Book at Bedtime
Yes, Happy Worker, tonight is Sunday night. It is back to working to pay for other people’s entitlements tomorrow.
As you sink back into your soft bed for your allowed half hour extra of sleep this night, let your mind relax and drift like a feather on a draft of warm air. Turn your mind first to your feet and hands, and let them relax. Then draw your concentration to your wrists and ankles, and let them relax. Breathe deeply. Cleanse your mind of negative thoughts. Say to yourself that you are a Hungry Sales Wolf.
Refreshed! Let read a bit from our book, then!
How about this anecdote from the Battle of Kursk? * :
Heavy German air attacks on Soviet positions at Ponyri and further west at Ol'khovatka were met by equally heavy antiaircraft fire from the 25th Antiaircraft Artillery Division. By nightfall, after renewed assaults by two regiments and sixty tanks, the Germans finally took the northern and central part of Ponyri. German losses were heavy, as were those of the 1019th Rifle Regiment and supporting 540th Light Artillery Regiment that accounted for four heavy tanks before being forced to withdraw from its positions. Small groups of German assault troops infiltrated further south through gaps in the 1019th Rifle Regiment's lines, as the two battalions of the 1023d Rifle Regiment tried in vain to seal the gaps. Battle raged throughout the night, illuminated by the burning buildings of Ponyri.
Sounds like fun, does it not? Let us start at the top, shall we …
Heavy German air attacks … Well, this is the 1943 Luftwaffe … the strongest it will ever be, historically. This means that every Russian command post above battalion would get a visit from up to four medium bombers per wave. These bombers carried 1,100 kg bombs. Have you ever been around one of these things going off? These bombs leave a seven meter deep crater.
… heavy antiaircraft fire from the 25th Antiaircraft Artillery Division. Well, this isn’t saying much. The German air force was not wiped out this day. So the flak barrage was spectacular to look at, but futile. Add to that that the Germans were masters of flak suppression … which is a nice way of saying ‘drop frags on exposed flak gunners who are hanging about among piles of explosives and vehicles filled with gasoline’. The Germans have a single word capable of expressing that very sentiment.
By nightfall, after renewed assaults by two regiments and sixty tanks, the Germans finally took the northern and central part of Ponyri. Hold on a minute. Nightfall? Ahh, the Russians either withdrew or were all dead. Also, there is a fortification in the southern part of the town.
German losses were heavy, as were those of the 1019th Rifle Regiment and supporting 540th Light Artillery Regiment that accounted for four heavy tanks before being forced to withdraw from its positions. The Germans attacked with sixty Tiger tanks. The artillery support for this regiment is called light … which means 57mm field guns, firing over open sights. That they got four Tigers is pretty good. But the Germans have 56 Tiger tanks left. And a whole big battlefield full of grisly wreckage and smoking ruins, the place stinking of gun smoke, diesel fuel, and burning straw. And do not forget that in Stalin's army in 1943, regiments are not forced to withdraw. They were dead.
Small groups of German assault troops infiltrated further south through gaps in the 1019th Rifle Regiment's lines … Nazi special forces units infiltrate ahead of the assault troops. This means radio operators found with their throats slit, snipers shooting into the field aid station, and the commandants car rigged to explode.
…as the two battalions of the 1023d Rifle Regiment tried in vain to seal the gaps. Textbook elastic defence tactics. You can imagine the slaughter. The Germans infantry are elite assault troops … backed up by 56 Tiger tanks! There are two German regiments here, so that means regimental heavy weapons. Like those 120mm mortars the Germans gave every regiment. So, at least 24 heavy mortars are going to be plopping on this Russian attack. I guess after the barrage, the Germans would follow a few Tigers in to mop up, to loot the dead of weapons, ammunition, food, and gold teeth.
Battle raged throughout the night, illuminated by the burning buildings of Ponyri. Sounds romantic. German tactical doctrine for night attacks called for the issue of ‘Paratroopers chocolate’ to the troops: this stuff was a synthetic ‘chocolate’ (made from turpentine and sugar beets) which was fortified with methamphetamine. The two German regiments, led by the special battalion of Nazi commandos, were amped up on speed. Dark rumors circulate to this day about the drug fueled fiendish war atrocities committed by those who ate this Nazi chocolate.
Well, keep the lessons from this reading firmly in your mind as you drift off to sleep tonight. Its like you are visualizing elements from this story, and passing them towards the place behind your eyes, and pushing them into another dimension of time and space. Like planting a seed. Good night, happy worker.
This is where I got this material from: * . Thanks to the fine people at this address who have such fascinating and Darwin-friendly reading material.
I, Fenris Badwulf, wrote this at both Mitchieville and DustMyBroom.
