The history of the Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7.

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a new story here...........................

Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7. Erinnerungen an Kreta 1941.

This Unit was organized in the summer of 1938 as Geschütz-Batterie 7 (howitzer-battery 7) within the 7th Air Division (7. Flieger-Division). On September 01 1939 it was shifted as Artillerie Versuchs-Komandos (experimental command of artillery) to the airfield of Küper around Sagan in Silesia.

Fallschirm-Artillerie-Versuchskommando( Gardelegen März 1939).

Batterie-Chef Oberleutnant Schram
Batterie-Offizier Leutnant Lösch

On September 10 1939 it was airlifted towards the area Templin- Irena. There had no enemy contact. The battery was placed under an Army unit carried out only security tasks. On September 15 of 1939, it returned to Gardelegen. Carried out training tasks by March 1940, also at the ski-training center in Mittenwald.

Sources: http://www.schlaweck.com/fall_ari.htm#top
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.bl ... chive.html
Kreta – ein Markstein der Kriegsgeschichte. Von Hans-Georg Schnitzer, Kriegsberichter.
Private Sales List-Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album, Kreta Cufftitle & Award Document Group - 1. Fallschirmjaeger Div. - Top!!

Cheers. Raúl M .

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

[tigre]

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Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7. Erinnerungen an Kreta 1941.

Campaign in the west.

During the months of March and April 1940 it moved to the area of Bad Lippspringe in order to carry out gun exercises with live ammunition in the Training Ground of Senne (Truppenübungsplatz Senne).

As of April 1940, it was named as Fallschirm-Geschützbatterie 7.

Fallschirm-Geschütz-Batterie 7 (Gardelegen März 1940)

Batterie-Chef Oberleutnant Schram
Batterie-Offizier Leutnant Lösch

On May 10, 1940 it was airlifted to Rotterdamm-Waalhaven airfield which had been captured by an airborne assault carried out by the III. / FJR 1 (Hauptmann Schulz). The battery was employed in two Platoons as follows: a Platoon of two horse-drawn guns under the command of Oberleutnant Schramm was directed toward Dortrecht and after breaking the enemy resistance continued in the direction of the Moerdijk bridges where was fighting the II. / FJR 1. The second Platoon under command of Leutnant Lösch sustained heavy fighting in the city of Dordrecht.

Sources: http://www.schlaweck.com/fall_ari.htm#top
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.bl ... chive.html
Kreta – ein Markstein der Kriegsgeschichte. Von Hans-Georg Schnitzer, Kriegsberichter.
Private Sales List-Fallschirmjäger Photo Album, Kreta Cufftitle & Award Document Group - 1. Fallschirmjäger Div. - Top!!

Cheers. Raúl M .

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

[tigre]

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Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7. Erinnerungen an Kreta 1941.

After the Campaign in the west.

In the summer of 1940 it was expanded to a Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7 (parachute artillery group) within the 7th air Division. Its weapons were upgraded getting the Gebirgsgeschütz 36 (36th Mountain Gun). In March 1941 the 2. Batterie was upgraded with the new light gun 40 / 2 (LG2) of 105 mm. The recoilless gun can be broken down into 4 packs and could be dropped by parachute from the Ju52. It was towing with a BMW R75-Beiwagenkrad which was dropped in a quintuplet-parachute. The howitzers used in the 1. and the 3. Batteries could not be dropped by parachute but could be loaded only in a Ju-52. The newly introduced Kettenrad HK 101-SdKfz.2 serves as a traction device.

Sources: http://www.schlaweck.com/fall_ari.htm#top
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.bl ... chive.html
Kreta – ein Markstein der Kriegsgeschichte. Von Hans-Georg Schnitzer, Kriegsberichter.
Private Sales List-Fallschirmjäger Photo Album, Kreta Cufftitle & Award Document Group - 1. Fallschirmjäger Div. - Top!!

Cheers. Raúl M .

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

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...........................

Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7. Erinnerungen an Kreta 1941.

Organization and role of combat:

Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7 ( Halberstadt März 1941)

Kommandeur Major Bode
Adjutant Oblt.Lösch

1. Batterie
Batterie-Chef Hauptmann Schram
Batterie-Offizier Oberleutnant Gassner

2. Batterie
Batterie-Chef Oberleutnant Thorbecke
Batterie-Offizier Oberleutnant Scheller
B-Offizier Leutnant Exter
B-Offizier Leutnant Damm

3. Batterie
Batterie-Chef Oberleutnant von Soden
Batterie-Offizier Oberleutnant von Bültzingslöwen
B-Offizier Leutnant Wolf

Sources: http://www.schlaweck.com/fall_ari.htm#top
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.bl ... chive.html
Kreta – ein Markstein der Kriegsgeschichte. Von Hans-Georg Schnitzer, Kriegsberichter.
Private Sales List-Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album, Kreta Cufftitle & Award Document Group - 1. Fallschirmjaeger Div. - Top!!

