22.06.2012, 04:54
Good morning Fireskull, Gentlemen,
thank you very much for your review.
The history of the Battle of Stalingrad will be discussed for many years to come.
With a lot of different point of views as well, I suppose.
For all of us – unbelievable....
My father was 20 years old in June 1941, just finished “his” conquest of France, an ordinary soldier and had the dubious honor to conquer Russia from the very start until the end.
He was not in Stalingrad but somewhere in the Middle or North, I can't remember where exactly.
Because of this brainwashing and education, from one's youth on, all the Germans truly believed the Russian people and soldiers were inferior – Untermenschen – Sub-human.
The Germans just marched through Poland, parts of Scandinavia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium … and France in a couple of weeks.
They tried to clobber the Brits as well – and because they couldn't beat them and of course they couldn't joined them neither, they might thought: “Allright Tommy, see you later, cheerio!” - And went Eastwards...
When my father, from a little village, just saw the world for the first time in his life with the age of 20, and then saw this unbelievable huge country, he knew – impossible. And it was already summer.
They had success, huge success at first.
They stood before Stalingrad, Moscow and Leningrad and by then they did learn a bit what a Russian soldier is, really.
After that – they learned a lot about the Russian soul, bravery and fierce attacks and fights. For a good reason.
My father told me, many years ago, a story about a wounded Russian soldier, he'd reached out to help.
For him an unarmed soldier wasn't a soldier anymore but a human being. Not very common then and sounds a bit strange.
But as he was just a few steps away, he saw a glimpse of metal piece and knew it was a hand grenade.
The moment he dove into the mud, the thing blew off. This Russian soldier tried to die, taking along as many Germans as possible.
My father was so (sorry for my words) pissed off, he stood up in the middle of the fighting and screamed and shouted to this then dead soldier like mad – he was, my father!
He learned as well, and for him the Russian soldier were the absolute master of camouflage, you might smell (garlic) them (if) before you saw or heard them.
For how long I don't know, but he had a so called "Hiwi" (Hilfswilliger) with him. [non-German volunteer in the Nazi forces at the Eastern front].
They became like brothers, they shared the last piece of bread and the last cigarette. And the “Hiwi” risked his life many of times to save that of my fathers....
The Hiwi knew a word or two in German and vice versa - but it was somehow enough.
And now imagine Russian winter, -40° even down to -50° Celsius – and in summer uniform!
And you're in Stalingrad! STALINgrad! Hitler wanted this town like nothing else, and Joseph Stalin did anything to prevent it.
You're in the 2nd. or 3rd. floor of a building and the Russians are in the floor up or down – or even in the next room!
You can't raise your voice or your head – you are dead instantly.
They fear the Russian snipers like nothing else between heaven and earth, not even the Devil personally!
You've been waiting for winter clothes, for food, for ammunition...
You order desperately needed ammunition and all you get is a medal.
You order just a bit of food and you get headgear...
and around you, all the time, your pals are starving, freezing to death, or getting killed in action....
Imagine you are a Russian soldier! Those bastards killed your people, your family, wife, kids.....
What would you do?
The next winter, I mean like really cold winter - for the most of us, like -1° or -5° Celsius you may put on your bathing clothes and walk a couple of hours through deep snow and ice.
It should come very near to this daily, unimaginable, out-of-the-body experience these soldiers from every side, lived through... And some idiot is shooting at you too.
When I grew up as a kid, some 20 years after World War 2, I still remember nights when my little brother and I woke up, shaken, because my father in the next bedroom, shouted and screamed once again names and things....!
I am and I'll be ever so grateful that my generation, me, could grow up in peace, because of the sacrifices and suffering of so many people and soldiers from so many great countries!
We should remember this! Every single day!
True peace is so unusual and a human being so valuable.
Jambo :wink:
P.S. Wish you all a very nice weekend!
thank you very much for your review.
The history of the Battle of Stalingrad will be discussed for many years to come.
With a lot of different point of views as well, I suppose.
For all of us – unbelievable....
My father was 20 years old in June 1941, just finished “his” conquest of France, an ordinary soldier and had the dubious honor to conquer Russia from the very start until the end.
He was not in Stalingrad but somewhere in the Middle or North, I can't remember where exactly.
Because of this brainwashing and education, from one's youth on, all the Germans truly believed the Russian people and soldiers were inferior – Untermenschen – Sub-human.
The Germans just marched through Poland, parts of Scandinavia, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium … and France in a couple of weeks.
They tried to clobber the Brits as well – and because they couldn't beat them and of course they couldn't joined them neither, they might thought: “Allright Tommy, see you later, cheerio!” - And went Eastwards...
When my father, from a little village, just saw the world for the first time in his life with the age of 20, and then saw this unbelievable huge country, he knew – impossible. And it was already summer.
They had success, huge success at first.
They stood before Stalingrad, Moscow and Leningrad and by then they did learn a bit what a Russian soldier is, really.
After that – they learned a lot about the Russian soul, bravery and fierce attacks and fights. For a good reason.
My father told me, many years ago, a story about a wounded Russian soldier, he'd reached out to help.
For him an unarmed soldier wasn't a soldier anymore but a human being. Not very common then and sounds a bit strange.
But as he was just a few steps away, he saw a glimpse of metal piece and knew it was a hand grenade.
The moment he dove into the mud, the thing blew off. This Russian soldier tried to die, taking along as many Germans as possible.
My father was so (sorry for my words) pissed off, he stood up in the middle of the fighting and screamed and shouted to this then dead soldier like mad – he was, my father!
He learned as well, and for him the Russian soldier were the absolute master of camouflage, you might smell (garlic) them (if) before you saw or heard them.
For how long I don't know, but he had a so called "Hiwi" (Hilfswilliger) with him. [non-German volunteer in the Nazi forces at the Eastern front].
They became like brothers, they shared the last piece of bread and the last cigarette. And the “Hiwi” risked his life many of times to save that of my fathers....
The Hiwi knew a word or two in German and vice versa - but it was somehow enough.
And now imagine Russian winter, -40° even down to -50° Celsius – and in summer uniform!
And you're in Stalingrad! STALINgrad! Hitler wanted this town like nothing else, and Joseph Stalin did anything to prevent it.
You're in the 2nd. or 3rd. floor of a building and the Russians are in the floor up or down – or even in the next room!
You can't raise your voice or your head – you are dead instantly.
They fear the Russian snipers like nothing else between heaven and earth, not even the Devil personally!
You've been waiting for winter clothes, for food, for ammunition...
You order desperately needed ammunition and all you get is a medal.
You order just a bit of food and you get headgear...
and around you, all the time, your pals are starving, freezing to death, or getting killed in action....
Imagine you are a Russian soldier! Those bastards killed your people, your family, wife, kids.....
What would you do?
The next winter, I mean like really cold winter - for the most of us, like -1° or -5° Celsius you may put on your bathing clothes and walk a couple of hours through deep snow and ice.
It should come very near to this daily, unimaginable, out-of-the-body experience these soldiers from every side, lived through... And some idiot is shooting at you too.
When I grew up as a kid, some 20 years after World War 2, I still remember nights when my little brother and I woke up, shaken, because my father in the next bedroom, shouted and screamed once again names and things....!
I am and I'll be ever so grateful that my generation, me, could grow up in peace, because of the sacrifices and suffering of so many people and soldiers from so many great countries!
We should remember this! Every single day!
True peace is so unusual and a human being so valuable.
Jambo :wink:
P.S. Wish you all a very nice weekend!