Welcome to the WWII Forums! Log in or Sign up to interact with the community.

Heinrich Severloh The beast of Omaha

Discussion in 'Omaha Beach' started by Jim, Feb 14, 2012.

  1. George Patton

    George Patton Canadian Refugee

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2010
    Messages:
    3,226
    Likes Received:
    1,179
    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    Oh, I was unaware that the Germans were so kind as to permit a single munitions factory in France to remain sovereign French territory in 1943?

    Thanks. You learn something new every day.
     
  2. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,104
    Likes Received:
    2,576
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    Germany never captured France...Shooterike says so.
     
    RichTO90 and George Patton like this.
  3. shooterike

    shooterike Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2017
    Messages:
    131
    Likes Received:
    0
    Question 1. Answer: Hein Severloh is the man generally credited with being the "Beast" of Ohama. He was credited with that distinction circa 1970, in a book available in the US in English. I got interested in him because at the time and for years afterward, I was in occasional contact with ex Whermacht veterans and also interest in the weapons involved of which I have a through knowledge. From what I have learned by those experiences, I came to realize that a reasonably good circumstantial case can be made to conclude that the "Beast" of Omaha and Hein Severloh are one and the same. There is also a book available in Europe titled "WN62 Erinnerungen an Omaha Beach, Normande 6 JUNI 1944" on the subject. I do not have a copy of it, nor have I read it, so I can express no opinion of it. Perhaps someone out there has.
    Question 2. Answer: I was not there, I did not count any bodies, neither was/did anyone else taking part in this discussion, and can say as fact what total Severloh did or did not account for. What I can say for FACT is that German soldiers were trained to use the MG34/MG42 much as a rifle, to be aimed at 1 enemy soldier to KILL him. That due to the MG34/MG42 very high rates of fire (15 rps MG34, 25 rps MG42), German soldiers were trained to fire very short bursts of 5 shots per burst at 1 man to kill him and to move on very quickly to the next man and kill him in the exact same way. This process was to continue until no effective enemies remained. Due to their training of 5 shots per man and their belief that their system achieved a 90% plus probable kill ratio, the German practice was to count the ammunition expended, divide by 5 and then subtract 10%. As Severloh is said to fired just over 11,000 cartridges, we will divide 11,000 by 5 which equals 2,200, from which we will remove 10%. Which indicates that Severloh may have killed as many as 2,000 men. Did he really do it? I do not know for a FACT that he did. Nor do I or anyone else a party to this discussion, know for a FACT that he did not. We are simply discussing the possibilities.
    Question 3. No living man knows, as a FACT,exactly how many were killed and who did what. Refer to answer 2.
    Question 4. Answer: A debatable question for the ages. Probabilities and chance coupled with the uncertainties mint by the word "equal" leaves enormous space for meaningless entanglements.
     
  4. shooterike

    shooterike Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2017
    Messages:
    131
    Likes Received:
    0
    No! Shooterike said the Germans did not produce ammunition for captured weapons. You are forgetting that Vichy France controlled most of the country and had control of French colonies in North Africa and elsewhere. To maintain this control, Vichy France had its' own army, police forces, customs agents and so forth. Remember the facts before you criticize.
     
  5. shooterike

    shooterike Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2017
    Messages:
    131
    Likes Received:
    0
    Remember real history. Germany defeated France, then signed a peace treaty with it and began to normalize relations between the two countries. A new French government was set up at Vichy and retained control of most of the country and French overseas colonies. The Vichy government had its' own army, navy, police forces, customs and so forth. To retain its' control, it exercised its' rights to produce arms and ammunition. Check it out.
     
  6. George Patton

    George Patton Canadian Refugee

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2010
    Messages:
    3,226
    Likes Received:
    1,179
    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    What happened in November 1942? What is the headstamp date on those 8mm Lebel cartridges?

    .....And what of the photos of 11.25mm Norwegian Colt and 6.5mm Dutch ammo?
     
  7. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,104
    Likes Received:
    2,576
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    Thank you...I was unaware that 2/5ths(French controlled) is greater than 3/5ths(German controlled)...Your also forgetting that Vichy France ceased to exist in November, 1942.

