German Training in Mid to Late War

1943. New Wehrmacht recruits being given their kit

As a German conscript in to a combat unit in the Wehrmacht in mid to late war, first your journey would have begun with the arrival of a notice to report to the nearest training and replacement battalion to wherever you lived.

You’d report to the Stammkompanie of the replacement unit in question- a reception company of sort intended to introduce you to military life. You’d turn in your Wehrpaß, a booklet you were given when you registered for the draft(you’d receive it back when you were discharged) and you’d be issued your uniform, ID disc, and Soldbuch. You’d spend about a week or two along with other called up recruits at the Stammkompanie camp.

After the acclimatization, during which you were taught the basics of military life, you’d be sent to an Ausbildungskompanie, a training company, of your replacement battalion. A year or two back, these units would probably have been separate entities sprawled across occupied Europe, in order to provide extra occupation troops in form of recruits being trained and the training cadres. By mid and late 1944, as the Germans were being pushed out of most of their occupied territories, many of those formations would be unified again as they were in 1940 and stationed in Germany proper.

Nevertheless, you’d receive your basic training in this company alongside your batch of recruits for about the next few months- a total of 14 weeks in total. This was training for infantrymen- more specialized branches like artillerymen would’ve received longer and different training.

Basic training was tough and vicious in entirely realistic ways: the day would start from sunrise and last well past sundown. You’d receive training with rifles, pistols, submachine guns, grenades and machine guns. Long marches with full gear and regular field exercises were hallmarks of training. Navigation, fieldcraft, and other important aspects of infantry warfare were heavily emphasized.

You and your fellow recruits hardened by rigorous training would then be sent back to the Marschkompanie, transfer company, of your replacement battalion, whereupon all of you, as a batch, would be issued to a division. Ideally, this division would be the one which the replacement battalion was specifically assigned to- but by 1944, it wasn’t unheard of for recruits from replacement units to be sent to other divisions receiving their replacements from the same district, depending on how needed replacements were in which division. You could’ve also been sent to a new division being formed in your area, if desired.

You and your comrades from training would arrive to their designated unit- most likely either at the frontline, or pulled back for rest and refit. There you’d be assigned to the division’s field replacement battalion. You’d spend a few more weeks there, receiving training from the veterans of the division, being acclimatized to the specific conditions of the front, and be imparted the particularly relevant methods and knowledge that the division had learned through experience. In the meanwhile you’d gather a bit of practical experience yourself, as the battalion was employed for guard, rear area protection and anti-partisan sweep duties.

Assuming nothing went wrong for you, like the battalion being pressed into the frontline on an emergency(or the rear area becoming the frontline on an emergency…), after a few weeks in the field replacement battalion you and your fellow recruits would be issued to the division’s frontline formations.

Between reporting for your draft and leaving the field replacement battalion for the frontline elements of your division, you’d have spent slightly more than four months.

In all likelihood, you’d be well received by your division. In a country with strong regional identities, all your comrades would be coming from the same region as you. If you were sent to the assigned frontline unit of your replacement battalion(which was the ideal circumstances, and it was tried to make that happen as much as possible) as opposed to being diverted to another unit in dire need of replacement, things would be even better: your old-timer comrades would have gone through the same training program in the same unit and same barracks. Your instructors, veterans from the division, would’ve been people your old-timer comrades personally knew. And of course, no unit would be unhappy to receive much-needed reinforcements.

The existence of regional recruitment districts, replacement formations assigned to specific field units, and the field replacement battalions made for a replacement system quite effective at ensuring unit cohesion and esprit de corps. You’d be serving alongside the same men you spent four months training alongside, and formed friendships with. This gave German formations quite strong esprit de corps down to the last day of the war.

 
Source :
https://www.quora.com/As-a-German-conscript-in-to-a-combat-unit-in-the-Wehrmacht-in-mid-1944-What-was-my-training-like-How-did-veteran-members-of-my-unit-see-me-How-much-time-in-between-training-and-being-thrown-in-to-an-active-combat
https://www.treasurebunker.com/forums/index.php?/topic/2864-high-quality-color-exceptional-bw-photographs-german-side/#comments

German Soldiers in Front of Brandenburg Gate

 

The Ost-West-Achse (East-West-Axis) in Berlin, site of a massive rally and military demonstration in celebration of Adolf Hitler’s 50th birthday, 20 April 1939. The display was intended in part as a warning to the Western powers. The parade, which lasted for more than four hours, included 12 companies of the Luftwaffe, 12 companies of the army, and 12 companies of the navy and units of the Schutzstaffel (SS). In total, 40,000 to 50,000 German troops took part. 162 warplanes flew over Berlin. The grandstand comprised 20,000 official guests, and the parade was watched by several hundred thousand spectators. Features of the parade were large long-range air-defence artillery guns, emphasis on motorized artillery and development of air-defence units. Joseph Goebbels declared in a broadcast address to the German people. The picture was taken by Hugo Jaeger.

Source :
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/hitler-jaeger-file/EgHmP3BzbacCzQ?hl=en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Hitler%27s_50th_birthday

Hitler's 50th Birthday Gifts

Some of Adolf Hitler's 50th birthday gifts - including flower vases emblazoned with swastikas and paintings - stored in a room at the New Reich Chancellery. The painting at left shows the figure of Helmuth von Moltke the Elder (1800-1891), a Prussian field marshal who is regarded as the creator of a new, more modern method of directing armies in the field. The picture was taken by Hugo Jaeger on 20 April 1939.

Source :
https://www.life.com/history/adolf-hitler-at-50-color-photos-from-a-despots-birthday-april-1939/

Reichsparteitag in Nürnberg

Party and military officials in the Reichsparteitag (Reichs Party Congress) in Nürnberg, November 1938. Nearest to the camera, from left to right: SS-Gruppenführer Paul Körner (Staatssekretär Preußischen Staatsministerium), NSKK-Obergruppenführer Dr.Ing. e.h. Karl-Wilhelm Ohnesorge (Reichspostminister), Großadmiral Erich Raeder (Oberbefehlshaber der Kriegsmarine), Dr.jur. h.c. Konrad Henlein (saluting, Gauleiter Sudetengau), Generalmajor der Luftwaffe Bruno Loerzer (Inspekteur der Jagdflieger), and SS-Obergruppenführer Dr. Philipp Bouhler (Chef der Kanzlei des Führers). The picture was taken by Hugo Jaeger.

