“We want it like the Russians”: the American military admitted that they dream of Russian weapons. Why are brave American soldiers afraid of Russians?

Russians have qualities that foreigners will never be able to question, since they were formed over centuries on the fields of fierce battles. History has created a clear, complete and realistic image of the Russian soldier, which is almost impossible to destroy.

The stunning success of the Russian army in Patriotic War of 1812 years made the country a kind of “gendarme of Europe”. The skillful management of our generals, as well as the extraordinary abilities of Russian soldiers, have repeatedly found a response in the words of foreign military personnel and officers:

Feats during Russian-Japanese there was a huge amount of war. But in the end, Russia lost this war, and miserably. The cause of the war was control of Manchuria and Korea.

The reason for the defeat could have been the incomplete preparation for military operations, as well as the enormous distance of the theater of operations from the center of the country (industrial, demographic center), the lack of a coherent infrastructure and the technological lag in some types of weapons.

But, despite all this, even from the other side - the enemy side at that time - the reviews about Russian soldiers speak for themselves.

August operation during First World War was marked by the offensive of 2 German armies. Thanks to the resilience of the Russian 10th Army (and specifically the 20th Corps), the Germans were unable to fully implement their plan to encircle the 10th Army, and their entire strategic plan for 1915 to defeat the Russian front fell apart like a house of cards. For Germany, the 1915 campaign ended in failure.

From the diary of a soldier of Army Group Center, August 20, 1941. After such an experience, the saying “Better three French campaigns than one Russian” quickly came into use among the German troops: “ The losses are terrible, they cannot be compared with those in France... Today the road is ours, tomorrow the Russians take it, then we do it again, and so on... I have never seen anyone more evil than these Russians. Real chain dogs! You never know what to expect from them. And where do they get tanks and everything else from?!»

Erich Mende, Lieutenant of the 8th Silesian Infantry Division, about a conversation that took place in the last peaceful moments of June 22, 1941: “My commander was twice my age, and he had already fought with the Russians near Narva in 1917, when he was with the rank of lieutenant. " Here, in these vast expanses, we will find our death, like Napoleon, - he did not hide his pessimism. - Mende, remember this hour, it marks the end of the old Germany».

Alfred Durwanger, Lieutenant, commander of the anti-tank company of the 28th Infantry Division, advancing from East Prussia through Suwalki: “ When we entered the first battle with the Russians, they clearly did not expect us, but they could not be called unprepared either. We had no trace of enthusiasm! Rather, everyone was overcome by a sense of the enormity of the upcoming campaign. And the question immediately arose: where, near what settlement will this campaign end?»

Anti-tank gunner Johann Danzer, Brest, June 22, 1941: “ On the very first day, as soon as we went on the attack, one of our men shot himself with his own weapon. Clutching the rifle between his knees, he inserted the barrel into his mouth and pulled the trigger. This is how the war and all the horrors associated with it ended for him.».

General Günther Blumentritt, Chief of Staff of the 4th Army: « The behavior of the Russians, even in the first battle, was strikingly different from the behavior of the Poles and allies who were defeated on the Western Front. Even when surrounded, the Russians steadfastly defended themselves».

Schneiderbauer, Lieutenant, commander of a platoon of 50-mm anti-tank guns of the 45th Infantry Division about the battles on the South Island of the Brest Fortress: “The battle for capturing the fortress was fierce - numerous losses... Where the Russians were knocked out or smoked out, new forces soon appeared. They crawled out of basements, houses, from sewer pipes and other temporary shelters, conducted aimed fire, and our losses were continuously growing." composition against the 8,000-strong garrison of the fortress taken by surprise; in the first day of fighting in Russia alone, the division lost almost as many soldiers and officers as in the entire 6 weeks of the campaign in France).

