Western front-interesting bits of information

Nice Ardennes pics 1944

http://ardenne44.free.fr/page3.html

 

The Execution of Pvt. Eddie Slovik

On Jan. 31, 1945, Hamtramck-born Eddie Slovik was executed by firing a squad near the village of Ste-Marie aux Mines for the crime of desertion. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme allied commander, personally ordered the execution during the closing days of World War II in order to deter other potential deserters.

During World War II, 21,049 American military personel were convicted of desertion, 49 were sentenced to death, but only Pvt. Slovik paid the ultimate price. In fact, he was the only American soldier to be executed for desertion since the American Civil War.

http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=103&category=people

 

That was an interesting article KP. I recall seeing the movie but did not remember the details. I did not know about the secret cemetery with 94 American soldiers executed for the crimes of rape and murder. That would be an interesting research project. History always paints a pretty picture of the American GI in WWII. It was not until Viet Nam did the illusion go away.

 

I found this web page that covers more on desertion and the punishments of different countries.
http://lachlan.bluehaze.com.au/desertion_executions.html
I must say I don't know how I would vote on the subject of killing deserters. I think I would do well on a battlefield but watching Das Boot I don't think I could handle being in a metal tube underwater being depthcharged. I love to fly so that would not be a problem for me either.

What is your opinion KP, would you kill deserters or just jail them ?

 

That´s a hard one, TA.

Ordering soldiers of your side to be shot ...not a very nice idea whatever the reason.

But in war things are different. But you cannot make too many changes to the rule or that´s gonna cause problems ( shoot someone, others get nothing ).

I think the first time I´d send them to the battalion for deserters used for the most dangerous work.the second time against the wall if escape during battle engagement. otherwise just back to the battalion. I think the Red Army and Germans used this method.

How about the US army?

 

Contrary to popular belief, it was the Hurricane, not the Spitfire that saved Britain during the dark days of 1940. The turn-around time (re-arm, refuel etc.) for the Spitfire was 26 minutes. That of the Hurricane, only 9 minutes from down to up again. During the Battle of Britain the time spent on the ground was crucial and as one fitter/mechanic of No. 145 Squadron quipped: "If we had nothing but Spits we would have lost the fight in 1940."

http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/1941.html

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Well, Maybe??

 

Pics are pretty effective in showing the effect

The 96th Squadron lost 6 planes on Mission 150
to Steyr, Austria

Check the site:

http://www.2ndbombgroup.org/96thSquadron.htm

 

18 Jul 1944 - VHF radios fitted in tanks are used for the first time to call for close air support from rocket equipped Typhoons in the on-going Battle of Caen.



http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/line1944.html

 

September 1944 Finland and the USSR made a peace pact. This led into the Lapland war when Finns according to the new pact "drove" Germans out of the country.

Several sailors on boats ( in German harbours ) and other Finnish workers in Germany were arrested by the SS as Finland pulled out of the war. Some 400 were sent to the concentration camps for not joining the Germans in the battle against the USSR.

Just saw a film of the latter incident in which the survivors told their story...

 

I just now got to read the story about the 96th squadron ! The drawing really shows the tactics the Germans used to attack from the rear and work their way up. Also shows how time is an enemy by the way the B-24's messed up the first attack by the B-17's. I read of an attack by the RAF on a German city during 100 mph head winds and by staying over the target city for an extra long time due to the head wind the Germans got to shot down alot of the bombers and kill most of the crews.
Thanks for posting that link KP.

 

Who says Generals never had any respect for architecture in WW2?

From Messenger´s Hitler´s Gladiator

" ..LXVII Corps had failed in its attempts to break through at Monschau, perhaps not helped by an order from Model which stated that artillery was not to fire on it because of its lattice-work houses, which were of architectural significance...."

 

Well thank God for some foresight on those few Generals.

http://www.spotlightgermany.com/articles/monschau.htm

 

And during the battle for Florence, Hitler ordered every bridge over the river to be blown-except the Pontevecchio (?). He perceived this mediaeval bridge to be too architecturally important to destroy-in actual fact, one of the other bridges was far more important!

