Friday, June 15, 2007
This Day in the History of Doomed Nations
On this day in 1931, Poland and the USSR signed a friendship treaty. And just over 8 years later, the USSR showed the true meaning of friendship by invading Poland from the East while it was fighting for its life against the Nazi new form of warfare.
Labels: European Theater, WWII pre history
# posted by Roger Fraley @ 6:43 PM 
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That picture is a graphic demonstration of why the Germans went to the outline form of their cross markings immediately after Case White. Those glowing white crosses made remarkably good target points.
Well noticed, Doug. I couldn't see them for concentrating on which were PkwIIs or IIIs and which were former Czech tanks. We couldn't have mounted nothing like what that picture showed in 1939, we could barely do it in 1943.
I'm pretty sure the third, fifth, and seventh tanks in the picture are Pz.Is and the rest are Pz.IIs. (I think the Pz.IIs have their turrets reversed.)
As to the US Army, the 2d Armored Div. was activated July 15, 1940, in part with cadre from the 1st Armored Div. It had M2-A4 light tanks and M2 medium tanks (M3s were not available until 1941). The M2s were broadly comparable to the German tanks of a few months before, though we didn't have as many. Still, the 2d Armored Brigade conducted an exercise in October of 1940 with 200 tanks.
The US was certainly behind the Germans and Soviets, but I think not quite so far as you imply.
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As to the US Army, the 2d Armored Div. was activated July 15, 1940, in part with cadre from the 1st Armored Div. It had M2-A4 light tanks and M2 medium tanks (M3s were not available until 1941). The M2s were broadly comparable to the German tanks of a few months before, though we didn't have as many. Still, the 2d Armored Brigade conducted an exercise in October of 1940 with 200 tanks.
The US was certainly behind the Germans and Soviets, but I think not quite so far as you imply.
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