After the fall of France in June 1940, neutral Switzerland found itself surrounded on all sides by a hostile expansionist power. The small nation would have been a valuable possession but the jaws of the Reich hesitated to swallow it. How did Switzerland manage to exit the conflict intact and largely unscathed?
Hosted by: Spartacus Olsson
Written by: Lennart Visser & Francis van Berkel,
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Maria Kyhle
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Lennart Visser
Edited by: Karolina Dołęga
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
Map animations: Eastory (https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory)
Sources:
– Pictures of Swiss Army by Strübin Theodor courtesy of Archäologie und Museum Baselland Lizenzbedingungen
– Bundesarchiv
– Imperial War Museums: HU56131
– ETH-Bibliothek Zürich: 03258, LBS MH05-02-04, M01-0756-0001
– Fortepan:3889, 92301
– National Archives
– Staatsarchiv Bern – P362
– Plan of the defence lines of the National Redoubt courtesy of Auge=mit from Wikimedia Commons
– Picture of Swiss Soldiers with anti-aircraft gun courtesy of Paebi from Wikimedia Commons
– Picture of Swiss aircraft in 1943 from theM.Pilloud – Archive familiale
– United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Soundtracks from Epidemic Sound:
– “Other Sides of Glory” – Fabien Tell
– “Moving to Disturbia” – Experia
– “Remembrance” – Fabien Tell
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
From the comments:
World War Two
1 hour ago
As we draw close to the end of 1941, it becomes clear that neutrality is not a guarantee of safety. Its utility as a diplomatic strategy has been discarded and is non-existent.
A total of 12 sovereign and neutral nations have been invaded by Allied or Axis powers since the beginning of the war — Denmark and Norway on 9 April 1940; Belgium, the Netherlands, Iceland and Luxembourg on 10 May 1940; Lithuania on 15 June 1940 and Latvia and Estonia on 17 June; Greece on 28 October 1940 and Yugoslavia in April 1941; Iran in August 1941. Even those that are spared are compelled to assist either the Allies or the Axis or both in financial and economic terms, such as Switzerland and Sweden. Others offer voluntary military assistance such as Portugal and Spain.
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The long planned Allied Offensive in North Africa — Operation Crusader — begins, but the Allies are worrying about how to defend Singapore in case of Japanese aggression. The Germans renew their drive on Moscow, but their number one flying ace perishes, a major PR hit.
Written and Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Maria Kyhle
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Indy Neidell
Edited by: Miki Cackowski
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
Map animations: Eastory (https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory)
Sources:
Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe
Bundesarchiv
Australian War Memorial
Yad Vashem 143BO2
IWM E 6661, K 1261, A 3898, A 10499, FE 487, TR153, E 2384E
Soundtracks from the Epidemic Sound:
Johannes Bornlof – “Death And Glory 2”
Johan Hynynen – “Dark Beginning”
Farrell Wooten – “Blunt Object”
Reynard Seidel – “Deflection”
Johannes Bornlof – “Last Man Standing 3”
Johannes Bornlof – “The Inspector 4”
Philip Ayers – “Under the Dome”
Max Anson – “Ancient Saga”
Johannes Bornlof – “Deviation In Time”
Jon Bjork – “Disposal”
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
From the comments:
World War Two
3 days ago
On December 7th we will cover the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in real time, minute by minute, as it happens … for five solid hours starting 0610 local Hawaiian time right here on this channel. Don’t miss it!
I wonder whether any historian of the future will ever be able to paint Winston in his true colours. It is a wonderful character — the most marvellous qualities and superhuman genius mixed with an astonishing lack of vision at times, and an impetuosity which if not guided must inevitably bring him into trouble again and again. Perhaps the most remarkable failing of his is that he can never see a whole strategical problem at once. His gaze always settles on some definite part of the canvas and the rest of the picture is lost. It is difficult to make him realize the influence of one theatre on another. The general handling of the German reserves in Europe can never be fully grasped by him. This failing is accentuated by the fact that often he does not want to see the whole picture, especially if this wider vision should in any way interfere with the operation he may have temporarily set his heart on. He is quite the most difficult man to work with that I have ever struck, but I should not have missed the chance of working with him for anything on earth!
