Lend-Lease: Interest and Comparisons

Lend-Lease in numbers. Released not so long ago article on the Lend-Lease on the materials of the newspaper "Pravda" aroused the obvious interest of the “VO” readership, but the comments on it personally left a strange impression on me. Well, let's say, tolerantly speaking, some people just read it inattentively, and commented on it without thinking at all. And someone read in it what was not there at all, and why so, it is not clear at all. Meanwhile, it was written in black and white that it is, in fact, a reprint of the official document from the Pravda newspaper. Which has been made in order that this source became known to readers "IN". And, by the way, there was immediately a person who found both this number of the newspaper and a copy of the “Message ...” and put it in his commentary. Why didn't I do this? But it became curious whether anyone has enough skills with a computer to work and interest in this topic. I see that there is a skill, and there is enough interest, although not all. Many immediately began scribbling "accusations" of Russophobia, and God knows what else, but this is all about Pravda, the press organ of the Central Committee of the CPSU (B). 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 just put the stingy lines of a dry newspaper message in a readable literary text. Everything! So do not look for devils in the censer, it is stupid, and I would even say meaningless. Who is trying to refute this way? The document, the publication of which permission was given by Stalin himself? For it is unlikely that 11 of June 1944 of the year without its indication in print could have appeared a document containing such important information for the country. Many, however, expressed 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?

US President Franklin D. Roosevelt Signs Lend-Lease Law

An article in Pravda is a good PR!

As you know, in the USSR there was no PR, and even more than that, theses defended themselves, where it was explicitly stated that this was an invention of the bourgeoisie with the aim of duping the working people. And yes, it really is. But it is like a hammer with which you can smash your head, and you can hammer nails. For example, what did the residents of Berlin feel when they saw how strongly tanned young men in white shorts and girls in short skirts pass in front of them, striking a step? And what did Muscovites think when girls in white shorts and boys in white trousers walked in the same way on Red Square? Both those and others rejoiced, and experienced exactly the same positive emotions. This, by the way, is the real PR, which has always been in our country, not only in words, of course, but in practice! Why at first Hitler in the same “Pravda” was called a cannibal and painted offensive cartoons on him? The enemy was, and the enemy must be laughed at! And why, after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, they began to call him the “Chancellor of the German Nation” and send congratulations? And because now we were "friends", and friends are useless to scold.

For those who want to get acquainted with all the details history Lend-Lease - with all the dates, figures and testimonies of the Russian participants in the war, we can recommend the book: By Albert L. Weeks, Lexington Books, New York, 2004.

Here and the publication of a message from 11 June 1944, the goal of informational influence on the society of the USSR and ... the leadership of Nazi Germany. In our people, of course, we have already felt the weariness of the war and its burden, and it was necessary to “please” it, to show how much everything is sent to us, that with such support “victory will be ours”. Accordingly, Hitler’s leadership, which Pravda also read, was given a clear message: “You cannot be defeated by us with such help from the United States, Britain and Canada.” That is why these completely secret figures were made public in it, and they were absolutely correct. What if the Germans would find out, say, overestimated, through some of their spy channels? Then everything could be attributed to "Bolshevik propaganda." And then, n-ee, 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 considered as a very intelligent and thoughtful course of the Soviet leadership in its informational opposition to Nazi Germany. The significance of this message is indicated by the fact that its text was reprinted with ALL ARMY FRONT NEWSPAPERS. For example, I got his text in the newspaper 4-th Guards Tank Army "To defeat the enemy." Excerpts from the message reprinted ALL local newspapers, such as "Stalin's flag", "Working Truth", "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. Another thing is that later this information became profitable to be silent about, which is why neither Zhukov, Yakovlev, nor their ilk referred to this official source. That is, there was freedom of speech and freedom not to enjoy this freedom!

