tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post7152010080749938499..comments2024-03-29T07:24:34.346-07:00Comments on Chant du Départ: The 5th of June, 1944OldAFSargehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-81231787386005996232020-06-06T07:38:01.663-07:002020-06-06T07:38:01.663-07:00I have those same thoughts.I have those same thoughts.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-69268066640273314402020-06-05T20:46:38.196-07:002020-06-05T20:46:38.196-07:00Regarding the picture, my questions are: were thes...Regarding the picture, my questions are: were these particular soldaten in that position on D-Day? Did any of them live to see June 7 or 8? The end of the war? How many our our soldiers fell to those rounds of the 'buzz saw'? It also makes me think this is the unseen portion of the famous video taken on Omaha Beach showing the men running from the waterline and a couple of them being hit and going down. Sobering... Tom in NChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03576958446243001152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-57027609505098407112020-06-05T16:54:46.631-07:002020-06-05T16:54:46.631-07:00Odd-looking sure, but kinda cool looking as well.Odd-looking sure, but kinda cool looking as well.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-12411225175247274122020-06-05T16:42:37.096-07:002020-06-05T16:42:37.096-07:00(Don McCollor)...another odd looking craft was the...(Don McCollor)...another odd looking craft was the LSM (Landing Ship Medium). It had an open central well deck with sidewalls on each side, and was asymmetric, with the round bridge on one sidewall (like on an aircraft carrier) looking like the tower of a medieval castle...Don McCollorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18028324869570493102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-27567628985404772402020-06-05T16:23:00.665-07:002020-06-05T16:23:00.665-07:00Glad you like it!Glad you like it!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-19566070130383890142020-06-05T15:32:41.306-07:002020-06-05T15:32:41.306-07:00Loving this, Sarge. Thank you.Loving this, Sarge. Thank you.Toirdhealbheach Beucailhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14872794169534403463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-185283789272739542020-06-05T12:16:31.256-07:002020-06-05T12:16:31.256-07:00The -42 was a great machine gun.The -42 was a great machine gun.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-21199516702336191342020-06-05T12:15:50.323-07:002020-06-05T12:15:50.323-07:00That's pretty cool. Yes, the Army had a crap t...That's pretty cool. Yes, the Army had a crap ton of boats!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-37340720750425203922020-06-05T12:14:41.086-07:002020-06-05T12:14:41.086-07:00The Volksturm had men in their sixties as well.The <i>Volksturm</i> had men in their sixties as well.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-26219171969312929442020-06-05T10:11:05.899-07:002020-06-05T10:11:05.899-07:00Or very older. Lotsa 40-50yoa men 'recruited&...Or very older. Lotsa 40-50yoa men 'recruited' in the last year of the war.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-33065343397064823422020-06-05T09:50:40.472-07:002020-06-05T09:50:40.472-07:00While I was stationed in (the former) West Germany...While I was stationed in (the former) West Germany, I had the good fortune to go to the range with our sister unit in the Bundeswehr. I earned one of these in gold--<br /><br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Armed_Forces_Badge_of_Marksmanship<br /><br />--for qualifying with the MG3 and the P-38 pistol. My MOS was Small Arms Repair, so I was intimately familiar with our M-60. After my first burst on the MG3, my next thought was "We won the war. Why didn't we just bring all the MG-42's home?"<br /><br />Our troops that hit the beach on D-day? Yeah, I remember my time with the MG3, and then I just ain't got the words.RHT447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-44405891136630192142020-06-05T09:45:45.350-07:002020-06-05T09:45:45.350-07:00Whilst attending boat coxwain school I learned the...Whilst attending boat coxwain school I learned the U. S. Army had many times more landing craft than the Navy, especially the LCM-6 which had twin 671 Jimmy diesels and a doghouse for the cox'n. I drove the LCVP in 1962 which had been upgraded (?) from the WWII version in that it was made of fibreglass and the machinegun mounts had been removed. We still had the air cooled .30 cal. in the ships armory for the ship's landing party. Old Guns.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-31590562629039613792020-06-05T09:35:23.669-07:002020-06-05T09:35:23.669-07:00Glad you filled in all the technical stuff. If I e...Glad you filled in all the technical stuff. If I ever do get around to writing a book, I'll have you put together the glossary.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-60717834232356915942020-06-05T09:34:28.247-07:002020-06-05T09:34:28.247-07:00Well, they did get one Eastern Front veteran, only...Well, they did get one Eastern Front veteran, only he fought on the other side. OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-70666456971335552872020-06-05T09:33:26.644-07:002020-06-05T09:33:26.644-07:00Schmidt is definitely not a good soldier, he's...Schmidt is definitely not a good soldier, he's not even a good person.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-9885765465728464222020-06-05T09:32:48.969-07:002020-06-05T09:32:48.969-07:00I do believe the average age of the 12th SS Divisi...I do believe the average age of the 12th SS Division was around 19. One thing Napoléon discovered in 1814 is that really young soldiers need a lot of time to buildup their stamina to survive the rigors of war. The Germans were, quite literally, running out of men, so yeah, the soldiers got younger.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-83349955113528850872020-06-05T09:05:56.049-07:002020-06-05T09:05:56.049-07:00Oh, by the way...
