Re: Many things

On Thu, 30 May 2002, Thomas Barclay wrote:

> 9) WW2:
> the T-34s and the Russian Air Force (often
> under-rated, but unjustly so) would have
> savaged the US forces if it had ever come to it,

I'm not commenting on how they would have fared against the US as I just
have no clue about that. But one thing that surprised me reading 'In
Deadly Combat' by G.H. Bidermann, a german NCO and later lieutenant on
the
east front, is just how much grief the russian airforce was giving them.
I
went 'the russians had an effective airforce? wow, i had no idea!'

The book, btw, is a sure recommendation to anyone interested in the
period. It describes Bidermann's exoperiences from the big advances in
41
all the way to getting trapped in the Kurland pocket up until 45.

(Including the curious rumour going about amongst the beleaguered
landsers
that the allied fleet was coming to rescue them from the pocket, to
integrate the wehrmacht into the allied forces to push the russians out
of
europe....)

Cheers,