Interesting info Western Europe 1939-1942

On Saturday night, 7 September 1940, owing to a misunderstanding, the signal Cronwell was given on the south coast. Very quickly the alarm was relayed to other counties. While the bells of five of the churches began to ring out across Lincolnshire, warning the outlying villages that the Germans were coming, two Royal Engineer officers arrived at Lincoln Railway station. But before the Cromwell order ( German landing) was countermanded, several small bridges in Lincolnshire were destroyed by zealous sapper officers.

The last Ditch by David Lampe

 

By the time of the Munich crisis 1938 a plan for emergency broadcasting had been evolved, and by the beginning of September 1939 equipment for implementing the plan was ready. Low-powered transmitters were dotted all over the country and a number of ´portable" transmitters were mounted on lorries. During an air raid alert instructions would go out to the fixed transmitters either to switch offf altogether or to reduce power, and broadcasting would then continue on various combinations of the old and new transmitters. Reception on the ground would harly be affected., but aircraft ´homing´would be impossible. Throughout the war
this system operated effectively, and the BBC never helped the Luftwaffe home on their targets.

The last Ditch By David Lampe

 

The wooden planes that terrorised the Luftwaffe

 

In June 1940, Churchill called a secret session of the Cabinet to discuss what to do with the nation´s stores of gold and securities. They not only had to be protected both from the possible invasion and occupation but also from destruction by bombing. Regional collection centres were designated, and in a ten-day period all sizeable stores of gold in the country and virtually all securities were brought together.The first part of what was to be the greatest transatlantic shipment of valuables of all time left Greenock on H.M.S.. Emerald on 24 June 1940. Six days later, after a rough crossing, the destroyer ploughed into Halifax, Nova Scotia, at a brisk 28 knots, and the cargo was off-loaded onto a special train at the quayside.

From The last Ditch by David Lampe

 

In June 1940, with the Blitzkrieg in France drawing to a close, the first Iron Crosses, First Class, were awarded. Gruppenkomandeur Major Richard Kraut presents ther decoration to three stalwarts of his I./JG 76 for their recent achievement. Theyr are Oberleutnant Dietrich Hrabak, Leutnant Hans Philipp and Oberfeldwebel Max Stotz. All three men would go on to far greater things.


Although JG 54´s participation in BoB had not lasted as long as that of many of the other Jagdgeschwader involved-the cross-channel campaign had cost it dear. Between August 12 and 1 December no fewer than 43 pilots had been reported killed,missing or captured-a casualty rate of close on 40 per cent, or the equivalent of more than an entire Gruppe. Of course, some component units were hit harder than others. When the Kapitän of 3./JG 54, Oberleutnant Hans Schmoller-Hardy, left Campagne for northern Germany on 27 September, it is said that the "Staffel" bad comprised just himself and his wingman, Leutnant Adolf Kinzinger.

JG 54 "Grunherz" by John Weal

 

Summer of 1940:
Much more essential to the defence of Scotland as a whole were the attacks which many Auxiliary Unit patrols-not those in the extreme north- made on Army and Air Force installations. These raids were the best sort of training the members of the patrols could be given, for the places into which they crept would almost certainly have been occupied by the Germans. The Resistance men in Scotland raided virtually every aerodrome and every Army camp there at least once, proving that none was impregnable.
Once General Thorne asked that Auxiliary Units patrols be sent to test the security of his own headquarters, and in the attack that followed, the raiders penetrated to the very heart of Scottish Command, to place a thunderflash under the seat of the General´s private lavatory. The raiders suffered no casualties and indeed were not seen. General Thorne fortunately has a sense of humour, but after this raid his subordinates were urged even more strongly to make use of the Resistance men in their local defences.

The last Ditch by David Lampe

 

The appointment of Erwin Rommel as commander of the 7th Panzer Division (nicknamed the “Ghost Division”) in February 1940 seems, in the light of his many triumphs in France and North Africa, an unremarkable and perfectly natural choice.

Rommel had no prior experience commanding a division. Neither did he have any direct experience with the new blitzkrieg operations that had made their debut during the conquest of Poland in September and October 1939. He had not even commanded a combat unit during the invasion. The chief of Army personnel had recommended that Rommel be given command of a mountain division, based on his experience in the Alpine Corps during World War I.

Rommel was neither a member of the Junker class of Prussian aristocrats nor a product of the General Staff (who denied him entry), both of which were essential prerequisites for military advancement prior to the rise of Hitler. Rommel desired command of a panzer division, and he received it, the objections of the Army personnel branch being overruled quite possibly by Hitler himself. Hitler’s decision apparently raised more than a few eyebrows in the senior military hierarchy because, in a letter to his wife Lucie dated February 17, Rommel wrote, “Jodl [chief of the Operation Staff of the Armed Forces High Command, the OKW] was flabbergasted at my new posting.”

Why Erwin Rommel’s 7th Panzer Division Was Called the "Ghost Division"

 

RE: "Rommel had no prior experience commanding a division. Neither did he have any direct experience with the new blitzkrieg operations that had made their debut during the conquest of Poland..."

Rommel's style of command in WW1 was very much in accordance with "Blitzkrieg". His actions then involved movement, avoiding strong points, infiltration, leading from the front, quick and decisive decisions and penetration. So, when he commanded 7th PZ he just did what he always did, just faster.

I'm sure Rommel's posting to 7th PZ was an act of favoritism by Hitler but Rommel certainly justified the Fuhrer's confidence.

 

Some are born commanders whether they were leading a division from the start of the war or not...
Then again he broke the rules all the time By being further ahead than the given order, and frequently was checking the frontline in the air from a Fieseler Storch.

