Battle at Mokra,Poland

German campaigns and battles 1919-1945.

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Frederick L Clemens
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Frederick L Clemens »

Hey Richard,

I think that you might be right. I do have two copies of the Schaeufler book, one previously owned by Mitcham, of all people, and the other previously owned by the subject of my bio project, Meinrad von Lauchert. I was just curious if Domen had some other source.

Eberbach did a write-up of Poland for the regiment after the campaign was over. I have that from Lauchert's papers - it differs from his account in Schaeufler. Funny how he left out mention of Polish Jews in the postwar version. :roll: Although I must say he was not hostile about Jews in the wartime verison, just matter-of-fact.

Eberbach has a Nachlass at BAMA but not the gold mine one might expect. I believe his stuff is scattered about at BAMA and other places like Bad Boll.

I interviewed Eberbach's son twice so far and he has been a huge help to me. He currently is an editor of Kameraden. I gave him a copy of his fathers' Personalakten, something he had never seen.

You are absolutely right that Eberbach should have done a book or one should still be done about him. He was not only a great Panzer commander but a great man from what I have seen.
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Domen123 »

I think it is one of those accounts you mentioned - however - I'm not shure which one. The one which was written after the war was over, or the one which is in Schaufler book (most probably it is the second one).

Anyway - I didn't use the book by Schaufler. One of users of the Polish WW2 forum on which I'm registered - Leuthen - managed to get it (he changed it for some original Polish text) from his friend in Germany. Later it was translated to Polish. I used this version from Leuthen.

It is signed: Oberstleutenant Eberbach, Panzer-Regiment 35 Regiments-Kommandeur.

It has got several - we can say - "chapters":

"Before the campaign in Poland"

"1st of September 1939 - first day of war"

"Baptism of fire of the regiment"

"Sturmfahrt auf Warschau"

"Die Vernichtungsschlacht an der Bzura"

"In Warschau abgeschossen"

"After the campaign in Poland"

Cheers,

Domen
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Frederick L Clemens »

I would have to check that at home. Thanks for the reply.
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Richard Hargreaves »

Yep, it's from Schäufler, pp.15-22.
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Frederick L Clemens »

Another difference in the wartime version, if I recall correctly, is that Eberbach described how the unit shouted "Sieg Heil" in the assembly area when the decision to attack was announced. I guess there wasn't room in the Schaeufler book for that scene either... :oops:
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Richard Hargreaves »

Frederick L Clemens wrote:Hey Richard,

I think that you might be right. I do have two copies of the Schaeufler book, one previously owned by Mitcham, of all people, and the other previously owned by the subject of my bio project, Meinrad von Lauchert. I was just curious if Domen had some other source.

Eberbach did a write-up of Poland for the regiment after the campaign was over. I have that from Lauchert's papers - it differs from his account in Schaeufler. Funny how he left out mention of Polish Jews in the postwar version. :roll: Although I must say he was not hostile about Jews in the wartime verison, just matter-of-fact.

Eberbach has a Nachlass at BAMA but not the gold mine one might expect. I believe his stuff is scattered about at BAMA and other places like Bad Boll.

I interviewed Eberbach's son twice so far and he has been a huge help to me. He currently is an editor of Kameraden. I gave him a copy of his fathers' Personalakten, something he had never seen.

You are absolutely right that Eberbach should have done a book or one should still be done about him. He was not only a great Panzer commander but a great man from what I have seen.
Hi Frederick,

Many thanks for that. I've always thought Eberbach was one of the best front-line commanders of the war (very much in the same vein as Balck and Nehring), and sorely overlooked. I'd love to have seen an account of Normandy/France 1944 from him...

One thing that isn't in the Schäufler book is this excellent description of Warsaw in October 1939:
Eindrücke des Kommandeurs der Panzerregiments 35, Oberstleutnant Eberbach, der Warschau Anfang Oktober 1939

