Hello folks, My name is Jacob Johnson and I am happy to have stumbled across such a large collection of knowledge. I am a WWII German SS reenactor, avid reader and modeler of tanks, and love to play board games and table top games. I JUST graduated High School last week and preparing to ship off to WVU this fall hopefully. If anyone else lives in the Martinsburg, West Virginia. Hope to learn lots!
SEI WILLKOMMEN KAMERAD, DU BIST HIER AM RICHTIGEN PLATZ UM EINE GANZE MENGE ÜBER DIE EREIGNISSE DES ZWEITEN WELTKRIEGES ZU LERNEN
hi Brandon. You and other armor commanders might enjoy mapping your tank action using the maps available at http://podvigaroda.mil.ru There is a link in the upper right to display english. Then, proceed to the maps available ...."1940-1945" are among those I viewed. In particular the "Kapta" region is available. Using the map toolbar, a viewer is able to scroll thru the regions. I used a high resolution and viewed nearly the entire 45th parallel detail available on the Kapta region. I observed that the maps were in that 4 quadrant mapping.... executed by different authors. The colors and detail are spectacular. Also, the command users have penciled in troop deployment. Rivers, towns, mines, roadways, houses.....all are there. Contour detail is available...and for the serious student, the orders are recorded in chronological order back at the home page toolbar. The commanders notations include troop deployment by unit nomenclature in colored pencil. I am fairly certain german units were shown in blue( I translated this as armor). Forgive me in this detail because I am rather slow in translating the russian, but a student of battle can gain a tremendous value from the map. I recommend the detail of place names....Ocuhobo, Cemek, Kuph, Kpachbin, Ompaahoe and Makeebka. This was a region that anchored a long north south deployment...as shown for 1941. Apparently, the German advance had used an available road system to force a breakthru...as I translated the blue arrow...just to the north of a large lake. This project (see website) is moving forward, as I best understand it, to allow a record of the valor and award of medal to Russian service men and women. Incidental to that aim is the command maps...recorded in color. I was struck in my use by the huge area. Vast region. And yes, I honor those Russian troops. Their opponents were skilled in war. I did notice that this map may have included in it's most Eastern portion that region "Katyn Forest". I was searching for that area to examine it's road and rail points. The site includes photos, other wealth of information. It's original documents are superb in copy....and include interesting notes in the margins. Also, for sheer mastery of tank movement, don't ignore the last tank action against the Japanese. The Russian advance on the Russia-China border during the final weeks of the war is often overlooked for the superb movement of armor. Quite incredible distances were covered per day....and included a fuel re supply by air. The battle plan included a pincer movement executed over unforgiving terrain. It also included the element of a surprise attack. You mentioned you graduated. Good work. Hope you are considering continuing your studies in upper divisions. I hope you like the references. M.
