by Griff Hosker
Buffalo
An American tracked amphibian which reached the -9th Armoured Division in August 1944. Water speed 5 knots, and speed11 mph. Shaped grousers on tracks provided water traction. Limited track mileage ashore; some light armour in front of driving cab. The Mark 2 had no ramp and could take 24 armed men; the Mark 4 had a stem ramp and could take a jeep, Bren carrier or 25-pounder field gun. The tracks gave the appearance and sound of a tank, but the LVT were much too vulnerable to be used as such. Maximum speeds: land, 25mph; sea, 51/2 knots.
Weasel
A light. unarmoured, tracked snow-mobile with very limited water performance. Its light track pressure gave a degree of immunity against land mines, but it was very slow and unseaworthy in water and should not have been classed as an amphibian. Issued to the 52nd (Lowland) Division for mountain training in Scotland, it was found to have reasonable cross-country ability in skilled hands, but the steep dunes south of Westkapelle were too much for it.
DUKW - initials from maker’s code pronounced ‘duck’
An American six-wheeled load carrying amphibian. Water speed 6 knots, land speed 50mph. Unarmoured but very handy and seaworthy afloat.
Terrapin
British-built eight-wheeled load carrying amphibian, which appeared in the latter part of 1944. Generally considered inferior to the DUKW.
Kangaroo
Source: File:IWM-BU-2956-Ram-Kangaroo-Ochtrup-19450403.jpg - https://en.wikipedia.org
It was a Captain Rewcastle and his men who captured the 26 Germans in their dugout. It happened almost exactly as I described it. It was the first action of the attack on Flushing. Major Boucher-Myers did lead the advance party of Commandos. I used Lieutenant Colonel Moulton’s book to help me. He was in command of 48 Commando. As he wrote his book shortly after the battle I have taken it as an accurate source of information. The style of the book does not lend itself to reading but it is very factual. You can tell it was written by someone used to writing reports and not a novelist. It is worth reading to get the minutiae of battle. In the actual battle the Commandos managed to turn a 75 mm around to attack the troublesome hotel. The attacks on the W7 battery is fictitious as is the murder of the Commandos. The 6th Parachute Regiment were present. There is a good account of the battle at the Combined services website. https://www.combinedops.com/Walcheren.htm under the title of the actual operation: Operation Infatuate.
The street which leads along the breakwater in Flushing is now called Commandoweg. It is good to know that they have not forgotten the sacrifices the Commandos made in 1944. There are many streets in Antwerp and Boom also named after the men who led the forces in 1944. Colonel Silvertop has a street in Boom named after him.
Source: File: HMS Warspite, Indian Ocean 1942.jpg - https://en.wikipedia.org
Battle of the Bulge (UK -Battle of the Ardennes)
King Tiger
Weight 68.5 tonnes (67.4 long tons; 75.5 short tons) (early turret) 69.8 tonnes (68.7 long tons; 76.9 short tons) (production turret)
Length 7.38 metres (24 ft 3 in) (hull) 10.286 metres (33 ft 9 in) (with gun forward)
Width 3.755 metres (12 ft 4 in)
Height 3.09 metres (10 ft 2 in)
Crew 5 (commander, gunner, loader, radio operator, driver)
Armour 25–185 mm (1–7 in)
Main armament 1× 8.8 cm KwK 43 L/71 “Porsche” turret: 80 rounds
Secondary armament 2× 7.92 mm Maschinengewehr 345,850 rounds
Engine V-12 Maybach HL 230 P30gasoline 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)
Power/weight 10 PS (7.5 kW) tonne (8.97 hptonne)
Transmission Maybach OLVAR EG 40 12 16 B (8 forward and 4 reverse)
Suspension torsion-bar
Ground clearance 495 to 510 mm (1 ft 7.5 in to 1 ft 8.1 in)
Fuel capacity 860 litres (190 imp gal)
Operational range Road: 170 km (110 mi) Cross country: 120 km (75 mi)
Speed Maximum, road: 41.5 km/h (25.8 mph) Sustained, road: 38 km/h (24 mph) Cross country: 15 to 20 km/h (9.3 to 12.4 mph)
Source: File:SdKfz182.jpg - https://en.wikipedia.org
Sherman as used by the 11th Armoured Division
Source: File:Shermantielt 28-10-2008 18-10-52.JPG - https://en.wikipedia.org
Cutaway of a Sherman tank.
M4A4 Sherman Cutaway:
1 - Lifting ring, 2 - Ventilator, 3 - Turret hatch, 4 – Periscope, 5 – Turret hatch race, 6 – Turret seat, 7 – Gunner’s seat, 8 – Turret seat, 9 – Turret, 10 – Air cleaner, 11 – Radiator filler cover, 12 – Air cleaner manifold, 13 – Power unit, 14 – Exhaust pipe, 15 – Track idler, 16 – Single water pump, 17 – Radiator, 18 – Generator, 19 – Rear propeller shaft, 20 – Turret basket, 21 – Slip ring, 22 – Front propeller shaft, 23 – Suspension bogie, 24 – Transmission, 25 – Main drive sprocket, 26 – Driver’s seat, 27 – Machine gunner’s seat, 28 – 75 mm gun, 29 – Drivers hatch, 30 – M1919A4 machine gun.
Jagdpanther
Source: File:Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther 1.jpg - https://en.wikipedia.org
Just to give an idea of size-top is a Sherman, then a Tiger and finally a Jagdpanther. They are all the same scale and are my collection. Sadly I do not have one of a King Tiger. You will just have to use your imagination! It is bigger than the Tiger!