Source :
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/hitler-jaeger-file/wAH6G5KafXPhKg?hl=en

March through Münich in Remembrance of the Beer Hall Putsch

Commemoration of Hitler's failed coup in 1923 (Münich Putsch or Beer Hall Putsch), which held in Münich on 9 November 1938. Front row: Dr. Friedrich Weber, Hermann Göring, Adolf Hitler, Ulrich Graf and Hermann Kriebel. Back row: Max Sasselmann, Dr. Walter Schultze, Alfred Rosenberg, Arno Schickdanz, Philipp Bouhler and Max Amann. Please note that these brown uniforms are not SA uniforms but Alte Kampfer (Blutorden holders). Ulrich Graf even wears an SS sleeve band! The picture was taken by Hugo Jaeger.

Source :
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/hitler-jaeger-file/9gGpSgMuLTw72w?hl=en

Hitler Arrived at Legion Condor Ceremony

Welcoming ceremony for the Legion Condor which was held in Lustgarten square, Berlin, June 6, 1939. Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht) had just arrived at the location of the ceremony and was immediately greeted by the Wehrmacht high officials. They are, from left to right: SS-Gruppenführer Karl Wolff (Chef der Hauptamt Persönlicher Stab Reichsführer-SS), Generaloberst Erhard Milch (Generalinspekteur der Luftwaffe als Vertreter des Oberbefehlshaber Göring), Generalmajor Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen (Befehlshaber der Legion Condor), Generalfeldmarschall Hermann Göring (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe), and General der Flieger Hugo Sperrle (Chef der Luftflotte 3). The driver next to Hitler is SS-Sturmbannführer Erich Kempka. The Condor Legion (German: Legion Condor) was a unit composed of military personnel[1] from the air force and army of Nazi Germany, which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The picture was taken by Hugo Jaeger.

Source ;
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/hitler-jaeger-file/8QHKQnn68ciWaQ?hl=en

German Generals in the Paris Parade 1940

Wehrmacht high ranking officers gathered at the victory parade of the German troops at the Place de la Concorde, Paris, which held on Friday, June 14, 1940. On that day the French capital fell to the Nazis, while 2,000,000 of its citizens had already fled. In preparation for the parade, the new authorities forbade local residents to approach the vicinity of the Place de la Concorde from 08:00 AM until the afternoon. Front row from left to right: Generalleutnant Hans von Salmuth (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe B), General der Artillerie Georg von Küchler (Oberbefehlshaber 18. Armee), Oberleutnant der Reserve Heinrich Graf von Lehndorff-Steinort (Adjutant Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe B), General der Kavallerie Georg Stumme (with his back to the camera, Kommandierender General XXXX. Panzerkorps), and Generaloberst Fedor von Bock (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe B). In the background were rows of parked luxury cars, which were most likely the special rides of the high-ranking German officers who attended the event. The three cars on the right are, in order from left to right: Opel Admiral, Opel Kapitän, and Horch 830 BL. This original color photo was taken by one of Hitler's personal photographers, Hugo Jaeger, who "toured" together with Heeresgruppe B in the invasion of the Low Countries (Netherlands Belgium Luxemburg) and France in the summer of 1940.

Source :
https://artsandculture.google.com/search?q=kuechler&hl=en

Bio of Stuka Ace Georg Dörffel (1914-1944)

Georg Dörffel (27 July 1914 – 26 May 1944) was a highly decorated Oberstleutnant in the Luftwaffe during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. He joined the military service in Infanterie-Regiment 22 (22nd infantry regiment) in 1933. In 1935 he transferred to the Luftwaffe holding the rank of Oberfähnrich (senior officer candidate). At first he served as an observer in a Kampfgeschwader (ground attack wing) before transferring as to the 5.(Schlacht)/Lehrgeschwader 2 (5.(S)/LG 2—5th ground attack squadron of the 2nd demonstration wing) flying the Henschel Hs 123 ground attack aircraft.

With this squadron as part of the II.(Schlacht)/LG 2 (2nd ground attack group of the 2nd demonstration wing) he flew as a Leutnant (Second Lieutenant) and pilot during the Invasion of Poland and Battle of France. The group was responsible of repelling a large enemy tank formation north of Cambrai on 17 May 1940 which threatened the flank of the German advance. Dörffel received the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class for this action on 21 May 1940.

Dörffel was shot down twice during the campaign in the west, the first time on 14 May 1940 near Tirlemont, Belgium and in June 1940 near Dunkirk. He was wounded on both occasions. In October 1940 he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 5.(S)/LG 2, which was re-designated 5./Schlachtgeschwader 1 (5th squadron of the 1st ground attack wing) in early 1942. In this role and position he flew in the Battle of Britain and from April 1941 in the Balkans Campaign.

With the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Dörffel was transferred to the Eastern Front, particularly in support of the central and southern sectors, providing air support to the German ground forces. Together with the squadron leader of the 2.(S)/LG 2, Oberleutnant Alfred Druschel, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 21 August 1941 after over 200 combat missions. He was shot down near Skvorin at the Don River on 1 July 1942. Dörffel flew his 600th combat mission on 16 August 1942. He was appointed acting Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of the I./SG 1 (1st group of the 1st ground attack wing) on 2 March 1943 followed by his official appointment as group leader on 11 June 1943.

Dörffel flew his 800th mission of the war in July 1943 followed by his 900th mission one month later. He was promoted to Major on 1 September 1943. In early October 1943 he flew 19 combat missions on one day against the attacking Red Army forces crossing the Dnieper River near Kiev. He flew his 1,000th combat mission of the war on 6 October 1943, claiming his 30th aerial victory on that flight. He was grounded one day later and transferred and appointed commander of the Schlachtfliegerschule (ground attack fliers school) at Prossnitz. In early May 1944 he took command of Schlachtgeschwader 4 (SG 4—4th ground attack wing) stationed in Italy as Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander).

Georg Dörffel was killed in action on 26 May 1944 north-west of Rome, Italy. Dörffel was forced to bail out of his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 F-8 (Werknummer—factory number—580 464) following an attack on a four-engined bomber formation. He probably struck his head on the tailplane; his parachute failed to open. He was buried in Pomezia, Italy, and posthumously promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel).

