Feldgrau.net

I'll see if I can't scare up that book through inter-library loan, Lex. Thanks for the tip. Knowing how so many in the Nazi hierarchy were trying to make power-bases for themselves, TH, might it be possible that Eicke saw the Totenkopfverbande as a kind of competition with the Verfugungstruppe, and ...

Thanks for fleshing out my answer a bit more, Ron.

Perhaps, Michael, the "extra" Henschel-turreted King Tigers were transfers from the 2nd company?

Yours,
Paul

Oh, so you mean that the camp guards were intended from almost the very start to be a kind of "reserve" outfit for war duty? Fascinating, TH. Now I remember--the SS-Heimwehr Danzig was formed from Totenkopf troops, and they also helped provide troops for the early SS-Division Nord (before ...

Near as I can tell, Phil, the only units which received the Porsche-turreted Tiger II were the Panzer Replacement and Training Battalion 500, Heavy Tank Battalion 503, and Radio Tank Company 316. All of them were Heer (army) units, not Waffen-SS. The 316th received five, and the 503rd got 45, which ...

Thanks, Christoph. I rather had the feeling that the 232 was not part of "Prinz Eugen", because it has seven soldiers riding on top of it, and at least two of them are clearly wearing marching boots , not cleated mountain boots. They're all dressed in smocks and camouflaged helmet covers, ...

I wish I could help you out, WJR. But I did want to tell you that I found the photo fascinating, and I hope sincerely that you can find more about your grand-uncle. Thanks for posting it.

Yours,
Paul

On pages 30 and 31 of the old Squadron/Signal book, SS Armor , are published some photos of tanks, a heavy car, and an armored car used (or supposedly used) by the SS Gebirgs-Division "Prinz Eugen". Soime questions, please: (1) What kind of French light tanks did "Prinz Eugen" us...

Yes, Blur, the book by Zaloga you mention is also published by Squadron/Signal. It's 22 years old (published in 1983), but still pretty good.

Yours,
Paul

Thank'ee kindly, Lex. I've always preferred history for reading matter, and thinking like an historian just comes naturally to me after all of the books I've read in my 49 years.

Yours,
Paul

Oh, yes, he was a paymaster, and that would imply being an "Army official", and not an active-duty soldier, Lex. I can well imagine the guards all being close, after all, they were doing a job one might describe thusly: "Well, it's a dirty job, all right, but somebody's got to do it.&...

Sorry, Helmut, but I don't know what sort of rank "Unterzahlmeister" is. If I may hazard a guess, it's a warrant-officer rank; not quite a commissioned officer, but not a sergeant equivalent, either. Perhaps someone else can tell us? If I don't speak of Eicke's "evilness", Helmut...

Fascinating. This is my favorite kind of discussion, Helmut. I'll grant that Rommel certainly had time with the troops, even if he didn't have general-staff training. Perhaps in his case, it wasn't necessary, because he was "all soldier". Oh, BTW, I found a webpage on Eicke, and here's his...

Rommel didn't have general-staff training, either, Helmut. And neither did Sepp Dietrich, for that matter. Perhaps just plain common sense plays a role in making an "untutored" man into an effective combat commander, though there are limits in how high an "untutored" fellow can r...

But I thought Eicke was a WWI veteran, Helmut. That he had no formal officer training, I'll gladly agree, but no prior military experience whatsoever?

What's the story?

Yours,
Paul

Entirely aside from the efforts of men and machines, I'll bet a certain bit of prayer went into the opening of that corridor and holding it open.

Yours,
Paul