Thursday, June 25, 2020

Bf 109s of JG 53 vs RAF Hurricanes

On 12 August 1940, Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53) was tasked with carrying out a ‘Freie Jagd’ off Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight in support of Ju 88s of KG 51 that were attacking Portsmouth harbour and Ventnor radar station on the Isle of Wight. Leading 1./JG 53 was Hauptmann Hans-Karl Mayer, who was flying a Bf 109E-4 coded ‘White 8’. His Rottenflieger was Unteroffizier Heinrich Rühl in a Bf 109E-1 coded ‘White 10’. Flying at 8500 m, Mayer spotted three Hurricanes below attacking a lone Bf 110 at 1220 hrs, and although he quickly engaged the enemy fighters the Bf 110 pilot bailed out. Mayer selected the right Hurricane and Rühl the left, the former firing a total of 20 20 mm shells and 80 7.92 mm machine gun rounds into the RAF fighter, which immediately burst into flames and dived into the sea for what would be Mayer’s tenth victory of the war. Having already exhausted his supply of cannon shells, Rühl fired 200 machine gun rounds at his Hurricane, which then hit the sea in a gentle curve. Mayer now turned his attention to the remaining Hurricane, which had been engaged by the rest of his Staffel. This combat was not as one-sided, however, for his Bf 109E was hit six times. Mayer’s combat report noted; ‘After my first kill I flew back to the dogfight with the last remaining Hurricane against several aircraft of my Staffel. I immediately attacked and was able to open fire twice, and also received some hits myself. The damaged aircraft tried to escape in the direction of the coast but I stayed close to it, while my Staffel lost me in the haze. At first it made only slight evasive actions, and so I was able to get in several well-aimed bursts. The aircraft started emitting black smoke, went down in a shallow dive and disintegrated on impact.’ Mayer had achieved his second victory of the mission, firing ten cannon and 250 machine gun rounds at the Hurricane, which, after hitting the sea, sank immediately. Although it cannot be said for certain, it is believed that Mayer and Rühl accounted for Plt Off John Harrison, Acting Flt Lt Wilhelm Pankratz and Sgt Josef Kwiecinski of No 145 Sqn, all of whom were reported missing in action off the Isle of Wight at times that matched the three German claims.

Source :
Artwork by Mark Postlethwaite
"Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik-As' Bf 109 Aces of 1940" by Chris Goss

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Generalmajor Helmuth Strempel

Helmuth Strempel as an Oberstleutnant i.G. (im Generalstab) and Ia Erster Generalstabsoffizier 79. Infanterie-Division. In his neck he is wearing Ordinul Corona Romaneii Commander class, which he received on 27 February 1942 (MO No.50). It was awarded with 'Virtutea Militara' Ribbon, for 'hard work, skill and determination as liaison Officer alongside Romanian Army Corp's HQ'.

Source :
http://sylviolassance.blogspot.com/2015/08/strempel-helmuth-werner-2610190513081944.html
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/19299/Strempel-Helmuth.htm?c=aw

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Bio of Generalmajor Alfred Thomas (1890-1977)




Alfred Thomas joined the Royal Prussian Army on March 26, 1908 as a Fahnenjunker. The son of a bookseller, he came to the Samland Pioneer Battalion No. 18, where he was promoted to lieutenant on August 19, 1909. The seniority was determined on August 17, 1907. From October 1, 1911, he was moved to the Military Technical Academy until 1913. He then returned to the Samland Pioneer Battalion No. 18. At the beginning of World War I in early August 1914, he was appointed adjutant to the replacement battalion of his battalion. He was also used as an orderly officer in the Tilsit troop command. On January 27, 1915, he was promoted to first lieutenant. From May 1915, he was appointed as head of the 3rd company of the Samland Pioneer Battalion No. 18. On January 27, 1917, he was promoted to captain. As such, he became the pioneer captain of Generalkommando XXV from April 1, 1918. Reserve Corps deployed. In addition to the two iron crosses, he was also awarded other awards in the First World War. After the war, he was employed as a company commander in border guards from December 1918. Then he was taken over as a captain in the army in autumn 1919. He came as company commander to the Reichswehr Pionier Battalion 1. When the 100,000-man army of the Reichswehr was formed, he was taken over as company commander in the 1st (Prussian) pioneer battalion in Königsberg. He then held this position for three years. On June 10, 1921, he married Charlotte Perkuhn. On October 1, 1923, he was transferred as a fortress pioneer officer to the command of the Marienburg Fortress. From spring 1924 at the latest, he was commissioned to do business as a commander for over a year. In 1925/26 he was transferred to the command of the fortifications at Lötzen. There he was again used as a fortress pioneer officer for the next few years. On October 1, 1929, he was transferred to the Dresden Infantry School as a teacher for the next three years. There he was promoted to major on February 1, 1930. On October 1, 1932, he was appointed commander of the 4th Engineer Battalion in Magdeburg. As such, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel on April 1, 1934. He gave up his command at the end of September 1934. During the expansion of the Reichswehr to the Wehrmacht, he was appointed commander of the Dessau-Roßlau pioneer school on October 1, 1934. On January 1, 1936, he was promoted to colonel. He then remained in command of the pioneer school until mobilization for World War II in late summer 1939. On August 26, 1939, he handed it over to Colonel Kurt Dittmar. He himself has now been appointed Corps Pioneer Leader by the Saarland Palatinate General Command. By renaming his staff, he was appointed Corps Pioneer Leader by the General Command XXIV Army Corps in mid-September 1939. As such, he was promoted to major general on October 1, 1939. On November 1, 1939, he was appointed as commander of construction staff 7. With this he was now deployed to the 7th Army on the Western Front. At the end of March 1940 he gave up command of the upper building 7. From April 1, 1940 he was then deployed as Higher Pioneer Officer 3 in Munich. He remained in this position at the end of 1940. On November 1, 1942, he was discharged from the Wehrmacht because of "incapacitated".


