXlqdSOi-k/s1600/Japanese-cavalry-reconaissance-Ping-Yang-1904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-J8URKTrPyEk/T-gFIZGCymI/AAAAAAAAJT0/tEXlqdSOi-k/s640/Japanese-cavalry-reconaissance-Ping-Yang-1904.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Japanese cavalry scout around in Ping Yang in 1904</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LeFSk5SGsHU/T-gF5HTZqpI/AAAAAAAAJT8/GMltpw60yCA/s1600/Japanese-officer-with-katana-1904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LeFSk5SGsHU/T-gF5HTZqpI/AAAAAAAAJT8/GMltpw60yCA/s640/Japanese-officer-with-katana-1904.jpg" width="338" /></a></div>
<b>Japanese officer with a Katana in 1904. Historically were one of the traditionally made Japanese swords that were worn by the samurai class of feudal Japan, also commonly referred to as a "samurai sword". Modern versions of the katana are sometimes made using non-traditional materials and methods</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WMSYMckTYVs/T-gHOJsQQBI/AAAAAAAAJUE/OAg4IMPxVxk/s1600/Russian-soldiers-and-Chinese-musicians-Manchuria-1905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WMSYMckTYVs/T-gHOJsQQBI/AAAAAAAAJUE/OAg4IMPxVxk/s640/Russian-soldiers-and-Chinese-musicians-Manchuria-1905.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Russian soldiers and Chinese musicians in Manchuria in 1905</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cPuscy2uen8/T-gINZ-PTEI/AAAAAAAAJUM/C-ODWR-qAoo/s1600/Russian-officers-bridge-manchuria-1905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cPuscy2uen8/T-gINZ-PTEI/AAAAAAAAJUM/C-ODWR-qAoo/s640/Russian-officers-bridge-manchuria-1905.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Russian officers in Manchuria in 1905</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LHLZJKeA0LE/T-gI9t5alhI/AAAAAAAAJUU/Gx6BeXkD900/s1600/Russian-officers-Japanese-POW-Russo-Japanese-War.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LHLZJKeA0LE/T-gI9t5alhI/AAAAAAAAJUU/Gx6BeXkD900/s640/Russian-officers-Japanese-POW-Russo-Japanese-War.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Russian soldiers with Japanese POW</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tdAezG1CxZM/T-gJxv05JCI/AAAAAAAAJUc/ySt5ZGZzsy0/s1600/Japanese-sentries+replacing-Russian-soldiers-outer-fort-Port-Arthur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tdAezG1CxZM/T-gJxv05JCI/AAAAAAAAJUc/ySt5ZGZzsy0/s640/Japanese-sentries+replacing-Russian-soldiers-outer-fort-Port-Arthur.jpg" width="596" /></a></div>
<b>Japanese sentries replacing Russian soldiers at the outer fort at Port Arthur after Russia lost.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sgDAGnb7FKQ/T-gLOC77JxI/AAAAAAAAJUk/OJjaXK2sXdA/s1600/Russian-ships-sunk-Port-Arthur-Russo-Japanese-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sgDAGnb7FKQ/T-gLOC77JxI/AAAAAAAAJUk/OJjaXK2sXdA/s640/Russian-ships-sunk-Port-Arthur-Russo-Japanese-war.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Russian ships sunk at Port Arthur. December 1904. Seen in the picture are Russian battleship "victory" and a rank cruiser "Pallada".</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hO2NN-ir9p4/T-gMl7sdd6I/AAAAAAAAJUs/RjA2zHXG5Sk/s1600/Japanese+soldiers+bringing+ammunition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hO2NN-ir9p4/T-gMl7sdd6I/AAAAAAAAJUs/RjA2zHXG5Sk/s640/Japanese+soldiers+bringing+ammunition.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Japanese soldiers towing artillery shells</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tMzfDLIpeDo/T-gMnBm-w9I/AAAAAAAAJU0/iEFGqHujyrE/s1600/Japanese-soldiers-pulling-heavy-gun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tMzfDLIpeDo/T-gMnBm-w9I/AAAAAAAAJU0/iEFGqHujyrE/s640/Japanese-soldiers-pulling-heavy-gun.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Japanese soldiers pulling their artillery gun.</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aUzQfz9wOZw/T-gPFdoxc1I/AAAAAAAAJVE/Oy5K_66nnbY/s1600/Japanese-officers-Russo-Japanese-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aUzQfz9wOZw/T-gPFdoxc1I/AAAAAAAAJVE/Oy5K_66nnbY/s640/Japanese-officers-Russo-Japanese-war.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b> Japanese officers</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yZIMYIuLcyw/T-gPGr1d9iI/AAAAAAAAJVM/xTtSUan1sM0/s1600/Japanese-soldiers-ready-to-attack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yZIMYIuLcyw/T-gPGr1d9iI/AAAAAAAAJVM/xTtSUan1sM0/s640/Japanese-soldiers-ready-to-attack.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Japanese soldiers ready to attack</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0GdedryXGbI/T-qg1J2KUTI/AAAAAAAAJYc/bOMewSqCZuA/s1600/Japanese-guns-fire-on-port-Arthur-Russo-Japanese-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0GdedryXGbI/T-qg1J2KUTI/AAAAAAAAJYc/bOMewSqCZuA/s640/Japanese-guns-fire-on-port-Arthur-Russo-Japanese-war.jpg" width="552" /></a></div>
<b style="background-color: white;"> Japanese heavy guns fire on Port Arthur</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ga2cK4qUX_k/T-gQPAt5EeI/AAAAAAAAJVc/BrZAhyLnTBI/s1600/Russian-emperor-czar-Nicholas-with-russian-troops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ga2cK4qUX_k/T-gQPAt5EeI/AAAAAAAAJVc/BrZAhyLnTBI/s640/Russian-emperor-czar-Nicholas-with-russian-troops.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Russian Czar Nicholas with his troops</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wRbUpeMtz1U/T-gRRHuFOvI/AAAAAAAAJVk/eAmMyqb1EOE/s1600/Japanese-troops-cross-river-yalu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wRbUpeMtz1U/T-gRRHuFOvI/AAAAAAAAJVk/eAmMyqb1EOE/s640/Japanese-troops-cross-river-yalu.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b> Japanese troops cross the Yalu River</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9HmpmV3okZ8/T-gRSdhTvFI/AAAAAAAAJVs/niuQIgcM0Jw/s1600/Russia-sends-troops-to-far-east-siberian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9HmpmV3okZ8/T-gRSdhTvFI/AAAAAAAAJVs/niuQIgcM0Jw/s640/Russia-sends-troops-to-far-east-siberian.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Russia sends fresh troops from Siberia to the Far east.</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gzu0ufrLWxM/T-gStws-iUI/AAAAAAAAJV0/UXtxbQ5xryA/s1600/Funeral-japanese-soldier.fxb" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gzu0ufrLWxM/T-gStws-iUI/AAAAAAAAJV0/UXtxbQ5xryA/s640/Funeral-japanese-soldier.fxb" width="640" /></a></div>
<b> The Japanese give a proper burial to a slain Russian officer. This surprised the Russians who considered the Japanese to be barbarians</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-07Z7Gz39cic/T-qinAVQpCI/AAAAAAAAJYk/58uT4RudY7Q/s1600/russo-japanese-war-russian-gun-sanchenzy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-07Z7Gz39cic/T-qinAVQpCI/AAAAAAAAJYk/58uT4RudY7Q/s640/russo-japanese-war-russian-gun-sanchenzy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Russian gun near Sanchenzy</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gqitdZJvsmU/T-gSxUAX5HI/AAAAAAAAJWE/r3uIqHCGHEI/s1600/Funeral-of-russian-officer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gqitdZJvsmU/T-gSxUAX5HI/AAAAAAAAJWE/r3uIqHCGHEI/s640/Funeral-of-russian-officer.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Burial ceremony of a dead Russian officer</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pcnyTf1hZFs/T-qogosBOiI/AAAAAAAAJZE/2cnqIqsNyvg/s1600/rUSSO_jAPANESE_WAR_Japanese_General_Kuroki_and_his_Chief_of_Staff_Shigeta_Fujii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pcnyTf1hZFs/T-qogosBOiI/AAAAAAAAJZE/2cnqIqsNyvg/s640/rUSSO_jAPANESE_WAR_Japanese_General_Kuroki_and_his_Chief_of_Staff_Shigeta_Fujii.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Battle of Liaoyang. Japanese general Kuroki and his chief of staff Shigeta Fujii</b><br />
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WHO WAS KUROKI?<br />
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Count Tamemoto Kuroki was a general in the Imperial Japanese Army. He was the head of the Japanese First Army during the Russo-Japanese War; and his forces enjoyed a series of successes during the Manchurian fighting at the Battle of Yalu River, the Battle of Liaoyang, the Battle of Shaho and the Battle of Mukden.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pX2F5veVTUk/T-gViREHyyI/AAAAAAAAJWk/uGs-FdQnTJA/s1600/Russian-pow-wait-for-a-train.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pX2F5veVTUk/T-gViREHyyI/AAAAAAAAJWk/uGs-FdQnTJA/s1600/Russian-pow-wait-for-a-train.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b> Russian POW wait for a train</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HtuItIBkbXc/T-gVLaTRYzI/AAAAAAAAJWU/9J9ed970gJI/s1600/Russian-soldiers-cross-a-river-with-a-gas-balloon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HtuItIBkbXc/T-gVLaTRYzI/AAAAAAAAJWU/9J9ed970gJI/s640/Russian-soldiers-cross-a-river-with-a-gas-balloon.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b> Russian soldiers cross a river with a gas balloon</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3xU31raH4QQ/T-qlr_I41zI/AAAAAAAAJY0/hiTbR40qHhY/s1600/Japanese_Army_Landing_on_the_Liaodong_Peninsula_HISTORYIMAGES.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3xU31raH4QQ/T-qlr_I41zI/AAAAAAAAJY0/hiTbR40qHhY/s640/Japanese_Army_Landing_on_the_Liaodong_Peninsula_HISTORYIMAGES.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Japanese army landing on the Liaodong Peninsula</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wUwcg4LCZtU/T-qv9lUDb0I/AAAAAAAAJZc/jVcEtn2Jjzw/s1600/Russo-Japanese-War-battle-of-Tsushima.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wUwcg4LCZtU/T-qv9lUDb0I/AAAAAAAAJZc/jVcEtn2Jjzw/s640/Russo-Japanese-War-battle-of-Tsushima.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Battle Of Tsushima. The Russian nightmare.</b><br />
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BATTLE OF TSUSHIMA: BUNGLING BY A DYING ROTTEN REGIME<br />
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Seldom has there been so crushing and absolute a military victory. Of the 38 warships and ten auxiliaries that had set out from the Baltic in October, only three made it to Vladivostok; four out of the five new Russian capital ships were sunk; in all 22 Russian ships were sunk and seven surrendered. 4,830 Russians were killed and about 6,000 taken prisoner; 1,862 were interned in neutral ports and a further 1,227 made it to Vladivostok or returned to Madagascar. The Japanese lost three torpedo boats; their 'butcher's bill' came to 116 killed and 538 wounded. </div>
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The lopsided victory at Tsushima was looked upon as, in part, a victory for British naval technology, although the brilliant tactics of Adm. Togo and the superior discipline and gunnery of his command deserve most of the credit. They stood in sharp contrast to the bungling Russians. For in all respects -- from the hare-brained inspiration of the Tsar to the hapless leadership of his court-favorite commander; from the slapdash shipbuilding to the safety short-cuts in the service; from the diplomatic bungling to the hallucinations that passed for intelligence -- the catastrophic voyage to Tsushima was one great bundle of Russian cock-ups, from top to bottom. This bungling reflected a rotten regime on its last legs: self-absorbed, corrupt, and thoroughly out of touch with reality. </div>
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Coming almost exactly 100 years after Nelson's Battle of Trafalgar, Tsushima was, like Trafalgar, a decisive victory accomplished against a nominally superior force.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-unpqftHPSEs/T-gVMslfp-I/AAAAAAAAJWc/03rS73qRxk8/s1600/russian-general-Stoessel-Japanese-general-Nogi-after-surrender-port-arthur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="504" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-unpqftHPSEs/T-gVMslfp-I/AAAAAAAAJWc/03rS73qRxk8/s640/russian-general-Stoessel-Japanese-general-Nogi-after-surrender-port-arthur.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Russian general Stoessel with his officers with Japanese general Nogi after the surrender at Port Arthur. Stoessel was in charge of the defense of Port Arthur.</b><br />
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DISASTER AT TSHUSHIMA<br />
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<span class="text" style="background-color: white; color: #4a1800; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif;">In October 1904, Russia's Baltic Fleet, now renamed the Second Pacific Squadron, was preparing to set out on its long and difficult journey to reinforce the embattled Russian naval forces at Port Arthur.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The difficulties facing Rear Admiral Zinovi Petrovitch Rozhdestvenski were unprecedented. Coal-fired warships were not designed for 18,000-mile journeys without the benefit of extensive dockyard facilities along the way. Their reciprocating engines pounded themselves to pieces over long periods of time, unless run at their slowest speeds, and were prone to breakdowns. Their steam boilers needed frequent cleaning that made the heat of the tropics, especially for the Russian crewman, an unbearable hell.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Raw crews, many of whom had never sailed before and who felt that the war was already lost, manned the ships. Others were plotting revolution. There was a shortage of engineers forcing the commandeering of many from private shipping firms. Most of the Baltic Fleet was made up of men whose love of home was stronger than their sense of duty. Gunnery and ship handling were things of mystery. Nothing went right during two weeks of practice. Ships collided with each other, and the gunners seemed hopeless. Rozhdestvenski's optimism was fading.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Coaling for the long voyage would be another problem. Coal had been declared contraband, something the Japanese government had foreseen and prepared for before the war. For years the Japanese had been purchasing large quantities of the practically smokeless Cardiff Coal. The Russians were not.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Japan's ally, Britain, would not sell Russia even a pound of her fine Welsh coal. Anxious to keep Russia in the war, for as long as possible, Kaiser Wilhelm II eventually agreed to help. With German bases few and far between on the route to the Far East, he arranged for a fleet of sixty colliers of the Hamburg-Amerika Line to supply coal between Libau in the Baltic and Port Arthur. Where there were no friendly or neutral ports, the coal would be loaded at sea directly from the colliers.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">On 15 October 1904, the Second Pacific Squadron finally set sail from the Baltic and headed toward their comrades at Port Arthur, it would be May 1905 before they finally arrived.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">After nearly superhuman effort and an unprecedented voyage of 18,000 miles around the world from the Baltic, the now Vice Admiral Zinovi Petrovitch Rozhdestvenski, by May 1905 was steaming through the South China Sea. The Third Pacific Squadron, under the command of Rear Admiral Nikolai Nebogatov, had joined Rozhdestvenski's fleet that month. The reinforcement sent by St. Petersburg was actually more of a hindrance than help. Nebogatov's ships were old, built in the 1880s, and only one of them could be classed a battleship. The rest were coastal defense ships that would slow the progress of the fleet.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">With Port Arthur now in Japanese hands the only remaining Russian port in the region was Vladivostok. There were three possible routes that Rozhdestvenski could take, all through relatively narrow straits. The first two, La Perouse and Tsugaru, were at the northern end of the Japanese home islands. A voyage through them meant steaming up the east coast of Japan, and would require another coaling at sea, all the while vulnerable to attack. The third alternative, the Tsushima Strait, would lead his fleet through the heart of the Japanese controlled seas. With the condition of his fleet and the need to make Vladivostok before his coal was gone, Rozhdestvenski made the only choice he could. Tsushima Strait would have to be his chosen route.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Through the night of 26-27 May, the Russian fleet, steaming at 9 knots finally began to penetrate the Tsushima Straits. Admiral Rozhdestvenski's fleet, steaming with lights dimmed, pushed deeply into the straits and passed through the Japanese outer patrol line. Unfortunately for the Russians the hospital ship Orel, stationed several miles to the rear of the fleet, was lit up like a Christmas tree in observance of international law. Shinano Maru, one of the Japanese auxiliary cruisers that had been out on the outer patrol line was returning to her day station when she sighted Orel. Captain Morikawa, commander of Shinano Maru, correctly identified the Russian vessel and after radioing his report, "Enemy's smoke in sight", at 0445 hrs dashed off to the north in pursuit of the now visible Russian fleet.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Shortly after 0630 hrs Mikasa joined the fleet in Douglas Inlet having left Sylvia Basin upon receipt of the sighting report. A few minutes later a report came in from Idzumi, which had been shadowing the Russians since dawn. The Russians were heading for the Eastern Channel. Togo led his ships to sea, heading round to the north of Tsushima Island and then southeast toward Okinoshima, the place where nearly a year ago the Russians had sunk the Japanese military transports. Togo wanted to intercept the Russians at this spot where the spirits of the unburied Japanese dead would inspire his men to fire with a vengeance.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">At around 0950 hrs Admiral Kataoka leading the Fifth Division, who had been steaming in search of the Russian fleet, could dimly make out in the mist what seemed to be over a dozen ships in two lines ahead. Gradually closing to five miles he kept a parallel course on their port bow, followed by Rear Admiral Togo leading the Sixth Division. By 1015 hrs Admiral Kataoka realized that he was in the presence of the Russian main body, he hoisted his battle flags and proceeded to lead the enemy toward Admiral Togo's battle line.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">When Admiral Dewa leading the Third Division arrived at around 1114 hrs, he closed the range to the Russians to such an extent that Rozhdestvenski, who had earlier formed his fleet into a single line of battle, split his First Division off in a failed attempt to ward off what he assumed was an attack. Rozhdestvenski had attempted to take his First Division to starboard of the main line and form line abreast in order to confront head-on the Japanese cruisers coming in from his port bow. Poor ship handling or missed signals threw his division into disarray and stymied his plan forcing his division to now race to get back into position ahead of the rest. While this was happening other Russian ships opened fire on Dewa's cruisers. Dewa turned to port and pulled ahead of the Russians, disappearing into the mist.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">At 1247 hrs Admiral Togo was about 10 miles to the northwest of Okinoshima. Having never been informed that Rozhdestvenski had at one point formed his fleet into single line ahead, Togo was acting under the false presumption that if he now turned west and then south he would be able to engage the Russian fleet's weaker port column. It was purely owing to the Russians poor seamanship that when the two fleets engaged they were still in two columns, as Togo believed. Togo also believed that the Russians were further to the east and that they should appear before him off his port bow. Then at 1339 hrs with the mist clearing the enemy fleet came into sight, only they were to the southwest off his starboard bow.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Admiral Togo may have been surprised by the Russian's position, but he quickly reacted. Togo ordered his ships to starboard and crossed the Russian's path as if to attack the port column, which his scouts had reported to be the weaker of the two, on an opposite course.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Then to the amazement of the Russian commanders and sailors alike, Togo led his fleet in a great U-turn, coming up on a parallel course with the Russians on their port side. The following account is by Vladimir Semenoff, taken from his book "The Battle of Tsushima":</span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "Now The Fun Will Begin," Thought I To Myself, Going Up To The After-Bridge, Which Seemed To Be The Most Convenient Place For Carrying Out My Duty Of Seeing And Noting Down Everything, As From There I Could See Both The Enemy And Our Own Fleet. Lieutenant Reydkin, Commanding The After Starboard 6-Inch Turret, Was Also There, Having Dashed Up To See What Was Going On, As The Fight Was Apparently To Commence To Port, And His Turret Would Not Be In Action.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> We Stood Side By Side, Exchanging Now And Again Abrupt Remarks, Not Understanding Why The Japanese Intended Crossing To Our Port Side, When Our Weak Spot-The Transports And Cruisers Covering Them-Was Astern, And To Starboard Of Us. Perhaps, Having Commenced The Fight While Steering On The Opposite Course, And Having Taken Advantage Of Their Superior Speed, They Calculated On Rounding Us From The Stern, In Order To Fall At The Same Time On Our Transports And Weak Rear! If So, A Raking Fire Would Present No Difficulties.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "Hullo! Look! What Are They Up To?" Said Reydkin, And His Voice Betrayed Both Delight And Amazement.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> I Looked And Looked, And, Not Believing My Eyes, Could Not Put Down My Glasses. The Japanese Ships Had Suddenly Commenced To Turn "In Succession" To Port, Reversing Their Course!</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> If The Reader Recollects What Has Been Said Previously On The Subject Of Turns, He Will Easily Understand That This Maneuver Made It Necessary For All The Enemy's Ships To Pass In Succession Over The Point On Which The Leading Ship Had Turned; This Point Was, So To Speak, Stationary On The Water, Making It Easy For Us To Range And Aim. Besides -Even With A Speed Of 15 Knots, The Maneuver Must Take About Fifteen Minutes To Complete, And All This Time The Vessels, Which Had Already Turned, Would Mask The Fire Of Those Which Were Still Coming Up.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "How Rash!" Said Reydkin, Who Could Not Keep Quiet. "Why, In A Minute We'll Be Able To Roll Up The Leading Ships!"</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "Please God, We May!" Thought I.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> It Was Plain To Me That Togo, Seeing Something Which He Had Not Expected, Had Suddenly Changed His Mind. The Maneuver Was Undoubtedly Risky, But, On The Other Hand, If He Found It Necessary To Steer On The Opposite Course, There Was No Other Way Of Doing It. He Might Have Ordered The Fleet To Turn "Together," But This Would Have Made The Cruiser Iwate The Leading Ship In Action, Which He Evidently Did Not Wish. Togo Accordingly Decided To Turn "In Succession," In Order That He Should Lead The Fleet In Person, And Not Leave Success At The Commencement Of The Action To Depend Upon The Presence Of Mind And Enterprise Of The Junior Flag-Officer. (The Iwate Flew Rear-Admiral Shimamura's Flag.)</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> My Heart Beat Furiously, As It Had Never Done Before During The Six Months At Port Arthur. If We Succeeded! God Grant It! Even Though We Didn't Sink One Of Them, If We Could Only Put One Out Of Action! The First Success- Was It Possible?</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> Meanwhile Rozhdestvenski Hastened To Avail Himself Of This Favorable Opportunity.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> At 1.49 P.M., When The Maneuver Had Been Performed By The Mikasa And Shikishima (Two Only Out Of The Twelve), The Suvorov Fired The First Shot At A Range Of 6,400 Yards, And The Guns Of The Whole Fleet Thundered Forth. I Watched Closely Through My Glasses. The Shots Which Went Over And Those Which Fell Short Were All Close, But The Most Interesting, I.E. The Hits, As In The Fight Of 10th August, Could Not Be Seen. Our Shells On Bursting Emitted Scarcely Any Smoke, And The Fuses Were Adjusted To Burst Inside After Penetrating The Target. A Hit Could Only Be Detected When Something Fell - And Nothing Fell! In A Couple Of Minutes, When The Fuji And Asahi Had Turned Also And Were Following The First Ships, The Enemy Began To Reply.