Lesser known facts...a history

LA GLEIZE KING TIGER

http://battlefieldsww2.50megs.com/la_gleize_king_tiger.htm

La Gleize was reached, but efforts to push beyond it were thwarted. Peiper then found himself in defence of the village over the next few days, before the remnants of his Kampfgruppe sneaked through the American lines and escaped. In the process they leave behind 135 vehicles in and around the area. In La Gleize alone they abandoned:

47 half-tracks (SPW)
7 Panzer IV
12 Panther G
1 Panther H
6 Tiger II (King Tigers)
6 Bisons (150mm Hows)
3 Puma
1 Flak half-track
2 half track vehicles
4 Russian 120mm mortars
1 Flakpanzer IV
1 Steyr truck
1 Schwimmwagen
1 Ketten-Krad
1 BWM Motor Bike
3 cars (Steyr 1500 A/01)
1 75 mm cannon
1 flak cannon
1 US Jeep (captured and used by the Germans)
1 Dodge (captured and used by the Germans)
1 Dodge ambulance (captured and used by the Germans)
1 truck (type unidentified)


In La Gleize one of the captured Tiger IIs was used as target practice by US troops once the village had been retaken. They fired bazooka after bazooka round at it - none penetrated!

 

Heads-on fighter pilot Lauri "Lapra" Nissinen



Lauri Vilhelm Nissinen was born in Joensuu on 31 July 1918. The sources tell very little about his background except that he was a good cross-country skier and that he had joined the Home Guard at the age of 13.

Nissinen did his compulsory military service in the Air Force, during which time he became attracted to flying as a career. Having served his service, he immediately applied for NCO pilot training in 1938. He was accepted and he completed the course very successfully.

Due to his good performance during training he was allowed to select the squadron he wanted. He selected HLeLv 24 with its Fokker D.XXI equipment, the only first line squadron of the FAF. Nissinen joined the squadron in May 1939 and during the training in summer '39 he proved to be a very promising young pilot and was promoted to Sergeant.

As the Winter War broke out, Sgt. Nissinen opened his score on the second day of the war as he shot down one SB-2 and damaged two others on 1 December 1939 at Viipuri.

As the war broke out again on 25 June 1941 officer-pilot Nissinen fought successfully. He was a very aggressive pilot and often he had more than a dozen hits in his BW upon returning from mission. The reason for this was mostly heads-on shooting, which the Soviet I-153 and I-16 pilots resorted to, being unable to escape the faster Brewster. For example on 7 July 1941 at Käkisalmi two enemy pilots in succession engaged him in heads-on shooting, the Finnish pilot winning in both cases. Nissinen was admonished by Capt. Karhunen, the flight commander who ordered him to keep to the "pendulum" tactics as trained to do. Nissinen admitted that heads-on shooting was a foolish thing to do, but he did not want to disengage if challenged by the enemy.

In 21 July 1941 he again shot down one I-153 in a heads-on battle, but the enemy bullets damaged his engine. With good luck he returned to base, where his ground crew found four hits in the engine, one in the prop and several more in the wings. On the 1st of August 1941 at Rautjärvi six BWs engaged eight I-16 bis fighters at 1600 m altitude. The enemy was taken by surprise. Nissinen attacked first, shooting at his victim at a range of 20 meters. The target exploded, its oil blinded the BW-363 windscreen and debris damaged the right wing, making Nissinen unable to continue the battle. But at the very moment three enemies opened fire at him from behind. His fighter took several hits and he had to disengage with a nose-dive. Enemy bullets had shattered the windscreen, so his view was better, but again he returned to base with luck only.

In May 1944 the FAF Squadron 32 (equipped with Curtiss A75s), based in Nurmoila, Olonez, was temporarily strengthened with a Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 flight commanded by Lt. Lauri "Lapra" Nissinen.

On the 16th of May Nissinen was on duty, sitting in the cockpit of MT-235, ready for immediate takeoff. His mechanic was dozing off on the wing of the fighter, the starter crank was inserted. Both men were waiting.

Suddenly there was an alert: a single La-5 was approaching Nurmoila base. The mechanic grabbed the starter crank and Nissinen closed the cockpit canopy. The fighter was rolling to takeoff less than three minutes later. As Nissinen took off, the word was passed around in the base: Lapra is going to take on the enemy! A dogfight above the base was to be expected: a most rare treat for everyone to watch.

As the lone Me-109 took off, the La-5 kept circling at 1500 m and allowed Nissinen climb to the same altitude before turning to attack. The personnel of the base gaped at the sky and watched how two experienced pilots fought. The two fighters circled each other, fired briefly when having a chance, but neither of the pilots made any errors.

The dogfight had been going on for 15 minutes as the La-5 pilot changed tactics and resorted to heads-on attack. This maneuver was much disliked by Finnish pilots because the combatants not only risked being hit by the projectiles of the opponent but also there is a fair chance of a mid-air collision. Nissinen, however, had scored several victories in this style while flying Brewsters. So he did not hesitate to approach the La-5 heads-on.

The two fighters approached each other at a speed of 300 meters per second. The pilots aimed at each other, then they came within shooting range, having a fraction of second to fire before they had to evade each other to avoid collision. The opponents swept past each other, fortunately having dodged to opposite directions. The La-5 banked for another firing pass, and the Messerschmitt did the same.

Another approach, firing and dodging - situation remained 0 - 0. The Soviet pilot banked his La-5 for the third pass, Nissinen also, however much he disliked the situation, but he could not retreat. Again the two opponents approached, fired and missed.

As the fighters passed each other, sunlight from a gap between the clouds fell on Nissinen's face. Instinctively he pulled the stick and steered his Messerschmitt toward the sun until the plane's stick began to feel light - a symptom of impending stall. Then he kicked the left rudder and a couple of seconds later his Bf 109 was diving from the sun toward the La-5.