“These meters turned into a continuous fierce battle for us, which did not subside from the first day. Everything around had already been destroyed almost to the ground, no stone was left of the buildings... The sappers of the assault group climbed onto the roof of the building just opposite us. They had explosive charges on long poles, they thrust them into the windows of the upper floor - they suppressed the enemy's machine-gun nests. But almost to no avail - the Russians did not give up. Most of them were holed up in strong basements, and our artillery fire did not harm them. Look, there’s an explosion, another one, everything is quiet for a minute, and then they open fire again.”

Chief of Staff of the 48th Tank Corps, later chief of staff of the 4th Tank Army: “ It can be said with almost certainty that no cultured Westerner will ever understand the character and soul of the Russians. Knowledge of the Russian character can serve as the key to understanding the fighting qualities of the Russian soldier, his advantages and methods of fighting on the battlefield. The perseverance and mental makeup of a fighter have always been the primary factors in war and often turned out to be more important in their importance than the number and armament of troops...

You can never tell in advance what a Russian will do: as a rule, he rushes from one extreme to the other. His nature is as unusual and complex as this huge and incomprehensible country itself... Sometimes the Russian infantry battalions were in confusion after the very first shots, and the next day the same units fought with fanatical tenacity... The Russian as a whole is, of course, an excellent soldier and with skillful leadership is a dangerous opponent».

Hans Becker, tankman of the 12th Panzer Division: « On the Eastern Front I met people who could be called a special race. Already the first attack turned into a battle for life and death».

From the memoirs of an anti-tank gunner about the first hours of the war: “During the attack, we came across a light Russian T-26 tank, we immediately shot it straight from the 37 graph paper. When we began to approach, a Russian leaned out waist-high from the tower hatch and opened fire on us with a pistol. It soon became clear that he had no legs; they were torn off when the tank was hit. And, despite this, he fired at us with a pistol!”

Hoffmann von Waldau, Major General, Chief of Staff of the Luftwaffe Command, diary entry dated June 31, 1941: “The quality level of Soviet pilots is much higher than expected... Fierce resistance, its massive nature do not correspond to our initial assumptions.”

From an interview with war correspondent Curizio Malaparte (Zuckert), an officer of the tank unit of Army Group Center: “We almost took no prisoners, because the Russians always fought to the last soldier. They didn't give up. Their hardening cannot be compared with ours...”

Erhard Routh, Colonel, commander of the Kampfgruppe "Raus" about the KV-1 tank, which shot and crushed a column of trucks and tanks and an artillery battery of Germans; In total, the tank crew (4 Soviet soldiers) held back the advance of the Raus battle group (about half a division) for two days, June 24 and 25:

«… Inside the tank lay the bodies of the brave crew, who had previously only received injuries. Deeply shocked by this heroism, we buried them with full military honors. They fought until their last breath, but this was just one small drama of the great war. After the only heavy tank blocked the road for 2 days, it began to operate…»

From the diary of Chief Lieutenant of the 4th Panzer Division Henfeld: “July 17, 1941. Sokolnichi, near Krichev. In the evening, an unknown Russian soldier was buried (we are talking about a 19-year-old senior artillery sergeant). He stood alone at the cannon, shot at a column of tanks and infantry for a long time, and died. Everyone was surprised at his courage... Oberst said before his grave that if all the Fuhrer’s soldiers fought like this Russian, we would conquer the whole world. They fired three times in volleys from rifles. After all, he is Russian, is such admiration necessary?

From the confession of the battalion doctor of Major Neuhof, commander of the 3rd battalion of the 18th infantry regiment of Army Group Center; Having successfully broken through the border defenses, the battalion numbering 800 people was attacked by a unit of 5 Soviet soldiers: “I did not expect anything like this. It’s pure suicide to attack the battalion’s forces with five fighters.”

From a letter from an infantry officer of the 7th Panzer Division about the battles in a village near the Lama River, mid-November 1941: “ You simply won’t believe this until you see it with your own eyes. The soldiers of the Red Army, even burning alive, continued to shoot from the burning houses».

