Did the Axis have any chance at all in WWII?

[David Floyd]

The armies which are superior in those fields then their enemy usaly don't lost wars to this enemy.

They do when the US supplies their enemy with the materials it needs to win and when its leader prevents the military from conducting a militarily sound campaign

[KrazyHorse]

The Japanese and Germans were only 2-4 months behind the US in their production of their own atomic bomb. In fact, before the defeat of Germany, the US was far behind. The German scientists that were captured helped propel the Manhattan Project

Yet another mistaken claim that there was some sort of dead heat to develop atomic weapons. The western Allied nations were light-years ahead of everybody else from 1941 onwards. The Germans never even got a reactor going, a crucial step that was achieved by Fermi at the U. of Chicago in 1942.

If the USSR hadn't been able to nick atomic secrets then it would have taken them until the mid-50s to develop one on their own, even with the much greater access to natural resources and lower drain on industry that they enjoyed versus wartime Germany.

[David Floyd]

Thanks for the backup, KH

That's one of the biggest WW2 myths - that Germany was on track for an A-Bomb.

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by David Floyd


They do when the US supplies their enemy with the materials it needs to win and when its leader prevents the military from conducting a militarily sound campaign

The US supplied the USSR with ~10% of war materiel used in WWII. Russian production accounted for the bulk of their force.

[Ethelred]

Originally posted by Sava
The Japanese and Germans were only 2-4 months behind the US in their production of their own atomic bomb. In fact, before the defeat of Germany, the US was far behind. The German scientists that were captured helped propel the Manhattan Project.

What fantasy book did you get that from? The US had no captured scientists working on something like that. The only Germans working on the Bomb were Jews that had left Germany. It would be an act of insanity to allow enemies anywhere near the project. Heck they didn't even let Leo Szilard work on the Bomb itself after he finished the Manahattan Project in Chicago. General Groves was afraid he would help the Russians.

Germany had exactly on top notch physicist, Werner Heisenberg, left to work on the bomb. The US had English and American scientists and Jewish scientists from all over Europe. The only scientist that was stolen from Germany was Niels Bohr and he certainly didn't want to work on any German weapons projects.

The Japanese were even farther behind than the Germans.

[Serb]

Even less then 10%.
Different sources has differen figures, the most common 3-5%.

[David Floyd]

KH/Serb,

Lend-Lease war material was insignificant (although at the time of Typhoon the Russians had more US/Brit tanks than Russian ones).

What WAS significant was the logistical aspect of Lend Lease, which the Sovs weren't producing on their own and which was far more important than guns and tanks.

[David Floyd]

Eth, again, thanks for helping put that particular myth to rest

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by Ethelred
The only scientist that was stolen from Germany was Niels Bohr and he certainly didn't want to work on any German weapons projects

Technically, Niels Bohr was stolen from Denmark, which was enjoying German "protection" at the time...

The Japanese were even farther behind than the Germans.

That's the understatement of the year.

[David Floyd]

That's the understatement of the year.

Yup, considering their total wartime commitment was under $130,000 USD

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by David Floyd
What WAS significant was the logistical aspect of Lend Lease, which the Sovs weren't producing on their own and which was far more important than guns and tanks.

That's partly true. The USSR was producing its own railways, trucks, etc., but had suffered weakness in that sector of their economy since the early 30s.

[David Floyd]

That's partly true. The USSR was producing its own railways, trucks, etc., but had suffered weakness in that sector of their economy since the early 30s.

Yes, and another relevant point is that Russia's transportation system was nearly kaput by 1945, and without Lend Lease in the form of railway cars, etc., it would have been in BIG trouble.

Further, Russian infantry transportation was, to a huge extent, Lend Lease vehicles.

Not to mention "mundane" things such as boots, canned goods, etc.

[TCO]

Originally posted by Rogan Josh


Also, I think Germany didn't expect the UK's behaviour with that melgomaniac Churchill in charge. They offered the UK a fairly fair peace after the fall of France, which Churchill was stupid not to take. Instead Churchill prostituted his country to the US and the UK lost everything.

looks like y'all underestimated how much of a fighter Churchill would be...

[Ethelred]

Originally posted by David Floyd
Eth, again, thanks for helping put that particular myth to rest

The people working on the Bomb were worried about the Germans succeeding. It looks like Groves was playing on those worries.

[David Floyd]

looks like y'all underestimated how much of a fighter Churchill would be...

Yup, huge miscalculation.

The people working on the Bomb were worried about the Germans succeeding. It looks like Groves was playing on those worries.

Abolutely - Groves was definitely the man for the job.