Cheers. Raúl M .

Feliz Año Nuevo - Happy New Year - feliz Ano Novo - gluckliches Neues Jahr - Bonne Année - Felice Anno Nuovo!!!

[Zuylen]

I tend to disagree with a portion of the abovesaid by Raul, particularly the Dutch bit.

First of all Zirkus Schram was still only the 'Fallschirmjäger Geschütz Batterie' when it was airlifted into Holland with a mere four light mountain howitzers Skoda 15 (7,5 cm). The two 'halbbatterien' were jointly sent into Dordrecht in the late evening of May 10. Upon the quite fierce Dutch resistance in the city of Dordrecht (about 80,000 inhabitants then), the Halbbatterie Lösch stayed in Zwijndrecht (west of Dordrecht) to assist I./FJR.1 (minus 1./) in suppressing the Dutch defence in Dordrecht, whereas the other Halbbatterie with Schram went down to Moerdijk, where indeed II./FJR.1 had taken a bridgehead. When moving down to the German HQ near the Moerdijk bridges, the Schram krad drove into a previous Dutch roadblock, killing his adjutant (Fw Schulze) and badly injurying Schram himself.

The Lösch Halbbatterie later (12 May 1940) joint a taskforce of airlanding troops (auxilary airlanding reserve I./IR.72 under Oberstleutnant de Boer, Kdr of AR.22), which already contained another four Skoda mountain howitzers of the same type of AR.22. These men got into serious urban clashes during the next two days.

The picture that Raul used is of the well known URL http://www.dordtopenstad.nl which shows most interesting footage of the battle around Dordrecht of Fallschirmjäger Regiment 1 in May 1940. The photo shows the killed point formation of a battalion of Dutch infantry that had been sent to Dordrecht to reinforce the city defences (and not a patrol). Its point formation ran into the German perimeter defences around the bridges at Dordrecht. The road itself is the Mijlweg, in Dordrecht. The silly Dutch manoeuvre - in fact a series of daft manoevres - caused almost an entire battalion of regular infantry to be taken out by fractions of the 2nd and 4th Company of Fallschirmjägerregiment 1, later assisted by 9. and 10./FJR.1 under (then) Hauptmann Karl-Lothar Schulz.

[tigre]

Hello Zuylen ; no problem and thanks for joining here, always expecting someone could add something interesting to this thread . Cheers. Raúl M .

Feliz Año Nuevo - Happy New Year - feliz Ano Novo - gluckliches Neues Jahr - Bonne Année - Felice Anno Nuovo!!!

[tigre]

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Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7. Erinnerungen an Kreta 1941.

Balkan campaign.

The 3. Battery was airlifted to Bulgaria. On April 25, 1941 the battery was moved to Larissa and finally on April 26, 1941 was engaged in actions during the assault on Corinth. The battery then participated in the pursuit of the English units in the Peloponnese.

Sources: http://www.schlaweck.com/fall_ari.htm#top
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.bl ... chive.html
Kreta – ein Markstein der Kriegsgeschichte. Von Hans-Georg Schnitzer, Kriegsberichter.
Private Sales List-Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album, Kreta Cufftitle & Award Document Group - 1. Fallschirmjaeger Div. - Top!!

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...........................

Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7. Erinnerungen an Kreta 1941.

Action in Crete.

Organization.

Kommandeur: Major Bode, Adjutant Oblt.Lösch

1.Batterie Hptm.Schram
2. Batterie Oblt. Thorbecke
3. Batterie Oblt. von Soden

The 1. Battery of Hauptmann Schramm was attached as reinforcement to the LL Sturm Rgt under the command of Generalmajor Eugen Meindl, this unit had the task of conquering and holding the northwestern sector of the island.

The 1. / Fallsch. Art. Abt- 7 was shipped in the 1. flotilla of motor sailboats and dispatched towards Crete. However, two light howitzers were loaded in 4 gliders DFS 230 and took off from Meggara to Maleme airfield.

