world war two

[ryanman]

@Kirkland Laing how did that work for the many that lost their homes during the bombings. Did the government help these people rebuild or did they have to do it themselves, I imagine hundreds of thousands to millions lost their homes. The Brits showed tremendous resolve during those times. Although the US was helping with the lend lease act, I think that was the name of it, but I think we took too long to join the war, but public sentiment was against involvement.

If it wasn't for that US aid the Brits would of gone out like the French

Don't like beating the patriotic drum unduly but I can assure you that Britain would have never surrendered.

[ryanman]

To think that there was a British Prime Minister actually talking like this to the people. That things were that way. That he talks about what will happen if we shall fall. Just seems unreal. Must have been terrifying and inspiring in equal measure.

[Gandalf]

WW2 was about competing interests rather than good or evil. Hitler was doing similar things in invading countries and wanting resources. Hitler would be giving Cameron high fives today whilst Putin and Stalin would be looking on giving them funny looks. Israel would drive a wedge and kick start another war. Its the banks, Adolf! Not the ordinary Jews! The EU and Britain today is Nazism by stealth.

[walrus]

WW2 was about competing interests rather than good or evil. Hitler was doing similar things in invading countries and wanting resources. Hitler would be giving Cameron high fives today whilst Putin and Stalin would be looking on giving them funny looks. Israel would drive a wedge and kick start another war. Its the banks, Adolf! Not the ordinary Jews! The EU and Britain today is Nazism by stealth.

I was just letting this go but even for Miles standards does this seem a little overboard to anyone else, Miles usually doesn't surprise me anymore but this line of rationalization seems a bit overboard even for him, I think he was even sober, when he drinks he gets very nasty, this is a sober rationalizing Miles, impressive job Miles.

[smashup]

Check this out, it's a map of the bombs that hit London - Zoom out on the map a bit and you get an idea of how heavily we were attacked

Bomb Sight - Mapping the World War 2 London Blitz Bomb Census

[walrus]

Check this out, it's a map of the bombs that hit London - Zoom out on the map a bit and you get an idea of how heavily we were attacked

Bomb Sight - Mapping the World War 2 London Blitz Bomb Census

I looked at that and all I could say was holy shit

[walrus]

One reason I brought this thread up is it was just the 70th anniversary of ve day. I was reading one article about the incendiary bombing the allies did on Hamburg alone. Fourty thousand people died, most being of course civilians, and that was Hamburg alone. Terrible thing war is, bad enough soldier killing soldier but WW 2 in particular had gutrenching civilian deaths. More civilians died in the Allied bombing of Germany than Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Crazy shit.

[Master]

There are some amazing stories

VE Day stories: I was Winston Churchill's secretary at the War Cabinet Office [Video]

[Violent Demise]

@Kirkland Laing how did that work for the many that lost their homes during the bombings. Did the government help these people rebuild or did they have to do it themselves, I imagine hundreds of thousands to millions lost their homes. The Brits showed tremendous resolve during those times. Although the US was helping with the lend lease act, I think that was the name of it, but I think we took too long to join the war, but public sentiment was against involvement.

If it wasn't for that US aid the Brits would of gone out like the French

Don't like beating the patriotic drum unduly but I can assure you that Britain would have never surrendered.

Maybe not. But without the US they would of been annihilated.

[AdamGB]

US involvment ended the war quicker, but the Reich was doomed the second operation barbarosa was planned.

[p4pking]

US involvment ended the war quicker, but the Reich was doomed the second operation barbarosa was planned.

Planned? Not sure that's quite true. Certainly by the time they had failed to take Moscow before winter you're right, but the early stages of Barbarosa went very smoothly for the Germans, conceivably it could have kept doing so if it weren't for Hitler making it up as he went along and spreading his army even thinner. Stalingrad was of very little strategic importance for instance, and the German losses there were insane. If those troops had been sent north to help take Moscow initially, things may have been a lot different.
Also, the Americans indirectly had a significant role in that theater. Before PEarl Harbour, Stalin was seriously worried the Japanese would invade Siberia and had much of the red army there. He was able to send them all west to fight at Lenin and Stalingrad once that threat was gone.

[Kirkland Laing]

Hitler gave up thinking about invading Britain after the Battle of Britain. Shortly afterwards he got his arse kicked at Stalingrad and had more than he could handle just fighting the Russians. Britain would never have been beaten by the Germans even if America hadn't got involved.

[ryanman]

Hitler gave up thinking about invading Britain after the Battle of Britain. Shortly afterwards he got his arse kicked at Stalingrad and had more than he could handle just fighting the Russians. Britain would never have been beaten by the Germans even if America hadn't got involved.

Britain would never have beaten Germany alone, but also would never have been defeated alone.

It is not easy to take an island nation, especially one with one of the world's largest military forces and a long history of land, sea and air battles.

Look at the trouble superpowers have had in the last 40 years with their vastly superior technology against much much smaller forces. Now think of Germany trying to take Britain. A much more even match in terms of numbers and technology, and with a grimly determined population.

Who do you think you are kidding Mr Hitler?

[Violent Demise]

Hitler gave up thinking about invading Britain after the Battle of Britain. Shortly afterwards he got his arse kicked at Stalingrad and had more than he could handle just fighting the Russians. Britain would never have been beaten by the Germans even if America hadn't got involved.

If Hitler would of delayed going into the Soviet Union and just concentrated on Britain he would of took it. Churchill knew it too. He was practically on his knees begging for the US to get involved.

[mrbig1]

What makes me mad is that FM Montgomery is the most underrated Generals of WW2. History books in America don't even talk about him at all.