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Prinz Eugen

Discussion in 'Surface and Air Forces' started by Erich, Jun 4, 2001.

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  1. Erich

    Erich Alte Hase

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    One more for tonight......

    A question / what books are avialble about the Kreuzer Prinz Eugen ?
    I have M.J. Whitley's book on the crusiers and that's about it. I have a good German friend that was forward observer on Samlaand island keeping in touch with the gunnery offizier's aboard the P. Eugen when it was bombing Russian positions in the spring of 45. I would love to get something for him to read and get his impressions.

    thanks all !

    E.
     
  2. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    Hey ask you friend if he knows anyone who served on the Tirpitz or the Bismarck. The only one I know from Bismarck is: Burkhard Frhr von Mullenheim-Rechburg--I desperately need more KM surface navy contacts.
     
  3. Erich

    Erich Alte Hase

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    Carl :

    Otto was first involved in the defense of Kiel on a 105mm flak battery. From here he was in a kriegsmarine land division and sent to the northpeastern coast during 43 ?, possibly.......I'll have to double check with him on many of these details. From here he served in Latvia/Lithuania and on the islands where he witnessed the shelling on two occassions by the Prinz Eugen. From here he and his men retreated back towards Ost Preussia and into the cauldron of Königsberg, got out of this towards Pillau, Danzig and Hela. Served in rear guard actions and was captured by the Russians twice and finally by the French. He will not talk about his experiences very much.

    E.
     
  4. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    Dear Erich: Thanks for this info but, that sucks that he does'nt want to talk about it, because this would make for an excellent book to read. However I do not blame him. The same thing goes for a friend of mines father-he just does not like to talk about it.

    My friendws father was a medic attached to a pioneer unit at Stalingrad. Just before the collapse, he and a group of men decided to make a break for it. Unfortunately, they were captured during their escape attempt. They were sent to a Siberian camp, where he watched many of his friends and comrads die in a 12 year period.

    My friend is trying to get her father interested enough to at least write his memories down but-so far-nada. He just had a heart attack earlier this year so maybeeee, he will decide to put his memories to paper. I bet he has enough memories to fill a few volumes.
     
  5. Erich

    Erich Alte Hase

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    Carl :

    Otto did write a book but there is only one to two chapters about the war. His early life and thereafter till 1985 living here in Grants Pass. I think he wanted to leave something fo his kids and grandchildren, but really no emphasis on the war. he lost a lot of freinds during the heavy Soviet shellings they had to endure. No on the other hand his brother which is a closer friend to me, served in the 1st Inf antry division and basically retreated through all the smae areas as Otto. The weird thing about it is Helmuth got on the last ship bound for Copenhagen and watched Otto's mixed unit blow the access bridges/roads to keep the Russians out as they sailed away. Otto was captured right on the docks by the Russians and any German vet with any significant rank was shot almost on the spot.

    E.
     
  6. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    Dear Erich, please give him my best regards will you?

    Russian Sukinsayas :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

    My apoligies to my friend, Vladimir, if you see this. Of course it isnt on you that this happened.

    [ 05 June 2001: Message edited by: C.Evans ]
     
  7. Erich

    Erich Alte Hase

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    Carl ....next time I see him i will. I'll also see if I can pin him down for a copy of his small book, to double check my story of him. I should actually sit down with his brother Helmuth and get his story as waffenmeister of his inf. regiment on the Ost Front. some crazy stories, like one that he and a sqad of men were bringing carts of 98K's. Mp 40's, their ammo and a multitude of Pazerfausts and Panzerschrecks with rockets to the front lines, when they were strafed by a Il-2. Helmuth said they were completely in the open and found it strange that the Russian pilot would even be concerned with trying to shoot up his little band. There were a few low growing shrubs the small group of 12 tried to hide behind, shooting their 98K's harmlessly at the Russian a/c, and Helmuth remembering being in one position where the cannon rounds ripped the ground up right between his spread legs. As he has told me several times, the Good Lord was with him, all the way through the conflict. Too many times in the rear he and his gruppe should of been killed outright due to the intense Russian shelling during the last 3 months of the war.............He served from Poland all the way through till the end. What a guy !

    E.
     
  8. C.Evans

    C.Evans Expert

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    Erich: Thanks. You know what, his story is similar to one that happened to my cousin when he was in vietnam.

    He was between two of hie buddies walking down the tarmac of some airport, when the VC, launched a mortar bomb attack. A round landed inbetween my cousins legs killing his two buddies but not leaving him with a scratch.
     
