This is part of a larger essay.
State Sovereignty and Inter-state Unions 17
The case is that to May 1945:
- the USSR had the most advanced artillery on the globe, and in Europe, on the number of large-calibre artillery, the USSR almost doubled a combined artillery of the US and UK, even if counting obtained trophy artillery of the Third Re*ch;
- in Europe, the US and UK had 103 divisions, and according to their own estimation the Soviet forces were equivalent to 264 allied divisions to oppose them;
- a general ratio of aviation also was not in favour of the US and UK - 8,798 aircrafts against 11,742 Soviet ones. The fact that in strategic aviation the US and UK almost doubled the USSR did not change the situation as:
a) in the upcoming war the attack aviation was more intensively required, which was almost lacking by the US and UK;
b) the USSR had a powerful fighter aviation, clashing with which by the fighter aviation of the US and UK resulted in defeat of the latter. Moreover, the Soviet aces not only shot down fighter aircrafts of the US and UK, but showed that unlike Luftwaffe's aces, they do not avoid attacks and "unapproachable" "Flying Fortresses" of the US and UK. Thus, in the beginning of May 1945, a regiment under the three-times-hero of the Soviet Union, Ivan Nikitovich Kozhedub, was directly ordered to prevent at any cost the bombing of B-17 "Flying Fortresses" group that entered the Soviet occupation zone of Germany with an unknown aim. Despite the desparate resistance, three American bombers were shot down and others hurriedly withdrawned to their territory. The Soviet pilots had no losses.
