Western front-interesting bits of information

I saw a TV show about torpex along time ago and it said the stuff was very unstable. The show also said a large Japanese battleship blew up in mysterious conditions and it too carried torpex. I wish I could remember the ship's name.

 

GENERAL HANS CRAMER

Last German Commander of the Afrika Korps, was captured in May 1943. Imprisoned in a POW camp in Wales, his deteriorating health caused him to be repatriated to Germany through the Swedish Red Cross. He was brought from Wales to the London Cage, the route taken brought him through the south and south-western area of England.

He was allowed to see the massive build up of tanks, planes and ships getting ready for the D-Day invasion. What he didn't know was the exact area of England he was being driven through. He was told it was southern and eastern England and this is what he reported to his seniors in Berlin when he arrived there on May 23, 1944, adding emphasis to the Allied propaganda that the invasion would take place in the Calais area.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/1943.html

 

June 1940 France



http://salg71.free.fr/page6.html

 

23/24 February 1945

367 Lancasters and 13 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 6 and 8 Groups and a Film Unit Lancaster carried out the first, and only, area-bombing raid of the war on Pforzheim. 10 Lancasters were lost and 2 more crashed in France. The marking and bombing, from only 8,000 ft, were particularly accurate and damage of a most severe nature was inflicted on Pforzheim. 1,825 tons of bombs were it dropped in 22 minutes. The post-war British Bombing Survey Unit estimated that 83 per cent of the town's built-up area was destroyed, probably the greatest proportion in one raid during the war.

Bomber Command's last Victoria Cross of the war was won on this night. The Master Bomber was Captain Edwin Swales, DFC, a South African serving with No 582 Squadron. His Lancaster was twice attacked over the target by a German fighter. Captain Swales could not hear the evasion directions given by his gunners because he was broadcasting his own instructions to the Main Force. 2 engines and the rear turret of the Lancaster were put out of action. Captain Swales continued to control the bombing until the end of the raid and must take some credit for the accuracy of the attack. He set out on the return flight but encountered turbulent cloud and ordered his crew to bale out. This they all did successfully but Captain Swales had no opportunity to leave the aircraft and was killed when it crashed. He is buried at the Leopold War Cemetery at Limburg in Belgium.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/feb45.html

 

The British acquired an intact Fw 190A-3 in 1942 (when Luftwaffe pilot Armin Faber landed on a British airfield by mistake) they were quick to raid the aircraft for its technical secrets.



http://www.answers.com/topic/focke-wulf-fw-190

http://www.shoreham-aircraft-museum.co.uk/faber.htm

 

The only Allied tank force present in Norway
in 1940 was the French 342nd and 343rd ”Compagnie Autonome de Chars” (Independent
Tank Company), equipped with 15 Hotchkiss H-39 light tanks (342rd, Capt. Dublineau) and 15 Renault FT-17 (343rd).

http://www.nuav.net/oobnono.html

 

After Malmedy:

Fragmentary Order 27 issued by Headquarters, 328th Infantry on 21 December for the attack scheduled for the following day says: "No SS troops or paratroopers will be taken prisoners but will be shot on sight."

http://www.scrapbookpages.com/DachauScrapbook/DachauTrials/MalmedyMassacre02.html

 

That's a really irritating website.

It's full of spelling errors and scanty details. On a quick reading : Peiper's men swam the Salm River at the end of the battle, not the 'Muese' (sic), Madame Bodarwe ( not 'Bodarme' ) was not called at Dachau because she vanished without trace during the massacre and has never been found, LeJoly would have been hard to find, too - he pointed out the US soldiers hiding in the cafe to SS men and didn't 'resurface' until long after the war. And as for Peiper 'hearing that a US General was in the next village' he was absolutely right ! Brig.Gen. E.W. Timberlake escaped from the Hotel du Moulin in Ligneuville as Peiper's leading tanks appeared over the hill literally a few hundred metres away.....

And so on. I notice the only source seems to be a battlefield guide by Charles Whiting ( ! )......

I'm in no way arguing with the overall thrust of the site but these guys who seem to read one book and then slap something onto the 'net, full of minor inaccuracies, do no service to serious study.

[ 12. May 2005, 10:30 AM: Message edited by: Martin Bull ]

 

You´re totally right Martin and thanx for the corrections!

In the first place I found the order info on Williamson´s Aces of the Reich but thought that a site on the net would be "nicer" here. Not really it seems (this time)....

[ 12. May 2005, 10:33 AM: Message edited by: Kai-Petri ]

 

Autumn 1944

Noncombat casualties, most due to trench foot, roughly equaled combat casualties for the month of November. Moreover, 95 percent of the trench foot cases would be out of action, at least until spring. Part of the blame for the high rate of noncombat casualties must go to the Quartermaster, European Theater of Operations, who had refused to order a newly developed winter uniform for the troops because he believed that the war would end before cold weather came. Not until January was there an adequate supply of jackets, raincoats, overshoes, blankets, and sweaters. As a result, 46,000 troops throughout the European theater were hospitalized, the equivalent of three infantry divisions.

Back in the States, tank destroyer and antiaircraft battalions were broken up and sent to infantry training centers. In Lorraine, General Patton "drafted" 5 percent of army and corps troops for retraining as infantry, and when bloody fighting along the Westwall sent infantry losses soaring, he "drafted" an additional 5 percent.

