April 29th 1945
Hitler designated Donitz as his successor and was married to Eva Braun in his Berlin bunker.
The Reich Chancellery came under Russian artillery fire
An unconditional surrender was signed at Caserta by German Army Group Southwest commander in Italy, General Vietinghoff.
Theres more on this day for all the years but I’m off to play games
S.A.
April 30 1945
Hitler committed suicide along with his new wife, their bodies were doused with gasoline and burned by the Russians
Their bodies were burned by German troops, not by the Soviets.
Good to see activity in the WWII forum.
Evening Worsham. Hope you have been well.
Jackson was wounded today(2nd May) in 1863 of course. Keep well, have a good weekend and best wishes.
Today in 1942, Japanese forces invaded tulagi in the first part of Operation Mo. This would eventually result in the battle of the coral sea.
On May 3rd 1945 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe G: Albert Kesselring receives the “Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes” - Knights cross of Iron cross.
On May 3rd 1941,Dave Robinson was born.
Known as an American Football player (Linebacker) who made it to the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame in 1996.
He played for the Greenbay Packers and later on for Washington Redskins.
On the 14th June 1944(the day after Wittmann’s amazing one tank rout of the 7th Armour at Villers Bocage), an English Sergeant by the name of Wilfred Harris made his mark.
Commanding a 17lb Sherman Firefly in the 7th Dragoon Guards, he was at the village of Lingevres, near Tilly Sur Seulles in Normandy, when 2 Panthers appeared in his sights at 800m. He quickly dispatched both. He next moved to another part of the village and seeing 3 more Panthers knocked them out too. All 5 had been disabled with a single shot.
He was promoted after this and awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
He died in 1988.
@wittmann:
All 5 had been disabled with a single shot.
For a moment I thought you meant a single shot overall rather than a single shot per tank. I was going to ask what kind of advanced ammunition the Sherman Firefly was using. :lol: I couldn’t help thinking of those old low-budget westerns in which one of the besieged homesteaders / cavalrymen / whatever fires his rifle once, and the editor then cuts to a scene in which three of the attacking Indians fall off their horses.
A question: was this the action in which Wittmann’s 007 tank was destroyed? You mentioned in an earlier post that he was killed in an encounter with a Firefly.
Yes. He was leading his Company(5 tanks, not full strength 14) in an impossible mission. He had to buy time for Meyer commanding 12SS to construct some sort of second line of defence. The II Canadian XXX was about to break through and take Falaise, cutting off the failed German counterattack at Mortain. The Americans were almost at Le Mans in their deep rear.
He raced forward, fired upon by units to his front(no effect) and was knocked out along with the other 4 Tigers, by a concealed Firefly commanded by a Sgt Gordon, then when he was wounded, by his Troop commander, Lt Young.
It was during Operation Totalise.
Ah the Firefly, pretty much the sexiest thing on the battlefield.
Ah the Firefly, pretty much the sexiest thing on the battlefield.
With Betty Grable’s iconic pin-up photo running a close second. :-D
I beg to differ boys.
Just received my Osprey Duel: Jagdpanther vs SU 100.
Jagdpanther is the prettiest thing on the battlefield. I have thought that since I was a little boy!
@wittmann:
I beg to differ boys.
Just received my Osprey Duel: Jagdpanther vs SU 100.
Jagdpanther is the prettiest thing on the battlefield. I have thought that since I was a little boy!
I have always found fighter planes sexier than tanks.
The Stuka was my first love. Still is my favourite plane, especially after I discovered the tank busting G model.
I have probably misspoken saying how much I loved the Jagdpanther as a little boy. Thinking on it, I was older. Like you, planes were my thing.
@wittmann:
The Stuka was my first love. Still is my favourite plane, especially after I discovered the tank busting G model. I have probably misspoken saying how much I loved the Jagdpanther as a little boy. Thinking on it, I was older. Like you, planes were my thing.
For those occasions when it’s hard to decide if planes or tanks are more exciting, there’s the Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft, which was was nicknamed “the Flying Tank”. :-)
Marc, you are forgetting to whom you are talking: the Sturmovik is Russian.
Axis equipment rocks my boat!
On this day in 1942, the WAVES program started. It allowed women to serve in the reserves of the first time.
October 14th 1944, FM Erwin Rommel took poison rather than face a public trial for treason.
It is also the day in 1066 Harold Godwinson, King of England for nine months, died at the Battle of Hastings.
England would never be the same again.
@wittmann:
October 14th 1944, FM Erwin Rommel took poison rather than face a public trial for treason.
It is also the day in 1066 Harold Godwinson, King of England for nine months, died at the Battle of Hastings.
England would never be the same again.
That’s an interesting coincidence: Rommel and Harold II sharing a death date. Thanks for sharing that.