Mellenthin Friedrich von Wilhelm, Major General of the Panzer Forces, chief of staff of the 48th Tank Corps, later chief of staff of the 4th Tank Army, participant in the Battles of Stalingrad and Kursk:

« Russians have always been famous for their contempt for death; The communist regime has further developed this quality, and now the massive Russian attacks are more effective than ever before. The attack undertaken twice will be repeated for the third and fourth time, regardless of the losses incurred, and both the third and fourth attacks will be carried out with the same stubbornness and composure... They did not retreat, but rushed forward uncontrollably. Repelling this kind of attack depends not so much on the availability of technology, but on whether the nerves can withstand it. Only battle-hardened soldiers were able to overcome the fear that gripped everyone».

Fritz Siegel, corporal, from a letter home dated December 6, 1941: “My God, what are these Russians planning to do to us? It would be good if up there they at least listened to us, otherwise we will all have to die here.”

From the diary of a German soldier: “October 1st. Our assault battalion reached the Volga. More precisely, there are still 500 meters to the Volga. Tomorrow we will be on the other side, and the war is over.

October 3. Very strong fire resistance, we cannot overcome these 500 meters. We are standing on the border of some kind of grain elevator.

October 10. Where do these Russians come from? The elevator is no longer there, but every time we approach it, fire is heard from underground.

October 15. Hurray, we made it through the elevator. There are only 100 people left from our battalion. It turned out that the elevator was defended by 18 Russians, we found 18 corpses” (the Nazi battalion that stormed these heroes for 2 weeks numbered about 800 people).

Joseph Goebbels: « Courage is courage inspired by spirituality. The tenacity with which the Bolsheviks defended themselves in their pillboxes in Sevastopol is akin to some kind of animal instinct, and it would be a deep mistake to consider it the result of Bolshevik convictions or upbringing. Russians have always been like this and, most likely, will always remain like this.».

Hubert Coralla, corporal medical unit of the 17th Panzer Division, about the battles along the Minsk-Moscow highway: “ They fought to the last, even the wounded did not let us get close to them. One Russian sergeant, unarmed, with a terrible wound in his shoulder, rushed at our people with a sapper's shovel, but he was immediately shot. Madness, real madness. They fought like animals and died in dozens».

From a letter from a mother to a Wehrmacht soldier: “My dear son! Maybe you can still find a piece of paper to let me know. Yesterday I received a letter from Yoz. He is fine. He writes: “I used to really want to take part in the attack on Moscow, but now I would be glad to get out of all this hell.”

- “Anyone who knows world history will confirm my words: “Russians should be proud only of the fact that they are simply Russian”…. With love and respect from South America!”
ja dp

- “Impressive! From Vietnam!
heilvietnam

- “Amazing patriotism. And I am sure that it was no coincidence that the Russians showed this to the whole world in close-up. If the translation of the song's words was correct, then in the last lines they said:

“We are standing at this post, reports the platoon and company,
Immortal as fire. Calm as granite.
We are the country's army. We are the army of the people.
Our history preserves a great feat.

There is no need to scare us or boast arrogantly,
There is no need to threaten and play with fire again.
After all, if the enemy dares to test our strength,
We’ll stop checking him forever!”

And this is a clear warning to the West. And seeing the reaction in this video that the words of the song evoke among the Russians themselves, if I were the United States and NATO, I would listen to this warning more closely...”
We stand

- "Long live Russia! From Malaysia!
noor affiz

- "Long live Russia!!! From real France! The one who still remembers what honor and brothers in arms are!”
Urbex

- “With love from the Czech Republic!”
JustFox

- “Putin loves his country and is proud, this is obvious, but the Russians themselves love it, it seems to me, even more!”
The Nerd

“I look at this with admiration because, unlike my Western compatriots, I remember that more than 3/4 of all German soldiers killed in World War II were killed by the Red Army!”
phtevlin

