The Red Army appreciated Western armored vehicles for their comfort and convenience. However, they do not have high fighting ability, and some vehicles even break down easily. Soviet tankers liked Valentines and Sherman tanks best. Their design is optimal for both combat ability and comfort for the combat crew. Therefore, they accounted for a large number of infantry fighting vehicles provided by the Allies to the Red Army.
Not only did they have land vehicles, the Allies also provided about 14,000 fighter aircraft. However, many of the transferred military aircraft were outdated and could not compete on par with Nazi Germany’s Messerschmitt fighters. The British Hurricane planes were so useless that the Nazis sent a sarcastic message to the Red Army saying: “Don’t scrape the paint off German planes.” This caused all the firepower on the Hurricane planes to be replaced. Later.
Meanwhile, the American Airacobra aircraft was praised by Soviet pilots. Red Army Ace pilots Grigory Rechkalov and Alexander Pokryshkin both won most victories on this fighter jet.
The Allies also supplied the Soviet Union with about 3,700 bombers, most of which were American-made. Only a few dozen aircraft were provided by the British side. Soviet pilots appreciated the A-20 and B-25 bombers for their effectiveness, comfort, and ease of handling. They serve well in the roles of coast guard and border protection and long-range bombing.
During the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet Union did not produce armored personnel carriers. Therefore, supplies from the Allies of this type of weapon played an important role. In total, the US and UK provided the Soviet Union with more than 6,000 armored personnel carriers of all types. If the M2, M5 and M9 were mainly used to tow artillery, then the British Universals and the American M3A1 were used in reconnaissance, raids and pursuit of retreating German fascists.
Ace pilot Alexander Pokryshkin with his Airacobra carrying many victories. Photo: Rian
The Allies also supplied the Soviet Union with 500 submarine hunters, minesweepers, landing craft and corvettes, torpedo boats, tugboats, tankers and cargo ships. These ships played an important role in stopping Nazi Germany in the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Black Sea and later Japan in the Pacific.
This happened when the entire Soviet shipbuilding industry was located in Ukraine. When Nazi Germany occupied this territory, the Soviet Navy depended on warships provided by the Allies. Most American and British warships had quite good combat performance, significantly different from Red Army warships of the same period.
It is noteworthy that the equipment and weapons the Allies provided to the Red Army were not free; the Soviet Union had to pay for them with precious metals and compromises on post-war rights.
TUAN SON (compiled by Rian, rbth)
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