Hitler visits the front!

[tigre]

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Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939.

Bad Polzin was the first destination of Hitler's special train, called "Amerika", during the Polish Campaign. The Führer arrived in Bad Polzin at dawn on September 4, 1939 and that day made ​​the first visit to the front in the sector of 4 AOK (General v. Kluge). Altogether Hitler made ​​twelve visits to the front, counting the trip to Warsaw for the victory parade on October 05, 1939 (see below).

Sources: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Strassen des Sieges !

What influence had upon his generals and soldiers? Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939.

On September 3 at 21:00 hours, Hitler’s Sonderzug left Berlin, running towards the border with Poland. On September 4 at 1:56 hours arrival at the station of Bad Polzin (Połczyn-Zdrój). Hitler made a tour to the front by car. At eight o’clock on the morning of September 4, General von Bock, the commander of Army Group North, joined Rommel in reporting to Hitler and the three men set out on an extended tour of the battle areas. Hitler rode in a heavy six-wheeled Mercedes, and the rest of his staff and escort followed in six identical vehicles. Seventy or more cars packed with Party and ministerial personages jostled for position behind the Führer’s convoy. Keitel recalled: first, there was one visit to the army commander von Kluge [commanderin-chief of the Fourth Army], next we setting out from the headquarters of the Second Army Corps: the Führer visited the front with General Strauß to see his troops crossing the Vistula at Kulm and the ensuing battle.

Sources: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Strassen des Sieges !
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html
Mit Hitler in Polen. Dr. Hoffmann.
Hitler’s War and The War Path. David Irving.

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939.

The Fuehrer spend the night in Plietnietz (Płytnica). On September 5 1939 Hitler left Plietnitz (Płytnica) and went to the Truppenübungsplatz Groß Born (Borne Sulinowo), where the Sonderzug went on the same day.

Source: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Straßen des Sieges !
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html
Mit Hitler in Polen. Dr. Hoffmann.
Hitler’s War and The War Path. David Irving.
12 orig.Fotos: Adolf Hitler im Hauptquartier Groß Born. http://www.militaria-depot.de/

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939.

On September 6, 1939 Hitler went to Schwetz and Graudenz and the Tucheler Heide by car. There he met General Guderian, who was CO of the XIX. AK (mot.). The Army Corps' KTB stated:

At 11:30 hours the Army Corps’ Commanding Officer, the CoS and the Ia travelled from Lubiewo to the junction located 1 kilometer south of Plewno (Julienhof) there they will meet the Führer. At 14:30 hours Führer’s arrival, then escorted by General Guderian (Army Corps Commander) moved along the road Plewno – Schwetz (Swiecie) up to the bridge on the Vistula at Graudenz.

Along the way, Adolf Hitler saw a destroyed polish artillery unit and asked if it was done by the Stukas, the answer was by our panzers. At 17:00 hours travel back to Plewno and farewell. AH came back to Groß Born.

Source: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Straßen des Sieges !
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html
Mit Hitler in Polen. Dr. Hoffmann.
Hitler’s War and The War Path. David Irving.
12 orig.Fotos: Adolf Hitler im Hauptquartier Groß Born. http://www.militaria-depot.de/

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939.

On September 8, at night, Hitler’s train, with the Führer in it, drove to the south to Illnau (Jełowa). Next day, on September 10, While the train remained at Illnau, Hitler went to the front by plane and car. At that time AH paid visit to Konskie and Kielce.

Source: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Straßen des Sieges !
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html
Mit Hitler in Polen. Dr. Hoffmann.
Hitler’s War and The War Path. David Irving.
12 orig.Fotos: Adolf Hitler im Hauptquartier Groß Born. http://www.militaria-depot.de/

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939.

Visit to Konskie and Kielce.

Source: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Straßen des Sieges !
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html
Mit Hitler in Polen. Dr. Hoffmann.
Hitler’s War and The War Path. David Irving.
12 orig.Fotos: Adolf Hitler im Hauptquartier Groß Born. http://www.militaria-depot.de/

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939.

On September 11, 1939 Hitler did another front visit in the area of Tomaszów, southeast of Łódź by plane and car. Afterwards he went back to Illnau. On September 13, 1939 AH left Illnau to go to Łódź by plane and car. In the afternoon he went to Gogolin, where his Sonderzug (special train) was. I think on this opportunity he paid a visit to General v. Briesen.

Keitel recalled: The fourth occasion was a visit to my friend General von Briesen (30th Infantry Division) who had been in the middle of the weakly-defended flank of Blaskowitz's army and had, with just his one division, beaten back a mass break-out attempt by a cut-off Polish army in a bitter struggle against enormous odds. Only the Führer's authority had sufficed to get us through to this headquarters position, well within range of the enemy's guns. In a schoolroom von Briesen, whose left forearm had been shot away in the battle, outlined to him the developing fight his division had put up during the hard and bloody days of the battle. Asked about his injury, he confessed he had led his last reserve battalion into action himself. As we made our way back from the command post, which was inaccessible except on foot, Hitler said to me: That is a real Prussian general of the Royal school. You can’t have enough soldiers like him. He’s a man after my own heart. Before today is over I want him to be the first divisional commander to get the Knight's Cross. He has saved Blaskowitz's army by his gallantry and drive..

