Athletic, disciplined, able and willing to shoot, and they had pride in their military. The Americans were a rather undisciplined bunch in the beginning. There were some really good American units, but they were few. For the most part, the Germans neither respected nor feared American troops.
The Germans had a rather low opinion of the fighting ability of American soldiers. The Germans greatly respected American artillery and air power, but not the infantry nor armor.
The Germans used the slang “Ami" for American soldiers. Likewise, the American soldiers called them “Kraut" (offensive term), “Jerry" or “Fritz".
German reports referred to the attacking Marines as "teufel hunden," meaning devil dogs, because of their tenacity and fighting ability. Teufel hunden were the vicious, wild mountain dogs of Bavarian folklore. English bulldog, mascot for the U.S. Marine Corp, chases a dachshund clad in German military garb.
Did the regular German Soldat think one country had better fighters than others?... What did the Germans think of the British Army in WW2? The Germans quickly observed that the British were resolute and brave in defence, but often over-cautious in attack. Perhaps a historic psychology might have been at work.
Many were frustrated by the American way of warfare, especially the officers who could not call upon the resources that their enemy could. The common soldier was annoyed that the American infantry declined to “fight fairly” and relied heavily on artillery and airpower to soften resistance.
At least initially, Germans regarded British and American soldiers (especially Americans) as somewhat amateurish, although their opinion of American, British, and Empire troops grew as the war progressed. German certainly saw shortcomings in the ways the Allied used infantry.
The term Tommy was established during the nineteenth century, but is particularly associated with World War 1. Legend has it that German soldiers would call out to “Tommy” across no man's land if they wanted to speak to a British soldier.
Yes,in the sense that there are terms in the Japanese language (such as ohbei) which are best translated into English as "western", meaning European and American. Even the more common term for all foreigners,"gaijin",is often used to mean to mean specifically white foreigners ie. 'Europeans' or 'Americans'.
While the majority of those Marines served in the Pacific, a select few were about to enter the war against the Germans in the European Theater. During the early months of 1944 a tall, slender Marine Corps Captain was gathering vital information about German forces occupying southern France. Captain Peter J.
WW2 Japanese soldiers were terrified of U.S. Marines because their officers told them they would be eaten if they surrendered.
The British/Australians/Canadians called us Yanks. We called ourselves GI's for general infantry or GIrine for general infantry Marine Corp or Leatherneck. The Japanese called us Joe or round eye.
The German, the French and the British Commonwealth armies used the name "Tommy" for British soldiers. "Tommy" is derived from the name "Tommy Atkins" which had been used as a generic name for a soldier for many years (and had been used as an example name on British Army registration forms).
Russians also point to the fact that Soviet forces killed more German soldiers than their Western counterparts, accounting for 76 percent of Germany's military dead.
During WWII, the US Government interned at least 11,000 persons of German ancestry. By law, only "enemy aliens" could be interned. However, with governmental approval, their family members frequently joined them in the camps. Many such "voluntarily" interned spouses and children were American citizens.
The Draft and WWII
This was the first peacetime draft in United States' history. Those who were selected from the draft lottery were required to serve at least one year in the armed forces. Once the U.S. entered WWII, draft terms extended through the duration of the fighting.
They were the North Vietnamese Army, the NVA, the People's Army of Vietnam and they were the People's Liberation Armed Forces of South Vietnam. Collectively the United States often called them the Viet Cong. It was commonly shortened to VC, which in military alphabet code was spoken as Victor Charlie.
Americans have been and still are called “Amis” (pronounced “Ummies”). When WWII veterans discussed the war, they typically used the singular with an article: “Der Ami” never attacked before dawn, that we knew for sure.” “Der Russe / Der Iwan” (pronounced “Dare Roossey / Dare Eevan”).
Yes, Tokyo is generally considered to be a friendly city for American tourists. Japan, including Tokyo, has a reputation for being a welcoming and hospitable destination for visitors from around the world.
It is soon apparent from a study of personal and even official correspondence from World War One that Australian and New Zealand soldiers were being referred to collectively, and addressed individually, as Diggers by mid 1917.
Boche (pejorative)
Pronounced [boʃ], boche is a derisive term used by the Allies during World War I, often collectively ("the Boche" meaning "the Germans"). It is a shortened form of the French slang portmanteau alboche, itself derived from Allemand ("German") and caboche ("head" or "cabbage").
The word “Hun” is a derogatory word towards the Germans that derives from the nomadic tribe, the Huns, in the 4th and 6th century AD, known for their barbaric and warlike invasions (“Beat back the Hun with Liberty Bonds”, 2017).
It would have been a negotiated armistice or a German victory. The Allies alone could not possibly have defeated Germany. Without U.S. entry, there would have no Versailles Treaty, termed a “diktat” by Hitler, who used it to arouse Germany against the Weimar Republic and Wilson's League of Nations.
The last ceremonial event at which the black uniforms were worn "en masse" was the Berlin victory parade following the fall of France in June 1940. In 1942, Himmler ordered most all of the black uniforms recalled and stripped of insignia.
The Germans initially believed that they were defending their fatherland against the Entente that encircled them and was bent on their destruction. On the Somme in 1916 they saw themselves as defending not only their own country but also French civilians against a brutal British assault.