Operation Hannibal 1941

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tigre
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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#16

Post by tigre » 20 Aug 2010, 02:35

Hello to all :D; a little more.................

Paratroopers in the Balkans.

FJR 2 in action on the Corinth Canal.

On Saturday April 26, 1941 at 5:00 hours the gliders took off and after them kette after kette (formation in V of three aircraft) of Ju-52. The day had dawned clear and bright especially suitable for an airborne operation. The day began with a high altitude bombing of the Canal Zone in order to eliminate anti-aircraft weapons and then came the dive bombers escorted by heavy fighters Me-110.

After two hours of flight the assault troops began landing on the target. The assigned goal was in sight and the gliders began its descent and landing maneuvers. On landing Leutnant Teussen with his men, two enemy anti-aircraft batteries deployed along the southern end of the bridge opened fire, although the main direction of fire was to the north they got a hit in one of the gliders which fell from about 8 meters high.

Sources: Deutsche Fallschirmjäger im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Volkmar Kühn. Motorbuch Verlag.
Die Wehrmacht 1941.
Private Sales List-5.FJR 2 - CORINTH, KRETA, RUSSIA, NORWAY. 14 de Enero de 2010, 18:02:01
Die Bildchronik der Fallschirmtruppe 1935-45. Arnold v. Roon.
Greece and Crete 1941. Christopher Buckley

Cheers. Raúl M 8-).
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Flying towards the objective.
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tigre
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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#17

Post by tigre » 28 Aug 2010, 15:08

Hello to all :D; a little more.................

Paratroopers in the Balkans.

FJR 2 in action on the Corinth Canal.

Leutnant Teussen stormed the AA batteries located in the south end of the bridge while on the other side (north end) where they had landed, the engineers reached the bridge and began to remove the explosive charges.

Being in such a maneuver an AA piece of 40 mm Bofors opened fire on the engineers apparently hitting some of the explosive charges which were not disable yet. Teussen saw a great flash on the bridge, an explosion and the bridge collapsed dragging to the death those engineers and paratroopers who were there, and also the war reporter Sonderführer E. v. der Heyden whose camera was recovered afterwards from one of the banks.

According to other version the blasting of the bridge was due to the inexperience of the engineers, particularly its leader, because they piled up the explosive charges on the superstructure of the bridge instead of throwing them, and those charges blew up when it were impacted by a shot of an anti-aircraft piece of 40 mm.

Sources: Deutsche Fallschirmjäger im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Volkmar Kühn. Motorbuch Verlag.
Die Wehrmacht 1941.
Private Sales List-5.FJR 2 - CORINTH, KRETA, RUSSIA, NORWAY. 14 de Enero de 2010, 18:02:01
Die Bildchronik der Fallschirmtruppe 1935-45. Arnold v. Roon.
Greece and Crete 1941. Christopher Buckley

Cheers. Raúl M 8-).
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The parachutists rushing onto bridge.
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However the bridge blew up into the sky.
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Peter H
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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#18

Post by Peter H » 29 Aug 2010, 01:07

Thanks Raúl. :)

These photos show men from Häffner's Zug (3./Fsch.Pio.Btl.7),April 25,ready to move to Larissa.

From Jean-Yves Nasse's Fallschirmjager in Crete.
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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#19

Post by tigre » 29 Aug 2010, 15:06

Thank you very much Peter :wink:. Was Häffner in those pictures? He was later killed in action while moving to Crete (I think in the naval echelon). Cheers. Raúl M 8-).

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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#20

Post by Peter H » 30 Aug 2010, 02:53

Häffner is not mentioned as being in the photo.

Another pic,same source.
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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#21

Post by Peter H » 30 Aug 2010, 02:57

From: http://www.fjr2.be/Originele%20fotoalbum-4-Fjr2.htm

Said to be at Corinth but hard to say.
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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#22

Post by Peter H » 30 Aug 2010, 03:04

From Jean-Yves Nasse's Green Devils!

Men of II/FJR2 April 1941
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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#23

Post by Peter H » 30 Aug 2010, 03:07

Same source.
28 April 1941: a II/FJR2 paratrooper clowning with a captured British helmet..
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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#24

Post by Peter H » 30 Aug 2010, 03:09

Same source.
27 April 1941 New Zealander prisoners..
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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#25

Post by tigre » 04 Sep 2010, 19:01

Hello to all :D; a little more.................

Paratroopers in the Balkans.

FJR 2 in action on the Corinth Canal.

Meanwhile, the paratroopers had arrived and were deployed due north and south of the bridge, according to the account of a war reporter(PK): ahead and behind us flew other formations, all Ju-52 towards the same goal, soon down there it was the objective, the south’s end of the bridge of Corinth!, and below us stretched the ground located south of the isthmus.

It came the order to jump! Gone are the nerves and the whole body was prepared for the jump and then the landing, still in the air a quick orientation in the few seconds of descent, the ground approaches fastly, machine guns and rifles were firing. The drop zone was located several hundred meters of the bridge in a valley. Free from the parachute, the paratroopers hunters are looking for cover, to meet and ascertain the situation.

