Help with German

[Jeff Leach]

I came across this sentence, "Im Laufe des Nachmittags fanden Besprechungen zwischen O.B. und Marschall Antonescu in Tg. Frumos statt: Chef und Ia waren nicht anwesend, da zwangsläufig im A.H.Qu in Piatra Neamt verblieben."

Context: The commander of the 11th Army and Marshall Antonescu, had meet on the 22nd June but decided to meet again on the 23rd.

"During the course of the afternoon the meeting between the army commander and Marshall Antonescu took place in Tg. Frumos. the Chef and Ia was/were not present inevitably left behind at army headquarters in Piatra Neamt."

Question: is 'Chef und Ia' one or two people? It seems like it is one person but if it is two, who is the 'Chef'?

[GregSingh]

I would say Chef is Chef des Generalstabes, Ia is Generalstabsoffizier.
Two different functions.

For 11.Armee in 1941 they were: Generalmajor Otto Wöhler and Oberst i.G. Theodor Busse.

[history1]

Agree with Gregs explanation but note that the 1a is the Head of the Management Department, responsible for the leading of the unit.

[Jeff Leach]

Could some tell me what this really means (a good translation) in English

"Ich habe doch auf die richtige Seite gesetzt" (General Antonescu, who had just been briefed on the overall situation on the Eastern Front. 24 June 1941)

[GregSingh]

At least I ended up on the right side.

More direct translation would be: At least I was put on the right side. But that does not sound too good...

[Helmut0815]

Could some tell me what this really means (a good translation) in English

"Ich habe doch auf die richtige Seite gesetzt"

I would translate it to "I have certainly bet on the right side."

regards

Helmut

[Jeff Leach]

Thank, nothing worse than knowing what they are saying but not being able to find the right translation for it.

[Jeff Leach]

Please help with two Words

Umschiebebahnhof = switching yard?

Fliegerdeckung (der LKW) = the cloth covering on the bed of a truck? Is there a specific English Word for this?

[Helmut0815]

Please help with two Words

Umschiebebahnhof = switching yard?

Correct, although "Umschiebebahnhof" is very rarely used in german, I have never heard it before. A more common word is "Verschiebebahnhof".

Fliegerdeckung (der LKW) = the cloth covering on the bed of a truck? Is there a specific English Word for this?

A camouflage net or some kind of shelter? I have no better idea.

regards


Helmut

[history1]

Ref. "Fliegerdeckung" I have this: cover from air observation or attack.
Not necessarily a cloth or net but also trees, brenches and anything what can hide a truck.

Agree with Helmut that "Verschiebebahnhof/Rangierbahnhof" is used commonly nowadays.
Though it´s the same:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classification_yard

[Jeff Leach]

The terms come from a report of the supply column of the 198th Infantry Division just Before the start of Barbarossa. They were stationed in a large cigarette factory next to the switching yards (Umschiebebahnhof) in Jassi, Rumanian. There was a hall in this factory where they were going to fix tarps (?) (Fliegerdeckung) to the supply column's LKWs.

From your comments it seems that at least here Fliegerdeckung = camoflogue netting / tarps.

[Jeff Leach]

Need help with a phase in the following paragraph, which I can't seem to translate into understandable English

To choose one among many was the action of Schützen Haiss, who ran up to a Soviet tank and with great presence of mind manage to climb up on it. Another Soviet tank following the first, fired on Haiss wherein Haiss used the turret of the first tank as cover. Das Koppel war ihm beim Aufspringen losgeglitten but he no longer had a weapon or hand grenade to use. He tore open a toolbox on the tank and his eyes fell on a can of grease. Taking the grease in both hand he covered the vision slits of the tank, thereby blinding it, after which it started to move in an erratic fashion. Haiss then jumped off the tank into a bush and shortly after it was destroyed by an antitank rifle.

This is part of 'The Skuleni Bridgehead' (Lt. Viesel, Staff 198 Div) Anlage #72 [T315 R1568 Fr0234-237]

[Helmut0815]

Das Koppel war ihm beim Aufspringen losgeglitten

I would translate it to "His belt (buckle) got opened when he jumped up (on the tank)"

regards


Helmut

[Jeff Leach]

Oh, now I stupid. It seems so obvious with your reply.

[Jeff Leach]

Would the term 'Siedlung' (settlement) be a collective farm. It isn't a hamlet, village, town or a city.

The reference is to 'Siedlung Birsula' in the Ukraine (to the south or southwest of Uman probably). It is the only place referred to as a 'Siedlung', that I have seen so far.