“The first 24 hours of the invasion will be decisive…the fate of Germany depends on the outcome…for the Allies, as well as Germany, it will be the longest day.”             Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

On 6 June 1944 the armies of “Britain, the Empire, and America,” supported by mighty naval and air forces, were hurled across the English Channel to exterminate Nazi tyranny.  During the preceding night paratroopers and glider-borne assault troops had boldly landed behind the invasion beaches.  Allied naval flotillas comprising 7 battleships, 25 cruisers, 105 destroyers, 4,021 landing ships, landing craft, and barges,  and with two prefabricated artificial harbors in tow,  were unchallenged by the meager German naval units remaining in occupied France.

The thousands of fighters and bombers of the western allies controlled the skies over the channel and far inland as well, making daylight movement by enemy ground units perilous indeed. This titanic endeavor was and remains history’s greatest amphibious invasion.  But despite the overwhelming allied superiority on land, sea, and air, success was far from certain.  Realizing the invasion could fail, General Eisenhower famously prepared a message accepting responsibility for the defeat of Operation Overlord. Thankfully, that message proved unnecessary. 

What many in the west fail to acknowledge is the central role played by the USSR in the allied victory on D-Day and throughout the war.  On 6 June 1944 nearly two thirds of the German Army was far from Normandy, on the defensive and hard pressed by the Red Army and Red Air Force.

As it had for Great Britain and would for the United States, World War II began disastrously for the Soviet Union.  Operation Barbarossa was launched on 22 June 1941 as Hitler’s legions mounted their surprise attack.  Over the ensuing weeks and months stunning victories were triumphantly proclaimed from Berlin.  Entire Soviet armies, each composed of tens of thousands of heroic defenders of their fatherland, were annihilated.  Soviet civilians were murdered, starved, made homeless, and enslaved. Vast territories with immense agricultural, mineral, and industrial value fell to the invader.  Most senior British and American military officers concurred in the belief that Nazi Germany would certainly prevail and destroy the USSR.

What the Nazis had concealed however, when boasting of their triumphs, was their cost.  From the minute their soldiers violated the Soviet frontier, a high price was paid in blood.  As the aggressor advanced into ever stiffening Red Army defenses, the price went up.  Although the German victories were costly, their defeats came dearer.  By the time the Americans, British, and Canadians bravely stormed Normandy’s beaches, their valiant Soviet ally had already won “crushing victories” at Moscow (1941 – 1942), Stalingrad (1942 – 1943), and Kursk (1943). 

Millions of enemy soldiers had been killed, wounded, or taken prisoner by the Red Army before D-Day.  The fallen, along with those still fighting on the eastern front, could not defend their Reich against the onrushing waves of Anglo-Americans coming ashore in France.  A great Red Army summer offensive, Operation Bagration, erupted on 22 June 1944.  This gigantic offensive “included 14 combined-arms armies, 1 tank army, 4 air armies, 118 rifle divisions and two rifle brigades (most organized into 40 rifle corps), 7 fortified regions, 2 cavalry corps (with 6 cavalry divisions), 8 mechanized or tank corps (4 of which were separate corps) and scores of supporting artillery formations.  The total combat force involved was 1,254,300 men, including 4,070 tanks and self-propelled guns, 24,363 artillery pieces, and close to 5,327 combat aircraft.” Operation Bagration, together with the relentless, day and night strategic bombing campaign of the Americans and British, left the architects and builders of Treblinka and Auschwitz little chance to reinforce their units in Normandy.

The end came finally on 8 May 1945, less than one year after D-Day, as “representatives of the German command signed the Act of Unconditional Surrender, thus acknowledging their total defeat.”

“German armed forces’ losses to war’s end numbered 13,488,000 men (75 percent of the mobilized forces and 46 percent of the 1939 male population of Germany).  Of these, 10,758,000 fell or were taken prisoner in the East.” For the hard won allied victory, our Soviet comrades-in-arms made by far the greatest sacrifice.  “One can look at it this way: for every Briton or American who died, the Japanese lost seven people, the Germans twenty, and the Soviets eighty-five.”

In reflecting on the terrible specter of a possible victory for Hitler’s Germany, eternal gratitude and respect is due to all on the allied side who fought, suffered, and “stood unto death,” not forgetting our gallant allies in Russia and the former Soviet Union.

