“Now they say that the Allies never helped us … But it cannot be denied that the Americans were driving us so many materials without which we could not form our reserves and could not continue the war … We received 350 thousand cars, but what kind of cars !. We had no explosives or gunpowder. There was nothing to equip rifle cartridges with. The Americans really helped us out with gunpowder and explosives. And how much they drove us sheet steel. How could we quickly set up the production of tanks, if not for American help with steel. And now they present things in such a way that we had all of this in abundance of our own."
Karpov V. V. Marshal Zhukov: Opal. M.: Veche, 1994
Lend-Lease in numbers. A recently published article on Lend-Lease based on materials from the Pravda newspaper aroused a clear interest in the VO readership, but the comments on it personally left a strange impression on me. Well, let's just say, tolerantly speaking, some people just read it inattentively, and even commented and did not think at all. And someone read in it something that was not there at all, and why so, it is not clear at all. Meanwhile, it was written in black and white that it was, in fact, a reprint of an official document from the newspaper Pravda. Which was done so that this source became known to the readers of "VO". And, by the way, a person was immediately found who found this issue of the newspaper and a copy of "Messages …" and posted it in his commentary. Why didn't I do it? But it became curious whether anyone would have enough computer skills and interest in this topic. I see that I have the skill and have enough interest, although not all of them. Many immediately began to scribble "accusations" of Russophobia, and God knows what else, but this is all to Pravda, the press organ of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks). For me personally, this is nothing more than an official source of information, which for some reason in our country has not been used for a long time. I only clothed the meager lines of a dry newspaper message in a readable literary text. Everything! So there is no need to look for devils in the censer, this is stupid, and I would even say, pointless. Who is trying to refute what in this way? A document for the publication of which permission was given by Stalin himself? For it is unlikely that on June 11, 1944, without his indication, a document containing such important information for the country could have appeared in the press. Many, however, expressed their wishes for more specific information, as well as comparisons and comparisons … Well, now we will continue this topic! But first, let's think, why did this "Message …" appear at all?
An article in Pravda is good PR
As you know, there was no PR in the USSR, and even more than that, dissertations were defended, which directly indicated that this was an invention of the bourgeoisie with the aim of fooling the working people. And yes, it really is. But it’s like a hammer that you can use to break your head, or you can hammer in nails. What, for example, did the inhabitants of Berlin feel when they saw heavily tanned young men in white shorts and girls in short skirts passing in front of them, striking a step, in a parade? And what did Muscovites think when girls in white shorts and boys in white trousers walked along Red Square in the same way? Both of them rejoiced and experienced exactly the same positive emotions. This, by the way, is the real PR, which we have always had in our country, just not in words, of course, but in deeds! Why at first Hitler was called a cannibal in the same Pravda and offensive caricatures were drawn on him? He was the enemy, but the enemy must be ridiculed! And why, after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, they began to call him "the chancellor of the German nation" and send congratulations? But because now we were "friends", and friends should not be scolded.
So the publication of the message of June 11, 1944 pursued the goal of information impact on the society of the USSR and … the leadership of Hitlerite Germany. In our people, of course, tiredness from the war and its hardships began to show itself, and it was necessary to "please" him, to show how much they send us, that with such and such support "victory will be ours." Accordingly, the Hitlerite leadership, which also read Pravda, was given a clear message: "You cannot defeat us with such and such help from the United States, Britain and Canada." That is why these top secret figures were published in it, and they were certainly correct. What if the Germans, through some of their espionage channels, would know that they are, say, overpriced? Then everything could be attributed to "Bolshevik propaganda." And here, n-e-e-t, in Pravda everything is true! Can you imagine what a blow it was to the consciousness of the German leadership? So the publication of this message should be viewed as a very smart and thoughtful move by the Soviet leadership in its informational confrontation with Nazi Germany. The importance of this message is evidenced by the fact that its text was reprinted by ALL ARMY FRONT NEWSPAPERS. For example, I came across his text in the newspaper of the 4th Guards Tank Army "To defeat the enemy." Excerpts from the message were reprinted by ALL local newspapers, such as "Stalinskoe Znamya", "Rabochaya Pravda", "Stalin's Way" and others. And the letters "from the people" published in them in response; "With deep satisfaction …" and so on, the citizens of the USSR wrote in them. It is another matter that later this information became profitable to be hushed up, which is why neither Zhukov, nor Yakovlev, nor others like them referred to this official source. That is, there was freedom of speech and freedom not to use this freedom!
