Colin’s Comments (group member since Dec 16, 2012)

Colin’s comments from the THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP group.

See Bruce Henderson's Sons and Soldiers. My blurb is on the back with Leon Panetta's. Good book, he just secured the film rights.

These stories remind me of Pieter Krueler's war in Africa (my book Four War Boer), dealing with lions, crocs and hippos.

The women fliers never really received the recognition they deserved.

I would have had my head on a stick

Look at the works by my former colleague Dr. Reina Pennington on this subject

Rommel was more of a micro-manager, Balck preferred to delegate authority to his trusted subordinates. That method instills more faith and loyalty than a heavy hands-on approach. I interviewed von Mellenthin, and von Luck. Both had a very high regard for Balck, and both believed him a better strategic mind than Rommel, and perhaps the best tactical leader due to his ability to select the best men to take charge at various levels.

Very lucky man, as many of the Allied pilots who ended up at Dachau or Flossenburg (let alone Buchenwald) were ordered to be executed on Himmler's personal order. FYI, see the page marked The Buchenwald Story on my website, www.heatonlewisbooks.com

I interviewed the a few men who commanded U-Boats and any crew members: Otto Kretschmer, Reinhard Hardegen, Erich Topp, Peter Erich Cremer, Thilo Bode (and others), and it was a standing order after Laconia was hit by Werner Hertenstein in U-156. He sent a distress for survivors to be picked up and the U-boat was attacked by a B-24, killing survivors in the attack (hence Hitler's direct order no further support be given) that no further assistance was to be rendered.

Hartenstein did recover some survivors and traveled on the surface under a Rec Cross banner to get them to safety but the subsequent bomber attack forced him to dive, leaving those survivors not killed by the attack to perish. I guess no good deed goes unpunished.

Laconia was not the first ship sunk to be assisted by the sub that torpedoed her, but she was the last. Ocean liners were also legitimate targets of war if flagged by a belligerent nation, unless marked as a hospital ship, as all carried troops and armaments at some point. Ironically, the Japanese usually ignored transport ships and tankers, focusing upon warships.

U-boat commanders had directives, not to sink clearly marked hospital ships, sink whatever they saw focusing upon cargo/transport ships. Following several incidents such as the Laconia sinking and others they were ordered not to surface and aid those seamen in the water, as was previous practice.

Richard wrote: "I generally prefer reading my books on a kindle, so I carry 1000 or more around with me all the time. By luck, I was just starting to read Eisenhower's Lieutenants when Amazon released the book on ..."

Good book, as were all of Weigley's. He was my mentor and thesis advisor in graduate school, died in 2004.

Bud Anderson is a great guy who never turned down an interview. He wanted to educate young people about the war. Great man.

Unfortunately there is not one that I am aware of, and I have thought about writing one

Dimitri wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "My contribution to the discussion, this arrived in the mail today: The Battle of Korsun-Cherkassy: The Encirclement and Breakout of Army Group South, 1944When ..."

My interviews with Degrelle and a couple of the other survivors was quite interesting.

Baron von der Heydte was an interesting man, international lawyer, paratrooper, and first cousin to Count Claus von Stauffenberg. Ironically, I am related to both families by way of my great grand father's family. I interviewed von der Heydte in 1984.

Dj wrote: "I started reading Panzer Commander: The Memoirs of Colonel Hans von Luck

And found it interesting that the F..."

Good book, I knew von Luck, fascinating man.

I knew USAF fighter ace Francis Gabreski. His full interview is in the next book that I am writing. He had some wild stories about the Poles, as he was the US volunteer assigned to their unit, as he spoke Polish.

Wonder if he covers the covert Brandenburg detachment led by Adrian von Folkersam in taking the oil fields, even if only briefly.

Watch the HBO film "Conspiracy" with Kenneth Branagh, Stanley Tucci, etc. Then read my book "Occupation and Insurgency: A Selective Examination of The Geneva and Hague Conventions on the Eastern Front 1939-1945."

Everyone knew about the concentration camps, Dachau was the flagship, and used as an intimidation tool. However, the creation of the death camps (different purpose) was top secret, and for good reason.

People knew Jews were being deported east, but the direct order from Himmler via Hitler regarding the actual activities was secrecy, hence the Wannsee Conference on Jan. 20, 1942.

As a side bar, look up Gerhard Klopfer and Karl Wolff. I interviewed them both, among others.

Will update when I get it.

I have not read that one yet. I interviewed over 30 Waffen SS men from Germany, Austria, France and Belgium, during my years of research, should be interesting.