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> The First Shells Flew Over Us. At This Range Some Of The Long Ones Turned A Complete Somersault, And Could Clearly Be Seen With The Naked Eye Curving Like So Many Sticks Thrown In The Air. They Flew Over Us, Making A Sort Of Wail, Different To The Ordinary Roar.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "Are Those The Portmanteaus?" Asked Reydkin, Smiling.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "Yes. Those Are They."</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> But What Struck Me Most Was That These " Portmanteaus," Curving Awkwardly Head Over Heels Through The Air And Falling Anyhow On The Water, Exploded The Moment They Touched Its Surface. This Had Never Happened Before.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> After Them Came Others Short Of Us- Nearer And Nearer. Splinters Whistled Through The Air, Jingled Against The Side And Superstructure. Then, Quite Close And Abreast The Foremost Funnel, Rose A Gigantic Pillar Of Smoke, Water And Flame. I Saw Stretchers Being Carried Along The Fore-Bridge, And I Leaned Over The Rail.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "Prince Tsereteli!" Shouted Reydkin From Below, In Reply To My Silent Question, As He Went Towards His Turret.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> The Next Shell Struck The Side By The Center 6-Inch Turret, And There Was A Tremendous Noise Behind And Below Me On The Port Quarter. Smoke And Tongues Of Fire Leapt Out Of The Officers' Gangway; A Shell Having Fallen Into The Captain's Cabin, And Having Penetrated The Deck, Had Burst In The Officers' Quarters, Setting Them On Fire.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> And Here I Was Able To Observe, And Not For The First Time, The Stupor Which Seems To Come Over Men, Who Have Never Been In Action Before, When The First Shells Begin To Fall. A Stupor Which Turns Easily And Instantaneously, At The Most Insignificant External Shock, Into Either Uncontrollable Panic Which Cannot Be Allayed, Or Into Unusually High Spirits, Depending On The Man's Character.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> The Men At The Fire Mains And Hoses Stood As If Mesmerized, Gazing At The Smoke And Flames, Not Understanding, Apparently, What Was Happening. I Went Down To Them From The Bridge, And With The Most Commonplace Words, Such As "Wake Up! Turn The Water On!"- Got Them To Pull Themselves Together And Bravely To Fight The Fire.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> I Was Taking Out My Watch And Pocket-Book To Make A Note Of The First Fire, When Something Suddenly Struck Me In The Waist, And Something Large And Soft, Though Heavy, Hit Me In The Back, Lifting Me Up And Hurling Me On To The Deck. When I Again Got Up, My Note-Book And Watch Were In My Hands As Before. My Watch Was Going; But The Second Hand Was Slightly Bent, And The Glass Had Disappeared. Stupefied By The Blow, And Not Myself, I Began Carefully To Hunt For It On The Deck, And Found It Unbroken. Picking It Up, I Fitted It In To My Watch-And, Only Then Realizing That I Had Been Occupied With Something Of No Importance, I Looked Round.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> I Had Probably Been Unconscious For Some Time, As The Fire Had Been Extinguished, And, Save For Two Or Three Dead Bodies On Which Water Was Pouring From The Torn Hoses, No One Was To Be Seen. Whatever Had Struck Me Had Come From The Direction Of The Deck House Aft, Which Was Hidden From Me By A Mantlet Of Hammocks. I Looked In The Direction Where The Flag-Officers, With A Party Of Poop Signalmen, Should Have Been. The Shell Had Passed Through The Deck House, Bursting Inside. Of The Ten Or Twelve Signalmen, Some Seemed To Be Standing By The Starboard 6-Inch Turret, Others Seemed To Be Lying In A Huddled Group. Inside Was A Pile Of Something, And On The Top Lay An Officers Telescope.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "Is This All That Is Left?" I Wondered, But I Was Wrong, As By Some Miracle Novosiltseff And Kozakevitch Were Only Wounded And, Helped By Maximoff, Had Gone To The Dressing Station, While I Was Lying On The Deck Occupied With Mending My Watch.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "Hullo! A Scene That You Are Accustomed To? Like The 10th August?" Said The Irrepressible Reydkin, Peeping Out Of His Turret.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "Just The Same" I Replied In A Confident Tone. But It Was Hardly So: Indeed, It Would Have Been More Correct To Say-"Not In The Least Like."</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> On 10th August, In A Fight Lasting Some Hours, The Tsarevich Was Struck By Only Nineteen Large Shells, And I, In All Seriousness, Had Intended In The Present Engagement To Note The Times And The Places Where We Were Hit, As Well As The Damage Done. But How Could I Make Detailed Notes When It Seemed Impossible Even To Count The Number Of Projectiles Striking Us? I Had Not Only Never Witnessed Such A Fire Before, But I Had Never Imagined Anything Like It. Shells Seemed To Be Pouring Upon Us Incessantly, One After Another.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> After Six Months With The Port Arthur Squadron I Had Grown Indifferent To Most Things. Shimose And Melinite Were To A Certain Extent Old Acquaintances, But This Was Something New. It Seemed As If These Were Mines, Not Shells, Which Were Striking The Ship's Side And Falling On The Deck. They Burst As Soon As They Touched Anything - The Moment They Encountered The Least Impediment In Their Flight. Handrails, Funnel Guys, Topping Lifts Of The Boats' Derricks, Were Quite Sufficient To Cause A Thoroughly Efficient Burst. The Steel Plates And Superstructure On The Upper Deck Were Torn To Pieces, And The Splinters Caused Many Casualties. Iron Ladders Were Crumpled Up Into Rings, And Guns Were Literally Hurled From Their Mountings.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> Such Havoc Would Never Be Caused By The Simple Impact Of A Shell, Still Less By That Of Its Splinters. It Could Only Be Caused By The Force Of The Explosion. The Japanese Had Apparently Succeeded In Realizing What The Americans Had Endeavored To Attain In Inventing Their "Vesuvium."</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> In Addition To This, There Was The Unusual High Temperature And Liquid Flame Of The Explosion, Which Seemed To Spread Over Everything. I Actually Watched A Steel Plate Catch Fire From A Burst. Of Course, The Steel Did Not Burn, But The Paint On It Did. Such Almost Non - Combustible Materials As Hammocks, And Rows Of Boxes, Drenched With Water, Flared Up In A Moment. At Times It Was Impossible To See Anything With Glasses, Owing To Every Thing Being So Distorted With The Quivering, Heated Air. No, It Was Different To The 10th August.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> I Hurriedly Went To The Admiral In The Conning Tower. Why? At The Time I Did Not Attempt To Think, But Now Feel Sure That I Merely Wished To See Him, And By Seeing Him To Confirm My Impressions. Was It All Imagination? Was It All A Nightmare? Had I Become Jumpy?</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> Running Along The Fore-Bridge I Almost Fell, Slipping In A Pool Of Blood (The Chief Signalman-Kandaooroff-- Had Just Been Killed There). I Went Into The Conning Tower, And Found The Admiral And Captain Both Bending Down, Looking Out Through The Chink Between The Armor And The Roof.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "Sir," Said The Captain, Energetically Gesticulating As Was His Wont, "We Must Shorten The Distance. They're All Being Killed-They Are On Fire!"</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "Wait A Bit. Aren't We All Being Killed Also?" Replied The Admiral.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> Close To The Wheel, And On Either Side Of It, Lay Two Bodies In Officers' Tunics-Face Downwards.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "The Officer At The Wheel, And Berseneff!" Was Shouted In My Ear By A Sub Lieutenant -Shishkin-Whose Arm I Had Touched, Pointing To The Bodies. "Berseneff First-In The Head-Quite Dead."</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> The Range-Finder Was Worked. Vladimirsky Shouted His Orders In A Clear Voice, And The Electricians Quickly Turned The Handles Of The Indicator, Transmitting The Range To The Turrets And Light Gun Batteries.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "We're All Right," Thought I To Myself, Going Out Of The Conning Tower, But The Next Moment The Thought Flashed Across Me: "They Can't See What Is Going On On Board." Leaving The Tower, I Looked Out Intently On All Sides From The Fore-Bridge. Were Not My Recent Thoughts, Which I Had Not Dared To Put Into Words, Realized?</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> No!</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> The Enemy Had Finished Turning. His Twelve Ships Were In Perfect Order At Close Intervals, Steaming Parallel To Us, But Gradually Forging Ahead. No Disorder Was Noticeable. It Seemed To Me That With My Zeiss Glasses (The Distance Was A Little More Than 4,000 Yards), I Could Even Distinguish The Mantlets Of Hammocks On The Bridges, And Groups Of Men. But With Us? I Looked Round. What Havoc! -Burning Bridges, Smoldering Debris On The Decks, -Piles Of Dead Bodies. Signaling And Judging Distance Stations, Gun-Directing Positions, All Were Destroyed. And Astern Of Us The Alexandr And Borodino Were Also Enveloped In Smoke. No , It Was Very Different To The 10th August.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> The Enemy, Steaming Ahead, Commenced Quickly To Incline To Starboard, Endeavoring To Cross Our T. We Also Bore To Starboard, And Again We Had Him Almost On Our Beam.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> It Was Now 2.5 P.M.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> A Man Came Up To Report What Had Taken Place In The After 12-Inch Turret. I Went To Look. Part Of The Shield Over The Port Gun Had Been Torn Off And Bent Upwards, But The Turret Was Still Turning And Keeping Up A Hot Fire.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> The Officer Commanding The Fire Parties Had Had Both His Legs Blown Off And Was Carried Below. Men Fell Faster And Faster. Reinforcements Were Required Everywhere To Replace Casualties, Even At The Turrets Into Which Splinters Could Only Penetrate Through The Narrow Gun Ports. The Dead Were, Of Course, Left To Lie Where They Had Fallen, But Yet There Were Not Enough Men To Look After The Wounded.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> There Are No Spare Men On Board A Warship, And A Reserve Does Not Exist. Each Man Is Detailed For Some Particular Duty, And Told Off To His Post In Action. The Only Source Which We Could Tap Was The Crews Of The 47 Millimeter, And Machine, Guns, Who From The Commencement Of The Fight Had Been Ordered To Remain Below The Armored Deck So As Not To Be Unnecessarily Exposed. Having Nothing To Do Now, As All Their Guns, Which Were In Exposed Positions On The Bridges, Had Been Utterly Destroyed, We Made Use Of Them, But They Were A Mere Drop In The Ocean. As For The Fires, Even If We Had Had The Men, We Were Without The Means With Which To Fight Them. Over And Over Again The Hoses In Use Were Changed For New Ones, But These Also Were Soon Torn To Ribbons, And The Supply Became Exhausted. Without Hoses How Could We Pump Water On To The Bridges And Spar-Deck Where The Flames Raged ? On The Spar-Deck, In Particular, Where Eleven Wooden Boats Were Piled Up, The Fire Was Taking A Firm Hold. Up Till Now, This "Store Of Wood" Had Only Caught Fire In Places, As The Water Which Had Been Poured Into The Boats Prior To The Commencement Of The Action Was Still In Them, Though It Was Fast Trickling Out Of The Numerous Cracks Momentarily Being Made By The Splinters.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> We, Of Course, Did Everything Possible: Tried To Plug The Holes, And Brought Up Water In Buckets' I Am Not Certain If The Scuppers Had Been Closed On Purpose, Or Had Merely Become Blocked, But Practically None Of The Water We Used For The Fire Ran Overboard, And It Lay, Instead, On The Upper Deck. This Was Fortunate, As, In The First Place, The Deck Itself Did Not Catch Fire, And, In The Second, We Threw Into It The Smoldering Debris Falling From Above-Merely Separating The Burning Pieces And Turning Them Over.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> Seeing Flag Sub-Lieutenant Demchinsky Standing By The Ladder Of The Fore-Bridge, With A Party Of Forecastle Signalmen Near The Starboard Forward 6-Inch Turret, I Went Up To Him. Golovnin, Another Sub-Lieutenant, Who Was In Charge Of The Turret, Gave Us Some Cold Tea To Drink, Which He Had Stored In Bottles. It Seems A Trifle, But It Cheered Us Up.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> Demchinsky Told Me That The First Shell Striking The Ship Had Fallen Right Into The Temporary Dressing Station, Rigged Up By The Doctor In What Seemed The Most Sheltered Spot On The Upper Battery (Between The Center 6-Inch Turrets By The Ship's Ikon). He Said That It Had Caused A Number Of Casualties; That The Doctor Somehow Escaped, But The Ship's Chaplain Had Been Dangerously Wounded. I Went There To Have A Look At The Place.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> The Ship's Ikon Or, More Properly Speaking, Ikons As There Were Several Of Them, All Farewell Gifts To The Ship, Were Untouched. The Glass Of The Big Ikon Case Had Not Even Been Broken, And In Front Of It, On Hanging Candlesticks, Candles Were Peacefully Burning. There Wasn't A Soul To Be Seen. Between The Wrecked Tables, Stools, Broken Bottles, And Different Hospital Appliances Were Some Dead Bodies, And A Mass Of Something, Which, With Difficulty, I Guessed To Be The Remains Of What Had Once Been Men.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> I Had Not Had Time Properly To Take In This Scene Of Destruction When Demchinsky Came Down The Ladder, Supporting Flag Lieutenant Sverbeyeff, Who Could Scarcely Stand.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> He Was Gasping For Breath, And Asked For Water. Ladling Some Out Of A Bucket Into A Mess Kettle, I Gave Him Some, And, As He Was Unable To Use His Arms, We Had To Help Him. He Drank Greedily, Jerking Out A Few Words - " It's A Trifle -Tell The Flag Captain-I'll Come Immediately-I Am Suffocated With These Cursed Gases-I'll Get My Breath In A Minute." He Inhaled The Air With A Great Effort Through His Blue Lips, And Something Seemed To Rattle In His Throat And Chest, Though Not, Of Course, The Poisonous Gases. On The Right Side Of His Back His Coat Was Torn In A Great Rent, And His Wound Was Bleeding Badly. Demchinsky Told Off A Couple Of Men To Take Him Down To The Hospital, And We Again Went On Deck.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> I Crossed Over To The Port Side, Between The Forward 12-Inch And 6-Inch Turrets, To Have A Look At The Enemy's Fleet. It Was All There, Just The Same-No Fires -No Heeling Over-No Fallen Bridges, As If It Had Been At Drill Instead Of Fighting, And As If Our Guns, Which Had Been Thundering Incessantly For The Last Half-Hour, Had Been Firing-Not Shells, But The Devil Alone Knows What!</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> Feeling Almost In Despair, I Put Down My Glasses And Went Aft.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "The Last Of The Halyards Are Burned," Said Demchinsky To Me. "I Think I Shall Take My Men Somewhere Under Cover." Of Course, I Fully Agreed. What Was The Use Of The Signalmen Remaining Under Fire When Nothing Was Left For Them To Signal With!</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> It Was Now 2.20 P.M.</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> Making My Way Aft Through The Debris, I Met Reydkin Hurrying To The Forecastle. "We Can't Fire From The Port Quarter," He Said Excitedly; "Everything Is On Fire There, And The Men Are Suffocated With Heat And Smoke."</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "Well! Come On, Let's Get Some One To Put The Fire Out."</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "I'll Do That, But You Report To The Admiral. Perhaps He Will Give Us Some Orders."</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "What Orders Can He Give?"</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "He May Alter The Course. I Don't Know!"</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "What! Leave The Line? Is It Likely?"</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> "Well! Anyway, You Tell Him."</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> In Order To Quiet Him, I Promised To Report At Once, And We Separated, Going Our Ways. As I Anticipated, The Admiral Only Shrugged His Shoulders On Hearing My Report And Said, "They Must Put The Fire Out. No Help Can Be Sent From Here."</span></span></div>
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<span class="subheader" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; text-transform: capitalize;"><span class="subheader" style="background-color: white;"> Instead Of Two Dead Bodies, Five Or Six Were Now Lying In The Conning Tower. The Man At The Wheel Having Been Incapacitated, Vladimirsky Had Taken His Place. His Face Was Covered With Blood, But His Moustache Was Smartly Twisted Upwards, And He Wore The Same Self-Confident Look As He Had In The Wardroom When Discussing "The Future Of Gunnery."</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Within the hour, the battle was decided. Four Russian battleships were put out of commission by the concentrated fire of Admirals Togo and Kamimura's divisions. The Russian ships scattered, and the battle quickly degenerated into a melee. The shelling continued till 1920 hrs, when Admiral Togo ordered his flotillas to finish off the rest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>4 February</b> Japan severs diplomatic relations with Russia. <b>8-9 February</b> Surprise night attack by Japanese destroyers at Port Arthur. Japanese attack two Russian warships at Chemulpo (Inchon), Korea.<b>10 February</b> Japan declares war. <b>12 February</b> Japanese 12th Division lands at Chemulpo. <b>24 February</b> First Japanese attempt to block Port Arthur harbour entrance.<b> 6 March</b> Admiral Kamimura bombards Vladivostok. <b>12 March</b> General Kuropatkin,Russian Commander-in-Chief, leaves St. Petersburg. <b>27 March</b> Second Japanese attempt to block Port Arthur harbour entrance. 13 April Battleship Petropavlovsk sunk by mine. Admiral Makarov killed.Lead units of Japanese First Army reach Yalu river. <b>25 April</b> Battle of Yalu river begins. <b>27 April</b> Third attempt to block Port Arthur harbour. <b>2 May</b> Battle of Yalu river ends.Russians retreat. <b>5 May</b> Japanese Second Army lands on Liaotung Peninsula. <b>16 May</b> Japanese battleships Hatsuse and Yashima sunk by mines. Cruiser Yoshino sunk after collision in fog. <u><b>25/26 May</b></u> Battle of Nanshan.Russians retreat; Japanese take Dalny and isolate Port Arthur. <u><b>14/15 June</b></u> Battle of Te-li-Ssu (South Manchuria). Russians retreat north. <u><b>15 June</b></u> Russian cruiser Gromoboi sinks two Japanese transports.<u><b>3 and 17 July</b></u> Unsuccessful Russian attempts to retake Mo-tien Pass. <u><b>26-30 July</b></u> Japanese begin close siege of Port Arthur. <u><b>31 July </b></u>'Battle of 31st July'. Superior Russian force retreats before Japanese First Army. <u><b>10 August</b></u> Russian Port Arthur squadron attempts to break through to Vladivostok. Defeated in battle of the Yellow Sea. Most return to Port Arthur, the rest to internment. <u><b>14 August</b></u> Battle between cruisers in Korean Straits. Russian Rurik sunk. <u><b>19-24 August</b></u> Unsuccessful Japanese attempts to storm Port Arthur defences. <u><b>26 August</b></u> Battle of Liaoyang begins. <u><b>3 September</b></u> Battle of Liaoyang ends.Russians retreat north. <u><b>20/21 September</b></u> Japanese capture Namako Yama and, temporarily, 203-Metre Hill at Port Arthur. <u><b>26 September</b></u> Russian supply problems eased by opening of railway round Lake Baikal. <u><b>11 October</b></u> Russians launch counteroffensive. Battle of Sha-Hobegins. <u><b>15 October</b></u> Russian 2nd Pacific Squadron begins voyage from Baltic port of Libava. <u><b>17 October</b></u> Battle of Sha-Ho ends.Russians abandon counteroffensive and retreat north. <u><b>21 October</b></u> 2nd Pacific Squadron fires on Hull trawlers at Dogger Bank and sinks one. <u><b>16 November</b></u> Japanese at Port Arthur reinforced by 7th Division. <u><b>26 November </b></u>Unsuccessful Japanese assault on two Port Arthur forts. <u><b>30 November</b></u> Japanese take 203-Metre Hill overlooking Port Arthur harbour. <b style="background-color: white;"><u>6 December</u></b><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Japanese capture Vysokaya ('High')/Akasa Yama Hill at Port Arthur.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><b><u>18-31 December</u></b></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">Japanese take three major Port Arthur forts. Russians request surrender terms. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: left;"><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">2 January</span></b> Port Arthur surrenders. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>11/12 January</b></span> Unsuccessful raid behind Japanese lines by General Mishchenko's Cossacks.<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b> 25-29 January</b></span> Unsuccessful Russian counteroffensive at battle of San-de-pu/Hei-kou-tai. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>19 February</b></span> Preliminary skirmishes of Battle of Mukden. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>23 February </b></span>Main battle begins with attacks by Japanese Yalu army.<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b> 7 March</b></span> Kuropatkin orders general retreat. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>10 March</b></span> Battle of Mukden ends with heavy losses on both sides. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>17 March</b></span> Kuropatkin replaced by Linevich in First Manchurian Army. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>20 March</b></span> US President Theodore Roosevelt offers to mediate. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>28 March</b></span> General Kodama returns to Tokyo to recommend ending the war. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>8 April</b></span> Russian 2nd Pacific Squadron passes Singapore. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>21 April </b></span>Japanese cabinet decides what to demand at peace negotiations. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>5 May</b></span> Russian 3rd Pacific Squadron passes Singapore.<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b> 9 May</b></span> Final skirmishes on Manchurian front. Russians repulsed. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>27/28 May</b></span> Battle of Tsushima. Russian 2nd and 3rd Pacific Squadrons sunk, scuttled, captured or flee to internment in China and the Philippines. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>6 June</b></span> Tsar decides Russia's position at peace talks and orders reinforcements to Manchuria.<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b> 9 June</b></span> US offer of mediation made public. Japan accepts on <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>10 June</b></span>,Russia on 12 June. <span style="color: #990000;"><b>8 June </b></span>Japanese invade Sakhalin Island.<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b> 9 August</b></span> Peace negotiations begin in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, US. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>29 August</b></span> Final session of peace conference. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>5 September</b></span> Treaty of Portsmouth signed. Japan gains South Sakhalin and Liaotung Peninsula, but no financial indemnity</span></div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-3578753087469517542012-06-20T01:04:00.002-07:002015-07-27T22:44:18.407-07:00Initial Days Of Barbarossa: Germans In Russia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Barbarossa. The German foray into Russia in 1941. There are many many images available about it. I have tried to show here only very rarely seen pictures of the early days of the German invasion of Soviet Union.