Public interrogation of the German Major-General Alfons Hitter by Marshal of the Soviet Union Aleksandr Vasilevsky and Field Marshal Ivan Chernyakovski after the battle of Vitebsk during Operation Bagration. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Soviet gun crew in action at Odessa in 1941. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Soviet Offensive near Moscow. December, 1941 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

American and Soviet troops meet east of the Elbe River (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Many of these people are my heroes … Each one of those on thisscenario has changed my life in profound ways,” Obama said, citingexamples of how it impacted the work of novelist Toni Morrison’s songs Bob Dylan or community activism of Dolores Huerta.

About Huerta, Obama said, no experience and being a single mother of seven children, helped lead a boycott against the owners ofvineyards until they agreed to a collective agreement for workers in the field. Obama joked that when they “stole” the slogan of ”Yes we can!” Huerta used to organize the peasants, she let him, whichpleased him because “Dolores is not played.”

“Each of the honorees has been blessed with an extraordinary amount of talent … what distinguishes these men and women is theincredible impact they have had on so many people, not coups and dazzling short but steadily along of a lifetime, “Obama said, by ensuring that everyone, without exception,” have enriched our lives. “In the picture, Obama placed the medal to Madeleine Albright, former secretary of state.

The President stated in his speechthat Karski, “served as a courier for the Polish resistance during the darkest days of World War II… resistance fighters told him thatJews were being murdered on a massive scale and smuggled him into the Warsaw Ghetto and a Polish death camp to see for himself….” ( click here to watch video ) On Wednesday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk issued a press release that states in part,”We always react in the same wayto ignorance, lack of knowledge and ill will which lead to the distortion of history. Such phrasesare especially painful for Poland -Europe’s most affected country by World War II.”

The Associated Press reports that many Polish people said that Obama should have referred to the concentration camp as a”German death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland.” The Prime Minister stated in his press release that Poland expects America to engage in efforts aimed at eradicating the phrase “Polish death camps” once and for all.

“I am certain that our American friends are capable of a more explicit reaction than issuing a correction and the spokesperson of the White House expressing regret, and that maybe they will once and for all eliminate such errors.”

National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor told the media that Obama “misspoke’and “He was referring to Nazi death camps in Poland.” Vietor spoke on behalf of the President and stated, “We regret this misstatement , which shouldnot detract from the clear intention to honor Mr. Karski andthose brave citizens who stood onthe side of human dignity in the face of tyranny.”

Richard Overy in 1995 published his novel titled Why the Allies Won; Overy is a professor of modern history at King’s College in London and has published numerous works on World War II. Why the Allies Won is inclusive to Overy’s in depth study of why the allies won World War II, when it seemed that the axis powers were ahead until 1942-1943. Overy begins by clearly laying out the basic information as to why the allies did win. He discusses three major elements of World War II in terms of where the battles were: in the sea, in the air, and on the ground. By doing this he is clearly illustrates the allies’ rough situation upon entering the war, and how they were able to improve their performance both militarily and economically and come out of World War II victorious.

Overy discusses, in great detail, the war at sea. He goes into depth discussing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, which ultimately cause the United States to enter the war. He talks about the intelligence of the allies and how they were eventually able to break the code of submarine warfare tactics which allowed them to defeat the German U-boats. The code-breaking and radar technology allowed their anti-submarine warfare tactics to become technologically superior alongside the United States Navy; both of which led to the demise of the German U-boat threat and the Japanese Navy.

The war in the air, as portrayed by Overy, consisted of more ineffectiveness, than actual effectiveness. Overy illustrates how the American bombing offensive had cause disruptions in Germany’s economy and actually diverted Germany’s resources to Reich. However, Overy also illustrates the importance of the American bombers along with the new radar technology, when dealing with the Japanese Navy and locating submarines. In one aspect, Overy does not seem to give the air force enough credit, but then in other areas he illustrates the importance of the aircraft with the bombings. For example, he talks of the Soviet air force and how their skill and confidence was aided in the allies winning the war; however, he compares that to the Germans and Japanese who were more militarized at the beginning of the war. In the way Overy compares the nations, he clearly illustrates that the allies had to learn how to fight in war; while the axis powers were already prepared for war.

