by Colin Gee
Fig # 194 - Action in Knickhagen, Germany.
Fig # 195 – Battle at Knickhagen – Soviet counter-attack.
Fig # 196 - Plan of attack on Height 493, Fulda, Germany.
Fig # 197 – Allied order of battle, Lehnerz and Height 493, Fulda.
Fig # 198 – Soviet Order of Battle, Height 493, Fulda.
Fig # 199 - Allied Order of Battle - Height 462, Marienhagen, Germany.
Fig # 200 - Position of 3rd Bataillon, 899th Grenadiere Regiment, on Height 462, Marienhagen, Germany.
Fig # 201 - Rough layout of the area of around Height 462, Marienhagen, Germany.
Fig # 202 - Soviet Order of Battle - Height 426, Marienhagen, Germany.
Fig # 203 - Soviet second assault, Height 426, Marienhagen, Germany.
Fig # 204 - The battleground of Parchim and Spornitz
Fig # 205 - Limit of initial Allied advance, Parchim, Germany
Fig # 206 - Allied Order of Battle - Parchim, Germany.
Fig # 207 - Renewed advance at Parchim, Germany.
Fig # 208 - Soviet defensive positions - Parchim, Germany.
Fig # 209 - Soviet Order of Battle - Parchim, Germany.
Fig # 210 - Soviet counter-attack, Parchim, Germany.
Fig # 211 - The arrival of ‘C’ Squadron, Battle of Parchim, Germany.
Fig # 212 - The voyage of USS Kingsbury, APA-177.
Fig # 213 - Hofbieber, Germany.
Fig # 214 - Soviet attack, north of Hofbieber, Germany.
Fig # 215 - US Forces at Hofbieber, Germany.
Fig # 216 - Third Battalion’s attack on Height 444, Hofbieber, Germany.
Fig # 217 - Soviet order of battle, Hofbieber, Germany.
Fig # 218 - Soviet initial dispositions, Trendelburg, Germany.
Fig # 219 - Allied order of battle - Trendelburg.
Fig # 220 - Kampfgruppe Strachwitz’s initial attack on Trendelburg.
Fig # 221 - Soviet order of battle - Trendelburg.
Fig # 222 - Rear cover.
Glossary.
10th US Mountain Division
_
Only US division trained to fight and operate in extreme cold weather conditions.
3.45" RCL
_
British 88mm calibre recoilless gun. Could fire a HESH shell up to 1000 yards.
88mm Pak 43
_
Potent German heavy anti-tank gun, either carriage mounted or on a cruciform base.
Aardvark
_
Marriage of a Panzer IV hull with an Achilles turret.
Aichi Seiran
_
Japanese submarine-launched floatplane capable of carrying bombs or a torpedo.
AK47
_
Soviet assault rifle, similar to the ST44.
Alkonost
_
Soviet secret agent's codename.
Alligator
_
SP vehicle based on the STUG III chassis, and with an extended fighting compartment to permit installation of the 75mm KwK42 L/70 gun.
Antilope
_
Marriage of an SDKFZ 251 half-track with a Puma turret, containing a 50mm gun.
AP-40
_
German AT round with a tungsten carbide core, which was produced in ever reducing numbers as Germany's WW2 mineral resources became scarcer.
APA
_
The designation used by the USN for an attack transport.
APCBC
_
Armour-piercing capped ballistic capped ammunition.
APCR
_
Armour-piercing, composite rigid ammunition.
APDS
_
Armour Piercing - Discarding Sabot.
ARL-44
_
French heavy tank designed by the CDM during the occupation and produced post-1945. As part of France's desperate attempt to regain a position as a world power. It was an unsatisfactory design.
Armee de L'Air
_
French Air Force.
Asbach
_
German Brandy.
Atlantic Operation
_
The Operation to lure Soviet forces to the southern borders of the USSR by contriving a large fictitious force in the Gulf.
B-26c Marauder
_
US twin-engine medium bomber used by a range of Allied Air Forces.
B-29
_
US four engine heavy bomber, also known as the Super fortress.
B-32 Dominator
_
US four engine heavy bomber.
Bagration
_
Operation Bagration was a Soviet assault in 1944, which virtually destroyed Army Group Centre.
Beaufighter
_
British twin-engine multi-role aircraft used by a range of Allied Air Forces.
Beretta-35
_
.32 calibre automatic pistol with an 8 round clip.
Bergepanther
_
German tank recovery version of the Panther.
Blue Max
_
Nickname for the 'Pour-le-Mérite' medal.