The enemy pilot tilted his fighter left and right as if looking down to find his opponent. Nissinen approached from above and rear and took aim. The wings of the La-5 stuck out of the outer ring of the Revi sight as the Finnish pilot saw his enemy turn his head to look behind. At the same moment Nissinen pulled the trigger and saw the tracers sink in the front fuselage of the La-5.

The foe nose-dived, Nissinen turned to be able to see when the pilot would bail out. But there was just an explosion in the forest and a black smoke column began to rise in the Carelian sky.

the Soviet offensive started on 9 June 1944. Lt. Nissinen had scored two more victories on the 17th of June 1944 as two flights of Squadron 24 were sent to intercept Soviet ground attack planes attacking Finnish positions at Kaukjärvi. He was flying MT-229. The other flight, commanded by Lt. Sarjamo, engaged the escort fighters and Lt. Nissinen and his men concentrated on the Il-2s. There was a 100 m thick cloud cover under which the enemy ground attackers were flying. Suddenly Nissinen's wingman, Sgt. Heimo Lampi saw a crippled Messerschmitt dive through the cloud only about 30 m away at Nissinen, whose attention was concentrated on finding the enemy somewhere below. Lampi did not have any time to react before the falling fighter hit Nissinen's plane. Both planes exploded upon the impact and fell to the ground in one mess. Both pilots were instantly killed.

http://www.sci.fi/~fta/finace09.htm

 

http://www.vectorsite.net/avsword.html

On 11 April 1940, Swordfish operating off the carrier HMS FURIOUS launched a torpedo attack on two destroyers at harbor in Trondheim. The attack was ineffectual, but it was the first airborne torpedo attack of the war.

Two days later, on 13 April, a Swordfish launched by catapult off the HMS WARSPITE flew up Ofot Fjord, which led to Narvik, and spotted seven German destroyers for the WARSPITE's guns. All the destroyers were sunk or so badly damaged that they had to be scuttled. There were no casualties on the British side. The Swordfish in question also discovered a German submarine, the U-64, and sank it in a dive-bombing attack. It was the first U-boat sunk by an FAA aircraft in the war.

When France fell in July, the British took ruthless action to prevent French military assets from being used against them, striking at and demolishing the French fleet at dock in the harbor of Oran, in Algeria. Twelve Swordfish from the carrier HMS ARK ROYAL launched a torpedo attack on the battle cruiser DUNKERQUE, putting it out of action.

The next month, on 22 August, three Swordfish operating from land attacked Italian warships sitting in the port of Bomba Bay, in Libya, destroying two submarines, a submarine tender, and a destroyer. The attackers sank four ships with only three torpedoes, as the destroyer was not hit directly but went up when the tender exploded.

* The Swordfish had been equipped with ASV radar as early as October 1940, to help it hunt down German U-boats cruising on the surface. Two months later, on 21 December 1941, a Swordfish operating from Gibraltar was the first aircraft to sink a submarine at night. A year and a half later, on 23 May 1943, a Swordfish was the first aircraft to prove the effectiveness of rockets in antisubmarine warfare when one Stringbag sunk the U-752 off the coast of Ireland, even though the U-boat put up a strong defense with its quadruple 20-millimeter flak gun.

The Swordfish proved particularly effective in escorting the Murmansk convoys to Russia through frigid Arctic waters.

In August 1944, Swordfish IIs operating from the escort carriers VINDEX and STRIKER as part of the Murmansk convoy JW.59 took on a wolf pack of nine U-boats that were attempting to attack the convoy. One U-boat was sunk, another damaged; the defense was so energetic that none of the ships in the convoy was sunk. When the carriers escorted a return convoy back from Russia, no U-boats attempted to attack it.

Swordfish would be credited with the sinking of 12 U-boats in all.

The final Swordfish was delivered in August 1944. Fairey had built 692 and Blackburn 1,699, for a total of 2,391. The last operational squadron was disbanded on 21 May 1945, shortly after the fall of Germany, and the last training squadron was disbanded in the summer of 1946.





The Bismarck as photographed by one of 825 Squadron’s Swordfish, 24 May 1941.




Bismarck
by
Ivan Berryman
A Swordfish from HMS Ark Royal turns away steeply as torpedo hits Bismarck wrecking her steering gear.

http://www.homestead.com/WESHALLREMEMBER1/files/FAIRY_SWORDFISH.jpg

 

St. Nazaire



the huge Normandy dry dock at the French port of St. Nazaire (which had been built for the great French liner Normandie).

Sorry for the mixed-up story but I took data from 4-5 different articles.Hope though it makes some sense.


On March 28th, 1942 the British launched "Operation Chariot", a seaborne commando attack at the "Normandie" dock in the heavily defended harbour of St. Nazaire. By destroying the dock they would deprive the Germans of their only repair site on the Atlantic coast big enough for their battleship "Tirpitz", and thus discouraging the ship from leaving the North Sea.
There were others world-wide in Germany, Genoa and Singapore but none of operational value to the Germans. At 0128 hours a force of 621 commando soldiers in small wooden motor launches entered the harbour area, accompanied by the destroyer "Campbeltown" that was designated to ram the dock gate.

The planners themselves had doubts about the withdrawal phase. There were likely to be unknown and variable factors that could not be planned for but the risks were less than the potential rewards. However outside the planning circle there were those, notably the Naval C in C Plymouth, who thought the vessel would bounce off the gate. He held to his view even against the advice of the engineer who built it. He also thought that anyone within half a mile of the explosion would be killed.


The British raiders were lucky in passing undetected within 750 meters of German coast defenses around St Nazaire and by the time they were spotted, the Germans could not stop HMS Campbeltown from ramming the dock ( Campbeltown was disguised as a German MOWE class torpedo boat ).( Had the Germans spotted the British ten minutes earlier the raid would probably have ended as an utter failure.)
No enemy aircraft were encountered and although HMS Tynedale saw and attacked U-595 unsuccessfully, the U-boat's subsequent radio report did not contain anything significant. Some French fishing boats were also seen but they did not report the presence of the Force and, even as the ships approached the estuary entrance and were seen by a patrol craft, it had no radio and could not report the fact.

It was not all good fortune. The RAF was to carry out a bombing raid just prior to the sea attack, the intention of which, in part, was to divert the defenders' attentions to the sky and away from the surface. However, for political reasons, it was RAF policy only to bomb clearly identifiable targets in built up areas, and because the previously clear skies had given way to cloud the planes did not attack, even though they had arrived over the target. Consequently the defenders had been alerted and did not relax their guard after the planes had flown off.

The dock itself was empty when the attack took place and when the battle was over the Germans attempted to pull Campbeltown off the gates, without success. The delayed action fuses did not activate as they had been set and it was not until nearly noon on the 29th that an enormous explosion occurred which completely destroyed the gates. The water in the estuary washed Campbeltown into the dock along with debris of all kinds. For some reason the Germans, although having had plenty of time to search for and find the explosives failed to do so, and there were many of them either on or near the ship at the time. Estimates of German losses vary between 150 and 300 from the fight and the explosion. Some 48 hours later two more explosions from delayed action torpedoes fired from MTB74 at the entrance to the old dock caused considerable confusion if not panic among the remaining garrison. The Germans thought that bombs had been planted and the workers feared reprisals and attempted get out of the docks area and were fired upon.

Furthermore, the lack of a viable evacuation plan
- was a major flaw in the plan.

Another huge mistake, which was one of the great lessons learned from the raid, was that transporting troops into combat in thin-skinned vehicles is a bad idea.

Further casualties among Navy personnel occurred on the way home and the rate of attrition among them was to exceed 50%, being 105 men. Commando losses were 64. A total of 169 lost out of 621. In this operation 5 Victoria Crosses were won, with 80 other medals and 51 Mentions in Despatches. The operation was described by the Germans as 'a model example of a cleverly planned operation, superbly prepared down to the last detail, which was carried out well and boldly with a daredevil spirit', and they accorded the dead due respect at the burial ceremonies a few days later.

The dock and machinery was so badly damaged that it was not repaired until after the end of the war.


http://www.keough.net/category/us/1841762318.html

http://www.warships.net/royalnavy/rnbattles/ww2/stnazair.htm

http://www.combinedops.com/St%20Nazaire.htm

 

Some WW2 stories from the net:

I am now to relate another reason why I shouldn't be sitting here writing this, 50 years on!! One evening when we had come back in for a rest-another lot had relieved us- I picked up a strange object in a trench that was shaped like 'Funnel that could be used to pour liquid from one container-to another'..it had a 'double skin' and three magnets on the base. We assumed that this was some sort of base for a 'radio mast' and that the magnets would hold it in place.

My driver asked me to take our the inner skin and then he could use it to re-fuel our Tank a lot easier. This I did with a chisel and hammer,as I did so white powder came pouring out-which I assumed to be the 'innsulation'-bear in mind that I was sat by an open fire-that we had cooked on. The driver was more than pleased!

A few days later we were taken to see a selection of German Mines so that we would know what to look for,and on the shelf -YES ! there ' IT ' was looking down at us !! This conversation followed...........

"Oh Sergeant-that's not a mine on the top shelf-is it?" "Oh yes my son-that is the latest anti-tank mine-they creep up and clamp them on the side with the magnets on the base"

I went cold and looking at my driver-I thought that he was going to pass out!... So I said to the Sergeant,..."What was the white stuff inside then?" and he replied.."Oh that was the explosive!!!!" And then he said "Hang on-how do you know there is white stuff inside??"...so I told him what I had done ! It was then HIS turn to go white !!.I always remember his words to me.....

"You are telling me that you opened up an anti-tank mine with a hammer and chisel-tipped all the explosive out onto the ground alongside an open fire ????-my Son that is just not POSSIBLE-and live!!! I am sure that he relates that story to this day-if he 'made it back'!

It taught us all a lesson-...."If you don't know what it is -leave it alone !!!" and I did -I didn't want to 'push my luck'-again !




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'Natural functions' of the body during battle...(Well you don't say-"excuse me could you please stop shooting at me because I need to go the toilet??) Basically empty shell -cases were used for Urine-and then thrown out the top of the Tank-sometimes to the curses of Infantry Soldiers that happened to be passing by !

The 'other function'-was carried out in empty ammunition boxes-that conveniently had snap on air-tight lids-which didn't always work,and consequently the 'stench' could be with you for hours on end,especially that when in actual combat everything was 'closed down' and we had to operate by 'Periscopes'-there were fans to take away the 'cordite fumes'-but like every thing else -it didn't always work !!

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One particular night I found an infantry man's disused trench-and as we had been pulled back and relieved by another unit -for 24 hours -I thought that I would take the advantage of being able to stretch out full length in this trench-instead of being curled up in a ball in the Tank turret! I placed some hay in the bottom of the trench,found a sheet of 'galvanised iron '-put some turfs of grass on top -to keep the wind from blowing it off!-and got in there for a 'good night's sleep'.

The only way I could get in was to wriggle in on my back-there was no room to turn-looking up the galvanise sheet was almost touching my nose-it felt like a 'coffin'- and so I decided to get out and spend the night with the rest of my crew in the Tank as usual!

Next morning my driver -after breakfast-felt the need to 'take the shovel for a walk' and came back looking quite ashen ! ...He wouldn't tell me what was wrong but told me to go and look at the trench where I WAS going to sleep that night!. ..in the night a Tank had gone over that trench-and pushed the galvanised sheet -DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE TRENCH !! Even after all these years-I STILL feel sick when I recall it

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The day before he had received a 'Dear John' letter from his wife of only one year. Should you not know what that means-it was a letter that many guys had to say - - for various reasons - that their wife 'had found someone else'-quite a few were captivated by the 'charm' money and gifts from the thousands of 'GI Soldiers over here-I have to say that the Canadian Guys were no way like that and were perfect gentlemen where women were concerned-and new how to treat them! The GI's around here were always attempting to pester Dorrie but she never went anywhere without her dog !!! That reminds me I had a sort of 'Dear John' from my Grandmother to ask me if I 'knew that Dorrie was carrying on with a Airforce Pilot ??'.....

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One one of our recovery trips,we were loading up wounded and bodies of dead,when I heard the sound of tank tracks coming towards us-I new at once that it was a 'Tiger' tank one of the German's most feared-we didn't have the fire power on our tanks to stop them until months afterwards! So I started to hurry my lads up-leave the dead-load the wounded !!and as we did so they started to scream and shout for us to leave them alone-they were in horrific pain-(I will-THIS-time-spare you any description of their wounds!!!) ...but they were screaming when we arrived-and before we touched them-;;;so what the hell !!! as always-and as trained-we closed our ears to any pleas that came from their tormented bodies-including one guy that 'begged us for a bullet' !!!!!-and that wasn't the first time we had heard that cry !!!-and of course ignored it. I do know of two cases where casualties were ' knocked senseless '-to give them respite-if only tempory- from their unbearable suffering!!! Before we could finish loading - ,this 'Tiger' tank came towards us,and didn't stop-just went on by !!!! we couldn't believe that we hadn't been seen-on the grass verge!!! We started to virtually drag the wounded onto the stretchers-not being able to believe our luck ! Within minutes the tank returned and again ignored us and went on around the corner !

By this time we were panicking,trying to get the loaded vehicle out from the grass verge,but with all the extra weight we were having trouble to get back onto the road !

Finally we did and.........Yes!!!! the tank came back around the corner again-(it was as if he was playing -cat and mouse-with us! ) But this time he stopped and swung right across the front of us ! I recall-quite clearly-thinking well this is the end of the War for me-and wondered which prisoner of war camp I was going to be in-I'd heard some horrific stories of some of them-

We just stood there with our hands in the air-waiting for whatever,and then. The Commander of this massive German Tank leaned out of the top and making a gesture off cutting his throat with two fingers,said -in almost perfect English. "Zeese ist Tree times I ze you here-Four times I ze you-you are Kaput (Dead)...and drove off once again !! We could not believe our luck-needless to say -screaming wounded -or not we got the hell out of there-before there there WAS a "Four times" !!!


By
Cliff Billen




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http://www.wartime-memories.fsnet.co.uk/france.html

 

Famous Last Words

Churchill:
English Statesman and co-conspirator of the selling out of Eastern Europe at Yalta to Russia & Communism, together with fellow Freemasons Roosevelt and Stalin, who wrote in his autobiography: "I could have prevented the war!" (W.W.II) He said at his death bed:
"What a fool I have been!"

Nazi War Criminals (various-16 October 1946)
01:11 a.m. Joachim von Ribbentrop - "My last wish is that Germany realize its entity and that an understanding be reached between East and West. I wish peace to the world."
01:?? a.m. Field Marshal Keitel - "I call on God Almighty to have mercy on the German people. More than two million German soldiers went to their death for the fatherland before me. I follow now my sons--all for Germany."
01:36 a.m. Ernest Kaltenbrunner - "I have loved my German people and my fatherland with a warm heart. I have done my duty by the laws of my people and I am sorry this time my people were lead by men who were not soldiers and that crimes were committed of which I had no knowledge. Germany, good luck."
01:47 a.m. Alfred Rosenberg - "No." (when asked if he had any last words)
01:?? a.m. Hans Frank - "I am thankful for the kind treatment during my captivity and I ask God to accept me with mercy."
02:05 a.m. Wilhelm Frick - "Long live eternal Germany."
02:12 a.m. Julius Streicher - "Heil Hitler!" ("Ask the man his name.") "You know my name well. Julius Streicher! . . . Now it goes with God. . . . Purim Fest 1946! . . . The Bolsheviks will hang you one day! . . . I am with God. Adele, my dear wife."
02:20 a.m. Fritz Sauckel - "I am dying innocent. The sentence is wrong. God protect Germany and make Germany great again. Long live Germany! God protect my family!"
02:?? a.m. Alfred Jodl - "My greetings to you, my Germany."
02:38 a.m. Artur Seyss-Inquart - "I hope that this execution is the last act of tragedy of the Second World War and that the lesson taken from this world war will be that peace and understanding should exist between peoples. I believe in Germany."

Roosevelt, Franklin Delano (1882-1945)
"I have a terrific headache."

Trotsky, Leon (1879-1940)
"I feel this time they have succeeded. I do not want them to undress me. I want you to undress me."
Stalin seized control of the Soviet Union after Lenin died in 1924 and began a relentless effort to purge all possible rivals. Leon Trotsky, who had been Lenin's principal assistant, was Stalin's biggest threat. Fearing for his life, Trotsky left Russia in 1929, but was unable to convince any country to let him settle in exile. Eventually, Mexico agreed. During his absence, Trotsky was convicted of two accounts of treason by the Soviet courts and sentenced to death. As a result, Trotsky took great pains to secure his Mexican home. After a machine gun attack by the secret police in 1940, he built additional defensive pillboxes, constructed a fifteen foot high wall surrounding his house, and increased his staff of bodyguards. Later that summer, he became friends with a friend of a former employee, Frank Jackson. Unfortunately for Trotsky, Jackson was actually Ramon Mercader, a Spanish communist who had been sent by Stalin. One day, while Trotsky was meeting with Jackson in his home office, Jackson struck him in the back of the head with a mountaineer's ice ax. Trotsky ran screaming from the room and collapsed saying "I feel . . ." He was taken to the hospital where he spoke his final words to his wife while being prepared for surgery.

U.S. Presidents
George Washington "Tis well."
John Adams "Thomas Jefferson still surv . . . ."
James Madison "Nothing more than a change of mind, my dear."
James Monroe ?
John Q. Adams "I am composed." or "I am content."
Andrew Jackson "Oh, do not cry. Be good children, and we shall all meet in Heaven."
Martin Van Buren ?
William H. Harrison "I wish you to understand the true principles of government. I wish them carried out. I ask nothing more."
John Tyler "Doctor, I am going. . . . Perhaps it is best."
James Polk ?
Zachary Taylor 'I am about to die. I expect the summons very soon. I have tried to discharge my duties faithfully. I regret nothing, but I am sorry I am about to leave my friends."
Millard Fillmore ?
Franklin Pierce ?
James Buchanan "Whatever the result may be, I shall carry to my grave the consciousness that at least I meant well for my country."
Abraham Lincoln (Laughter)
Andrew Johnson ?
U.S. Grant "Water"
Rutherford Hayes "I know that I am going where Lucy is."
James Garfield "Swain, can't you stop this (pain)? Swain!"
Chester Arthur ?
Grover Cleveland "I have tried so hard to do right."
Benjamin Harrison ?
William McKinley "It's God's way. His will, not ours, be done."
Teddy Roosevelt ""Please put out the light."
William Taft ?
Warren Harding "That's good. . . . Read some more."
Calvin Coolidge ?
Herbert Hoover ?
Franklin Roosevelt "I have a terrific headache."
Harry Truman ?
Dwight Eisenhower "I've always loved my children. I've always loved my wife. I've always loved my grandchildren. I've always loved my country."
John Kennedy "That's very obvious."
Lyndon Johnson ?
Richard Nixon ?
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/6537/real-c.htm

About Stalin's death struggle, his daughter Swetlana Allilujewa, who in March 1953 was called to the dying dictator in his dacha in Kunzewo, stated: "Father died terribly and difficult. God gives the righteous an easy death."


http://users.belgacom.net/gc674645/grave/lastword.htm

 

Vyacheslav Molotov




Molotov joined the Bolsheviks in 1906 at the age of 16. In 1912, he and Joseph Stalin cofounded the Bolshevik newspaper Pravda (which means "Truth" in Russian). The paper was delivered to peasants in the country and Russian soldiers at the front-lines in World War One.

After the October Revolution, Molotov rapidly rose through party ranks, and positioned himself behind Stalin. When Lenin died and Stalin took control of the government, Molotov was named premier of the USSR in 1930.

In 1939, Molotov was also named Foreign Minister and negotiated a peace agreement with Germany. But to prepare for a possible war, the Soviet Union invaded Finland to add territory between Russia and Germany. The Red Army was met with resistance, including a new and simple weapon made from bottles filled with fuel and thrown like a grenade. They were soon nicknamed "Molotov Cocktails."

Initially, Stalin put Molotov in charge of the atomic bomb project, and Kurchatov answered to him during the war. However, after Germany surrendered, Stalin put Beria in charge of the project.

After Stalin's death, Molotov's hardline ideas were used against him when Krushchev called for a "peaceful coexistence" with the United States. Molotov was soon relieved of all duties and even kicked out of the Communist Party. He lived in obscurity until his death in 1986, two years before the death of his fellow revolutionary, Malenkov.

--------

In 1949 Molotov lost his post when Joseph Stalin appointed Andrei Vyshinsky as his Foreign Minister. After the death of Stalin in 1953 Vyshinsky was sacked and Molotov returned to his old job.

In June, 1956, Molotov joined the group that unsuccessfully tried to oust Nikita Khrushchev as the new leader of the Soviet Union. Khrushchev demoted him to the position of ambassador to Mongolia. He was later denounced as being involved in the arrest and execution of Lev Kamenev, Gregory Zinoviev, Nickolai Bukharin, Alexei Rykov and other leading Bolsheviks in the 1930s. In 1964 Molotov was expelled from the party. Vyacheslav Molotov died in Moscow on 8th November, 1986.

(3) Nikita Khrushchev, Khrushchev Remembers (1971)

Molotov took the name hammer just as Stalin had taken the name steel, and Stalin did indeed use Molotov to smash his opposition into submission and to pound his own power base into shape. On Stalin's behalf Molotov led the liquidation of the Mensheviks and then, with Voloshilov, went to Leningrad in 1926 to crush the Zinoviev opposition. In 1931 he was promoted to take the place of the deposed "rightest" Rykov as nominal Prime Minister (Chairman of the council of people's Commissars). in 1939 he surrendered the premiership to Stalin and become foreign minister when Maxim Litvinov's policy of collective security was abandoned in favour of Stalin's preparations to make a deal with Hitler. Molotov's first major act as foreign minister was to sign a nonaggression and friendship pact with the Nazi opposite number, Joachim von Ribbentrop.

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

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After the war, Molotov was key in bringing Eastern European governments under Soviet influence. He led rejection of the Marshall Plan (1947), proposing the Molotov Plan -- the Soviet-sponsored economic grouping known as the Council for Economic Mutual Assistance (1949).

Molotov, however, fell into disfavor and had to give up his position as foreign minister in 1949. After Stalin's death he regained it until his criticisms of Khrushchev resulted in his dismissal (June 1956). Molotov became minister of state control in November 1957 but lost all his posts in June when he was accused of having joined the anti-party group trying to depose Khrushchev. Sent to Mongolia as ambassador (1957-1960), subsequently serving as the Soviet delegate to the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna (1960-61), he was denounced at the 22nd Party Congress (1961), retired in 1962, and finally expelled from the Communist Party (1964) after engaging in more outspoken criticisms of Khrushchev. He died in Moscow in 1986 at age 96.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/kbank/profiles/molotov/





http://www.pbs.org/opb/citizenk/newweapon/molotov.html

 

Death of Stalin

On March 6, 1953, at 3:05am, the famous radio announcer, Yuri Levitan, broke the news to the people of the Soviet Union. “The Central Committee of the Communist party, the Council of Ministers and the Praesidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR announce with deep grief to the party and all workers that on March 5, at 9.50 pm, Josef Vissarionovich Stalin, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist party and Chairman of the Council of Ministers, died after a serious illness. The heart of the collaborator and follower of the genius of Lenin's work, the wise leader and teacher of the Communist party and of the Soviet people, stopped beating."

From March 6-8, his embalmed body lay in state in Moscow’s Hall of Columns. Millions of Muscovites- as well as many others who had made the pilgrimage to Moscow- came to pay tribute to the God Stalin. Due to the vastness and emotion of the crowd, hundreds of people were trampled to death.
---------
Edvard Radzinski: Stalin

Radzinsky, who made use of the testimony of some of Stalin’s guards, has an alternative explanation (staff testimony) . On the night of February 28-March 1, Beria, Khrushchev, Malenkov , and Bulganin joined Stalin at his dacha before leaving at 4am. Stalin then went to bed, never to leave his rooms again. Apparently the only staff present was Starostin and Tukov (duty officers on guard), Lozgachev (commandant’s assistant) and Butusova (maid).

Starostin stated: “At 19:00 [on March 1] the silence in Stalin's suite began to alarm us. We [Starostin and Tukov] were both afraid to go in without being called.” Eventually, Lozgachev went in and found Stalin on the floor.

Starostin, though, neglected to mention an astounding order that becomes essential to Radzinsky’s conspiracy theory. According to Tukov, “When the guests left, Stalin told the servants and the commandants, ‘I'm going to bed, I shan't be wanting you, you can go to bed too.’…Stalin had never given an order like that before.” For the first time in his life, the paranoid Stalin had supposedly ordered his security guards to stand down.

Lozgachev explains, “at 4am....we brought the guests' cars around. When the Boss saw his guests off, an 'attachment' always saw them off with him…The 'attachment' Khrustalev…saw the Boss, and the Boss said, 'Go to bed, all of you, I don't need anything. I'm going to bed myself. I shan't need you today.'…[In] all the time I worked there that was the only occasion when Stalin said 'go to bed'…So of course, we were very glad…and went off to bed without thinking twice.”

This Khrustalev, the only one to actually hear Stalin’s incredible order, is the key to Radzinsky’s theory. Lozgachev explained that Khrustalev was only at the dacha until 10am [on March 1] before being relieved by Starostin. This explains why Starostin did not mention the astonishing order- he only came on duty six hours after Khrustalev communicated it.

Lozgachev duly followed this order not to guard Stalin and slept until 10am. At midday, there was “no movement” in his quarters. “It began to seem strange. He usually got up between 11 and 12, but he was sometimes awake as early as 10.” The hours ticked by. He and Starostin became increasingly alarmed, but were too scared to enter Stalin’s quarters uninvited. “He would punish severely anyone who did.” At 10pm, the worried Lozgachev and Starostin argued over who should check on Stalin. Both were terrified, but eventually Lozgachev declared, “‘I'll go, if anything happens, guys, don't let me down.’ I had to go.”

Lozgachev found “the Boss lying on the floor…I was petrified. My hands and legs wouldn't obey me. He…couldn't speak…His pocket watch…[was] lying on the floor. When I picked the watch up the time it showed was 6:30, so 6:30 was when it must have happened to him.”

Lozgachev then called Starostin, who was also “dumbstruck”, and said, “'Go and ring them all up- without exception.'” These insiders then deliberately delayed their response. Lozgachev became nervous and decided to, “call Starostin and tell him to get them all up again. I said, ‘Otherwise he'll die, and it'll be curtains for you and me. Ring and tell them to come.’ Around 8am [on March 2] Khrushchev put in an appearance...Khrushchev said, 'The doctors will be here right away'…The doctors arrived between 8:30 and 9am.

By the time Stalin had layed on the ground for 13 hours in his own piss without anybody helping him ( everybody feared him...)

When the doctors arrived, they were totally terrified...they just stared at Stalin. They were shivering like us ( Lozgatsov ). They should have checked Him but they could only stand and stare. The dentist removed the false teeth but dropped them on the floor.He was as scared as well.Professor Lukomski said " We must take his shirt off and check the blood pressure!" I ripped th shirt off and they checked the pressure. Then they looked at us and asked who was there when Stalin had fallen? We thought that this was it, now they are going to put us in a car and thne it´s good bye! Luckily the doctors thought Stalin had a blood clot in his brains.




http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/17274/96848

 

About the Messerschmitt's emergency power settings

It's being said that the Finns removed the emergency power from the Me 109 G-2 in '43, because it stressed the engine too much. But did the G-6 have it? The 50:50 mixture of water and methanol injected to the engine for better power?

"Yes, there was the emergency power. But it wasn't to be used longer than 3-4 minutes. It improved power and altitude. But the Me had only one setting when opened. In addition to the cold start, of course. Väinö might know."

Looks like the Me's the gents flew didn't have injection, but full power was known as the emergency power. The throttle stick apparently had a step before full power setting, since one of the pilots told "you had to force the stick to get full power. In the same stick."