The difference between the allies and the axis powers military skills, according to Overy, aided in the allies’ victory. The axis powers were prepared for war, while the allies had to learn war. The allies being pulled into the war, especially Britain and America were not as prepared but could then use more modern technology to create better equipment. This element is obviously important in answering the question of why the allies won and Overy does not ignore its importance. The technological advances and quality was illustrated numerous times when dealing with aircraft, bombers, submarines, tanks, and radars. He also illustrated how Germany was also working to improve their technology. In return, Germany developed too many weapons that were not as effective as their old, while at the same time, the Soviets continued working on making fewer new models of weapons but mass-producing their old weapons. As Overy also points out, this is an economic downfall to Germany as they are spending money trying to create something new, that in return fails, the Soviet Union spend their money producing the same equipment and not losing money in the long run.

The weapons proved vital for on the ground warfare. The axis while having better trained soldiers, focused on placing their combat troops in the front and not many in the rear. The allies placed more emphasis on using their troops for supply purposes which allowed them to continue warfare without break unlike the axis troops which were constantly running out of supplies and getting bombarded by the axis while waiting for supplies. Overy illustrates in precise detail the statistics of the allied resources in comparison to the axis resources and in return he portrays the obvious superior allied supply forces. The axis powers were lacking in shipping, tanks, aircraft, oil, steel, ordnance and ammunition as well as man power. All of these, the allied troops had plenty; they relied on obtaining their steel from American and was able to extract twice as much oil as the axis powers. The axis powers had oil; however, Overy points out that they did not have the drilling equipment to obtain the oil. The oil that Germany had and was able to extract was watered down by the time it reached the battle fields, which decreased its octane levels. Germany was unable to successfully extract and transport the high octane oil that, in particular, was vital for their aircrafts.

For the war on the ground the Soviet military force had been nearly defeated in 1941, after the near defeat, Stalin placed strict guidelines on the troops about desertion as well as surrender. Stalin told all troops that any soldier of any stature who muttered surrender or deserted the troops was to be shot down. The soviet military troops were quick to learn from their mistakes in 1941, and Overy points out how they organized themselves better and quickly became an overwhelming ground force that held massive defeats at Stalingrad and Kursk. Overy also points out that with the, now highly skilled, Soviet military and the inexperienced American troops working together axis illusion of victory would quickly fade.

Overy illustrates key elements in all the tactics made by the prominent military figures. Overy dedicates an entire chapter discussing not only the well-known military figures such as Churchill, Stalin, and Hitler, but he also points out key figures that are typically looked over and not often appreciated. Little known figures such as Alexander Novikove, who was the architect of the Red air force, and Alexei Antonov who became the chief of staff after 1943 is portrayed by Overy as being important to the allies winning World War II, but often ignored by other historians.

Overy examines six different settings in answering the question of why the allies won. He begins by discussing the navy powers and used the Coral Sea and midway, and the Battle of the Atlantic to illustrate the allied Navy powers. He used Stalingrad and Kursk to portray air warfare tactics. Finally, he used the strategic bombing offensives and Normandy to portray the technological and leadership aspects of allied victory.

One element that Overy also includes in a separate chapter is that of morality and the moral aspects of war. This is an element that is important to World War II and the allies’ victory over the axis powers. In this chapter Overy includes the atomic bomb and nuclear warfare that was used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While the super bomb was effective in winning the wars the result of the atomic bomb was much more horrific than anyone anticipated. While there were originally three atomic bombs only two hit their target and left massive destruction and devastation after the realization of the atomic bomb it was a morality issues and decided that nuclear warfare would never occur again. When dealing with warfare Overy points out that civilian lives are commonly lost to the best of soldiers abilities, but to the extent of nuclear weapons, morally and ethically it was wrong.

Also in dealing with morality, Overy explains the Japanese warfare tactics with suicide bombers and people willing to give their lives knowing it would be lost, in comparison, with the allied troops who were willing to fight to the death. The difference between fighting in war with the intent to fight to the death verses fighting to die brought about another great point in not only warfare but the different nationalities and cultures that were involved in the World War II.