Blyad
_
Russian for whore/bitch
BM-8-36
_
Katyusha vehicle with 36 rails for firing M8 missiles.
BTR-152
_
Soviet 6-wheel armoured personnel carrier/
Buzogányvető [Mace]
_
Hungarian twin weapon mount that fired a 100mm anti-tank rocket [HEAT] or anti-fortification round [HE]. It could kill any vehicle on the battlefield in 1945.
C-47
_
US twin engine transport used for paratroopers or supply.
CAP
_
Combat Air Patrol.
CEAM m46
_
French-produced ST-45.
Constellation
_
US Lockheed four-engine transport aircraft.
DC-4
_
US Douglas four-engine transport aircraft.
Dodge WC54
_
US Dodge 4x4 light truck adapted to a number of roles.
DRH
_
Deutsches Republikanischen Heer [Army]
DRK
_
Deutsches Republikanischen Kreigsmarine [Navy]
DRL
_
Deutsches Republikanischen Luftwaffe [Air Force]
DSC
_
Distinguished Service Cross
DSHK
_
Soviet 12.7mm heavy machine gun.
DShKm
_
Soviet 12.7mm heavy machine gun modernised in 1946.
Einhorn
_
Field conversion of the Jagdpanther, with extended rear compartment to allow installation of the 128mm Pak44 L/55.
F4U Corsair
_
US Chance-Vought single seater fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft.
F80 Shooting Star
_
US Lockheed single engine turbojet fighter.
F8F Bearcat
_
US Grumman single seater fighter aircraft.
Feldherrnhalle
_
Feldherrnhalle Panzer Division
FG-1 Corsair
_
US Chance-Vought single seater fighter and fighter-bomber aircraft.
Fischer-Tropsch process
_
A process by which a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen is converted into liquid hydrocarbon
Frundsberg
_
10th SS Panzer Division 'Frundsberg'.
G43 Gewehr
_
German WW2 7.92mm semi-automatic rifle.
Gamayun
_
Soviet secret agent's codename.
Govno
_
Soviet expression for shit/bullshit/rubbish
GRU
_
Glavnoye razvedyvatel'noye upravleniy - The military intelligence main directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union.
Handley-Page Halifax
_
RAF four-engine heavy bomber, used by numerous Allied Air Forces during WW2.
Hashem
_
Jewish term used to refer to God.
HEAT
_
High-explosive, Anti-tank. Shaped charge shells that penetrate using the Monroe effect.
Heinkel-162 Salamander
_
Also known as the Volksjager, the 162 was a single-seater jet fighter, made primarily of wood.
HESH
_
High-explosive, Squash head.
HIAG
_
Organisation founded by ex-SS Brigadefuhrer Otto Kumm, which aimed to provide assistance to ex-members of the SS, amongst the issues of which was the fact that their pensions were withdrawn post-war.
HLI
_
Highland Light Infantry.
Ho-105/155 30mm cannon
_
Japanese fighter aircraft cannon, which was basically an upscaled copy of the .50cal Browning.
Ho-5 20mm cannon
_
Japanese fighter aircraft cannon, which was basically an upscaled copy of the 1921 Browning aircraft machine gun.
Horch 1a
_
German 4x4 multi-purpose vehicle.
HS-129/B3
_
German Henschel twin-engine ground attack fighter, known as the Panzerknacker. B3 version was equipped with the 75mm Bordkanone, and was a successful tank killer.
Hudson V
_
US built Lockheed twin-engine light bomber and maritime patrol aircraft.
Hundchen
_
Marriage of an SDKFZ 251 and a Pak43 88mm anti-tank gun. Unsuccessful as it was top heavy.
Hurensohn!
_
German expression meaning roughly 'Son of a bitch.'
HVAP
_
High Velocity, Armour Piercing
HVAR
_
High velocity aircraft rocket.
Hyena
_
Panther hull married to an M4A3 or similar turret, mounting a 76mm gun.
IS-III
_
Soviet heavy tank equipped with a 122mm gun, and designed with improved armour protection.
IS-IV
_
Soviet upgraded version of the IS-III, with increased armour, improved engine, longer chassis, but retaining the 122mm gun.
IS-IVm46/B
_
Soviet heavy tank resembling an extended IS series, with 130mm main gun and many other technical improvements.
ISU-152-45
_
Soviet heavy tank destroyer with improved armour, and an ML-20SM main gun.
Jagdpanther
_
German self-propelled gun on a Panther chassis, armed with the deadly 88mm Pak 43.