Hard and intense close combat, from the road leading to Corinth advanced some English light armored but they were repulsed with antitank guns, suddenly a violent explosion and a black cloud rose into the sky: the bridge was blown up!.

The fight on the bridge had been completed and on the north side of the Isthmus the hunters paratroopers had cleared the field of enemies, which were either killed or captured.

Sources: Deutsche Fallschirmjäger im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Volkmar Kühn. Motorbuch Verlag.
Die Wehrmacht 1941.
Private Sales List-5.FJR 2 - CORINTH, KRETA, RUSSIA, NORWAY. 14 de Enero de 2010, 18:02:01
Die Bildchronik der Fallschirmtruppe 1935-45. Arnold v. Roon.
Greece and Crete 1941. Christopher Buckley

Cheers. Raúl M 8-).
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image003.gif
The jump..................
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image005.jpg
First British POWs................
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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#26

Post by tigre » 10 Sep 2010, 03:42

Hello to all :D; a little more.................

Paratroopers in the Balkans.

FJR 2 in action on the Corinth Canal.

Due south had jumped Hauptmann Schirmer with his 6. Company, who assumed command of the II. Battalion after the injury suffered by their Commander Major Pietzonka. Oberleutnant Nagele took command of the 6./FJR 2.

Meanwhile Oberst Sturm had arrived and ordered Hauptmann Schirmer was to pursue the enemy and take over Argos and Nauplia. The British troops of the Isthmus Force (4th Hussars with three light tanks, a company of the 19 Bn of New Zealand and the New Zealander cavalry squadron) bore the weight of the assault but could do little and the force disintegrated.

Sources: Deutsche Fallschirmjäger im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Volkmar Kühn. Motorbuch Verlag.
Die Wehrmacht 1941.
Private Sales List-5.FJR 2 - CORINTH, KRETA, RUSSIA, NORWAY. 14 de Enero de 2010, 18:02:01
Die Bildchronik der Fallschirmtruppe 1935-45. Arnold v. Roon.
Greece and Crete 1941. Christopher Buckley

Cheers. Raúl M 8-).
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The II./ FJR 2 falling down to the ground...............
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Major Pietzonka who was injured during the jump, with Oberleutnant Ewald.
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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#27

Post by tigre » 17 Sep 2010, 23:38

Hello to all :D; a little more.................

Paratroopers in the Balkans.

FJR 2 in action on the Corinth Canal.

Leutnant Teussen’s Platoon went to the town of Corinth motorized in British military vehicles which were taken as booty. Shortly after the paratroopers entered the town and the civil and military authorities went to surrender the locality.

Having taken the town of Corinth, Hauptmann Schirmer ordered Leutnant Teussen to act as advance guard and to press ahead with his Platoon towards Nauplia. Shortly after noon, the aerodrome of Corinth fell into German hands.

Sources: Deutsche Fallschirmjäger im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Volkmar Kühn. Motorbuch Verlag.
Die Wehrmacht 1941.
Private Sales List-5.FJR 2 - CORINTH, KRETA, RUSSIA, NORWAY. 14 de Enero de 2010, 18:02:01
Die Bildchronik der Fallschirmtruppe 1935-45. Arnold v. Roon.
Greece and Crete 1941. Christopher Buckley

Cheers. Raúl M 8-).
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image002xx.gif
The mayor, the military chief and police chief escorted by German paratroopers ...
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image004xx.gif
Corinth fell into German hands.
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image006.jpg
http://www.viajes.es/europa/grecia/corinto/corinto-mapa-de-corinto-i1.gif
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Peter H
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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#28

Post by Peter H » 18 Sep 2010, 06:40

Pietzonka broke his leg in the Corinth jump,later captured at Brest in 1944:

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 1#p1158181

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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#29

Post by tigre » 18 Sep 2010, 14:42

Thanks Peter, nice complement :wink:. Cheers. Raúl M 8-).

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Re: Operation Hannibal 1941

#30

Post by tigre » 24 Sep 2010, 00:03

Hello to all :D; a little more.................

Paratroopers in the Balkans.

FJR 2 in action on the Corinth Canal.

Then began the hunt and the Argonaut’s Platoon of Schirmer captured Argos and Nauplia. In the fighting that followed the Leutnant Teussen was injured but his troops took 1400 British and therefore on June 14, 1941 he received the Knight's Cross.

On April 28, 1941 in the morning approached the vanguard of the German Army and by then the engineers had built a bridge of circumstances on the Corinth’s Canal. The foremost fractions of the 5 Pz linked with the I. / FJR. The Regiment had taken a total of 10 500 prisoners.

Sources: Deutsche Fallschirmjäger im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Volkmar Kühn. Motorbuch Verlag.
Die Wehrmacht 1941.
Private Sales List-5.FJR 2 - CORINTH, KRETA, RUSSIA, NORWAY. 14 de Enero de 2010, 18:02:01
Die Bildchronik der Fallschirmtruppe 1935-45. Arnold v. Roon.
Greece and Crete 1941. Christopher Buckley

Cheers. Raúl M 8-).
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The Argonauts, who performed the raking and seized Argos and Nauplia.
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image004x.gif
The temporary bridge spanning the canal.
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