Posted on 03/07/2015 4:59:29 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creighton_Abrams
On April 23, 1945, Will Lang Jr. wrote a biography called “Colonel Abe” for Life.
Abrams was known as an aggressive and successful armor commander. General George Patton said of him: “I’m supposed to be the best tank commander in the Army, but I have one peer Abe Abrams. He’s the world champion.”[3] Frequently the spearhead of the Third Army during World War II, Abrams was one of the leaders in the relief effort that broke up the German entrenchments surrounding Bastogne and the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge. In April, 1945 he was promoted to (temporary (brevet)) colonel but reverted to lieutenant colonel during World War II demobilization.
Thank you!
Thanks for the post!
When did they begin considerations for a nuclear bomb or two to end the war
I studied the common law on contracts, so there...
Who beside Churchill and Patton was concerned about Soviet occupation?
Evidently, I should have used a different wording. My comment about casualties/occupation was in respect to Soviet casualties in taking Berlin and how through the cold war, western documentary producers and authors seemed to steadily up the count to the point where I was hearing numbers of over 1 million for a two week battle.
Post-Soviet era, I've never tried to determine if any researchers produced BoB casualty figures from Soviet archives.
Finally - I thought maybe Patton had forgotten to take his Geritol and was feeling kind of anemic lately.
What was the "Eifel"?
Anyone have more info/pics on this LTC Creighton Abrams, which I've heard of but don't know how it compared to the Sherman or the best German tanks.
diplomats pressed the Swiss to protect seven headwater dams with soldiers and artillery
Did the Swiss comply?
a Fruhrer order that explosive charges would be emplaced only when the enemy was within five miles of a bridge, and igniters were to be withheld until demolitions seems to be unavoidable. Explosives were laid, but Army Group B described the Americans as a thin screening force to mask an Allied thrust towards Bonn and Cologne. Little urgency obtained. Their enemy was nearer than they knew.
Intelligence must have been aware of the Fruhrers order leading to another Allied feint to fool the Germans. Looks like the feint didnt work in this case but as in other cases, the Hand of Providence did work.
Open your mouth to protect your eardrums.
Never heard that before. Have to remember that at the next eardrum-pooping, head banging event.
Well, my comment was more of an observation about the east front and imminent Berlin situation. Seemed like the only ones that were concerned about the Soviet occupation were Churchill and Patton...and the Germans.
The M1 Abrams compares very favorably against the Sherman, Panther and Tiger tanks.
Creighton Abrams:
The Eifel is a range of low mountains and hills in S.W. Germany. Geologically, it is part of the same formation as the Ardennes. So, it’s not ideal tank country. Third Army has been fighting through it, but is about to break out.
The Schnee Eiffel, “Snow Mountains,” are the range in the region of the Ardennes Forest.
In 1993, Soviet General G. F. Krivosheev published a General Staff study of the losses of the Soviet armed forces in World War 2, and the losses were broken down by operation. The figures are not exact and the Soviets knew this, but the figures given are the best they can come up with. Also, the losses in 1941 were probably most inaccurate given the chaotic condition of the Soviet state in the wake of the German invasion. However, the figures for the latter part of the war should be reasonably accurate. A summary of Krivosheev’s study can be found as an appendix David Glantz’ “When Titans Clashed.”
The figures for the Berlin Operation, 16 April-8 May, 1945:
Troops engaged: 2,062,100
Killed or missing: 81,116
Wounded: 280,251
Total casualties: 361,367
Tanks lost: 1,997
Total casualties for the war, including the Manchurian Operation in August 1945:
Killed or missing (including POWs) 10,008,434
Wounded: 18,190,693
Total: 28,199,127
Thanks! Very interesting. Thank you!
Ain’t that sump’n. Not bad for some GI’s.
You’re welcome. While those casualties are not as high as some inflated western sources, they are still around 15% of all of the involved forces. They are also considerably higher than the casualties suffered by the American army in the Battle of the Bulge. You cannot extrapolate these figures to determine what American casualties would have been if we had tried to take Berlin. The Americans and Soviets fought differently. And the so did the Germans depending on who they were fighting.
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