Dervish and others PQ
Surprisingly, many readers of "VO" do not at all see what is written in the text before their eyes, moreover, the official text. Foaming at the mouth - you can't say otherwise, they argue that … help came to us only at the end of the war, but at the beginning it was not. But is it? Let's start with the fact that the industrial potential of the two countries at war against Hitler - Great Britain and the USSR in general terms as of June 1941 was 1: 1. At the same time, Britain was actually losing the battle for the Atlantic, which is why it even went to an unprecedented "destroyers in exchange for bases" agreement with the United States that was not at war at that time. And the question arises, how can you help another country when you yourself have a "case of seams". Nevertheless, please note that the "Message …" indicates the following dates for the start of deliveries: from Great Britain - "From June 22, 1941 to April 30, 1944". That is, it is clear that they did not send us something on June 22, but negotiations on supplies began immediately after the start of the war and had a positive character, otherwise Pravda would have noted this!
And here are the data on the first Atlantic convoys from Great Britain, held in 1941. The first convoy was called "Dervish" and did not yet have a letter designation. The Dervish left Iceland on August 21 and arrived in Arkhangelsk on August 31, 1941. It was followed by PQ-1 (Iceland September 29 - Arkhangelsk October 11); PQ-2 (Liverpool October 13 - Arkhangelsk October 30); PQ-3 (Iceland November 9 - Arkhangelsk November 22); PQ-4 (Iceland November 17 - Arkhangelsk November 28); PQ-5 (Iceland November 27 - Arkhangelsk December 13); PQ-6 (Iceland December 8 - Murmansk December 20).
The Dervish consisted of 6 ships carrying 10,000 tons of rubber, 1,500 tons of soldiers' boots, tin, wool, industrial equipment, ammunition - 3,800 depth charges and magnetic mines, and 15 dismantled Hurricane fighters. Another 24 Hurricane aircraft were on board the aircraft carrier Argus. The PQ-1 already included 10 merchant ships loaded with aluminum, rubber and copper, 20 tanks and 193 Hurricane fighters. What was delivered by other convoys is probably also known, but it is not so easy to find this information. However, judging by the list of understanding of what is required in the first place, then there was not yet. For example, it is not very clear if we really needed these depth charges and whether it was more useful to order more of the same copper or metal cutting machines. But the British, too, could not give everything we wanted. So the balance of interests associated with military supplies from England, before the US entered the war, was clearly not in our favor. However, it is also understandable that "one's own shirt is always closer to the body" and why it is so - is understandable. Moreover, we emphasize that according to the Anglo-Soviet agreement of June 27, 1942, British military assistance to the Soviet Union during the war was declared completely free. But before that date, the USSR paid for deliveries in gold and currency, that is, in fact, it bought what was sent to it on these first convoys.
Figures, percentages and comments …
Many readers of "VO" in their comments expressed their wishes to get acquainted with the comparative indicators of supplies under Lend-Lease. However, A. S. Pushkin wrote: "How to compare, but to see …", and was undoubtedly absolutely right. So let's see and compare: how much of what was produced in the USSR, how much was delivered under Lend-Lease and in what percentage is one with the other.
• Explosives: produced 558 thousand tons; delivered 295.6 thousand tons; 53%.
• Copper: produced 534 thousand tons; 404 thousand tons; 76%.
• Aluminum: 283 thousand tons; 301 thousand tons; 106%.
• Tin: 13 thousand tons; 29 thousand tons; 223%.
• Aviation gasoline: 4,700 thousand tons; 2586 thousand tons; 55%.
• Car tires: 5953 thousand pieces; 3659 thousand pieces; 62%.
• Railway cars: 1086 units; 11,075 pcs; 1020%.
• Railway rails: 1,101,100 tons; 622, 1 thousand. tons; 57%.
• Sugar: 995 thousand tons; 658 thousand tons; 66%.
• Canned meat: 432.5 million cans; 2,077 million cans; 480%.
• Animal fats: 565 thousand tons; 602 thousand tons; 107%.
Now let's think about what this or that indicator means in practice. Half of the gunpowder and explosives used in the course of hostilities are supplied under Lend-Lease. This means that every second bullet and every second projectile, bomb or torpedo, hand grenade or mine produced the effect it was supposed to do at the expense of … supplies. Every second shot at the enemy was "foreign" - that's how it is! And how many Germans killed all those bullet shells and bombs? Probably a lot, right? But they could not have killed, if they were not there and then … they would have killed our soldiers! By the way, in addition to the actual explosives, 22 million shells and 991 million various shell casings were also supplied.