As you sink back into your soft bed for your allowed half hour extra of sleep this night, let your mind relax and drift like a feather on a draft of warm air. Turn your mind first to your feet and hands, and let them relax. Then draw your concentration to your wrists and ankles, and let them relax. Breathe deeply. Cleanse your mind of negative thoughts. Say to yourself that you are a Hungry Sales Wolf.
Refreshed! Let read a bit from our book, then!
How about this anecdote from the Battle of Kursk? * :
Heavy German air attacks on Soviet positions at Ponyri and further west at Ol'khovatka were met by equally heavy antiaircraft fire from the 25th Antiaircraft Artillery Division. By nightfall, after renewed assaults by two regiments and sixty tanks, the Germans finally took the northern and central part of Ponyri. German losses were heavy, as were those of the 1019th Rifle Regiment and supporting 540th Light Artillery Regiment that accounted for four heavy tanks before being forced to withdraw from its positions. Small groups of German assault troops infiltrated further south through gaps in the 1019th Rifle Regiment's lines, as the two battalions of the 1023d Rifle Regiment tried in vain to seal the gaps. Battle raged throughout the night, illuminated by the burning buildings of Ponyri.
Sounds like fun, does it not? Let us start at the top, shall we …
Heavy German air attacks … Well, this is the 1943 Luftwaffe … the strongest it will ever be, historically. This means that every Russian command post above battalion would get a visit from up to four medium bombers per wave. These bombers carried 1,100 kg bombs. Have you ever been around one of these things going off? These bombs leave a seven meter deep crater.
… heavy antiaircraft fire from the 25th Antiaircraft Artillery Division. Well, this isn’t saying much. The German air force was not wiped out this day. So the flak barrage was spectacular to look at, but futile. Add to that that the Germans were masters of flak suppression … which is a nice way of saying ‘drop frags on exposed flak gunners who are hanging about among piles of explosives and vehicles filled with gasoline’. The Germans have a single word capable of expressing that very sentiment.
By nightfall, after renewed assaults by two regiments and sixty tanks, the Germans finally took the northern and central part of Ponyri. Hold on a minute. Nightfall? Ahh, the Russians either withdrew or were all dead. Also, there is a fortification in the southern part of the town.
German losses were heavy, as were those of the 1019th Rifle Regiment and supporting 540th Light Artillery Regiment that accounted for four heavy tanks before being forced to withdraw from its positions. The Germans attacked with sixty Tiger tanks. The artillery support for this regiment is called light … which means 57mm field guns, firing over open sights. That they got four Tigers is pretty good. But the Germans have 56 Tiger tanks left. And a whole big battlefield full of grisly wreckage and smoking ruins, the place stinking of gun smoke, diesel fuel, and burning straw. And do not forget that in Stalin's army in 1943, regiments are not forced to withdraw. They were dead.
Small groups of German assault troops infiltrated further south through gaps in the 1019th Rifle Regiment's lines … Nazi special forces units infiltrate ahead of the assault troops. This means radio operators found with their throats slit, snipers shooting into the field aid station, and the commandants car rigged to explode.
…as the two battalions of the 1023d Rifle Regiment tried in vain to seal the gaps. Textbook elastic defence tactics. You can imagine the slaughter. The Germans infantry are elite assault troops … backed up by 56 Tiger tanks! There are two German regiments here, so that means regimental heavy weapons. Like those 120mm mortars the Germans gave every regiment. So, at least 24 heavy mortars are going to be plopping on this Russian attack. I guess after the barrage, the Germans would follow a few Tigers in to mop up, to loot the dead of weapons, ammunition, food, and gold teeth.
Battle raged throughout the night, illuminated by the burning buildings of Ponyri. Sounds romantic. German tactical doctrine for night attacks called for the issue of ‘Paratroopers chocolate’ to the troops: this stuff was a synthetic ‘chocolate’ (made from turpentine and sugar beets) which was fortified with methamphetamine. The two German regiments, led by the special battalion of Nazi commandos, were amped up on speed. Dark rumors circulate to this day about the drug fueled fiendish war atrocities committed by those who ate this Nazi chocolate.
Well, keep the lessons from this reading firmly in your mind as you drift off to sleep tonight. Its like you are visualizing elements from this story, and passing them towards the place behind your eyes, and pushing them into another dimension of time and space. Like planting a seed. Good night, happy worker.
This is where I got this material from: * . Thanks to the fine people at this address who have such fascinating and Darwin-friendly reading material.
I, Fenris Badwulf, wrote this at both Mitchieville and DustMyBroom.
Labels: onward happy workers
posted by Fenris Badwulf at 6:34 PM
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