Sources: http://www.schlaweck.com/fall_ari.htm#top
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.bl ... chive.html
Kreta – ein Markstein der Kriegsgeschichte. Von Hans-Georg Schnitzer, Kriegsberichter.
Private Sales List-Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album, Kreta Cufftitle & Award Document Group - 1. Fallschirmjäger Div. - Top!!

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...........................

Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7. Erinnerungen an Kreta 1941.

Action in Crete.

The gliders landed in the vicinity of Tavronitis under command of Maj. Bode, however a glider crashed so only one of the guns remained in service.

Sources: http://www.schlaweck.com/fall_ari.htm#top
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.bl ... chive.html
Kreta – ein Markstein der Kriegsgeschichte. Von Hans-Georg Schnitzer, Kriegsberichter.
Private Sales List-Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album, Kreta Cufftitle & Award Document Group - 1. Fallschirmjaeger Div. - Top!!

Cheers. Raúl M 8).

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...........................

Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7. Erinnerungen an Kreta 1941.

Action in Crete.

Maleme airfield under fire of the British artillery ... ... ... ... .....

Sources: http://www.schlaweck.com/fall_ari.htm#top
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.bl ... chive.html
Kreta – ein Markstein der Kriegsgeschichte. Von Hans-Georg Schnitzer, Kriegsberichter.
Private Sales List-Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album, Kreta Cufftitle & Award Document Group - 1. Fallschirmjaeger Div. - Top!!

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...........................

Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7. Erinnerungen an Kreta 1941.

Action in Crete.

The 3. Battery was shipped in sailing vessels bound for Heraklion of the 2nd Flotilla. However, both fleets of sailboats were detected and attacked by British naval formations and had to retreat to suffer losses so the battery did not reach the destination intended for its employment.

On May 22, 1941 two light guns of the 1. Battery commanded by Hauptmann Schram arrived on the island of Crete.

Sources: http://www.schlaweck.com/fall_ari.htm#top
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.bl ... chive.html
Kreta – ein Markstein der Kriegsgeschichte. Von Hans-Georg Schnitzer, Kriegsberichter.
Private Sales List-Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album, Kreta Cufftitle & Award Document Group - 1. Fallschirmjaeger Div. - Top!!

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...........................

Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7. Erinnerungen an Kreta 1941.

Action in Crete.

On May 24, 1941, Maj. Bode fell in action after being hit by shrapnel from an artillery shell.

Assembly Area ............. 4th day in Crete - May 24th.

Sources: http://www.schlaweck.com/fall_ari.htm#top
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.bl ... chive.html
Kreta – ein Markstein der Kriegsgeschichte. Von Hans-Georg Schnitzer, Kriegsberichter.
Private Sales List-Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album, Kreta Cufftitle & Award Document Group - 1. Fallschirmjaeger Div. - Top!!

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...........................

Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7. Erinnerungen an Kreta 1941.

Action in Crete.

The 2. Battery, with light howitzers, was parachuted in Perivolia-Rethymnon. Oberleutnant Thorbecke fell in action in Perivolia. Casualties: 18 dead and 36 wounded and missing in action.

Sources: http://www.schlaweck.com/fall_ari.htm#top
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.bl ... chive.html
Kreta – ein Markstein der Kriegsgeschichte. Von Hans-Georg Schnitzer, Kriegsberichter.
Private Sales List-Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album, Kreta Cufftitle & Award Document Group - 1. Fallschirmjaeger Div. - Top!!

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...........................

Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7. Erinnerungen an Kreta 1941.

Action in Crete.

In front of Chania!.

Sources: http://www.schlaweck.com/fall_ari.htm#top
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.bl ... chive.html
Kreta – ein Markstein der Kriegsgeschichte. Von Hans-Georg Schnitzer, Kriegsberichter.
Private Sales List-Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album, Kreta Cufftitle & Award Document Group - 1. Fallschirmjaeger Div. - Top!!

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows...........................

Fallschirm-Artillerie-Abteilung 7. Erinnerungen an Kreta 1941.

Action in Crete.

In front of Chania!.

Hunting for an English OP which led the hostile fire on the paratroopers ......................

Sources: http://www.schlaweck.com/fall_ari.htm#top
http://gliederungundstellenbesetzung.bl ... chive.html
Kreta – ein Markstein der Kriegsgeschichte. Von Hans-Georg Schnitzer, Kriegsberichter.
Private Sales List-Fallschirmjaeger Photo Album, Kreta Cufftitle & Award Document Group - 1. Fallschirmjaeger Div. - Top!!

Cheers. Raúl M .