LCI - Landing Craft Infantry - ...Oh, by the way...<br /><br />LCI - Landing Craft Infantry - flat-bottomed landing craft carrying about 200 men. From Wiki: The 3 major LCI(L) types are normally referred to as: a) Square Conning tower, Side Ramp (the original style) b) Round Conn, Side Ramp c) Round Conn, Bow Ramp. Capable of long distance travel. (did not know there were 3 versions of the LCI(L).)<br /><br />LCA - Landing Craft Personnel - carries about 36 men or equivalent supplies - kinda like a Higgins boat but Brit design. Carried to location and then hoisted off and used to ferry from ship to shore.<br /><br />LCVP - Landing Craft Vehicle or Personnel - carries about 36 men or equivalent - either THE Higgins boat or a Brit version thereof.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-34614657205917714512020-06-05T08:58:12.778-07:002020-06-05T08:58:12.778-07:00Many a young man ended up barfing his guts out on ...Many a young man ended up barfing his guts out on June 5th, as the Channel was not especially calm that night, still rather 'stroppy' (as Steve Irwin would say) from the storms on June 3rd and 4th. Especially those sailing in the flat-bottomed landing ships.<br /><br />The Paratroops would be getting ready and loading. See the appropriate "Band of Brothers" episode for that. Though I like planes and plane travel, night jump over hostile territory is not my idea of fun. Especially as AAA-heavy as the Wall was.<br /><br />As to the Germans, could have been worse, someone could have decided to toss a couple Eastern Front veterans. But the Germans tended to keep units together and not shove replacements in like the US did. So our valiant Kraut and Pole did not get stuck with a couple hard-core vets.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-58398052359138535552020-06-05T08:50:28.320-07:002020-06-05T08:50:28.320-07:00Especially when the bunkers have/had perfectly goo...Especially when the bunkers have/had perfectly good grenade ledges built into them, along with, if maintained correctly, a perfectly good grenade sump (deep hole in the bottom to push a live grenade into in order to contain some of the blast.)<br /><br />A good sergeant or corporal or private would know better. Schmidt is not a good soldier.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-20536077618953064092020-06-05T08:48:27.539-07:002020-06-05T08:48:27.539-07:00Either young or old or missing or in ill health. ...Either young or old or missing or in ill health. The more healthy, slightly more mature were, for the most part, on the Eastern Front.<br /><br />And the age disparity only got worse over the next 10 months.Beanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15293778848879361153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-20433550824379955492020-06-05T07:08:36.782-07:002020-06-05T07:08:36.782-07:00Sounds like an interesting guy who had been throug...Sounds like an interesting guy who had been through a lot!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-37380770734737617482020-06-05T07:02:00.659-07:002020-06-05T07:02:00.659-07:00Years ago, our local collectors group had a reques...Years ago, our local collectors group had a request to give an old guy a ride to the gun show, as he could no longer drive. A bit out of the way for me, but why not. So I started picking this guy up once a month and had an hour each way to talk. <br /> He was a three war vet, combat infantry, 82nd AB in WW2. Pathfinder , dropped into St Mere Eglise. I have looked to find his name on the Pathfinders pre op photos, where the guys are all posed in front of the C47's, but some of them don't have many names listed- he said on his stick, most were killed. He broke his neck and hung in a tree till he was cut down and that ended his Normandy adventure. He said, "I learned to not make friends". A lot of stories of an interesting life. ravennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-13136249145235718842020-06-05T06:23:02.923-07:002020-06-05T06:23:02.923-07:00Conscious thought separates me from bacteria or fu...<i>Conscious thought separates me from bacteria or furniture...</i><br /><br />Love it!OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-86908500214979555432020-06-05T06:22:04.273-07:002020-06-05T06:22:04.273-07:00They are awfully young looking. Germany had lost m...They are awfully young looking. Germany had lost millions by then.OldAFSargehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15935839956936191547noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7684531976778247960.post-63006312869219549802020-06-05T05:40:52.806-07:002020-06-05T05:40:52.806-07:00I thought the exact same thing. Who in their righ...I thought the exact same thing. Who in their right mind would line explosives up in the window like that? I've run into that mindset all through my career. It is maddening to be told to do something like that, bring it to the attention of the utterer, and be told, "you think too much." "Conscious thought separates me from bacteria or furniture you dolt." <br /><br />Whoa, FOG alert! Sorry, sorry everyone.... sorry....STxARhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04588850178293194825noreply@blogger.com