1 Kavallerie Division going amphibious

[Paulus II]

Hello all,

In May 1940 it was 1 KD (and a few supporting units) that was responsible for conquering the three northern provinces of The Netherlands.
Once those provinces were taken the division was supposed to cross the IJsselmeer (IJssellake) via the Afsluitdijk (closure dam) and by ship to the province of Noord Holland.
To ensure the capture of enough vessels to do the amphibious crossing a Kriegsmarine detachment under Korvetten Kapitän Stein was sent to the fishing harbours of Lemmer and Stavoren which he visited on 11 and 12 May.
Stein found no ships since they had all been moved to safety by the Dutch.
But:
On 14 May the attacks on the Afsluitdijk had all failed, Gen. Feldt decides to leave only 1 Reiter-regiment, one Artillerie Abteilung and a schwere Flak Abteilung at the dam and orders the rest of his division back to Stavoren and Lemmer for the amphibious assault on the province of Noord Holland!
The assault never took place because later that day the Dutch capitulated.
Can any of you gents tell me if any boats were found at all? And, if so, which (type of) boats were found to facilitate said amphibious assault?

Thanks in advance,

Puzzled regards,

Paul

[tigre]

Hello Paul, glad to greet you here ; look, this is what I could find about it..(sorry, I've not time to translate it).

Auftrag: Gruppe Max überquert die Zuidersee.

Im Hafen Stavoren, an Bord der WK. 26, 15. Mai, 0.25 Uhr.

„An Bord der WK. 26“, das klingt doch großartig! Wenn man die Sachlage näher besähe, zerflatterte allerdings die Vorstellung von einem eleganten Schiff, auf dem es sich wohl leben läßt. WK. 26 ist keine Luxusjacht, Gott bewahre. WK. 26 ist eigentlich auch kein Kriegsschiff, kein Zerstörer, auch kein Kanonenboot.

Dennoch, es ist kein ganz friedsames Schiff. WK. 26 — WK. ist die Abkürzung für Workum, ein Fischerhafen an der Zuidersee — hat nicht mehr als 15 Bruttotonnen, also ein biederer Fischkutter. Hinter uns — wir sitzen und schreiben nämlich in dem engen Logis des Führerschiffes der Gruppe Max — haben an der Mole des Hafens Stavoren noch neun solche Kutter angelegt, die von dem Unternehmen Stein bereits am 11. Mai im Hafen Workum gechartert worden sind.

Nun ist es so weit — die Flottille ist startklar. Die Geschütze der bespannten Artillerie sind bereits bei sinkender Sonne auf die Kutter verladen worden, desgleichen die Pak.




Source: Von Lemberg bis Bordeaux. Fronterlebnisse eines Kriegsberichters von Leo Leixner.

Hope it helps you in some way. Cheers. Tigre .

[Paulus II]

Excellent Tigre!

And glad to greet you here too

Thank you very much!!

First confirmation of any boats "chartered" by the Germans.
And for the first time any information on boats found by Stein on 11 May. All other sources I have seen only talk about his visits to Lemmer and Stavoren where he found nothing but no one ever mentioned Workum
Heheh, trust the Dutch to only write about the German failures and leave out their successes

Muchisimas gracias y saludos desde Holanda,

Paul

[tigre]

De nada Paul (you're welcome). Un saludo desde Argentina. Cheers. Tigre .

[Ypenburg]

In short from KTB I./RR22 1940:

14.5.1940, 17:00 erhält Abtlg. Befehl für das Übersetzen über die Zuider-See. Abtlg. erläßt hierzu folgenden Befehl"

Abtlg. setzt entfaltet über die Zuider-See:
Vortrupp: Führer Rittmeister Ballhorn
2. Schwadron (2./RR22)
1 s.M.G.-Gruppe
1 Granatwerfer
1 To.-Fu.-Trupp
2 Geschützte 4/AHI
2 Pak
Pi.-Komp.-Trupp

Haupttrupp: Führer Oberstleutnant Baade
3. Schwadron (3./RR22)
1 s.M.G.-Gruppe
1 Granatwerfer
1 To.-Fu.-Trupp
1 Pi.-Zug
1. Schwadron (1./RR22)
1 s.M.G.-Gruppe
1 Granatwerfer
1 To.-Fu.-Trupp
Regts.-Pi.-Zug
Stab
1 s.M.G.-Gruppe
1 Granatwerfer
Nachrichten-Zug

Auftrag:
Gruppe Ballhorn landet zwischen Enkhuizen und Horzen, setzt sich mit vorgeschobenen Teilen zur Bildung eines Brückenkopfes in den Besitz der Straße Enkhuizen-Horzen.
3. Schwadron landet hintern rechtem Flügel Gruppe Ballhorn, geht entwickelt unter Brechung feindl. Widerstandes auf Enkhuizen vor.
1. Schwadron landet hinter linkem Flügel Gruppe Ballhorn. Schwadronen sind 1:4 abgesessen, Handpferde verbleiben in den Unterkunften.

The Operation was cancelled, however that order didn't reach 1. Schwadron, which crossed the Zuider-See 15.5.1940 at about 24:00 hr.. The Abtlg. Adjutant followed them with a "Schnellboot" however only found 1 Zug of the 1. Schwadron.

1. Schwadron crossed the Zuider-See and found a beachhead 2 km. west of Osterleek. After sending out some Spähtrupps they found that Holland had surrendered. The Schwadron moved to Hoorn and using Dutch Kfz.'s they moved back to Lemmer on 17.5.1940.

The Schwadron reported 2 MIA. 1 boat sank in the Lemmer harbour, both bodies were found in the Lemmer Harbour. Against given orders they kept wearing their "Mantel zowie das Koppelzeug". They drowned.

[Paulus II]

Excellent Ypenburg, all new info to me. Thank you very much!

[Ypenburg]

KTB I./RR22, RR22 and Tagebuch Kdr. RR22

Two small adds.:

1) Leaving the harbour at about 24:00 hr. 1 boat sank. After trying to rescue the men etc. at 05:30 hr. the "Vorausabteilung" was ready outside the harbour (most boats had to be towed by others). The "Vorausabteilung: (1. Schwadron and 1 Zug 2. Schwadron) left at 05:40.(They could only tow 1 boat after eachtother out of the harbour) Since their radio-transmitter sunk with the boat they couldn't be reached when the operation was cancelled.

2) A Spähtrupp (CO. Leutnant Gerlach) was send to Urk. It came back with "15 Schlepper und 1 Schleppdampfer".

3) The 2 men who drowned are: Gefreiter Frohme and Gefreiter Debuschinski, both 1./RR22.

4) You're welcome

PS) Hans-Ludwig von Stockhausen mentions in his book "Erinnerungen, Ritter Reiter Russen" that he was one of the men who dived into the water to save the radiotransmitter.