September 1940 of the year. US destroyers at the port of Davenport. "Destroyers in exchange for bases"

"Dervish" and other PQ

Surprisingly, many VO readers do not see at all what is written in the text before their eyes, and the official text. Foaming at the mouth - otherwise you will not say, they claim that ... help came only at the end of the war, and at the beginning it was not there. But is it? To begin with, 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. In this case, Britain actually lost the battle for the Atlantic, because of which even went to an unprecedented agreement "destroyers in exchange for the base" with the non-fighting at the time the United States. And the question arises, how can you help another country when you have a “case of joints”? However, please note that in the “Message ...” the following dates of commencement of deliveries are indicated: from the UK - “From 22 June 1941 of the year to 30 of April of 1944 –th”. That is, it is clear that it wasn’t something we’ve already been sent to 22 of June, but the negotiations on deliveries began immediately after the start of the war and were positive, otherwise Pravda would have said it!

The flagship of the convoy PQ-6 cruiser "Edinburgh"

But the data on the first Atlantic convoys from the UK, held in 1941 year. The first convoy was called "Dervish" and did not yet have a letter designation. The Dervish departed from 21 August Iceland and arrived in Arkhangelsk 31 August 1941. It was followed by PQ-1 (Iceland 29 September - Arkhangelsk 11 October); PQ-2 (Liverpool October 13 - Arkhangelsk October 30); PQ-3 (Iceland 9 November - Arkhangelsk 22 November); PQ-4 (Iceland 17 November - Arkhangelsk 28 November); PQ-5 (Iceland 27 November - Arkhangelsk 13 December); 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 disassembled fighters "Hrichein". Another 24 aircraft "Hurricane" was on board the aircraft carrier "Argus". The PQ-1 already included 10 of commercial ships loaded with aluminum, rubber and copper, 20 tanks and 193 Hurricane fighters. What was put up by other convoys is probably also known, but finding this information is not so easy. However, judging by the list of understanding of what is required in the first place, then it was not yet. For example, it is not very clear whether we really needed these depth charges and whether it was not more useful to order more of the same copper or machine tools. But the British, too, could not give all that 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 clear that “one’s own shirt is always closer to the body” and why this is so is understandable. Moreover, we emphasize that, according to the Anglo-Soviet agreement of 27 June 1942, the military aid of Great Britain to the Soviet Union during the war was declared completely free. But until this date, the USSR paid for supplies in gold and currency, that is, in fact, bought what was sent to him on these first convoys.

One of the ships involved in the wiring of the northern convoys. Cruiser "Devonshire"

Numbers, percentages and comments ...

Many readers of “VO” in their comments expressed their wishes to get acquainted with the comparative indicators of lend-lease supplies. However, another A.S. Pushkin wrote: “How to compare, yes to see ...”, and he was undoubtedly absolutely right. So let's see and compare: how much of what was produced in the USSR, how much was supplied under Lend-Lease and in what percentage is one with the other.
• Explosives: 558 thousand tons produced; 295,6 thousand tons delivered; 53%.
• Copper: 534 thousand tons produced; 404 KT; 76%.
• Aluminum: 283 thousand tons; 301 KT; 106%.
• Tin: 13 KT; 29 KT; 223%.
• Aviabenzin: 4700 thousand tons; 2586 KT; 55%.
• Car tires: 5953 thousand; 3659 thousand; 62%.
• Railway cars: 1086 pcs .; 11 075 units; 1020%.
• Railway rails: 1 101,1 thousand tons; 622,1tys. tons; 57%.
• Sugar: 995 thousand tons; 658 KT; 66%.
• Canned meat: 432,5 million cans; 2077 million cans; 480%.
• Animal fats: 565 thousand tons; 602 KT; 107%.

And 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 lend-lease supplies. So every second bullet and every second projectile, a bomb or a torpedo, a hand grenade or a mine produced the effect they had due to ... supplies. Every second shot at the enemy was "foreign" - that's how it is! And how many Germans killed all these bullets shells and bombs? Probably a lot, is not it? But they could not have killed if they were not there and then ... they would have killed our soldiers! By the way, besides the actual explosives, 22 was also supplied to a million shells and 991 a million different shells for shells.

TNT boxes for lend-lease

Copper delivered 76%. But copper is just the very bullets with which the soldiers of the Red Army killed Wehrmacht soldiers. And this is a lot more, without which the war can not go successfully. Aluminum - "metal of war". Over the years of the Great Patriotic War, our aluminum manufacturer UAZ has never fulfilled its supply plan for all 100%. But the demand for aluminum was covered by the supply of Lend-Lease. And it is clear why at first our planes were worse than German ones, and only then the situation began to straighten. By the way, aluminum, delivered under Lend-Lease in the USSR, would be sufficient for the production of all Soviet combat aircraft during two years of war. We'll keep silent about tin in general, but we will pay attention to aviation gasoline - every second flight of our aircraft was carried out on imported fuel. We lacked our own! As well as car tires. You can't get far without a spare tire!