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oZWknDJTDcI/T-F-E1ueRrI/AAAAAAAAJNc/haWuKDQaDjE/s1600/june-22-Barbarossa-German-soldiers-cross-border-into-Soviet-Union.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oZWknDJTDcI/T-F-E1ueRrI/AAAAAAAAJNc/haWuKDQaDjE/s640/june-22-Barbarossa-German-soldiers-cross-border-into-Soviet-Union.jpg" title="June 22 1941 German troops cross border into Soviet Union" width="478" /></a></div>
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<b>German troops cross the border and walk into Soviet Russia. An event that would have calamitous consequences for Germany four years later.</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bx1BVDN4M0w/T-F-RcUrTtI/AAAAAAAAJNk/CQ2EXD44wG0/s1600/CAPTURED-t-34-TANK-GERMAN-SOLDIERS-RUSSIA-WW2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Germans with captured T 34 tank best ww2" border="0" height="412" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bx1BVDN4M0w/T-F-RcUrTtI/AAAAAAAAJNk/CQ2EXD44wG0/s640/CAPTURED-t-34-TANK-GERMAN-SOLDIERS-RUSSIA-WW2.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>German soldiers inspect an abandoned Russian T-34 tank. The tank proved to be best amongst all tanks used during WW2. In the background a German convoy moves inexorably into Russia.</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--aez1z8BOMI/T-F-SRf_7bI/AAAAAAAAJNs/sx6XzFq4yNU/s1600/German-soldiers-drink-water-Ukrainian-women-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--aez1z8BOMI/T-F-SRf_7bI/AAAAAAAAJNs/sx6XzFq4yNU/s640/German-soldiers-drink-water-Ukrainian-women-ww2.jpg" width="490" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Ukrainian women give German soldiers water to drink. Initially the German were welcomed in Ukraine. They were sick of Stalin's brutal ways. But when the bad boys from the Einsatzgruppen came in the wake of the Wehrmacht it began to dawn on the people there that the Germans were worse; they turned against them.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LGfTzUuqsDo/T-F-VNUINbI/AAAAAAAAJN0/YCmFLkEi5Fs/s1600/June-20-1941-Soviet-border-guards-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LGfTzUuqsDo/T-F-VNUINbI/AAAAAAAAJN0/YCmFLkEi5Fs/s640/June-20-1941-Soviet-border-guards-ww2.jpg" width="502" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">June 20, 1941. Russian border guards were blissfully unaware about the tidal wave that was to burst through two days later.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VXplXp_HTBI/T-F-WrCKtvI/AAAAAAAAJN8/ddpKArDhJ1U/s1600/SS-soldiers-walk-past-a-destroeyd-soviet-armored-car-russia-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="338" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VXplXp_HTBI/T-F-WrCKtvI/AAAAAAAAJN8/ddpKArDhJ1U/s640/SS-soldiers-walk-past-a-destroeyd-soviet-armored-car-russia-1941.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Waffen SS men saunter along as a Soviet armored car burns.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LfiKsQOXlio/T-F-YRYhClI/AAAAAAAAJOE/zsklX4FtE8I/s1600/Soviet-sniper-Sidorov-Russia-Barbarossa-Eastern-Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LfiKsQOXlio/T-F-YRYhClI/AAAAAAAAJOE/zsklX4FtE8I/s640/Soviet-sniper-Sidorov-Russia-Barbarossa-Eastern-Front.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Russian sniper V A Sidorov takes position to pick a German victim in August 1941. He is armed with a Mosin rifle. Soviet snipers became legends during the war and they got special treatment.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vZXYYhlDe9U/T-F-anYJ4WI/AAAAAAAAJOM/sPlqVLC2LMw/s1600/Waffen-SS-Totenkopf-medic-assists-soldier-July-1941-Russia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vZXYYhlDe9U/T-F-anYJ4WI/AAAAAAAAJOM/sPlqVLC2LMw/s640/Waffen-SS-Totenkopf-medic-assists-soldier-July-1941-Russia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">A Waffen SS medic treats a German soldier.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vn-vMRRfj9c/T-F-cWv3HGI/AAAAAAAAJOU/RRn7kLKhKdo/s1600/soviet-convoy-destroyed-by-German-warplanes-Barbarossa-1941-ww2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="524" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vn-vMRRfj9c/T-F-cWv3HGI/AAAAAAAAJOU/RRn7kLKhKdo/s640/soviet-convoy-destroyed-by-German-warplanes-Barbarossa-1941-ww2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">This is what remained of a Soviet convoy after German dive bombers were done with them.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jwQdX8WTaTI/T-F-dZUuBUI/AAAAAAAAJOc/7hqZb0rdtm0/s1600/waffen-SS-soldiers-Ukraininian-village-July-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jwQdX8WTaTI/T-F-dZUuBUI/AAAAAAAAJOc/7hqZb0rdtm0/s640/waffen-SS-soldiers-Ukraininian-village-July-1941.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Waffen SS soldiers walk through a Ukrainian village. A Soviet artillery tractor lies broken.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RUPuvONZqgU/T-K5REkFsCI/AAAAAAAAJOs/ZoSIsaN4wZQ/s1600/german-soldiers-russia-eastern-front-village-mortar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="514" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RUPuvONZqgU/T-K5REkFsCI/AAAAAAAAJOs/ZoSIsaN4wZQ/s640/german-soldiers-russia-eastern-front-village-mortar.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">German soldiers in action with a mortar in an Russian village</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lSwMRrP2EGI/T-K7L2KoqNI/AAAAAAAAJO0/EtlkKY-ifDo/s1600/german-soldiers-march-grodny-june-22-23-Byelorussia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="506" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lSwMRrP2EGI/T-K7L2KoqNI/AAAAAAAAJO0/EtlkKY-ifDo/s640/german-soldiers-march-grodny-june-22-23-Byelorussia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Germans march through the streets of Grodno, Belarus on June 23, 1941.</b></td></tr>
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<b>ATTACK ON GRODNO</b><br />
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In the darkness of the night of June 23, 1941 an infernal fire from the heavens suddenly rocked Grodno. Grodno was one of those cities in the Russian zone which was the first to be the victim of the lightning air raid by the Nazi warplanes. Wave after wave of air raids stormed down upon Grodno, spreading a hailstorm of bombs, explosions and fires. The first bombs fell in the area of the bridge by the Nieman river, near the army barracks. A paralyzing panic overtook the distraught residents, who at first did not realize the extent of their tragedy, and had no idea as to how and where to find refuge. </div>
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The Soviet forces retreated in panic, taking with them only their own people and local residents who had worked in the administrative apparatus. </div>
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<a href="http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/grodno/gro519.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/grodno/gro519.html</a>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rLH6MCWDj8c/T-K98hnzUBI/AAAAAAAAJPE/qOvU8dLk-Kk/s1600/gERMAN-ARMY-CROSSES-RIVER-BUG-1941-WW2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="538" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rLH6MCWDj8c/T-K98hnzUBI/AAAAAAAAJPE/qOvU8dLk-Kk/s640/gERMAN-ARMY-CROSSES-RIVER-BUG-1941-WW2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Crossing the River Bug</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6INvhDpaVY/T-LAAysxGbI/AAAAAAAAJPM/vV58hZvOVFY/s1600/first-week-Barbarossa-Przemysl-Red-army-soldier-captured-german-101-infantry-division.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m6INvhDpaVY/T-LAAysxGbI/AAAAAAAAJPM/vV58hZvOVFY/s640/first-week-Barbarossa-Przemysl-Red-army-soldier-captured-german-101-infantry-division.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">First week of Barbarossa. Men from the German 101st Infantry Division escort a captured red Army soldier. Polish town of Przemysl.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qulshHqkPfg/T-LB2jqLA8I/AAAAAAAAJPU/1hjygalGkSE/s1600/German-soldiers-in-action-polish-town-Przemysl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qulshHqkPfg/T-LB2jqLA8I/AAAAAAAAJPU/1hjygalGkSE/s640/German-soldiers-in-action-polish-town-Przemysl.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">German soldiers in the Polish town of Przemysl</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G8baXheuesY/T-LDXldYVnI/AAAAAAAAJPc/H5FW8scf4UU/s1600/Soviet-women-soldiers-captured-by-german-nevel-Pskov-June-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="464" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-G8baXheuesY/T-LDXldYVnI/AAAAAAAAJPc/H5FW8scf4UU/s640/Soviet-women-soldiers-captured-by-german-nevel-Pskov-June-1941.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Captured women Soviet soldiers at Nevel (Pskov area). With reference to the mass rape of German women in 1945 by the Russian army; we must keep in mind the number of rapes that German soldiers committed in Soviet Union. German soldiers were no angels.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4eyZ78xBVTU/T-LFSLVDtNI/AAAAAAAAJPk/pVG4cv_MoYM/s1600/Russian-red-army-soldiers-surrender-to-Germans-eastern-front-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="402" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4eyZ78xBVTU/T-LFSLVDtNI/AAAAAAAAJPk/pVG4cv_MoYM/s640/Russian-red-army-soldiers-surrender-to-Germans-eastern-front-ww2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Soviet soldiers surrender to Waffen SS soldiers</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uVZAfrVnZUM/T-LGODJJfyI/AAAAAAAAJPs/XttNxhhfmaE/s1600/Russian-red-army-soldiers-surrender-to-Germans-eastern-front-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uVZAfrVnZUM/T-LGODJJfyI/AAAAAAAAJPs/XttNxhhfmaE/s640/Russian-red-army-soldiers-surrender-to-Germans-eastern-front-ww2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">More surrender. This time to men from the 9th Armored Division of the Wehrmacht</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vzp3pHnTCn4/T-LIXV9-ABI/AAAAAAAAJP0/CWMB0_nyjj8/s1600/German-soldiers-sunbathing-Smolensk-area.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Vzp3pHnTCn4/T-LIXV9-ABI/AAAAAAAAJP0/CWMB0_nyjj8/s640/German-soldiers-sunbathing-Smolensk-area.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Old habits die hard. German soldiers sun-bathing in the Smolensk area. As the time passed one can be sure they must have forgotten all about sun-bathing.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dUQXJKkNMM8/T-LKCVTwKUI/AAAAAAAAJP8/z8h6n5g6vSQ/s1600/naked-german-soldiers-examine-a-destroyed-russian-tank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="454" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dUQXJKkNMM8/T-LKCVTwKUI/AAAAAAAAJP8/z8h6n5g6vSQ/s640/naked-german-soldiers-examine-a-destroyed-russian-tank.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Naked German soldiers examine a destroyed Soviet KV-1 tank.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TLn6r9_q__8/T-LMeyKdbDI/AAAAAAAAJQM/ZZTlKE4t6-Y/s1600/Ukrainians-greet-Germans-Lutz-Barbarossa-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TLn6r9_q__8/T-LMeyKdbDI/AAAAAAAAJQM/ZZTlKE4t6-Y/s640/Ukrainians-greet-Germans-Lutz-Barbarossa-1941.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Ukrainians of Lutz welcome the Germans. If Hitler had used his head and not his <i>Untermenschen-Jews-to-be-wiped-out</i> theory, he might well have conquered Russia.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-44jGExUIeiQ/T-LOZ9IuDAI/AAAAAAAAJQU/lNmAl7htZgk/s1600/abandoned-BT-7-T-26-tanks-Red-army-Bialystok-village-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-44jGExUIeiQ/T-LOZ9IuDAI/AAAAAAAAJQU/lNmAl7htZgk/s640/abandoned-BT-7-T-26-tanks-Red-army-Bialystok-village-ww2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">A village in Bialystok region. Germans examine abandoned T-26 and BT-7 tanks</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ls9qWYKL8VA/T-LPgov9SII/AAAAAAAAJQc/dVG-UbSC27A/s1600/SS-soldiers-examine-Stalin-line.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ls9qWYKL8VA/T-LPgov9SII/AAAAAAAAJQc/dVG-UbSC27A/s640/SS-soldiers-examine-Stalin-line.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Waffen SS soldiers examine the Stalin Line</b></td></tr>
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WHAT WAS THE STALIN LINE?</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Stalin Line was a line of fortifications along the western border of the Soviet Union. Work began on the system in the 1920s to protect the USSR against attacks from the West. The line was made up of concrete bunkers and gun emplacements, somewhat similar but less elaborate than the Maginot Line. It was not a continuous line of defenses along the entire border but rather a network of fortified regions, meant to channel the potential invaders along certain corridors. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the aftermath of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, with the westward expansion of the USSR in 1939 and 1940, into Poland, the Baltic, and Bessarabia the decision was made to abandon the line in favour of constructing the so-called Molotov Line further west, along the new border of the USSR. A number of Russian generals felt that it would be better to keep both lines and have defence in depth, but this conflicted with the pre-World War II Soviet military doctrine.
Thus the guns were moved, but were mostly in storage as the new line began construction. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The 1941 German invasion caught the new line unfinished and the Stalin Line largely abandoned and in disrepair. Neither was thus of any use in stopping the onslaught of Operation Barbarossa, though parts of the Stalin Line were manned in time and contributed to the defense.
Following World War II, the line was not maintained, in part due to its wide dispersal across the USSR. Unlike in Western Europe, where similar fortifications were demolished for development and safety reasons, much of the line survived beyond the breakup of the USSR in 1991 due to being ignored. Today, the remains of the Stalin Line fortifications are located in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9MH4TJclCT4/T-RzhzGv4QI/AAAAAAAAJQs/lbzZKTTFdUI/s1600/German-Army-Russia-7th-Panzer-Division.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9MH4TJclCT4/T-RzhzGv4QI/AAAAAAAAJQs/lbzZKTTFdUI/s640/German-Army-Russia-7th-Panzer-Division.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">The Germans get a taste of the Russian rains. Russia had poor roads, many of them were just mud tracks. The rains turned them into a slush that became a nightmare for the Germans. Here men of the 7th Panzer Division move through the Soviet countryside.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3wN5NIhCzR4/T-R17CpLL6I/AAAAAAAAJQ0/C7r4wVPnv2g/s1600/German-soldiers-Baltics-ww2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3wN5NIhCzR4/T-R17CpLL6I/AAAAAAAAJQ0/C7r4wVPnv2g/s640/German-soldiers-Baltics-ww2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">German soldiers in the Baltics</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HX6H3iJu9Lk/T-R3MuvUmpI/AAAAAAAAJQ8/CqraFAVyfps/s1600/ponedelin-kirillov-top-Soviet-generals-captured-germans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HX6H3iJu9Lk/T-R3MuvUmpI/AAAAAAAAJQ8/CqraFAVyfps/s640/ponedelin-kirillov-top-Soviet-generals-captured-germans.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Top Soviet generals captured. Commander of the 12th Army of the Red Army, Major General PG Ponedelin (center) and commander of the 13th Rifle Corps, 12th Army Maj. Gen. N. Kirillov. District Uman. August 1941</b></td></tr>
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<b>STALIN'S ORDER NO.207</b><br />
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At the onset of the Great Patriotic War between Germany and the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin issued the infamous Order Number 207 on August 16, 1941. The order condemned those who surrendered to the enemy and, regardless of the circumstances, those soldiers and commanders were treated as traitors and enemies of the people. </div>
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“We have no prisoners of war, only traitors of the motherland!” Stalin declared, giving the main idea behind Order No. 270. It was issued several months after Hitler’s army had entered the territory of the Soviet Union. Poorly-armed Soviet forces were suffering defeat after defeat against the superior army of the enemy. Stalin’s aim was to put the blame on someone for the losses and quickly dispel undesirable doubt as to his power and the victory of the Red Army. </div>
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First to bear the blame in Stalin’s order were the awarded Red Army commanders, Generals Nikolay Kirillov and Pavel Ponedelin, who had been taken prisoner by the Germans earlier that month. The Nazi’s used the fact of the war prisoners as propaganda. Both generals were photographed next to German officers and leaflets with those photos were scattered over the positions of Red Army troops. </div>
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Of course, there were those soldiers who displayed cowardice and had surrendered immediately, and others who had deserted and allied themselves with the enemy. But the plague of Order No. 270 was that it doomed anyone who was captured by the enemy, without any specific proof, investigation or consideration of circumstances.
Under Stalin’s order, Soviet soldiers were to fight to the death, and those who were captured had either to escape or commit suicide. Those who didn’t have the inner strength to do so deserved a single verdict – execution. Families of commanders who were taken prisoners were subject to arrest and those of general soldiers were deprived of any state allowance and assistance. </div>
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According to Stalin, both Ponedelin and Kirillov were “fully capable of fighting their way back to their troops, but instead gave way to panic, turned into cowards and deserted to the enemy.” They were sentenced in absentia to execution by shooting. Ponedelin’s wife and father were sentenced to five years in camps as relatives of a traitor.
Ponedelin and Kirillov remained in a fascist prison camp until the end of war. When they returned to their motherland, both were sent to Lefortovo prison in Moscow and executed for treason in 1950. It was noted that, just before the execution took place, Ponedelin said “I’m dying with peace, because after all it is my native Russian soil that will take in my ashes.”