- “Respect for Russia from your northern brothers from Canada!”
Harrison2610

- “The more I look at modern Russia and compare it with the West around me, the more I ask heaven why I was not born in this country?”
adrian kovalski

— “Do you know what’s the funniest thing about the American arrogance with which they perceive Russian traditions? This is that even the stones on this Red Square are more than twice as old as the USA!!!”
pMax

- “Gives me goosebumps!” I wouldn’t advise anyone to fight a country with such an inner spirit... Greetings from brotherly Greece!”
Byzantium

- “This is wonderful... It’s a pity that I don’t live in Russia. With love for your patriotism from the USA!”
Elise Guzman

“Even I am charged from within by this powerful melody! Greetings from Sweden!
Queen Elsa

- “Russian men are simply magnificent - serious and courageous! People who, it seems to me, you can always rely on!”
Maureen Ray

“Russia has always impressed me and supported me with its example. I don’t even know how, but after all those shocks, hardships and troubles, the Russians always managed to rise. Even now, having lost tens of millions in the 20th century, the worst for this country, and then losing millions more as a control shot in the 90s, having lost their support, they still managed to become one of the strongest global players under Vladimir Putin. The most rebellious nation, that's for sure. Only respect for such a country!”
alistair vanphaung

On June 15, 2016, in the Syrian province of Homs, an ordinary event by the standards of this war took place - a suicide attack was carried out on the position of Syrian forces in the desert area.

As part of the widespread scheme and due to complications in breaking through positions, the militants used a typical technique for themselves - a mined armored vehicle was sent to the location of the mobile group of the SAR army.

The reason for the difficulties for the militants in breaking through their positions, as you might have guessed, was the presence among the Syrians of a Russian instructor from the Special Operations Forces - a special forces soldier. It was the presence of the Russian sergeant that did not allow the Syrian troops, in a manner no less typical for themselves, to abandon their position at the first outline of a car bomb.

However, the closer the car filled with explosives approached the soldiers’ position, the more Syrians threw down their weapons and fled into the desert, abandoning their own. As a result, only one Russian fighter remained to defend the point - Andrey Timoshenkov and continued to shoot at the terrorist until the suicide bomber’s nerves could not stand it and he blew himself up ahead of schedule.

For the Russian fighter, unlike the Syrians, there was no question of whether to hold the position or not, because behind him there was provincial humanitarian aid distribution point and a mass of civilians. The heroic actions of Andrei Timoshenkov saved many civilians, but unfortunately, for this feat, he was forced to pay with his own life.

The behavior of the Russian soldier and his courage clearly showed who actually turned the tide of this war, who broke the backbone of terrorism, who is now protecting us all on the distant borders and approaches, who was at the forefront of key offensives, and who closed the militants’ breakthrough lines in the most critical moments.

Honor and praise to them for this.

The terrorists wanted to use this video as personal propaganda, but once on the Internet it brought completely different ideological results. Foreigners only admired the courage and will of the Russian soldier, were impressed by his courage and hated terror even more.

Translation of comments:

- “A truly brave man! I love and respect Russians precisely for this! I always wanted my country and Russia to have much better relations than they do today, because it’s an honor to call such people brothers!”
Patrick Green

- “Russia, without exaggeration, is the bravest nation in the world.”
Dusit theh toe

- “One Russian soldier did more than an entire Syrian tank! All the Syrians, as always, ran away, but the Russians, as always, stood to the end. Respect".
Lime

- “Russia is a great country and no amount of propaganda from Western media in the world will change this opinion. Best regards from the UK."
Dodger

- “Like all other Indians, I love and respect Russians immensely... Perhaps now you will understand why”...
സയത്സേവ് വസീലി

- “An amazing story... Although on the other hand, the Russian soldier remained rebellious in battle at all times and in any world event. This is their history - this people fought for most of their past and apparently already genetically hates retreating. To continue to fight in any situation is very Russian."
jackson mike