Whats your favourite research subject?

German Panzerwaffe of WWII!!!

Hey Timo!!

My favorite topic of research is the German Panzerwaffe of World War Two. I try to find all I can for information. I search the net, buy books, check libraries. One day I would like to visit Europe, to see some of the old battlefields where all of these battles I have read about happened.
I research all I can about the Panzerwaffe, the Panzers, the Panzer Divisions, the Tiger Battalions, battles, campaigns etc. I do have a specific interest in a few units though, but I do find anything about the Panzerwaffe interesting.
Some of my favorite units include, the 1stSS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte", sSSPzAbt 101 (501), sPzAbt 503, sPzAbt 506, Heavy Panzer Regiment Bake, 7th Panzer Division, 11th Panzer Division,Grossdeutschland Panzer Division...ah... who am I kidding...all of them are my favorites!!!

Jon Fitzgerald
Calgary,AB,Canada

 

Again, I'm a minority here, I collect and spend alot of time researching The Irish Regiment of Canada, what they did, where they were all things connected to the regiment, the reason for this is quite simple. I had an uncle who served and was killed with the IRC in '44, I was named after him and I guess I fell I owe it to him...don't know if that makes sence to any of you guys but thats the reason I jump everytime I hear something about them

 

My interest lies mainly in the pacific campaign and the many naval battles in that theater. I study ships battle histories in the war (mainly only US and Japanese) Read about the engagements. read about ships armour and guns and know there silowettes/classes/ names.
the battles i find most intersting are: Battle of Leyte Gulf, the battles around Guadalcanal, and the battle of the Philippines sea.
I get my information from various books i read...TV...and also from other people like on these forums! I like to go to a library and just parooz their ww2 section and sit down...hehe i even do it at my college when i should be studying
I also play strategy games and build models of the era.
The rest of my interests lie in the rest of ww2 generally...but with the war in North Africa and italy getting the least attention, third least attention would be the eastern front. Second to the pacific would be the war in europe and in the atlantic. and that's me

[ 30 October 2001: Message edited by: Ron ]

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Timo:
Hey guys,
I just wondered. What is your favourite (research)subject regarding WW2 armour, units, battles, etc.? And what do you do to gather knowledge?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I tend to wander from one topic to another; most recently I have begun a little detour into US Civil War history (first serious reading on the topic).

But over the past few years, and on-topic for WWII, I have kept coming back to Soviet history. This is an interesting time to learn more about CCCP and the war experience there because so much that was kept classified for so many years is finally coming to light. In the West, we have only had accounts of the German-Russian conflict from the German point of view which I think has tended to skew our perspective. Now that the long-silenced (or long-censored) Soviet experience is starting to come out, it's like all this stuff is brand-new.

I tend to prefer reading books written by scholars more serious than I. Online sources tend to be written by enthusiasts, rather than historians, which can be interesting but usually does not have the same depth or credibility.

Also, for the shooters and collectors out there, this is a great time to be interested in The Great Patriotic War. Old Soviet warehouses full of collectible WWII surplus are coming onto the market after years in storage. My (admittedly unlikely) dream purchases would be a Shturmovik and a T-34, but I will probably have to settle for a modest couple-few Mosin-Nagants.

 

Another 'verloren' thread.

My favourites ( some would say, obsessions ) :-

- Arnhem. This battle can be researched in almost every detail.
- Ardennes ( the Bulge ).
- Normandy ( the campaign, especially 'Falaise' )
- Battle of Britain, Bomber Command, 8th USAAF
- Infantry Small Arms
- Tanks.

I collect every important book on these subjects, and most of all, I am fascinated by 'walking the ground'.

How about some other recent recruits ?

 

G'day

My favourite subject's, well there are plenty but to name them in no particular order they are
Market Garden and the liberation of Holland
Secret weapons German and Allies but especially the V1 and V2 rockets
My BSA WM 20 motorcycle and anything related to WW2 motorcycling
Portable Infantryweapons( just started collecting)
The whole general (military) history from the dark ages upto now

Popski

 

[ 05 July 2002, 07:30 PM: Message edited by: General der Infanterie Friedrich H ]

 

My interest in WW2 comes from my father, who served with a Field Regt RA in Italy 1944-45. Several of my uncles were also WW2 men, and I grew up on their stories of it.

My main area of research is British Army units in WW2, and researching and visiting the following battlefields:

- Normandy (especillay Bocage country)
- Battle of the Bulge
- Ardennes 1940
- Arnhem

Like Martin, I very much enjoy walking the ground - you only have to look at my web site to see that.

Recently my great passion has been the Italian campaign, in preparation for a trip to those battlefields with a veteran friend next year.

I am in the process or starting a number of books reflecting my interests in these areas, which I aim to write over the next few years. Will keep you all posted, no doubt!

 

Where do I start....

I am basically interested in all aspects of the war in ETO/MTO.

I am researching the January 11 1944 airbattle in particular. Beside that I try to document as many veteran stories as I can.

I have a great interest in the Airwar (both sides) in general and small unit operations in western europe.

 

I'm going to admit my ignorance here Stevin. What happened on Jan 11 1944 in particlar.

 

General der Infanterie Friedrich H,

Do you really have to write: 'Sieg Heil! es lebe Deutschland' in your signature? I doubt this is a good idea.

 

Gen. Doolittle had just taken over command of the 8th USAAF and wanted to do things differently. January 11, 1944 was his first maximum effort mission to attack Aircraft Industry targets at Braunschweig, Halberstadt and Oschersleben. A sort of taste of what Big Week was going to be like. The Germans thought the USAAF were going to bomb Berlin and sent all available aircraft up. Because the weather was closing in on the airfields of the USAAF in England, the mission was recalled. Well, the fighter escorts took that to heart, but many bombers either missed the recall and some commanders decided to press on because they were so close to the target anyway. Result was 60 US Bombers were shot down and 5 fighters. German losses I still haven't been able to calculate with any certainty, but they had a field day. even the vulnurable twin engined nightfighters and zerstorers scored well.

On this day Col. Howard won his Medal Of Honor, the only MOH to be awarded in the ETO to a fighter pilot. Col. Howard attacked and downed a Bf110 and lost his squadron doing so. While trying to find them he found B17s of the 401st BG under attack of about 30 LW fighters. Without hestitation Howard attacked the Germans and in the ensuing fight downed 3 fighters. Doing so he manged to break up LW attack after attack on the bombers. Eyewitness accounts of B17 crews who saw it were, of course, full of awe.

About a year ago I got a manuscript of a 447th BG navigator about this raid. His plane was one of the 60 to be shot down. Using his manuscript as a primary source I started to research this day and found that it ranks with the Schweinfurt raids and several others of that magnitude. I think the first Berlin raid (march 6 1944) might have seen more bomers down but the ferocity of the LW attacks was certainly the same. At the same time; who has ever heard of the January 11, 1944 airbattle? So I found my 'baby'.....And I can tell you, this day has it, as they say, 'all'...

[ 10 October 2002, 01:31 AM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]

 

[ 05 July 2002, 07:29 PM: Message edited by: General der Infanterie Friedrich H ]

 

My area is gliders, particularly British Airlanding units. I had an uncle who was a glider artilleryman with 1st Airborne.

I also like the Italian campaign, but it's probably the least written about "major" campaign of WW2. Besides Monte Cassino and Anzio, most of it just wasn't sexy enough for people to bother writing about.

 

General der Infanterie Friedrich H,

You know very well that Sieg Heil refers to nazism and that its not 'okay' because its not Heil Hitler. The last we need here are people who are openly nazi creeps, so go screw yourself will you...

 

Oh...and I almost forgot my biggest research project; I am trying to compile a database with info on every (allied) soldier that was KIA and/or buried in The Netherlands. I would like to build a website with this info, as a dedication to these men and women.

I had a few pages on line, but my server is still being overhauled, so it will take some time before it is up again. Therefor I am research a lot of AIr force but also Army units, battles and of course, the people themselves....

 

Timo, while I agree with you, you must realise that it's hopeless to argue with fanatics. It does not matter which political wing they come from. You might as well try to convince "Yan" that the Soviet Union was not the greatest nation on earth as try to get FH to change his signature or his avatar.

 

This is very true; but I hope to redress the balance a little with the series of books about Italy I am working on, which will include 'less Sexy' areas like the Gothic Line and the Po battle.

 

Hallo Andreas,

I am not trying to change him as this is, like you say, useless. I simply want the moderator of this forum to stop allowing such signatures.

Regards,
Timo

 

Stevin, thank you for that. I do not know an awful lot about the air war, epesecally from the Allied side. Which is a pity really as i come from Norfolk and we had more US airfields than any where else in he UK, and we have a great source for resherch in the Libary in Norwich. If you ever get there, you should take a look. I'm sure you would find it fasinating and helpful.

[ 05 July 2002, 08:51 AM: Message edited by: Bish OBE ]