So nobody has mentioned the "Private Snafu" training cartoons. Hard to say but they may of saved many a GIs life and possibly were shown to allied troops.
Leftyhunter
Did America have any good ideas in WWII?
- Thread starter frogsofwar
- Start date
Leftyhunter
Joined Mar 2019
3,592 Posts | 2,048+
Kansas
To be fair, and speaking as a member of a Commonwealth nation, the US did the heavy lifting in the Pacific.
Joined Mar 2019
3,592 Posts | 2,048+
Kansas
Something wonderful the armed services did, was do special print runs of books designed to fit into the GIs cargo pockets. I have collected a couple over the years. One that had actually been in the field. The thought of some soldier getting the chance to escape the situation around for a little while is very touching
Collecting Armed Services Editions | The New Antiquarian | The Blog of The Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America
Armed Services Editions, small-format paperback books distributed to US servicemen during WWII, are credited with achieving a great deal: not just wit...
www.abaa.org
Joined Feb 2015
2,047 Posts | 2,279+
Lindum Colonia
It wasn't really a copy as the basic Lotfernrohr-7, or Lotfe-7, design was based on earlier sights in use before the Germans received copies of the blueprints in 1938 from Herman Lang, who was a German born naturalised American citizen working at the Norden factory. They may well have taken the mechanism for gyroscopic stabilisation from the Norden as this wasn't introduced until the Lotfe-7C in 1941 or 1942 depending on which website you accept but this doesn't seem absolutely clear to me from what I've been able to find on the tinterwebs. What is apparent though is that after building a mock-up of the Norden they decided to continue with their own design as it was much simpler and easier to both maintain and operate.
Joined Feb 2012
5,934 Posts | 380+
Firstly the ROA was aligned with the Third Reich. Secondly the members were Russians who for the most part wanted to get out of labour camps, and had no intentioin of fighting. ROA units surrendered wholesale in the west from 1944 and only have one action credited for fierce fighting - on the River Oder in the east, when it became clear the Russians were going to capture them if they did not resist. I doubt the Americans would have seriously considered arming them at any stage.
I was under impression that he is talking about a German mistake / that this collaborationist formation was not properly equipped to fight against the Soviets on the Eastern Front, the motivation of the Russian Liberation Army aside, they were fighting for their own survival. Traitors, no matter if their nation was ruled by the Satan himself, they were traitors and as such i am sure they didnt want to be captured by Red Army. In an alternative universe where the Plan Unthinkable was initiated they could be useful as cannon fodder, arming them along with captured German troops and sending them east for a surprise attack on the Soviet forces stationed in Germany.
German mistake, not American. Stalin's regime was so oppressive and latest purges a fresh memory that getting his subjects to fight against him was not a hard task. If attacker would not have been crazy and oppressive as Stalin in a bit different manner.
Joined Feb 2012
5,934 Posts | 380+
Actually getting soviets to fight against their country really wasn't that easy. Whilst here in the west we usually condemn the Russians for one reason or another (and still do), the Russians themselves are proudly patriotic by and large. You only have to look how they suffered in the Great Patriotic War and yet still fought back and prevailed. Sure, we gave them heaps of stuff - but it was they who fought on the eastern front.
Joined Feb 2015
2,047 Posts | 2,279+
Lindum Colonia
Is that Operation Chowhound?
If so it wasn't actually an American idea as it was Prince Bernhardt who asked Eisenhower for food aid to the Dutch people but as Eisenhower didn't have the authority to arrange a truce with the Germans, Bernhardt had to get permission from both Churchill and Roosevelt. While waiting for this to be given, Eisenhower had 2TAF's Air Commodore Geddes of the RAF begin planning for it. Eisenhower received authorisation via General Marshall on 23 April and both Chowhound and the simultaneous Op Manna by the RAF could start with the RAF first flying on 29 April and the USAAF on 1 May.
Joined Jul 2015
16,914 Posts | 9,355+
Netherlands
Yep, the British part was called operation Manna, which was a more inspired name.
Best bombing of the war.
*The Vought Corsair.
*John Thach and Chesty Puller.
*Logistics is God and we are His Oracles!
*SPAM!
*The Liberty Ship.
*Jimmy Stewart in a bomber.
*You get a radio. You get a radio. Everyone gets a radio!
*We invented the artillery Blitzkrieg. Units move forward until they contact enemy. Then blow up enemy with 2,567 artillery shells. Units move forward until they contact enemy...
Joined Jan 2018
1,940 Posts | 1,359+
Wheaton Illinois
Before my Dad was drafted he worked at the Armour plant on the South Side of Chicago where they made a low grade Spamish stuff called "Russian Ration". It was in big tins, over 50 pounds, and looked like dog food.
Joined Jan 2018
1,940 Posts | 1,359+
Wheaton Illinois
Maybe, but the Americans killed them where it did the most good. And killing Japanese sailors and airmen, that was mostly the Americans.
Joined Mar 2014
11,729 Posts | 3,505+
Beneath a cold sun, a grey sun, a Heretic sun...
Yes, well Stalin didn't declare war on the United States. Hitler did.
Joined Mar 2014
11,729 Posts | 3,505+
Beneath a cold sun, a grey sun, a Heretic sun...
Please examine the life and works of Col. Georg Bruchmüller (aka Durchbruchmüller - "Breakthrough Müller")
Joined Mar 2019
3,592 Posts | 2,048+
Kansas
That was a pre-war invention the Germans pioneered. It was one of the reasons they were so good early in the war.
True but no one can match American production volume.
Leftyhunter
Its these sorts of comments that get 1,000 plane raids over your house.
More seriously now: yes the Germans had radios, but the Americans generally had better FM sets than the Germans, and pushed radios down to the individual platoons. Combined with AAC FOs imbedded in lower levels units, and massive logistics ability, and the individual platoons and companies had access to fire support on a level undreamed of.
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