It was discussed how the Germans flew 50 hours with the Daimler Benz-engine, but the Finns flew 100 hours. So removing the injection improved the engine durability.

http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/WW2History-OuluVeteransEnglish.html

 

The Winter War Monument




The Winter War Monument will be a field clad with natural stones erected in the memory of every soldier died in the battles around Suomussalmi. Memorial stones will be set to all soldiers - Finnish and Soviets (Russian, Ukrainian and of other nationalities). For every dead soldier there will be erected a memorial stone. About 20 000 memorial stones will be set. Total area of the Memorial will be around 30 000 - 40 000 square meters.



Project realization time: 1.07.2002-30.06.2004

Total cost of the project: 324 752 Euro


http://heninen.net/raatteentie/hanke/english.htm

 

Interesting piece of info...

http://www.zigarrenseite.de/forcedlabour.htm

Forced Labour In German Cigar Industry during WW II.
There had been none.

The reason is that
the traditional way of cigar-making is the totally hand-made way one,
and that the Nazis did forbid the usage of machines in the industry in
the early 30s to protect the workers, and that law did last until the early
50s. Its such easy. The Führer himself, vegetarian, non-smoker, no
driving license, and mass-murderering without license,too, did forbid it:
Verboten!



Unknown German truck crew in a Ford V8
No.10 of an unkown unit enjoying a cigar,
early 1942 at the Russian front



German tank ace Oberfeldwebel (Sergeant) Herbert Elsner
enjoys his cigar on top of his "Panther"series "D" tank shortly
after the Kursk battle.

anyway, smoking is dangerous to your health!!!

 

During my research for the "Big week"

Major James H.Howard

The only UK-based pilot to earn a Medal Of Honor in WW2!

on January 11, 1944, Major James Howard was leading the 356th Fighter Squadron of the 354th Group on target-and-withdrawal support for the heavy bombers. High over the snowy landscape of Germany, he scanned the clear frigid air for the tiny dots that would materialize into either friend or foe.

The German fighters had thrown everything at them--the kitchen sink, the drain, and the related piping--dogging them all the way into the target, Halberstadt.

James Howard directed his men against the numerous enemy attacks and then engaged with his own flight. They dove into a swirling mass of planes and men. In his combat report, he related, "On the first encounter, which turned into a melee, my flight cut me out. When I regained the bomber altitude, I discovered I was alone. . . ."

Jim Howard noticed that one box of bombers was being hard pressed "by single- and twin-engined enemy aircraft." The German planes attacked individually, he noted, so he "spent approximately half an hour chasing and scaring away attacking enemy aircraft from 21,000 to 15,000 feet."

On returning to base, Howard didn't report anything unusual, claiming only two kills and two probables and two damaged, but the bomber crews would have nothing to do with it. Col. Harold W. Bowman of the 401st Bomb Group said, "The magnificent fight which you put up in the ensuing struggle was one which had elicited the praises and admiration of every one of the Fortress fliers who witnessed your actions."

The bomber crews wanted to confirm six kills, but Howard resisted. Major James H. Howard was recognized in another way. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor. He was the only Mustang pilot in Europe who was thus recognized. Major James Howard was promoted to Colonel and reassigned to Ninth Air Force HQ. After the war, he remained in the reserves and was promoted to brigadier general before he retired.

He became a successful businessman and retired to Florida. ( I truly liked this part... )



http://www.boxted-airfield.com/354th.htm


http://www.354th.com/missions_pt_2.htm

 

The Luftwaffe’s Flying Dutchmen

All the countries occupied by the Germans between 1939 and 1945 supplied the Luftwaffe with aircrew contingents, of greater or lesser importance and for the most part these were comprised of volunteers. In proportion to the size of their small nation, the Dutch were probably the most numerous. The following is the history of four such men.

Some fifty thousand Dutch volunteered for Service in either German military (Waffen-SS, Kriegsmarine) or para-military (NSKK, OT, RAD etc) units. Only a minute fraction of these volunteers chose aviation.

It is however accepted that about a dozen Dutchmen did serve as active aircrew. This is a large contingent for a western European nation.

It may be said that the citizens of the Netherlands possessed a ‘trump card’ faced with the racial policies of the national-socialists. They were viewed as a Germanic race and so could enrol without problems in units such as the Waffen-SS. The Luftwaffe authorities however, were for their part, more reserved and hardly willing to put their machines in the hands of foreigners. It was too easy for a candidate to desert in possession of a modern aircraft or to reach neutral countries or land behind enemy lines. This intransigent opinion was to be relaxed during the course of the war. The losses of German aviation provide evidence of how it became possible for Estonians Latvians, Russians, Norwegians, Danes, French, Belgians and others to enter the exclusive ranks of German aircrew. They are found in all units, fighter, night-harassment, bomber, etc. Despite understandable desertions at the war’s end, it is nonetheless clear that the greater part of these foreign volunteers died alongside their German colleagues before the final collapse of the IIIrd Reich.

Including biographies:

http://home.tiscali.be/ed.ragas/awshistory/daw/dutchluftwaffe.html

 

Generalleutnant Kurt von Tippelskirch on right climbing the stairs escorted the French delegation into the railway carriage at Compiegne for the ceremonial signing of the armistice ending the war with France in 1940.