Footnote by Field Marshal Lord Alanbrooke, War Diaries, 1939-1945, 1957.
How did the non-German Axis fare against the Soviet Union? What was the intelligence agency of the Free French like? And what were the Louisiana Maneuvers? All these questions are answered in this edition of Out of the Foxholes.
Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Ian Irungu, Shaun Harrison, Dennis Stepanov
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Maria Kyhle
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Ian Irungu, Shaun Harrison, Dennis Stepanov
Edited by: Karolina Dołęga
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
Map animations: Eastory (https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory)
Sources:
– Bundesarchiv
– Library of Congress
– Imperial War Museums: MI 14/822/12
– The Icons from Noun Project: Letter by Mochammad Kafi, Headphones by Simon Child, Russian soldier by Wonmo Kang, Skull by Muhamad Ulum
Soundtrack from Epidemic Sound:
– “Break Free” – Fabien Tell
– “Moving to Disturbia” – Experia
– “Other Sides of Glory” – Fabien Tell
– “Please Hear Me Out” – Philip Ayers
When Allies and Axis clash on the deserts of North Africa, harsh and unique conditions force them to develop new tactics. From misdirection to new ways to move across the desert, all to gain an advantage over the enemy.
Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Written by: Marlon William Londoño and Francis van Berkel
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Maria Kyhle
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Marlon William Londoño
Edited by: Miki Cackowski
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
Map animations: Eastory (https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory)
Colorizations by:
Julius Jääskeläinen – https://www.facebook.com/JJcolorization/
Spartacus Olsson
Sources:
IWM E 18461, E 8361, E 10147, E 12630, E 12385, E 12375, E 21337, E 12410, HU 3715, E 21339, E 4350
Picture of John Hutton, courtesy of Coventry Society
Picture of Edwin Galligan, Steven Sykes and Fred Pusey, courtesy of Rick Stroud
Picture of Hugh Cott, courtesy of Selwyn College, Cambridge
Picture og Ralph Alger Bagnold, courtesy of National Portrait Gallery
from the Noun Project: sun by MRFA
Soundtracks from the Epidemic Sound:
Reynard Seidel – “Deflection”
Max Anson – “Ancient Saga”
Hakan Eriksson – “Epic Adventure Theme 4”
Rannar Sillard – “March Of The Brave 4”
Jon Bjork – “Force Matrix”
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
From the comments:
World War Two
6 hours ago
As we see the North African campaign ongoing in our week by week series, in today’s episode we take a closer look at the tactics and logistical developments that helped shaped that campaign.
Comments Off on Deception and Dust-ups – Desert Warfare Tactics – WW2 Special
In the aftermath of World War One, the Japanese military saw the utility of infantry-portable light grenade launchers instead of rifle grenades, and adopted the Type 10 in 1921 (Taisho 10). It went into production in 1923 at the Tokyo Army Arsenal, although the great Tokyo earthquake led to production being moved to Nagoya, where about 11,000 were made between 1925 and 1937. The Type 10 was a remarkably light and handy weapon, weighing just 5.5lb (2.5kg) and disassembling into a transport configuration the size of a wine bottle.
The larger Type 89 grenade launcher was adopted in 1929, which led to the older Type 10s being relegated to use for illumination and signaling, which they did through the end of World War Two.
If you enjoy Forgotten Weapons, check out its sister channel, InRangeTV! http://www.youtube.com/InRangeTVShow
Contact:
Forgotten Weapons
6281 N Oracle #36270
Tucson, AZ 85704
Censored is one of 26 Private SNAFU (Situation Normal, All F*cked Up) cartoons made by the U.S. Army Signal Corps to educate and boost the morale of the troops. The SNAFU character was created by Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) and Phil Eastman, and most were animated by Warner Brothers Animation Studios. They were voiced by actors including Mel Blanc and scored by Carl Stalling. This cartoon Censored, depicts the lengths to which Private SNAFU will go to sneak an uncensored letter in the mail — with terrifying results. Fortunately it all turns out to be a dream, but SNAFU is so shaken that he censors his own mail. The film was obviously inspired by the mass censorship of personal letters by the Army during the war, to reduce the chance that enemy spies would be able to gain intelligence by intercepting them.