Sources :
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/T/ThomasAlfredPio.htm
https://sammlermarkt-nord.net/shop/generalmajor-alfred-thomas-p-10267.html?language=en

Bio of Generalleutnant Ernst Seifert (1884-1946)



Ernst Richard Seifert
*15.09.1884 Wurzen / Sachsen
+05.09.1946 Heiligenhafen / Holstein

Vater: Karl Seifert, Rentier (+13.03.1897)
Mutter: Ernestine Seifert, geb. Lochmann (+29.09.1898)
09.03.1922 Heirat mit Gertrud von Kalkstein

18.08.1905 Leutnant mit Patent vom 26.04.1904 (G)
19.03.1913 Oberleutnant (U)
25.09.1914 Hauptmann (ohne Patent)
17.03.1915 Patent erhalten (D2d)
01.02.1922 neues RDA vom 24.12.1914 (30) erhalten
01.02.1927 Major (28)
01.04.1931 Oberstleutnant (16)
01.11.1933 Oberst (1)
01.01.1937 Generalmajor (5)
01.08.1938 Generalleutnant

22.03.1904 Eintritt ins Infanterieregiment 102
01.04.1910 Erzieher beim Kadettenkorps Dresden
09.08.1914 Kompanieführer
20.09.1916 stellvertretender Bataillonsführer
27.02.1917 Bataillonsführer
08.06.1918 Bataillonskommandeur
01.03.1919 Führer des Rekrutendepots der Grenzjägerbrigade 2
11.04.1919 Kompaniechef
27.09.1920 im Infanterieregiment 10
01.04.1924 Chef der 11. / Infanterieregiment 10 (Dresden) [laut Stellenbesetzung]
15.08.1924 im Stab des III. / Infanterieregiment 10 (Dresden)
01.07.1925 im Stab des Infanterieregiments 17 (Braunschweig)
01.02.1926 Chef der 4. / Artillerieregiment 5 (Ulm)
01.05.1927 Chef der 8. / Artillerieregiment 5 (Ludwigsburg) [laut Stellenbesetzung]
01.10.1927 Lehrer an der Infanterieschule (Dresden)
01.10.1929 Kommandeur des I. / Infanterieregiment 10 (Dresden)
01.02.1932 Kommandant von Dresden
01.04.1934 Leiter des Lehrgangs Ib an der Infanterieschule (Dresden)
01.02.1935 Lehrgangsleiter an der Kriegsschule Dresden [laut Stellenbesetzung]
15.10.1935 Kommandeur des Infanterieregiments 67 (Berlin)
01.02.1937 Kommandant von Berlin
25.11.1940 Führerreserve OKH (III)
10.12.1940 Kommandeur der 110. Infanteriedivision
24.01.1942 Führerreserve OKH (III)
01.05.1942 Inspekteur der Wehrersatzinspektion Hamburg

06.11.1940 Kriegsverdienstkreuz II.Klasse mit Schwertern
12.08.1941 1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
08.09.1941 1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
26.05.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)
01.09.1943 Kriegsverdienstkreuz I.Klasse mit Schwertern


Sources :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=207775
http://sylviolassance.blogspot.com/2015/10/seifert-ernst-1509188405091946.html

Thursday, June 11, 2020

Short Bio of Albert Stückler

 Albert Stückler when he was still in the Wehrmacht. He received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 14 October 1944 as SS-Sturmbannführer in 2. SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich".

Albert Stückler
SS-Obersturmbannführer der Waffen-SS

Born:    09.05.1913 in München / Bayern.
Died:    24.11.1996 in Freising.
NSDAP-Nr.:    [Not a member]
SS-Nr.:    [Not a member - Heer staff officer temporarily transferred for general staff duty to the Waffen-SS]

Promotions:
01.04.1935 Polizeileutnant (Landespolizei)
01.08.1935 Leutnant (Reichsheer; mit RDA vom 01.10.1934)
01.10.1937 Oberleutnant
01.10.1940 Hauptmann
01.11.1942 Major
01.08.1943 Major i. G. (per Christian Zweng, Dientstlaufbahn der Offiziere des Generalstabes des deutschen Heeres 1939-1945; Albert Stückler’s account gives 15.08.1943)
01.01.1944 SS-Sturmbannführer der Waffen-SS
01.11.1944 Oberstleutnant i. G.
01.12.1944 SS-Obersturmbannführer der Waffen-SS

Decorations & Awards:
14.10.1944 Kriegsorden des Deutschen Kreuzes in Gold as SS-Sturmbannführer and Ia 2.SS-Panzer-Division “Das Reich”, Eastern and Western Fronts (Based on a recommendation dated 27.09.1944 and signed by Div. Fhr. Otto Baum; An earlier [00.03.1942] recommendation for the award, for his service as a Hauptmann and Chef of a Sturmgeschütz-Kompanie of Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Großdeutschland” in Russia, was denied by higher authority)
03.08.1941 1939 Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse
20.04.1940 1939 Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse
14.03.1942 Panzerkampfabzeichen in Bronze
20.03.1942 Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Schwarz
13.08.1942 Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42”



Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=1715261#p1715261
https://www.valka.cz/Stueckler-Albert-t162654

Monday, June 1, 2020

Adolf Salie from Wiking Division

SS-Unterscharführer Adolf Salie from SS-Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 5 / 5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking". He took some of the most dramatic photographs to survive the Cherkassy Pocket (January-February 1944).


Source :
Douglas E. Nash photo collection
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10158489133169357&set=p.10158489133169357&type=3&theater