    Remember the facts before you criticize.

    And occupied France...

    Oh yeah, that is right...Occupied France did not exist.
     
  8. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,104
    Likes Received:
    2,576
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    Those peace-loving Germans never occupied territory, took slave laborers, demanded tribute, confiscated supplies, etc.

    All countries willfully came over to the German cause, and were allowed to conduct themselves free of any German control.
     
  9. shooterike

    shooterike Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2017
    Messages:
    131
    Likes Received:
    0
    Each of those respective countries had new governments more friendly to German interests than their previous governments. As governments, they produced arms and ammunition for their armies, police forces and so forth.In other words, Hitler's supporters in those countries did exactly what Trump's supporters are trying to do today in Syria, Iran and North Korea,
     
  10. shooterike

    shooterike Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2017
    Messages:
    131
    Likes Received:
    0
    "History is written by those who have hanged heroes." William Wallace
     
  11. shooterike

    shooterike Member

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2017
    Messages:
    131
    Likes Received:
    0
    Of course "Occupied France" existed. Its size varied over time. Remember Churchhill's commandos. And de Gaul's "Free French". It exists today. It is just occupied by different people. Just about all land is occupied by someone. Except for the Antarctic. Too cold for anything but temporary visits.
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2017
  12. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,104
    Likes Received:
    2,576
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    Mmmm...Aircraft of the French Air Force in 1941.
    [​IMG]
     
    George Patton likes this.
  13. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,104
    Likes Received:
    2,576
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    Quoting from a Hollywood movie to prove your point?


    History is written by the literate...Whether they hung heroes or followed them...Won their wars or lost them. I would think that, as a self-proclaimed Southerner, you would realize how much "history" on the ACW has been written by Southerners. German lost not only WW1, but WW2, that has not prevented them from killing several forests on the "history" of it.
     
  14. CAC

    CAC Ace of Spades

    Joined:
    Dec 1, 2010
    Messages:
    10,083
    Likes Received:
    3,386
    Australia owns (and occupies) the largest parts of Antarctica...New Zealand owns some too...and 5 other countries.
     
  15. R Leonard

    R Leonard Member

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2003
    Messages:
    1,131
    Likes Received:
    782
    Location:
    The Old Dominion
    Exactly my point. Guess I'm a little obscure for our new friend.

    R
     
    RichTO90 likes this.
  16. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,104
    Likes Received:
    2,576
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    [​IMG]
     
    CAC likes this.
  17. RichTO90

    RichTO90 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2015
    Messages:
    2,645
    Likes Received:
    1,076
    Yep. Troll. Just as originally suspected. No attempt at answering questions. Instead, just bullshit heaped on bullshit. And a pretty sad one too.

    So much for you earning any respect. Instead, only the derision you deserve.
     
  18. Takao

    Takao Ace

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2010
    Messages:
    10,104
    Likes Received:
    2,576
    Location:
    Reading, PA
    Pretty much...All his "facts", so far, have been irrelevant or Alternative ones.
     
  19. R Leonard

    R Leonard Member

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2003
    Messages:
    1,131
    Likes Received:
    782
    Location:
    The Old Dominion
    at least he's stopped complaining of falsified reports . . . perhaps because he can find none or perhaps he realizes that some folks around here have a pretty good handle on WW2 era US reporting processes and his knowledge/exposure to same is equal to zip over 2π.

    I'll offer him another chance . . .

    shooterike - you claim the US Army casualty reports for Omaha Beach were falsified. You can either show us your true evidence of falsified reports from the units making the assault or I would suggest you peddle your fan-boy fantasies elsewhere.
     
  20. RichTO90

    RichTO90 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Aug 7, 2015
    Messages:
    2,645
    Likes Received:
    1,076
    Rich, I'm pretty sure he'll just say such things are unknowable or known only to God or no living man knows (does that mean dead men do know?) Or he wasn't there so it is unknown. Or some variation on his usual BS.
     

Share This Page