The Hitler – Stalin Pact (from the names of abroad ministers besides called the Ribbentrop – Molotov Pact) was a disaster for Poland, then Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and a powerful blow aimed at Romania and Finland. Others, including Norway and Britain, besides suffered painful consequences.
The fact that at least any British people remember this fact is evidenced by the book “World War Two. Behind closed doors’. Let us mention the 2 themes of German – russian cooperation, which resulted in blows to the British Empire.
As Poland was torn apart, German – russian economical cooperation achieved a immense scale. Trade was carried out not only by rail but besides by sea. Murmansk, mainly known as the most crucial of russian ports, to which since 1941 countless convoys have been heading with British and American aid, since early autumn 1939 he was full of German goods and sailors. The Murmanese port accepted a full lot of ships flying the Nazi flag. In October, an agreement was reached under which German warships began to usage the bases of the russian war fleet. They were deployed east of Murmansk, mostly in the Gulf of Jakonga, and were very useful to Germany during the invasion of Norway. The UK has been more affected by subsequent bases, created since December 1939 and intended for German submarines. The power of the British fleet and the narrow exits from German waters to the North Sea made the Royal Navy have rather solid control over these waters. However, the English did not know (or at least they did not realise the scale of this practice) that u – booty to British waters can influence from beyond the Scandinavian Peninsula. It is besides worth mentioning grotesque and at the same time very unpleasant effects of Nazi-Soviet cooperation for German sailors. Many German commanders of air and land troops knew how unspeakable misery the surviving conditions of the ZSRS were. These in the 1920s were on maneuvers in the depths of Russia, and in 1939 they met with the Russians in the areas of jointly trampled Poland. So they knew that the russian army was walking in stinking rags, with all soldier and officer of the Red Army – it just stinks. For even if 1 of them washed sometimes, he never utilized soap, but he never utilized it. The consequence was a stench beating from all practitioner of this kind of “hygiene”. During the joint defilements, German commanders struggled to hide apparent disgust with their allies. And the worst part was erstwhile a russian unit marched down a street with a two-sided compact building. If the wind was not blowing, the stench could have lasted for hours after specified a march. The shock for the Germans was besides the view of the Red Army's methods of commissioning. russian soldiers, for example, had the habit of wearing strings on their necks with respective dried fish. Asking what is the reason for decorating yourself with specified necklaces The Germans learned that 1 specified string was simply an all-day ration. These and another shocking russian realities were known in German land troops, but they had no thought of them as the commander of Kriegsmarine. Hence, they did not believe in their own eyes when, after they had made a contract with the Soviets to supply crews of submarines, they saw what was made up of what the Soviets called "supply." For Germans, it was apparent that advanced amounts of vitamins were needed for submarine sailors. Hence, the standard was fruit, especially oranges and bananas. And besides dried meat, dry sausages or sardines. On the another hand, the Soviets supplied their crews primarily with fat and usually very mediocre quality. As reported by 1 of the German commanders, “the fat, rancid butter, stinking reindeer meat, and if the fish are old and terribly salty.” The German sub-waterers who received Soviet-type food considered them completely inedible. Their commanders' interventions did nothing – the Soviets simply had nothing else for them. The crews of all ships behaved the same – in the first days no 1 ate anything. And after the first taste of “kacpsk delicacies”, everyone got sick. The outbreak of diarrhea not only paralyzed for a fewer weeks, but besides polluted all u – booty stationed in the Soviets. Doctors reported that “each sailor fell on a weight of 12 to 18 kilograms, many cases of scurvy, gingival bleeding and full inability to serve. If the pain healer managed to sleep, he would sleep for respective hours a day.” The solution was only to bring all supplies from Germany. However, the Kriegsmarine officers noticed that russian crews always got precisely the same food and – they did not get sick. This may have been the consequence of food standards practiced not only since birth but for generations.
One of the russian effects of Nazi cooperation was besides the unique cruise of the cruiser HSK "Comet" (also known as HSK 7 "Schiff 45" and by the British since 1941 identified as "Raider B"). This ship was built as 1 of many different units. In German shipyards, they formed a "combined method" – a way to circumvent the provisions of the Versailles Treaty, prohibiting Germany from having large warships. So the Germans built smaller but with the firepower appropriate for powerful linear ships. The best known ones were called "pocket tankers". Others were commercial ships, but they had reinforced (often even armored) sides and their construction made their weapons easy. specified was the "Comet" – since October 1939 stationed in Gdynia and then in Murmansk. From appearance – he was the most typical civilian general. After the moving parts of the side were immediately lifted, however, it appeared that there were six 100 and five-millimeter cannons behind them and six torpedo launchers along with a scope of smaller plots, including anti-aircraft. alternatively of the cargo hold, “Comet” had immense ammunition arsenals, cabins for 270 personnel crews, and a area with another smaller ship – developing high-speed racers that were besides the miners. The “Comet” was besides equipped with a waterplane, which could take off after leaving it on the surface of the water, and after carrying out tasks (observation, fire from the air, etc.) it could be brought back aboard. In August 1940, Kriegsmarine Command determined with russian fleet command that this masked warship adapted to stand-alone long-term cruises would be carried out by a controlled russian Sea Union extending along the full northern coast of the ZSRS. So for a fewer 1000 kilometers, usually iced. This was only possible with respective large icebreakers. It was made available to Germany by the russian fleet. After weeks of encroaching through the icy northern seas, the “Comet” was brought to the Chukotsky Sea, from which it had already turned to the Bering Strait. If individual noticed it, it's just a typical merchant ship. Especially since having the approval of the russian authorities, the "Comet" sailed under the russian trade flag. Then he utilized different flags, including nipponese ones. The American, British, and all others were convinced at that time that no German warship operated on either the Pacific Ocean or the Indian Ocean or any of the seas adjacent to them. All leading straits controlled the Royal Navy. The fact that the Soviets could let any German unit to cross the seas between Asia and the Arctic with their icebreakers was not in anyone's imagination at the time. It most likely never occurred to anyone that Hitler's alliance behind Stalin was not limited to killing Poland together, but that it has a much larger dimension. All the more shocking, then, was that abruptly in the distant oceans of Europe any unusual ship began to melt merchant ships flying under the flags of the British Empire.
On 25 November 1940, the "Comet" sank the fresh Zealand steamer SS "Homwood", 2 days later a large (nearly 17,000 BRT) British passenger ship MS "Rangitame", 6 December – British steamer "Triona", the next day a fresh Zealand freighter MS "Vinni" and 8 December – 2 more... During his pirate cruise, “Comet” sent 7 ships down, mostly with a burden capacity and buoyancy greater than his own. In addition, again utilizing surprise, due to the fact that he always pretended to be a civilian ship flying the flag of a country not participating in the war – 1 ship of the sailors "Comet" captured. Under German command, as a war prey, he was escorted to 1 of the ports then cooperating with Hitler of France. Before the British could figure out who was drowning ships on the Pacific and Indian oceans, the “Comet” sailed around the Earth's sphere and through the Atlantic managed to scope the port of Hamburg.
Finally, a small bit of better news. On October 14, 1942, close the English Channel, “Comet” was under fire by respective Allied ships, including the Polish destroyer ORP “Krakowiak”. 1 of the missiles caused an detonation filled to the edges of the ammunition depot, resulting in the "Comet" going down rapidly and with the full crew.
To this day, many stories of this ship like not to remember. It bears witness to the size of the russian – Nazi alliance during the first without a tiny 2 years of planet War II and about what an ally the British and Americans gained in 1941...
Artur Adamski