Well, after all, not only gasoline was supplied to us. Equipment was also supplied to establish its own production. And its supply was such that the annual output of the Soviet aviation fuel during the war years increased from 110 000 tons in 1941 to 1 670 000 tons in 1944.

Food supplies were also very important. What is the bitterness of life? Sweet sugar! And - it was delivered 62% of the volume of its own production. Canned and animal fats - the same! "How to burst, and you will sink!" - Our proverb says, and this is very true.

And the number of deliveries included army shoes 15 417 000 pairs, blankets 1 541 590, alcohol 331 066 liters and buttons (and without them, even pants will not be worn!) 257 723 498 pieces!

Spitfire-V Soviet Air Force

Reverse Lend-Lease: Herring and Military Secrets

Some of our “informed” readers are very fond of writing in the comments about the Mongolian horses and camels that came to Berlin, and also about the so-called “reverse Lend-Lease”. But horses cannot be harnessed to Katyusha! For the entire war, the domestic auto industry delivered only 600 (!) Vehicles (mainly ZiS-6) suitable for installing this weapon system on them, while under the Lend-Lease from the USA about 20 thousand cars were delivered, on the chassis of which Katyusha "Just mounted. Not on the backs of the Mongolian camels and not at all on carts (although the project for the production of such an installation, moreover, existed at the Penza Pipe Plant!), Drawn by the Mongol horses! World War II was a war of motors, not horses!

A very good photo in the newspaper Pravda. We are not alone in the fight against Hitler, help will come

As for the "return deliveries", then ... for example, the Rodina magazine, which for some reason was not held in high esteem among the "experts" of the VO, spoke about them, for example. They supplied both wood and alloying additives ... But, most importantly, the convoys that were traveling from Russia back to England along the northern route were brought there. Do you know what? Ice cream and salted fish! Yes, yes, during 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 were made specifically for ... Winston Churchill. He was specially prepared for Solvenian herring, which he used to bite ... Armenian cognac! So here it is entirely possible to say that our Siberian fishermen literally saved the British, if not from starvation, then from sensitive malnutrition. In addition, the USSR’s decision to transfer the technology of gunpowder production for the engines of our Katyusha MLRS to the Americans became especially valuable for the United States, as it does not sound surprising. In this area, as it turned out, the USSR had a significant priority, which allowed, firstly, to establish the release of the necessary gunpowder for “Katyusha” in the United States, and secondly, this solution allowed us to solve the problem of quickly providing this weapons and the American army, which sharply increased its fire superiority over the enemy. Both the Kalliop installations on tanks and the underwing missiles hanging under the Thunderbolts and Lightings would not have appeared if we had not shared our secrets in this area with the Allies. But Stalin even demanded a patent from abroad to protect a double-loading fuse on a mortar, if only this simple device would not fall into the hands of 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 had mastered it well, could already pose a danger to the United States and Britain themselves after the war, and the leadership of these countries was well aware of this. The USSR was not allowed to secret development of atomic weapons!

Article from the newspaper "Red Star" from 25.11.1941 year. Then it was a trend to speak well of Lend-Lease tanks

"Matilda" tanker Chibisov

Again, for some reason, the question of quality constantly arises. And he should not get up! People always help ... not the best, leaving the last to themselves. And this is normal! And only when there is a lot of “better”, they share it. That is why the first Hurricane fighters were delivered to us, and not the Spitfire. At the same time, Matilda tanks were not very needed in England itself and that is why they went to the USSR. Well, what Soviet tankers liked and what not, they will tell us the memoirs of the famous tanker V.P. Chibisov "English tanks at Steep Log" (Novosibirsk, 1996).