Source :
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?yearfrom=&yearto=&query=D%C3%B6rffel#
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_D%C3%B6rffel
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2412079#p2412079
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/29083/D%C3%B6rffel-Georg.htm

Rommel Visiting the Sollum Front

 

Together with his staff officers, on 2 July 1941 General der Panzertruppe Erwin Rommel (left, Kommandierender General Deutsches Afrikakorps) made a visit to the headquarters of I.Bataillon / Schützen-Regiment 104 / 15.Panzer-Division in the Sollum front, which is on the border Libya-Egypt. During this visit, in particular "Der Wüstenfuchs" (The Desert Fox) congratulated the commander of the battalion, Hauptmann der Reserve Wilhelm Bech (walking at the forefront with Rommel), who in the battle a month earlier managed to withstand the British tank forces who were trying to break through the Halfaya Pass in order to free their comrades who were besieged in Tobruk, in a mass attack codenamed Operation Battleaxe (15-17 June 1941). For three full days Bach and his men endured wave after wave of enemy tank attacks, with only a platoon of Flak 88 cannons as their main weapon. Although Rommel himself had ordered the Bataillonskommandeur to retreat to a more adequate defensive location "if possible", Bach interpreted his commander's last words in the opposite direction: a counterattack that succeeded in repelling the British troops! For this phenomenal achievement, Bach - who is a former priest (!) - was awarded the prestigious Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on July 9, 1941, just a week after this photo was taken. The Flak 88 itself was originally an anti-aircraft gun, but it can be just as good when it comes to hitting tank targets on the ground. BTW, in April 1941 - which was only one month after Rommel arrived in North Africa - German forces managed to defeat the invading British army and driven it out of Libya, except for one stubborn ANZAC garrison which remained in the port city of Tobruk (despite being besieged by a combined force of Italian and German Afrikakorps). Over the next year, the re-capture of Tobruk became Rommel's biggest obsession, because without it all German efforts to conquer Egypt would be vulnerable. When the port city was finally occupied in June 1942, a grateful Hitler rewarded Rommel with an extraordinary promotion to Generalfeldmarschall.

Source :
https://www.bridgemanimages.com/en/search?filter_group=all&filter_region=GBR&filter_text=Erwin%20Rommel

Spanish Tank Troops during Parade

A Russian T-26 with a machine gun installed in the turret.

Tank troops of the Spanish army during a parade in the ruins of Madrid, 1939-1940. Soviet-made T-26, German Panzer.I and Italian L-3/33 tanks were demonstrated at the parade, passing the Carretera de La Coruña, Moncloa. The Pz.I and L-3/33 tanks were handed over to the Spanish nationalists (Francos) during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), while Soviet-made tanks were captured in battles with the Republicans. The picture was made by German photographer Otto Wunderlich.

The same previous tank with another on its side. In the background the Clinic.

Photograph similar to the previous ones.

A T-26 passes in front of the ruins of the Pérez Galdos school, in the background the buildings of the Plaza de la Mopncloa can be distinguished.

Source :
https://477768.livejournal.com/6484593.html?utm_source=3userpost
http://florentinoareneros.blogspot.com/2017/03/wunderlich-acorazados.html

Bio of SA-Obergruppenführer Hanns Ludin (1905-1947)

Hanns Elard Ludin (10 June 1905, in Freiburg – 9 December 1947, in Bratislava) was a German diplomat and SA-Obergruppenführer. Born in Freiburg to Friedrich and Johanna Ludin, Ludin began his Nazi affiliation in 1930 by joining the party, and was arrested for his political activities the same year. Imprisoned until 1931, he joined the SA on his release.

Ludin was lucky to survive the "Night of the Long Knives" in 1934 when Hitler purged much of the left-wing of the Nazi party. Ludin restored his reputation by joining the Foreign Office and became Ambassador to the Slovak Republic in 1941, replacing Manfred von Killinger. Ludin's activities included convincing the Slovak government to comply with deportations for slave labor and providing diplomatic cover to such activities. In 1943, he was promoted to SA-Obergruppenführer.

Ludin was arrested after the war and extradited to Czechoslovakia, where he was tried with SS-Obergruppenführer Hermann Höfle (not to be confused with SS-Sturmbannführer Hermann Julius Höfle). He was sentenced to death and was hanged on 9 December 1947.

Married to Erla von Jordan (1905 – 1997), Ludin had six children: Erika (1933 – 1997), Barbara (born 1935), Ellen (born 1937), Tilman (1939 – 1999), Malte (born 1942) and Andrea (born 1943). Hanns Ludin's youngest son, Malte Ludin, filmed a documentary about the impact of his father's involvement in the Third Reich on his family. The film, 2 oder 3 Dinge, die ich von ihm weiß, had its initial release in 2005. The movie's commercial run in New York City began on 24 January 2007 at the Film Forum.

Source ;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanns_Ludin
https://twitter.com/eugenij38848533/status/1071794893641650176?lang=en

HQ of Panzer-Abteilung z.b.V. 40 in Denmark

Panzerkampfwagen I Ausf. Bs of 1.Kompanie / Panzer-Abteilung z.b.V. 40 at the entrance of the Jørgensens Hotel in Horsens, Denmark, which housed the headquarters of the battalion, April 1940. The hotel is located at Søndergade Street no. 17.

Panzer-Abteilung zur besonderen Verwendung 40 (Panzer-Abteilung z.b.V. 40), translating as "panzer unit for special purpose utilization", was formed on March 8, 1940 for the German invasion of Norway and of Denmark. The unit consisted mostly of Panzer I and Panzer II light tanks. It took part in the invasion of Denmark on 9 April and then was transported to Norway in April 1940.

The unit consisted of an HQ section and three companies, one taken from 3rd, 4th and 5th Panzer Divisions, each with three platoons as the fourth platoon remained with the original division in each case. On April 9, 1940 the unit complement included 69 tanks (42 Panzer I, 21 Panzer II and 6 Panzer I Befehlswagen command tanks.) Most of Panzer I tanks were Ausf A while the Panzer II tanks were primarily the Ausf c variant.

With the invasions on April 9, 1940, the First and Second companies were sent to Denmark while the Third company was sent to Norway aboard the transport ships Urundi and Antaris H.[1] On April 10, 1940 Antaris H was sunk by the Royal Navy submarine HMS Sunfish with the loss of 15 tanks and crew. Only two tanks, a Panzer I and II, arrived in Norway. German forces in Norway were reinforced by the First and Second companies, who embarked on 20 April and arrived on 24 April.

