General Discussions

Oh Beau, You have so so much to learn. Please read a little more before trying to debate in a worthy manner. the US fighting forces were learning from the British during the first and second wars.
During both wars the US were considerable late in turning up to help. In WW1 you failed to enter until your ship was blown up in 1917. In WW2 you were told about the Japanese threat by numerous countries and even within your own Govt and the govt and forces failed to act on these warnings.
Your forces never faced the very best of Germany had to offer as they were largely fighting on the Eastern Front.One thing is for sure the war would not have been won without a team effort. No one country was superior and that is what many Americans need to learn

The US learning from the British? Please. We had already beaten Britain in 2 wars what did we have to learn from them? Yes we were late in both wars because it wasn't our affair but you can't deny that without us Germany would have won both times. We saved the day and that is all that matters. And we knew about the Japanese. FDR let it happen to get us into the war. Thats why our air craft carriers were mysteriously out on maneuvers when the attack hit.

No country is superior? That sounds like the new PC **** people are spewing where everyone gets a trophy for participating. There is always a winner and always a best team thats what you need to learn. If there is no first place then why try? The answer to best army in WW2 is easy.

1. Germany - fought 4 countries on 3 fronts and had the best weapons/tanks of the war including the first jets.

2. USA - Started out slow but matched Germany in troop quality and outproduced the entire world.

3. Britain - matched Germany and USA in troop quality and held Germany at bay until the USA could get there.

4. Russia - lost 20 million troops and had bad generals after stalins purge and **** equipment.

5. France - hasn't won a war in 500 years. Built a line of bunkers to stop Germany which Germany just flew over. Surrendered right away and sat out most of the war.

Gentleman, I would like to state some key points to this excellent discussion. First of all Germany's failure on the eastern front was predicted before the war by some of their top commanders. German top brass knew that the Russians were going to outproduce them. Everyone of Germany's top Generals were in favor of a heavey bomber fleet that could reach deep into Siberia. This was ignored like so many other recomendations by Hitler. A direct result of this inability to bomb the Soviet Unions factories sealed any chance of Germany conquering such a vast country. As for the United States, we possesed the largest navy and airforce in the world. We would have had the ability to bring total war on all of the Soviet Unions borders. In contrast the Soviet Union would not have been able to spread their armies across the world. To say that the Soviet Union was the greatest army in the world at the end of ww2 is not accurate.an army without air power and supplies is not a effective army for very long. Germany's superior tanks were no match for the planes that rained down on them from the sky. The Soviet Union did not fight a two front war instead they starved the German army int defeat. That same tactic of retreating into Siberia and buying your country time would not have been possible with America's B-29's bombing their factories and armored forces day and night.Our top commanders knew this and mainly George Patton knew this. This was partialy the reason he wanted to kick the communists back into Russia where they belonged. America had 100 aircraft carriers at the end of ww2 ill take that over 35,ooo t-37's any day!

The battle at Kasserine pass was a decisive German victory for several reasons. U.S. Forces were green outnumbered in terms of armor, and were under British air support which was non existent. Our leadership was terrible and was the reason George Patton was brought in.the United States Army fought many elite divisions of the German army. The Herman Goerring division was one of these elite divisions sent to Italy.Pattons 8th army destroyed it while conquering the Italian main land. To add to this discussion I would like to say that the British and American forces fought all over the world and did this with no time to prepare for war. The reason top German generals tried to blow Hitler up th minute we landed in Normandy is that they realized a war with the U.S. Was certain defeat. Not one General in the German army wanted a fight with the United States. Give America 20 years to prepare for war and the results would have been even more drastic then they actually were. The people of the soviet Union basically walked out there door grabed a rifle and went to battle. Our people came from across the world. No other country in the world coud dream of achieving this. And the Soviet Union was not vapable even at the end of the war to take the fight three thousand miles from home. I don't think they had one aircraft carrier. We had 100. Unlike the germans America could reach those factories in Siberia with our B-29s and blown them off the map. Patton knew he could take the Russians and he yearned for the chance. The U.S. And England fielded the best ared forces in the world at wars end period!

All of you have made excellent points. I would like to remind everyone about some undeniable facts reguarding all of the countries involved. Germany, Japan, and Italy were preparing for war for many years before the fighting started. This was a huge advantage and they knew that the democracies were weak militarily. Germany used blitzkrieg in hopes to overwhelm there enemies in order to bring a rapid end to the war before the democracies could rebuild. If you all consider how unprepared the U.S. Was as a nation at the start of the war and where it ended up at the end of the war there can be no argument who was the strongest military in the world. Imagine America preparing for war in the early 1930s like Germany.our men were green our commanders were very incompetent and it showed in many battles early in the war and some battles later on. America got tough quick but it required the U.S. To get slapped around to get serius and pound the axis powers the way we did. It is and always has been Americas isolationist beliefs that have hurt her throughout history. As far as the Soviet Union is concerned, knowone can deny the bravery and the tenacity that the people of that vast land displayed in defense of the father land. It is a fact however that the Germans created a situation for themselves that was far to difficult to overcome. The majority of soldiers who fought for the Soviets were mere farmers with very littlew training. What choice did they have? The Nazis slaughterd them by the millions so it was fight or die. The Russians were fighting for there lives on the own lands. The united States had to go to many theatres across the world. Any Russian who could hold a rifle was put into the armed forces. The United States had stipulations on who could serve and who was exempt.the United States supplied arms to every country in the world including the Soviet Union. It is my opinion that if the Japanese would have stuck to the Tanaka plan and attacked the soviet Union on a massive scale at the same time the Germans did in the West Russia would have been conquered. If America would have gone into ww2 prepared with the right commanders leading there armed forces the Axis powers would have been smashed much faster. Herman Goerring told his captures at Nuremberg the war was lost when the Japanese bombed pearl Harbor. A pissed off America is not a pretty sight. Finally with all due respect to the Australian who thinks that Australia is some kind of military beast. Check your facts. The Japanese were about to invade Australia. It was the battle of the Coral Sea that prevented them from risking that. There were thousands of American marines on your island willing to fight and die for Ausralias freedom. I don't understand this negative attitude towards the US by some people. I'm learning much like some of the Canadiens its a case of little brother sindrome. I happend to like Australians a lot. Tough people down under!

Why are you guys not talking about the marines in connection to this and their defeat of the fanatical japanese empire? The marines job to do something everyone else couldn't imagine with considerable casualties should be addressed as the strong suit of american forces..The U.S defeated the Japanese alone while all resources went to europe against an enemy that did not surrender nor would they stop many times blowing up marines in the process. I'm sorry but any allied troop, goes for army or british, aussie, french or russian couldn't have done what they did.. The army got themselves killed in the pacific on the limited amount of combat they were involved in on the islands

Rick I enjoy reading your fact filled commentary and I have learned much from you already. I would respectively like to point out once again however that many able bodied of age men did not get drafted or serve during ww2 because they already had families. There would have been a lot more soldiers in uniform if the United states did not have stipulations on drafting.