After Stalin’s death, cases of former prisoners of war were reviewed by a special committee who launched an investigation. In 1956, Nikolay Kirillov and Pavel Ponedelin were rehabilitated, but sadly too late to have any effect on their tragic fate, and that of thousands of other brave soldiers who had fallen victim to Order No. 270.</div>
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<a href="http://russiapedia.rt.com/on-this-day/august-16/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://russiapedia.rt.com/on-this-day/august-16/</a>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W0PJQiga3QA/T-R7EUZ04MI/AAAAAAAAJRM/paPIwsFxlo8/s1600/Soviet-airfield-warplanes-destroyed-Lvov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="452" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W0PJQiga3QA/T-R7EUZ04MI/AAAAAAAAJRM/paPIwsFxlo8/s640/Soviet-airfield-warplanes-destroyed-Lvov.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">Soviet airfield and warplanes destroyed at Lvov</b></td></tr>
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THE LUFTWAFFE SUPERIORITY<br />
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The Luftwaffe's task was to neutralize the Soviet Air Force. This was not achieved in the first days of operations, despite the Soviets having concentrated aircraft in huge groups on the permanent airfields rather than dispersing them on field landing strips, making them ideal targets. The Luftwaffe claimed to have destroyed 1,489 aircraft on the first day of operations.</div>
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Hermann Göring — Chief of the Luftwaffe — distrusted the reports and ordered the figure checked. Picking through the wreckages of Soviet airfields, the Luftwaffe's figures proved conservative, as over 2,000 destroyed Soviet aircraft were found. The Luftwaffe lost 35 aircraft on the first day of combat. The Germans claimed to have destroyed only 3,100 Soviet aircraft in the first three days. In fact Soviet losses were far higher: some 3,922 Soviet machines had been lost (according to Russian Historian Viktor Kulikov).</div>
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The Luftwaffe had achieved air superiority over all three sectors of the front, and would maintain it until the close of the year. The Luftwaffe could now devote large numbers of its Geschwader (see Luftwaffe Organization) to support the ground forces.</div>
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RUSSIAN AIR FORCE IN PITIFUL STATE<br />
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In the first two days of the invasion Germany destroyed 2,500 Soviet aircraft. Many were destroyed on the ground. Others were destroyed by poor tactics. Soviet bomber wings tried to attack without fighter escort. When threatened, bombers formed tight wedges and fighters formed defensive circles. </div>
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In April 1942, Lieutenant General Alexander Novikov took command of the Red Army Air Force. He ordered that all air power be consolidated, from the individual ground units to which it was connected, into one unified force. It was around this time as well that the factories that were moved east of the Ural Mountains began full production, pumping out roughly 1000 planes a month. </div>
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This reconstitution and increased production made the Soviet air force formidable again but so did tactical advancement. “Loose pairs” began to prevail over standard formations with planes working in tandem, or one plane covering while the other attacked. Bombers began to be escorted. Four bombers would be escorted by up to ten fighters. When fighters escorted ground attack craft they split into two groups. A group that flew with the formation and a group that flew high above and about half a mile (800M) ahead to scout for enemy patrols.
By 1945 the Red Army Air Force had 17 air armies each with 2 fighter divisions, 2 fighter-bomber divisions, a night bomber regiment, a reconnaissance squadron and a liaison squadron.</div>
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<a href="http://www.world-war-2-planes.com/soviet-aircraft.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.world-war-2-planes.com/soviet-aircraft.html</a>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tCkbBhNRahU/T-amWM33tHI/AAAAAAAAJRc/C1oTKitcaAU/s1600/Exhausted-Waffen-SS-men-Russia-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tCkbBhNRahU/T-amWM33tHI/AAAAAAAAJRc/C1oTKitcaAU/s640/Exhausted-Waffen-SS-men-Russia-1941.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;"> Exhausted Waffen SS soldiers take a breather</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fP9A-Bp47o8/T-amXPExQKI/AAAAAAAAJRg/IY0E1P97fac/s1600/German-soldiers-Ukraine-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fP9A-Bp47o8/T-amXPExQKI/AAAAAAAAJRg/IY0E1P97fac/s640/German-soldiers-Ukraine-1941.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;"> Germans pass through an Ukrainian village. Date unknown.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Av1Ec0fsVnw/T-amYNTsgaI/AAAAAAAAJRs/jfxsooMpqUw/s1600/Russian-pow-German-soldiers-soviet-union-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Av1Ec0fsVnw/T-amYNTsgaI/AAAAAAAAJRs/jfxsooMpqUw/s640/Russian-pow-German-soldiers-soviet-union-1941.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: medium;">A Russian POW has something to say to the Germans. The poor guy must have to a sad bad end.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UnFSXuywiZ8/T-anENHmA0I/AAAAAAAAJR0/2GUkBHuehM0/s1600/August-1941-German-army-crosses-Luga-river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UnFSXuywiZ8/T-anENHmA0I/AAAAAAAAJR0/2GUkBHuehM0/s640/August-1941-German-army-crosses-Luga-river.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Late August 1941. Germans cross the Luga river. There seems to be a traffic jam</b></td></tr>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-25161596216714396852012-06-15T00:36:00.003-07:002015-07-27T23:46:39.321-07:00Prelude To Armageddon WW2: The Decade 1930s<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The 1930s. The decade was tumultuous. The ferment in that period was the time of a gathering storm which burst at the end of the decade. That is WW2.</i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i>The images below show snippets of that period and gives us an inkling that the world was heading towards death and destruction.</i></span></h2>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S6kECoYJnv0/T9rV04ybDVI/AAAAAAAAJKU/rUBsMPfL_Fc/s1600/hitler-release-Landesberg-prison-december-20-1924-35-years.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Adolf Hitler 35 years release prison Landesberg December 20 1924" border="0" height="436" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S6kECoYJnv0/T9rV04ybDVI/AAAAAAAAJKU/rUBsMPfL_Fc/s640/hitler-release-Landesberg-prison-december-20-1924-35-years.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><b>Adolf Hitler, 35 years old, on his release from prison of Landesberg, on December 20, 1924. Hitler was convicted of treason for his involvement in a coup attempt in 1923, called the Beer Hall Putsch.</b></i></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bwns3VppxEE/T9rXWWiAs0I/AAAAAAAAJKc/TSPmFfxPDwA/s1600/japanese-invasion-china-japanese-soldier-great-wall-china.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Japanese soldier Great Wall China 1937" border="0" height="436" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bwns3VppxEE/T9rXWWiAs0I/AAAAAAAAJKc/TSPmFfxPDwA/s640/japanese-invasion-china-japanese-soldier-great-wall-china.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i><b>A Japanese soldier stands guard over the Great Wall of China in 1937. IN Asia Japan was flexing its muscles. It had defeated Russia in the war of 1904-5. So there was really no-one to challenge them. First thing they did was invade China.</b></i><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DPoG74sx3_Y/T9rZiRnoGQI/AAAAAAAAJKk/X9s1yfzEqVQ/s1600/Japanese-soldiers-march-into-Beijing-August-13-1937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Japan occupies Beijing August 13 1937" border="0" height="444" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DPoG74sx3_Y/T9rZiRnoGQI/AAAAAAAAJKk/X9s1yfzEqVQ/s640/Japanese-soldiers-march-into-Beijing-August-13-1937.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>First images of the Japanese occupation of Beijing in China, 13 August 1937.</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DqbDPJs4FK4/T9rZjksulBI/AAAAAAAAJKs/pDfJnyx4uTo/s1600/Japanese-soldiers-street-fight-shanghai-1937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Japanese soldiers street fighting Shanghai 1937" border="0" height="448" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DqbDPJs4FK4/T9rZjksulBI/AAAAAAAAJKs/pDfJnyx4uTo/s640/Japanese-soldiers-street-fight-shanghai-1937.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b><i> </i>Japanese soldiers involved in the fight street in Shanghai, China in 1937. The Battle of Shanghai lasted from August to November 1937. In the end, Shanghai fell to the Japanese, after there were more than 150,000 deaths.</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bi884LRAKoc/T9rZkxuN5RI/AAAAAAAAJK0/h5S1zcfUmL4/s1600/Japanese-warplanes-bomb-china-1937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Japanese warplanes bombing China 1937" border="0" height="452" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bi884LRAKoc/T9rZkxuN5RI/AAAAAAAAJK0/h5S1zcfUmL4/s640/Japanese-warplanes-bomb-china-1937.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<i><b>Japanese warplanes roar over China on a bombing mission. 1937.</b></i><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LHA3KNpa8so/T9rdkEnpqUI/AAAAAAAAJLE/FquMVTSFR1Y/s1600/Chinese-woman-with-remains-of-her-family-Nanking-1938-February.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chinese people massacred Japan occupation Nanking February 5 1938" border="0" height="462" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LHA3KNpa8so/T9rdkEnpqUI/AAAAAAAAJLE/FquMVTSFR1Y/s640/Chinese-woman-with-remains-of-her-family-Nanking-1938-February.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>On February 5, 1938, A Chinese woman sees the remains of her family, all of whom were killed during the Japanese occupation of Nanking, apparently victims of atrocities at the hands of Japanese soldiers. </b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3-ufzxj3zvY/T9rdlvsmzMI/AAAAAAAAJLM/ldU-rjfUO3U/s1600/General-Chiang-kaishek-head-Chinese-government-1936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Chinese General Chiang Kai-shek head Nanking government in Canton, with General Lung Yun president Yunnan provincial government " border="0" height="432" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3-ufzxj3zvY/T9rdlvsmzMI/AAAAAAAAJLM/ldU-rjfUO3U/s640/General-Chiang-kaishek-head-Chinese-government-1936.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Chinese General Chiang Kai-shek (right) head of the Nanking government in Canton, with General Lung Yun, president of the Yunnan provincial government in Nanking, June 27, 1936. Kai-shek was supported by the Americans.</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CzPxihybLCQ/T9rdnhcuu3I/AAAAAAAAJLU/kzwOegaxAkI/s1600/Japanese-monks-wearing-gas-mask-in-Tokyo-after-the-secon-Sino-Japanese-war-brok-out-1936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Buddhist monks Temple of Asakusa Great preparing Second Sino-Japanese War Tokyo" border="0" height="486" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CzPxihybLCQ/T9rdnhcuu3I/AAAAAAAAJLU/kzwOegaxAkI/s640/Japanese-monks-wearing-gas-mask-in-Tokyo-after-the-secon-Sino-Japanese-war-brok-out-1936.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Buddhist monks of the Temple of Asakusa Great preparing for the Second Sino-Japanese War in Tokyo, Japan, on May 30, 1936. They need not have worried. China was too weak to hit back at Japan. The war was largely one-sided.</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M68ZKCF7fk4/T9rdpBM_c_I/AAAAAAAAJLc/8QE8OpGKI_M/s1600/Japanese-soldiers-executing-chinese-soldiers-1937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Japanese soldiers executing captured Chinese soldiers 1937" border="0" height="498" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M68ZKCF7fk4/T9rdpBM_c_I/AAAAAAAAJLc/8QE8OpGKI_M/s640/Japanese-soldiers-executing-chinese-soldiers-1937.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Japanese soldiers executing captured Chinese soldiers in 1937. The Japanese dealt with the Chinese very brutally. The Chinese haven't forgotten that even today. China deal with Japan very harshly today. Remember the brouhaha over the <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/sep/11/world/la-fg-japan-captain-arrest-20100911" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">arrest of the captain of a Chinese trawler</a> by the Japanese in 2010?</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CAdP0c0dqWM/T9rjcGiMPBI/AAAAAAAAJL8/4R_HHwnzGDY/s1600/March-to-Rome-1922-Mussolini-with-his-followers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="October 28 1922 March to Rome Mussolini seizes power in Italy" border="0" height="482" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CAdP0c0dqWM/T9rjcGiMPBI/AAAAAAAAJL8/4R_HHwnzGDY/s640/March-to-Rome-1922-Mussolini-with-his-followers.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>October 28, 1922. The March to Rome. Mussolini seizes power in Italy. Here he is seen with his followers. Hitler took inspiration from what Mussolini did and tried something similar but faced failure. I refer to the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923.</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-achwCTA705Y/T9rjZNp2o8I/AAAAAAAAJLs/CYMQCwuFx-o/s1600/Italian-soldiers-Macalle-hoisting-flag-Ethiopia-1935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1935 Italian soldiers hoist flag at Macalle Abyssinia" border="0" height="420" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-achwCTA705Y/T9rjZNp2o8I/AAAAAAAAJLs/CYMQCwuFx-o/s640/Italian-soldiers-Macalle-hoisting-flag-Ethiopia-1935.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>1935. Italian soldiers hoist their flag at Macalle in Abyssinia (Ethiopia now). Abyssinian emperor Haile Selasie appealed to the League of Nations for intervention, but in vain. Britain and France were in no mood to annoy Italy.</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ym7pyHLxPVE/T9rjaz1OxDI/AAAAAAAAJL0/ZMJMbe4PgBQ/s1600/Italin-soldiers-Abyssinian-war-1935-Ethiopia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Italian soldiers action Abyssinia 1935" border="0" height="442" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ym7pyHLxPVE/T9rjaz1OxDI/AAAAAAAAJL0/ZMJMbe4PgBQ/s640/Italin-soldiers-Abyssinian-war-1935-Ethiopia.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b> Italian soldiers in action in Abyssinia in 1935. The poor Abyssinian army was no match for the Italians and fell quite easily. The Italians made heavy weather of even that. And when the tough British army came later the Italians in Africa fled in panic. Rommel with his German soldiers saved them. But that happened years later.</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PwanYcLpIp0/T9wjMSXUNUI/AAAAAAAAJMM/fFsWLm-4H5M/s1600/casa+Blanca-building-madrid-spain-explosion-1938-spanish-civil-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Madrid Spanish Civil war Casa Blanca Building explodes" border="0" height="454" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PwanYcLpIp0/T9wjMSXUNUI/AAAAAAAAJMM/fFsWLm-4H5M/s640/casa+Blanca-building-madrid-spain-explosion-1938-spanish-civil-war.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>March 19, 1938. Madrid. Spanish Civil war. The Casa Blanca Building explodes because of explosives placed by the Republicans which killed 300 of Franco's Nationalist fighters. The Loyalist soldiers took six months to make a tunnel half a kilometer long to place the bombs under the building.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mPCY49iEsEI/T9wjN6ivj8I/AAAAAAAAJMU/n7-Zg1tOtEg/s1600/german-condor-legion-spaanish-civil-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German Stuka Dive bombers fly Spanish skies" border="0" height="438" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mPCY49iEsEI/T9wjN6ivj8I/AAAAAAAAJMU/n7-Zg1tOtEg/s640/german-condor-legion-spaanish-civil-war.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b> German Stuka Dive bombers fly over the Spanish skies. May 30, 1939. It has cross markings of Franco's Nationalist Air Force. Germany had sent the Condor Legion to help Franco. For Hitler it was arms testing.</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LWNcolrg8SU/T9wjPK6ieHI/AAAAAAAAJMc/f16NorI0fGo/s1600/government-soldiers-spain-june-2-1937-training-women-rifles-barcelona-spanish-civil-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="June 2 1937 Government soldiers train Spanish women weapon" border="0" height="424" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LWNcolrg8SU/T9wjPK6ieHI/AAAAAAAAJMc/f16NorI0fGo/s640/government-soldiers-spain-june-2-1937-training-women-rifles-barcelona-spanish-civil-war.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b> June 2, 1937. Government soldiers train Spanish women how to fire a rifle.</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WgmpjKS7Rrw/T9wjQ2WOkHI/AAAAAAAAJMk/20R0__B4fE0/s1600/spanish-civil-war-burgos-spain-fighting-insurgents-loyalists.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" 1936 Burgos Spain Nationalist soldier tosses grenade Republican positions Loyalist soldiers fire" border="0" height="456" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WgmpjKS7Rrw/T9wjQ2WOkHI/AAAAAAAAJMk/20R0__B4fE0/s640/spanish-civil-war-burgos-spain-fighting-insurgents-loyalists.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b> 1936. Burgos, Spain. A Nationalist soldier tosses a grenade on Republican positions as the Loyalist soldiers fire away with their machine guns.</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yiqKRQ606Jw/T9wjSzODnVI/AAAAAAAAJMs/2oYRanjfPS4/s1600/spanish-civilians-refuge-Madrid-subway-franco-forces-warplanes-bomb-spanish-civil-war.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Madrid subway station Spanish people refuge Franco's warplanes bomb" border="0" height="456" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yiqKRQ606Jw/T9wjSzODnVI/AAAAAAAAJMs/2oYRanjfPS4/s640/spanish-civilians-refuge-Madrid-subway-franco-forces-warplanes-bomb-spanish-civil-war.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>December 1936. The civilians always suffer. Madrid subway station. Spanish people take refuge as Franco's warplanes bomb Madrid.</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xkpaOtKxxeo/T-at2LghZWI/AAAAAAAAJSE/mzYIX7oXLw0/s1600/German-girls-national-youth-movement-1936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German girls camp Nazi Youth Movement" border="0" height="410" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xkpaOtKxxeo/T-at2LghZWI/AAAAAAAAJSE/mzYIX7oXLw0/s640/German-girls-national-youth-movement-1936.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>German girls at a camp of Nazi Youth Movement. Women had a limited role according to Nazis. Breed healthy Aryan children.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYTWE4JTkDQ/T-at4ICXC9I/AAAAAAAAJSM/9SNVYWybqfg/s1600/Hitler-speech-Nuremberg-1935-thousands-German-boys-listen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Hitler Youth Nazi convention Nuremberg 1935" border="0" height="450" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYTWE4JTkDQ/T-at4ICXC9I/AAAAAAAAJSM/9SNVYWybqfg/s640/Hitler-speech-Nuremberg-1935-thousands-German-boys-listen.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Young boys hang on to every word Hitler utters at a Nazi convention in Nuremberg in 1935. These boys provided the backbone of the German army and Waffen SS a few years later.</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BfUqWa0Dm6w/T-avRFHTiGI/AAAAAAAAJSU/72u_yr8XTT4/s1600/Kristallnacht-November+10-1938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kristallnacht November 10 1938 Jewish shops attacked" border="0" height="434" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BfUqWa0Dm6w/T-avRFHTiGI/AAAAAAAAJSU/72u_yr8XTT4/s640/Kristallnacht-November+10-1938.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Kristallnacht. November 10, 1938. Jewish shops were attacked and many Jews were sent to concentration camps.</b></div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-58297104914312833552012-04-25T06:44:00.003-07:002015-07-28T00:21:00.186-07:00Striking Second World War Images In COLOR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cEUpWUGWqVw/T5qZusFFrJI/AAAAAAAAJCQ/C7KhfdcRhHE/s1600/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers Russia 1941" border="0" height="456" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cEUpWUGWqVw/T5qZusFFrJI/AAAAAAAAJCQ/C7KhfdcRhHE/s640/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-001.