Source :
https://477768.livejournal.com/5996713.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzer-Abteilung_40
https://www.reddit.com/r/wwiipics/comments/k5lpr8/panzer_i_ausf_bs_of_panzerabteilung_40_at_the/
https://waralbum.ru/357345/

Sd.Kfz.251 of 3. Panzer-Division Passing the Cathedral in Mglin

 

An original color photograph. Sd.Kfz.251 Ausf.A halftrack from 1.Batterie / I.Abteilung / Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 75 / 3. Panzer-Division passing the Dormition Cathedral in Mglin, Bryansk Region, August 1941. In the Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, which began on 22 June 1941, the 3. Panzer-Division were part of Panzergruppe 2 "Guderian". Initially it was engaged in the central sector of the advance but was then redirected south to participate in the Battle of Kiev. From there it participated in the Battle of Moscow, advancing towards Tula. With the Soviet counterattacks in the winter of 1941–42 the division acted as a stand-by emergency force and, in March 1942, participated in the defense of Kharkov.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Panzer_Division_(Wehrmacht)
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=290564653271517&set=gm.2603839409748599
https://pixpast.com/index.php?catalog=12275&ctypes=photo

Three German Generals in Ukraine 1941

From left to right: Generalleutnant Max Pfeffer (Kommandeur 297. Infanterie-Division), General der Infanterie Friedrich "Fritz" Koch (Kommandierender General XXXXIV. Armeekorps), and Generalmajor Siegmund Freiherr von Schleinitz (Kommandeur 9. Infanterie-Division). The picture was taken in June 1941 during Unternehmen Barbarossa (German invasion of Soviet Union). The location is in Krystynopol, Ukraine.

Source :
https://www.historiaregionu.org/1941-tomaszow-jarcz-krysty

Color Album of Kampfgeschwader 2 (KG 2)

 

Geschwaderkommodore Walter Bradel

With a starting price of 8,500 euros, the photo album offered at the link below was compiled by a veteran of 9.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Kampfgeschwader 2 (KG 2) and according to the seller contains some 42 wartime colour images. The album is dedicated to the former Staffelkapitän of 9./ KG 2 and later Geschwaderkommodore Major Walter Bradel (1911-1943). Features bucolic scenes taken at Soesterberg (Holland) 1940, Villacoublay, and Paris (France 1941). A number of the photos feature Oberleutnant (later Hauptmann) Walter Bornschein (1914-1944) including the latter's Ritterkreuz award ceremony and celebrations, views of the Staffelhund "Strolch", the Bornschein crew shortly before a sortie and in-flight, various images of a captured Short Stirling (forced to make an emergency landing on 4 June 1943, repaired, made flight-worthy and repainted with KG 2 codes according to the album caption) The last images are perhaps the most interesting, depicting the up-turned Dornier 217 in which Walter Bradel  was killed. During the night of 4 May 1943 to 5 May Angriffsführer England ordered a consolidated attack on Norwich. Involved were 43 aircraft from KG 2 under the command of Bradel, who was airborne from Soesterberg. The attack force was augmented by aircraft from II./KG 40 and 36 Ju 88s of KG 6. Bradel's Do 217 K was attacked by a British nightfighter, and suffered engine damage. Pilot Leutnant Ernst Andres was eventually forced to attempt an emergency landing near Landsmeer, Amsterdam. The aircraft was 80% damaged and Bradel was killed when the aircraft over-turned. Album can be viewed in Dortmund before committing to buy according to the seller's blurb:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Farbfotos-Luftwaffe-hohe-Ordenstrager-9-KG-2-Flugzeug-Plane-Beuteflugzeug-Camo-/321246746758?pt=Militaria&hash=item4acbcc5886

Walter Bradel (left) and Walter Bornschein (right)

 

Walter Bradel

Source :
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/KrackerDatabase/?s=100&q=baumbach,%20werner&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_type=&search_only=
http://falkeeins.blogspot.com/2013/11/photo-album-9-kg-2-kommodore-walter.html

Pilots of JG 2 "Richthofen" in Africa

Officers of II.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2) "Richthofen" in North Africa, spring of 1943. From left to right: Unknown, Leutnant Fritz Karch (Staffelführer 6.Staffel / II.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 2), Hauptmann Erich Rudorffer (Gruppenführer II.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 2), Oberleutnant Kurt Bühligen (Staffelkapitän 4.Staffel / II.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 2). Hauptmann Rackow, and two unknown.

Source :
https://www.emedals.com/a-group-of-documents-to-a-luftwaffe-fighter-ace-fritz-karch-47-air-victories

Bio of U-Boat Ace Joachim Schepke

Joachim Schepke (8 March 1912 – 17 March 1941) was a German U-boat commander during World War II. He was the seventh recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Schepke is credited with having sunk 36 Allied ships. During his career, he gained notoriety among fellow U-boat commanders for exaggerating the tonnage of ships sunk.

Schepke joined the Reichsmarine in 1930. In 1934, he was assigned to the newly created U-boat arm, and in 1938 he commanded U-3. After a short stint commanding U-19 and serving in a staff position, Schepke received the command of U-100, a Type VIIB boat. After 5 patrols in U-100 she was heavily damaged on 17 March 1941 by depth charges from HMS Walker and Vanoc while attacking Convoy HX-112. U-100 was forced to surface and was detected on radar and rammed by Vanoc. Schepke and most of the crew died.

Schepke claimed to have sunk 37 ships, for a total of 213,310 gross register tons (GRT) and damaged 4 more. If true, this would have made him the third skipper to have sunk over 200,000 tons. While he definitely sank 36 ships, he was known throughout the fleet to exaggerate his tonnage claims; other U-boat men came to use the expression "Schepke tonnage" in reference to this. Nonetheless, at one point Schepke ranked first in number of ships sunk, and was recommended by Admiral Dönitz for the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Schepke

U-boat Ace Joachim Schepke with U-Boat Miniature

 

U-boat ace Joachim Schepke (Kapitänleutnant and commander of U-100) shows a German submarine toy to his son, 1941. U-29 was a celebrated vessel, responsible for sinking the British aircraft carrier HMS Courageous on 17 September 1939. This little boy smiles pensively - his father, a German officer, has just given him this miniature submarine. It is true that the Nazi regime did not attach great importance to toys, which the German youth only "softened over". Nevertheless, the propaganda potential of war toys was recognised: "Playing with soldiers and military equipment awakens enthusiasm for military achievements and plants the germ of military detention in the hearts of young people at an early stage," wrote art teacher Lorenz Postner in 1939. Source: Signal magazine cover.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=660998631835631&set=gm.1942078655977548

