Nick;

As I recall the American Army was within sight of Prague and was not allowed to advance. They were to let the Russians take the city and it took about a week for the Russians to move into the area. Over 1 million crack SS German Troops were in the area. The United States did bomb them and softened them up.

Personally, I do not agree and I am sure that my father would not agree that the end of the European campaign was the end of the war. My dad was a Marine and participated in the battle of Okinawa. That was one of the worst battles of the war.

Most of the books written by American authors written about the United States Military emphasize how superior our men and equipment are and were. Over 8000 Kamikaze attacks, many fighter and bomber attacks were launched during the battle of Okinawa. The Japanese would drop a 1000 pound on an American Aircraft Carrier and it would penetrate the Teak Deck, and end up exploding in a compartment below deck.

The British Aircraft Carrier deck was armored steel. When a 1000 pound bomb hit the British ship, it would explode on the deck and a crew would simply sweep away the remains of the bomb fragments so fighters could continue to take off and land. I ask myself, “Why Teak”?

Do you know who invented the tiger Tank? The same person was the first person to introduce communications (radio) in each tank so they could coordinate with each other in the field. Until that was done each tank would fight as an independent unit. Getting back to the Tiger Tank, it was a Frenchman named Charles de Gaulle, who was then a Lieutenant Colonel in the French Army. He designed a medium weight tank that the “Old Guard” turned down. The Germans got the plans and built the tank calling it “The Tiger”!

Another item manufactured in Russia in great quantities was the YAK fighter. Moving the manufacturing plant from Moscow to eastern Russia was a super human feat.

Some people will argue that the war with Germany was over with Montgomery's victory over Rommel at El Alamein (1942-1943) and war with Japan was over with the end of The Battle of Midway (1942). However, someone forgot to tell Germany and Japan and so the war continued until 1945! :)

Tom


>I remember reading somewhere that that the first allied soldiers into Prague where Americans.
>Interesting abour Russian manufacturing. The Russian tank (T34) was very simple and produced in great quantities where the germans produced fewer much more sophisticated tanks. The Germans in the field wanted something more like the T34.
>
>Personally I think the fall of the Iron curtain was the end of the second world war.
>
>Nick
>
>>Nick;
>>
>>The Yalta Conference February of 1945 was important to the allies. Russia agreed that when the war with Germany had ended the Russian army would be sent to Manchuria to fight the Japanese. Russia declared war on Japan August 1945. We celebrate the end of World War II on August 15, 1945, but in fact the war was not over until the Russian army defeated the army of “The Little Mikado”, September 2, 1945.
>>
>>As concessions to the Russians for their military assistance the United States and Russia agreed that the territory of Korea below the 38th parallel would be democratic and above would be communist and the territory of what we refer to as Vietnam south of the 17th parallel would be democratic and north would be communist.
>>
>>You could say that world war ll began with the Japanese invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and ended in Manchuria in September 1945. Others would argue that the Treaty of Versailles was the beginning of world war ll.
>>
>>The United States allowed the Russian Army to enter Berlin and take other European nations, even though we were at the outskirts of Berlin, and other major eastern European countries. This had been agreed to for Russian participation in the war.
>>
>>Some of the events above played a part of world history since 1945.
>>
>>It is commonly taught in the United States that we won the war by ourselves which is far from true. It is also common to hear that we supplied the members of the allies with all the weapons of war through our manufacturing abilities. Little is stated about the manufacturing capacity of Russia, which in fact was tremendous.
>>
>>Tom
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>Its a difficult on to judge but remember the Soviet Union defeated the German at Stalingrad in 1942 and where pushing them back after that for almost 2 years before the Western Allies engaged any significant forces. I tend to think If you look at the numbers fighting and the losses if anyone could be said to have defeated the Germans it was the Soviet Union.
>>>
>>>Nick
>>>
>>>>Of course it had everything to do with them, and they paid a much higher price than we did. But I don't think the Allies would have won without the (belated) entry of the U.S. It seems to me there was plenty of glory to go around.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Stop the press. US wins WWII !. Nothing to do with the UK or the Soviet Union.
>>>>>
>>>>>Nick
>>>>>
>>>>>>You know something Daniel? I find it extremely amusing that a foreigner is lecturing an American on out beliefs and how our country operates. This coming from someone who wouldn't have a country if it weren't for the US.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>You're wrong. The US economy relies on cheap labor, and the american dream. Else it can't compete.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/oecon/
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>You might find this enlightening.