Feldgrau.net

Hello, I would like to know who was the commander of the old battleship Schleswig-Holstein on September 1st 1939, during the bombardment of the Westerplate off Danzig. Thanks in advance. Javier

HEllo!

It was Kpt.z.S. Gustav Kleikamp

\Christoph

KLEIKAMP, Gustav
Born 08. 03. 1896 in Fiddichow, Greifenhagen, Oder
Died: 13. 09. 1952 in Mülheim , Ruhr.
Vizeadmiral: 01. 10. 1943
Konteradmiral: 01. 04. 1942
14.10.1944 Deutschen Kreuz in Gold
1939 Spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
1939 Spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
1914 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
1914 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse

Cheers
FAlmeida

Thank you both for your quick answers.
I really appreciate it.

Hi again. I was wondering if you could help me again. As far as I read the Schleswig-Holstein carried some assualt troops that disembarked after the naval bombardment but were initially repulsed by the poles. Can you guys tell me what was the unit in question, strenght, etc. Thanks again.

This is a Marine-Sturmkompanie
Cheers
FAlmeida

Hello!

Have a look on the daily report section on my site for that day. You will find detailed reports about the assault.

http://www.wwiidaybyday.com

\Christoph

Does anyone know if SH targetted any watercraft at any time during the operation?

--
http://www.westerplatte.pl/obrona.html

Interesting posts, thanks for sharing. I've often wondered about the fate to these old battleships. Is there any reason why that could not have salvaged the big guns for use as coastal batteries? I think it certianly could not have hurt to have a couple of these guns in position to shell the allied beaches during Normandy.

Both ships were still in commission until after the Normandy invasion. Schleswig-Holstein was undergoing refit when struck by bombs during a Lancaster raid on 18/19 Dec 44 when struck by three bombs. She lost all power, and the stern settled to the harbor bottom. Salvage attempts persisted for a week before the Germans gave up and let her settle completely. Schlesien struck an air-laid mine on 2 May 45. The Germans towed her into Swinemunde and let her sink there.

Tiornu wrote:Schleswig-Holstein was undergoing refit when struck by bombs during a Lancaster raid on 18/19 Dec 44 when struck by three bombs. She lost all power, and the stern settled to the harbor bottom. Salvage attempts persisted for a week before the Germans gave up and let her settle completely

I have to put my nose into this conversation and ask again, that does anybody know where could I find a picture of Schleswig-Holstein in 1961, taken by the Soviets.

I will during the next week, contact the Finnish Sea Museum, that has information almost all of the wrecks in the bottom of Gulf of Finland. I will also try to get some contact addresses in Russia.

Kimmo! I wrote a book set in Finland with a major character named Kimmo. Well...he's a horse actually. No offense. But he is a major character.
There's a Russian battleship site at http://www.battleships.spb.ru/ which may have some pictures or maybe some useful links. Unfortunately I have a terrible time trying to navigate in Cyrillic. I always end up looking at Russian woman who want to marry a Western man....

Hello KIMMO !

As I wrote in an earlier post, there is a picture of SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN available at MARINEARSENAL, Vol. 21, which shows her at Reval (Tallin) in 1946 and an other one near Odsmussar in 1961.

I could scan it for you, if you want!
Just drop me an email, please: [email protected]

Greetings from Austria
Peter K.

Tiornu wrote:Kimmo! I wrote a book set in Finland with a major character named Kimmo. Well...he's a horse actually. No offense. But he is a major character.
There's a Russian battleship site at http://www.battleships.spb.ru/ which may have some pictures or maybe some useful links. Unfortunately I have a terrible time trying to navigate in Cyrillic. I always end up looking at Russian woman who want to marry a Western man....

You might find this of use....

http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr

Save it to favourites, then paste the address you want translating in the appropriate box, select the language e.g. Russian to English and off you go. The translations are not 100% accurate as they are literal, which gives rise to some curious phraseology. But at least it's better than trying to understand Cyrillic!