Bio of Luftwaffe Ace Erich Rudorffer

Full name: Erich Rudorffer
Nickname: unknown
Date of Birth: 1 November 1917 at Zwochau, Sachsen (German Empire)
Date of Death: 8 April 2016 at Bad Schwartau, Schleswig-Holstein (Germany)
NSDAP Number: unknown
SS Number: unknown
Academic Title: unknown
Family Member: unknown
Physical Feature: unknown

Beförderungen (Promotion):
00.01.1940 Oberfeldwebel
28.10.1940 Leutnant
20.11.1941 Oberleutnant
01.01.1943 Hauptmann
01.01.1944 Major

Karriere (Career):
16.04.1936 Joined the Luftwaffe with Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung 61.
02.09.1936 - 15.10.1936 Served with Kampfgeschwader 253.
16.10.1936 - 24.02.1937 Trained as an aircraft engine mechanic at the Technische Schule Adlershof in Berlin.
14.03.1937 Posted as a mechanic to Kampfgeschwader 153 where he served as a mechanic until end October 1938. He was then transferred to Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung 51 based at Liegnitz in Silesia for flight training. There he was first trained as a bomber pilot and then as a Zerstörer, a heavy fighter or destroyer, pilot.
01.10.1939 Transferred to the Jagdwaffe and was posted to the Jagdfliegerschule 2 at Schleißheim.
06.12.1939 Following the conversion training, Rudorffer was transferred to the Jagdergänzungsstaffel Döberitz, the supplementary fighter squadron based at Döberitz.
28.12.1939 - 07.01.1940 Transferred to the Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Merseburg, another supplementary training unit stationed at Merseburg, where newly trained fighter pilots received instruction from pilots with combat experience.
08.01.1940 Posted to 2. Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2) "Richthofen".
00.00.19__ Flugzeugführer in 6.Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2) "Richthofen".
11.11.1941 Staffelkapitän 6.Staffel / Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2) "Richthofen".
17.04.1943 Führer II.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2) "Richthofen".
30.06.1943 Gruppenkommandeur IV.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 54
00.07-08.1943 Gruppenkommandeur II.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 54
15.01.1945 Gruppenkommandeur I.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 7
00.00.19__ Kraftfahrbundesamt (BRD)
 
Orden und Ehrenzeichen (Medals and Decorations):
00.00.19__ Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
00.00.19__ Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Schwarz
00.00.19__ Gemeinsames Flugzeugfuhrer-Beobachter Abzeichen (ohne brillianten)
22.05.1940 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
28.06.1940 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
20.10.1940 Luftwaffe Ehrenpokale für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg
00.00.194_ Vapaudenristin 2.luokka (Finland)
01.05.1941 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Leutnant and Flugzeugführer in 6.Staffel / II.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2) "Richthofen". Awarded after 19 aerial victories
09.12.1941 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
00.00.194_ Frontflugspange für Jäger in Gold
00.00.194_ Frontflugspange für Zerstörer in Gold mit Anhänger und Einzatszahl
00.00.1943 Ärmelband "AFRIKA"
11.04.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #447, as Major and Gruppenkommandeur II.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) "Grünherz". Awarded after 130 aerial victories
30.10.1944 Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht: "Among those aerial victories in Kurland that had been reported yesterday are eleven aircraft shot down by the recipient of the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes Major Rudorffer, bringing his total to 206 aerial victories."
26.01.1945 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #126, as Major and Gruppenkommandeur II.Gruppe / Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) "Grünherz". Awarded after 210 aerial victories

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Erich Rudorffer was born on 1 November 1917 at Zwochau, near Leipzig, in Saxony. Rudorffer was posted to JG 2 on 1 November 1939. Feldwebel Rudorffer was assigned to 2./JG 2. He recorded his first victory, a French Curtiss Hawk 75 fighter, on 14 May 1940. He went on to score eight additional victories during the Battle of France. By 1 May 1941, Leutnant Rudorffer had achieved 19 victories, which led to the award of the Ritterkreuz. During the British “Non-Stop Offensive” of 1941, Rudorffer recorded 21 victories, including his 40th on 8 December. Rudorffer was particularly successful over the Allied landings at Dieppe on 19 August 1942 when he shot down two Spitfire fighters, his 44th and 45th victory. On 11 November, Rudorffer was appointed Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 2. He led the unit when II./JG 2 was transferred to Tunisia. He shot down eight British aircraft in 32 minutes on 9 February 1943 to record his 54th through 61st victories, and seven more in 20 minutes six days later (63-69). Following the hospitalisation of Hauptmann Adolf Dickfeld (136 victories, RK-EL) with injuries received in a landing accident, Oberleutnant Rudorffer assumed temporary command of II./JG 2. After scoring a total of 27 victories in Tunisia, Rudorffer returned to the Channel Front in April 1943. In May 1943, Hauptmann Rudorffer was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 2. He recorded two further victories, his 73rd and 74th, before parting company with JG 2.

Rudorffer was given the task of forming IV./JG 54 near Königsberg in June 1943. However, Rudorffer was transferred to the Eastern Front to assume command of II./JG 54 after its Kommandeur, Hauptmann Heinrich Jung (68 victories, RK) failed to return from a mission on 30 July 1943. Once on the Eastern Front, Rudorffer's really successful days again. On 24 August 1943, he shot down five Russian aircraft on the first mission of the day and followed that up with three more victories on a second mission. On 14 September he claimed five victories (91–95).  He scored seven victories in seven minutes on 11 October, including his 100th, but his finest achievement occurred on 6 November when in the course of 17 minutes, 13 Russian aircraft fell to his guns! Only another Grünherzflieger, Emil “Bully” Lang (173 victories, RK-EL, killed in action 3 September 1944) and Hans-Joachim Marseille (158 victories, RK-Br, killed in action 30 September 1942) were to rival Rudorffer's feat. On 7 April 1944, Rudorffer shot down six enemy aircraft 129–134). Major Rudorffer was awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr 447) on 11 April 1944 for 134 victories. Following a spell of leave, Rudorffer returned to combat duty to claim five victories on 3 July, six on 26 July, including his 150th victory, five on 25 August (168-172), six on 25 September (182-187), seven on 10 October (188-194) and 11 on 28 October. For his exploits, he received the Schwertern (Nr 126) for his 212th victory on 26 January 1945. On 15 January 1945, Major Rudorffer was placed in command of the Me262 jet fighter equipped I./JG 7. He became one of the first jet fighter aces in the world by scoring 12 victories, including 10 four-engined bombers, in the jet. Erich Rudorffer survived the war and continued his aviation career as a member of the Bundesluftwaffe.

