Sinking a Panzer-Division

[Franzl Rider]

In the book "Die 2. Panzer-Division" by F. Steiner ISBN 3-89555-090-6 the following can be read:


"1941: THE BALKAN CAMP AIGN

After the campaign in France the 2nd Panzer-Division had returned to her garrisons in Vienna where she was to stay now for nine months. In March 1941 the division was entrained for Rumania, where she moved from an assemb1y area at Slatina - Dragasani to Bulgaria. On April 6, 1941 a new campaign began: once again the division crossed a foreign borderline. . . Attacking towards Macedonia first the direction of the main attack was changed later on to Salonika which fell to the armoured spearhead. While the local population offered much collaboration, the enemy - mostly Australians and New Zealanders fought stubbornly especially in the area round Mount Olympus in an effort to cover the embarkment of British troops for evacuation from the Greek mainland. The German offensive was carried on against stiff resistance, Athens was taken by the division and when the Straits of Korinth were reached the campaign came to its end. An impressive victory parade was held in Athens. After a short time of recreation the division was ordered back, the occupation duties being taken over by Italian units which received a rat her cool welcome in Greece. The wheeled elements of the 2nd Panzer Division moved back to Jugoslavia via Albania and were entrained in Split. The tracked elements of the division were taken aboard the freighters "Marburg" and "Kybfels" in Patras harbour. They were to be ferried to Tarent in Italy from where they should be brought back to the Reich via rail. During their second voyage both ships were lost to enemy action en route with a full load of panzers, APC’s and artillery tractors aboard. While personnel losses were moderate, all of the "hardware" had to be written off."

In the book there are 5 photo's of the parade and 4 of the loading of the ships mentioned.

At the same time as I read this book a series of photo's were on offer on ebay about the same subject. My interest was growing!

My question to you is: is there anymore data on the losses of tanks and vehicles which went down with the two ships? Is there any information at all on this subject???

In anycase here are two pictures from ebay, which are not in the book.

Looking forward to your input

[Franzl Rider]

second picture

[Wars98]

Hi!
Look at this:
M/S "Kybfels"
http://www.ddghansa-shipsphotos.de/kybfels200.htm

Am 21.05.1941 im Geleit mit der MARBURG östlich Akra Doukáton vor Leukás / Griechenland
im Ionischen Meer auf eine, vom britischen Minenleger H.M.S. ABDIEL gelegte Mine, gelaufen und gesunken.

M/S "Marburg" (ex. Saale)
http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines ... html#saale
[Saale (2) Built in 1928; 1938 renamed Marburg, 1941 mined and sunk off Lefkas Island. Tons: 7,262]

http://www.schiffswrackliste.de/BRT%201941.htm

And this:
http://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3953.html

21 May, 1941
HMS Abdiel (Capt. Hon. E. Pleydell-Bouverie, RN) laid a field of 150 mines off Akra Dhoukaton (Cape Dukato, southern tip of Levkas island, Ionian sea). On the field were later the same day lost the Italian destroyer Carlo Mirabello (1840 tons) the Italian gunboat Pellegrino Matteucci (620 tons) and the German transports Kybfels (7764 BRT) and Marburg (7564 BRT).

Regards
Piotr Lewandowski

[ronzarion]

Hi Franzl

Check out this thread.

Best regards
Rnz

[Panzermacher]

My question to you is: is there anymore data on the losses of tanks and vehicles which went down with the two ships? Is there any information at all on this subject???

Hi I wish there were more information as I've been chasing this Phantom for years, I can only add this info, forget about any idea of a Salvage Operation

HMS Abdiel was designed to carry 100 Mark XIV or XV mines on Mark XV sinkers ( Transport/Storage Box & Anchor/Mooring line).
She could carry an additional 50 mines of this type if a significant loss of speed was acceptable, which indeed she did on the day in question, on this day she carried & deployed 150 Mark XV mines with a tethered cable of 1830m in length (6000ft or 1000 Fathoms) which is what the Mines needed for deployment to the Ionian Sea, it's perhaps our "bad luck" that the Ionian Sea is the Deepest part of the Mediterranean at 5000m the actual area in question varies between 1000m & 1800m in depth.
The standard laying pattern was for these ships to steam at less than 20 knots and to lay mines not more than 120 feet apart in a single chain which is 5.5km (3.4 Miles) in length.

[Franzl Rider]

Thanks everybody for the info. Really an interesting topic.

[Panzermacher]

Franzl how do you know for certain that the photo of the Pz IV being loaded onto the ship is that of the PzRgt. 3?
the ship & photo setting look the same as the other 2 photos you've posted for Panzers being loaded for Africa.......

[Panzermacher]

photo in this thread :
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=117387

[Franzl Rider]

Hello Panzermacher,

Your question is very valid. The pics from Greece I posted come out of a series of which I identified out of the book from the 2nd PzDiv I mentioned. The pics from the DAK were also out of a series, from which I could conclude the from the DAK deing loaded in Italy and unloaded in Afrika. To your remark about being the same ship: if you look clearly its very obvious not the same ship.

Franzl

[Kurt_Steiner]

According to http://www.panzertruppen.org/heer/panzer/2oper.html, the 2. PzDiv had 3 command tanks, 45 PzMk II, 51 PzMk III and 20 PzMk IV (April, 5 1941).

Were all of them lost in that action?

[Jan-Hendrik]

I posted an article by Kitzmüller about this incident in my Thread about 2.Panzerdivision...

Jan-Hendrik

[Franzl Rider]

Thanks Jan-Hendrik, this is really good!

[Frederick L Clemens]

That's a nice conscise report on an "unknown battle". Thanks!

[chinesefox]

Is this book "Die 2. Panzer-Division" also have English version.

[Bullitt_Tek]

I was Googling the 2. Panzer-Division and came across this thread. Later response though.

My grandfather was attached to AA 5. He was on one of the ships that sunk. I do not know which one. IIRC, He was thrown overboard with a group of 6 men . 4 of the men died in the water. Him and another were picked up by Fisherman.

He served in Austria, Poland, France with 2nd Panzer.

He was later attached to one of the Armaments Departments, making sure Armaments and Equipment were battle ready.

I have his Wehrpass and some of his photos. I have have them scanned this weekend to share.



G