Martin Antonenko
A Fixture
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2008
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The First Salute!
On August 5, 1943, a victory salute was fired for the first time at Moscow during the “Great Patriotic War”.
At midnight, 124 cannons (artillery, anti aircraft and Kremlin Guard cannons) fire a total of 12 volleys - one every 30 seconds!
The salute goes to the troops who liberated the cities of Orjol (Orel)...
... and Bjelgorod during the battle of Kursk....:
The tide has now clearly turned in favor of the Soviet Union:
In 1941 the Hitler Army was still so strong that it could take offensive action with three army groups in the north, central Russia and the south.
One year later - in 1942 - the Germans' losses of people and material were so great that a comprehensive offensive was only possible in the south (the Donsteppe / Stalingrad / Caucasus operations).
In the summer of 1943 the Germans tried desperately to take over the initiative again.
For the Kursk operations ("Unternehmen Zitadelle") they scrape together on all fronts what was still available on heavy weapons - especially tanks - and also used new types ("Tigers", "Panthers") in larger quantities ...:
The defeat in the "Kursk Arch" (July 4 - August 1, 1943) ...
... the Hitler army broke the spine - from now on the Germans are no longer capable of major offensive operations ...
Orjol and Bjelgorod are on this August 5, 1943 each given the official title "City of the First Salute" (Russian: "Gorod perwogo saljuta") - at both cities this is to be seen on their town signs up to today...:
On August 5, 1943, a victory salute was fired for the first time at Moscow during the “Great Patriotic War”.
At midnight, 124 cannons (artillery, anti aircraft and Kremlin Guard cannons) fire a total of 12 volleys - one every 30 seconds!
The salute goes to the troops who liberated the cities of Orjol (Orel)...
... and Bjelgorod during the battle of Kursk....:
The tide has now clearly turned in favor of the Soviet Union:
In 1941 the Hitler Army was still so strong that it could take offensive action with three army groups in the north, central Russia and the south.
One year later - in 1942 - the Germans' losses of people and material were so great that a comprehensive offensive was only possible in the south (the Donsteppe / Stalingrad / Caucasus operations).
In the summer of 1943 the Germans tried desperately to take over the initiative again.
For the Kursk operations ("Unternehmen Zitadelle") they scrape together on all fronts what was still available on heavy weapons - especially tanks - and also used new types ("Tigers", "Panthers") in larger quantities ...:
The defeat in the "Kursk Arch" (July 4 - August 1, 1943) ...
... the Hitler army broke the spine - from now on the Germans are no longer capable of major offensive operations ...
Orjol and Bjelgorod are on this August 5, 1943 each given the official title "City of the First Salute" (Russian: "Gorod perwogo saljuta") - at both cities this is to be seen on their town signs up to today...:
