What is everyone reading?

I think you will have to log onto Jason's site after all as I cannot find his addy.......write him a pm unless you can access the directory and find his mail addy if it is listed at all ?

~E

 

No problem--ill try monday as the lib/ is scooting us out ze door.

See you then

 

Band of Brothers is a very nicely done book by Stephen E. Ambrose. It's a very good read. I must have read it about 3 times through now.

 

The Zulu War...David Clammer...cant talk, cant read the boards....cant put this one down..

 

I read Band of Brothers twice before the Mini Series was made.The TV version is so much better.
Has anyone read the Cage ? Ive just finished reading it, it's not about world war II but about an Englishman in Vietnam, cool book.

 

Really !!! That surprises me. Anyway thanks for the info Leo

 

Best book on someone's personal account of Vietnam that I've read was Brave Men, about Colonel David Hackworth U.S. Army (Ret.).

C. Evans--- I have a documentary I recorded off the History Channel called "Suicide Missions-Sniper." Major Koenigs' can be seen in documentary footage at the Sniper school in Berlin. Also, the duel between he and Zaitsev is discussed as well. Hard to believe any of this is fabricated, but will look for other info since you mmentioned it.

Lastly, Paulus had the rank of Field Marshal bestowed upon him by Hitler 2? days before surrendering at Stalingrad.

 

C- I just looked for info on koenigs on the web and was amazed at how much the subject is open to contestation. I also looked on the History channel's site and couldn't pin-point anything on the subject. I am positive I recorded the Suicide Missions-Sniper on the History Channel. (just watched it again this morning) I wonder if this material has been revised or not??? A part of me doesn't want to believe it since it is such a romantic story of WWII. Interesting though. Oh yeah, the Author of "One Shot, One Kill" is in the documentary telling the story of Zaitsev and Koenigs. Perhaps I can find where he gets his credentials for this.

 

The tale actually is that Königs was a SS sniper sent to Stalingrad and that he was the head of the SS sniper school. both items are bogus the biggest that any W-SS were in Stalingrad in the first place and the other is that the SS sniper school was not formed until after the battle at Stalingrad. Also in the records of killed Germans in action after the battle(s) there are no reports of a König or whomever the chap was suppose to be. This whole thing has been talked about on two earlier threads ......

~E

 

Its possible that this action was kept in high secrecy? Not to mention the amounts of records destroyed by the 6th Army prior to surrendering. Who knows!

 

Im going to have fun with this @$#%#^#&#@*^#^#^&#&#*#*@@@ (the sound of me rubbing my hands together)

Wilconqr---Stalingrad is my favorite battle to study about as well as the Eastern Front is my favorite area to study about.

Erich is correct in what he also said about the SS Sniper School and the so called "Major Konigs." I too have that documentary on tape--its pretty good for the most part but, do you realize what book they got their info from? They got it from Enemy At The Gates, which is less than truthful.

Yes--Zaitsev was at Stalingrad, but there never was a duel with any rival German Army Sniper. Oh and no Waffen SS personnel ever fought in Stalingrad.

If you have a copy of Senichs book on German Snipers--you might find the info on where the Germans had Sniper Schools set up at and when they were in operation. I do have the book but have not done more than look at the pictures in it because it wasnt the kind of book I had thought it was. Anyway, ill try to remember to look in it and see if there are a list of German Sniper Schools and a list of their Commanders. I doubt there is one in there, but ill try to remember to look.

Anyway, there was no Major Konigs who was a Sniper Instructor at that time, nor was there a Sniper School on Berlin. Now there was a Sniper School in Zossen--but there was no Konigs as a CO there either.

"One Shot One Kill" sounds like Carlos Hathcocks book. Carlos Hathcock was an American Sniper in the Vietnam War--fairly recently deceased--unfortunately.

I do have that episode of Suicide Missions on tape.

Now--providing that their is a slight shread of a chance that there was a Sniper Duel in Stalingrad, and considering the vast amounts of books, vet interviews and Documentaries on this subject. Why is is that The World At War series Narrated by Sir Lawrence Olivier "Stalingrad" episode--never mentioned anything about a Sniper duel? NOr has the excellent series: "Battleline" never mentioned anything about a sniper duel. Nor has "Battlefields" Doc series mentioned it.

The World At War series had many many people interviewed for each eposide--all who were there. Battleline--was a Doc series done in the 1950s and or earlt 1960s, and they specialized having soldiers from both sides in their own voices--in each episode. I also have all of Battlelines on tape. Anyway--this series was done early enough to be able to have interviews with almost any major participant and personality. Why was there never a mention of a duel their either?

And last but not least, there was a Doc series done by Walter Kronkite called: "The 20th Century" which was only on ww2, and this series I think is even older than battleline is, and he also had interviews with even more major personalities than they had in World At War and Battleliines combined. Though its been years since I last saw a "20th Century" I do remember the eposide that they had where they interviewed General von Choltitz, who was the German CO of Paris and who refused to destroy the city.

Anyway, my point is is that the duel is a fictional story that an author like Craig or whatever his name is, is trying to pass off as being true.

No offenses meant by my long ramblings. I just cant stand it when some author blatantly tries to change history to fit his own needs.

 

breezing through a new book given to me by Carl.......ospreys P-38 aces of the ETO/MTO.

A pretty good little book which has some nice coverage of the 20th, 55th and 479th fighter groups of the 8th AF, groups you would normally think of as P-51 outfits. Many colour profiles

thanks bud !

~E

 

Quite welcome--glad you liked it.

 

It is true that there were absolutely not even A man of the SS at Stalingrad. Not even one of VI Army's 350.000 men were SS. But there were some sniper duels in the city. There are always snipers in infantry divisions and it was normal in urban fighting to call a friendly sniper to kill the enemy sniper. But there was for sure no Major Koenigs... Just minor German snipers, who were surely chased by a dozen Russian snipers and killed like dogs...

 

And Generaloberst Paulus was promoted to Generalfeldmarschall by a telegram sent by Hitler on January 30th 1943, just fifteen days earlier he had been 'awarded' the Oakleaves to his Knight's Cross. But in February 1st Russian troops reached his headquarters and captured him. That very afternnon he signed a symbolic surrender of his no longer existent VI Army.

 

Erich--how do you like those books so far?

Also, hoping the new injuries are healing quickly

 

looks good from what I have seen so far. Relatives coming in today for four days so I am in a state of wandering. got an ice pack on the right side of my face......boy do I look dumb ! thanks for asking....

~E

 

What did you injure Erich. I hope it is not something you need.

I came across anouther good list of books while researching a question in the free fire Zone....... http://www.hallhistory.com/military/314.shtml

[ 26. April 2003, 03:16 AM: Message edited by: TA152 ]

 

My 3 latest are:

- Clash of Arms by Stephen Hart

- Roads to Falaise by Ken Tout

a non WWII book but still a good one

- The Red Baron by Peter Kilduff