Hi all, Just looking for information and associations with the Battle for Bremen in April 1945 All the best, Rm. (Thread work in progress just at the mo. put please feel free to add any info or associations that you may have!)
The Battle for Bremen in April 1945 - Links A Short History of the 8th Armoured Brigade: The Crossing of the Rhine to VE day: http://www.warlinks....d/chapter_6.php 51st Highland Division (Victory in Europe April - May 1945) - Victory in Europe, April - May 1945 | 51st Highland Division The Royal Scots Regiment: (Battle Honour for Bremen) : http://www.theroyalscots.co.uk/page/colours-battle-honours Western Allied Invasion of Germany : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Allied_invasion_of_Germany Crossing the Elbe : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wester...st_Army_Group_crosses_the_Elbe_.2829_April.29 Doug Burdon, Forward Observation signaler's accounts of around Bremen on BBC WW2 People's war : BBC - WW2 People's War - 'Fire Orders' Chapter 19b 2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles - The Approach to Bremen : 2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles in WW2: 18th April - Approach to Bremen WW2talk threads Royal Ulsters - what was happening in April 1945: Royal Ulsters - What was happening in April 1945? Kattenturm Bridge: Kattenturm Bridge The Sherwood Rangers in April 1945 : The Sherwood Rangers in April 1945 The Battle of Cloppenburg in April 1945 : The Battle of Cloppenburg - Lower Saxony - April 1945 8th Armoured Brigade, Tank Casualties, 1945 : 8th Armoured Brigade, Tank Casualties, 1945 Maps Some maps of the NWE campaign: http://www.westpoint...an theater.aspx Operation Forrard On - Part 3 by Ramiles posted Mar 21, 2015 at 11:33 AM Books An Englishman at War - The Wartime Diaries of Stanley Christopherson DSO MC : By Stanley Christopherson, James Holland : Englishman at War Monty's Marauders - Patrick Delaforce : Monty’s Marauders
The Battle for Bremen in April 1945 - Events Friday 13th April 1945 Nearing Bremen, allied attacks on Brinkum, Leeste, Erichshof (villages near Stuhr) History of the Warwickshire Regiment : The History of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment Monday 16th April 1945 The 5th Battalion The Black Watch was reported to be just short of Delmenhorst : http://www.rememberi...ctory-in-Europe Wednesday 18th April 1945 The town of Stuhr is taken by the allies amidst land flooded by the Germans south of Bremen. "C" squadron SRY were with 2nd Lincolns at Stuhr. "They fought long and well, starting at first light, battling throughout the day, and not completing their task until the first few hours of daylight the next day" : 2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles in WW2: 18th April - Approach to Bremen Thursday 19th April 1945 Sgt. Wheeler (SRY) dashed into an enemy position and engaged 200 Germans with revolver and hand grenades to win the DCM SRY KIA on this date: Lieutenant ELMORE, JOHN DENIS* : http://www.cwgc.org/...ORE, JOHN DENIS Trooper HARKNESS, CHARLES EDWARD WATERSTONE : http://www.cwgc.org/...WARD WATERSTONE Trooper MILES, DENIS ROY : http://www.cwgc.org/...ILES, DENIS ROY * Lieutenant Elmore was a childhood friend of Stuart Hills (SRY) - the writer of "By Tank into Normandy". Friday 20th April 1944 Lt. R.Hyde's troop of "B" squadron SRY cut the main road to Bremen, whilst German gunboats in Bremen harbour shelled the SRY. Saturday 21st April 1945 Delmenhurst is taken by the allies. 152 Brigade (51st Highland Div) fought a hard engagement at Ganderkese on the 20th and 21st April see: Victory in Europe, April - May 1945 | 51st Highland Division Sunday 22nd April 1945 Heavy allied air bombing of Bremen. Tuesday 24th April 1945 Across the Elbe "A" Squadron SRY supporting the 5th Wiltshires involved in street fighting in Bremen and "B" Squadron SRY with the 4th Wiltshires into Osterholz and Hastedt. "C" squadron SRY were apparently with the 7th Somersets attacking the main German HQ in Bremen in the Park. Nb. 4th Wiltshires - Bn relieved by CDN recce and moves to LANGWEDEL (9887) in readiness for drive on BREMEN : http://www.thewardro...es/detail/19225 Assault on Kattenturm by the Royal Ulster Rifles : 2nd Battalion Royal Ulster Rifles in WW2: 24th to 25th April 1945 - Assault on Kattenturm Wednesday 25th April 1945 5th Wiltshire - preparing for attack on Bremen : http://www.thewardro...es/detail/20009 Thursday 26th April 1945 5th Wiltshire - detail - http://www.thewardro...es/detail/20010 SRY KIA on this date: Trooper HARRIS, ARTHUR : http://www.cwgc.org/.../HARRIS, ARTHUR Friday 27th April 1945 General Becker, the garrison Commander of Bremen was taken captive by Lt. Talbot's troop of "B" squadron SRY. Stiff fighting was experienced on the eastern outskirts but once the town had been entered resistance crumbled and by the 27th the whole town was in allied hands. Nb. 4th Wiltshires - "D and B Coys move fwd to occupy area of rly (7201). D Coy capture garrison comd of BREMEN, General SIBER and his staff in the military barracks at 734005. Other notable captures were the Nazi Bishop of BREMEN and Vice-Admiral UTZE who was in comd of the ferry services along the R. WESER. Later on in the day a further 80 offrs and men were rounded up in the military barracks. During this 48 hrs action approx 600 PW were sent back to PW cage." : http://www.thewardro...es/detail/19228 5th Wiltshires - detail : http://www.thewardro...es/detail/20011 Saturday 28th April 1945 5th Wiltshires - detail : http://www.thewardro...es/detail/20012 Sunday 29th April 1945 Stalag X-B nr. Sandbostel just north of Bremen is liberated by the British Armed Forces of XXX Corps following fighting with the German 15th Panzergrenadier-Division (conditions were so bad, they referred to the Stalag Sandbostel as "Little Belsen") http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Stalag_X-B 5th Wiltshires - detail : http://www.thewardro...es/detail/20013 Monday 30th April 1945 SRY involved in minor action in the capture of Bucholz where Sgt Webbs tank was hit by a Panzerfaust which luckily hit the extra track plate welded to the front. "C" squadron SRY supported the Devons into Harpstedt where they lost tanks on mines, while "B" squadron SRY were at Hastedt. Suicide of Adolf Hitler in his bunker during the Battle of Berlin.
Got to say had some real pleasure in this "find" Victory Parade at Bremerhaven: 12th May 1945 http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/21284 Image Watercolour - made 1945-5-12 by Edward Raymond Payne A view looking down on a street hung with allied flags, from a bomb damaged building. A row of soldiers wearing Scotch Bonnets and black berets stand on the balcony below, also looking down towards the street. They watch a procession of Sherman tanks driving by, crew members standing in salute and the road lined with Marines. Though I did for a split second wonder why there were so many French in their berets looking over the victory parade in Bremerhaven (!!!) Rm.
Ramiles, You may wish to look at this thread by Brian (Sapper) one of our resident Veterans who was actually there. http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/18565-kattenturm-bridge/?hl=%2Bbremen+%2Bsapper Regards Tom
German documentary : Bremen '45 - Erbitterter Widerstand (Bremen'45 - Fierce Resistance) On August 18, 1944 launched the Royal Airforce one of its 174 air raids on Bremen, which was to last 23 minutes. After the west of Bremen was almost completely in ruins, more than 1,000 city residents died in the attack. The flight crew was after about 5 hours back at home base, with an average of 20 aircraft did not return. The psychological pressure on the crew was great, it was not rare that a pilot landed with a machine full of dead men. A Commander of the Pathfinder Force, which reported the goal the following bombers wrote in his diary: "The machine-gun holes, the glass domes and the wide-open bomb doors made us a target for the fatal bullets." In the last days before the capture of the city, the RAF flew almost continuously bombing. The Senate of Bremen strove indeed a bloodless surrender of the city, but the commander Becker tried to defend the city maintain. On April 20, she was finally surrounded by British and Scottish infantry divisions. The residents were given an ultimatum to surrender in 24 hours. On April 21, the British military Becker warned again on the phone in vain before the coming attacks. After a further 6 days airstrikes and fierce artillery fire by British troops, the garrison capitulated under Becker finally on 27 April. A month later, on May 20, 1945, the Americans take over officially the government. 02:24 Interview Carl Wilhelm Kaisen (continued at 10:13, 19:02, 23:50, 40:43) 5:31 Charles Augustus Lindbergh 1933 visited Bremen 07:07 preparation and the Royal Airforce in the air raid on Bremen on August 18, 1944 14:06 surrender of the garrison under Becker on April 27, 1945 in the command bunker 14:26 surrender of the German North-Western Army under Field Marshal Busch on 3 May before Montgomery 15:27 Admiral Doenitz in Flensburg 16:36 connecting rod ready takeover Hamburg ago 17:47 takeover Bremen by the Americans on May 20, 1945 25:02 masses former German soldiers of the occupiers "Surrendered Enemy Personnel" (enemy personnel) are called 26:01 Heavy destroyed Bremen Airport 26:44 Bremen's harbor 28:53 History of the Bremen Harbour 30:19 First newsreels in 1945, producing by the Allies 39:31 Destroyed ships in ports 42:08 flight over damaged Bremen
Re, the Battle for Bremen I have this too, written by my grandfather at/near the time... For_Bremen by Ramiles posted Jan 5, 2017 at 9:33 PM 7880500 Sgt.B.Symes Sherwood Rangers B.L.A. …for Bremen. We were outside there for a fortnight and then crossed the Weser and went in. One of our tank commanders captured the G.O.C.Bremen. We sat in Bremen a few days and then moved against the nice little lot we had been up against even in Normandy 15th Panzer Lehr Div. We were in the middle of the peninsular going towards Bremerhaven when the All Clear went. Now we are going to Hanover. It should be good there, bags of spit and polish of course but after all this time in the filth I embrace any bit of cleanliness… Albeit I can't (I think) really make sense (just at the mo.) of the 15th Panzer Lehr Div. bit of it (in the SRY letter above) as... Panzer Lehr Division - Wikipedia & Battle of Hamburg (1945) - Wikipedia Plus even 15th Panzer Division (Wehrmacht) - Wikipedia Or: 15th Panzergrenadier Division (Wehrmacht) - Wikipedia Though this might be down to fog of war or contemporary confusion (at that time) as to who or what was there facing them??? All the best, Rm.
