Christian Zulus

Quiz about a Soviet Tank at GMIC Gentlemen, since november 2005 Christophe, GMIC-member from Paris, runs the thread "Soviet & Eastern Block Quiz, Guess Who? Guess What?" http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3144 at the "GMIC-Soviet-Section", with already 828 postings and more than 8.500 views! The winner of the the Quiz, the GMIC-member, who gave the right answer to the quiz question(s), has the right to post a new question. This time I had been the lucky winner and now I posted a rather interesting and tricky question about a Soviet Tank, his design and his nickname at the German Wehrmacht. Please have a look at our new tank-question and participate at our quiz: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?s=&showtop...st&p=145465 Many thanks . Best regards Christian

Dear Christiophe, many thanks for your further informations . I have the german-editon of the Mitrokhin-book in my library. So I will look that story after . I personally don't believe, that these two brothers really worked for the stupid FBI-dudes of Mr. Hoover and gave them valueable informations. Gus Hall's party had been always under enormous pressure from the US-Adminstration. So, maybe the Kremlin decided, that the brothers Childs' shall play double agents and delifer some infos to the Hoover-gangsters, to keep Gus Hall's venture in the USA alive. Jack & Morris Childs had been communists - till the passed away, I assume. Best regards Christian

NEW QUESTION Gentlemen, here is the new question - now about tanks : 1. Which Soviet tank of the GPW had at the beginning of the GPW a much thicker armour, than some years later? 2. Why did the constructors do so? 3. What was the nickname of this tank given by the German Wehrmacht? (2 German words, which result in a funny name.) Best regards Christian

Jack & Morris Childs Dear Christophe, thanks for your last hint . John Barron, Operation Solo: The FBI's Man in the Kremlin (Regnery Publishing, 1996) Barron's book deals about the Childs brothers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Childs and more information in the NY Times http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html...757C0A960958260 . Both had been Communists, working for the KGB, in top function at the US-Communist-Party AND spies for the FBI. 1975 Jack & Morris received both a RB and 1987 the brothers got each a Presidential Medal of Freedom. I don't have this book of John Barron in my library - only his rather old and dated KGB-book . Best regards Christian

Dr. Herfurth's Soviet Awards collection in 1987 Gentlemen, due to the photocredits in Dr. Herfurth's first book about Soviet Military Awards, which he published in the GDR in 1987, his private collection included these items: - the 3 Long-Service-Medals (only av. is photographed) - 20 different "Excellent ...."-badges (incl. "Sniper" & "Submariner"!) - almost comprehensive collection of "Classification Badges" of all branches - some "fruit-salad" of high end orders (inkl. "Victory"!) - some "Souvinir"-badges - a nice collection of stamps from the CCCP-Mail dealing with Awards & GPW Now - 20 years later - Dr. Herfurth's collection is a little bit larger . It is interesting to see, which CCCP awards & badges had been possible to collect legally in the GDR during Communism . O.K., as the author of the world's first non-Russian book about Soviet Awards he might have had a special access for his medals & badges. Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, many thanks for your comprehensive informations . Tell us, what would be the market-prices for some of these listed medals & orders today in 2007 ? Many thanks . So we might see the "true" value of a RS . Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, as I assumed: A piece of scratch and a very "cheap" made copy - usually "Hofjuwelier Koechert" in Vienna produces better copies . For that piece of sXXt, the starting price of DM 4000,- (in 1974!) is exorbitant high . Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, that's a joke - or a fake made out of scratch . That's an original chain & badge of the Order of the Golden Fleece: http://www.khm.at/system2E.html?/staticE/page476.html . Even the price for the gold-content - the chain is made out of massive gold! - would have exceeded at that time USD 2600,- . Besides of that aspect, an original "Chained Fleece" is one of the rarest and most precious orders in the world. If you would put the item of the "Kunsthistorische Museum" (see link above) to an auction at Sotheby's, the hammer price will be far beyond USD 1.000,000,-. The (Burgundian-Austrian) "Order of the Golden Fleece" is the most supreme (monarchistic) award of the Christian-Catholic World - still . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Golden_Fleece Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, that lists corresponds more to the rather high price range for rather common CCCP-medals of the 1970s. I remember from my first visits to England, that the British Pound had an enormous purchasing power at that time . Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, many thanks for the list . The DM ("Deutsche Mark") is rather exactly 50 % of the recent EURO. So, if you divide the Graf-Klenau-prices through 2 and take the result x 1.3, then you have the prices in USD at the recent USD/EUR-exchange-rate. Even for mere starting prices, it seems to me far too "moderate" concerning the higher rating awards for the 1970s. Might be, that all the higher end items of Graf Klenau had been well made copies - did the forgers start so early ? Best regards Christian

Dear Paul, I have read about a case, where a Lenin T 6 (with ereased s/n.) had been sold in the 1970s for even more, than USD 10k. I think, that the medal had come from a recipient, who was living in the west, due to fact, that the "export" of the top order of the CCCP would have been an extremly risky venture. Lenins, Octoberrevolutions, HSUs, etc. had been extremly rare at the market in the 1970s - not so the anniversary medals. Best regards Christian

Dear Gerd, sorry, but Wild Card presents at that thread another RB-group: Col. Gorlach with even 5 RBs AND all numbered #2 to #5 . Another great group of Wild Card's collection . Best regards Christian

Dear "Wild Card", great group . Does it belong to your collection ? Best regards Christian

Dear Christophe, sorry, I found no brothers in that list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Soviet_spies Some married couples, but no brothers . Best regards Christian P.S.: Maybe you can give us another hint, under which presidency (Roosevelt, Truman, etc.) in the USA the incident happened .

Dear "Wild Card", for what did our comrade get his O.B.E. (+ his Lenin & 4 RBs) ? Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, Michael Ashcan bought his VCs and Zhukov earned his two Orders of Victory . Best regards Christian BTW: A G.C.B. is something: Baron Georgy Zhukov of Berlin .

Dear Laurence, but Canada is still a royal monarchy with Q II as head of state ? Best regards Christian

Baron Ashcroft vs. Marshal Zhukov Gentlemen, Lord Ashcroft holds "only" a "Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George", which is at least two steps below the "Knight Grand Cross of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (G.C.B.)", Marshal Zhukov received . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Ashcroft Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, many thanks for the information . Bermuda and Belize (Lord Ashcroft , the guy with the incredible VC-collection) But the fact is, that there are still a lot of "Sirs" and "Dames" in Canada, Australia, NZ, etc. Best regards Christian

Dear Ed, you are sure ? But "Bath" (+ aristocratic title), etc. are still possible for Canadian, Austrialian, etc. citizens ? Best regards Christian BTW: So, Bryan can never promote to a MBE .

Dear Hendrik, you can be happy, that you didn't purchase a Lenin T 6 for about USD 10k . Best regards Christian

Dear Bryan, you are citizen of Canada and belong to the Commenwealth - these are your awards . CBE, etc.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_British_Empire . Best regards Christian BTW: If you would donate a hughe collection of Orders and Medals to a public museum in Canada you might receive a MBE:

Dear Gerd, o.k., s/n. 2 for the RB #2 is an argument . RB #2 r.i. are well above the USD 800 - 1200 range. I also agree with Jim, but according to the fact, that most of us do not have a rather unlimited supply of Euros or Dollars for purchasing Soviet Awards, prices matter . Best regards Christian

Dear Vic, here is the famous painting, showing comrade Zhukov with his "Knight Grand Cross of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (G.C.B.)" on the sash: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Bath . Best regards Christian