  9. Erich

    Erich Alte Hase

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    Yikes Carl ! Man you wonder what these guys do think after the many battles they hae fought.......why am I still alive and not them. Question regarding to the tradionsverband Carl. Do you have a contact person for these Kreuzer and battleships if I may ask. I know the chief gunnery offizier of the P. Eugen, Paul Schmalenbach died some years ago, but did release a book on the Eugen. I have his Op titel Profile Warship # 6 which is nice in it's brief form.......also talking with Otto Reichert, he did say that the Eugen blew H*** out of the soviet positions when he was forward artillery observer on several occassions.

    E.
     
  10. John Dudek

    John Dudek Member

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    Hello Erich. I recently heard that one of the propellers was removed from the capsized Prinz Eugen in the Pacific and returned to Germany for a memorial. There was some thought by some wealthy folk of the possibility of raising her, as she lies so close to the surface and returning her to Germany. What a treasure-trove,laden, time capsule she would be, if it were true! Have you found any further information as to S-Boats and their WW 2 operations? Best wishes, John Dudek.
     
  11. Martin Bull

    Martin Bull Acting Wg. Cdr

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    Back to 'Prinz Eugen' books - ( bit late I'm afraid )

    Sorry, Erich - there seem to be hardly any books published in English about this ship.
    There is one called 'Fiasco' by J D Potter (1970) which describes the 'Channel Dash' - this was recently reprinted to mark the 60th anniversary in February.
     
  12. Erich

    Erich Alte Hase

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    You are very correct Martin ! The Prinz has been lumped together with crusiers and only given slight coverage over the many years.
    www.prinzeugen.com is about the only good web-site for coverage. Just picked up Bridgehead Kurland by Franz Kurowski and it does give some details of the late 44 shelling of the island of Sworbe and Ösel Soviet batteries with the Admiral Scheer. A good friend of mine was serving in a Kriegsmarine land division and was forward observer during one of these off shore battery bombardments. Otto called in the co-ordinates to the Prinz and Wham ! the Soviet battery was erased..... :eek: Unfortunate that there is not much written on the last battles in the east-East Prussia areas/Baltic.

    E
     
  13. Martin Bull

    Martin Bull Acting Wg. Cdr

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    That's an interesting website, Erich - thanks.
    I never realised Prinz Eugen never sank anything ! The name of that ship was very well-known among the British public in the war years but almost forgotten since.

    Compare to, for instance, Tirpitz about which several very good books have been published here - I have four.

    Absolutely right about the Baltic area - I think you'll find most of the books are published in Germany. I recently checked out a large bookstore in Munich; plenty of books on that area, the German 'exodus', Wilhelm Gustloff, etc. That area probably needs an 'Antony Beevor' to get the English publishing ball rolling.
     
  14. Friedrich

    Friedrich Expert

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    Hallo!

    There is a book, "The swastika in the sea" by C.D. Becker, which if not about the Prinz Eugen a lot, it is mentioned a lot, when she compained the Bismarck, when she ran over the Channel, when she bombarded the Russians in the Baltic, when she crashed with the Leipzig and when she surrendered the Russians... I highly recommend this book.
     
  15. Erich

    Erich Alte Hase

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    Lieber Friedrich, do you by chance have a Publisher and an ISBN number to go by ?, and is the buch in Deutsch ?

    E
     
  16. Friedrich

    Friedrich Expert

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    Hallo, Erich!

    No, I have it in Spanish and it was printed in 1956. But it was a best seller and was published in 8 languages. First it was in German and then English. I could copy it and send it to you by the post service, but what is it worth auf Spanisch?
     
  17. Erich

    Erich Alte Hase

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    No Comprende Friedrich. It would be better in Deutsch or English if at all possible. Why are all the good books from the pre-60's ?, and many of them never re-printed or if they are, in lots of about 500 or less..... !

    E
     
  18. Jumbo_Wilson

    Jumbo_Wilson Member

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    Can anyone tell me what Austro-Hungarian stuff she carried. I know she was the Traditionschiffe for the old KuK Kriegsmarine but I can't find out how this was manifested except in the name.

    Any help?

    Jumbo
     
  19. Mahross

    Mahross Ace

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  20. KmPok

    KmPok Member

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    I know this is going to sound like a silly question, Mahross, but can anyone dive on these wrecks yet? or ar they still under military control.

    I only ask because I am a SCUBA Diver in my spare time, and I am always looking for unusual places to 'get wet'.
     

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