Copper supplied 76%. But copper is exactly the same bullets with which the soldiers of the Red Army killed the soldiers of the Wehrmacht. And this is much more, without which the war cannot proceed successfully. Aluminum is the "metal of war". Over the years of the Second World War, our aluminum producer UAZ has never fulfilled its supply plan for 100%. But the needs for aluminum were covered by lend-lease supplies. And it is understandable why at first our planes were worse than the German ones, and only then the situation began to improve. By the way, the aluminum delivered under Lend-Lease to the USSR would have been enough for the production of all Soviet combat aircraft during the two years of the war. Let's keep silent about tin, but let's pay attention to aviation gasoline - every second flight of our aircraft was carried out on imported fuel. We missed our own! As well as car tires. You won't go far without a spare wheel!
Well, after all, not only gasoline was supplied to us. Equipment for setting up its own production was also supplied. And the volume of its deliveries was such that the annual production of Soviet aviation gasoline during the war years increased from 110,000 tons in 1941 to 1,670,000 tons in 1944.
Food supplies were also very important. How can you eat the bitterness of life? Sweet sugar! And - 62% of its own production volumes were supplied. Canned food and animal fats are the same! "As you burst, you sink!" - says our proverb and this is very true.
And also the number of deliveries included 15 417 000 pairs of army boots, 1 541 590 blankets, 331 066 liters of alcohol and buttons (and without them even pants will not be worn!) 257 723 498 pieces!
Reverse Lend-Lease: Herring and Military Secrets
Some of our "knowledgeable" readers are very fond of writing in the comments about Mongolian horses and camels that reached Berlin, and also about the so-called "reverse lend-lease". But horses cannot be harnessed to Katyusha! During the entire war, the domestic auto industry supplied only 600 (!) Vehicles (mainly ZiS-6) suitable for installing this weapon system on them, while under Lend-Lease from the United States, about 20 thousand cars were delivered, on the chassis of which Katyusha "Just were mounted. Not on the backs of Mongolian camels and not at all on carts (although there was a project for the production of such an installation, and it was at the Penza pipe plant!), Drawn by Mongolian horses! World War II was a war of motors, not horses!
As for the "return deliveries", then … about them, for example, the magazine "Rodina", which for some reason is not held in high esteem among the "experts" of "VO", was very interesting in its time. Both timber and alloying additives were supplied … But, the main thing is that the convoys that were going from Russia back to England along the northern route were taking there, you know what? Frozen and salted fish! Yes, yes, throughout almost the entire war we fed the British with our fish, because it was difficult for them to catch it in the Atlantic. And some of the fish was made especially for … Winston Churchill. Solvenskaya herring was specially prepared for him, which he used to eat … Armenian brandy! So here it is quite possible to say that our Siberian fishermen literally saved the British, if not from starvation, then from sensible malnutrition. In addition, the decision of the USSR to transfer to the Americans the technology for the production of gunpowder for the engines of our Katyusha MLRS was especially valuable for the United States, as it may not sound surprising. In this area, as it turned out, the USSR had a significant priority, which made it possible, firstly, to organize the production of the necessary gunpowders for Katyushas in the United States, and secondly, such a decision made it possible to solve the problem of quickly providing these weapons with the American army, which sharply increased its fire superiority over the enemy. Both Calliope installations on tanks and underwing missiles suspended under Thunderbolts and Lights would not have appeared if we had not shared our secrets in this area with our allies. But the safety device against double loading on a mortar, created in the USSR, Stalin even demanded to be patented abroad, so that this simple device would not fall into the hands of the Allies, who lost a lot of soldiers from double loading.
Accordingly, what was not given to us was … heavy bombers. The reason is clear. Such a weapon, if we mastered it well, could pose a threat to the United States and Britain themselves after the war, and the leadership of these countries understood this well. The USSR was not admitted to the secret development of atomic weapons!
"Matilda" tanker Chibisov
Again, for some reason, the question of quality constantly arises. And he shouldn't get up! People always help … not the best, leaving the last to themselves. And that's okay! And only when there is a lot of "best", they share it. That is why we were first supplied with Hurricane fighters, not Spitfires. At the same time, in England itself, the Matilda tanks were not very needed and that is why they went to the USSR. Well, what the Soviet tankmen liked about them and what they didn't, we will be told by the memoirs of the famous tanker VP Chibisov "English tanks at the Cool Log" (Novosibirsk, 1996).
