To Herr Oberst - weren't the werewolves some sort of undercover force used for causing disruption in allied occupied German towns and villages. The name sounds familiar can you expand on what their role was.
They were simply guerillas fighting behind the lines. Also known as partisans. Individuals usually ardent Nazis who were given about 1/2 the basic training of Heers infantry along with some basic training on how to blow things up. Many of them were 14, 15 and not fully aware that they would be shot if they surrendered.
They were simply guerillas fighting behind the lines. Also known as partisans. Individuals usually ardent Nazis who were given about 1/2 the basic training of Heers infantry along with some basic training on how to blow things up. Many of them were 14, 15 and not fully aware that they would be shot if they surrendered. Thanks for the input Herr Oberst, I am much obliged.
Who knows what the K-men were?(I do but I want to give others a chance to respond) Nope. Anyone else? Sounds very interesting thou.
K-men were German Frogmen weren't they? Midget subs and the like. There's a very moving 'talking head' video of a German Veteran at 'Explosion' in Gosport (Tower armouries) next to one of the 'subs' (for sub read Torpedo with a seat.) He released one against a Ship with the loss of all hands(can't remember details, may have been the only succesfull use?? dunno..). You could tell he hadn't had that many good nights sleep for the last 60 years because of that one day in his war.
Sprengboot Linse: A 19ft Launch, packed with explosives driven towards shipping then bailing out of the craft at 30knots at the last minute while 350 Kilos of charge explode into the target. Then picked up by another boat. A day in the life of the Kommando der Kleinkampfverbande. Thought this was interesting: http://www.atlantikwall-research-norway.de/article_Kommando%20der%20Kleinkampfverbande.html
A UK tv program recently restored a Biber to 'just about' functioning condition. There was a good veteran interview on that too. along the lines of, 'first we sent 8.... none came back.... then we sent 12.....none came back, then we sent another 8.....one came back' etc. etc. Anyone who climbed into one of those (or an x-craft) certainly qualify as 'special forces' to my mind. "It is the only working Second World War submarine in the world." http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/salvage_squad/machines/sub/index.html
Just been reading about the bridge at Nijmegen and it being destroyed by German Frogmen. Anyone have any info on them?
A UK tv program recently restored a Biber to 'just about' functioning condition. There was a good veteran interview on that too. along the lines of, 'first we sent 8.... none came back.... then we sent 12.....none came back, then we sent another 8.....one came back' etc. etc. Anyone who climbed into one of those (or an x-craft) certainly qualify as 'special forces' to my mind. "It is the only working Second World War submarine in the world." http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/S/salvage_squad/machines/sub/index.html I saw that one, it was fantastic once they had sealed the leaks!. You wouldn't get me in it although it worked fine. I think they were worried by the engine fumes.
This thread will be a discussion of The various military or combat Special Forces of the Wehrmacht and the SS. This will not include anything to do with Einsatzgruppen or the camps. It will deal with Luftgruppen KG-200, The Brandenburg Division, Units of the Kriegsmarine involving frogmen, mini subs and speedboats packed with explosives, The Abwehr, The Reichsicherheitshauptamt, SD operatives, The Wehrwolves and finally Gerbirgsjager and Fallschirmjager truppen. HELP! :icon_sadangel: Excusae my ignorance, but: Reichsicherheitshauptampt? Gerbirgsjager and Fallschirmjagertruppen?
HELP! :icon_sadangel: Hi Marina. Confusion at Germanology entirely acceptable. Reichsicherheitshauptampt - RSHA - Reich Security Office. Gerbirgsjager - Mountain Troops Fallschirmjager - Paratroops. Hope that helps. Cheers, Adam.
I was of the opinion that K-Men were involved in the attempts to destroy the bridge over the Rhine at Remagen, indeed it was one of many attempts to destroy it. didnt work though.
Reference to Frogmen activity after the bridge was taken here: http://www.worldwar.nl/recollections/royal_engineers.htm Having captured the bridge the next occurrence was a couple of Jerry frogmen floated down the river from the Reichswald with dirty great charges which they lifted to lodge them on the bottom of the far side of the "home pier". They didn't do much structural damage , but removed about 50 feet of decking for the full width of the carriageway, so the bridge was useless until we had put two ft D/S (Double/Single) Baileys side by side to reopen the bridge. (...) There's quite a bit more on there from: "Reminiscences of 2nd Lt. (later Major) Anthony Vivian 14th Field Squadron Royal Engineers" (How was Berlin?)
