Author Topic: Upcoming Books 2016  (Read 38011 times)

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Offline JamesAPrattIII

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Re: Upcoming Books 2016
« Reply #30 on: November 25, 2018, 05:51:40 PM »
I just finished reading a little while ago the Rasputin book by Douglas Smith. It is a very impressive work uses some ground breaking historical research. It is longer and a slightly more difficult to read book than the works by Roe and Nelpa on Rasputin. There are some flaws with it:

page 136 has Count (later baron) Fredricks real baron (later Count) Fredricks

page 409 the Russians by the spring of 1915 suffered 3.8 million casualties real the Russians suffered in 1914-15 3.8 million casualties.

page 422 "After days of intense fighting on 4 August the fortress of Kaunas in Lithuania, vital for Russia's western defenses, fell to the Germans. The Russians suffered approximately 20,000 casualties and the loss of considerable weaponry. The Russian commader Vladimir Grigoriev, was relived of his duties, put on trial and sentenced to 15 years in prison."

real Kanuas then named Kovno was a outdated fortress which should not have been held but was too imposing to be abandoned. General Grigoriev the commander was aged nearly 70 who was a incompetent who believed the Germans could not be defeated. The garrison was mostly made up of mostly second-line troops and territorials. The Germans brought up all sorts of heavy artillery including 42cm and 30.5cm siege guns. After a inept defense where one Russian fort fired on another still held by the Russians the garrison panicked and fled along with General Grigoriev who was later arrested by the Gendarmes and sentenced to 15 years in jail. As for the 20,000 casualties I would say most or all were prisoners of war. Considerable weaponry was captured.

Offline JamesAPrattIII

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Re: Upcoming Books 2016
« Reply #31 on: November 25, 2018, 05:58:14 PM »
Grand Duke Nicholas N's the army commanders reaction: "Kovno has been surrendered without a fight. The commandant has abandoned the fortress and run away somewhere. The fortress troops have fled. The army is retreating. What more can one do in such a situation? It's awful, awful."

page 657 "Anastasia just 16 at the time of his murder" real she was 15


Offline JamesAPrattIII

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Re: Upcoming Books 2016
« Reply #32 on: December 02, 2018, 04:30:39 PM »
archive.org has MG Alfred Knox book "With the Russian Army 1914-1917 volume 1 pages 325-8 has a account of the defense of Kovno. It appears that many of the troops were recently called up , had little or no training, some didn't even have rifles. It was captured in 48 hours of serious attack

Offline JamesAPrattIII

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Re: Upcoming Books 2016
« Reply #33 on: December 02, 2018, 04:47:30 PM »
Who is the real Lili
In his book on Rasputin Doug Smith in the famous 8 march 1914 group photo of Rasputin's apartment reply 133 in the Rasputin photo post has Julia Lili von Dehn standing in the doorway in white. The book the Rasputin File has her in the plumed bonnet standing next to the woman in white. This is the photo of her in her wiki bio. Can any one id the real Lili? there should be other pictures of her out there.

Offline JamesAPrattIII

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Re: Upcoming Books 2016
« Reply #34 on: December 10, 2018, 09:59:08 PM »
page 525 has some Russian blaming Rasputin for helping to stop the Brussilov offensive. Looking through "Austria-Hungary's Last War 1914-1918 Volume 5 pages 130-249  and 340-426 this looks like a really good idea. The Russians were taking heavy casualties for slight gains. There are also reports of trouble in the ranks:

p175 Russian troops "driven forward with blows from whips"
p207 "driven forward with blows"
p387 "Russian artillery firing into their own trenches to force the infantry to advance"
p412 "driven forward by shots from their own batteries"
p415 The Tsar wants to end the offensive 5-6 October but the South-West front still has plenty of reserves and the attacks continue.
p437 instances of refusal to obey orders and outright mutiny in the 4th rifle Division 20th Infantry division and even some Guards regiments

Offline JamesAPrattIII

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Re: Upcoming Books 2016
« Reply #35 on: January 19, 2019, 09:00:50 PM »
Another minor gaff I found in the book "Caught in the Revolution" page 235 cavalry carbine 5 pounds lighter than the infantry rifle issued to the women's battalion
M-1891 rifle 9.6 lbs 51.37 inches long 5 ft 5 1/2 inches with bayonet
 M-1891 Dragoon rifle 8.75 lbs  48.75 inches long 5ft 3 inches with bayonet
M-1907 Cavalry Carbine 7.5 lbs 40 inches long could not mount a bayonet

The pictures and film clips of the 1st Women's Battalion all have them carrying rifles with bayonets

note: I have handled and fired the M-1891/30 rifle it has a noticeable recoil and has a rather awkward to operate bolt

Offline JamesAPrattIII

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Re: Upcoming Books 2016
« Reply #36 on: February 27, 2019, 02:49:46 PM »
Note Douglas Smith has presentations on his book on Rasputin on youtube