[Ebenezer]

Scary isn't it. The US fought Germany and Japan with better equipment in many cases, but still had trouble.

It *is* scary. Even with Hitler's miscalculations and blunders, Germany kept Europe at war for almost six years. It is hard to think what would have happened if the Third Reich had waited longer to start a war.

[redgolum]

It is scary to think what would have happened if Hitler didn't take direct command of the military. If the SS tanks had been called into action, D-Day would have never got off the beaches.

[donmeaker]

One measure of a nations economy at that time was the number of Cyclotrons. Britain had 3. Germany had 2. Japan had 1. The US had 30.

Hitler had to start when he did, because the France and British were catching up. The British alone were making aircraft faster than the Germans in 1940.

The Germans made about 1500 Tiger 1 and Tiger II tanks from 1942 to 1945. The US made 1600 Pershings (M-26) tanks in the first half of 1945.

Hitler was a "quality over quantity" kind of guy. So was the Wehrmacht, a left over from the 100,000man Reichwehr Army days. Only much too late were a few systems designed for ease of manufacture (MG-42 for example). Most were hand tuned wonders, that had to be rare on the ground.

The Germans were better trained than their opponents. Until 1944. Then they complained that the US didn't fight correctly, bypassing their best defenses.

It was easy to blame Hitler for all ills after he was dead, and losers always solace their egos with the thought of how brave they were.