Warschau bietet ein Bild des Grauens: Ausgebrannte und in sich zusammengestürzte Häuser, Straßen und Plätze mit Trümmern und Schutthalden, tiefe Granattrichter. Dazu viele durch Fliegerbomben oder Artilleriebeschuß verursachte Gebäudeschäden
Auf den Straßen wieder reges Leben, Menschen, die kommen und gehen und nach anderen Ausschau halten, aber auch aus Warschau Evakuierte und Geflüchtete, die in die Stadt zurückkehren
Da und dort auch noch Verletzte und Verwundete und auf einigen Plätzen noch frische Gräber. Die Krankenhäuser und Lazarette kaum noch aufnahmefähig, die meisten zudem hoffnungslos überfüllt
Vor den noch nicht geöffneten Geschäften und Läden und den wenigen noch intakten Brunnen viele sich drängende Menschen, die in langen Reihen anstehen. Viele Tausende auch dort, wo die NSV Brot und Essen ausgibt. In den Hauptstraßen aber die vornehme Welt, die hier wieder gut angezogen promeniert und sich zuweilen so begrüßt, als ob nichts gewesen wäre.
In der Innenstadt, wie auch jenseits der mehr und mehr Versandenden Weichsel in Praga, immer noch Barrikaden und Schützengräben. Feuerwehr und Arbeitsdienst räumen hier jetzt auf, während polnische Polizisten mit umgehängten Gewehr den Verkehr regeln
Mitten auf einem Platz eine große Beutesammelstelle. Viel teilweise noch brauchbares Kriegsgerät, Geschütze und Gewehre, aber auch viele zerstörte Kraftwagen. Überall auch entwaffnete polnische Soldaten, die frei herumlaufen und von niemandem angehalten werden.
In der Nacht zurück. Es ist klar und bitterkalt. Allmählich ist einem die polnische Landschaft vertraut geworden. Auch hier gibt es Sterne. Gespenstisch ragen die Kamine der abgebrannten Häuser in das nächtliche Dunkel, und immer noch stößt man auf zerschossene Kraftfahrzeuge am Straßenrand und auf abgestürzte Flugzeuge und gelegentlich auch auf einen vernichteten Panzer. Es liegt alles schon wieder so weit zurück.
Two copies of Schäufler? Sell one! Sell one! Copies are going for in excess of 100 Euros on Abe and Ebay. I can see why. One of the very best unit histories I have ever seen. :[]
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Domen123 »

Yep, it's from Schäufler, pp.15-22.
Thanks Richard for confirming it.

Then I would like to see the post-war version - just to compare one with another :wink: .

Do you know where it is possible to get it?
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Richard Hargreaves »

Sorry Frederick. Being stupid. Don't quite follow. :oops: Which post-war version?
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Frederick L Clemens »

I think there is a misunderstanding here. As far as I know, there are only two versions of the Polish campaign by Eberbach:
1) the first was done for members of the regiment shortly after the campaign.
2) the second was published in the Schaeufler book.
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Richard Hargreaves »

Aha, now I understand.

The excerpt I posted above came from Herbert Drescher, Warschau und Modlin im Polenfeldzug 1939. Drescher doesn't cite a source, sadly, but it's not from my second edition of Schäufler, if that makes any sense! Drescher's an excellent book if you can track it down - 900 pages of excellent first-hand material. :[]
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Frederick L Clemens »

Thanks for the tip - so many books, so little time (and money).
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Domen123 »

So the version I have got is the one from Schaufler book - so the post-war one?
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Richard Hargreaves »

I think you have the wartime version Domen; the Schaufler account ends on the Bzura. :[]
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Domen123 »

Hi all!,

Here more photos from the battlefield of Mokra - most of them were taken on 2nd of September by Germans:

Panzer II knocked out by Polish 3 battery from 2. horse artillery dyon somewhere in the middle of village Mokra III:

Image

Henschel Hs 123 shot down by AA defence of Wolynska Cavalry Brigade on 1st of September:

Image

Four photos of knocked out Polish 75mm artillery gun type 02/26 cannon inside completely burned building:

Image

Image

The same gun and ammunition waggon + 2 killed horses:

Image

The same place:

Image

Panzer II hit by Polish artillery (direct fire) in the turret:

Image

Most probably the same one:

Image

Two eliminated tanks from 2. company of Panzer-Regiment 35. - on the right number "241":

The one on the left was certainly eliminated by direct artillery hit, maybe several hits (or ammunition / fuel exploded after this tank was hit):

Image

Photos come from Forum Odkrywca:

http://www.odkrywca.pl/index1.php?action=home
Last edited by Domen123 on Thu Jan 01, 2009 9:55 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Battle at Mokra,Poland

Post by Frederick L Clemens »

Nice collection of pics.
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