Erich Rudorffer scored a total of 224 victories, placing him 7th on the all time list. This score did not come without a cost: Rudorffer flew over 1,000 missions, entering combat on 302 occasions, was shot down 16 times, and baled out 9 times! Of note are the 58 Il-2 Sturmoviks included in his 138 Eastern Front victories (all while flying the Fw 190) and the 10 four-engined bombers shot down in Reichsverteidigung missions.

Source :
https://www.alexautographs.com/auction-lot/erich-rudorffer_EFB4D768A9
https://www.bild.bundesarchiv.de/dba/de/search/?yearfrom=&yearto=&query=rudorffer
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Rudorffer
https://www.luftwaffe.cz/rudorffer.html
https://ritterkreuztraeger.blogspot.com/2022/02/bio-of-major-erich-rudorffer-1917-2016.html
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/26122/Rudorffer-Erich.htm

Hitler and Manstein in Conference

On 8 September 1943, Hitler flies to the headquarters of the Heeresgruppe Süd at Zaporozhye, Ukraine, to meet with Erich von Manstein. The situation in the Dnieper area has become a large problem. On 15 September 1943, Hitler ordered Heeresgruppe Süd to retreat to the Dnieper defence line. From left to right: SS-Sturmbannführer Fritz Darges (persönlicher SS Adjutant bei Adolf Hitler), Oberstleutnant Gerhard Engel (Adjutant des Heeres beim Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), Generalleutnant Theodor Busse (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Süd), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), and General der Infanterie Kurt Zeitzler (Chef des Generalstabes des Heeres).

From left to right: Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd), Adolf Hitler (Führer und Oberster Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht), Generalleutnant Theodor Busse (Chef des Generalstabes Heeresgruppe Süd), General der Infanterie Kurt Zeitzler (Chef des Generalstabes des Heeres), and Generalfeldmarschall Ewald von Kleist (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe A).

Source :
http://ritterkreuztraeger.blogspot.com/2022/02/hitler-and-manstein-in-conference.html

Directs a Bomb into Place

 

Corporal Lloyd Shumway directs crane with a 500 lb. bomb into place on the wing of a North American P-51 at a base in England.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=5651403878279712&set=gm.1929517277233686

Bio of Generalmajor Adelbert Schulz (1903-1944)

 

Portrait of Generalmajor Adelbert Schulz in January 1944 by Walter Frentz.

Adelbert Schulz (20 December 1903 – 28 January 1944) received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 29 September 1940 as Hauptmann and Kommandeur I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 25 / 7.Panzer-Division. Hauptmann Schulz led a company, and later a full battalion, of Panzers over a total of 17 armoured attacks during the Western campaign, where he showed himself to be a fine commander of armour. Over the course of the campaign he particularly distinguished himself on 14 May 1940 during the heavy fighting in the Dinant bridgehead, and later on 23 May 1940 where he helped resolve a critical combat situation near Hersin.

Adelbert Schulz received the Eichenlaub #47 for his Ritterkreuz on 31 December 1941 as Hauptmann and Kommandeur I.Abteilung / Panzer-Regiment 25 / 7.Panzer-Division. The medal was awarded for distinguishing himself near Klin during the winter of 1941/1942. Despite having only a handful of operational tanks, being outnumbered 8-1 and having to contend with -40 Celsius weather, he nevertheless was able to successfully cover the retreat of friendly German forces. These included a full field hospital with over 4000 wounded men.

Adelbert Schulz received the Schwerter #33 for his Ritterkreuz on 6 August 1943 as Oberstleutnant and Kommandeur Panzer-Regiment 25 / 7.Panzer-Division. On 11 July 1943 previously, during the attack of the 7. Panzer-Division in the southern sector of the battle of Kursk, Schulz was able to conduct a successful armoured breakthrough south of Scheino. Smashing through Soviet fieldworks, and in spite of enemy probes on all sides, he launched an armoured pursuit with his Kampfgruppe and was able to catch a foot-bound Soviet group in the process of withdrawing. Schulz's men were able to capture almost 600 prisoners, 83 cannons and over 100 heavy machine guns and mortars. In addition to this notable success, Schulz and his regiment were also able to destroy a total of 76 enemy tanks over the course of 11 days of battle in the attempted attack towards Kursk.

Adelbert Schulz received the Brillanten #9 for his Ritterkreuz on 14 December 1943 as Generalmajor and Kommandeur 7. Panzer-Division. The medal was awarded for the distinguished command of his Panzer-Regiment during the fluid battles around Kiev and Zhitomir in October/November 1943.

 

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/237076659811098/posts/1925981594253921/?__cft__[0]=AZUzHYDRIVjSLXPVBlS_IlY2YNXfbkaYYu60vttfZHgSz6jnQPVWmQ6GGIIemvHm7ATExZQMYdg1kq1xwqgYN4woL8CECbr52-3rz8dgo8lNrl5H4Lv7F_YbcvC4Y6sXZQ9Dzr6L8LT108GUPsRvCObL&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/216/Schulz-Adelbert.htm

Bio of Generalleutnant Ernst-Günther Baade (1897-1945)

Ernst-Günther Baade (20 August 1897 – 8 May 1945) volunteered for military service in 1914 and fought during World War I. During World War II, in March 1942 Baade was assigned to the active reserve of officers (Führerreserve). He subsequently transferred to the 15th Panzer Division in North Africa and took command of the 115th Rifle Regiment on 15 April 1942, at that time committed to action in Libya and Cyrenaica.

Baade became a legend in the Afrika Korps. In May 1942 he took part in the Battle of Bir Hakeim. Baade was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions during the battle. He was wounded on 28 July 1942 at El-Alamein, and evacuated to Germany.

During the evacuation of German forces from Sicily to the Italian mainland in early August 1943, Baade was placed in charge of the force defending the Straits of Messina. Baade commanded the 90th Infantry Division in the Battle of Monte Cassino. He was known for his occasionally eccentric behavior, his very small staff, and his frequent front-line inspection visits, all of which made him popular with his troops. He was awarded a Tank Destruction Badge for the single-handed destruction of an enemy tank with an infantry weapon.

Baade was wounded on 24 April 1945, when his staff car was strafed by a British fighter aircraft near Neverstaven in Holstein. He died of gangrene in a hospital at Bad Segeberg on 8 May 1945.

