Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

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Edward L. Hsiao
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How Many Wars?

#46

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 23 Mar 2005, 04:07

Gentlemen,

How many wars did the Wehrmacht veterans fought since World War II was over would never be known for sure. Plenty of them just kept on fighting and fighting against the Communists and other factions as if there were no tomorrow for them,no love ones to greet. They were the unknown soldiers of the modern world.

Sincerely,

Edward

Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#47

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 26 Apr 2011, 10:00

Gentlemen,

When the United States embroiled in the Korean War,there were ex-Wehrmacht soldiers, who were U.S. citizens after World War II,were subject to conscription into the U.S. Armed Forces. I wonder if there were any stories of Germans who won their Iron Crosses during WWII,went to win a Bronze Star or Silver Star or any U.S. medals during the Korean War?


Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao


Sid Guttridge
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#48

Post by Sid Guttridge » 26 Apr 2011, 11:40

Ex-Wehrmacht men made almost no impact in a combat role in any post-war conflict. A few individuals turned up as mercenaries but were not numerically significant anywhere.

Where Germans did have some post-war importance was as engineers in countries such as Argentina and Egypt, where the nationalist regimes of Peron and Nasser wanted to produce advanced weapons locally. In both cases the technology was beyond local industry to develop and both countries ended up wasting a fortune on still-born, German-directed, hi-tech projects they could ill-afford.

German military advisers were also prominent in Argentina. Adolf Galland apparently did a highly professional job developing the Argentine air force in the early 1950s and left a lasting impact. However, Otto Skorzeny, who was also contracted as a military adviser there, did little more than posture, party and try to resurrect the Nazi Party in exile.

Perhaps the biggest impact of ex-Wehrmacht men was by officer POWs in writing detailed briefings on their wartime campaigns for the US Army. 24 volumes were published in English and much more remained in the archives unpublished. This work seems to have significantly influenced the development of US Cold War tactical planning and training.

Finally, of course, ex-Wehrmacht men very quickly brought the new Bundeswehr up to combat readiness after 1955.

Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#49

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 18 Sep 2011, 06:35

Gentlemen,

Bernhard Ellwanger was a Luftwaffe stuka pilot during WWII from 1943 to 1945. He was in the French Foreign Legion from 1948 to 1954 as a infantryman. His autobiography just came out this year. The name of the book in German is "Die Verlorene Heimat-Von Stukapiloten zum Fremdenlegionar."


Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao

Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#50

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 25 Aug 2012, 02:39

Gentlemen,

Are their anymore stories about pilots from the WWII Luftwaffe who went on to serve with foreign armies after World War II? I knew there were Germans from the fighter,stuka,bomber,transport forces whatsoever that served with the French Foreign Legion as ground soldiers. There chances on wanting to fly again were pretty slim indeed. Perhaps there were Luftwaffe pilots who settled in South Africa after the War flew as pilots of fortune. There were conflicts brewing in the very late 1940's and throughout the 1950's in the dark heart of Africa. Any stories please?


Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao

Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#51

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 13 Sep 2012, 09:30

Gentlemen,

Hank(AKA Heinrich)Welzel was born in 1926 in the U.S.A. of German parents. He was a medic in the German Army during World War II. He was in the front lines in Italy from 1943 until being captured by the US Army in the middle of 1944 shortly before his 18th birthday. After WWII,Welzel served as a medic in the US Army and was in the front lines during the Korean War. He won the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Today he lives in Freeport,Maine.
I had to yet find where Hank Welzel was born in the U.S. What German division that he served in the Italian Front I don't know yet. How long did he served in the US Army?

Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao :milsmile:

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waldzee
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#52

Post by waldzee » 19 Sep 2012, 11:27

Sid Guttridge wrote:Ex-Wehrmacht men made almost no impact in a combat role in any post-war conflict. A few individuals turned up as mercenaries but were not numerically significant anywhere.

Where Germans did have some post-war importance was as engineers in countries such as Argentina and Egypt, where the nationalist regimes of Peron and Nasser wanted to produce advanced weapons locally. In both cases the technology was beyond local industry to develop and both countries ended up wasting a fortune on still-born, German-directed, hi-tech projects they could ill-afford.

German military advisers were also prominent in Argentina. Adolf Galland apparently did a highly professional job developing the Argentine air force in the early 1950s and left a lasting impact. However, Otto Skorzeny, who was also contracted as a military adviser there, did little more than posture, party and try to resurrect the Nazi Party in exile.
Perhaps the biggest impact of ex-Wehrmacht men was by officer POWs in writing detailed briefings on their wartime campaigns for the US Army. 24 volumes were published in English and much more remained in the archives unpublished. This work seems to have significantly influenced the development of US Cold War tactical planning and training.