 

The Dover vs Calais artillery

Big Guns Named ‘Winnie’ and ‘Pooh’ Dueled Nazi Cannons Across the English Channel

 

Bomber crews flew into Germany navigating by the stars and located their target areas by moonlight. Such methods required good flying conditions and clear skies, which also favoured German countermeasures. Ultimately the early bombing campaign was so inaccurate that German intelligence had trouble understanding what goals the British were attempting to pursue.

In the ten raids Bomber Command launched against Berlin between June and November 1941, 133 Germans were killed compared with casualties in British aircrews of about three times that figure. At that same time British aircraft losses in 1941 were more than double those in 1940 ( 1,034 versus 492 ). Even Churchill, who had been a keen supporter of strategic bombing, began to tone down his enthusiasm and view with reservation the stoutly ambitious plans of Bomber Command for a force of 4,000 machines by the spring of 1943.

Kiev 1941 by David Stahel

 

After Barbarossa had begun:

Yet many of the President Roosevelt´s military and civilian advisers clearly recognized the dire urgency of the European situation, and urged Roosevelt to action. Fearing the worst, Harold Ickes, the Secretary of the interior, wrote to Roosevelt the day after the German invasion:"It may be difficult to get into this war the right way, but if we do not do it now, we will be, when our turn comes, without an ally anywhere in the world."

Kiev 1941 by David Stahel

 

Talking about the military reserves...

" The Germans started their attack on France 1940 without a single panzer formation in reserve. To achieve a massive numerical superiority at the crucial point, every single unit was committed to the fight from the first day. If the attack had failed, Germany would have had no mobile units with which to respond to a possible Allied counter-offensive. "

"The wages of destruction" by Tooze

 

French Howitzer by the French send to fight the Winter War

 

Ju 87 and Trumpets of Jericho

The designer, Hermann Pohlmann, worked on a prototype throughout the first half of the 1930s. Test flights proved favorable in 1935, so Stukas were dispatched to Spain the following year, to take part in the battle. The Spanish Civil War was a training ground for German and Italian troops and equipment, as it served as an overture to WWII.

What specifically made these planes horrific were the two horns attached to the wings which produced a screeching sound once the aircraft was inbound for a strike. As the Stuka descended from the sky to drop its deadly load, the scream which accompanied it had a devastating effect on the morale of anyone who was on the ground.

It is unclear whether the idea originated from Adolf Hitler himself, or if the intimidation tactic was a brainchild of the notable flying ace and innovator, Ernst Udet, who was in charge of the Luftwaffe research and development o

The Trumpets of Jericho - How the Luftwaffe Used Sirens Attached To Stuka Dive Bombers To Cause Panic And Fear Among Their Enemies

 

" Ultimately the early bombing campaign was so inaccurate ( Bomber Command ), that German intelligence had trouble understanding what goals the British were attempting to pursue.

In the ten raids Bomber Command launched against Berlin between June and November 1941, 133 Germans were killed compared with casualties in British aircrews of about three times that figure. At the same time British aircraft losses in 1941 were more than double those in 1940 ( 1,034 vs 492 ). Even Churchill, who had been a keen supporter of strategic bombing, began to tone down his enthusiasm and view with reservation the stoutly ambitious plans of Bomber Command for a force of 4,000 machines by the spring of 1943".

Kiev

David Stahel

 

The Polish wz.35 AT rifle was the infantry´s primary means of AT defence with 92 per division. Although it was similar to German AT rifles use in the WW1, it pioneered the use of tungsten -cored prjectiles, which enabled it to pnenetrate the armour of nearly any of the German tanks in service in 1938. Unfortunately, the ammunition was so secret that the rifles were not distributed until the September mobilisation, limiting their use.

By Steven J Zaloga Poland 1939

 

Pierre Le Gloan- ace for both sides....

Pierre Le Gloan - Wikipedia

Pierre Le Gloan (6 January 1913 – 11 September 1943) was a French flying ace of World War II. Unique in the annals of wartime flying, he scored victories against German, Italian and British forces.[1] Flying in the French and Vichy French air forces, his career has led some to call him the only pilot to become a flying ace on both sides of the war.[2] He was killed in a landing accident in September 1943.

Following Italy's declaration of war on France and the Italian air force commencing bombing raids, Le Gloan shot down two Fiat BR.20 bombers on 13 June.[4] On 15 June Le Gloan with another pilot attacked 12 Italian Fiat CR.42 fighters. Le Gloan shot down three of them while Cpt. Assolent shot down another.[5] While returning to the airfield Le Gloan shot down another CR.42 and a BR.20 bomber. For this outstanding achievement of destroying five aircraft in one flight he was promoted to 2nd lieutenant.[3]

In May 1941 GC III/6 was moved to the French colony of Syria. In June 1941, Allied forces, including some Free French units, attacked Syria and Lebanon. On 8 June 1941, Le Gloan shot down his first RAF fighter, a Hawker Hurricane. By 5 July he had claimed five Hurricanes and a Gloster Gladiator. Later the depleted GC III/6 was withdrawn back to Algiers.[7]

On 11 September 1943, Le Gloan flew on patrol with another pilot. Over the sea smoke started to come out of Le Gloan's engine. He returned towards the shore but the engine stopped. He attempted a forced landing on the shore but, probably forgetting that his Airacobra still had an underbelly fuel tank attached (which were not used on earlier French fighters), the fuel in his plane exploded while trying to land, killing him instantly.

During his complicated combat career Pierre Le Gloan shot down 18 aircraft (four German, seven Italian and seven British), which made him the fourth leading French flying aces of the war.[8]