Much of the military correspondence during the war took place via V-mail, short for Victory Mail. This was a hybrid mail process used as the primary and secure method to correspond with soldiers stationed abroad. To reduce the cost of transferring an original letter through the military postal system, a V-mail letter would be censored, copied to film, and printed back to paper upon arrival at its destination. The V-mail process is based on the earlier British Airgraph process
During World War II, both the Allies and Axis instituted postal censorship of civil and military mail. The largest organizations were those of the United States, though the United Kingdom employed about 10,000 censor staff while Ireland, a small neutral country, only employed about 160 censors. Both blacklists and whitelists were employed to observe suspicious mail or listed those whose mail was exempt from censorship. In the United States censorship was under the control of the Office of Censorship whose staff count rose to 14,462 by February 1943.
We encourage viewers to add comments and, especially, to provide additional information about our videos by adding a comment! See something interesting? Tell people what it is and what they can see by writing something for example: “01:00:12:00 — President Roosevelt is seen meeting with Winston Churchill at the Quebec Conference.”
This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com
Comments Off on Private SNAFU “Censored” WW2 US Army cartoon
The M1915 bolo bayonet was originally the brainchild of US Army Captain Hugh D. Wise, Quartermaster with the 9th Infantry in the Philippines. In 1902, he recommended the implement in a letter to his superior officers, noting that a bolo style of bayonet (ie, one with a widened machete-like blade) would have several advantages over the standard knife bayonet then being issued with the Krag-Jorgenson rifles the US Army was using. Specifically, the wider bayonet would be easier to recover after a thrust (he noted several instances of troopers being killed while trying to extricate their bayonets from enemies) and also (and more significantly) make an excellent and necessary bushwhacking tool in the jungle environment of the Philippines.
Wise’s idea was taken with interest and Springfield produced a series of experimental bolo bayonets, but the project ended there as the 1903 Springfield was adopted with a rod bayonet instead of a blade. Of course, the rod bayonet would be shortlived, and the blade bayonet would come back. The bolo bayonet ideas resurfaced in 1911 when a commission was formed to look into special equipment for the Philippine Scouts. After another series of experimental designs, the M1915 Bolo bayonet was formally adopted on May 22, 1915 and an order was placed for 6,000 of them to be made at Springfield Armory.
Delivery of these bayonets took place in 1915 and 1916, and they proved to be extremely popular tools with the soldiers in the Philippines. They would remain in service on the islands until World War Two, serving at last as a replacement for the M1913 cavalry saber for the 26th Cavalry.
The British sink an entire convoy of supplies heading for Rommel in North Africa by using radar at night, something their opponents lack. In North Africa itself, the Allies are gearing up for a major offensive to begin in a few days. Meanwhile, the Germans are gearing up for a renewed drive on Moscow even as Georgy Zhukov launches small attacks there designed to spoil the larger German plans.
