What is your favourite battle of WW 2 ?

[Frundsberg]

Are You sure the numbers are correct? I belive they are not. There were also Dutschmen, Danes, Sweeds etc. involved in this huge battle. And of course also many German regular Wehrmacht troops and Estonian troops in W-SS and Wehrmacht.

[Aleksander P]

Any battle against the communist regime. Do not forget the battles in Korea and Vietnam. But from the WWII - the Battle of Narva, battle of Berlin and Köningsberg. And of course the Kurland battles in Latvia 1944-45.

Don't forget Taipale and Tali-Ihantala .

[lebus12]

And him Ned?
Joseph Stilwell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[bigmacglenn]

I find my interests drawn to the final battles on the Ostfront, from East Prussia to Berlin...I am particularly interested in the personal accounts of veterans and civilians during the final days of the Reich...
cheers, Glenn

[hucks216]

On land I would go for Imphal/Kohima - a crucial battle that deserves to be known by a wider audience.

At sea I would go for the two Naval battles at Narvik - a great destroyer action that for me summed up the difference between British & German Captains. And in the second battle it must of been quite something to hear the firing of HMS Warspite's 15" guns reverberating around the fjord.

[StefanM]

For me the Siege of Malta or the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

[big ned]

And him Ned?
Joseph Stilwell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What about him?

He was busy making hard work of the siege at Myitkyina at the time of the Battle of Kohima, and managed to allow the 'Marauders' to go from 3000 fighting troops to only 130 combat ready men in only 12 months, and that's not counting the thousands of Chinese who also succumbed to disease and exhaustion under his command. I'm no fan of Vinegar Joe, and neither were his own men who on more than one occasion have been documented saying that they seriously thought about fragging him. It's fair to say he showed little care for his own men, and more about objectives than anything else.

Whatever, the thread is about battles and not individuals per se, and Stilwell has not a jot to do with my personal choice of the 'Battle of the Tennis Court'.

Hope that clears things up old chap.

Regards, Ned.

[Paul D]

Sinimägede lahing (Battle of Tannenberg Line).

They fought for the strategically important Narva Isthmus (Estonia) from 25 July to 10 August 1944.

Axis strength:
22,250 troops
7 tanks[
70–80 assault guns
49 aircraft

Axis losses:
2,500 dead or missing
7,500 wounded or sick
6 tanks

Soviet strength:
136,830 troops
150 armoured vehicles
1680 assault guns
546 aircraft

Soviet losses:
35,000 dead or missing
135,000 wounded or sick
157–164 tanks

Result: Tactical German victory.

German and Estonian soldiers faced overwhelming odds, but managed to halt the attacker.

Source: Wiki (Battle of Tannenberg Line - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Don't know who produced the Wiki figures but some of them are they way off !!

[Shadwellarmy]

Juhan, I think the numbers covers all of the III SS-Panzerkorps

Edit:

Paul, the number could be right for if only Nordland, and Nederland is counted.

[Paul D]

What about him?

He was busy making hard work of the siege at Myitkyina at the time of the Battle of Kohima, and managed to allow the 'Marauders' to go from 3000 fighting troops to only 130 combat ready men in only 12 months, and that's not counting the thousands of Chinese who also succumbed to disease and exhaustion under his command. I'm no fan of Vinegar Joe, and neither were his own men who on more than one occasion have been documented saying that they seriously thought about fragging him. It's fair to say he showed little care for his own men, and more about objectives than anything else.

Whatever, the thread is about battles and not individuals per se, and Stilwell has not a jot to do with my personal choice of the 'Battle of the Tennis Court'.

Hope that clears things up old chap.

Regards, Ned.

Ned i've been fortunate to interview quite a few veterans of 2 DLI who fought in the Arakan , Burma and especially Kohima , the most recent was about two months ago when i interviewed the Bn MT Sgt .

The Battle at Kohima was as extreme a combat that was fought anywhere during the war and yet because it was in Burma the majority of pepole know nothing about it. The 70th Anniversary of the Battle is coming soon and i hope it will be remembered somehow nationally and in the media , the Forgotten army should not remain forgotten !!