My understanding is that Hitler (and Mussolini) approved the use of paratroops for Herkules almost a year after Crete, although the operation was never implemented.
I interpret Hitler’s approval, regardless of the failure actually to implement the operation, as putting a question mark over his supposed decision never to use a major paratroop assault after the huge losses in Crete. Which, it should always be remembered, was a German victory.
Sure, but he still remained sceptical towards major airborne operations. This and his lacking confidence in the Italian readiness for action certainly influenced his decision.
Which just goes to show that he could make rational assessments and wasn’t completely mad. If he was mad at all, which I doubt.
He is suggested to have had Parkinson, in which case he wouldn’t necessarily be mad, but severely impaired in his judgment once the disease progressed (which would have been parallel to the war).
I would say he was never a very skilled Commander, as he let his Ego interfere too much with military reason, but in the later stages of the war, his lack of real skill combined with the delusions caused by his disease, which resulted in an unskilled, delusional Commander with little tolerance of even constructive criticism.
One can only pity the Generals that had to serve under him.
Still impressive. the KV-1 photos of the German National Archives:
Ver nice photos, thank you. That is a “die hard” :mrgreen:. is interesting to see the location of what appeared to be the only 2 penetrations , in one of the thickest sections of the cast armor turret.
OP Herkules" was planned as an airborne operation by combined German and Italian paratroops, scheduled for spring 1942. The Kreta experiences however were pretty much the reason Hitler cancelled the whole thing.
I think the operation could be succesful, but not without heavy casualties, however if we look at the Kreta operation the succes was undeniable…and was acomplished with no tanks and no naval superiority. The paratrooper and “Luftlande” soldier captured the island with relative light weapons and zero armored support.
By late 1942 the italians had at list one decent paras unit, the Folgore ( Thunderbolt) with could fight at more or less the sam elevel of german equivalent. The naval units would take heavy losses undoubtly but with 2 or 3 tanks KVs landing the moral would collape in the defenders side, there were no defenses against this machine in the hands of the british infantry and certainly the Matildas and Valentines with their 2 pound peashooter would not cause the russian monster a lot of problems.
I dont think it even need to waste 152mm armor piercing shells, just rolling over with the tracks would be enough, that was a russian tactic used against german Pak 36 and 38 in the Eastern front when the crews run out of ammunition.
Two more from the same source:
Destroyed KV-1, near Woronesh, June 1942. Looks like a major internal detonation since the bow MG mantlet was blown out:
Damaged KV-2, Northern sector, summer 1941. Seems like it was supposed to get towed off before eventually abandoned:
I think there has no tank battle at all. Germans probably found abandoned/damaged tank, then thier artillery began the “practice exerices” on tank. There was nothing odd, keep in mind that GErmans in 1941 faced the Heavy tanks for the first time.
I read one story when Germans “practiced” on T-34 with captured crew. Tank , without ammon, moved righ on the test field , truing to escape the artillery AA-fire.Germans trued to find the best way to hit the new soviet tanks and it’s weak armored places.
The Soviets even shoted the film ( very dramatic and excellent IMO) in mid 1960 about such unfair testings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhavoronok
Later Poles added the idea in ww2 television serial “Four tankers and dog”
It’s not odd, coz they had more then enough “targets” in 1941-42:)
Red Army lost half of its tank park till autumn of 1941.
Actually these series of photos was taken in August 1942 during the German summer offensive in the River Don area.
I saw also images of the battle of Kharkov in 1942 and the quantity of destroyed armor including Kvs is amazingly high. Most were finished by Stukas however.
YEs, KV-1 was exactly the Russian Tiger in from '40 - early '42.
Almost invincible, able to destroy opponents, … but also very heavy, dubious steering and transmission …
And at the end: the heavies didn’t make or break, it were the mediums :neutral:
The KV-1 did not halt the advance
This remains a very impressive tank: Pz 756(r)