Written and Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Maria Kyhle
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Indy Neidell
Edited by: Karolina Dołęga
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
Map animations: Eastory (https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory)
Visual Sources:
– Bundesarchiv
– Imperial War Museums: A 8158, FL 4822, A7266, G40, A 6329, A 6333, E 6724, WPN 298, IB2095, CM1725,
– Mil.ru
– Portrait of Alfred Godwin-Austen courtesy of Berserker276 from Wikimedia Commons
– Icons from Noun Project: boy by Mauro Lucchesi, Nick Novell, Calendar by Lorena Salagre, horse by Luis Prado, Gentleman by Samy Menai, man face by Nick Novell, Russian Russian soldier by Wonmo Kang
Soundtracks from Epidemic Sound:
– “March Of The Brave 10” – Rannar Sillard – Test
– “Last Point of Safe Return” – Fabien Tell
– “Weapon of Choice” – Fabien Tell
– “Please Hear Me Out” – Philip Ayers
– “Potential Redemption” – Max Anson
– “nBreak Free” – Fabien Tell
– “Moving to Disturbia” – Experia
– “The End Of The World 2” – Håkan Eriksson
– “Epic Adventure Theme 4” – Håkan Eriksson
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
From the comments:
World War Two
2 days ago
Mark December 7th in your calendars, for that day we have five hours of material — ten half-hour episodes — coming out to tell you the story of Pearl Harbor minute by minute in real time, starting 0610 local Hawaiian time.
And in addition to specials like that and our regular week by week coverage here on YouTube, we also cover the war day by day on Instagram, filling in things we don’t have time to cover here. It’s a perfect complement to this. Check it out at: https://www.instagram.com/world_war_two_realtime/
Comments Off on Night Vision Brings Triumph to the British! – WW2 – 116 – November 14, 1941
Partnership implies the burden is shared more or less equally. If I bought twenty quid’s worth of shares in The Spectator and started swanning about bitching that Conrad Black didn’t treat me as a partner, he’d rightly think I’d gone nuts. The British in their time were at least as ruthless about such realities as the Americans are today. For example, in September 1944, in one of the lesser-known conferences to prepare for the post-war world, Churchill and Roosevelt met in Quebec City. They had no compunction about excluding from their deliberations the Canadian Prime Minister, Mackenzie King, even though he was the nominal host. There’s a cartoon of the time showing King peering through a keyhole as the top dogs settled the fate of the world without him.
And guess what? Militarily speaking, Canada was a far bigger player back then than Britain is today: the Royal Canadian Navy was the world’s third-biggest surface fleet, the Canucks got the worst beach at Normandy — but hey, why bore you with details? In those days that still wasn’t enough to get you a seat at the table.
Mark Steyn, “The Brutal Cuban Winter”, The Spectator, 2002-01-26.
As German troops pull into eastern Ukraine, locals fight back in any way they can. Some of them have been the target of Soviet brutalisation for decades. For many who are deemed ‘enemy of the Third Reich’, the first two weeks of November 1941 are their last, as the ‘Holocaust of Bullets’ continues.
Sources:
Yad Vashem 2725/6, 953, 145CO2, 2798-2, 48AO3, 2869/48, 4360/99, 83EO4, 2791/5, 4220/3, 48AO5, 3745/140, 48AO4, 95EO2, 142BO7, 3296/4, 4788/72, 4613/625,4788/73
Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija
Bundesarchiv
USHMM
Picture of Soviet POWs digging graves, courtesy of Max Peronius
from the Noun Project: Skull by Muhamad Ulum
Soundtracks from the Epidemic Sound:
Peter Sandberg – “Document This 1”
Gavin Luke – “Drifting Emotions 3”
Farrell Wooten – “Blunt Object”
Wendel Scherer – “Defeated”
Gunnar Johnsen – “Not Safe Yet”
Andreas Jamsheree – “Guilty Shadows 4”
Jon Bjork – “For the Many”
Jon Bjork – “Icicles”
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
From the comments:
World War Two
1 hour ago
You might have noticed how more and more of our War Against Humanity episodes are restricted by YouTube. For some, it might take up to three separate “warning” windows to see the video. Many don’t get the episodes in their subscription boxes or don’t receive notifications despite their settings having notifications turned on. The video might not be sharable on social media, or some might not be able to watch them at all because they don’t have an account, are deemed too young by YouTube or are in the wrong geographic location.
And that doesn’t even include the huge restrictions YouTube puts on the organic reach of these videos. If it weren’t for out loyal community and other social media channels, these War Against Humanity episodes would go virtually under the radar. Even though our episodes could be a remedy to the problems that YouTube and many societies are dealing with. Misinformation, ignorance, and the obliviousness to the horrors of our past are dangerous and the restriction of our educational, factual and academic coverage of these horrors adds insult to injury.