Having fallen into an English tank as a commander, Chibisov in his memoirs described in detail everything he liked and everything he didn’t like, namely the mediocre attack of these tanks at Krutoy 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 more, all the details are perfectly fitted, all angles are rounded, it shoots very accurately. The machine gun "Demon", in his opinion, was just a "workhorse", reliable, but no more. Everything in the tank was surprising: both how quietly its diesels worked, and the fact that the entire tank was covered with a layer of sponge rubber from the inside, so it was possible to ride inside it without a helmet, as it was simply impossible to hit your head with metal. The spring seat was comfortable, on which it was possible to "ride" up and down, it was easy to disassemble and had a sight (unlike ours for the 45-mm gun) and the gun itself, with a smaller caliber, 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. A small primus was attached to the tank for heating food, which was also very convenient. And he wrote that the British did all this for the war, but unlike us it wasn’t rude, clumsy to just drive and shoot, but with concern for the convenience of those who would ride and shoot. I did not like the "sea tarp" included in the set of tank inventory. Light thin and durable, in Russian frost, it hardened so that it turned into tin. I did not like the Thompson submachine gun that came with the tank. Very "thick bullets" and with 50 m did not penetrate the German helmet, although they left a decent dent in it! A lot of complaints from the tankers caused the chassis. The tank walked well on sand and snow, but on the slopes in ice became virtually uncontrollable. It was necessary to weld “spurs” onto the tracks, but their thickness had to be strictly determined, otherwise they would cling to an armored bulwark. The armor with a thickness of 78 mm was respected, but the political officers told the tankers that we had handed the British the recipe for our armor from the KV tank, but the British were unable to make high-quality armor with a thickness of 75 mm, so they have 78. Another story was the story that on the Czech tanks, which Chibisov had already seen knocked out, there were 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, sell machine guns "Demon" to the Germans! Well, about how all this was actually, the VO has already been told.

That is, the significance of Lend-Lease also lies in the fact that our Soviet citizens in large numbers got acquainted with Western technology, flew on their planes, worked with their radars, direction finders, radio stations and other devices, worked on imported modern machines and industrial equipment. And they saw that all this can, it turns out, be done and ... without the "achievements of socialism", or rather, these achievements themselves are still quite far from this technique.


Photo in the Pravda newspaper for No.327 from 25 on November 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 as follows: “... the tanks of Captain Morozov’s unit stood out with their impressive appearance ... These are English tanks with powerful diesel engines that operate clearly and silently ... From the very first days studying English tanks, our soldiers were convinced of their high qualities. The multi-ton tank is very mobile. It has steel armor, simple controls and powerful firearms to combat enemy tanks and infantry ... Of great interest were armored British transporters following the convoy. "They are well armed, their weapons can equally well hit air and ground targets."

Well, the role of the same Matilda tanks in battles near Moscow is indicated by the fact that a photograph of this tank, and also a close-up, again, got on the front page of the newspaper Pravda. Even the Hurricane even hit only the second. Everyone understood what it meant then. It was a kind of language without words. The size of the photograph and the place where it was placed spoke for them!

It is clear that such sources are not for everyone. Heavy, voluminous, takes a lot of time to read ... But ... interesting! Here is “Truth” from 1942 of the year

"The investigation is conducted by experts"

Mentioning about the convoys of the northern route, there is no doubt that there is a “connoisseur” who has read the same Pikul and will report that in the 1942 year the agreed delivery plans were fulfilled only by 55 percent. And in the most difficult time of the preparation of the Kursk operation (in Washington and London they knew about this work), deliveries were interrupted for 9 months and started again only in September 1943. And it is clear that such a long break is not a technical issue, but a political one! That is, these are the "machinations" of the imperialists. So writes, for example, someone O. B. Rakhmanin, and someone could read it, and not only him, by the way, this information is also widely distributed. The main thing is to immediately begin to expose. However, this historian is not too accurate. Deliveries were not stopped for 9 months, but for 6, and only along the Northern route. But there were other routes. Through the Far East and Iran, and here supplies on them at this time significantly increased.

But you open such a binder and find a lot of interesting things in it. For example, this: a toast to the Anglo-Soviet-American Union, although until recently, the newspaper had just as beautifully proclaimed a toast to “brothers in arms” - Germany and the USSR. That’s where it turns out that we got the ability to “change shoes” right on the go - from Pravda. And then J. Orwell will write about this in the novel “1984”: “Oceania has always fought with Eurasia!”

Well, a story will still follow about repayment of debts ...