At the moment there is an auction of some nice pics on ebay that probably show the Sturmboot Lehrgang (assault boat training) of the Hochsee-Lehr-Kommando at Esbjerg (Danmark). This training unit had been transferred from Terneuzen (Holland) to Danmark in June/July 1943 : http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/PionierErsBat/PiErsBatLdgs.htm The pics can be found here: http://www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_odkw=&_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A3347&_osacat=15504&_from=R40&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR11.TRC1.A0.H0.XSturmboot.TRS0&_nkw=Sturmboot&_sacat=15504 This pic shows a Sturmboot that had been modified to operate in open water (a deck was added to a standard Stubo). Usually an mg mount was also added to the foredeck but not in this case. In the background is a schwere Sturmboot 42 (heavy assault boat): The Stubos could be launched from a Siebel Fähre (Siebel ferry) by means of a ramp : The last pic also shows a Pionierlandungsboot 41, I have better pics of this vessel from a previous auction (same unit). This well-known pic shows a similar Fähre that belonged to the Hochsee-Lehr-Kommando in Terneuzen. This week I finally managed to find its location, the pic was made in the Antwerp docks and not in Terneuzen. The warehouse in the background was/is used to store Calcium nitrate : The caption of the pic in Regenberger's booklet mentions a Japanese delegation but I doubt if this is correct. Most pics of general Oshima stem from a later date. edit: In the mean time I have learned that the ebay pics were not taken in Esbjerg but In Fredericia (Danmark), apparently members of the Hitlerjugend (youths in black uniforms) attended a Stubo course. source: http://forum.panzer-archiv.de/print.php?t=6789&start=15&sid=b9c6e3b6b94975a24c2413b6856e6751 Pionier-Landungs-Lehr- und Ersatz-Regiment Juni/Juli 1943 Vollaufstellung in Dänemark mit: Stab in Fredericia I.(PiLdgsLehruErs)Btl. in Fredericia II.(PiLdgsAusb)Btl. in Esbjerg III.(PiLdgsWerft)Btl. in Kolding IV. (PiLdgsLehruErs)Btl. in Belgrad 14.07.1944 umbenannt in LandungsPionierLehrundErsatzRegimentsstab Kommandeure 1943/1944 Oberstleutnant Schulz 1944/45 Oberst Behrisch Arjan
In the mean time I have found confirmation in Randolf Kugler's "Das Landungswesen in Deutschland seit 1900" that a delegation of Japanese officers was indeed present in Antwerp (10.7.1942). They attended a review of the landingcraft of the German Army, Navy and Airforce. For those interested in this subject I presented some more info on the Hochsee-Lehr-Kommando here (it's in Dutch and German) : http://www.stiwotforum.nl/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=15490 Arjan
Currently some nice pics of the Hochsee-Lehr-Kommando in Terneuzen on ebay : Artikel zum Verkauf von mdw-auction | eBay The give away to identify the unit in the pics is this photo, it doesn't show a Sturmboot wreck as the seller claims but rather the wreck of HMS Valentine which was sunk off Terneuzen in 1940 : The pic was probably made in 1943 because this is what HMS Valentine looked like in 1940 : The Lehr Kommando had Siebelfähren with ramps for launching and retrieving leichte Sturmboote (light assault boats). It also had some rare schwere Sturmboote (heavy assault boats) : The last pic shows a special version of a schwere Sturmboot (command or sanitary version). Arjan