This is an extract from my history of 92nd (Loyals) LAA Regiment, Royal Artillery, which was part of 3rd British Infantry Division. At the end of March 1945, after crossing the Rhine, the regiment was concentrated at Rees ... Now 3rd Division launched an all-out drive north-east to capture Bremen, Germany’s second port. With air attacks only sporadic, 12 three-ton lorries were detached from 92nd LAA and used to form a troop-carrying platoon to assist 185 Brigade’s advance. The greater part of the regiment and the towed guns remained behind at Rees and only RHQ and the three self-propelled gun troops – attached to the field regiments – accompanied 3rd Division in its pursuit towards the River Weser. These left Rees on April 1 and advanced north via Werth and Haldern, then just within the Dutch frontier, passing through Lichtenvoorde and Enschede. Here, delighted crowds lined the road to cheer the troops on. But when the convoy re-entered Germany near Nordhorn on April 3, there was no such welcome, only a sullen acceptance of defeat. ‘The contrast was very great,’ the war diary noted. For the most part, German resistance was collapsing. ‘It was now one advance after another,’ said Len Harvey. ‘We knew we were winning. The Germans had no more fight left in them – they were just giving themselves up. Their Home Guard, the Volkssturm, threw their weapons down and surrendered.’ On April 4, troops of 185 Brigade in assault boats crossed the Dortmund-Ems canal under fire and started moving on Lingen. The 92nd moved up to defend the bridges over the canal and the River Ems, and over the next two days the gunners were caught up in a ferocious battle with the Luftwaffe. On the 4th, they fought off waves of up to 15 FW 190s and ME 190s which made strafing and bombing runs as ‘heavy and accurate’ mortar fire stopped deployment of the Bofors on the east bank of the canal. Next day, moving on to the Sudlohn area, more than a dozen ME 109s and FW 190s made machine-gun and skip-bombing attacks – one ME 109 and one FW 190 being shot down. Between April 4 and 6, the total kill was five enemy aircraft, plus one probable. April 8 saw the regiment concentrated at Hungarian Barracks, Lingen. The following day, after moving through Rheine to Haldem, the 92nd started advancing with 3rd Division directly on Bremen. An FW 190 and an ME 109 were shot down as they machine-gunned the regimental area at Schwarforden on the 12th. On April 15, with the 92nd at Apelstadt, 1,000 rounds were fired in support of 8 Brigade’s attack on Brinkum. Two days later, advance parties moved on to Bassum, Stuhren and Melchiorshausen and ammunition dumping started for an artillery bombardment to support 3rd Division’s drive to capture the sector of Bremen south of the River Weser. Just before midnight on the 24th, the barrage opened – with the 92nd targeting two stretches of road in the Kattenturm area and the city’s airfield. As well as using its Bofors, the regiment also brought its captured German 88mm gun to bear. In addition, a Bofors was sited on heights outside the city and ranged across at the Weser, in case the Germans tried to send in submarines from further up the estuary. Like the Rhine bombardment, the rate of fire was staggering. Through the early hours of the 25th, the regiment’s batteries used up 36,000 rounds – equivalent to 37 and a half lorryloads of ammunition. The guns of 319 needed seven new barrels. By that evening, organised resistance in Bremen was collapsing and ‘prisoners testified in no uncertain terms as to the effect of sustained Bofors fire in an area shoot’. Four days later, the 92nd moved to Delmenhorst, west of Bremen, where 62 captured enemy AA guns and 33 panzerfaust anti-tank weapons were destroyed. A sentry of 317 shot a German air force unteroffizier who acted suspiciously after being challenged. On Thursday May 3, the Bofors were fired in anger for the last time, when D Troop sank two enemy boats on the Weser and blasted a signal station on the far bank of the river. Next day, the Germans in North West Europe surrendered and the order went out to 3rd Division: ‘Cancel all offensive operations forthwith and cease fire 0800 hours May 5.’