Finally, of course, ex-Wehrmacht men very quickly brought the new Bundeswehr up to combat readiness after 1955.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
He should have picked ( formerly German) Samoa
http://www.janeresture.com/samoa_postcards5/index.htm

The Samoan Nazi Party had to compromise on racial purity; one committee member was married to a Jewish woman and two others were married to Samoans. Braisby, who seemed to know everything, reported to Wellington that the Samoan Nazi's were bothered by the Arian standards required by Berlin. "To overcome this difficulty various debates have taken place among the Samoan Nazi's, and reference made to various anthropology authorities with the object of proving that Polynesian natives are not what is considered as coloured Negroid..

http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=85

Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#53

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 10 Jun 2013, 09:40

Gentlemen,

Gerhard Georg Mertins a veteran German paratrooper of WWII and the winner of the DKiG and the Knight's Cross was an advisor to the Egyptian Army in training soldiers to become paratroopers. I found this information in Vikipedia which is in German.

Edward L. Hsiao

Sid Guttridge
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#54

Post by Sid Guttridge » 11 Jun 2013, 13:52

Hi Edward,

Egypt is definitely one of the places to look, as is Argentina.

Post-war, both had nationalist leaders in Nasser and Peron, who had passed WWII on the Axis inclined wings of their respective armed forces.

After the war both employed German engineers on advanced weapons programmes that were beyond the capacity of their national economies to sustain. Argentina also employed German military experts to develop its armed forces with mixed success (Galland had a big professional impact, Skorzeny did not). It is entirely consistent that Egypt did the same.

Cheers,

Sid.

P.S. For details of the German-led, post-WWII aircraft projects in Argentina try the book Alas de Peron.

asureka
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#55

Post by asureka » 16 Feb 2014, 23:05

58 German soldiers fought side by side with Lithuanian Partisans in 1944 - 1953
(In German)
http://www.annaberger-annalen.de/jahrbu ... auskas.pdf

steverodgers801
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#56

Post by steverodgers801 » 17 Feb 2014, 13:08

In 1946 or so about a battalion of SS men were gathered by the French and given a choice, fight in Vietnam or be executed. I read two books about them called The Devils guard
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/ar ... 13469.html

Gen_Maineiac
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#57

Post by Gen_Maineiac » 25 Apr 2014, 02:44

Edward,

I was surprised to find you cite Heinrich Welzel in this thread. I'm a journalist in Maine who has grown to know Herr Welzel for the past four years. I've collected many hours of interview tape in the course of our conversations about his life. You may have discovered the radio piece I produced for National Public Radio back in 2010 about his experience serving in the Wehrmacht and U.S. Army in Korea (here's that link: http://www.npr.org/2010/11/09/131186773 ... d-u-s-army).

I'm hoping to write a book based on his life's journey. I'm willing to tell you more if you're interested. To answer your few questions, though, he was born in Elyria, Ohio, and served in the 98th Division in Italy before being captured by the U.S. Army in October 1944. He was captured near the Futa Pass on the Gothic Line. If anyone has advice about how to learn more about the actions in that area during that month, please let me know.

Welzel returned to the United States in 1949. He was in the U.S. Army for two years or so, with nearly a year spent in Korea (December 1951-October 1952).

I actually joined this forum to help in my research about the 98th Division in Italy, the actions around the Futa Pass and the experience of German POWs in the United States.

Best,
Whit
Edward L. Hsiao wrote:Gentlemen,

Hank(AKA Heinrich)Welzel was born in 1926 in the U.S.A. of German parents. He was a medic in the German Army during World War II. He was in the front lines in Italy from 1943 until being captured by the US Army in the middle of 1944 shortly before his 18th birthday. After WWII,Welzel served as a medic in the US Army and was in the front lines during the Korean War. He won the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. Today he lives in Freeport,Maine.
I had to yet find where Hank Welzel was born in the U.S. What German division that he served in the Italian Front I don't know yet. How long did he served in the US Army?

Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao :milsmile:

Edward L. Hsiao
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Posts: 2102
Joined: 01 Aug 2003, 09:43
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#58

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 27 Apr 2014, 00:11

Dear Whit,

Thank you for your answer about Heinrich Welzel. Yes I like to learn about his battle experience both In World War II on the German side with the 98th Infantry Division and in the US Army in the Korean War. I wonder if Welzel won both the Iron Cross Second Class and the First Class? Looking to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao :)

Gen_Maineiac
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#59

Post by Gen_Maineiac » 01 May 2014, 14:24

He didn't win any Iron Cross. Why? Do you have reason to believe he did?
Edward L. Hsiao wrote:Dear Whit,

Thank you for your answer about Heinrich Welzel. Yes I like to learn about his battle experience both In World War II on the German side with the 98th Infantry Division and in the US Army in the Korean War. I wonder if Welzel won both the Iron Cross Second Class and the First Class? Looking to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao :)

Edward L. Hsiao
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Re: Wehrmacht soldiers in other wars...

#60

Post by Edward L. Hsiao » 16 Jan 2015, 09:20

Gentlemen,

I searched high and low of any information about Silver Star,Navy Cross,or DSC holders that were former Wehrmacht veterans of WWII in vain. These Germans who became U.S. citizens shortly after WWII,joined the U.S. military of any branch. They fought bravely both in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Some of them fought with self-sacrifice to protect their fellow men from harm. This is a long shot but I wonder if anybody knew somebody who was a Wehrmacht veteran of WWII who fought both in the Korean War and the Vietnam War in the U.S. military and was high decorated with U.S. medals like the Silver Star and higher? Maybe even the DFC or the Legion of Merit?

Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao

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