Lesser known details of WW2 part four

Some interesting items here!!:

Cigarette case from Hitler to Skorzeny after Mussolini´s rescue etc.

http://www.museumofworldwarii.com/TourText/Area03_GermanMilitary.htm

 

sry wrong thread

 

French aircraft carrier Béarn

The Béarn was commissioned in 1927 and was the only aircraft carrier produced by France until after World War II.

During the German invasion of France, Béarn was dispatched to the United States to ferry new aircraft which had been ordered from that country, including Vought Vindicators and Grumman Wildcats. Neither aircraft reached its destination before the surrender of France in 1940, and the Béarn instead sought harbor in Martinique. She was one of a number of French ships that were effectively interned at Martinique, at United States insistence, to prevent their use by Germany.

After German occupation of Vichy France (Case Anton), Bearn was one of several French ships that re-joined the Allies. She was, however, too obsolete to participate in the naval operations of the Free French fleet. Instead, in 1943/44, she was converted to an aircraft transport, a valuable role to the Allied war effort.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_aircraft_carrier_B%C3%A9arn



http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNFR_3-50_m1922.htm

It also seems a new carrier named Joffre was 25% when France surrendered June 1940.

 

Sure this was discussed somewhere before but just did not find it so:

Giro gun sight ( Gyro?)

http://www.spitfirespares.com/SpitfireSpares.com/Pages/gunsites.html

Go half-way down the site page


Worked out the deflection for the pilot. Put the X on the target at any angle and you hit the target. Named also Ace maker because of the rapid increase of Aces after intoduction of this sight.

 

From Stanley Newcourt-Nowodworski
Black propaganda

In Dec 1938 Propaganda budget was

Germany 5 million £
Italy 1,5 million £
France 1 million £
Britain 50,000 £

 

Of the 182 Victoria Crosses awarded during the Second World War, only one was awarded to a foreigner, Anders Lassen.

Citation: On 8 April 1945 at Lake Comacchio, Italy, Major Lassen was ordered to take a patrol and raid the north shore of the lake, causing as many casualties and as much confusion as possible to give the impression of a major landing. In the face of overwhelming enemy numbers he fulfilled his mission, three positions being wiped out, and when he was mortally wounded he refused to be evacuated so that the withdrawal should not be impeded and his men's lives endangered.

He was killed in this action and awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously.

http://www.milhist.dk/soldiers/vc/vc.html

 

By Sept 1939 almost 3,5 million Volksempfänger 301 sets had been sold in Germany. Thus 70% of German households had a wireless set.

From "Black propaganda" book



Also known as Göbbels´ schnautze ( Göbbels´ snout )

 

The Russians demolished the Reich Chancellery after the war and used the stones to build blocks of flats in Moscow and a memorial in Berlin-Treptow.

From
Hitler Phenomenon by Henry Picker et al

 

German Armies:

Scarcity of brass resulted in making cartridges out of steel and then lacquering them to prevent rusting.Once the weapons using them got hot, jamming was frequent. Machine guns would have to change barrels after every belt of ammunition used!

Altner " Berlin dance of death"

 

Do you have a 'when' and 'where' to go with that Kai?

No.9

 

I´m afraid the text mentions only "later phase of war" but I´ll check if there´s any further details on this, No.9!

 

Many thanks Kai.

No.9

 

Checked on this and unfortunately no other details on the steel cartridges in the book.

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Fastest construction of a sea-going merchant vessel was Libertyship Robert G Peary : four days and 15 1/2 hours from keel laying to launch and was completed ( fitted out ) just three days later.

http://ahoy.tk-jk.net/macslog/WW2LibertyShips-TheBridge.html

 

Thank you Kai. Perhaps these munitions went to a reserve and subsiquently weren't issued - war ended? Else, perhaps logisitcs supplied no further than Berlin? Worth keeping in mind in case a remark comes up somewhere about poor quality ammo/jams etc, which this could explain.

No.9

 

Walther Model coldly ordered divisions like Grossdeutschland into situations, he knew would generate high casualties.He reasoned the elite divisions would be withdrawn, replenished and refitted somewhere in the rear, option not open to his front line units. This tendency was quickly noticed by the officers and men of GD and waffen-SS, which did not endear Model to them.

Hitler´s commander by S newton

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So as usually Hitler created more new formations and only the elite divisions were refitted, Model used this to his advantage...

 

Fairey Albacore

One Fairey Albacore claimed to have shot down a JU87 in combat at Kirkenes in 1941, although this does not come clear from this article from the Fleet Air Arm Archive. It is said to be the only kill performed by an Albacore ever. The JU87 was one of several returning to base in Kirkenes from a bomb raid at Murmansk and enganged in the combat against the Albacores almost by accident.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Albacore

 

Messerschmitt Me 209-II

Messerschmitt's designation Me 209 was actually used for two separate projects during World War II. The first Me 209 was a record-setting single-engined race plane for which little or no consideration was given to adaptation for combat. The second was the Me 209-II, a proposal for an enhanced version of the highly successful Messerschmitt Bf 109 which served as the Luftwaffe's primary fighter throughout World War II.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Messerschmitt_Me_209-II

The second incarnation of the Me 209 project came in 1943 when Willy Messerschmitt proposed a heavily modified version of his extremely successful but aging Me 109.

The Me 209 featured a new tail section, broad-track landing gear, a taller tail, and an annular radiator which gave the engine a superficial resemblance to a radial powerplant. As with the original 209 project, however, successive modifications undermined the original purpose of the plane, in this case to build a superior fighter as similar to the existing Me 109G as possible.

The program met a swift end when the Me 209 V5 prototype first flew in late 1944. It was 50 km/h (31 mph) slower than the already-available Fw 190D and offered no improvement in handling characteristics. After its disappointing show, the Me 209 project was cancelled and with it ended Messerschmitt's last attempt to build a high-performance piston engine fighter.

 

What about havildar-major Chhelu Ram of 4 Battalion 6 Rajputana rifles. won his VC in Tunisia

Subedar Richpal Ram also of 4/6th Rajputana Rifles. won his VC during the battle of Keren

Subedar Lalbahadur Thapa 1/2nd Gurkha Rifles won his VC in Tunisia.

 

Thanx for the info raj-rif! But weren´t they British at the time ??

 

Indain by birth and proud to be Indian but serving in the british Indian army.