WW2 stories

During the Second World War, the United States supplied the Soviet Union with a trucks as a Lend-Lease helping. Each "Studebaker" had a dowry: a tools kit and a brown leather coat for the driver. Of course, no any Soviet driver could get such coats even in their dreams. All coats went to the bosses, including with a highest rank. As it known, Churchill flew to Moscow during the war. His plane landed at the airport, the ladder pulled up and opened the door. Took the first step, English Premier saw a crowd of meeting - diplomats, functionaries and a highest Commanders. All these people were dressed in the same leather coat. Churchill paused then half-turned to his entourage, he said quietly to them: - Looks like I have here the meeting with a members of the Drivers trade union?

Nice story.

Agree it is a good story, can not find it at the moment, but also read somewhere that at the Soviet and Allied meeting at the Elbe River, Allied forces were surprised to see so many leather coated drivers in the Soviet forces.  

I can count six leather coated [and by the looks same style coat] Soviet driver's in this photo of the meeting at the Elbe River.

Interesting picture. Too bad the friendly feelings didn't last too much longer.

This is part from Julian Semenov "Unwritten Novels" (mine translation).

...
A phone call came to the Molotov' secretariat early at nine-thirty:
- US Ambassador Averell Harriman asked to get in touch him with the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
- Minister holds a meeting.
- When you will be able to get in touch the Ambassador with the Minister?
- I find it difficult to give you an exact answer. Please call at twelve.
... Molotov' assistant had been warned in advance that Harriman will make a phone call at morning, because at eight o'clock subscribers already received a "Literary Gazette" with article "A man in a short pants" by Boris Gorbatov a Stalin Prize winner. Title was premised with a word placed into three columns: "Traitors". This article was about Harry Truman the United States President, the head of a friendly state, according to the current Agreement.
Molotov was instructed to avoid meeting with Harriman at any convenient pretext. This order came from Stalin last night.
Ambassador' assistant called to the reception of the Minister of Foreign Affairs until three o'clock. At 3:30 pm Harriman himself dialed Stalin's secretariat. He said in Russian the expressive unconcealed sharp and prearranged phrase: Before I give recommendations to the Government of the United States concerning the publication known to you, I thought it would be necessary to meet the Marshal. (He never called  him "Generalissimos" Stalin, only "Marshal", meaning he used to his rank during the war - on the one hand and on the other - he would not like allusions: Spain tyrant Franco  also Generalissimo as Chan Kai-shek who is main opponent of the faithful Russian leader disciple  - Mao.)
- Why do not you meet with Molotov or Vyshinsky? - Harriman has ben asked, knowing that he will refuse the offer,  the protocol does not allow - because of too long humiliated excuses.
- Unfortunately, I can no longer wait since Gentlemen Molotov or Vyshinsky can not find a time to meet Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the United States. I would ask Marshal to be reported that the meeting with him would be supremely appropriate in the interests of our two nations. Stalin waited exactly these words from Harriman. The game, launched at the end of last week, has entered into its final stage.
to be continued...

All right, you have my attention and hopefully "part 2" will be released soon.

Julian Semenov "Unwritten Novels"
Firstly, Stalin himself, commissioned to make the publication about traitor Harry Truman (president of the US) not to anybody, but to Boris Gorbatov a Jewish by nationality. Since in the United States the influence of the Jewish community greatly increased in the press during the war, it could be expected that not all overseas newspapers would be opposed to the publication of the "Literary newspaper", but on the contrary, they would reprint the passages from Gorbatov' opus, especially the Republicans, who had the election at hand and it was necessary for them to bring down the democratic candidate Truman.
Secondly, this article is nothing but as a pilot balloon in the reorientation not only the Soviet people, but also in Europe to represent the new enemy - a man who betrayed Roosevelt' ideas  and consequently the whole "Big Three".