“The following content has been identified by the YouTube community as inappropriate or offensive to some audiences,” one of the warning says. And mind you that it’s not the facts that people find offensive. They’re facts. They are neutral. It is that we are showing them to the world that people find offensive.
We won’t change our content or our tone. To make sure to see our content no matter what, you can follow our other Social Media accounts and/or join the TimeGhost Army on https://www.patreon.com/TimeGhostHistory or https://timeghost.tv to ensure we stay financially independent.
Cheers,
Joram
Comments Off on How To Kill 15,000 People in One Day – War Against Humanity 022 – November 1941, Pt. 1
A simple recognition of some of our family members who served in the First and Second World Wars:
The Great War
Private William Penman, Scots Guards, died 16 May, 1915 at Le Touret, age 25
(Elizabeth’s great uncle)
Private Archibald Turner Mulholland, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, mortally wounded 25 September, 1915 at Loos, age 27
(Elizabeth’s great uncle)
Private David Buller, Highland Light Infantry, died 21 October, 1915 at Loos, age 35
(Elizabeth’s great grandfather)
Private Harold Edgar Brand, East Yorkshire Regiment. died 4 June, 1917 at Tournai.
(My first cousin, three times removed)
Private Walter Porteous, Durham Light Infantry, died 4 October, 1917 at Passchendaele, age 18
(my great uncle)
Corporal John Mulholland, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, wounded 2 September, 1914 (shortly before the First Battle of the Aisne), wounded again 29 June, 1918, lived through the war.
(Elizabeth’s great uncle)
The Second World War
Flying Officer Richard Porteous, RAF, survived the defeat in Malaya and lived through the war
(my great uncle)
Able Seaman John Penman, RN, served in the Defensively Equipped Merchant fleet on the Murmansk Run (and other convoy routes), lived through the war
(Elizabeth’s father)
Private Archie Black (commissioned after the war and retired as a Major), Gordon Highlanders, captured at Singapore (aged 15) and survived a Japanese POW camp
(Elizabeth’s uncle)
Elizabeth Buller, “Lumberjill” in the Women’s Land Army in Scotland through the war. (Elizabeth’s mother)
Trooper Leslie Taplan Russon, 3rd Royal Tank Regiment, died at Tobruk, 19 December, 1942 (aged 23). Leslie was my father’s first cousin, once removed (and therefore my first cousin, twice removed).
For the curious, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission the Royal British Legion, and the Library and Archives Canada WW1 and WW2 records site provide search engines you can use to look up your family name. The RBL’s Every One Remembered site shows you everyone who died in the Great War in British or Empire service (Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans and other Imperial countries). The CWGC site also includes those who died in the Second World War. Library and Archives Canada allows searches of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and the Royal Newfoundland Regiment for all who served during WW1, and including those who volunteered for the CEF but were not accepted.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD Canadian Army Medical Corps (1872-1918)
A Remembrance Day slideshow using Mark Knopfler’s wonderful “Remembrance Day” song from the album Get Lucky (2009). The early part of the song conveys many British images, but I have added some very Canadian images also which fit with many of the lyrics. The theme and message is universal… “we will remember them”.
Don’t miss the special announcement of our new exciting collaboration at the end of this episode!
Register for free at World of Warships here: https://wo.ws/PearlHarbor and receive a special in-game package worth €25, including the ships USS St. Louis, Japanese Cruise Tenryū – and more bonuses.
In this episode:
There is a lull now on the Eastern Front, and Adolf Hitler uses the time to plan another drive on Moscow and points beyond, but he’ll be facing a larger Red Army, as reinforcements and recruits hope to nearly double its size in a matter of weeks. The British are counting down the days to their upcoming North African offensive, and the Japanese are sending out orders that will change the world dramatically in a single morning.
