Could Russia have won with Canadians?

[Sergei]

Actually Russia, or the parts where the fighting mostly took place, isn't that cold either. The average temperature in January is between -5 and -15 degrees Celsius (5-23 F). This despite that St.Petersburg is at the same latitude as the southern tip of Greenland and Sevastopol at the level of Toronto. The Gulf and Labrador Streams make a difference.

Of course that didn't comfort Germans much in their summer uniforms...

[warspite]

Well, Moscow is a lot colder for sure, and the more inland you get, the worse it is. I wouldn't be surprised if Stalingrad wasn't colder than St. Petersburg, despite being far South.

[Sergei]

Winter in Moscow is a bit warmer than in Montreal.

Volgograd (former Stalingrad) is warmer still.

[Bartokomus]

Victoria, BC is a hell of a lot warmer than either. and prettier...

[Michael Dorosh]

Originally posted by Sergei:

But Michael Dorosh fully endorses the war, which is more significant, him being the most influential Canadian on this board.

Only with the fairer sex.

[Michael Dorosh]

At best, at risk of taking this too seriously, Canada could have fielded six divisions in the Soviet Union (figuring that two Corps headquarters would not be necessary as they were in Italy and in NW Europe and thus sucking large numbers of men out of combat units). Sustaining them may have been tricky.

I doubt they would have fought any better than Russian divisions - the majority of soldiers to serve in the Canadian Army were from urban areas, meaning they were in no way "acclimated" to winter conditions, nor were they "outdoorsmen", "frontiersmen" or any of that other crap that people trot out when saying what great "natural soldiers" Canadians are. Canadians are nothing of the kind. Though we are pretty good when we have time to train up.

Is it true Portage and Main are the only two paved roads in Winnipeg? Cause that's what I tell people. Actually, I tell them there are only two roads in Winnipeg - P and M.

[jacobs_ladder2]

Originally posted by Vossiewulf:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Brent Pollock:

..."at least 200 proof"...how to you get greater than 200 proof?

You go out and drink with Finns. They make this homebrew stuff that tastes like licorice-flavored gasoline, and it defies the laws of physics by being at least 400 proof. Drinking with Finns=certain death, or worse, living to experience the hangover. </font>

[Dandelion]

...seeing as the Canadians had been there quite recently (they left in 1925 I think?), some 6000 of them at least, is there no material revealing how they fared fighting the very régime Sergei suggests they'd save six years later?

Personally I would have very much liked to see their faces as it was introduced to them that they'd fight under Soviet command, somewhere near chlodropopovsksomething. Then again, come to think of it, Stalins view upon life seems echoed by the Dieppe debacle. So maybe it wouldn't have mattered much to them after all.

Chup

Dandelion

[BigDog944]

Originally posted by Little_Black_Devil:

As a side note;

For those that assume all of our troops would have been/are more acclimatized to cold weather, I suggest you read a bit more about the Canadian climate, and see where our largest populations are (and always have been) centered. I think you'll find that by and large - that numerically Canadians are far less some sort of "Siberian Equivilent" and more like our neighbors down in New York or Chicago.

Not all of our boys by far are used to the hardships of places like "Portage & Main" in Winnipeg Manitoba.

While generally true, Canada's spiritual heart actually exists HERE

It also happens to be an important base for the Canadian military!

So, having Canadians on the Russian front in WW2 wouldn't be such a stretch after all.

[Pzman]

Originally posted by Sergei:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by warspite:

Er... Canada was already independent by the time World War II came around.

Oh, sure... I might be stupid, but I'm not an idjot! Tell me, if Canada was independent at some point, why isn't she so anymore? Hmmh? </font>

[jacobs_ladder2]

Originally posted by Pzman:

The American quiet take over is sad. Dumbed down Americans have been taking over our beautiful nation for far to long... we should have joined Stalin and removed them while we had the chance.

Well, you can always take heart in the fact that they are selling themselves out at the same time that they are buying us up. Globalization gets everyone in the same way. The Americans are no more immune to it than we are.

Cheers

Paul

[throwdjohn]

martyr, it doesn't bother me, but i have friends in alaska (its kinda like canada, just less american) and apparently, the word "eskimo" is waaaaaaaaaay offensive. just to let you know, if you cared.