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

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

Manray9 wrote: "This evening I watched "Tank Battles" on AHC. The recently deceased Otto Carius was fighting Soviet units in 1944. His group of Tigers had their first encounter with Soviet Josef Stalin-type tank..."

It is true. I knew and interviewed Carius and Albert Kerscher, both being there at Murovanka, and the rapid reload time of the 88mm KwK with a well trained crew and its accuracy proved deadly.

Also during that battle, they coordinated with a German cruiser and a destoryer off shore, and Gen. von Strachwitz took the coordinates from Carius, and directed naval gunfire onto the massive tank battalion depot.

The JS-1 also had a very weak gun mantle. One good AP hit just under the barrel prevented depression, ergo no reload. One of my guys in a PzKfw IV Japdpanther knocked out three that way.

He made me a lifetime member of the Simon Wiesenthal Society, and I have his signed pic he sent to me years ago.

I knew and interviewed several Legion Condor pilots, great stories, great men. Funny it was these men who were at the spearhead of the Fighters Revolt against Goering and involved in many ways to the plot rmove Hitler. See the books A Higher Call, The Final Hours, The Star of Africa (mine), and even Galland's own book.

Was the Guard a member of the NSDAP? If not, he was not a Nazi, but a German soldier on guard duty.

I spent a nice weekend with Simon Wiesenthal once at his home in Vienna, and he told me the story of getting Eichmann and some of the others he spent his life tracking down. Great time for me.

Actually the largest nation to supply Waffenn SS Frewilligen auxiliiaries was France. They supplied most of the troops making up the 5th SS 'Wiking' in the early days, as well as staffing the entire SS-Charlemagne Division, the Franzosen Nr. 1 and Nr. 2 Divisions. France was the greatest collaborator, including in deporting Jews.

FYI, for those who do not know, Otto Carius died on Jan 24, 2015, aged 92, which is my birthday. I had the honor of knowing him.

Also read Voices from the Third Reich by Dennis Showalter, Peter Pechel and Johannes Steinhoff.

The losses were more like 300,000 in Western Allied custody. The numbers skyrocketed for those in Soviet captivity. I interviewed many of those also. Less than 3% of Germans died in Western Allied ands during the war, while upwards of 75% died in the USSR and Eastern Bloc gulags,.

That is a good book, as I interviewed many Germans and a few Americans involved in this event.

Steve wrote: "Colin, Hans Berger."

Thanks, Berger was not one of my interviews, and I have not met him, but he would have known others I did. Good story in fact.

I read those SOE files years ago in the PRO in Kew Gardens, researching my anti-partisan warfare book. The kidnapping was a very bold operation indeed.

Sounds like you will like reading my books with Luftwaffe interviews. Who was the German pilot? I may know him.

Pierre was a great guy.

FYI I knew and interviewed Pierre Deshayes, look him up.

1-The Red Devil's was the nickname I believe
2-Bradley was anything but a primdonna, he was really down to earth. I spoke with him before he died in the 1970s, very simple man. Monty on the other hand was a real self annointed icon.
3-Politics were involved, as the British had to be given a part of the operation, and despite his questionable prtacices, Monty was still a good commander. The situation in the Bulge, once static, was his kind of fight anyway.

During my interviews with Germans, they told the stories of these women, who they knew about, dropping their random bombs around the Luftwaffe airfields. Some funny stories also.

True.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "I just stumbled across details of this new book on Audie Murphy which is due for release in a few months. I dare say I will need to order a copy for my library.

[..."

Well, he was the most decorated American hero at any rate, and a true first rate soldier.

Beetle Smith was one of the greats, and Omar Bradley stated that he was one of the most reliable.