 

Were they in fact blown?

 

All the rest were, but not the Pontevecchio.

 

Worrowski Battalion and Market Garden

http://www.defendingarnhem.com/worrowski_battalion.htm

 

This particular tank was lost on Sept. 20th at the crossroad Schafsberg - Prämienstraße at Münsterbusch, a suburb of Stolberg. After a firefight with advancing tanks of 3rd US Arm. Div. (which came from the direction of Büsbach) the Panther, call sign 101, was hit. All attempts of the crew to recover the tank failed therefore they blew up the tank and withdrew in the direction of Stolberg (eastern direction). The commander of this tank was OLt. Hugo Crisandt who also was the company commander of the 1st company Panzerabteilung 2105, which was part of Panzerbrigade 105. Three months later, Crisandt died in the Ardennes on Dec. 26th 1944 after a firefight with American forces near Humain.
This particular tank was lost on Sept. 20th at the crossroad Schafsberg - Prämienstraße at Münsterbusch, a suburb of Stolberg. After a firefight with advancing tanks of 3rd US Arm. Div. (which came from the direction of Büsbach) the Panther, call sign 101, was hit. All attempts of the crew to recover the tank failed therefore they blew up the tank and withdrew in the direction of Stolberg (eastern direction). The commander of this tank was OLt. Hugo Crisandt who also was the company commander of the 1st company Panzerabteilung 2105, which was part of Panzerbrigade 105. Three months later, Crisandt died in the Ardennes on Dec. 26th 1944 after a firefight with American forces near Humain.

 

Fritz Langanke , at the time of the Normandy campaign, 25-year-old was an officer cadet in the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich. It was during his efforts to bring his tanks out of the Roncey Pocket that he saw some of the most intense combat of his service. Langanke was interviewed for World War II Magazine by George J. Winter Sr.

http://historynet.com/wwii/blnormandy/

And some pics and discussion of Roncey pocket:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/47207/thread/1064916144/Roncey+Pocket+-+Pathe+film+to+keep+an+eye+out+for

 

CORPS ROUTE NETWORK DEVELOPMENT

Initial analysis has concentrated on the 21st Army Group operating in North West Europe between June 1944 (D-Day) and May 1945.

http://www.arrc.nato.int/journal/august02/crps_route.htm

The 21st Army Group's frontage (two corps wide) resulted in an initial plan for two Class 70 routes and five Class 40 routes.

...it was decided to reduce the main forward routes to one Class 70 and one Class 40. Even so, at the height of operations, in one 24-hour period 4990 vehicles (in alternating traffic flows) crossed the pontoon bridge at VENLO.

In all more than 50% of the total engineer effort at divisional level and above in 21st Army Group was directed to route maintenance.

Between June 1944 and May 1945:

· 1,445 Bailey bridges.
· 125 airfields constructed or repaired
1,260 miles graded road unsurfaced. (Compacted earth)
· 360 miles graded road surfaced. (Compacted earth sealed with bitumen)
· 260 miles repairs to cratered surfaced roads. (Draining, filling and sealing of craters)
· 140 miles repairs to cratered unsurfaced road. (Draining, filling and sealing of craters as required)
1,200 miles of pipeline, including 12 pipelines across the channel.

The provision of electrical pumping apparatus for draining large areas of the NETHERLANDS flooded during the retreat of German forces.

Hutting for winter quarters was required for 200,000 personnel with associated track way and hard standing. This included over 1,000 AA (air defence) camps and sites in the ANTWERP area. From December 1944 Nissan huts were produced (by civilian contractors) at the rate of 5,000 per month in order to provide accommodation along the LoC for 200,000 DPREs and PWs. In all 180 miles of 20 ft span hutting was erected.

And more ..check the site!

 

In "And If I Perish", Evelyn Monahan and Rosemary Neidel-Greenlee draw on never-before-published eyewitness acounts to tell the story of the U.S. Army Nurses who served in World War II.

Check the site for great pics!

http://www.randomhouse.com/knopf/authors/mon_neid/