Guderian's rescue of the Kurland Pocket.
- Oberst_Emann
- Member
- Posts: 104
- Joined: 09 Jul 2004, 08:12
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Guderian's rescue of the Kurland Pocket.
Suppose Guderian is able to carry out his plan to drive straight through Latvia in January-February 1945 and rescue the troops from the Kurland Pocket? With about 500,000 experienced (they have been trapped since the latter part of Bagration) troops on their hands, what might their use have brough about tactically?
- Kurt_Steiner
- Member
- Posts: 3980
- Joined: 14 Feb 2004, 14:52
- Location: Barcelona, Catalunya
- Kurt_Steiner
- Member
- Posts: 3980
- Joined: 14 Feb 2004, 14:52
- Location: Barcelona, Catalunya
Then the Russians would have 900.000 more from Kurland, plus 17,000 guns or so, 3000 tanks and 3200 planes.
Let's suppose that Hitler had 500 000 more. Let's suppose the Russian forces doesn't change.
URSS
2,500,000 men - 42,000 guns - 6250 tanks - 7500 planes
Germany
1,500,000 men - 10,400 guns - 1500 tanks - 3200 planes
Perhaps the battle would have lasted longer. What? a week? a month? And then, the end. The defeat of the III Reich.
Best regards
It wouldn't mean a thing, Caesar.what if Hitler had 500 000 men mor 2 defend Berlin?
Let's suppose that Hitler had 500 000 more. Let's suppose the Russian forces doesn't change.
URSS
2,500,000 men - 42,000 guns - 6250 tanks - 7500 planes
Germany
1,500,000 men - 10,400 guns - 1500 tanks - 3200 planes
Perhaps the battle would have lasted longer. What? a week? a month? And then, the end. The defeat of the III Reich.
Best regards
-
- Member
- Posts: 96
- Joined: 14 Sep 2004, 23:37
- Location: england
Re: Guderian's rescue of the Kurland Pocket.
the no of germans in kurland was no more than 250,000 (217,000 surrendered on may 10)Oberst_Emann wrote:Suppose Guderian is able to carry out his plan to drive straight through Latvia in January-February 1945 and rescue the troops from the Kurland Pocket? With about 500,000 experienced (they have been trapped since the latter part of Bagration) troops on their hands, what might their use have brough about tactically?
guderian wanted to evacuate the kurland pocket not break in from the outside, he also wanted to evacuate norway as well which would have yeilded another 330,000 troops, plus 25 division from the west and 10 from italy. all this he wanted to meet the oncoming offensive in the east.
- Oberst_Emann
- Member
- Posts: 104
- Joined: 09 Jul 2004, 08:12
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Re: Guderian's rescue of the Kurland Pocket.
Ah, thank you for the correction. I suppose I could be confusing Heinz Guderian's strategy for his "Black January" plan.20/20 vision wrote:the no of germans in kurland was no more than 250,000 (217,000 surrendered on may 10)Oberst_Emann wrote:Suppose Guderian is able to carry out his plan to drive straight through Latvia in January-February 1945 and rescue the troops from the Kurland Pocket? With about 500,000 experienced (they have been trapped since the latter part of Bagration) troops on their hands, what might their use have brough about tactically?
guderian wanted to evacuate the kurland pocket not break in from the outside, he also wanted to evacuate norway as well which would have yeilded another 330,000 troops, plus 25 division from the west and 10 from italy. all this he wanted to meet the oncoming offensive in the east.
-
- Member
- Posts: 96
- Joined: 14 Sep 2004, 23:37
- Location: england
Guderian was a Prussian and was desperate to to check the russian offensive on the prussian frontiers, he was quite prepared to concede defeat in the west at let the allies overrun all germany as long as the russians were kept out.
a pretty sound tactic considering the position the germans were in, and the knowledge of what the red army would do once on german soil.
a pretty sound tactic considering the position the germans were in, and the knowledge of what the red army would do once on german soil.