Abbey at Monte Casino

Hi Erich,

hope you´re alive!

Thanks for sending it. It fits to the most of the places my Grandpa told me. In April or May 1944 he was ordered to build up the 2. Fallschirm-Artillerie Regiment2 at Brest. He also told me that they had the "Acht-Acht" too. It is fine to get some info´s extra!
That is a pic of his commanding General, he told me.

View attachment 13763

 

Ulrich read the second of the postings my PC ............ Rülps !

 

Ulrich what was his rank at Cassino, sounds then that he was transferred out before Cassino fell ? glad to help as always

Asisbiz Luftwaffe Units Fallschirm-Artillerie-Regiment 2

 

His rank was a "Stabsfeldwebel". I think it is a Master Sergeant compared to the US Army ranks.

 

The last link showed his way after the Brest desaster back to Germany and the end at the Ruhr-Pocket.

 

yes that makes sense. from another site : possibly the same AA 8.8cm in the unit which sounds like an Artilliere Abt/Flak Kombination ?

I think that Hauptmann Hans Blöthner and Fallschirm-Artillerie-Regiment 2 were in the Mauldre area (50 km west of PAris) between 20 and 24 August. They fought with their 88 against the 5th USAD. I search more details about their exact position (Orgeval, Beynes, Crespières). 5th USAD was between Saulx-Marchais and Beynes.
I also search more informations about Hauptmann Hans Blöthner.

note: Blöthner was in III Abteilung ?

 

Erich, my Grandpa was attached to the II. Abteilung til the end of the Brest Fortress. After that no reports survived to search for said the WASt.

 

ok my posting was to show that 88's may have filtered through all 3 Abteilungs. Ulrich when he made it back to Germany with the Artilliere unit destroyed at Brest was it re-made and then he served further within it or was he then back into a new re-formed Fallschirm unit. . . . ? trying to get my bearings on this for correct informations

 

I know that he went back to Amersfoort in the Netherlands to be reformed and rearmed. From there he went back to France. At during their way back to Germany he was captured by the Free French Forces but he could manage to escape against together with his best friend and found their way back to their unit. The en of war was at the Rhine river . He told me that they fought against US-Troops which where pinned down by them at the other side of the River. And he descriped a weird situation. He said that they met up together by boat (propably talking about surrender), changed cigarettes and talked about a lot of things during the day and at night they started again to kill each other,weird!

 

very interesting and it appears for now we come to a stalemate as to just which unit he was now in, was obviously a LW Fallschirm unit. Do you think he was still involved in an artillery unit ? Flak ?

 

Erich, i believe that the units had changed often their names close to the end of the war. I don´t think that he was attached to a Artillery unit during the last months of the war. He told me also of some bad close combat situations he had with using pistols and knifes against British paratroops. But where could he had met them?

 

was he at all close to Holland as the British were in the northern sector.... ? yes quite correct after Normandie Fallschirm units were completely annihilated and the existing cadre formed new ones with a host of feld-division and other componenets the same can be said of the 1st Fallsch. Division on their pull out from Cassino they had been given a heavy blow and the ranks had to be filled with new recruits

 

Great picture Ulrich. Interesting story of the cigs and boats by day and killings by night. The pickets in the Civil War used to trade bacon (Northern) for tobacco (Southern) and other stuff if they were remote enough from the line.

OT Side Bar Alert (But note comment on Fallschirm General please) At Stone Mountain, Georgia an Ohio Infantry Regiment was charging a hill (near the mountain in the Park), heavily defended by Johnston's troops (I think). The barricades and trenches are still partially remaining. The woods caught fire so they had to call a truce to save the wounded from burning. That is very good that they did that for their comrades. Yanks never took the hill but the Southern Army pulled out a few days later.

http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ga/county/crawford1/civilwar/Stonemountain.htm
This is another interesting story from that battle.

Stay cool.

 

Erich, the only time he mentioned the Netherlands was with the city of Amersfoort. I don´t know if he fought at the Netherlands and for the place he was captured at the end of the war it must´ve been by the troops of Gen. Omar Bradley But i don´t know if it was the 1st or the 3rd Division.

 

May I suggest an excellent book about the subject, explaining the importance of the abbay: Battle at Down by Rick Atkinson.

 

I'm enjoying this discussion.
My uncle was with the 36th, 141st and I'm sure it was hell on earth for him and everyone involved.

There are so many stories within this story. 2 amazing stories are the battles of the mountains by the Goumeires of the French troops and the 1st Special Sevice Force. I have read many books and many articles regarding them and each one is better than the other !!

BTW, The 1stSSF is having their reunion in Edmonton, Canada on Aug 10-13 2011. I would love to be there.

 

Steve, that is great to hear! Can you tell us some of your Uncles stories from that battle, please? Yes, Monte Cassino is a neverending and very interesting topic. I can hardly imagine how your Uncle has felt like, as he had seen the whole desaster of the River crossing and the other problems the 36th had to face.

 

Ulrich,

I wish I could but he was KIA on 12/12/1944. He was an original T-Patcher from 1940 and would of had some amazing stories.
He had a good run at life for 26 years. I just hope the book I'm writting about him gives him justice.

Best Regards

 

good for you Steve will be a great tribute to him and his comrades in arms...........

 

Thats a great way to honour him, Steve! Let me know if you are ready with the book. They were good men with the 36th but horrible guided by their commanders!