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SHATTERED COLOGNE FALLS TO 1ST ARMY; 3D SWEEPS WITHIN 20 MILES OF COBLENZ (3/7/45)
Microfilm-New York Times archives, Monterey Public Library | 3/7/45 | Drew Middleton, Gene Currivan, Sydney Gruson, James MacDonald, Bruce Rae, Robert Trumbull, more

Posted on 03/07/2015 4:59:29 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson

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To: colorado tanker

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.


61 posted on 03/07/2015 6:09:40 PM PST by abb ("News reporting is too important to be left to the journalists." Walter Abbott (1950 -))
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To: occamrzr06

Thank you!


62 posted on 03/08/2015 12:25:11 AM PST by Jacquerie (Article V. If not now, when?)
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To: abb
The Abrams tank is a fitting tribute to a great armor leader. The Abrams provides the best main battle tank in the world to today's tankers, in contrast to the sub-par Sherman Abe worked with.

Thanks for the post!

63 posted on 03/08/2015 12:14:34 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: fso301; Homer_J_Simpson; colorado tanker

When did they begin considerations for a nuclear bomb or two to end the war


64 posted on 03/08/2015 12:25:52 PM PDT by PapaNew (uitckly?)
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To: Hebrews 11:6; Tax-chick

I studied the common law on contracts, so there...


65 posted on 03/08/2015 12:32:05 PM PDT by PapaNew (uitckly?)
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To: fso301

Who beside Churchill and Patton was concerned about Soviet occupation?


66 posted on 03/08/2015 12:34:19 PM PDT by PapaNew (uitckly?)
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To: PapaNew; henkster; Homer_J_Simpson
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.

67 posted on 03/08/2015 12:41:48 PM PDT by fso301
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To: colorado tanker; Hebrews 11:6; Homer_J_Simpson; Tax-chick; henkster
I see Patton is breaking out of the Eifel and is doing more broken field running. Not at all surprising the spearhead is LTC Creighton Abrams, the best American tanker of WWII.

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.

68 posted on 03/08/2015 12:44:07 PM PDT by PapaNew (uitckly?)
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To: occamrzr06
Gripping account.

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 Fruhrer’s order leading to another Allied feint to fool the Germans. Looks like the feint didn’t 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.

69 posted on 03/08/2015 1:05:26 PM PDT by PapaNew (The grace of God & freedom always win the debate in the forum of ideas over unjust law & government)
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To: fso301

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.


70 posted on 03/08/2015 1:08:55 PM PDT by PapaNew (The grace of God & freedom always win the debate in the forum of ideas over unjust law & government)
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To: PapaNew; colorado tanker; Hebrews 11:6; Homer_J_Simpson; Tax-chick; henkster
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.

The M1 Abrams compares very favorably against the Sherman, Panther and Tiger tanks.

Creighton Abrams:


71 posted on 03/08/2015 1:33:10 PM PDT by fso301
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To: PapaNew

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.


72 posted on 03/08/2015 2:03:53 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: PapaNew

The Schnee Eiffel, “Snow Mountains,” are the range in the region of the Ardennes Forest.


73 posted on 03/08/2015 2:04:10 PM PDT by Tax-chick (Wash, rinse, dry, put away.)
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To: fso301; Homer_J_Simpson; PapaNew; colorado tanker

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


74 posted on 03/08/2015 6:29:39 PM PDT by henkster (Do I really need a sarcasm tag?)
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To: henkster; Homer_J_Simpson; PapaNew; colorado tanker

Thanks! Very interesting. Thank you!


75 posted on 03/08/2015 9:57:12 PM PDT by fso301
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To: occamrzr06

Ain’t that sump’n. Not bad for some GI’s.


76 posted on 03/08/2015 10:41:32 PM PDT by RedHeeler
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To: fso301

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.


77 posted on 03/09/2015 5:06:47 AM PDT by henkster (Do I really need a sarcasm tag?)
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