Kampfgruppen

[Subdeacon Joe]

Joe Lovell

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WW2 Colourised Photos

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This particular photo is a fine example of showing the ease with which German units fused together into Kampfgruppen during Operation Market Garden in September, 1944.

Here an officer of probably Waffen SS Division Hohenstaufen takes charge of a unit consisting of troops of the Luftwaffe, Heer and Police, an exotic combination at least.

The official caption only reads: “Schlacht um Arnheim (…) Zu den rasch zusammengefasste Deutsche Kräften, die gegen die gelandeten Truppen eingesetzt werden, gehören Grenadiere des Heeres, Männer der Polizei, Fallschirmjäger und SS-Panzergrenadiere.”

The location was unknown. The photo is much used in books on the battle because it illustrates the diversity of German troops quite well, and thus the German improvisational abilities. The details in the background have often led to wrong conclusions.

The scene was often wrongly placed at the railway yard in Arnhem, because of the visible overhead lines. It turns out that it is not Arnhem, but a city further south: the photo was taken in the Keizer Lodewijkplein (nowadays the Trajanusplein) in Nijmegen! The trees in the background are in the Hunnerpark.

We are looking northwest, the Waal bridge is behind the trees. The SS Hauptsturmführer, identifiable by the rank insignia, is most likely Karl Heinz Euling, the commander of the German positions in that area.

Colourised PIECE of JAKE

Photograph: Kriegsberichter Pospesch, Bundesarchiv.

Caption: https://vriendenairbornemuseum.nl/vvam-airborne-magazine-13/

#operationmarketgarden #hohenstaufen #luftwaffe #Panzergrenadier #knochensack #wehrmacht #airborne #Nijmegen #arnhem #marketgarden #flak #fallschirmjäger

[Irish Pat]

I hope Uncle Bill killed everyone of those Nazi bastards before he was captured at the Bugle

[Irish Pat]

In fact, I believe I read that if regular German did not do what the SS told them that the SS would hang them. My mothers uncle was a tanker with Patton