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

__________________

American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

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!

__________________
Regards,

Gordon
http://www.freewebs.com/thehistoryvault/
http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/Historian/

Were they in fact blown?

__________________

American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

All the rest were, but not the Pontevecchio.

__________________
Regards,

Gordon
http://www.freewebs.com/thehistoryvault/
http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y20/Historian/

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...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/aug...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/

__________________

After the war Heinz Guderian compared French tanks with those available to German commanders in 1940.

The French tanks were better than ours in armour, guns and number, but inferior in speed, radio-communication and leadership. The concentration of all armoured forces at the decisive spot, the rapid exploitation of success, and the initiative of the officers of all degrees were the main reasons of our victory in 1940.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERguderian.htm

__________________

HIGHEST NIGHT PHOTO

The highest night photograph of the war was taken on April 18, 1944, over Osnabruck. The RAF Mosquito crew used a target indicator flash and took the picture from 36, 000 feet.

( The question you want to ask during an evening in the pub to show you know everything about WW2... )

http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/1944.html

__________________

The first airborne assault in WW2

Airborne assault on Sola Airfield, Norway 1940

http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=4828

__________________

Belgian fortifications May 1940

http://niehorster.orbat.com/021_belg...ts-part_01.htm

__________________

'The Shetland Bus', a Shetland based boat operation to and from Norway, that took place during the Second World War (1939 - 1945).

http://www.shetland-heritage.co.uk/shetlandbus/

__________________

SOE and the exploding rat

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/wwt...llery_05.shtml

__________________

The French Army

Fusil Mitrailleur 1924/29

Two triggers (?!) the front for single shots and the rear for automatic fire...Interesting!

__________________

Stanley Newcourt-Nowodworski Black propaganda

Paris 9-13 June 1940

Out of population of 2,7 million at least 2 million left the capital.

So now you know if the city seemed quite empty in pics June 1940...



"Hey! Where is everybody?"

__________________

From D Parker "To win the winter sky"

Rotation back stateside was only available after a tour of 200 combat hours of flying time. With a P-47 flying tactical missions it might take 100 missions , while only 40 as a long-range P51 escort with the 8th Air Force.

__________________

Luftwaffe suffered 2,262 pilots killed or missing from January through May of 1944 which is close to 100% of the front line air-crew strength of the day fighter force.

Over 32% of German aircraft losses in the first half of 1944 came from non-combat related causes. ( Pilots were ill-trained and could scarcely navigate their way back to base )