End Battle - SAVING PRIVATE RYAN - Based on TRUE INCIDENT ?

[EKB]

On 2 September 1944 his recon unit was very successful in a defensive action near Cambrai that destroyed over 60 US tanks and vehicles in addition to 3 allied ground attack aircraft.
The action pitted Grabner's armored cars and half-tracked infantry (dismounted)with the remaining anti aircraft batteries from 'Kampfgruppen Hohenstaufen and Frundsburg' against a force of over 200 US shemans and m-10 tank destroyers and infantry, attended by allied artillary support and air cover.
Under heavy allied shelling and constant air attack, Grabner and his infantry repeatedly engaged allied armor and infantry while being covered by direct fire of 88mm and 20 mm anti-aircraft batteries and self-propelled flack guns of Kampfegruppen H/F.
Mistaking the fire from the german 88mm AA guns for that of panzers, the fast moving allied armored formation had come under the impression that the sudden ambush sprung by Grabner's dismounted grenadiers and half tracks was being pressed home by 'tiger tanks'.
While the AA guns claimed most of the tank kills, over a dozen sherman tanks were knocked out by Grabner's tank killing teams. At least four sherman tanks were knocked out of action or abandoned after being fired upon by puma armored cars which were often mistaken for panzers by flighty tank crews. Grabner himself was lighty injured after engaging tanks with his 'puma'.

This is a fairy tale.

SS-Captain Grabner used a captured British scout car, which he brought out of Normandy, and was later found in Arnhem. As well, the real losses of U.S. vehicles at this time and location were somewhat lower than you hoped.

Please verify the specific U.S. tank battalions and tank destroyer battalions in your version of this battle.

I have no info on which vehicle Grabner was riding in that particular day, a Puma armored car is what my imagination conjures (a favored vehicle) but I have no real evidence.

I agree with the last five words.

The Heimdal 550-page unit history of the 9th SS Division shows a situation map with the reconnaissance battalion split in two parts, north and south of Cambrai. Well to the rear of the flak belt which was west of the city. The author gives a two-page description of the battle and names several officers, but he does not mention Grabner or anything about Puma armored cars. Where do you suppose he was at this time?

[Togodamnus]

Well hello EKB,
I stitched the whole thing together from what I could glean from books, magazines, internet, the movie (BTF) and TV.

I havent had the satisfaction of reading the 550page book that you referenced.

The fact that he entrained some captured vehicles within his vehicle pool is nothing peculier to the 9th SS Reconnaissance Battalion or Grabner. The vehicle may have been stacked with supplies for all I know. Grabner was also known to ride a motorcycle during the Normandy campaign but again this was not unusual.

Perhaps I have missed your earlier treatments to this event and/or you have information that I dont, I wont speculate further.

Grabner's staging and jump off area was of course behind the AA gun screens with dismounted infantry and OP out in front to call shots and stage ambush. Grabner and his small detachment of armored cars, flack wagons and halftracks moved up, engaged and advanced once the 88's opened fire on the advancing US 2rd Armored div and 30rd Inf Div.

Grabner was in command of 9th SS Reconnaissance Battalion during the action at Cambrai he engaged elements of the Patton's 3rd Army, US 28th Infantry 'keystones;, US 30th 'Old Kickery', Infantry Div and the 2nd US Armored Division; in particular- Company F, 2nd Battalion, 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division, -which was fired on by german armored cars (called panzers at the time) which succeeded in destorying General Harrison's jeep and wounding him with with their 20mm guns. 2 of 4 armored cars were knocked out of action while entering a nearby village in pursuit of retiring allied forces.

Having out run the cover of his AT batteries his vehicle and another were knocked out by sherman tanks, signaling the end of the counter attack.

This is what I can gather.

And you?

[sandeepmukherjee196]

This is a very old thread..is this still being followed? Then I would add my 2 bits about Grabner and the Arnhem action.