There is a good description of the operation to blow the railway bridgefrom the British point of view in my 43rd Div history.There's some refernece to German humour because for the next few days the Germans kept sending anything that floated tree trunks, haystacks etc etc towards the bridge which the British troops shot to peices. A DUKW patroled under the bridge after the attack with headlights on. I want to know a bit more about it from the German side. Here's what I know already,from 43rd Div history page 144. Under the bridge, the Waal, dirty brown and in shadow, flowed on. Anyone swimming down it in the darkness would be quite invisible. In the early hours of the morning, German "frogmen" entered the river from the east. They were sailors, who had been trained in Venice in long-distance swimming under water with special equipment. They wore tight-fitting rubber suits and breathing masks, their feet had large flappers attached to them, the only weapon that they carried was a sheath knife. they were complete even to waterproof wrist-watches. They swam down the Waal in the darkness towing two large torpede-like explosive charges which were destined to be fastened to the road bridge and the railway bridge. These were so designed that when they were placed in a vertical position the time mchanism came into action and after allowing the swimmers to get clear, they exploded. The frogmen had no difficulty in swimming under the wire boom which had been placed across the river, but the current gave them some trouble when they reached the bridges and they found theycould not fasten the charges in a vertical position. The charge fastened to the road bridge failed, although part of it exploded and caused some damage. The attack on the railway bridge, already in dubious condition, was more successful. A complete span collapsed in the middle and subsided into the river beyond repair. The swimmers, with every reason to be stasfied with the successs of their venture, now moved down with the current, intending to land in German positions around Ochten. they landed too early, however, and walked straight into the arms of 10 Troop of 43 Reconnaissance Regiment. Our men opened fire on them with Brens, one of the enemy surrendered at once,whilst the others took to the water and swam towards the far bank of the river, only to be rounded up by Dutch Resistance troops. Five more were captured by B Squadron further along the dyke bank. They were certainly brave men and were,perhaps, a little unfortunate in misjudging the distance to Ochten and their own troops. I'd still like to know more about the Frogmen, anyone know any more on them?
I'd still like to know more about the Frogmen, anyone know any more on them? German frogmen attacked the Orne River Bridges which took them fourteen hours to approach. The two groups destroyed all their targets delaying British supplies with a loss of only one man. The Antwerp lock gates were destroyed. As Owen mentioned there was another assault on the Arnhem River Bridges to prevent the movement of British Second Army's supplies at a loss of ten out of twelve men. The most common known mission was Remagen.
They were also used against the Nijmegen bridges after Market-Garden, and succeeded in blowing a hole in the rail bridge, but not the road bridge. Later, they were used against the Remagen Bridge. However, they got caught or killed. That bridge fell down from exhaustion.
In 112th (Wessex) Field Regiment History is a extract of an Isum regards the Nijmegen frogmen. Here are their ranks and names. Group 1 (Road bridge) Obermaat ORLOWSKI Mat Obgefr DYCK Mat Gefr GEBEL Mat Gefr HALWELKA Fldwbl SCHMIDT Masch Maat ORDOFF Steuermannsmaat KOHLRUSCH Mar Art Maat WEBER Group 2 (Raliway Bridge) Funkmaat BRETTSCHNEIDER Mar Art Obgefr OLLE Mat Obgefr JAGER Fernschrieber Obgefr WOLSCHEN Note:- These men were all Sailors their ranks vary from ordinary Seaman 1st Class (Mat Obgefr) to Teleprinter Operator - (Fernschrieber Obgefr.)
Great info Owen, Thanks Came back to the site and glad to see this thread. A while back I came across the son of an engineer at Remagen who generously offered some Wehrmacht war booty for sale. I didn't ask why he was getting rid of it, but he had pictures and lots of info on his Dad's unit which he understandably did not want to part with. Have you guys heard of any new books on German special forces?