Written and Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Maria Kyhle
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Indy Neidell
Edited by: Miki Cackowski
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
Map animations: Eastory (https://www.youtube.com/c/eastory)
Sources:
Bundesarchiv
Arkiv i Nordland
Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe
IWM C 4748, E 6661, WPN 298, E 6724, MH 9292, E 3469E, E 7008, E 759C
Picture of Alfred Godwin-Austin, courtesy of Berserker276 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi…
from the Noun Project: company soldiers by Andrei Yushchenko, Bell by wahyakup
Soundtracks from the Epidemic Sound:
Reynard Seidel – “Deflection”
Johannes Bornlof – “Deviation In Time”
Rannar Sillard – “March Of The Brave 4”
Bonnie Grace – “The Dominion”
Johan Hynynen – “Dark Beginning”
Johannes Bornlof – “The Inspector 4”
Fabien Tell – “Last Point of Safe Return”
Hakan Eriksson – “Epic Adventure Theme 3”
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.
From the comments:
merdiolu81
22 hours ago (edited)
Meanwhile, on 30 October, Stalin had raised a casual question. “How are we going to do the military parade?” That was the great, traditional 7 November Red Square parade, the celebration of the 1917 “October” Revolution, which had taken place on 24-5 October, Old Style — 6-7 November, New Style. General Pavel Artem’ev, who had been commander of the Moscow Military District and had taken command of the Moscow defence zone as the critical phase began, on 12 October, said it could not happen. Yes, it would, said Stalin. If there was a German air raid, the dead and wounded should be removed quickly, he added. It would happen. The risk was considerable. The potential political response was devastatingly positive, and worth the risk. The “Boss” had his faults (aside being a brutal tyrant) , but this was the decision of a leader. The parade would take place, and the troops, guns and armoured vehicles would then proceed straight to the front. It was a stroke of genius. The military effect would be compounded by the media and political effect. As always, everything was kept secret until the last moment. The officers involved did not receive their final briefing until 02.00. Stalin liked surprises, as most dictators do.
On 7 November, at 08.00 hours, just after dawn, under a steely, overcast Russian sky, with rimy air on the brink of freezing and snow beginning to fall, the troops marched south-east down the “square”, towards St Basil’s Cathedral and the Moskva river, beyond. Red Square, which owes its name to the old Slavic word for “beautiful”, and not to communism at all, is not really a square, either. It is a wide cobbled boulevard, running past the north-east wall of the red-brick, triangular Renaissance fortress. St Basil’s Cathedral is the onion-domed fantasy built for Ivan the Terrible. He was so delighted with it that he had the architect’s eyes put out, so that he could not build for anybody else anything so whimsically fantastic and beautiful. Stalin admired Ivan. The Germans were coming from the north-north-west, so, once the troops, guns and armoured vehicles had passed Lenin’s Mausoleum and reached St Basil’s, they would turn smartly about and head in the opposite direction, up Gor’kiy Street, and then north-west, to face the Germans.
The stars of the show were the new T-34 and KV tanks. But one of the heavy KV tanks screeched to a halt and then turned the wrong way. Another followed. The tanks were all armed, ready for battle, and if anybody wanted to take out the Politburo standing on Lenin’s Mausoleum, that would have been an ideal opportunity. Given the paranoia which prevailed in Moscow at the time, overreaction might have been the order of the day. Artem’ev demanded to know what had happened. The first tank, it turned out, had suffered a mechanical problem, and its commander did not want to cause any embarrassment on the big parade, so he got out of the way. Following the standard operating procedures the newly trained crews had been taught, the second tank went to its aid. This was starting to look like a professional army. The boss classes gathered on the Mausoleum found it amusing, and no one was reprimanded. The big parade was an iconic image of the war, and a stroke of public-relations genius. And, that night, earlier than usual, the Russian winter snow really began to fall.
Absolute War, Soviet Russia in the Second World War – Chris Bellamy
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Private William Penman, Scots Guards, died 16 May, 1915 at 