Why the Allies Won is a novel that would be a great addition to any historians library or simply for a World War II enthusiast. This book provides great insight on World War II and an in depth look at the allied verse axis powers. Throughout Overy’s book a reader is pummeled with historical statistics and data that make the book perfect for research. In addition to research the book is overall an easy read, and both accurate and reliable facts. The book is a quick read and can provide much insight into intricate details often overlooked about World War II, as well as makes readers question and wonder what would have happened had the axis actually been victorious instead of the allies. One downfall that I discovered in the book was that it took some getting into. Like any great literary work the beginning can often seem dry and loose the interest of readers, for me it began slowly but by the time one reaches beyond the first chapter the book is one that is difficult to put down. The range and use of blending both allied and axis information into each page keeps the readers in tuned to a chronological aspect, although the book is not in chronological order from cover to cover, and helps the readers realize how things played out. I found it to be fascinating how Overy includes a cultural historians point of view in the book with the included chapter about the morals of war and the different moralities concerned with each nation, how those morals differed yet the soldiers were all present to win the war. 

In conclusion, Overy allows readers to thoroughly understand the outcome of World War II by illustrating elements such as: technological quality, combat prowess, organization and leadership, and even comments of fighting a moral war in order to express why the allies won World War II.  Overy presents these thematic elements in a way that can easily be understood by readers, without omitting facts and statistics. Overy does not allow for any misconceptions when one finishes his book. From military leaders to battle plans, Overy covers the entire course of World War II, in order to answer the ultimate question that many people ask: how did the allies win the war after the axis powers were so far ahead.  

Rationing was introduced very early on the 8th January 1940 and continued well after the war ended, finally ending in 1954 9 full years after the end of the war.

A full weekly ration for 1 Adult consisted of the following:

3 pints of milk, 225g of jam, 55g of tea, 12 pence of tea, 12 pence of meat, 170g of butter, 55g of cooking fat, 115g of bacon, 30g of cheese and 225g of sugar. This ration weighed exactly 10lbs and cost seven shillings and six pence (approx 70 cents in today’s money). In order to receive this ration every house holder had to register with there local shops.

The above rationing (although small) would work but what would happen if an invasion occurred.

The 1st hint of a possible invasion came when the following letter (delivered by hand) arrived in every household in England (I type from the original).

War Special Emergency Food Rations.

Emergency Rations are stored ready for issue in case of Emergency or Invasion of the Hills and will be issued by me in consultation with the Military and Executive Authorities should occasion arise to make it necessary.

Notice will be given by telephone and/or Messengers and Wardens and Housewives Services (bear in-mind most men were overseas) who will hasten to warn house holders of their areas. Householders must promptly get to their designated area at the time and date ordered with the help and receptacles needed.

TAKE WITH YOU:

Ration Books for all those you will draw rations for.

Money. Seven shillings and six pence for each ration (about 70 cents in today’s money).

Receptacle. Each ration weighs 10lbs, so you must bring enough sacks or receptacles and enough people to carry them for the number of rations you draw.

The rations consist of biscuits, tinned meat, tinned soup or beans, sugar, tinned milk, margarine and tea. Margarine tins contain four rations each and must not be opened until needed. Householders of only one or two persons must arrange to share with neighbors and must state any such arrangement at the issue table. Otherwise the issue of this ration will be held up for them until later. Larger households will receive the nearest number of tins to fit the household. The rations are designed to last 8 days after other normal food supplies fail (in other words after 8 days they were on their own). They must therefore be put aside for this purpose and be carefully looked after. On no account must they be allowed to fall into the hands of the enemy.

As the war progressed, most kinds of food came to be rationed, as were clothing and petrol. Clothing was rationed on a points system. Initially the allowance was for approximately one new outfit per year; as the war progressed the points were reduced to the point where the purchase of a coat constituted almost an entire year’s clothing.

Rationing continued after the end of the war. In fact, it became stricter after the war ended than during the hostilities. Bread, which was not rationed during the war, was rationed from 1946 to 1948; potato rationing began in 1947. This was partly due to the necessity of feeding the population of European areas coming under British control.

At the 1950 General Election the Conservatives campaigned on a manifesto of ending rationing as quickly as possible. During the following Labour-controlled hung parliament, petrol rationing ended on 26 July 1952. The Conservatives came to power in 1951 and much to the delight of all kids Sweet rationing ended in February 1953, and sugar rationing ended in September 1953, however the end of all food rationing did not come until 4 July 1954, with meat and bacon the last to go.

Two favorite deserts of the rationing days still survive today apple crumble and carrot cake within the ration allocation you find all the ingredients you required they were also filling.

I look forward to going through the other papers in this box (there are many) so thank you Dad for the chance of seeing how it really was.

As a challenge my Wife and I are going to see if we can survive for one week using the above ration. We will let you know how we get on.