Once on an English tank as a commander, Chibisov in his memoirs described in detail everything that he liked and everything that he did not like, namely the mediocre attack of these tanks near the Cool Log, where the Germans burned most of the vehicles of his unit, and he himself was captured by them.
Let's start with the positive. So, he really liked the "infantry anti-aircraft" machine gun "Bren", which he called the "gentleman machine gun". Nothing superfluous, all the details fit perfectly, all the corners are rounded, it shoots very accurately. The machine gun "Bes", in his opinion, was just a "workhorse", reliable, but no more. Everything in the tank was surprising: how quietly its diesel engines worked, and the fact that the entire tank was covered with a layer of spongy rubber from the inside, so it was possible to ride in it without a helmet, since it was simply impossible to hit your head on the metal. Convenient was the spring seat, on which you could "roll" up and down, easy to disassemble, and there was a sight (unlike ours for a 45-mm cannon) and the gun itself, with a smaller caliber, was not inferior to ours in armor penetration. But most of all he was struck by the "concern for people", about their convenience. So, the boxes for shells resembled suitcases and were made of varnished plywood, so they were very light, unlike ours. The tank was supplied with a small stove for heating food, which was also very convenient. And he wrote that after all, the British did all this for the war, but unlike us, it was not rude, clumsy, just to drive and shoot, but with concern for the convenience of those who would drive and shoot. I did not like the "sea tarpaulin" that was included in the tank inventory. Light, thin and durable, in the Russian frost, it hardened so that it turned into tin. I didn’t like the Thompson submachine gun that came with the tank. Very "thick bullets" and from 50 m did not penetrate the German helmet, although they left a decent dent in it! The chassis caused a lot of criticism from the tankers. The tank went well on the sand and snow, but on the slopes in the ice it became virtually uncontrollable. We had to weld “spurs” onto the tracks, but their thickness had to be strictly defined, otherwise they would cling to the armored bulwarks. Armor 78 mm thick aroused respect, but the political instructors told the tankers that we gave the British the recipe for our armor from the KV tank, but the British did not manage to make high-quality armor 75 mm thick, so they had 78. Another story was that on Czech tanks, which Chibisov has already seen knocked out, there are English machine guns. The caliber is the same as that of the Germans - 7, 92 mm. That is, the British imperialists profit from the war, they sell the "Bes" machine guns to the Germans! Well, about how it all really happened, VO has already been told.
That is, the significance of Lend-Lease is also in the fact that our Soviet citizens got acquainted with Western technology in large numbers, flew on their planes, worked with their radars, radio direction finders, radio stations and other devices, worked on imported modern machine tools and industrial equipment. And they saw that all this can, it turns out, be done … without the "achievements of socialism", or rather these achievements themselves, are still quite far from this technique.
Photo in the newspaper "Pravda" No. 327 dated November 25, 1941, although the "Matilda" tank itself is not very visible on it. By the way, about the Matilda tanks, the Penza newspaper “Stalin's banner” in 1941 wrote: “… In the column, the tanks of Captain Morozov's unit stood out with their impressive appearance … These are British tanks with powerful diesel engines, working clearly and silently … From the very first days studying British tanks, our soldiers were convinced of their high qualities. The multi-ton tank is very mobile. It has steel armor, simple controls and powerful firepower to fight enemy tanks and infantry … The armored British transporters following in the column were of great interest. They are well armed, their weapons can strike air and ground targets with equal success."
Well, the role of the same Matilda tanks in the battles near Moscow is evidenced by the fact that a photograph of this tank, and even close-up, again, got on the front page of the Pravda newspaper. Even the Hurricane made it only to the second. Everyone understood what this meant then. It was a kind of language without words. The size of the photo and the place where it was located spoke for them!
Experts are conducting the investigation
Having mentioned the convoys of the northern route, there is no doubt that there will be an "expert" who has read the same Pikul and will report that in 1942 the agreed delivery plans were fulfilled only by 55 percent. And in the most difficult time of preparation for the Kursk operation (in Washington and London they knew about this work), deliveries were interrupted for 9 months and began again only in September 1943. And it is clear that such a long break is not a technical question at all, but a political one! That is, these are the "intrigues" of the imperialists. So writes, for example, someone O. B. Rakhmanin, and someone could read him, and not only him, by the way, this information is also widely disseminated. The main thing here is to immediately begin to denounce. However, this historian is not very accurate. The supplies were stopped not for 9 months, but for 6 months, and only along the Northern route. But there were other routes as well. Through the Far East and Iran, and now supplies through them at that time increased significantly.
Well, the story will still follow about paying off debts …
