76 V i s i t www.theculturalexperience.com C a l l 0345 475 1815 NEPAL XXX Second World War RUSSIA - THE CLASSIC EASTERN FRONT TOUR 4 - 14 May 2019 4 - 14 May 2019 4 - 14 May 2019 & & 4 - 14 May 2020 4 - 14 May 2020 4 - 14 May 2020 4 - 14 May 2020 4 - 14 May 2020 4 - 14 May 2020 11 days with Col Bob Kershaw with Col Bob Kershaw Activity Level 1 / 2 ESSENTIALS Return flights from London, internal flights, 1st class train travel, 3 and 4 star hotels, all meals with drinks each evening, all entrance fees and expert guide throughout. Tour Price: £3795 Single Supplement: £310 Solo train occupancy: £240 Deposit: £300 Price without flights: £3595 The battle for Moscow during the autumn and winter of 1941-2 was the first time a German Army was checked and then repelled during the Second World War. A second German summer offensive in 1942, another seemingly ffensive in 1942, another seemingly ff irresistible Blitzkrieg across the southern Soviet Steppe, ran out of momentum when it engaged in a costly battle of attrition at Stalingrad. Yet another Soviet surprise winter counter offensive surrounded and ffensive surrounded and ff overwhelmed Paulus’s Sixth Army, the strongest Army in the German Wehrmacht, and threatened to cut off an entire army ff an entire army ff group in the Caucasus. The German summer offensiveatKurskin1943wasthe ffensiveatKurskin1943wasthe ff finalgamble, involving 6,000 tanks, 4,000 aircraft and two million men, the highest concentration of men and material achieved up to this point in the history of warfare. It achieved a fleeting tactical success but the strategic initiative was irretrievably lost. The tour explores how near the Germans got to Moscow in 1941, why Blitzkrieg failed at Stalingrad in 1942 and examines many of the myths surrounding the huge tank battle at Prokohorovka in 1943. Day 1 - A rrive. Fly London-Moscow and check in to our hotel for two nights. Day 2 – Kubinka and Patriot Park. Today is a special one for fans of military hardware. We visit the magnificent tank Museum at Kubinka and the new, huge complex at Patriot Park. Across these two exhibits you will be able see and get up close to almost every tank, armoured vehicle and self-propelled gun A great opportunity to explore traditional Russia and sample its history, traditions, architecture and landscapes. Our ten day tour covers the three decisive turning points of the Great Patriotic War (as it’s known in Russia) the battles of Moscow, Stalingrad and Kursk. We begin outside Moscow at Borodino, the site of Napoleon's victory in 1812 and coincidentally the same defence line held in 1941. Preserved trench lines and bunkers are visible here as are ruined buildings at Stalingrad (now Volgograd). At Kursk we peruse fascinating local museums, tank scrapes and restored trench complexes en route. Traditional Russian single storey wooden houses and iconic Orthodox churches form the backdrop to our journey, which involves considerable travel with internal flights to Volgograd and comfortable overnight in two-berth sleeper train to Kursk, other nights are spent in four star hotels or equivalent. We will also witness a magnificent Victory Day parade right outside of our hotel. imaginable and not just form the Second World War. Examples of what we will see include the massive howitzer that bombarded Sevastopol, the 'Maus' Mark VIII Panzer, the biggest tank produced during the war, Tiger I and II tanks, as well as aircraft, naval ships and even intercontinental missiles! Day 3 - T he Defence of Moscow. We travel out to the battlefield of Borodino to explore and compare the battles of 1812 and 1941. We then follow the German advance on Moscow through Istra and Chimki, its closest point, just short of the Moscow ring road. Day 4 - S talingrad the Attack. Fly Moscow- Volgograd, landing at the former Luftwaffe ffe ff airbase at Gumrak. We begin the tour of the Stalingrad city area from the Mamayev Kurgan heights,withitsimpressivememorialcomplex to overview the German assault. We visit the still preserved Grain Elevator, the Volga River crossings and Pavlov's House. Check in to our hotel at Volgograd for three nights. Day 5 - Stalingrad The Defence. We visit the Panoramic Museum and Grudinin Mill to discuss street fighting and the final encirclement from von Paulus's final HQ at the Univermag department store. We drive to the western outskirts of the city, the edge of the Steppe, to see the Soldier's Field and the German entry points into the city. Day 6 - Victory in Stalingrad. Today we view the impressive victory parade in Volgograd followed by a boat trip on the Volga to view