Most Decisive Battle ......

[unit8]

WWII can be seen as just a continuation of WWI with a pause in between 1919 and 1939 or 1937 if you include the conflict between Japan and China.

Some German Generals wanted to invade the USSR in steps and plan each operation as progress was made yearly, they were over ruled by the Corporal.

One of the most decisive points of WWII was the air war in which Germany lost control of the skies above the battle fields and Germany.

This affected production, movement of armaments and troops etc and hindered them on all aspects of fighting the war effectively. Hindered the U-Boats on their transit in the Bay of Biscay and tied up vast numbers of 88 Flak guns and man power to defend Germany which would have been more use at the fronts.

Germany's largest fault was having what could be called a purely tactical airforce and no strategic arm to the Luftwaffe.

The fighters (Bf 109) were short ranged as they had been designed to be based just behind the front line and the bombers were all medium two engined and were nothing more than flying artillery for the Heer, they also had a very light bomb load.

If the Germans had a Stratigic bomber they could of hit the USSR's production centres, mainly the electric power stations and tankograd beyond the Urals.

The four engined Fw 200 Condor had series problems and lots broke up either in the air or on landing etc as their design could not take the punishment of military aviation.

Edited July 20, 2009 by unit8

[Paul C]

I would say Stalingrad was not the decisive battle. The Germans were able to recover and launch the Kursk offensive. The battle of Kursk was the point at which the Germans could not recover. In the Pacific I would say the Battle of the Marianes during which the Japanese naval arm was destroyed. They never recovered after this battle.

[Steve P]

Good Sirs, While The Battle of the Atlantic (strategically), El Alamein, Normandy, a number of others and certainly Stalingrad were all extremely significant defeats for the Third Reich, it remains undisputed that after the great gamble/failure of, and then the reversals after, Operation Citadel, no further strategic offensive was capable of being mounted by the ground forces of the Wehrmacht! This fact that makes Kursk decisive in this issue for me! cheers, S

Edited October 5, 2009 by Steve P

[Steve P]

This is really a postscript to my last post...My view on the decisive battle in the European theatre is clear, but, Idid not comment on the Eastern/Pacific theatre where I would have to go with "Midway". Interestingly, though I had never specifically ponderd this previously, it is for the same reason as I argue for Kursk/Citadel in the European...cheers, S

[Valter]

If you check any german deathcards collection, about 80% of deaths werer "im Osten". That's where the wehrmacht might was destroyed. Wether the decisive battle was Stalingrad, Kursk, Baghration or even Moscow it's hard to say. Moskow sin't that unimportant either - that was the first time german advance (on the east) was stopped, Russians recognized the germans are not invincible and it boosted russian's morale and will to resist. As Stalin was really depressed by first great defeats in 1941, it is not impossible to calculate that Soviets would ask for peace if the Moscow would be lost.

And one more important fact, though not a battle - perhaps the German's biggest mistake beside Barbaroosa was neglecting atomic weapons. IF the germans would place all available resouces to development of atromic bomb Including accepting "jewish" theory of relativity), and IF they'd succeded before allies, they could destroy both Soviets, Britans and Normandy inavsion.

[Dieter3]

Whats the most decisive battle of WWII. For me it is the Eastern Front. Stalingrad or I think , more probably the 3 day Battle of Kursk....

Midway (in the Pacific anyway...)