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> 1941. Cocky German soldiers in Russia as the country burns.</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ROZs3p78uQg/T5qZv-ZRTKI/AAAAAAAAJCY/KwXrQiwMgyk/s1600/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cigarette break German soldiers" border="0" height="532" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ROZs3p78uQg/T5qZv-ZRTKI/AAAAAAAAJCY/KwXrQiwMgyk/s640/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-002.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>A cigarette break for German soldiers in the endless expanse of Russia, which eventually defeated the Germans.</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bnO_LIDzo5Y/T5qZxZkyEGI/AAAAAAAAJCg/--ZQmQNUz1E/s1600/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-russian-soldiers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russian soldiers ww2" border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bnO_LIDzo5Y/T5qZxZkyEGI/AAAAAAAAJCg/--ZQmQNUz1E/s640/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-russian-soldiers.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The nemesis of the once invincible German war machine: Russian soldiers. Here they move ghost-like in the woods into an attack.</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sn6P4BoDE1c/T5qZyufhzrI/AAAAAAAAJCo/3YxGierSZsM/s1600/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-stalingrad-german-pow-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Starving captured Germans Stalingrad 1943" border="0" height="414" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sn6P4BoDE1c/T5qZyufhzrI/AAAAAAAAJCo/3YxGierSZsM/s640/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-stalingrad-german-pow-001.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>A face that the world believed would never be seen. That of a beaten, starving German soldier. Stalingrad.</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UMVlxslvvo8/T5qZzSnP-RI/AAAAAAAAJCs/1JLgeo_kvb8/s1600/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-stalingrad-german-pow-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German POW Stalingrad 1943 " border="0" height="386" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UMVlxslvvo8/T5qZzSnP-RI/AAAAAAAAJCs/1JLgeo_kvb8/s640/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-stalingrad-german-pow-002.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Stalingrad again.</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vlfWvOSiJsI/T5f-KShnZVI/AAAAAAAAJAc/Vw_4WghlUK0/s1600/second-world-war-pictures-images-color-001.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Georgy Zhukov Konstantin Rokossovsky Bernard Montgomery Brandenburg Gate Berlin" border="0" height="402" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vlfWvOSiJsI/T5f-KShnZVI/AAAAAAAAJAc/Vw_4WghlUK0/s640/second-world-war-pictures-images-color-001.jpeg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b> Grateful to an ally. Marshals of the Soviet Union Georgy Zhukov (1896-1974) and Konstantin Rokossovsky (1896-1968) talking to Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976) near the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The Soviet marshals were awarded the British Order of the Bath (the fourth largest award in the UK) of different classes: GK Zhukov - Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath, and KK Rokossovsky - Honorary Knight Commander Order of the Bath.</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jNVC0_6k290/T5f-L9RKNgI/AAAAAAAAJAk/V6_m-Mo5srA/s1600/second-world-war-pictures-images-color-german-pow.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldiers prisoner Americans Saint-Denis-le-Gast" border="0" height="434" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jNVC0_6k290/T5f-L9RKNgI/AAAAAAAAJAk/V6_m-Mo5srA/s640/second-world-war-pictures-images-color-german-pow.jpeg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Young German soldiers taken prisoner by the Americans in the area of Saint-Denis-le-Gast (Saint-Denis-le-Gast).</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NB5O7UJ7U-A/T5f-NBgDPPI/AAAAAAAAJAs/qiWZGf54Z68/s1600/second-world-war-pictures-images-color-hitler-jodl.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Adolf Hitler General Alfred Jodl Hitler's adjutant Major Gerhard Engel" border="0" height="406" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NB5O7UJ7U-A/T5f-NBgDPPI/AAAAAAAAJAs/qiWZGf54Z68/s640/second-world-war-pictures-images-color-hitler-jodl.jpeg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Adolf Hitler hears the report from a soldier. Behind the back of the Fuehrer, on the left - Gen. Alfred Jodl, on the right - Hitler's adjutant, Major Gerhard Engel. Presumably in 1939-1940.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n-OMRXnqY10/T5f-OQbMqFI/AAAAAAAAJA0/GWXgUbiqPh0/s1600/second-world-war-pictures-images-color-ss-idaho-okinawa.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="American battleship USS Idaho fires Japanese fortifications Okinawa" border="0" height="560" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-n-OMRXnqY10/T5f-OQbMqFI/AAAAAAAAJA0/GWXgUbiqPh0/s640/second-world-war-pictures-images-color-ss-idaho-okinawa.jpeg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>The American battleship USS Idaho fires on Japanese fortifications on Okinawa.</b><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-57xriQCdHvo/T5k0wwjbEOI/AAAAAAAAJBA/lYU7aZa-g-E/s1600/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="1939 Occupied Poland German soldier chats Polish women" border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-57xriQCdHvo/T5k0wwjbEOI/AAAAAAAAJBA/lYU7aZa-g-E/s640/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-001.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>1939. Occupied Poland. A German soldier chats up Polish women.</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YQjk6gwIkfc/T5k0yV7Q-8I/AAAAAAAAJBI/-AsD_DsUHH4/s1600/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-panzer-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Destroyed German Panzer 4 tanks Lanuvio Italy" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YQjk6gwIkfc/T5k0yV7Q-8I/AAAAAAAAJBI/-AsD_DsUHH4/s1600/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-panzer-4.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
<b> Destroyed German Panzer 4 tanks at Lanuvio, Italy</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-skcGd9q3w1E/T5k0z5XldPI/AAAAAAAAJBQ/BAQKoeaakeY/s1600/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-russian-tank-crew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Russian KV 1S tanks" border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-skcGd9q3w1E/T5k0z5XldPI/AAAAAAAAJBQ/BAQKoeaakeY/s640/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-russian-tank-crew.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Russian soldiers with KV 1S tanks</b><br />
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THE RUSSIAN TANK: KV 1S<br />
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The Kliment Voroshilov (KV) tanks were a series of Soviet heavy tanks, named after the Soviet defense commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov. The KV series were known for their extremely heavy armour protection during the early war, especially during the first year of the invasion of the Soviet Union in World War II. Almost completely immune to the 3.7 cm KwK 36 and howitzer-like, short barreled 7.5 cm KwK 37 guns mounted respectively on the early Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks, until better guns were developed often the only way to defeat a KV was a point-blank shot to the rear. Prior to the invasion, about 500 of the over 22,000 tanks in Soviet service at the time were of the KV-1 type. When the KV-1 appeared, it outclassed the French Char B1, the only heavy tank used in the world at that time. Yet in the end it turned out that there was little sense in producing the expensive KV tanks, as the T-34 medium tank performed better (or at least equally) in all practical respects. Later in the war, the KV series became a base of development of the Iosif Stalin tanks.</div>
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KV-1S was a lighter variant of late 1942 with higher speed, but thinner armour. A new, smaller, cast turret and redesigned rear hull were used. 1370 of them were built.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UkZSWSXlKoc/T5k01ALHlRI/AAAAAAAAJBY/AwOZGWxNSnc/s1600/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-russian-tank-tankers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Russian T-34/76F tanks" border="0" height="314" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UkZSWSXlKoc/T5k01ALHlRI/AAAAAAAAJBY/AwOZGWxNSnc/s640/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-russian-tank-tankers.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b> Russian soldiers with T-34/76F tanks</b><br />
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The T-34 Medium Tank is by far the most famous Soviet weapon of the Second World War, and has become a symbol of the Red Army’s desperate struggle against the Germans. In 1941 it was the most advanced tank then in mass production, and nearly 1,000 were present on the front line at the start of Operation Barbarossa, but like every other Soviet tank the T-34 was swept aside in the first phase of German victories. After this inauspicious start, the T-34 began to appear in ever larger numbers on the Eastern Front, and during the crucial battles around Stalingrad and at Kursk was almost the only tank in use with the Red Army. The "F" variant was developed in 1943.</div>
<a href="http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_t-34_develop_combat.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_t-34_develop_combat.html</a>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rkTEunP5xEI/T5k02PWLEwI/AAAAAAAAJBg/PjXHIkTNm9w/s1600/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-von-papen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fritz Darges Franz von Papen Nicolaus von Below Dr Karl Brandt" border="0" height="452" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rkTEunP5xEI/T5k02PWLEwI/AAAAAAAAJBg/PjXHIkTNm9w/s640/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-von-papen.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>A few bad men. Fritz Darges, Franz von Papen, Nicolaus von Below and Dr Karl Brandt</b><br />
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WHO WERE THESE GUYS?<br />
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<b>Fritz Darges</b> (8 February 1913 – 25 October 2009) was an Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel) in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He was Hitler's adjutant for a year till July 1944. On 18 July 1944, during a strategy conference in the Wolfsschanze, a fly began buzzing around the room, allegedly landing on Hitler's shoulder and on the surface of a map several times. Irritated, Hitler ordered Darges to dispatch the nuisance. Darges suggested that, as it was an airborne pest, the job should go to the Luftwaffe adjutant, Nicolaus von Below. Enraged, Hitler dismissed Darges on the spot and had him banished to the Eastern Front. Another version of this story claims Darges was merely snickering as Hitler looked up from the map.<br />
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<b>Franz von Papen</b> belonged to the group of close advisers to President Paul von Hindenburg in the late Weimar Republic. It was largely Papen, believing that Hitler could be controlled once he was in the government, who persuaded Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor in a cabinet not under Nazi Party domination. However, Papen and his allies were quickly marginalized by Hitler and he left the government after the Night of the Long Knives, during which some of his confidants were killed by the Nazis.<br />
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<b>Nicolaus von Below </b>(20 September 1907 – 24 July 1983) was an officer in the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) before and during World War II. He was the Luftwaffe adjutant to Hitler from 1937-45. After the war, Below wrote a book containing the memoirs of his service during World War II entitled <i>At Hitler's Side (2001)</i>. He died in Detmold, Germany, in 1983.<br />
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<b>Karl Brandt</b> (January 8, 1904 – June 2, 1948) was a German Nazi war criminal. He rose to the rank of SS-Gruppenführer in the Allgemeine-SS and SS-Brigadeführer in the Waffen-SS. Among other positions, Brandt headed the administration of the Nazi euthanasia program from 1939 onwards and was selected as Adolf Hitler's personal physician in August 1934. In 1942, he became Reich Commissioner for Health and Sanitation. He was involved in criminal human experimentation, along with his deputy Werner Heyde and others. After World War II, Brandt was convicted of crimes against humanity. He was hanged on June 2, 1948.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zY-U9zyPfkQ/T5k-Y8m3mOI/AAAAAAAAJBs/vvq6-DFWmto/s1600/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Old German women watch Russian tanks streets Berlin May 1945" border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zY-U9zyPfkQ/T5k-Y8m3mOI/AAAAAAAAJBs/vvq6-DFWmto/s640/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-003.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Old German women watch haplessly as Russian tanks roll on the streets of Berlin. May 1945</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M-cQIJPrscw/T5k-aMy3XeI/AAAAAAAAJB0/u1TOjvTc8r8/s1600/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-german-soldiers-jew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Paris 1942 German soldiers Jew" border="0" height="382" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M-cQIJPrscw/T5k-aMy3XeI/AAAAAAAAJB0/u1TOjvTc8r8/s640/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-german-soldiers-jew.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Paris. 1942. German soldiers talk to a Jew. Jews were supposed to wear a yellow star.</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XHH8QzUTbXU/T5k-bKNq18I/AAAAAAAAJB4/DFgmeVt1n20/s1600/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-russian-soldiers-brandenburg-gate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="May 9 1945 Russian troops Brandenburg Gate Berlin" border="0" height="420" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XHH8QzUTbXU/T5k-bKNq18I/AAAAAAAAJB4/DFgmeVt1n20/s640/second-world-war-rare-color-images-pictures-russian-soldiers-brandenburg-gate.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>May 9, 1945. Russian commanders address their troops at the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin.</b></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uf9XGivQv5s/T5k__YtxLaI/AAAAAAAAJCE/uFJoJun3oe0/s1600/second-world-war-color-pictures-images-dunkirk-british-pow.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="British POW Dunkirk" border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uf9XGivQv5s/T5k__YtxLaI/AAAAAAAAJCE/uFJoJun3oe0/s640/second-world-war-color-pictures-images-dunkirk-british-pow.jpeg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>British POW at Dunkirk. Western soldiers were treated decently by the Germans. It was the "Untermenschen" Russian soldiers who got the rough treatment.</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hXCQvSYqqyA/T5qestlNceI/AAAAAAAAJC8/BxKBDmYQqjs/s1600/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-balkans-1941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German tanks Serbian city Nis Spring 1941" border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hXCQvSYqqyA/T5qestlNceI/AAAAAAAAJC8/BxKBDmYQqjs/s640/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-balkans-1941.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>The Balkans in flames. German tanks in the Serbian city of Nis, Spring 1941</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xgV_Ec-NFpo/T5qgPhtzblI/AAAAAAAAJDE/BynHS1Lt6bM/s1600/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-luftwaffe-bombing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German bombers bomb western Europe" border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xgV_Ec-NFpo/T5qgPhtzblI/AAAAAAAAJDE/BynHS1Lt6bM/s640/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-luftwaffe-bombing.jpg" title="" width="464" /></a></div>
<b>German bombers drop a bomb somewhere in western Europe</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AIgrDi6YbOQ/T5qhS8DH_3I/AAAAAAAAJDM/mmdK4jK3Uf4/s1600/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-german-soldier-grave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German soldier grave June 22 1941" border="0" height="388" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AIgrDi6YbOQ/T5qhS8DH_3I/AAAAAAAAJDM/mmdK4jK3Uf4/s640/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-german-soldier-grave.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>June 22, 1941</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PawgN0zow-o/T5qju8UdXzI/AAAAAAAAJDU/pmAWW-HqySs/s1600/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-eva-braun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Eva Braun color picture" border="0" height="362" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PawgN0zow-o/T5qju8UdXzI/AAAAAAAAJDU/pmAWW-HqySs/s640/second-world-war-color-images-pictures-eva-braun.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Eva Braun. Almost as good as Marilyn Monroe?</b><br />
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<b>Hitler takes a salute from his soldiers in occupied Poland. 1939.</b></div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-77208490267220205582012-04-10T23:16:00.001-07:002015-07-28T02:24:55.121-07:00Downfall: TARNOPOL: 4500 German Soldiers; 55 Survived<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9TjMQf8yGa0/T4UpSwzovqI/AAAAAAAAI9o/gM3ObEzf4SA/s1600/german-soldiers-tarnapol-march-1944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Exhausted German soldiers Tarnopol March 1944" border="0" height="402" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9TjMQf8yGa0/T4UpSwzovqI/AAAAAAAAI9o/gM3ObEzf4SA/s640/german-soldiers-tarnapol-march-1944.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Exhausted German soldiers in Tarnopol. March 1944</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ternopil. In 1941 the city was occupied by the Germans who continued exterminating the population by murdering the Jews and sending others as forced labour to Germany. In April 1944 the city was retaken by the Red Army, the remaining Polish population having been previously expelled. During the Soviet reoccupation in March and April 1944, the city was encircled and completely destroyed. In March 1944 the city was declared a fortified place by Adolf Hitler, to be defended until the last round was shot. The stiff German resistance caused extensive use of heavy artillery by the Red Army, resulting in the complete destruction of the city and killing of nearly all German defenders. (55 survivors out of 4,500) Unlike many other occasions, where the Germans had practised a scorched earth policy during their withdrawal from territories of the Soviet Union, the devastation was caused directly by the hostilities.</span></b></h2>
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Source: <a href="http://www.balagan.org.uk/war/ww2/tarnopol/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.balagan.org.uk/war/ww2/tarnopol/index.htm</a>
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In 1944 Tarnopol was a town of 35,000 people (Buchner, 1995). The city was about 40 km west of the old Soviet-Polish border on the east bank of the River Seret. It had been Polish from 1920, was annexed by the Soviets in 1939, and captured by the Germans in 1941 (Wikipedia: Tarnopol Voivodship). The town was a transport hub with several railway lines running through it, the most significant being the Lvov to Odessa line which was the last railway line east of the Carparthians linking these two cities. Cutting this railway line would force the Germans to supply their southern forces via the long route through Rumania. Tarnopol was in a largely flat area, although a sprinkling of low hills, small woods, and villages dotted the plain. The River Seret and a marsh bordered lake cut off the western section of the town, comprising the suburbs of Zagrobela and Kukowce, from the main part of town. The connection was via a bridge over a dam. Moniushko (2005) described the town as being of "well built brick" houses, although Buchner says "stone". Tarnopol was a German garrison town (4,600 men after reinforcements) and its only defences were field fortifications within a 2-3 km radius of the city centre. The town also lacked an airfield, and during the siege the garrison had to rely solely on unreliable air drops for supplies.<br />
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Note: Tarnopol (Polish) is also called Ternopol (Russian) and Ternopil (Ukrainian). Tarnopol was the name used in 1944.
