75 years tomorrow...

[z28craz]

Stalingrad IMO was the turning point of the war. 250,000 Germans killed. Fighting a war on both fronts was too much for the Nazis. Also, if Hitler had listened to Rommel D Day could have been a total loss for the Allies. Even during D Day Hitler believed it wasn't the real invasion. He was convinced Patton would lead the true invasion at the Pas De Callaises. Could have been much worse if Rommel had his armor and tanks waiting at Normandy.

Yes absolutely. Stalingrad was especially brutal, mainly because of the propaganda used by both sides, but it was a particularly strategic in nature as well. Stopping the Germans in Stalingrad and turning them back ensured that they were denied the oil rich areas of the Caucasus and kept American supplies flowing through a second port. Once the Royal Navy and allied forces cleared the Mediterranean of the German Navy Germany was virtually surrounded and it was only a matter of time.

As for D Day, yes by that point in the was Hitler was disillusioned and paranoid. Rommel knew he had to stop the invasion on beach. He knew if the invasion succeeded it was all over. He knew by this time it was all over anyway because of the Russian push. At this point many in the German high command who were loyal to Germany and not necessarily Hitler and the Nazi party

one reason russian "strategy" was deficient was because of stalin's purges of army officers before the war. he killed off a lot of the brains of the army

True. Although the man was so sadistic it probably wouldn’t have mattered even if he would have had competent leadership.

 

[tpmcg_rivals137159]

maybe not incompetent considering the war attrition he was willing to wage. he wasted about 20 million people by some estimate and when you have that many expendables, thats a lot of bullets, logistics, and manpower to fight, kill, corral, or whatever, regardless of how many generals you killed.

 

[barney44]

Lend/lease

 

[Baxter48_rivals204143]

Come from a long line of white trash who died in American wars that made a difference. Had a cousin that assaulted Tarawa. Came home and was NEVER the same. If you guys want to read about invasions that cost us inhumane casualties, read about The Pacific Front.

Glad Truman had the balls to nuke Japan and end it all.

That was a nasty ugly battle in the pacific theatre

 

[Baxter48_rivals204143]

Lend/lease

Exactly Russia doesn’t survive without lend/leases

 

[Baxter48_rivals204143]

maybe not incompetent considering the war attrition he was willing to wage. he wasted about 20 million people by some estimate and when you have that many expendables, thats a lot of bullets, logistics, and manpower to fight, kill, corral, or whatever, regardless of how many generals you killed.

If you read history the Russian people hated stalin, they were actually hoping when the Germans invaded they’d be treated better, wrong Hitlers SS fixed that. Another blunder by the Austrian corporal

 

[SoFL Husker]

That was a nasty ugly battle in the pacific theatre

All of our Pacific Invasions during WWII were ugly, with entrenched Japs dug in.

Normandy is so stoic, I don't think it's about casualty rates and issues but about Freedom. We duped Hitler. After we had that French beachhead, all over Nazi scumbag

 

[jolley]

If you read history the Russian people hated stalin, they were actually hoping when the Germans invaded they’d be treated better, wrong Hitlers SS fixed that. Another blunder by the Austrian corporal

yeah, ukrainians cheared the germans in after stalin starved 17 million ukrainians to death

 

[z28craz]

Lend/lease

Yep. According to Khrushchev the Soviets would not have prevailed without Lend/Lease. We upgraded their factories, improved their rail system, and provided weapons and ammunition. Considering or post WWII history with the Soviets....

 

[SoFL Husker]

Stalingrad IMO was the turning point of the war. 250,000 Germans killed. Fighting a war on both fronts was too much for the Nazis. Also, if Hitler had listened to Rommel D Day could have been a total loss for the Allies. Even during D Day Hitler believed it wasn't the real invasion. He was convinced Patton would lead the true invasion at the Pas De Callaises. Could have been much worse if Rommel had his armor and tanks waiting at Normandy.

HBK, great call for a youngster. My father-in-law would say the Battle of Britain, but he was always an Anglophile.

I'd argue it was the day Hitler turned on Stalin instead of making An Alliance.

 

[SoFL Husker]

 

[z28craz]

HBK, great call for a youngster. My father-in-law would say the Battle of Britain, but he was always an Anglophile.

I'd argue it was the day Hitler turned on Stalin instead of making An Alliance.

I think there were a lot of turning points in that war. I wouldn’t call the Battle of Britain a turning point, but for Britain to stand alone against Germany for as long as they did and to endure the absolute shellacking they took is nothing short of miraculous.

This is my Americanism coming out, but IMO the greatest turning point of the war was the moment the first bomb was dropped at Pearl Harbor. At that moment the entire capacity of American industry was forced to engage in total war. Once that happened it was only a matter of time until the allies would eventually over power Germany and Japan.

 

[SoFL Husker]

I think there were a lot of turning points in that war. I wouldn’t call the Battle of Britain a turning point, but for Britain to stand alone against Germany for as long as they did and to endure the absolute shellacking they took is nothing short of miraculous.

This is my Americanism coming out, but IMO the greatest turning point of the war was the moment the first bomb was dropped at Pearl Harbor. At that moment the entire capacity of American industry was forced to engage in total war. Once that happened it was only a matter of time until the allies would eventually over power Germany and Japan.

Agree, but Germany and Russia in a truce or an alliance complicates matters, given how populous and vast Russia was at the time, and the reality of WWII was Hitler ALMOST conquered them, he was at Moscow's doorstep.

 

[Baxter48_rivals204143]

I think there were a lot of turning points in that war. I wouldn’t call the Battle of Britain a turning point, but for Britain to stand alone against Germany for as long as they did and to endure the absolute shellacking they took is nothing short of miraculous.

This is my Americanism coming out, but IMO the greatest turning point of the war was the moment the first bomb was dropped at Pearl Harbor. At that moment the entire capacity of American industry was forced to engage in total war. Once that happened it was only a matter of time until the allies would eventually over power Germany and Japan.

Actually the Battle of Britain was a turning point because of a mistake by Britain they accidentally dropped bombs in a residential region in Berlin which pissed off hitler so instead of the Germans going after the British aircraft and airfields the went after the residents, therefore giving Britain time to rebuild there airfields and get new airplanes. Another was Hitler invading Russian, another was the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor. Rommel being turned back El Alamein. The Battle of Midway just little of 6 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor

 

[jolley]

HBK, great call for a youngster. My father-in-law would say the Battle of Britain, but he was always an Anglophile.

I'd argue it was the day Hitler turned on Stalin instead of making An Alliance.

hitler did make a non aggression pact with stalin, but lied about it and attacked anyway

 

[jolley]

Actually the Battle of Britain was a turning point because of a mistake by Britain they accidentally dropped bombs in a residential region in Berlin which pissed off hitler so instead of the Germans going after the British aircraft and airfields the went after the residents, therefore giving Britain time to rebuild there airfields and get new airplanes. Another was Hitler invading Russian, another was the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor. Rommel being turned back El Alamein. The Battle of Midway just little of 6 months after the attack on Pearl Harbor

Guadalcanal was crucial to stop japan, also