Here's some statistics on Lend-Lease to the USSR.
Over 400,000 trucks, more than half of which were medium and heavy trucks. 60% of the Soviet wheeled vehicles in 1945 were Lend-Lease trucks.
22,800 armored vehicles (tanks, half tracks, etc.), including more than 12,000 tanks. 40% of these arrived in 1941 when the USSR most needed them.
11,000 freight cars and 540,000 tons of rail
-14,798 aircraft
-4,111 20mm and 40mm AA guns
-434,000 trucks
-28,000 jeeps
-5,500 artillery tractors
-330,000 field telephones
-2,670,000 tons of petroleum products including 476,000 tons of aviation fuel
-5,500,000 pairs of boots
-25,000,000 yards of uniform cloth
-1,045 locomotives
-8,260 wagons
-1,200,000 tons of steel
-26,000 machine-tools
Soviet explosive production - 600,000 tons
explosives via LL - 317,000 tons
Soviet toluene (key ingredient in TNT) production - 116,000 tons
Toluene via LL - 103,000 tons
I would say that increasing Soviet explosives production by roughly 40% is significant. I would say that is pretty obvious that the USSR could not have sustained their military effort in 1941 and 1942 without Lend-Lease. I'm pretty sure that 8,000 armored vehicles arriving in 1941 made a huge difference at a critical moment.
So, gBWR, the fact is that American, and British, aid to the USSR is one of the most significant factors in the USSR not being defeated by the end of 1942. If Germany had been able to defeat Russia and cause them to sue for peace Europe would be a completely different place dominated by Nazi's and Fascists since it would have been nearly impossible for the US and UK to invade France and fight a ground war against Germany when the entire resources of Europe could be brought to bear against the invasion. In rough terms Europe was about equal to the US economically and militarily. The reason that the western allies could defeat Germany in WW1 without the Russians is that they were already on the continent. Had France collapsed before the entry of the US Germany would have won WW1.
The fact that the US fielded a 12 million man military, the second largest of the war right behind the USSR, fought major naval and ground campaigns in Asia, Africa and Europe, the Pacific and Atlantic and still sent more than $50 billion in war material, over and above spending $340 billion on its own military, to the UK and USSR is incredible. One out of every eight dollars the US spent on munitions and war materials was given freely to American allies, primarily Russia, Britain and China. America was truly the main factor to winning WW2 and Lend-Lease was one of the greatest things ever done for civilization and the defeat of the Nazi's. Without it the history of the world would be dramatically different and not for the better. |