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<b>The Russians pass an immobilised German tank in the town</b></div>
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<b>Mud Offensive</b><br />
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The Russian "Mud Offensive" began on 4 Mar Zhukov (Erickson, 1996). Two Russian Fronts were operating in the vicinity of Tarnopol. Zhukov's 1st Ukrainian Front in front of Tarnopol and Koniev's 2nd Ukrainian Front to the south-east. As it only had indirect bearing on the events at Tarnopol I'll describe Koniev's activities first. The 2nd Ukrainian Front kicked off a day after Zhukov's men at dawn (0750 hours) on 5 Mar 1944. They smashed the German defences on the Gornyi Tikich and took the German depot at Uman on 10 Mar. On the evening of 11 Mar Russian units took the Dzhulinka and Gaivoron crossings on the Bug. Within 48 hours Russian units had crossed the river on a 80 km front. At 1300 hours on 17 Mar the lead units reached the Dniester and put bridgeheads on the western bank . On 19 Mar Moghilev-Podolskii was cleared allowing a full crossing of the Dniester - a entire Corps was across by noon on 21 Mar. This operation pushed the right flank of First Panzer Army back to the northwest away from the left flank of Eighth Army. Koniev's men reached the Soviet-Rumanian border on 25 Mar.<br />
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From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887402828?ie=UTF8&tag=incrwarimag-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0887402828" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"><b>Buchner, A.</b> (1995). Ostfront 1944</a></div>
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<b>Other radio messages reached the commanding XXXXVIII Panzer Corps on April 1, including a report on equipment losses. For the three day period beginning March 30 these losses totalled thirty machine-guns, twelve heavy mortars, one light and one heavy infantry gun, one anti-tank gun and one anti-aircraft gun - a considerable loss of heavy weapons which could not be replaced. </b></div>
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<b>The utter hopelessness of the situation became clear to Generalmajor von Neindorff, who had questioned the suitability of Ternopol as a "fortified place" from the beginning. He radioed: "Despite bitter resistance unable to hold on any longer. Request Führer's permission for a breakout attempt.</b></div>
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<b>"Hitler's answer was not long in coming. That same day he decided that the"fortified place" was to continue to be held until it was possible to restore contact.But Ternopol had never been a "fortified place," and had now become a pocket</b></div>
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Zhukov's 1st Ukrainian Front attacked at 0800 hours on 4 Mar (Erickson, 1996). The rail line to Tarnopol was the central axis of advance, coinciding with the junction between Fourth and First Panzer Armies. Within 48 hours, and despite the clinging mud, the Russians had broken through on a 160 km front (Buchner, 1995, says 40), and Zhukov's tanks and motorised infantry had reached a depth of 40 km. The foot slogging infantry had to drag themselves and their equipment through the soaked earth, fighting isolated pockets of Germans as they advanced. By noon of 7 Mar the right wing of the Fourth Panzer Army had been pushed back to the Seret river, and some Russian troops had crossed. By the evening of the same day (7 Mar) three Soviet armies (60th, 3rd Guards Tank and 4th Tank) were closing on the line from Tarnopol to Chernyi-Ostrov. When tanks captured Volochisk, halfway between Tarnopol and Cheryni-Ostrov, they also cut the Lvov-Odessa railway line. German reinforcements stiffened resistance near the railway line in the Tarnopol-Proskurov sector, so Zhukov ordered Tarnopol bypassed to the south, thus cutting off the German garrison in the town.<br />
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<b>First Encirclement (9-20 Mar 1944)</b><br />
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On 9 Mar Russian tanks and infantry broke into the Tarnopol (Buchner, 1995). German reinforcements, including anti-tank guns and assault guns, entered the town and rear echelon troops and civilians fled west. In heavy fighting the reinforced garrison had cleared the town of Russian troops by 11 Mar. Tarnopol, however, remained under continuous bombardment.<br />
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Meanwhile, and despite its weak garrison and poor defences, on 10 Mar 1944 Hitler declared Tarnopol the first "Fortified Place" (Buchner, 1995). As such it was to form a breakwater in the Soviet tide. The idea being that the garrison would remain in place while the Russians surrounded the town, thus tying up resources and hopefully delaying the Russian advance westward. With orders to hold on to the last man, the new commander, Generalmajor von Neindorff, organised the defence into four sectors: North, South, East and West (the Kutkowce and Zagrobela suburbs across the Seret). The troops dug in as best they could with the assault guns held in reserve for counter attacks.<br />
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<b>Red Army soldiers examine a German Panther tank.Outskirts of Ternopil. April 1944</b></div>
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In the period 13-20 Mar, the reinforced XXXXVIII Panzer Corps attacked southeast of Tarnopol with some success (Buchner, 1995). They closed the gap with First Panzer Army and opened up the route to Tarnopol.<br />
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<b>Kamenets-Podolskii Pocket (21 Mar - 7 Apr 1944)</b><br />
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On 21 Mar, with Koniev across the Dniester, Zhukov initiated the next step in his plan - a thrust toward Chernovitsy to encircle First Panzer Army (Buchner, 1995; Erickson, 1996). Zhukov's forces roared along the valley of Zbruch to the Dniester crossing at Zaleshchiki. German resistance was flattened and by 27 Mar Zhukov's advance elements were close to Chernovitsy. Vinnitsa was also taken. By 28 Mar Koniev's and Zhukov's forces met up and some 200,000 men of First Panzer Army were encircled in the Kamenets-Podolskii sector south-west of Vinnitsa. The cordon was only loosely held and First Panzer began fighting its way westward. On 4 Apr two SS Panzer divisions tried to break the circle from the outside, at Podgaitsy. Their opponents fell back to Buchach, where on 7 Apr the SS relief force met the badly mauled First Panzer coming westward. Fighting continued north of Buchach to mid-April but First Panzer Army was saved.<br />
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<b>Second Encirclement (23 - 24 Mar 1944)</b><br />
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<b>The Russians advance towards Tarnapol</b></div>
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During 21-24 Mar the Soviet 60th Army (11 rifle divisions, 1 artillery division and IV Guards Tank Corps) drove XXXXVIII Panzer Corps back to the Wosuzka River (Buchner, 1995). By 23 Mar Tarnopol was surrounded for the second and final time. Tarnopol was now 20 km behind Russian lines.<br />
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Russian attacks on Tarnopol also resumed on 23 Mar (Buchner, 1995). Tanks and infantry attacked from the north, south and east, but the defenders managed to fend the Russians off. The attacks continued the next day (24 Mar) but now included assaults on the western sector across the Seret as well. Both western suburbs were lost, Kutkowce permanently, but Zagrobela changed hands several times during the day and ended up in German control. Despite the relative lack of success of their attacks, by the evening of 24 Mar the Russians had four Rifle Divisions plus tanks, artillery and rocket launchers in place around the town.<br />
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<b>Panzerverband Friebe to the rescue (25 Mar 1944)</b><br />
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At 0430 hours on 25 Mar Oberst Friebe set out with an armoured battle group from 8th Panzer Division to break through to Tarnopol (Buchner, 1995). Friebe had the 2nd and 10th Panzer Regiments (including a Panther Battalion which led the way), and two half track mounted battalions of Panzer Grenadiers (1st Battalion from 8th Panzergrenadier Regiment and 1st Battalion from 74th Panzergrenadier Regiment). The battle group had to advance through mud, under artillery fire, across the Dolzanca River and then over three rows of hills, each with entrenched Russians. When the tanks stalled in front of defensive positions the Panzergrenadiers dismounted to clear them. By late afternoon the battle group managed to push through three Russians positions before reaching a fourth in woods 4 km west of Zagrobela. Under pressure from concealed anti-tank guns and anti-tank rifles, artillery, mortars, and ground support aircraft, Friebe decided his men could go no further and withdrew to regroup for an advance to the southeast. This second advance never happened as further casualties and the resulting confusion forced the battle group back to the German lines.<br />
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<b>Red Army soldiers rest during a lull in the fighting</b></div>
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<b>Withdrawal to edge of city (25 - 30 Mar 1944)</b><br />
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This relief attempt in fact brought no relief as the Russians continued to press Tarnopol on 25 Mar even as Friebe approached (Buchner, 1995). A Russian regiment deeply penetrated the eastern sector and was only evicted after much heavy fighting. During the evening the Germans in the northern sector saw off an attack by 17 tanks and escorting infantry. Simultaneously the defenders of Zagrobela in the west were mauled by a ferocious attack.<br />
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In the period 25-27 Mar the defenders could also see a steady flow of Russian reinforcements arriving, particularly in the west where the relief effort was foreseen (Buchner, 1995). The garrison experienced continuous artillery and mortar bombardment. Russian reconnaissance missions were frequent and increasing in number.<br />
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The next Russian attack began on 28 Mar with a 2 hour bombardment (Buchner, 1995). A Russian Rifle Division, supported by tanks, artillery and close support aircraft soon followed, attacking the young soldiers of 949th Grenadier Regiment in the south-eastern sector. The 2nd Battalion broke and was heavily mauled. Counter-attacks could not evict the Russians.<br />
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On 29 Mar another German counter-attack failed to pinch off the Russian penetration in the southeast and the defenders were forced to withdraw to the edge of the city (Buchner, 1995). The same day the Russians penetrated positions of the 949th Grenadier Regiment along Access Road IV.<br />
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<b>Russian soldiers pose against the destroyed Ternopil Fort</b></div>
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<b>Shortening the perimeter (31 Mar - 9 Apr 1944)</b><br />
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Fighting continued but the next major Russian effort was on 31 Mar (Buchner, 1995). After several hours of bombardment strong Russian forces attacked between the two Railway lines in the east. They broke through the defensive positions and pushed as far as the Rail Station. In the absence of reserves the defenders in the north and south were withdrawn to the town edge. By now the garrison was squeezed into a pocked 1 x 1.5 km, and was entirely within the confines of the town. Continuous heavy shelling resulted in the destruction of most of the town. The fighting had devolved into typical urban combat with small groups fighting for every street and house. Moniushko (2005), who passed through a couple of months later, said the Germans had converted the well built brick houses into pill-boxes.<br />
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BRUTAL WAR...</div>
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<i style="text-align: left;">On April 5 the Soviets blanketed the city with fire from heavy batteries and aircraft showered the defenders with bombs. Nevertheless, the infantry assault which followed the bombardment was stopped. Afterward the Soviet infantry pulled back again, allowing their artillery to resume its bombardment of the city. The tightly-stretched German defensive ring held out against several subsequent attacks. This day was the most difficult so far in the fourteen-day siege, and German casualties were very high. Probably as a result of the astonishing German resistance, the next day did not see a resumption by the Soviets of their concentric attacks</i>
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In the first two days of April fighting was particularly heavy in the west and east-southeast (Buchner, 1995). On 1 Apr the Russians penetrated the positions of the veteran Demba Fusilier Battalion in the western suburb of Zagrobela. On 2 Apr the Demba Fusilier Battalion cleared the penetration and drove off two subsequent Russians attacks (infantry supported by tanks). The defenders were less successful elsewhere, being driven back in the east and southeast. The last German reserves were use to blunt a Russian push towards the centre of the town. 10 Russian tanks were destroyed in the process. On 3 Apr the Russians tried and failed again. By this stage Stuka dive bombers were acting as flying artillery, hitting Russian troop concentrations around the town. On 4 Apr the Russians attacked again, forcing the defenders to shorten their perimeter again. On 5 Apr several more Russian assaults was repulsed. On 6-8 Apr there was some respite with the Russians contenting themselves to small raids.<br />
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A murderous struggle had begun, in which every officer and man was in the front lines. Soldiers young and old fought with the courage of desperation. Elements of the 949th Grenadier Regiment, which had failed several days earlier, were now fighting well, and received the full recognition of the commandant.<br />
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<b>German prepare to attack and relieve those trapped at Tarnapol. April 1944</b></div>
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BRUTAL WAR....</div>
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<i>Over the city itself hung a black, brown and gray cloud deck. Fiery flashes shot from the fountains of smoke and dust which marked the points of impact of incoming artillery rounds. The air was filled with thundering, crashing and roaring sounds.Flames leapt high into the air, houses collapsed and walls crashed to the ground.Projectiles howled and whistled in from all sides from Soviet heavy mortars, from 76.2mm "Ratschbum" all-purpose guns, 122mm and 172mm heavy guns and from"Stalin Organ" rocket launchers. Street and house fighting raged in every corner and end of the city. Troops of the Red Army, clad in their earth-brown uniforms,charged with shouts of "Urray!", firing their sub machine-guns, rapid-firing rifles,anti-tank rifles and light machine-guns and throwing hand grenades. They worked their way forward over piles of rubble and through tangled beams, many of them falling under the hammering defensive fire. Ever-smaller groups of German defenders held on bitterly, fighting for every street, every block of houses and every shattered building. The infantry barricaded themselves in the stout stone buildings, firing from windows, cellars and holes in the roofs. German anti-tank guns dug into the rubble fired until they had no more ammunition. The few assault guns and self-propelled guns still left rumbled through the rubble-filled, deserted streets, responding to enemy breakthroughs with immediate counterattacks.Groups of Russians which succeeded in infiltrating the German lines were flushed out and driven back with hand grenades and small arms. Some barricaded themselves inside houses, which were blown up. But the Russians kept coming,smoking out the German nests of resistance with incendiary shells and flamethrowers.</i><br />
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On 9 Apr the four surrounding Russians divisions attacked in unison after a bombardment lasting several hours (Buchner, 1995). The defenders succeeded in seeing off the attacks in the north and west, but had to shorten their lines to cope with Russian penetrations in the east and south. The Russians used direct fire from anti-tank guns, light artillery and the massive SU-152 assault guns ( Moniushko, 2005) to destroy the German strong points.<br />
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<b>The Germans tried to relieve Tarnopol but in vain</b></div>
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<b>Panzerverband Friebe tries again (11 - 16 Apr 1944)</b><br />
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On 11 Apr the second relief attempt set out (Buchner, 1995). Once again Oberst Friebe set out with his armoured battle group (Panzerverband), but this time the 9th SS-Panzer Division Hohenstaufen was in support. Panzerverband Friebe stalled in the face of strong defensive fire and Hohenstaufen was delayed at at the Wosuszka river. It took until the morning of 14 Apr for pioneers of the division to put a bridge across the river. Friebe led 71 tanks and 27 assault guns toward Tarnopol but the going was still slow. They took Chodaczow Wielki on the evening on 15 Apr, only 9 km from their starting point. There they had to wait for air dropped supplies before continuing on the 16th. By then it was too late.<br />
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<b>Last stand (11 - 16 Apr 1944)</b><br />
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As with the earlier relief attempt, the Germans efforts did not stop the Russians from exerting pressure on Tarnopol itself (Buchner, 1995; note, Buchner seems to get confused about dates from this point in the narrative and consistently says March when April is intended). The Russians achieved several penetrations on 11 Apr, which the defenders managed to seal off. The Germans could not, however, deal with the major attack launched on the night of 11-12 Apr. On 13 Apr a Russian attack from the south split Zagrobela in the west from the main position in the centre of the town. On the night of 13-14 Apr most of the garrison moved across to Zagrobela as a prelude to a breakout. They had 1,300 men, one tank, two assault guns, two self-propelled guns, one anti-tank gun and two light infantry guns. Another 200 men, divided into small groups, remained in the east to delay the enemy, but were pushed out on the night of 14-15 Apr.<br />
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<b>Generalmajor von Neindorff still firmly believed that the relief attack was well under way, but his radio messages requesting help and information as to the progress of the attack were becoming ever more desperate.These messages are typical:</b><br />
<i>April 12, 2125: Situation extremely desperate, penetrations can no longer be cleared up, contact lost between units. Serious consequences be expected from further enemy pressure. Relief imperative before it is too late.<br />April 13, 0650: All sectors under heavy pressure through the entire night. New penetration northern wing. Hemmed in further in west,pressure from north toward the bridge.<br />At 0905: Garrison under pounding in ruins since<br />At 0700. Enemy tanks and anti-tank guns in the streets, as well preparatory artillery and mortar fire.<br />At 1255: Heavy barrages on entire defensive perimeter since 1000.Infantry attacks in the south. Critical situation urgently requires relief.<br />At 1520: House-to-house fighting in the south and east. Ammunition running low. Where is relief?</i></blockquote>
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The Russians continued to shell, bomb, and strafe the remaining Germans clustered into a 1 km square centred on semi rural Zagrobela (Buchner, 1995). Ground attacks were also launched and at noon on 15 Apr the pocket radioed to say their commander had died in close quarter fighting.<br />
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<i><b>At noon on March 15 came the last radio message from the Zagrobela pocket. It reported the death of the commandant. Generalmajor von Neindorff had fallen in close-quarters fighting.</b></i><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-auhVs661Vok/T4UffOSeWlI/AAAAAAAAI9Q/Bu1IkHuKxLU/s1600/TERNOPOL-BATTLE-EASTERB-FRONT-WW2-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Commander-in-Chief of Army Group North Ukraine Feldmarschall Model" border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-auhVs661Vok/T4UffOSeWlI/AAAAAAAAI9Q/Bu1IkHuKxLU/s640/TERNOPOL-BATTLE-EASTERB-FRONT-WW2-007.jpg" title="" width="558" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b>Another relief attack — the Commander-in-Chief of Army Group North Ukraine, Feldmarschall Model (in background, left) accompanied the attack in the leading half-track.</b></i></div>
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i>Following the death of Generalmajor von Neindorff, Oberst von Schönfeld assumed command of the remains of the garrison now squeezed into Zagrobela.There were about 1,500 men, but the situation in Zagrobela was hopeless from the beginning. It was a pocket about 1,000 meters in diameter in an area surrounding the open, village-like residential area. There was next to no cover available, and the area was under constant bombardment from Soviet heavy weapons and was subjected to waves of bombing and strafing attacks from the air. Since most of the houses there were made of clay or wood with no cellars, losses mounted extremely quickly. The wounded were placed in the few available cellars. For the worn-out,exhausted, battered German soldiers, with their bearded, smoke-blackened, emaciated faces, and their sad eyes, the situation in the cover less terrain was catastrophic. Rations, which had been relatively plentiful in Ternopol, now began to run short, as only the most vital things had been brought over from the city. Worst of all, there was scarcely any water. The single well was under enemy fire day and night until it was completely destroyed. The troops suffered from the shortage of drinking water, the wounded worst of all. All that could be done was to wet their lips with vodka; there was no way to get water for the new wounded. Moreover,ammunition was running out and the last radio had been put out of action.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Breakout (16 - 18 Apr 1944)</b><br />
<br />
At 0200 hours on 16 Mar the survivors that were still mobile attempted to break out (Buchner, 1995). Taking the Russians by surprise they managed to break through the inner ring relatively easily. At this point they divided into two groups of about 700 men. One group headed west and the other southwest. The latter group crossed the hills southwest of Zagrobela, into a wood south of the village of Janovka. There they eliminated some Russian anti-tank gun and artillery emplacements, however, under being attacked from flanks and rear they were pushed out of the forest toward the west. By this stage all the officers had been killed. The survivors formed small groups and tried to break through, but only 43 reached the German armour at Chodaczow on 17 Apr. Little is known of the fate of the other group, however, on the morning of 16 Apr five men managed to reach the positions of the 357th Infantry Division north of Kozlov. Two more men appeared north of Kozlov on 18 Apr. Finally five prisoners were returned to Germans lines for propaganda purposes. That made a total of 55 who reach safety out of the original 4,600 men.<br />
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bLK2jlIFpCI/T4UflwV6IhI/AAAAAAAAI9Y/BPfKFWgfSD8/s1600/TERNOPOL-BATTLE-EASTERB-FRONT-WW2-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bLK2jlIFpCI/T4UflwV6IhI/AAAAAAAAI9Y/BPfKFWgfSD8/s640/TERNOPOL-BATTLE-EASTERB-FRONT-WW2-006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The attempt to save Tarnopol</b></div>
<br />
At its peak the garrison had 4,600 men (Buchner, 1995). This included quite a range of types including under trained youths, older militiamen, volunteers, Waffen-SS troops, and regular soldiers. They were short of ammunition, in particular for artillery and heavy weapons. After reinforcements the garrison comprised:<br />
<br />
<b>The Germans At Tarnapol</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Fortress Commandant with Staff (Generalmajor von Neindorff)<br />
Two battalions of the 949th Grenadier Regiment (from 359th Infantry Division) - young soldiers with cursory training.<br />
Demba Fusilier Battalion (a veteran unit)<br />
543rd Regional Defence Battalion<br />
500th Proving Battalion<br />
Mitscherling Battalion (3rd Battalion, 4th SS-Volunteer Regiment, from Galizien Division)<br />
The remnants of 3rd Battalion, 4th SS-Volunteer Regiment (from Galizien Division) in company strength<br />
Kampfgruppe Grundmann (company strength)<br />
Alert Company (from elements of the 8th Panzer Division)<br />
Alert Company Vogel<br />
4th Battalion, 359th Artillery Regiment with 3 Batteries<br />
3 x 10.5 cm guns<br />
8 x 15.0 cm guns<br />
1 x battery of assault guns with 9 assault guns<br />
1 x anti-tank company with 6 guns *<br />
1 x Self-propelled artillery battery of the "LAH" with 6 guns<br />
Remnants of 4th Battery, 384th Flak Battalion<br />
3 x 2.0 cm anti-aircraft guns<br />
4 x 8.8 cm anti-aircraft guns<br />
Other small units<br />
* The total complement of anti-tank guns for the entire garrison was 15, including some outdated 3.7 cm Pak 35/36. It is probable that the nine unaccounted for anti-tank guns were part of infantry battalions.<br />
<br />
It is possible it was the Soviet 13th Army around Tarnopol as this unit was assigned the task to push westward whilst the rest of the Front moved south ( Moniushko, 2005)<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rNl4KQsKLfY/T4UfvFpGxCI/AAAAAAAAI9g/caCrd5J30RY/s1600/TERNOPOL-BATTLE-EASTERB-FRONT-WW2-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="surviving German soldiers appear Chodaczow-Wielki" border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rNl4KQsKLfY/T4UfvFpGxCI/AAAAAAAAI9g/caCrd5J30RY/s640/TERNOPOL-BATTLE-EASTERB-FRONT-WW2-004.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Only a few surviving German soldiers appeared in the morning mist East of Chodaczow-Wielki</b></div>
<br />
<b>References</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887402828?ie=UTF8&tag=incrwarimag-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0887402828" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>Buchner, A.</b> (1995). Ostfront 1944: The German Defensive Battles on the Russian Front 1944</a> [D. Johnston Trans.]. PA: Schiffer.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0304365408?ie=UTF8&tag=incrwarimag-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0304365408" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>Erickson, J. </b>(1996). The Road to Berlin: Stalin's war with Germany: Volume Two.</a> Phoenix Giants.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0415350670?ie=UTF8&tag=incrwarimag-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0415350670" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><b>Moniushko, E. D.</b> (2005). From Leningrad to Hungary: Notes of a Red Army soldier, 1941-1946</a> (O. Sheremaet, Trans; <b>D. M. Glantz, Ed</b>.). Frank Cass.<br />
<br /></div>
Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5091046345873002507.post-8600642481758346382012-04-06T01:10:00.000-07:002015-07-28T02:44:16.700-07:00Downfall: Slow Decimation Of The German Army: Battle Of KORSUN-CHERKASSY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: blue;">
1944. The slow decimation of the German Army gained momentum. Battle of Korsun. Or Battle of Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket. Most westerners have not heard of it unless they are history aficionados.
The Battle was huge. It could have turned into another Stalingrad. Two thirds of the Wehrmacht trapped in the pocket managed to escape. The rest were killed or captured. Two corps ceased to exist.
It was war at its most brutal. Two armies. Equally tough and ruthless. But the Wehrmacht was on the run. In decline.</span></h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>It was war at its most brutal. Read on....</b></h3>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
IMPORTANCE OF KORSUN-CHERKASSY BATTLE</h3>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
Virtually unknown in the English-speaking world, the Battle
of Cherkassy (also known as the Korsun Pocket) still stirs controversy in both the former Soviet Union and in Germany, the protagonists during this epic struggle. Although small in scale when compared to the gigantic battles
of
Moscow, Stalingrad, and Kursk, theBattle
of
the Cherkassy Pocket occupies a prominent place in the Russo-German
War.