Awards
Wound Badge in Black (1 July 1918)
Wehrmacht Long Service Award 2nd Class (2 October 1936)
German Cross in Gold on 2 November 1941 as Oberstleutnant in the I./Reiter-Regiment 22
Iron Cross (1914) 2nd Class (25 November 1916) & 1st Class (24 December 1917)
Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (18 September 1939) & 1st Class (5 June 1940)
Knight's Cross on 27 June 1942 as Oberst and commander of Schützen-Regiment 115
Oak Leaves on 22 February 1944 as Oberst and leader of the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division
Swords on 16 November 1944 as Generalleutnant and commander of the 90. Panzergrenadier-Division

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst-G%C3%BCnther_Baade
http://ritterkreuztraeger.blogspot.com/2021/09/bio-of-generalleutnant-ernst-gunther.html

German Coastal Artillery in Norway

German coastal artillery in Norway. Photo by Bildberichterstatter Gundlach.

In the beginning of the Norwegian campaign, there were 6 Marineartillerie-Abteilungen: MAA Horten, MAA Kristiansand, MAA Stavanger, MAA Bergen, MAA Drontheim, and MAA Narvik. These units were to man captured Norwegian Coastal Fortresses. In June 1940, the MAA’s got number designations, the first ones for just 1 month, before they got permanent numbers.

The German MAA’s were divided into companies, each company manned a battery. Each MAA usually consisted of 6 companies, but this could range from 2 – 12 coys. The commander of a MAA was usually Korvettenkapitän, but could also be Fregattenkapitän or Kapitänleutnant.

Army artillery units designed for coastal defense appeared in Norway in 1941. They established several Heeresküstenartillerie-regimenter (HKAR), Heeresküstenartillerie-Abteilungen (HKAA) and 160 Heeresküsten-Batterien (HKB). At the end of the war, there were 221 batteries divided into 29 units & 10 regiments. The Germans had serious problems in commanding and controlling this effectively. The mix-up between army and naval artillery also caused serious problems when it came to effective command.

The Heeresküstenartillerie had standard army OOB, but had guns of varying quality.They were also equipped with tanks, mostly French captured ones, like the Somua. The coastal defense had a big need of men. In 1930, the whole Kriegsmarine counted 15000 men. In Norway, the total number of Army / Naval Coast defense personnel was about 65000 (1945). Artillery Schools were established several places, amongst them Rauöy in the Oslo-fjord, and Stavern.

Source :
Akira Takiguchi photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/groups/237076659811098/posts/1906782666173814/?__cft__[0]=AZUuO_vSByS790n9KaQIsAbuwn8LeoffMWol5IX4nTf8sMPB_b34YSFLfnbFNMHPXLxRg0lkaLFjrhIf2gtox2fDPXMGqWLcR0qR6L5drmcG2BYeiqK9p9N8otNjwmO1Rf-6ZdxwqD1wJhtPEqRwEXJ0&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
https://www.feldgrau.com/ww2-german-norway-coastal-defence/

U.S. 57 mm M1 Gun

 

A U.S. 57 mm M1 gun firing from Champs-Vauverts gate in Saint-Malo intramuros, in Bretagne in August 1944. It seems to be a reconstructed scene for the movie needs of John Ford who followed Patton's army. The 57mm Gun M1, which was produced in the United States from 1942 to 1945, was the American version of the British 6 Pounder anti-tank gun. Because of production differences between the two countries, there were differences between the M1 and the 6 Pounder. The M1 had a slightly longer barrel than the 6 Pounder.  The longer barrel gave the M1 an increased muzzle velocity of 2793ft/s (853m/s). The 57mm M1 anti-tank gun fired two different types of armor piercing round – the AP and the APC – as well as a high explosive round. It was successfully mounted on self propelled carriages, which were used by the British in North Africa. The strong recoil from the M1 made it unpopular with gunners. The M1 anti-tank gun continued to be used after production ceased in 1945. After World War II ended, the US gave M1s to other countries as a form of military aid.  The guns remained in service in these countries for decades. Central American republics were using M1s at least until the 1980s.

Source :
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:57mm_Gun_M1_-_Saint-Malon_Bretagne.jpg
https://www.tanks.net/anti-tank-weapons/united-states-57mm-gun-m1.html

Bio of Hanskarl von Hasselbach, Hitler's Surgeon

Portrait of Hanskarl von Hasselbach (doctor accompanying the Führer), 1942/43. Source: Walter Frentz Collection.

Hanskarl von Hasselbach, actually Hans Karl von Hasselbach, (born November 2, 1903 in Berlin; † December 21, 1981 in Pullach im Isar Valley) was a German surgeon and attending physician to Adolf Hitler. Hasselbach, son of the Prussian Rittmeister Karl von Hasselbach, finished his school career in Hirschberg (Silesia) in 1921 with the Abitur. He then studied medicine at the Universities of Breslau, Munich, Freiburg and Rostock. He was approved in 1927 and was awarded a doctorate in Freiburg with the dissertation "About neck fibroids". med. PhD.

He then became an assistant under the chief physician Georg Magnus at Bergmannsheil Hospital in Bochum and, after his appointment to the Charité in November 1933, also moved to Berlin. In addition to Hasselbach, Magnus Karl Brandt's assistant also came to Berlin, as did Magnus from Jena, known Werner Haase. In 1934 Brandt became Hitler's first accompanying surgeon, and Haase soon after became Brandt's deputy in this function. After Haase temporarily resigned from this post due to health reasons, Hasselbach became another deputy surgeon accompanying Hitler through Brandt's mediation in 1936. Hasselbach had already joined the NSDAP (membership number 2,794,377) and SA before the handover of power to the National Socialists in 1932. He switched from the SA to the SS in 1933/34 (SS No. 264.054). Due to his extensive medical work for Hitler and his environment, he was only able to qualify for his habilitation in 1938 with the work "Die Endangitis obliterans" at the University of Munich. He was released from teaching at the Charité.

With the beginning of the German-Soviet War, his place of work was the Führer headquarters in Wolfsschanze in East Prussia. As an SS doctor he was appointed associate professor on April 20, 1943, and in June 1943 he achieved the rank of SS-Sturmbannführer of the Waffen-SS within the SS. In the course of Brandt's dismissal as Hitler's attending physician, Hasselbach also lost his deputy post in October 1944. He was then used in a field hospital on the Western Front.