Protecting the president takes mutiple team players to accomplish that task. We get lost in the facts that our very own political cheaters lives, within the district of Washington D.C. These same roques that loves to propose legislature for shown. As opposed, to move the government forward. Only proves that they adore the title of being a Democrat or Republican. But detest working for the good of the people.

We all know the only reason this story of the SSA is constantly bought before the news, by political leaders. Is simply to distract from working to do the will of the people. Prositutes was dated and catereed by soldiers in World War II, and many wars after. These the hear of our countries protection.

So, to be surprised that agents protecting the president seeked recreation therapy shouldn’t be surprised. We know our good crooks called politicians had seeked every way possible to enjo

Europe had colonized a great deal of the world (colonize – v. to rape, murder and pillage a nation, destroying its culture and stealing its goods, while exterminating or enslaving its populace). And Europe was run by about a dozen guys (and one woman). These guys (and woman) were all related to each other, pretty much.

The dozen guys (and one woman) were spoiling for a fight. There hadn’t been a big war in a while. Heck Wikipedia only lists NINE wars in Europe between 1900 and 1914. The dozen guys were arguing over who had the biggest b***s, and the woman argued, not without justification) she did.

The trigger of World War I

A guy named Franz Ferdinand, with the improbable title of “Archduke” got shot. What this had to do with anything else remains a mystery. This began what became known as “the Great War”.

The basics of the war

Europe divided into two teams. Everyone dug trenches and started shooting. All that happened was that living people became dead people. The leaders said “That didn’t work! Keep doing it!” Eventually 20 million people were dead. The team called the allies won (this was the side without Germany).

The results

The allies won. The Versailles Treaty imposed penalties on Germany  that they could never met. Later, Hitler arose, leading to World War II and another 20 million or so dead.

A final quote

“I do not know what weapons will be used to fight World War III. World War IV will be fought with sticks and rocks”. Albert Einstein

During World War II, Norwegian underground leader Erik Bergman informs the British of the location of a German V2 fuel manufacturing plant. Situated beneath an overhanging cliff at the end of an easily defended fjord, the factory can be destroyed only by collapsing the cliff on top of it, using light Mosquito aircraft. Wing Comdr. Roy Grant’s 633 squadron is assigned the task, and Bergman plans a ground attack to coincide with the air strike, but he is captured and tortured by the Gestapo. Gestapo headquarters is destroyed by the 633 squadron, and Bergman is killed, but not before he reveals the plans for the attack. Underground resistance is destroyed, and Mosquito pilots, unaware that the ground attack will not take place, fly to the factory, and the entire squadron is wiped out. However, the last bomb dropped makes the mission a success. Only Grant and his navigator survive. 

This movie was released on February 11, 2012, and is a 93 minute movie.

You may watch this movie as a stream in the comfort of your own very home or on the go with your laptop/smart-phone. http://www.1channel.ch/watch-1558777-Iron-Sky

Iron Sky: In the last moments of World War II, a secret Nazi space program evaded destruction by fleeing to the Dark Side of the Moon. During 70 years of utter secrecy, the Nazis construct a gigantic space fortress with a massive armada of flying saucers.

Director:

Timo Vuorensola

Writers:

Johanna Sinisalo (original story), Jarmo Puskala (original concept), and 1 more credit »

Stars:

Julia Dietze, Peta Sergeant and Udo Kier
Rated:7.3 stars on IMDb

While the original system of territorial control and base building workedwell for Company of Heroes, Relic would be foolish to completely ignore the results of their RTS/RPG experiments with Dawn of War 2.  Ultimately, all that is left to do is to speculate based on what limited information has been given so far.

While the Eastern Front mod has resulted in some impossible yet fun multiplayer and skirmish scenarios such as Russians fighting to liberate the French countryside from the Germans or British battling in the streets of Moscow, it is highly unlikely that we will see an officialreturn of Able Company or the British 2nd army except through apossible expansion revolving around the final push on Berlin.  On the other hand, the actual Eastern Front is a setting unfamiliar to most western gamers, one rich with some potentially brilliant story opportunities such as the Polish resistance and the siege of Greece.   Who knows, maybe by Company of Heroes 3 gamers willget to see the story of the North African campaign or the War in the Pacific. 

Follow Relic for moreupdates and new announcements here .  Company of Heroes 2 is presently set for a vague 2013 release.