It was at Cherkassy where the last German offensive strength in the Ukraine was drained away, creating the conditions for the victorious Soviet advance into Poland, Rumania, and the Balkans during the summer and autumn
of
1944. Eclipsed by a war
of
such gigantic proportions that saw battles
of
over one million men or more as commonplace, the events which occurred along the banks
of
the Gniloy Tickich have faded into obscurity. However, to the 60,000 German soldiers who were encircled there at the end
of
January 1944, this was perhaps one
of
the most brutal, physically exhausting, and morally demanding battles they had ever experienced. Fully thirty-four percent
of
them would not escape....</h3>
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WG49Cji-PEw/T36in51HH8I/AAAAAAAAI5g/gBNHxENLtbM/s1600/Battle-Korsun-Cherkassy-1944-Eastern-front-ww2-waffen-SS-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Wiking Waffen SS Division breaks out Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket " border="0" height="432" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WG49Cji-PEw/T36in51HH8I/AAAAAAAAI5g/gBNHxENLtbM/s640/Battle-Korsun-Cherkassy-1944-Eastern-front-ww2-waffen-SS-004.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Wiking Waffen SS Division breaks out of the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
CRUCIAL BATTLES OF 1944 ON THE EASTERN FRONT</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The fate of the German Sixth Army surrounded in Stalingrad was decided in early 1943, marking the turning point in the eastern campaign. From then on the German forces were steadily on the retreat in the face of continual Soviet offensives.</span></b></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As 1944 began, the superiority of the Red Army had become so crushing, aided by the obstinacy at the highest levels of German command, that the German Eastern Front, which was under heavy pressure everywhere, suffered a number of disasters which cost the eastern armies alone more than half a million German soldiers killed, missing and wounded.</span></b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It began with the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket, where two corps were smashed. Then followed the end of the German forces defending Ternopol, the belated evacuation of the Crimea, the destruction of Army Group Center, the failed breakout of an entire army corps from the encirclement near Brody and the collapse of the entire Army Group South-Ukraine in Romania.</span></b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The hundreds of thousands of German soldiers who had to endure this fate were symbols of distress, suffering, sacrifice and death, of fulfillment of duty, courage and comradeship, as well as of fear, desperation and self-sacrifice. It borders on the miraculous that the German soldier continued to stand and hold out despite these bitter setbacks of such enormous proportions.</span></b> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Cherkassy</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Ternopol</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Crimea</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sevastopol</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Vitebsk</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bobruisk</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Minsk</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Brody</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">, </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jassy</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> and </span><span style="color: #990000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Vutcani</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> entered the history of the Second World War as beacons in a pitiless struggle with tragic results.</span></b></blockquote>
From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887402828?ie=UTF8&tag=incrwarimag-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0887402828" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Ostfront 1944: The German Defensive Battles on the Russian Front 1944 (Schiffer military history)</a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
By ALEX BUCHNER<br />
<br />
MASSACRE AT KORSUN<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: #990000;">Stalin demanded the speedy "liquidation" of the German forces trapped at Korsun before relief could arrive. General Werner Stemmermann and his remaining units
determined on a final breakout. At 0200 hours on 17 February, as a blizzard raged, Stemmermann's troops finished their last supplies and destroyed guns and
lorries, leaving scenes like this one. There was no place in the columns for the
wounded, who were killed where they lay. As the German column moved into open country, Soviet tanks charged straight into it and Cossacks hunted down and
massacred fleeing Germans</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7nW1PFupoXU/T36ixJg9OGI/AAAAAAAAI5o/DvZZZ9785to/s1600/Battle-Korsun-Cherkassy-1944-Eastern-front-ww2-013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=" Russians attacking encircled Germans Korsun-Cherkassy painting" border="0" height="493" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7nW1PFupoXU/T36ixJg9OGI/AAAAAAAAI5o/DvZZZ9785to/s640/Battle-Korsun-Cherkassy-1944-Eastern-front-ww2-013.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>A painting depicting the Russians attacking the encircled Germans in Korsun-Cherkassy</b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: #990000;">Under the yellow sky of early morning and over ground covered with wet snow Soviet tanks made straight for the thick of the column, ploughing up and down, killing and crushing with their tracks. Almost simultaneously massed Cossack cavalry wheeled away from the tanks to hunt down and massacre men fleeing for the refuge of the hills: hands held high in surrender the Cossacks sliced off with their sabres. The killing in this human hunt went on for several hours and a new round opened on the banks of the river Gniloy Tikich, where the survivors of the first collision of the German column with Soviet troops dragged and fought their way.
— John Erickson, in The Road to Berlin, p. 178.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>German soldiers who were lucky to be alive and taken prisoner</b><br />
<br />
KORSUN: THE SITUATION <b></b><br />
<b><a href="http://www.theeasternfront.co.uk/battles/battleskorsunpocket.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.theeasternfront.co.uk/battles/battleskorsunpocket.htm</a></b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
During the Russian winter offensive of 1943-44, the German defences on the middle Dnepr had collapsed under enormous enemy pressure. The Russians had forced crossings of the river and continued their advance westward. Only at one point, the 80-mile wide salient between Kanev and Cherkassy, were German forces still holding on to their defensive positions along the western bank of the river. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The German forces in the salient, part of 8th Army, consisted of two Corps, the 11th and 42nd. These two Corps included the 57th, 88th, 72nd, parts of the 389th Infantry Divisions and the 5th SS Panzer Grenadier Division Wiking. In addition was the Korpsabteilung B, made up from parts of the 258th Regiment and the 112th Infantry division, plus various armoured and other supporting units. An airfield at Korsun also provided the possibility that any units that might become trapped could be re-supplied by air. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Despite this, Field Marshal Von Manstein, commander of Army Group South, had requested repeatedly that the two Corps be allowed to withdraw from the salient in order to straighten the German line. However Hitler refused, ordering that the salient be held, despite the risk of encirclement. He proposed that once the Russian offensive had been halted, it would be used as a springboard for an offensive to recapture Kiev. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Stavka saw the opportunity that an encirclement of the forces in the salient provided. Not only would it enable the destruction of a large part of the German 8th Army, but even more appealing was the idea that any retreat by Army Group South could lead to another major German force, Army Group A, being cut off further to the south in the Crimea.
To achieve these goals, the Ukrainian Front Group, led by Generals Konev and Vatutin were tasked to attack the flanks of the salient, from the southeast and northwest. Vatutin's 1st Ukrainian Front consisted of the 1st and 6th Tank and 40th Armies, while Konev's 2nd Ukrainian Front consisted of the 5th Tank and 4th and 53rd Armies. The 27th and 52nd Armies would press the northern and eastern faces of the salient along the Dnepr river positions. </div>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxWwH5c15JOA73hHnh7m-dGCD00v3yof252J82K0TmStS2LqaoDc89UWN-nBUmF1qBt-Hl7ZDDMSlFqVEjHlw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0AGX8utYOo/T36h5CW6MvI/AAAAAAAAI3Q/IvtH8hJklwo/s1600/Battle-Korsun-Cherkassy-1944-Eastern-front-ww2-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Germans lost war material" border="0" height="394" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X0AGX8utYOo/T36h5CW6MvI/AAAAAAAAI3Q/IvtH8hJklwo/s640/Battle-Korsun-Cherkassy-1944-Eastern-front-ww2-002.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The Germans lost a lot of war material which was destroyed</b><br />
<br />
<b>TRAPPED!</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
The two Ukrainian Front Groups began their attempt to encircle the German forces in the salient on the 24th of January 1944. The forces of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, which attacked from the southeast and drove along the southern side of the salient, made excellent progress, severing the link between the 11th and 42nd Corps and the remainder of the 8th Army. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Meanwhile the 1st Ukrainian Front attacked from the northwest and drove down the western flank of the salient. The German 7th Corps took the brunt of the attack and crumbled under the onslaught. The 88th and 198th Divisions fought desperately against the Russian tanks. These units, with little armoured support, were the only forces available to hold the line. If they failed to do so, the path lay open towards the 5th Tank Army, less than 90km to the southeast. If the two forces were able to link up, the salient would be cut off and the pocket closed. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This was achieved on February the 28th, near Zvenigorodka, when elements of the 6th Tank Army and the 5th Tank Army linked up near the town. The fate of 57,000 German soldiers trapped in the 'Korsun Pocket' now hung in the balance.
Following the closure of the pocket, command of the entire force passed to General Wilhelm Stemmerman and the force within became known as Group Stemmerman. The most rational solution would have been to attempt an immediate breakout, before the encirclement could be secured. In addition to saving the men trapped in the pocket, the void now created between the 1st Panzer Army on the left and the remainder of the 8th Army on the right could be filled. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
However Hitler forbade this and ordered that Group Stemmerman hold firm in the pocket. Hitler saw an opportunity to encircle the Russian forces that surrounded the pocket and destroy them, convinced that they were considerably weakened. However the units ordered to carry out this encirclement were at half strength or less, except for the recently arrived 22nd Panzer Division, and even their equipment was badly in need of repair. The German logistical situation was perilous, with men and materials in short supply. Following the debilitating Russian winter offensive, this was compounded by poor ground conditions, constant Russian air attacks on convoys and frequent partisan attacks. German moral was also at a very low ebb. In addition the first week in February saw an early warming of the weather, which proved disastrous to the movement of the German forces. </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ATTEMPTS TO SAVE </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On the morning of February 4th, General Breith initiated the attack against the Russian forces surrounding the pocket, thrusting from the south with the 16th and 17th Panzer Divisions. However the attack coincided with the start of the dreaded 'rasputitsa' or spring thaw. Movement, where possible at all, was slowed to a crawl and the advance soon became bogged down. To the south of Medvin, the tanks of Oberstleutnant Bake's Heavy Panzer Regiment led the way, with the 34th and 198th Infantry Divisions protecting their flanks. Bake's panzers slowly managed to advance only six miles, against heavy resistance and atrocious ground conditions. Throughout a day of heavy fighting, both sides suffered loss, but the Russians held their ground and the panzers could get no closer.<br />
<br />
General Breith though, refused to give up. With parts of the SS LAH Division on hand and the advance elements of the 1st Panzer Division now arriving, he committed them to the action. He radioed the forces in the pocket with the simple message, 'I'm coming!'
On the 8th of February the 1st Panzer Division captured Bushanka. Finally, on February the 8th, the Russians were forced into a withdrawal back over the Gniloy Tikich River where the 16th and 17th Panzer Divisions were able to establish a small bridgehead. However poor ground conditions and stiff Russian resistance halted any further advance there. The German forces trapped in the Korsun pocket would have to fight their way out to them.<br />
<br />
On the 12th of February, the SS LAH Division battled against Russian forces at Vinograd, while the 16th Panzer Division encountered resistance on the road to Medvin. The 17th Panzer Division also became engaged in a tank battle against elements of the Russian 6th Tank Army to the southwest of Medvin. The 1st Panzer Division meanwhile, continued to press its attack towards Lysianka. Further north, elements of the 47th Panzer Corps stalled at Zvenigorodka, 30km from the pocket and 25km from the 3rd Panzer Corps, its strength expended.</div>
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<b>Dead German soldiers who were massacred when they tried to break out</b><br />
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General Stemmerman quickly realized the seriousness of the situation. Only quick and decisive action could save the situation from becoming a major disaster. The forces in the pocket would have to be rescued soon, but first the pocket would have to hold firm. To accomplish this, the establishment of new fronts was initiated at possible breakout points, mostly along the southern edge of the pocket. </div>
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Initially most of the German forces were facing north and east, along the Dnepr River. Units would have to be repositioned to secure the perimeter of the pocket.
Orders were received from 8th Army, 'Group Stemmerman will shorten the front lines and move the pocket in the direction of Shenderovka in order to be able, when the time comes, to break out towards the forces mounting a relief attack from outside.'
This would require a masterful handling of the forces within the pocket. Stemmerman took on the task with a vengeance and successfully contracted the northern edge of the pocket, with 42nd Corps abandoning the Dnepr River positions. At the same time, the pocket was extended to the south by 11th Corps, with the objective of capturing the key villages of Shenderovka, Novaya-Buda and Komarovka. </div>
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The focal point of all activity was Korsun, which lay in the centre of the pocket and provided the pocket's only airfield. Here supplies were flown in and casualties flown out, by up to 70 aircraft per day, as the weather permitted. It was the only contact that the German forces had with the outside of the pocket, with the exception of radio communications. </div>
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<b>A dead German soldier in the snow</b><br />
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THE POCKET MOVES FROM KORSUN TO SHENDEROVKA<br />
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At Novaya-Buda the severely weakened 105th Regiment of the 72nd Division was tasked with assaulting the village. The Regimental commander, Major Kaestner, knowing he would have to cross an open slope to reach his objective, chose to make a night attack. The attack was made on the night of February 11th. Moving silently with bayonets, knives and entrenching tools, the men of the 105th crept toward the Russian positions. They could hear enemy soldiers chatting and an occasional burst of laughter. Suddenly, they were challenged by a Russian sentry. The regiment charged the surprised enemy, firing as they ran. Fighting was fierce as shock troops roved up and down the trenches finishing what remained of the Russian resistance.
On the 12th of February, Korsun was abandoned, along with its precious airfield. Almost 3000 wounded men were left behind there with medics to await capture by the Russians. No further supplies were received or wounded airlifted out after this date. On the 13th, inside the pocket, the 105th Regiment took 240 prisoners and destroyed 21 tanks in an assault on the village of Komarovka, but suffered heavy losses maintaining control of the town. The village of Shenderovka was taken later that afternoon, securing the planned breakout area.<br />
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By February 15th, the pocket had moved with a masterful fluidity, maintaining its flanks against constant Russian pressure, not only from the pursuing ground forces but also from constant air attacks, to the jump-off point at Shenderovka. The same day, the 105th Regiment captured the village of Chilki, and then repulsed heavy Russian counter-attacks. The pocket was now centred on the village of Shenderovka and had been reduced to an area of 56sq km, containing around 40,000 men.</div>
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<b>German POW after the Battle of Korsun</b><br />
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On the 15th of February, Panzers from the 3rd Panzer Corps made one last push from their bridgehead on the Gniloy Tikich, to capture Hill 239, northwest of the river. The area of the hill was held by elements from the 6th Tank and 27th Armies. But by this time the Russians had prepared strong defensive positions and were continually being reinforced. </div>
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Despite their best efforts the tanks of the 1st and 17th Panzer Divisions were unable to capture the hill, their advance grinding to halt along a line formed by the towns of Lysianka, Oktyabr and Chishintsy, about 12km short of the objective.
This meant that the men trapped in the pocket would have to fight their way out against Russian infantry supported by armour, in well prepared positions. The Russians occupied two sets of positions, the inner ring facing Group Stemmerman and an outer ring that was holding off the 3rd Panzer Corps efforts to break through. </div>
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On the same day 8th Army issued new orders to the forces trapped in the pocket, 'Group Stemmerman must perform a breakthrough as far as Zhurzintsy/Hill 239 by its own effort. There it will link up with the 3rd Panzer Corps.'
However the message did not clarify that Hill 239 was still in Russian hands. Stemmerman concluded from the message that friendly forces held the hill. He immediately began preparations for the breakout. Stemmerman would remain with the rearguard troops and General Lieb would lead the breakout. Once it began, however, there would be little communication between units. Local commanders retained strong discipline among individual units. <b><br /></b></div>
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THE BREAKOUT</div>
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By the 16th of February, the besieged forces of Group Stemmerman had been under siege for almost three weeks and the situation was becoming more desperate with each passing day.
Fearing that Hitler might postpone the breakout and knowing of the steadily weakening condition of the forces inside the pocket, Von Manstein made the decision to order General Stemmerman to begin the breakout attempt. The codeword was Watchword Freedom. His communiqué stated simply, 'Watchword Freedom, objective Lysianka, 2300 hours.' After issuing the order to break out, Manstein had attempted to warn Stemmerman that Hill 239 was still in enemy hands. But all radios had been destroyed and there was no further communication with the trapped troops.</div>
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Within minutes, Stemmerman's chief of staff, Colonel Franz, had read the message. The entire force was advised and the battle plan for the breakout, involving a three-pronged attack by the group, was put into action.
To the northwest, Corps Detachment B would lead the right wing of the breakout. In the centre, the 105th Regiment would again lead the way. Their success at Novaya-Buda had earned them the respect of the entire group.
The southwestern effort would be lead by elements of the 5th SS Wiking Division. General Stemmerman would remain with the covering forces and control the withdrawal. All unnecessary items of heavy equipment were left behind.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
At 03:30 hours the breakout commenced. The 105th Regiment moved silently in the darkness until they reached the base of Hill 239. A reconnaissance patrol led by Lieutenant Bender moved ahead to scout out the area. It was hoped that he would make contact with units of the 1st Panzer Division. However Lieutenant Bender soon returned with grim news. 'There are tanks ahead, but not ours. A half dozen T-34s are stationed on the road ahead and there are more further to the west.' The way was not open after all and the lead units realised that they would have to fight through the Russian positions before reaching the safety of 1st Panzers positions. </div>
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Major Kaestner reorganized his force and readied them for a swift assault. Kaestner's men moved silently towards the Russian position once again. Again they assaulted with bayonets, knives and entrenching tools. The Russian infantry fled firing wildly into the darkness. However this only alerted the tank commanders who quickly turned on their vehicle searchlights, illuminating the fleeing mass of German troops.
Now there was no orderly movement, it was every man for himself. All along the line the German units moved frantically ahead, suffering horrendous casualties. They had no choice but to move forward.
The units of the 1st Panzer Division and Bake's Heavy Regiment, hearing the carnage moved forward to offer what help they could.
All that remained of the 105th Regiment, about 220 men from an original compliment of 1100, finally reached their rescuers at Lysianka. Loudly shouting the password, 'Freedom, freedom!' they were greeted by Lieutenant Freiherr von Dornberg, who welcomed Kaestner with an embrace.
Meanwhile A renewed Russian attack on the German rear was repulsed by the 5th Panzer regiment of the Wiking division, which was itself completely destroyed in the process. </div>
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During the day General Stemmerman had been killed by anti-tank fire as he attempted to change command posts and General Lieb had assumed command.
Leon Degrell, serving with the Wallonian Brigade, part of the SS Wiking Division, described the ensuing panic. <b><span style="color: #990000;">'In a frantic race to escape, some carts carrying the wounded overturned. Suddenly a column of Russian tanks appeared and drove over the carts, smashing them one by one like boxes of matches. They machine gunned the horses and ran over the wounded crushing them beneath their tracks.'</span></b></div>
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<b>The relief attempt begins. Tanks and halftracks of 1st Panzer Division begin movements towards the pocket, early February 1944</b><br />
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Amongst the chaos, men from the 3rd Company of the 389th Panzerjaeger Battalion, saw the calamity unfolding. Staff Sergeant Krause who was leading the Company ordered his men into action. They moved quickly to the top of a nearby hill with some panzerfausts, finding seven T-34's firing down on the columns. They fired at the nearest vehicles, destroying two of them. The remaining vehicles, unable to see where the attack had come from, panicked and moved away. </div>
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Elsewhere a column from the Wiking Division was under attack from Russian tanks when a roaring cheer was heard. To the columns amazement, an officer on horseback appeared from a nearby ravine leading a force of some 3000 men. The man on horseback was Lieutenant Colonel Muller, waving his men forward as they smashed into the Russian lines. Even though dozens fell to concentrated gunfire the enemy line was broken and moved away. The men that were left moved on into the woods and headed toward the river.
Colonel Franz had witnessed the slaughter of the wounded of the Wiking Division and had a horse shot out from under him during the melee. </div>
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Proceeding on foot, he joined up with another group of soldiers and moved with them. Suddenly rifle and machine gun fire broke out in front of them. Two soldiers of the Wallonian Brigade appeared. They warned of a Russian machine gun position blocking the way in front of them. Franz quickly grabbed a sniper rifle and moved forward towards the enemy position. With his telescopic sight, the Colonel sighted three enemy soldiers manning a machine gun. Taking quick aim, he snapped off three shots, killing them all. Franz stood, and waved the remainder of his group forward. <b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Tiger tanks of the 3rd Panzer Corps. Korsun-Cherkassy. February 1944</b><br />
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CROSSING THE GNILOY TIKICH RIVER<b></b><br />
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By late morning, the escaping troops of Group Stemmerman had reached the bank of the Gniloy Tikich River. The early thaw had raised the level of the river and increased its flow into a roaring torrent, which now blocked their way. The waterway was 30 yards wide and about six feet deep. There was no bridge to be seen and crossing it seemed impossible.
Unknown to the group, about a mile to the northwest, the 1st Panzer division had a bridge under their control and the engineers of the Jena Armoured Engineer Battalion had also erected a smaller footbridge. </div>
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As the first arrivals milled around the river, the first T-34's appeared in the distance. Firing high-explosive shells and ricocheting airbursts, they caused panic. For many, the choice was clear. They would either have to brave the strong current or die where they stood.
Whole groups of men jumped in and began to try to cross. Many were swept away by the current, or dragged under by the weight of their uniforms and drowned. Men began to strip in order to improve their chances of survival. However those who reached the other side were suffering terribly from the cold, the temperature that morning was -5°C. The men still had over a mile to walk through the snow before they reached the safety of the German lines. </div>
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Some units attempted the crossing in some semblance of order. General Herbert Gille, commander of the Wiking Division, ordered that a tractor be driven into the middle of the river to act as a temporary pier, but the tractor was soon swept away. He then organised human chains, alternating a swimmer and a non-swimmer to extend across the river. It worked well until the numbing effects of the water caused a man to lose his grip. Suddenly the chain was broken and the surging currents carried the men away. </div>
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Once the first survivors reached the first positions of the LAH and 1st Panzer Divisions, they realized the desperate situation unfolding to their south. One group on the other side of the river moved to help in bringing some of the refugees to the crossings to their north. A group of tanks and engineers immediately went to the crossing site further south to assist their fellow soldiers.
