Hi all, Sorry for raising another potential "pub quiz" question - but I'm sure now someone has the fast track to the "correct" reply Saturday 18th November 1944 http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/57219-operation-clipper-geilenkirchen-and-the-sry-november-1944/ Apparently on this date the SRY are "thought" to have been the first British regiment to have attacked the Siegfried Line in 1944. Losses were suffered on both sides and the SRY were shelled day and night from the German lines. Does any other British regiment "claim" to have been the first British regiment to have attacked the Siegfried Line in 1944 ? I'm wondering if this: An SAS jeep manned by Sergeant Schofield and Trooper Jeavons of 1st SAS near Geilenkirchen, Germany, 18 November 1944. http://ww2talk.com/f...n-nwe/?p=665592 IS suggestive that this "accolade" might also be claimed by the 1st SAS ??? If so though : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Special_Air_Service#1944 Has a "big gap" here for the "potential" achievement of the 1st SAS: "Also in August, men from 2nd SAS operated from forest bases in the Rennes area in conjunction with the resistance. Air resupply was plentiful and the resistance cooperated, which resulted in carnage. The 2nd SAS operated from the Loire through to the forests of Darney to Belfort in just under six weeks.[25] Near the end of the year men from 2nd SAS were parachuted into Italy, to work with the Italian resistance in Operation Tombola, where they remained until Italy was liberated.[26] At one point, four groups were active deep behind enemy lines laying waste to airfields, attacking convoys and derailing trains. Towards the end of the campaign, Italian guerrillas and escaped Russian prisoners were enlisted into an ‘Allied SAS Battalion’ which struck at the German main lines of communications" Any one know the numbers of 1st SAS at Gilenkirchen on 18th November 1944 - or what speciafically there were tasked there to do (or a good reference to that effect?) If "The SAS were involved at this time in clearing snipers in the 43rd Wessex Division area." was this their usual role? If so why go about with red/maroon hats wouldn't it have been better to be a bit less conspicuous and dress like a :ph34r: ??? All the best, Rm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_Line#Clashes Doesn't even mention the "British" - apart from during WW1 When asked about the Siegfried Line, General George S. Patton reportedly said "Fixed fortifications are monuments to man's stupidity." (Still seems to have caused a few problems though ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_H%C3%BCrtgen_Forest To quote from which: Hürtgen was so costly that it has been called an Allied "defeat of the first magnitude", with specific credit being assigned to Model. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_H%C3%BCrtgen_Forest#Historical_Analysis Now I'm wondering what "Monty" would have said
I'm wondering if the 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment might also be a contender for the first British regiment to have attacked the Siegfried Line in 1944 ? With its also having Geilenkirchen in here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worcestershire_Regiment#Battle_honours And on the map below "Tripsrath" is slightly off the north of Geilenkirchen, Geilenkirchen by Ramiles posted Mar 17, 2015 at 6:14 PM [sharedmedia=gallery:images:28081] By the way, looking at this map: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_Line#/media/File:Karte_westwall.png Suggests that the Germans were "worried that an attack from the west" might come slightly through Switzerland (as they are defending a bit of the Swiss border with a part of the Siegfried line down there. I'd love to have known what Churchill would have thought about "nipping around the Siegfried line through Switzerland" and avoiding to have to fight through it. A lot of lives potentially might have been saved for the allies that way I think if I were Churchill I would at least have firmly asked the Swiss to "consider this" as an idea Rm.