 

SS-Unterscharführer Egon Christophersen

While serving as a squad leader with 7./SS-Pz.Gr.Rgt.24 "Danmark" on the Narva Front, Egon Christophersen became the first Danish volunteer to recieve the Knight´s Cross on 11 July 1944 for his heroic deeds on 12 June 1944. On that day a strong Soviet attack force overran outpost "Sunshine" held by members of 7./"Danamrk" on the far southeastern corner of the Narva Front, and began to besiege both the remnants of 7./"Danmark" and II.Btl./"Danmark". Acting upon his own initiative, SS-unterscharführer Egon Christophersen assembled all of the survivors of 7th Company that he could find in no man´s land and led them in a counterattack to regain the old company positions. In the course of fierce hand-to-hand combat with a powerful enemy force, Egon Christophersen and his men were able to recapture Outpost "Sunshine" and stabilize the front. Egon Christophersen was immediately awarded the Iron Cross, 1st Class by the battalion commander SS - Hauptsturmführer Hämel, and was nominated for the Knight´s Cross which he soon received. Only three Danes recieved the Knight´s Cross. The two other Danes were SS - Obersturmführer Soeren Kam and SS - Obersturmführer Johannes Helmers.

http://www.forces70.freeserve.co.uk/Waffen%20SS%20Text+Images/kcholders/Christophersen.htm

 

Unofficial Unit Markings

Some GD vehicles are seen with a windmill device painted on the side, a reference to a familiar landmark near Stonne in France where GD fought its first large scale battle in 1940. According to one source these windmill emblems appeared only on motorcycles, Sd Kfz 250 halftracks and troop carrying vehicles - and apparently only during maneuvers in early 1942.

This marking also reappears in 1944, known as the "uhu" or owl marking, and is believed to have been used only by the reconaissance battalion.

One reference (an article by a Mr. Kitamura's in Panzerblatt #6 (Armour Modelling magazine, issue 6) says that the reconnaissance battalion had their armoured cars carry this marking because of the commander's name (Usedom) and Hussar tradition (Usedom Husaren). The first letters of Usedom and Husaren are, of course "Uhu", which in German means "owl" - a creature associated with wisdom or intelligence.

The First (armoured) Battalion of the Panzerfüsilier Regiment was nicknamed the "Lion Battalion", after their commanding officer Horst Niemack continuously referred to them as "killer lions" in action. On 20 August 1944, he promulgated the following order:

I Battalion has fought extremely well in the battles of the past few days.
In recognition of its proud success, with the authorization of the division commander I decree that the battalion may apply the lion to its APCs as a special recognition marking. Niemack.

http://members.shaw.ca/grossdeutschland/gdvehicle.htm

--------

Tim Ripley and "Steel Storm"

Hausser was reportedly particularly impressed by the performance of the new MG 42 belt-fed machine gun ( In Kharkov battle )which was used in action by the waffen-SS for the first time by the Leibstandarte´s 1st Panzergrenadier Regiment 0n 4 February.Hundreds of dead Russians were later found piled in front of the waffen-SS position.

 

Ever thought of SS men doing this...




Das „Ostmuselmanische SS-Regiment“ dankt Allah und dem Führer

http://www.fdj.de/infoportal/index_dbz.html?dbz/III_1944_1945

 

How about an ex libris by Hitler? Or a calling card?








http://www.snyderstreasures.net/pages/stationery.htm#TRCC

other Hitler stuff or related as well:

http://www.snyderstreasures.net/pages/hitler.htm#bust

 

I don't went through the entire thread, but I found this rather interesting:

"Stalin's son, Jakov Dshugashvili, a 2nd Lieutenant in the artillery corps, was captured on May 16th, 1942 and interned in the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp where he was later shot while trying to escape. (Some sources say he committed suicide). In 1943, an attempt was made by the Germans to exchange Jakov for Field Marshal Paulus who was captured after the fall of Stalingrad. The request was refused by Stalin. Although he grieved for his son he is quoted as saying 'I will not exchange a private for a Field Marshal'. Over two million Soviet prisoners of war were liberated by the Red Army. All were to suffer at the hands of Stalin who maintained that Russia had no POWs, all were considered traitors to the Motherland for allowing themselves to be captured. "

From http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/facts.html

Cheers,

 

Sgt Donald Earest Kingaby joined No 266 Squadron in June 1940, but was not credited with any successes with them. He was posted to No 92 Squadron at the end of September, he destroyed four enemy aircraft before the end of the Battle. On the 27th of October he force landed his Spitfire I (R6721) near Leatherhead, Surrey. Between the end of the Battle and the 2nd of July 1942, he destroyed 12 Bf 109's and was described in the press a "The 109 specialist". He was awarded the D.F.M. on 6th of December 1940.
('This airman has displayed great courage and tenacity in his attacks against the enemy.
He has destroyed at least nine hostile aircraft, four of which he shot down in one day.')

A Bar to the D.F.M on the 29th of July 1941.

('This airman pilot has continued to prove himself a very able section leader who fights with coolness and courage. He has now destroyed at least 14 enemy aircraft and damaged others.')

He destroyed three more Bf 109's up to the 3rd of October 1941. He was then awarded a second Bar on the 11th of November 1941, he was the only man to receive two Bars to the D.F.M. during the war.

'This airman leads his section, and occasionally the Flight, with great skill and courage. He has participated in 36 operational sorties during which he has destroyed 17, probably destroyed six, and damaged a further seven enemy aircraft. F/Sgt Kingaby has at all times displayed the greatest determination and sound judgement, combined with a high standard of operational efficiency.'

Kingaby was awarded the D.S.O. on the 9th of March 1943, CdeG (Belgium) in October 1944, the D.F.C. (US) on the 15th of May 1945, and the A.F.C. on the 5th of June 1952. He attained the rank of Group Captain. His total score for the war was 22 ½ enemy aircraft.

http://www.the-battle-of-britain.co.uk/pilots/Ka-pilots.htm



Don Kingaby is the only pilot in the R.A.F. to have been awarded 3 D.F.M.s . During his first combat on 12th August, 1940 he severely damaged a Ju88 over the Isle of Wight and Robert Taylor captures the moment of break, with the Ju88 already smoking. Don Kingaby flew a further 450 operational sorties during World war II becoming one of the most experienced Spitfire pilots of the war.