The crossings continued throughout the day. Rear guard units of the Group pulled out successfully and made the crossing. By the end of the 16th, most of the fighting at the river had ended and the majority of the survivors from the pocket were across. The German lines had been straightened and nearly 35,000 of the original 56,000 men were saved. Over 10,000 men were killed and another 17,000 captured.<b><br /></b></div>
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CONCLUSION<br />
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The Russians were now becoming skilled in the execution of the sustained all arms offensive. Their troops were now more experienced and better equipped with simple and effective weaponry. Their overwhelming resources of manpower and determination to rid the Motherland of the hated German invader were beginning to exact a heavy cost on the German army.<br />
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The German forces were hampered by Hitler's continual interference. His repeated reluctance to give up ground in order to improve the tactical situation doomed the two Corps trapped in the salient. Hitler's inaccurate view of the situation belied the fact that most of his Divisions were badly under strength, poorly equipped and exhausted.<br />
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The Luftwaffe was again unable, as at Stalingrad, to re-supply the forces trapped in the pocket by air. Russian air superiority and a lack of fighters to support the transports lead to heavy losses. Poor ground conditions, as so often during the Russian campaign, badly affected German mobility. This debilitated offensive operations outside the pocket and the ability of the forces inside the pocket to manoeuvre.<br />
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While the Russians had not succeeded in destroying the two Corps trapped in the pocket, they had successfully neutralized the fighting ability of over six German divisions. Most of the men rescued had no weapons and all their heavy equipment had been abandoned. German forces had lost their foothold along the Dnepr.<br />
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The Russian forces would regroup and prepare for a new offensive during the summer. Operation Bagration, against German Army Group Centre, which would drive the Germans out of Byelorussia. <br />
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<b>Germans escaping from the encirclement</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></b>
<b>SOME NOTES FROM THE POCKET.....</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0887402828?ie=UTF8&tag=incrwarimag-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0887402828" rel="nofollow" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Ostfront 1944: The German Defensive Battles on the Russian Front 1944 (Schiffer military history)</a></div>
<div>
By ALEX BUCHNER</div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></b>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>February 7: </b>In spite of everything, order and discipline reign in the pocket. All movements are carried out calmly and according to plan. Rearguard and flanking cover fight almost to the precise moment of the next withdrawal. Gaps in the front are closed.</div>
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<b>February 8: </b>The enemy is attempting to reduce the pocket from all sides.</div>
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<b>February 9: </b>Our withdrawals are considerable. The surrounded divisions give up more ground in the southeast, east, north and northeast. The pocket has already shrunk considerably.February 10:Rescue appears ever more questionable. The surrounded units are nearing the end of their strength. There is little ammunition and no regular rations. The men are dead tired and have been completely soaked for days. Even by the most optimistic view the collapse is only a few days away.</div>
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<b>February 10/11: </b>The night again passes with numerous, difficult battles, rain and deep, clinging mud.</div>
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<b>February 11: </b>At 1100 two very correct Russian officers appear in front of our sector carrying a message from the Soviet High Command to the commander of the surrounded German units. The message is a final ultimatum - either we surrender or the final measures to destroy the pocket will begin at 1300. A prime-mover takes the officers through the mud back to the Russian lines.In the afternoon the enemy attacks from all sides. We must get out of the pocket. When will the order come to break out?</div>
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<b>February 12: </b>Despite all their efforts of the last 14 days the Russians have had nosuccess, now they want to accelerate the finishing of the pocket. Aftertheir ultimatum is rejected out of hand begins the assault on all sectors.Once again heavy rain, mud, wet, filth, trenches and holes filledwith water.The pocket has become extremely small, territory will definitelyhave to be won in the south and southwest in the direction of the plannedbreakout.Superhuman efforts are demanded of the troops. Every few minutesthe enemy breaks through the positions somewhere, counterattackshave to be carried out and enemy penetrations sealed off.The field bakeries in Korsun bake the last bran-bread. Togetherwith the small packets of concentrated chocolate dropped with thesupply canisters it is the only rations issued after February 13 ..."</div>
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<b>German snipers at Korsun</b></div>
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<b>February 13:</b> A several-kilometer-long lake southeast of Korsun ends in a tremendous dam. The troops evacuating Korsun have to cross the lake overan almost kilometer-long wooden bridge which the pioniers have built along the top of the dam. Everything is going smoothly despite the giant chain of men and vehicles. The cold has set in again and the mud has frozen. Everywhere people are trying to get vehicles going or arepushing them to the side so as not to block the road and hinder the panje wagons which, pulled by small horses and oxen, can get through more
easily. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>February 14: </b>The news of our relief advance is totally inaccurate. In the north of
the pocket we are withdrawing alarmingly, but scarcely advancing in the
south. The Russians, who are staying on the heels of the rearguard, pushed into Korsun early this morning. The village of Novo Buda in thesouth must be held no matter what, it forms the left pillar of the breakout area. If the enemy takes back Novo Buda he will only have to advance 6 kilometers to the west to cut off everyone near Shenderovka.The men in their dirty, mud-covered winter uniforms are totally exhausted. There is almost nothing to eat and only dirty water from the sides of the road to drink. The only heat for warming and drying outcomes from meager fires made from corn husks. Added to this is the mental strain.The weather has changed, the rain has stopped. The wind whistles and the onset of the cold brings snow.</div>
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<b>February 15:</b> Shenderovka, the breakout gate, has finally been taken following three days and two nights of fighting. In our rear, on the other hand, the Russians have pushed far beyond Korsun. The worst thing is the rations. We have no more, nothing at all. The last supplies were issued in Korsun. The men, without sleep and shivering from the cold, have received nothing, hot or cold, for threedays, and are living off what they have with them.A collective farm which has been transformed into a field hospitalis hit by fire from a Stalin Organ. Dozens of wounded create a bloody shambles. More than 1,200 wounded have already spent several days and nights in the open in straw-filled, light panje wagons requisitioned from villages in the pocket. After the rain of the previous weeks they have become soaked to the skin; now they must face the biting cold and lie half-frozen beneath their snow-covered blankets. One scarcely hears any moaning or groaning; many have given up, and no longer ask for anything. As soon as one dies he is laid beside the wagon by the Russian volunteers detailed as drivers and his place is taken by a new casualty.There are no more medicines and dressings are in short supply. The
doctors do all that is within their power, but they cannot help many. They
do it to satisfy their consciences.In the north the enemy continues to press and is already three kilometers from Shenderovka ..."</div>
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<b>German snipers in action</b><br />
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<b>Wednesday, February 16: </b>Shenderovka had become a gate to hell. The way to the assembly areas led every unit through the village with its one through-road, the sole approach road for the first three divisions, all of the train units and the rear-echelon services of both corps. Movement was slow and laborious over the muddy, rutted and worn surface.The endless columns of marching men and motor and horse-drawn vehicles became wedged together, resulting in a tremendous traffic jam. Since the Russian shad a clear view into the pocket and the movements inside could not be concealed,directed artillery fire, as well as fire from heavy mortars and Stalin Organs, fell continuously among the halted and slow-moving masses, inflicting further heavy casualties. Shells and howling rocket projectiles impacted everywhere. The single road was soon blocked by shattered vehicles, dead horses, exploding munitions vehicles, burning trucks, heaps of dead and wounded, shattered remains of walls and burning wooden houses. It was a hellish scene filled with bursting shells,smoke and dust, the cries and moans of the severely wounded, and the roar of German artillery as it fired its last rounds before spiking its guns. Anti-aircraft guns roared as enemy aircraft strafed and bombed the columns. And all the time fresh units continued to move into Shenderovka from the north, east and west. There was no way around the town and the only chance for freedom lay to the southwest
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BREAKOUT AND THEN NIGHTMARE....</div>
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When morning dawned the men of the break-out force realized to their bitter disappointment, and even horror and dismay, that it was not the tanks of the German relief force which were waiting for them on both sides of Hill 239, but a fully alerted enemy. </div>
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Russian tanks, anti-tank guns and artillery fired into the already confused and exhausted elements of the first wave and the steadily growing stream of approaching columns from the second and third waves.Everything became inextricably entangled, was seized by an unholy disorder and began to disintegrate. Any semblance of command ceased to exist. Horse-drawn vehicles were smashed, horses ran away and bogged-down vehicles went up in smoke and flames. Men ran about seeking cover in the mostly open terrain.Clusters of men ran forward with loud shouts, trying to get through, while others sought refuge in the deep, snow-covered ravines or in clumps of trees. Increasingly heavy fire smashed into the dense masses, which at first stayed put as if stunned and apathetic. Many grenadiers tried to fight back. Apart from Panzerfaust rocket launchers, however, they had no effective weapons against the enemy tanks which appeared everywhere. </div>
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Despite their teams of eight and ten horses the German antitank and light field guns had been left behind on the smooth, icy slopes or had become bogged down. Some Russian tanks were destroyed by the Panzerfaust antitank rockets. Two men of the 389th Anti-tank Battalion, which had long since been without guns, disabled five tanks. The others turned away. However, more tanks appeared and the enemy fire became ever heavier. Until now the troops had dragged all of their heavy weapons along with them, but now they were left behind, light and heavy field guns, as well as mortars and machine-guns. </div>
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The fate of the wounded in the panje wagons was also decided here; they, too, had to be left behind. And the enemy knew no pity. Oberst Franz, Chief-of-Staff of XXXXII Corps, saw about 15 Russian tanks roll through a ravine in which a column of panje wagons carrying wounded had stopped. The Russians shot the horses with machine-guns and crushed the wagons beneath the tracks of their tanks. Of these130 seriously-wounded men of the Wiking Division Dr. Thon was able to rescue perhaps a bare dozen. </div>
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Approximately 140 other seriously-wounded men had been taken along in the division's tracked vehicles. <b>These were shot up by Soviet tanks west of Shenderovka. Doctor Isselstein was killed by fire from a T-34. </b>A column carrying wounded from the Wallonie Brigade also failed to get through, as did several others.
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<b>Soviet troops ride a light tank into battle to clean-up the Germans in the Korsun pocket</b><br />
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CROSSING THE RIVER GNILOY TIKICH....<br />
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There was no bridge, and there were no boats to be seen anywhere.</div>
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In the course of less than half an hour about 20,000 men had assembled at the bank. They had no idea where the leading elements of the relief force were, they were unaware that <span style="text-align: center;"></span></div>
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Oberstleutnant Dr. Bäke and his heavy panzer regiment had set out again that morning to relieve the pocket and in the course of the day even reached the fateful Hill 239 south of Dzhurzhentsy, they did not know that German panzer grenadiers were holding Oktyabr to cover their withdrawal", and they did not know that only three kilometers upstream lay Lysyanka, in which the 1stPanzer Division had built a bridge and a footbridge for them. </div>
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They had gone further south then the defenders of the Lysyanka bridgehead could have expected. It was about eleven in the morning. Everyone was deliberating how to cross the stream. Generals Lieb and Gille and Oberst Dr. Hohm arrived and attempted to establish a semblance of order and organize a crossing. <b>A heavy tractor was driven into the river to serve as the basis for a crossing. It was rolled away by the current, however, and other pieces of equipment which had been pushed in behind it were also swept away. The men formed teams of swimmers and non-swimmers, but the non-swimmers were pulled away by the current and went under. Many tried to ride across on horses and were swept downstream, others crawled out onto the ice and went through. Still others took off their uniforms, bundled them up and threw them across to the other side and then tried to swim across, usually in vain.</b> </div>
The temperature at the time was minus five degrees and the area was being swept by an icy wind.<br />
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<b>Then the pursuing Soviet tanks reached the area of the river. The first four T-34s drove to within a few hundred meters and began firing into the masses of men with machine-guns and high-explosive shells.</b> There was no stopping now - they had to get to the other side where the Russians could not follow. Once again the result was a terrifying scene. In groups of thirty to forty, the frozen, half-starved soldiers plunged into the ice-cold water and tried to fight their way through the rushing torrent. Heads and arms poked up between the ice floes, cries for help rang out, bodies of horses and men floated and sank in the current. The Generals, too, were swimming.</div>
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Oberst Dr. Hohn, the commander of the 72nd Infantry Division, waited completely soaked in the freezing cold on the far bank until the last of his men arrived. Still on the other side, however, were the wounded, who could not cross. The entire bank was littered with discarded small arms, items of equipment and parts of uniforms. For those who were fortunate enough to make it across, as soon as they emerged from the water the uniforms froze to their bodies. And they had still not reached safety. The long, open line of hills south of Lysyanka lay under artillery and tank fire. Under enemy fire, thousands of men, some in frozen uniforms, some half dressed and some completely naked, ran through the snow toward the distant houses of Lysyanka-East. <b>Hundreds of German soldiers who had previously escaped death lost their lives at the Gniloy Tikich, a few hundred meters from the forward outposts of the1st Panzer Division. They died with freedom in sight, the freedom of which they had been dreaming for weeks and for which they had held on.</b></div>
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<b>German Stuka Dive Bombers (JU-87) at Korsun airfield</b><br />
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CONCLUSION<br />
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<span style="color: #660000;">It had not become a second Stalingrad, but two German army corps had ceased to exist and the better part of six divisions, which were soon to be bitterly needed,had been destroyed. Having escaped a twenty-one day battle of encirclement, the ten-thousand German soldiers were not fit for action for some time, and their faith in the highest levels of German command had been severely shaken. The two corps had also lost their entire complement of armaments, equipment, vehicles and horses.</span></h3>
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<b>Wiking Waffen SS soldiers at Korsun</b></div>
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WIKING DIVISION AT KORSUN</div>
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To bolster the strength of the division, the Walloon volunteer unit 5th SS-Sturmbrigade Wallonien was attached to the division, under command of Leon Degrelle. They were the subject of ridicule from many Wiking veterans until they proved their worth in the fighting for a forest near Teklino, at the head of a salient into the Soviet lines. A second panzer Battalion was also ordered to begin formation in Germany. </div>
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While the 5 SS Wiking was engaged near Teklino, several Red Army tank formations had advanced along the side of the salient and succeeded in encircling the German forces of XLII and XI Army Corps near Korsun.During the battle of the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket, 5 SS Wiking defended against Soviet attacks on the eastern side of the pocket. </div>
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While General of Artillery Wilhelm Stemmermann, the overall commander of the pocket, moved his forces to the west in readiness for an attempt to breakout, 5 SS Wiking, along with the 5th SS Sturmbrigade were ordered to act as the rearguard.
After repulsing all Soviet attempts to break through near the town of Novaya-Buda, the 5 SS Wiking rearguard split up and began withdrawing one platoon at a time, under cover of darkness. Advancing through Hell's Gate, the 5 SS Wiking came under heavy fire. The division suffered heavy losses in men and materials during the carnage of the Korsun Pocket. </div>
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Gille, the Divisional commander, had proven his loyalty to his men, fighting alongside them and remaining in action until all survivors had escaped. He was one of the last to cross the Gniloy Tikich River to safety.</div>
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<b>Men from the elite 5th Panzer Division Wiking</b></div>
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<b>Wiking SS troops firing at Russian positions at Korsun</b></div>
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BREAKOUT FROM SHENDEROVKA: IN PICTURES<br />
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During the freezing cold night of February 16, five divisions of General Hube's 1st SS Panzer Army, (54,000 men) including the 5th SS Division Viking and the Belgian Volunteer Brigade Wallonie, made a last desperate bid to break out of the Russian encirclement around the towns of Korsun and Shandrerovka in the lower Dnieper south-west of Kiev (Kyiv). At 4am, elements of the 8th Army formed up into two marching columns of around 14,000 men each and flocked into two parallel ravines in the surrounding countryside, and where the two ravines met, the troops, now in complete disorder, then emerged into open country and headed out towards the town of Lysyanka. There, disaster struck as troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, under General Konev, were waiting. Soon after 6am, the slaughter began. Soviet tanks drove into the two German columns crushing hundreds under their tracks. Fleeing in panic, the troops were then bombed and shelled before being confronted by units of Cossack cavalry who started hacking them to pieces with their sabres, There was no time to take prisoners and in the short space of three hours around 20,000 German soldiers lay dead, their bodies later dumped in holes dug in the ground. The hundreds of wounded and medical personnel left behind were butchered by the Cossacks. Only a few officers survived, most had fled the scene by plane some days before. (Russian sources put the number of dead during the two weeks of fighting at over 70,000) To reach Lysyanka the troops had first to cross the raging Gniloy-Tikich river. Reaching the opposite side many were transformed into blocks of ice their uniforms frozen to their bodies. About eight thousand others, who had fled the scene and were hiding in the woods, were rounded up during the next few days and taken prisoner. For this great victory, General Konev was awarded the title 'Marshal of the Soviet Union'.</div>
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<b>Burying the dead at Janovka. February, 1944.</b></div>
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<b>Slush and mud in the Korsun pocket</b></div>
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<b>Shenderovka. February 16, 1944.Germans hit by Soviet artillery</b></div>
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<b>February 17. Shenderovka. Preparing for the breakout. Destroying what is to be left behind</b></div>
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<b>Shenderovka, Morning of the 17th of February, Day of the breakout</b><br />
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<b>Preparing for the breakout</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QiINxT8stRY/T3_gZlJENEI/AAAAAAAAI6o/tgzPZ2PLQUs/s1600/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Breakout, 17th of February 1944" border="0" height="436" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QiINxT8stRY/T3_gZlJENEI/AAAAAAAAI6o/tgzPZ2PLQUs/s640/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-004.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Breakout, 17th of February 1944</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4jsTPxOQ9Nc/T3_gbKEYr8I/AAAAAAAAI6w/ExAxSCUv80M/s1600/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4jsTPxOQ9Nc/T3_gbKEYr8I/AAAAAAAAI6w/ExAxSCUv80M/s640/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4tj59kMLGU/T3_gclaoayI/AAAAAAAAI64/j6ITLb9QiS0/s1600/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4tj59kMLGU/T3_gclaoayI/AAAAAAAAI64/j6ITLb9QiS0/s640/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-006.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Marching into the cold</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qvZMPdfmyeA/T3_gdvNqlmI/AAAAAAAAI7A/8xXT0irNu9A/s1600/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Soviet 152 mm gun destroyed by a panzerfaust" border="0" height="430" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qvZMPdfmyeA/T3_gdvNqlmI/AAAAAAAAI7A/8xXT0irNu9A/s640/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-007.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>A Soviet 152 mm gun destroyed by a panzerfaust</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAnjBEUq8M0/T3_gg6QSoHI/AAAAAAAAI7I/rp_9-897RgU/s1600/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAnjBEUq8M0/T3_gg6QSoHI/AAAAAAAAI7I/rp_9-897RgU/s640/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8PAzk4hSLGk/T3_hqJ6yKyI/AAAAAAAAI7Y/BV9vKcTqsjI/s1600/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="German survivors from Korsun Outskirts of Lysanka" border="0" height="422" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8PAzk4hSLGk/T3_hqJ6yKyI/AAAAAAAAI7Y/BV9vKcTqsjI/s640/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-009.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Outskirts of Lysanka. Welcome sight of the German armor. End of an ordeal.</b><br />
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<b>Bread and cigarettes</b><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JvHU2Y1gjWA/T3_htGO6znI/AAAAAAAAI7o/rPuBstjX6vc/s1600/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JvHU2Y1gjWA/T3_htGO6znI/AAAAAAAAI7o/rPuBstjX6vc/s640/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Posing together</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YmiUodFaE6c/T3_hvN76zNI/AAAAAAAAI7w/g6cGbLKpwF4/s1600/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YmiUodFaE6c/T3_hvN76zNI/AAAAAAAAI7w/g6cGbLKpwF4/s640/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Moving on under the welcome shadow of German tanks</b><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MUprpOSAqC0/T3_hwYyA82I/AAAAAAAAI74/IEIXRrqPB8A/s1600/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Battle Of KORSUN-CHERKASSY" border="0" height="430" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MUprpOSAqC0/T3_hwYyA82I/AAAAAAAAI74/IEIXRrqPB8A/s640/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-013.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bPgp8NMnJQ/T3_hyI453lI/AAAAAAAAI8A/nVcTLMVrPoQ/s1600/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Battle Of KORSUN-CHERKASSY" border="0" height="444" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2bPgp8NMnJQ/T3_hyI453lI/AAAAAAAAI8A/nVcTLMVrPoQ/s640/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-014.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>Evacuating the wounded, Buki 20th of February</b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fnp2vGFK-gA/T3_hzSgFvWI/AAAAAAAAI8I/Cer8qsCn35o/s1600/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Korsun survivors reach Grossno" border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fnp2vGFK-gA/T3_hzSgFvWI/AAAAAAAAI8I/Cer8qsCn35o/s640/battle-korsun-cherkassy-shevchenko-eastern-front-1944-shanderovka-february-17-1944-breakout-015.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
<b>At Grossno. Peace and rest</b><br />
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<b>VIDEO: BATTLE OF KORSUN POCKET</b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzSiWFPDxBuxfkTi0gcQD2A9qtrbGabCKnwOFgzDiEGj-Zb8qjkKMnmnvmmaZ8ZOk_FSnKhjWTU2CBvIl4WGQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Karan Gohilhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15700378533829962836noreply@blogger.com