After the end of the war, Hasselbach was interned by the United States and was interrogated as a witness during the Nuremberg trials. The American authorities found him honest and credible. After his release from Allied internment, he headed the surgery department of the Sarepta hospitals of the Von Bodelschwinghschen Anstalten Bethel as chief physician from 1949 to 1970.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=631162261485935&set=gm.1906226999562714

Walter Dornberger and Albin Sawatzki

Dr.ing. h.c. Walter Dornberger (right), Major General in the Heereswaffenamt, with Albin Sawatzki, Director of the Production Planning Dept. in the "Mittelwerk", at the missile test site in Blizna, Poland, June 1944. Source: Walter Frentz Collection.

Albin Sawatzki (born October 6, 1909 in Danzig; † May 1, 1945 in Warburg) was a German engineer and was responsible for the series production of the A4 surface-to-surface missile in the underground Mittelwerk during the final phase of the National Socialist German Empire. Sawatzki, a member of the NSDAP since May 1933, was initially operations manager at Henschel & Sohn in Kassel, where he was responsible for tank production. He was responsible for the manufacture of the VI Tiger armored vehicle. In July 1943, Sawatzki was appointed to the A4 Special Committee, which dealt with issues relating to the testing and production of the A4, by Armaments Minister Albert Speer as head of the Series Production Working Committee. Initially he was based in the Peenemünde Army Research Center and, after the bombing of the Peenemünde Army Research Center, in Nordhausen from the beginning of September 1943. From February 1944, Sawatzki finally became a member of the management of Mittelwerk GmbH as director of the planning department. Sawatzki's working committee prepared the mass production of the rocket, including the establishment of underground factories. The most famous production facility, the Mittelwerk in the tunnel system in Kohnstein, was in operation for over a year. There, prisoners from the Dora-Mittelbau concentration camp had to drive the tunnels under catastrophic conditions and later, in some cases, also produce rockets. In 1944, Sawatzki also became Technical Director at Henschel. Because of his “services to German armaments”, Sawatzki received a grant of 30,000 RM from Adolf Hitler. Shortly before the end of the war, Sawatzki evaded the evacuation of 450 rocket specialists to the Alpine fortress in Oberammergau, which began on April 6, 1945, and did not implement the destruction of the tunnel in Kohnstein ordered by the SS. On April 11, 1945, the US Army marched into Nordhausen and Niedersachswerfen and discovered the underground tunnels in Kohnstein, in which, in addition to the prisoners of the concentration camp, more than 10,000 people from the area had found refuge. On April 13, 1945, Sawatzki was mistreated by former prisoners and on April 14, 1945, he was interrogated by the US Army. He died under unknown circumstances on May 1, 1945 in Warburg, Westphalia.

Major-General Dr. Walter Robert Dornberger (born September 6, 1895 in Gießen; † June 27, 1980 in Obersasbach) was a German Army artillery officer whose career spanned World War I and World War II. He was a leader of Nazi Germany's V-2 rocket program and other projects at the Peenemünde Army Research Center. Dornberger was born in Gießen and enlisted in 1914. In October 1918, as an artillery lieutenant Dornberger was captured by United States Marines and spent two years in a French prisoner of war camp, mostly in solitary confinement because of repeated escape attempts. In the late 1920s, Dornberger completed an engineering course with distinction at the Berlin Technical Institute, and in the Spring of 1930, Dornberger graduated after five years with an MS degree in mechanical engineering from the Technische Hochschule Charlottenburg in Berlin. In 1935, Dornberger received an honorary doctorate, which Col. Karl Emil Becker arranged as Dean of the new Faculty of Military Technology at the TH Berlin.

Source :
https://www.facebook.com/groups/237076659811098/posts/1906251222893625/?__cft__[0]=AZWdSEgaczYdYmzXi1tPr_TCkhjNwKu5WbpDtgW9kyfHWRj_DhlySyiW-S2XvwNEAI_fWPG-EWt2F9_M2HRZ2W1IZavClye0Z_SIHpcVUS9BH-qUvCu7gHqzVcz6_pQZQBwblt3fc5E1S9za8-_QtmZn012I9hAdOZHhhIHBb78lbJ458nB5HpCV0Jwnjm0wM08&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

Bio of Hauptmann Wilhelm Kaiser (1914-1993)

Full name: Wilhelm Kaiser
Nickname: unknown
Date of Birth: 30 November 1914 at Pockau, Sachsen (German Empire)
Date of Death: 24 September 1993 at Niedernhausen, Hesse (Germany)
NSDAP Number: unknown
SS Number: unknown
Academic Title: unknown
Family Member: unknown
Physical Feature: unknown

Beförderungen (Promotion):
01.01.1938 Leutnant
01.06.1940 Oberleutnant
01.04.1942 Hauptmann (advanced from 01.10.1942)

Karriere (Career):
01.10.1935 (01.11.1935?) entered the Luftwaffe
01.04.1938 assigned to Fliegergruppe 50 in summer 1938 and then to II./St.G. 163 (later III./St.G. 2) on 01.11.38
10.05.1940 in 9./St.G. 2 WIA - Ju 87 B lost ivo Vroenhoven, crashed near Roosteren
00.10.1940 with 2./St.G. 2. - Adj. of III./St.G. 2
21(22?).05.1941 in 2./St.G. 2, shot down over Canea Bay/Crete, but rescued from the sea and returned to unit
00.00.1941 WIA
00.07.1941 appointed Staka in III./St.G.2
00.08.1941 appointed Adjutant III./St.G. 2
00.07.1942 transfered to Stukaschule 2 Graz and a few months later began general staff training
00.09.1943 assigned to Stab/General der Schlachtflieger as a weapons and bombs specialist
01.07.1943 appointed Ia op 2/1. Fliegerdivision and temporary Ia / Luftflotte 6
02.08.1944 appointed acting Ia / II. Fliegerkorps
15.10.1944 appointed Ic/II. Jagdkorps
 
Orden und Ehrenzeichen (Medals and Decorations):
00.00.1938 Flugzeugführerabzeichen
10.05.1940 Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz. His Ju 87 B lost ivo Vroenhoven, crashed near Roosteren
00.00.194_ Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
00.00.194_ Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.05.1941 Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber. Shot down over Canea Bay/Crete, but rescued from the sea and returned to unit
20.10.1941 Ehrenpokal fur besondere Leistung im Luftkreig
19.01.1942 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
04.02.1942 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Oberleutnant and Adjutant III.Gruppe / Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann". Awarded after flying 130 ground attack sorties
00.00.1942 Frontflugspange für Kampfflieger in Gold
00.00.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)

_______________________________________________________________

* Flew a total of 180 sorties.

Source :
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/23656/Kaiser-Wilhelm-Stuka-Geschwader-2-Immelmann.htm