Source: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Straßen des Sieges !
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html
Mit Hitler in Polen. Dr. Hoffmann.
Hitler’s War and The War Path. David Irving.
12 orig.Fotos: Adolf Hitler im Hauptquatier Groß Born. http://www.militaria-depot.de/

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939. AH in Łódź.

Source: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Straßen des Sieges !
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html
Mit Hitler in Polen. Dr. Hoffmann.
Hitler’s War and The War Path. David Irving.
12 orig.Fotos: Adolf Hitler im Hauptquatier Groß Born. http://www.militaria-depot.de/

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939.

On September 15 Hitler went from Gogolin to Jarosław by plane to the headquarters of the 14th Army (14. AOK). He watched his troops crossing the river San.

On September 16 Hitler stayed in Gogolin.

Source: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Straßen des Sieges !
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html
Mit Hitler in Polen. Dr. Hoffmann.
Hitler’s War and The War Path. David Irving.
12 orig.Fotos: Adolf Hitler im Hauptquatier Groß Born. http://www.militaria-depot.de/

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939.

On September 17 Hitler left Gogolin at night and travelled to Goddentow-Lanz. On September 18 he arrived at Goddentow-Lanz (Lębork), 65 kilometers north-west of Danzig. Next day, September 19 in the morning the Führer left Goddentow-Lanz going to Zoppot (Sopot). The FHQ was transfered to the Kasino Hotel there. In the afternoon Hitler held a speech in Danzig at the Artushof. On September 20 Hitler stayed in Zoppot.

Source: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Straßen des Sieges !
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html
Mit Hitler in Polen. Dr. Hoffmann.
Hitler’s War and The War Path. David Irving.
12 orig.Fotos: Adolf Hitler im Hauptquatier Groß Born. http://www.militaria-depot.de/

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939.

On September 21Hitler went on to the Westerplatte with a boat. He also went on board of the ship Schleswig-Holstein. After that he visited Gotenhafen (Gdingen). He returned to Zoppot the same day.

Source: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Straßen des Sieges !
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html
Mit Hitler in Polen. Dr. Hoffmann.
Hitler’s War and The War Path. David Irving.
12 orig.Fotos: Adolf Hitler im Hauptquatier Groß Born. http://www.militaria-depot.de/

Cheers. Raúl M .

[AlifRafikKhan]

Great thread, Raúl !

[tigre]

Hello to all ; thanks for your support AlifRafikKhan . Now more follows.............

Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939.

Keitel recalled: We shifted our headquarters to Zoppot. From there, we paid a visit to the Westerplatte peninsula near the port of Danzig and to the port and city of Gdynia, as well as to the adjoining high ground, where there were still signs of the violent fighting in which the Pomeranian frontier-guard division had been involved. Those were the troops that the then Major von Briesen had trained and inspired in the loyal Pomeranian spirit during his years of service in the eastern frontier forces. The officer casualties suffered by the Pomeranian nobility in this yeomanry division had been particularly heavy.

Source: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Straßen des Sieges !
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html
Mit Hitler in Polen. Dr. Hoffmann.
Hitler’s War and The War Path. David Irving.
12 orig.Fotos: Adolf Hitler im Hauptquatier Groß Born. http://www.militaria-depot.de/

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939.

On September 22 Hitler visited the Warsaw area. He returned to Zoppot, where he stayed during the following days..

Keitel recalled: My fifth recollection is of flying to an airfield and of proceeding thence across an army bridge over the Vistula, north of Warsaw, to the command post of the Second Army Corps artillery commander. From a vantage point in a church steeple northeast of Praga, a suburb of Warsaw on the Vistula's east bank, the latter was calling down artillery fire on the outer fortifications of Warsaw. It was here that the news reached Hitler that Colonel-General von Fritsch had died in action that morning at an infantry commander's headquarters, during an advance by the 12th Artillery Regiment.

Source: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Straßen des Sieges !
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html
Mit Hitler in Polen. Dr. Hoffmann.
Hitler’s War and The War Path. David Irving.
12 orig.Fotos: Adolf Hitler im Hauptquatier Groß Born. http://www.militaria-depot.de/

Cheers. Raúl M .

Feliz Navidad - Feliz Natal - Frohe Weihnachten - Joyeux Noël - Merry Christmas - Wesołych Świąt!.

[tigre]

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Hitler visits the front - Poland 1939.

On September 25 Hitler flew from Zoppot to the Warsaw area. He visited the 8th and 10th army and the headquarters at Grodjisk Mazowieki. After that he returned to Godentow-Lanz by plane.

On September 26 In the morning at 09:30 hours Hitler went back to Berlin in his Sonderzug. Arrival at Berlin at 17:05 hours.

Source: In the service of the Reich. The Memoirs of Field-Marshal Keitel.
Auf den Straßen des Sieges !
http://www.hitlerpages.com/pagina42.html
Mit Hitler in Polen. Dr. Hoffmann.
Hitler’s War and The War Path. David Irving.
12 orig.Fotos: Adolf Hitler im Hauptquatier Groß Born. http://www.militaria-depot.de/

Cheers. Raúl M .

Feliz Navidad - Feliz Natal - Frohe Weihnachten - Joyeux Noël - Merry Christmas - Wesołych Świąt!.