WW2. Wasn’t it in our interests to let the Russians and the Krauts carve each other up before we invaded Normandy?
Just like it was in Stalin’s interests for the Nazis to have a war in the West, which is why he signed the Non-Aggression pact with Hitler.
“Wasn’t it in our interests to let the Russians and the Krauts carve each other up before we invaded Normandy?”
In a way, that’s how it happened.
One of the German infantry divisions, the 352nd was a mix of experienced soldiers drawn from worn-out or disbanded divisions that had served on the Eastern front, young German, conscripts and a significant number of Ost volunteers.
Another unit, the 709th Static Infantry Division had seen it’s best, and most experienced troops stripped away and sent to the eastern front.
Lastly there is the 716th Static Infantry Division. This division was made up of mostly German elderly and conscripts from German occupied countries.
All in all, if these three divisions were crack SS divisions, and Rommel had free reign over the placement and movement of all the panzer divisions held in reserve, D-Day could have had a far different outcome.