What have you learned about WW2 recently?

Owen, I'd swear that was wrong regarding Crete!


AFAIK, with the German garrison on the verge of starvation into 1944...supply ships stopped coming with any frequency through 1943...and the Cretans well over the edge of starvation! - the Germans mounted FOUR massive "anti-partisan sweeps" in 1944 that were actually nothing more than glorified looting raids!

With everything they gathered up, they withdrew the whole garrison into an enclave with its back to the sea at Chania...there the local Andartes, and the ELAS fighters from the east of the island, rapidly settled down to beseige them. And occasionally fought each other too...!

(Hey, it's crete! Nothing like a little bit of recreational combat!)

Now - AFAIK the BLOs on the island took the surrender of the German garrison after some time, but the garrison ON PAROLE was allowed to withdraw into a peninsula that became a glorified POW pen, but they were allowed to run it themselves...and the British kept the locals away from them!

IIRC there's some discussion of all this in George Psycoundakis' legendary "The Cretan Runner"...

 

My "recent discovery" is going to be somewhat controversial, I know...

Doing more research on the Sealion invasion threat period, I discovered that the Royal Navy's nightime destoyer and coastal patrols intercepted a German mining operation in August...but missed SEVEN of them in September!

Not only that - some of the nightly patrols were off the minelayers' home ports...

There were two-nightly patrols off Dover looking for minelaying operations...and FIVE of the successful operations were in that area!

The destroyers on patrol off Cherbourg and Le Havre had their ASDICS set on "hydrophone" to detect s-boats...and several of the minelaying flotillas that got past them contained s-boats!

In that same September period - the RN's destroyers off Cherbourg and Le Havre ALSO missed several movements of slower, converted German minelayers into those ports in readiness for Sealion.

I was very suprised that the RN's destroyer patrol regime had proved to be so ineffectual.

 

My wow factor is getting to know all you lads and lasses on here its like being back in the services with all the banter and the help and encouragement. Then there is the information on here I. Pop on for five minutes and hours have passed thanks to you guys and the links you put on here Your knowledge and your willingness to share it with us novices is a selfless thing to do Thank you.

 

I learned that the codebreakers at Bletchley Park wouldn't (at first) reveal their secrets to the Americans after the USA entered the war, because they didn't completely trust them, and relations between the two countries were sour for a short while because of it.

 

Hi,

I had heard that Churchill felt the British were bringing much more to the table since they were ahead of the Americans at codebreaking early on and that is why he felt justified in holding back some information.

 

At the time Britain didn't have much negotiating leverage so Churchill had to play the few cards he had.

 

One thing I have learned about ww2 recently is how little I actually know about ww2

Ron

 

From Jacky Hyam's brilliant new book 'Bomb Girls', a few things:

1. That munitions factories were open 24/7.

2. If the powder from factories got into your hair, it would change colour: blondes and gingers would go green and people with black hair would suddenly find it red!

3. Spam salad was considered a delicacy.

Definitely recommend the book, really interesting interviews with former "bomb girls" - all about their lives in various factories, as well as insights into daily life. Absolutely fascinating.

 

I discovered recently, after months of research into the Glider Pilot Regiment, that the 1st British Airborne were active on my doorstep and I had no idea!

I had occasion to drive into Harlaxton Manor to drop someone off, and as I circled a large stone in the back courtyard I was delighted to see the pegasus.......

Such a beautiful setting .........It is now the home of an American College.

 

I've been researching properties used / owned by the Holiday Fellowship in the 1930s / 40s and stumbled upon the U-boat Hotel at Grizedale Hall which I thought was a fascinating story. http://www.bbm.org.uk/GrizedaleHall.htm

You searched for Grizedale - Battle of Britain Monument

 

I learned that the Germans banned potato peelers as part of the rationing and them not wanting anything wasted! I read that somewhere, I forget where now, but I wonder if its actually true?!

 

During the course of the war, Hitler executed 84 German generals, and another 135 generals were killed in action.

 

That the invasion of Crete (operation mercury) was the first mainly airborne invasion of WWII, and the last (due to the initial butt whipping they recieved before they captured an airfield and brought in massive reinforcements)

That it was first time a civilian population fought the invaders en-masse

That it was first time the deciphered german enigma code was used and had considerable effect for the allies.

That the allies, impressed by the German paratroopers began to assemble their own large airborne invasion units.

The battle lasted 10 days

 

After my most recent read of A Glorious Way to Die, the Japanese battleship, Yamato carried so much looted whiskey from Singapore that it was believed by the crew that were she to sink, "fish would become drunk for miles around".

Also she, like many British capitol ships used a watertight bulkhead running the length of the ship at the center line, and this design was considered as a major drawback in her last battle as it made her vulnerable to taking too much water on one side. At one point during the battle a bridge officer actually gleefully encouraged a torpedo to strike the lighter damaged side so as to even the ships list.

 

It would be the last voyage of the Yamato and to this end she carried fuel oil for a one way trip.

Perhaps the the whisky was to fortify the ship's compliment....wasn't it her first and only commission ?

I was looking at the allegation that German POWs died in their millions while in postwar captivity.I think that it stems from the holding arrangements immediately after the war when German POWs were held in the open, on the right bank of the Rhine south of the Cologne/Bonn area.

The accusation came out of a documentary well over 10 years ago and it was stated that these POWs were being held to the orders of Eisenhower. It was counter claimed that while there were deaths at these "open to the elements" camps,the death rate was nowhere near to the claims.The highest death rate for German POWs occurred in Russian hands,while the death rate of Russian POWs was much the higher in German hands....some might say the death rates approached genocidal proportions.

 

The looted whiskey and scotch was for officers only, and from what I read generally the higher ranked officers. Sake was also in generous quantity for lower ranks and a well lubricated party was authorized for all hands during their "last meal" aboard. Survivors report multiple accounts of below deck personnel who for the last battle were three sheets to the wind. Mostly these were in the non-combat/control ranks (cooks, stores men) but at least one member of the black gang was curled up into a ball with sake bottles arraigned around him.

 

I have learned a lot since a had a great talk with my Dad.

My Dad was 9 years old when his brother was KIA at Arnhem (1944). Official he is missing, because he has no grave with a name on the headstone.
My Dad told me that not knowing what happend, where the remains are is the worse thing that could happen to him and his mother.

And so are there mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters all around the world.

Greetings

Tanja

 

During August/September 1944 the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment at Beaulieu were using a Fairey Barrauda Mk II to carry under-wing 'Cuda' containers.

The containers were designed to hold two paratroopers who were to be dispatched, armed to the teeth, by the pilot via trap doors in the containers. Apparently live drops were made; but the whole process was so traumatic it was not used operationally - really, what a surprise!

The photos in the book I'm reading show the containers to be about the size of a small, single wardrobe.