Schwarzjagdpanther
_
German production version of the modified Jagdpanther with remodelled superstructure and 128mm Pak 44.
Jaguar
_
Panther modification, similar to the Ausf F.
Job tvoju mat
_
Russian obscenity.
JU-87D
_
German single engine dive-bomber, known as the Stuka.
Kanzler
_
Chancellor.
Katyusha
_
One of a number of rocket-firing mounts, fitted on many different vehicles, from armoured trains, tanks, lorries to riverboats.
Kempai-Tai
_
Japanese Military Police Corps, more known as their secret police.
Kipper
_
A salted or pickled herring, split open in a butterfly fashion, and eaten for breakfast. Honestly!
Lewisite
_
Chemical weapon that causes blistering and lung irritation
Li-2
_
Soviet twin-engine transport aircraft, a copy of the US DC-3.
Little Boy
_
The Uranium-235 bomb dropped on Hiroshima by Enola Gay.
LVT
_
Landing vehicle, tracked. Developed for amphibious supply work, the LVT evolved into a troop transport, and further into gun platforms.
M-16 halftrack
_
US SPAA mount on a halftrack chassis, comprising a Maxson mount equipped with 4 x .50cal M2 heavy machine guns, particularly effective when used against infantry.
M-19 Diamond T
_
US 6x4 heavy tank transporter
M1A3 Garand
_
M1 Garand with modifications to accept a 20 round magazine.
M-29 Cluster bomb
_
US 500lbs cluster bomb containing ninety 4lbs charges.
M39 grenade
_
German egg-grenade.
M43 SP Gun
_
US SP gun mounting a 203mm M115 Howitzer
M5 Stuart Tank
_
US light tank equipped with the 37mm M6 gun.
M8 Greyhound
_
US-manufactured six-wheel armoured car, armed with a 37mm gun.
Martin Marauder B-26
_
US twin-engine medium bomber, known as the widowmaker.
Me-262
_
German single seater twin-engine jet fighter or fighter-bomber. Known as the Swallow [Schwalbe].
MI-6
_
British Military Intelligence department, dealing with foreign affairs.
Mig-9
_
Russian single seater turbojet fighter.
Mikado
_
Hirohito, Emperor Shōwa, the Emperor of Japan.
MP-40
_
German sub-machine gun.
Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate
_
Japanese single seater single-engine fighter, considered the best available to the Japanese during WW2.
Nakajima Ki-87
_
Japanese single seater single-engine high altitude interceptor, designed specifically for B-29 bomber interception.
Nebelwerfer
_
Name was a disinformation, roughly meaning smoke thrower, but referred to a number of different types of German rocket artillery.
NKVD
_
Narodnyy Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del, Soviet Secret Police.
Offizier-Stellvertreter
_
The rank was actually more of an assignment, but is associated with the higher-ranking group of NCOs.
Oradour-sur-Glane
_
On 90th June 1944, members of the 2nd SS Panzer Division destroyed the French village of Oradour and massacred the majority of its occupants, apparently in retaliation at a Maquis attack on their soldiers.
Panther Felix
_
French-produced Panthers with a 17pdr gun, often equipped with an M2 MG pintel mount.
Panther II
_
German upgraded Panther, with increased armour and gun mounted.
Panzerschreck
_
German 88mm anti-tank rocket projector.
Pershing M26
_
US built heavy tank armed with a 90mm M3 gun.
Pour-le-Mérite.
_
German high honour awarded for military valour or civil honour, discontinued with the fall of the Kai
ser.
PPSh-41
_
Soviet submachine-gun, often equipped with a 71 round drum magazine.
Praporshchik
_
Soviet junior officer rank, ranking just under an officer i.e. the highest NCO rank.
Prinz Eugen
_
7th SS Freiwillingen-Gebirgs Division, a volunteer mountain division.
Project Raduga
_
Raduga is Russian for Rainbow.
PTRD
_
Soviet anti-tank rifle firing a 14.5mm round.
Quonset Hut
_
Lightweight curved steel structure based on the British Nissen Hut.
RBFSE
_
Red Banner Forces of Soviet Europe. [Krasnogo Znameni sily sovetskogo Yevrope]
Riegel Type 43 bar mines
_
German designed anti-vehicle mine, notorious for its instability, as wires were very prone to corrosion.
Riken Institute
_
Japanese National Scientific Research Institute, where their atomic bomb project was advanced.
Ritterkreuzträger
_
Knight's Cross holder.
RP-3
_
British air to ground rocket, as carried on aircraft like the Typhoon.