Cambrai 1944 - Page 2

Erich · #26 (**permalink**) November 8th, 2007, 04:01 PM

just to confirm Martin we are on the same wave-length in the English version of Tiekes book, it does show the positions of sorts of the 9th SS Flak correct ? Also what does he list the Kampfgruppe 9.SS made up of or does he ??

E ~

Martin Bull · #27 (**permalink**) November 8th, 2007, 05:11 PM

Kampfgruppe 'Hohenstaufen' was gathered together by Obersturmbannfuhrer Harzer, consisting of 3500 men from a small command and supply echelon, the Divisions-Begleit-Kompanie, remnants of SS-PzGr Regiments 19 and 20, SS-Pz AA 9, an Abteilung of SS-Pz Art Regiment 9 ( a motorized platoon ), a Kompanie of SS-Pz. Pi. Bt. 9, SS-Pz. Flak-Abt.9, units of the Nachrighten Abteilung, a combat platoon made up from the Bakery and Slaughter units (!), and some men from from supply and repair units......

Slipdigit · #28 (**permalink**) November 8th, 2007, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Bull

a combat platoon made up from the Bakery and Slaughter units (!), and some men from from supply and repair units......

Now those are some fightin' men!

Erich · #29 (**permalink**) November 8th, 2007, 05:29 PM

ah yes mit Brot und Wurst............excellent what a way to go

martin yes understand a hodge podge that was to grow slightly for the battles to come in Holland - a very spent and tired unit

Wessex Wyvern · #30 (**permalink**) November 8th, 2007, 09:33 PM

Thanks for the extra info, isn't this typical of WW2 coverage? We can find out the German units, who and where they were and what the had for breakfast but trying to pin-point an Allied unit to this degree is somewhat harder.
If I ever get to the Cambrai area again, it won't just be a Great War battlefield for me anymore.
Now if anyone has info on which French units were there in 1940 however.....

sommecourt · #31 (**permalink**) November 9th, 2007, 08:54 AM

Hi guys - nice thread! Good work Owen from what was a casual comment from me in a chat room!

It was certainly American units; I have seen several memorials on the Cambrai battlefield to them. Only small ones; have tried to find details of the one in Flesquieres, but there is nothing online. I will be there in 10 days time, so will check it out and report back.

Martin Bull · #32 (**permalink**) November 9th, 2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wessex Wyvern

isn't this typical of WW2 coverage? We can find out the German units, who and where they were and what the had for breakfast but trying to pin-point an Allied unit to this degree is somewhat harder.

Of course - that's because German units were 'cool' and Allied ones were 'boring'.....

You are absolutely right, WW - it's an interesting reflection on the historiography of WWII......

Slipdigit · #33 (**permalink**) November 9th, 2007, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Bull

Of course - that's because German units were 'cool' and Allied ones were 'boring'.....

You are absolutely right, WW - it's an interesting reflection on the historiography of WWII......

I hate it that I cannot find good internet info on the British Army. There are site after site of the minutiae of every German uniform made with thread counts and hem widths, but there is a dearth of information out there on the Tommy. Did the British Army even wear uniforms?

It's like that for the Soviet Union also, but I can understand that, what with the tightly held information in the years prior to 1992 or so.

sommecourt · #34 (**permalink**) November 25th, 2007, 08:33 PM

Ok, managed to get to the US memorial during the 90th commemoration of the 1917 Cambrai operations this weekend. Photo below. Does seem to be 2nd Armoured Division.

sommecourt · #35 (**permalink**) November 25th, 2007, 08:35 PM

This soldier doesn't seem to be buried in France, from the American Battle Monuments Commission site.

Slipdigit · #36 (**permalink**) November 25th, 2007, 09:20 PM

I finally got to talk to the man at my church who was in the 30thID. He said that they passed to the north of Cambrai and that for most of the drive across France, the 2nd Armored was to their immediate right (South). He said he remembered the 2nd Armored tanks getting involved in gun battle around the time the 30th crossed into Belguim. He thought it was at Cambrai, but he wasn't sure. He said he wasn't totally sure where was at the time, as they usually had driven off of their maps (in M-8s) about the time they got the maps.

He had fond memories of the 2nd Armored since they were in the same corps for most of the war and they were often paired together for operations. He said he usually knew about where that division was even if he didn't know where any others were.

Wessex Wyvern · #37 (**permalink**) November 25th, 2007, 09:32 PM

Cheers for that Paul, I checked ABMC too with no luck then saw your next post.
Thanks for taking time out of your tour for that photo.
Must take time out to Remember Great-Uncle Dave who would have been at Cambrai this time 90 years ago.

m kenny · #38 (**permalink**) December 31st, 2007, 12:01 AM

To put the claim of '40 tanks' in perspective the US 2nd Army lost 49 medium and 14 light tanks in the week 27th August to 2nd September.
40 in a day from one Unit is hardly credible.

sommecourt · #39 (**permalink**) December 31st, 2007, 03:38 PM

Was there much action during that period? Most British units were advancing with little or no casualties during that period. Could it be that 40 of those 63 tanks were KO'd in one day?