From the Third Army operations 19 November 1944

http://www-cgsc.army.mil/carl/resources/csi/gabel3/gabel3.asp

 

*LEONARD, TURNEY W

MOH citation

He displayed extraordinary heroism while commanding a platoon of mobile weapons at Kommerscheidt, Germany, on 4, 5, and 6 November 1944. During the fierce 3-day engagement, he repeatedly braved overwhelming enemy fire in advance of his platoon to direct the fire of his tank destroyer from exposed, dismounted positions. He went on lone reconnaissance missions to discover what opposition his men faced, and on 1 occasion, when fired upon by a hostile machinegun, advanced alone and eliminated the enemy emplacement with a hand grenade. When a strong German attack threatened to overrun friendly positions, he moved through withering artillery, mortar, and small arms fire, reorganized confused infantry units whose leaders had become casualties, and exhorted them to hold firm. Although wounded early in battle, he continued to direct fire from his advanced position until he was disabled by a high-explosive shell which shattered his arm, forcing him to withdraw. He was last seen at a medical aid station which was subsequently captured by the enemy. By his superb courage, inspiring leadership, and indomitable fighting spirit, 1st Lt. Leonard enabled our forces to hold off the enemy attack and was personally responsible for the direction of fire which destroyed 6 German tanks.

http://www.homeofheroes.com/moh/citations_1940_wwii/leonard.html

 

In the Archives of War "Nightbombers" film it is estimated that over 2,400 bombers were rescued by the anti-fog system FIDO from crashing!

http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-2RAF-c14.html


Of particular interest was the introduction at British airfields of the apparatus known as FIDO – the initials stood for ‘Fog Investiga- tion and Dispersal Operation’ – which was responsible for saving many valuable aircraft and lives. Petrol burners were installed at short intervals along a runway and around the perimeter of selected airfields, and when lit heated the air sufficiently to disperse the fog. After considerable experiment three main airfields which had served for some time as emergency landing grounds were so fitted; Carnaby, in Yorkshire, for the northern area; Manston, in Kent, for the southern region and for aircraft operating on the other side of the Channel; and Woodbridge, in Suffolk, for the benefit of the squadrons based in East Anglia. The lighted runway at each was some 3000 yards long and 250 yards wide and the latest navigational aids and systems of flying control were installed. By May 1945, 1200 aircraft had made landings at Woodbridge alone by the use of ‘Fido’.

 

There is a really excellent, definitive book about 'FIDO'.

It's called 'Flying Through Fire' by Geoffrey Williams ( Sutton, 1995 ) and it lists every airfield ( with maps ) with a separate chapter for each.

A gas pipeline was recently laid across the site of Metheringham airfield in Lincolnshire and a large piece of FIDO piping was discovered - it can now be seen in the museum there.

 

In the winter of 1944, all ranks of the Grenadier-Regiment 199 (of the 57th Infantry Division) and its replacement battalion were allowed to wear the "Infanterie-Regiment List" cuff-title. It commemorated the Imperial German Army's 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment "List", the predecessor of Grenadier-Regiment 199, in which Hitler had served as a corporal during the First World War. It was dark green with white lettering and edging (silver for officers), and was worn on the left forearm.

http://www.angelfire.com/sk2/germanuniforms/wehrmacht43_45.html

 

The Ruhr pocket 1945

Rather than defy Hitler by formally surrendering the remnants of his Army Group, Field Marshal Model dissolved it instead ( and committed suicide himself...). German troops began surrendering by the thousands. More than 300,000 Germans became prisoners of war, constituting the largest single German surrender in western Europe during World War II.

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10006182

 

In January of 1944 there were 20,625 FLAK guns (7,941 heavy guns and 12,684 light/medium guns) with 6,880 searchlights defending Germany..

http://pages.zdnet.com/vancell/b26tailgunner/id17.html

Flak ammunition consumption soared to a monthly average of 3,175,400 shells in December 1944!

30% of all gun and 20% of heavy ammuninition production went for air-defense in 1944.

 

The first Knight's Cross of the war awarded to a divisional commander was presented to General Kurt von Briesen for the Polish campaign.

http://homepages.win.co.nz/bphprint/vonstud.html



http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.de/Infanterie/Briesen-Kurt-von.htm

 

WWII: Is it true that you had the only cigar lighter­equipped Messerschmitt in the entire Luftwaffe?

Galland: I think so, plus a holder for it if I was on oxygen. It created quite a controversy, I can tell you.

http://members.aol.com/geobat66/galland/wwii_int.htm

When the 262 was brought out for his viewing at Insterburg, and I was standing there next to him, Hitler was very impressed. He asked the professor, "Is this aircraft able to carry bombs?" Well, Messerschmitt said, "Yes, my Führer, it can carry for sure a 250-kilogram bomb, perhaps two of them." In typical Hitler fashion, he said "Well, nobody thought of this! This is the Blitz (lightning) bomber I have been requesting for years. No one thought of this. I order that this 262 be used exclusively as a Blitz bomber, and you, Messerschmitt, have to make all the necessary preparations to make this feasible."

 

From the Stephan Burgdorff Christian Habbe book on bombings of Germany

"By may 1944 1.1% of the allied bombings had been on the German oil industry!"

 

Even more notable was a mission performed by the Division Service Company in October. In a convoy of twenty-five dump trucks, fifty-eight men of the Service Company and Headquarters Company, 3d ECAR, under Maj. Arthur M. Cory, moved 1 billion Allied military marks from London to the vaults of the Bank of France in Paris and other depositories in France. The fifty-four tons of money, worth $122,352,000, was the most valuable single cargo to pass through the SHAEF supply line in the campaign.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/other/us-army_germany_1944-46_ch11.htm