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To: Homer_J_Simpson
Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
Soviet Summer and Fall Offensives: Operations, 17 July-1 December 1943
Allied Advance to Volturno River, Reorganization, and Attack on Gustav Line (17 January-11 May 1944)
India-Burma, 1942: Allied Lines of Communication, 1942-1943
South Pacific Operations: Advance to Bougainville, 27 October-15 December 1943
New Guinea and Alamo Force Operations: Clearing the Huon Peninsula and Securing the Straits, 19 September 1943-26 April 1944
Cartwheel, the Seizure of the Gilberts and Marshalls, and Concurrent Air and Naval Operations, 30 June 1943-26 April 1944
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941: Original Allied Strategic Concept, May 1943; Situation in Pacific, 1 November 1943
2 posted on 11/09/2013 4:38:45 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
The first excerpt is continued from October 25. The second from November 6.

 photo 1109-zhitomir12_zps98241b39.jpg

Winston S. Churchill, Closing the Ring

3 posted on 11/09/2013 4:39:18 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

The Soviet offensives since July have cost the Red Army dearly. A few days ago while doing some research on this period of the war, I found ranges of estimated casualties of killed, wounded missing and POW for the Red Army. Based on statistics in David Glatz’ “When Titans Clashed” it appears that in each operation conducted, about a third or more of the Red Army forces become casualties.

I tend to accept Glantz’ figures; he bases his off the Russian compilation prepared by G. F. Krivosheev in 1993. I took a look at Glantz’ numbers for the period from July 12, when the Red Army began the counter offensive at Orel, to more less the end of November, and looked only at the operations from Smolensk southward. The total number of killed, wounded, and missing for the Soviet forces involved is:

3,503,000.

Approximately. Yes, that’s over three million combat casualties. To be sure, the greatest portion of that number is wounded. A considerable number of them will return to active duty after convalescence, but still...

Three and one half million casualties in six months of fighting. To put it in perspective, the largest land battle fought by the United States Army was the Battle of the Bulge. Most official statements put American casualties at 75,000, although some have counted as high as 100,000. In the east, the nasty little fight we read about down at Melitopol a week or two ago cost the Red Army almost 200,000 casualties, of which 45,000 were KIA or missing. Melitopol is a footnote in the war in the east.

These figures do not count the first six months of fighting for 1943, including the defensive fight at Kursk. It’s no wonder Alexander Werth referred to 1943 as “The Year of Hard Victories.”


10 posted on 11/09/2013 8:04:22 AM PST by henkster (Communists never negotiate.)
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