The incident with a Greyhound destroying a King Tiger with three shells is a fact. It happened at St. Vith. Colonel Devine and Colonel Cavender were real people. I have fictionalised some of their achievements but Colonel Devine did hold the German advance up for a day. The German paratroopers were not as effective as the High Command expected. Like the British at Arnhem and the Americans in Normandy, they were spread over a wide area. They still caused a large number of casualties and massive disruption. The massacres of the soldiers at Malmedy and Wereth happened as did the torture of the Afro American soldiers. Many soldiers escaped the massacre at Malmedy and it was they who told their comrades. It meant that the Germans were less likely to be taken prisoner and more likely to be shot in combat.
Kampfgruppe Peiper which was spearheaded by the 1st S.S. were the most successful. It was they who captured the fuel dump. It was they who almost made it to Dinant. They might have succeeded had the supplies drop they requested been dropped in the right place butSS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Mohnke decided that Peirper’s coordinates were wrong and the supplies were landed behind American lines! They were not as efficient as they thought they were. Eventually the Germans ran out of fuel and ammunition. Kampfgruppe Peiper abandoned their vehicles and made their own way back to Germany.
The siege at Bastogne is famous and does not need me to tell my readers how brave and resilient the airborne defenders were. What is less well known is the fact that the defence of the Elsenborn ridge was the factor which saved Antwerp and therefore stopped the German Offensive.
The 106th Division suffered the greatest number of casualties in one unit. Between 7-8,000 men were either killed or captured.
The weather played into the German hands and it was only when the skies cleared the American Air Force and R.A.F could send in their aeroplanes. Even so it was still a close run thing. The narrow roads and the extensive forests did not help the Allies. It also hurt the Germans. A single wrecked tank could block a road. This happened on numerous occasions.
The German offensive did not end when their initial attack stalled. On January 1st Hitler sent another Division to attack in the south and he almost succeeded. General Bradley had to send the men who had just beaten off the first offensive to help them. At the same time the Luft3waffe bombed and attacked allied airfields. It was a Pyrrhic victory. They stopped Allied Air cover but they were destroyed themselves in the process. As the Allies could replace all of their losses in a couple of weeks it was one of the costliest mistakes Hitler ever made.
The Battle of the Bulge or Battle of the Ardennes as the British called it was the last serious offensive in the west. For the next few months, until their defeat in April, the Germans were just trying to stop the
Allies. This was the beginning of the end.
Reference Books used
The Commando Pocket Manual 1949-45- Christopher Westhorp
The Second World War Miscellany-Norman Ferguson
Army Commandos 1940-45- Mike Chappell
Military Slang-Lee Pemberton
World War II-Donald Sommerville
The Historical Atlas of World War II-Swanston and Swanston
Griff Hosker March 2017
Other books
by
Griff Hosker
If you enjoyed reading this book, then why not read another one by the author?
Ancient History
The Sword of Cartimandua Series (Germania and Britannia 50A.D. – 128 A.D.)
Ulpius Felix-Roman Warrior (prequel)
Book 1 The Sword of Cartimandua
Book 2 The Horse Warriors
Book 3 Invasion Caledonia
Book 4 Roman Retreat
Book 5 Revolt of the Red Witch
Book 6 Druid’s Gold
Book 7 Trajan’s Hunters
Book 8 The Last Frontier
Book 9 Hero of Rome
Book 10 Roman Hawk
Book 11 Roman Treachery
Book 12 Roman Wall
The Aelfraed Series (Britain and Byzantium 1050 A.D. - 1085 A.D.
Book 1 Housecarl
Book 2 Outlaw
Book 3 Varangian
The Wolf Warrior series (Britain in the late 6th Century)
Book 1 Saxon Dawn
Book 2 Saxon Revenge
Book 3 Saxon England
Book 4 Saxon Blood
Book 5 Saxon Slayer
Book 6 Saxon Slaughter
Book 7 Saxon Bane
Book 8 Saxon Fall: Rise of the Warlord
Book 9 Saxon Throne
The Dragon Heart Series
Book 1 Viking Slave
Book 2 Viking Warrior
Book 3 Viking Jarl
Book 4 Viking Kingdom
Book 5 Viking Wolf
Book 6 Viking War
Book 7 Viking Sword
Book 8 Viking Wrath
Book 9 Viking Raid
Book 10 Viking Legend
Book 11 Viking Vengeance
Book 12 Viking Dragon
Book 13 Viking Treasure
Book 14 Viking Enemy
Book 15 Viking Witch
Bool 16 Viking Blood
The Norman Genesis Series
Rolf
Horseman
The Battle For a Home
Revenge of the Franks
The Land of the Northmen
The Anarchy Series England 1120-1180
English Knight
Knight of the Empress
Northern Knight
Baron of the North
Earl
King Henry’s Champion
The King is Dead
Warlord of the North
Enemy at the Gate
Warlord’s War
Kingmaker
Henry II
Modern History
The Napoleonic Horseman Series
Book 1 Chasseur a Cheval
Book 2 Napoleon’s Guard
Book 3 British Light Dragoon
Book 4 Soldier Spy
Book 5 1808: The Road to Corunna
Waterloo
The Lucky Jack American Civil War series
Rebel Raiders
Confederate Rangers
The Road to Gettysburg
The British Ace Series
1914
1915 Fokker Scourge
1916 Angels over the Somme
1917 Eagles Fall
1918 We will remember them
Combined Operations series 1940-1945
Commando
Raider
Behind Enemy Lines
Dieppe
Toehold in Europe
Sword Beach
Breakout
The Battle for Antwerp
King Tiger
Other Books
Carnage at Cannes (a thriller)
Great Granny’s Ghost (Aimed at 9-14-year-old young people)
Adventure at 63-Backpacking to Istanbul
For more information on all of the books then please visit the author’s web site at http://www.griffhosker.com where there is a link to contact him.