"Big Three" (Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin)

Finally, in the third, the position of the Harriman, after such publication, will help to develop a course for the future: how Washington will react on such knock-down strikes and not only on these types? They will organize the campaign in the press? Let it be so. We don't read their press. And what about if there will be some sanctions? What are the sanctions exactly? Where? How soon? On the other hand, there are serious events will be in Russia, time of the "brothers and sisters" during wartime passed away, it must be finished with the inevitable liberalism, marked as alliance with the West. We have a talk and it's enough. It is time for the work, severe discipline, absolute like-minded, otherwise Russia wont raise up from the ruins.  Russian people need to be kept in hand, where each step must be under orders and controlling.
to be continued...

Believe, I do know where this story is leading too, but will wait till the end of the story.

Anyone up for some popcorn while we wait for the next chapter.

And here's a final Part III!
An employee of Stalin's secretariat told to Ambassador that he would report immediately to the Generalissimos assistant about his call, then asked to leave his phone number and promised to get in touch during ten minutes. And there was a call back just after ten minutes, Mr. Harriman was invited to come to the Kremlin at 18:30...
Harriman has entered to Stalin's office, griping in his right fist the "Literary newspaper" example, in those times the newspaper consist of four pages, it had the same volume as newspaper "Izvestia"(Eng. "News").
- Did you see that, Marshal?! - He asked, stretching out his hand with a newspaper.
- Hello, Mr. Harriman. Stalin rose from the table and went to meet him. - Good to see you, have a seat, please. What will you drink?
- After this article, - Harriman nodded at the newspaper still clutched in his fist, - we should drink a cognac for the rest of our alliance.
- It is risky, - said Stalin. - You will have to write a telegram to the State Department, to write a recommendations to the White House ... It'll be embarrassing, if overseas heads will understand that you have been done this work being the drunk ... As for example of the "Literary newspaper" I had read it just before dinner. ..
- And what is your opinion?
- You see, Mr. Harriman, if it would have been printed in "Pravda" or "Izvestiya", in short, in any newspapers, which belong to the Party and the Government (Stalin talking slowly, as if weighing the every word) - we would severely punish the chief editor of such kind of publication. You may believe me ... But in our country there is only one newspaper, which is not subordinate to either the Central Committee Communist Party or Council of People's Commissars... This newspaper is an agency of Writers' Union ... Of course, if you will claim an official protest, we will tightened the censorship even greater and still more make tougher a political control ... But this is something for which we are berated by your country ... Do you want us to turn the screws on the writers?
Harriman is siting for a while, being stiffened from anger and then he has laughed. He realized the full horror of the situation in which he had set up himself. Does he, the representative of the democratic world, ask tyrant to organize a new "clean"(repressions)?! Even against those who wrote a lampoon about the president? If he, Harriman, will insist on this, then there is no doubt the punishment will be executed, but the world will be informed that this would happened at the insistence of the United States ...
- Marshal, we do not want you to "screw the nuts tight". And then, sooner or later, you may disrupt the nut's thread...
- We have a good steel, - said Stalin. - We thrust in her reliability ... However, I promise to accomplish your request. We will ask the competent authorities (from NKVD), which involved into literature, be a very careful. Who can avouch for writers what they will spring a surprise in the next time? Thank you for your advice ......
This conversation occured when Akhmatova and Zoshchenko (famous Jewish writers who were in Stalin's disfavour) had been "thrown out" from the literary life of the country.

There was a forthcoming campaign to persecute the "cosmopolitans"(It was campaign to persecute Jewish). There are no little things in politics. When you thinking about strategy, don't miss the tactic ...

Good story and an interesting look behind the closed door history of Stalin in his best form and arena. Must say that just because Stalin was a sadistic sociopath, as it does not mean he was lacking in intelligence.

Firstly, I read this story in ~1990. I was impressed by the phrase "We've a good steel". It does that Stalin could make any experiments over the nation and nobody would contradict. Soviet ppl liked when Government "turn the screws on them".