Colin’s Comments (group member since Dec 16, 2012)

Colin’s comments from the THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP group.

Because I created the distinctions, wrote and defended my dissertation argument, which NATO now uses to differentiate, and which is in one of my books, so here it is for educational purposes.

Partisan-a civilian paramilitary who takes up arms in a clandestine war, not as part of a recognized military force, who fights a foreign invader or occupier, with the intent of restoring the previous government under threat or in exile.

Guerrilla-a civilian paramilitary who fights clandestine war, not as part of a recognized military force, who fights a foreign invader or occupier, with the intent of replacing the previous government once victory has been achieved over the invader or occupier.

It is all about politics, who fights for the government interests, and who fights for a new government once hostilities are concluded. Tito wanted to replace the government in exile with a communist government. Mihailovic wanted to restore the government in exile once the war was over.

I wrote about Oskar Dirlewanger and his thugs in my book Anti-Partisan Warfare.

Jonny wrote: "So what does that make them? And does it carry any legal (or moral) difference? The Yugoslav guerrilla campaign is a bit of a Devils playground for me, like the Spanish Civil War, just too many com..."

Hey Jonny, no real moral distinction. The true partisans (Chetniks) fought to restore the Karajorjevic monarchy, while the Partisans" (actually guerrillas) under Tito wanted a Communist nation, no monarchy to return. Both fought the Germans, although on some occasions the Chetniks and German commanders made deals to both go after Tito, after agreeing to a ceasefire.

As a military historian and veteran I always admired the Aussie troops for many reasons.

Leo wrote: "Hello from Houston suburbia. I love to read and get to proofread and copy edit for about a dozen authors. One of my favorite subjects is WWII. One of my favorite books is The Bridge at Remagen. I'm..."

One of my late friends flew a Me-262 to try and bomb that bridge.

Gregg wrote: "Colin wrote: "Look up the name Ivan Kozhedub"

This Ivan Kozhedub? I have this print hanging on my office wall.

http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4649/39..."
Yes that is the one he flew MiG 15's in Korea, I knew the artist Jerry Crandall and his wife Judy. My friend and fellow historian Jon Guttman interviewed Kozhedub, published in either WW II or Military History

Look up the name Ivan Kozhedub

Mike wrote: "For a mere $3500, you can get a ride in one of the two flying Lancasters. Worth it.

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2678274..."

Damn I rode in every major WW II aircraft for free except the Lancaster.

Welcome aboard!

All of the upper echelons of the Third Reich were hypocrites. None of the hierarchy even met there own self imposed standards for "Aryanism." They gave passes when it was convenient: Admiral Bernhard Rogge, Knights Cross recipient, successful surface raider and commander of naval surface forces was Jewish; Erhard Milch, 2nd only to Goering in the Luftwaffe was Jewish, and the list goes on.

Read my book Four War Boer, and get a first person perspective. I interviewed the last living participant of the 2nd Anglo Boer war in 1985

The film is actually quite accurate, I mention that case in my book Four War Boer, and it is a good case study that accompanies my book Occupation and Insurgency, as related to the then existing laws of warfare, primarily The Hague Conventions at that particular times.

The Brandenburgers under Adrian von Foelkersam secured the Baku fields (for a short while anyway) in a very original way, while Gebirgsjaeger scale the summit of Mt. Elbruz and established a long range radio relay. Hitler was less than impressed with the mountain climbers.

Beevor should write a book (or maybe I should) on Japanese atrocities against POWs, mass murder and rapes, and Unit 731's operations and then see how the Japanese government would respond to it all. He should not be that surprised at the Ukrainians.

Sweetwilliam wrote: "Colin wrote: "The reason for former Soviet POWs being sent to gulags was simple; under Soviet law surrender and capture were not an option, it was illegal. Therefore, anyone captured was deemed a t..."

The German in command of the Cossack Corps was Gen Pannwitz, and the Cossacks worshiped him. They made a special sword for him, and provided him with a bodyguard. Once when SS Lt. Gen. Paul Hausser arrived with an inspection team, the Cossacks surrounded the SS men with swords and rifles at the ready. They suspected they were coming to take him away from them, and were ready to kill the SS men.

The primary leader of the anti-Soviet Free Russian Army of Liberation (ROA) was former Soviet Lt. Gen and defector Andrei Vlasov, who was supported by Abwehr Chief Gen. Reinhard Gehlen. Heinrich Himmler even paid them a visit once when on an inspection tour of the Soviet defectors. He wanted to ensure they were racially suited to be included within the Waffen SS should they desire.

The Cossack leadership was less than impressed with Himmler. Kneaz (Cossack prince and grand nephew of Tsar Nicholas II) Leonidas Damianov Maximciuc was there that day, as he was a Free Russian fighter pilot in ROA, and he was my friend. He told me the same story that Lt. Gen. Hans Baur (Hitler's personal pilot) and SS Major Gen. Otto Kumm told me. All three corroborated each other on this.

Pannwitz was selected to lead the Don Cossacks for his knowledge of Russian language, horsemanship and fierce anti-Communist position, as well his being a respected counterinsurgency cavalry leader.

Stalin's orders were clear to Levrenti Beria: "Get the Cossacks and all others, and make this problem go away." Vlasov was also handed over and hanged in a great spectacle.

Those two books are solid on the subject. FYI my wife and I are honorary Doolittle Raiders.

Interesting, your grandfather would have been one of those captured perhaps by a young Leutnant Erwin Rommel, and that battle earned him the Pour le Merite

I can assure you, that after my several years as a Marine Corps scout sniper, and having attended the German sniper school, and interviewed MANY snipers from many militaries the scene was not too bad actually. However, at that distance I would have expected a solid head shot, or at the very least a center mass chest cavity penetration. The other problem was that after the first shot, just as a general rule he would have relocated his position so as to not get fixed and finished.

Rotten Tomatoes is as worthless as a CNN election poll. The new film coming about the 12 Horse Soldiers should be interesting, as a friend of mine was one of them. In addition, I was paid as a consultant on Fury, and I brought Otto Carius in on the gig.

I was fundamentally pleased with the film until I saw the Panzerfaust strike on the M4, and it was still intact. I also cringed at the scene where the Tiger I was ass shot by Fury, when all the driver had to do was lock the right lateral brake and pivot right while the commander swung the turret around clockwise.

Given the way they depicted the scene the Sherman would have been blown away long before it outflanked the Tiger. That was a standard method for any tank, any nation, if the track was not damaged.

The reason for former Soviet POWs being sent to gulags was simple; under Soviet law surrender and capture were not an option, it was illegal. Therefore, anyone captured was deemed a traitor, and treated accordingly. Part of the Yalta Conference agreement was that Roosevelt and Stalin agreed to hand over: 1-All Soviets liberated from camps (without disclosing their eventual fates), 2-All Germans captured east of the Oder River were Soviet property.

When American units captured Germans, they were ordered to hand over those prisoners to Soviet forces. See Erich Hartmann's first person description of this event in my book The German Aces Speak II.

Another fun factoid for those interested, is that Stalin issued an order to Levrenti Beria that all severely wounded veterans, in particular amputees were also to be sent to the camps. He did not want the Soviet public at large to see that "The New Soviet Man" was less than perfect after winning the Great Patriotic War. These heroes were also thrown away like garbage, just because they did not appear "normal" after the war.

As an exercise in abject futility, watch the old Soviet victory parade films, and the highlights of veterans with their decorations. Not an amputee among them.