A long long time ago, there was a black and white documentary on tv called The Valiant Years. (Valiant = courageous / heroic). I remember, very distinctly, watching this soldier jumping over a wall and a voice saying "The Germans counter attack." I did not have a clue what a German was, what the fighting was all about, zilch. I just liked the "square" helmet and I was hooked from that very moment. I have been siding the Germans ever since, but more in spirit than anything else. In war movies, soccer matches, whatever, for me it was always Deutschland uber Alles! Germany above all! I'm as loyal as a Manchester United fan!And guess what? In the innocence of my youth, I had chosen one of the best horses in the race! The Germans are a truly remarkable people. They have assumed a low profile internationally after the horrors of WW2 and are loath to blow their own trumpet. So I will do it for them. Here are 10 of their most outstanding achievements.
1. Blitzkrieg (Lightning war). The Germans introduced a whole new way of conducting warfare using speedy mechanised units - light tanks, paratroopers, dive bombers, etc - to disable the enemy's command and communication structures.
2. The Panther tank. One of the best tanks in the Second World War, lovingly crafted by German engineers, who always placed quality above quantity.
3) The 88mm gun. Probably the most formidable anti-aircraft and anti-tank gun in the entire war.
4) The Tiger tank. The Germans took the 88mm gun and mounted it on a tank!
5) The Leopard Tank. Reputedly one of the best tanks in the world today.
6) The Messerschmitt ME262. The very first fighter-jet in the world!
7) The V1. This flying bomb is the grandfather of America's cruise missiles!
8) The V2. German rocket technology helped the Americans reach the moon.
9) 6 decades after the end of WW2, Germany has risen from the ashes to become the largest economy in Europe.
10) 1/4 the population of the USA, Germany is the biggest exporter in the world!If you see my kids studying in a German university, you'll know why.
