World War II Chronicle Series -- Fighting to the Bitter End (Comprehensive Record of Famous Battles in the Soviet Union's War of National Defense)

Author: Lin Jingyun (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: "Back to the Wall—A Chronicle of Famous Battles in the Soviet War of Defense"
After the outbreak of World War II, German forces swept across the European continent and the Balkan Peninsula, controlling the human and material resources of 16 European countries. On June 22, 1941, German forces launched a "blitzkrieg" into the heart of the Soviet Union, deploying a total of 5.5 million troops. This included: 190 infantry divisions, approximately 4,300 tanks, and 47,200 artillery pieces; 4,980 combat aircraft in the air force; and 192 naval vessels. They advanced in three routes toward Leningrad, Smolensk, and Kyiv.
To wage the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet Union mobilized 5.373 million troops, with 2.68 million stationed on the western border. This comprised: 170 infantry divisions and two brigades, 37,500 artillery pieces, and 1,475 new tanks; 15,400 new combat aircraft in the air force; and 396 naval vessels. Over the four-year Great Patriotic War, the Soviet Union defeated 607 German divisions, accounting for over 77.5% of the total German divisions during World War II. German losses reached 10 million people, representing 80% of all losses in the war, with over 75% of their weapons and equipment captured by the Soviet forces. The Soviet military suffered 16 million casualties during the battles. The Soviet people made significant contributions to defeating fascist Germany and ending World War II with victory.
During the Soviet counteroffensive, the ten offensives launched by the Red Army inflicted extremely severe losses on the German forces. In the first half of 1944, German forces lost a total of 126 divisions and 30 brigades, with another 219 divisions and 142 brigades suffering more than half their strength, resulting in over 2.6 million casualties. They also lost 6,700 tanks, 28,000 various artillery pieces, and 12,000 aircraft. Through these ten decisive offensives, the Red Army achieved a decisive victory over Germany, driving all German forces out of the Soviet Union.