SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel...
- krichter33
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Re: SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel...
If that unfortunately is the case, then the best way to go would be to have it self published. Or at the very least sell it as an ebook or cd.
Re: SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel...
I have noticed that a lot of publishier's seem to be getting strict over control on works that they publish.They want to aim at specific subjects that they think are going to sell. The result is that the author has his manuscript that has taken years and lots of effort to write cut up into the parts the publisher wants which is very unfair.
I agree with other posters that it will be great shame if your book on Knittel is not published it would fill a huge gap in the history of LSSAH and leave untouched a record of the crimes commited by this unit.
I do know that Helion translate works from German to English.
Regards,
Ron
I agree with other posters that it will be great shame if your book on Knittel is not published it would fill a huge gap in the history of LSSAH and leave untouched a record of the crimes commited by this unit.
I do know that Helion translate works from German to English.
Regards,
Ron
- krichter33
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Re: SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel...
I'm surprised that Helion would want to cut up your manuscript or only publish parts of it. They have published books on very technical and obscure subjects.
Re: SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel...
Where did I say Helion wants to cut it up? I wrote that "most" have restrictions, then gave several examples but I never linked these to specific publishers. I'll contact Helion to see if they're interested.krichter33 wrote:I'm surprised that Helion would want to cut up your manuscript or only publish parts of it. They have published books on very technical and obscure subjects.
- krichter33
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Re: SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel...
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that. But anyways, Helion would surprise me if they are not interested.
Re: SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel...
There's a green light for the German text version, further details will follow when the manuscript goes to print, first those finishing touches!
Re: SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel...
That's great news Timo
- krichter33
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Re: SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel...
Excellent news!!!
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Re: SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel...
Hello Harro, i think i ve learnt more off your posts than pile of books,you ve given depth and meaning to the subject of Knittel/SS Pz AA 1 , so i ve been looking forward to your book for few years, excellent news.Cant wait.
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Schnelle Gruppe Knittel
As i've been following the Peiper thread here: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 0&t=157803 and noticed the talk of Knittel's orders during the Ardennes but didn't want to go off topic in that thread i've started this thread to add to the discussion and post a couple of relevant documents.
As Harro contends in his posts on Schnelle Gruppe Knittel: "It is perfectly clear that Knittel had orders to follow behind Hansen and Peiper only to overtake them when one of them had made a breakthrough and then to make use of the speed of his Schnelle Gruppe to capture and secure a bridge across the Meuse River."
True and to back it up this is what Hermann Prieß has to say about the Reconnaissance Battalion's orders:
Source: MS A-877, Page 9, Interrogation of Hermann Prieß, March 1946.
This also appears to have been the case with the 12th SS Reconnaissance as Hugo Kraas states:
Source: MS B-522, Page 12, Interrogation of Hugo Kraas, 1st May 1947.
As Harro contends in his posts on Schnelle Gruppe Knittel: "It is perfectly clear that Knittel had orders to follow behind Hansen and Peiper only to overtake them when one of them had made a breakthrough and then to make use of the speed of his Schnelle Gruppe to capture and secure a bridge across the Meuse River."
True and to back it up this is what Hermann Prieß has to say about the Reconnaissance Battalion's orders:
Source: MS A-877, Page 9, Interrogation of Hermann Prieß, March 1946.
This also appears to have been the case with the 12th SS Reconnaissance as Hugo Kraas states:
Source: MS B-522, Page 12, Interrogation of Hugo Kraas, 1st May 1947.
Re: Schnelle Gruppe Knittel
Great primary documents - thanks for sharing !
Re: Schnelle Gruppe Knittel
I'm going through all my files and just came across a statement that seems to be the reason (or one of the reasons) for the confusion about the "free role" order for Knittel. On July 2, 1946, in Dachau during the Malmédy Trial SS-Obersturmführer Heinz Goltz, commanding the Stabskompanie of the SS-PzAA1 in the Ardennes, took the stand as a witness for the defense:
"A.: Wir unterhielten uns über die geplante Durchführung dieses Einsatzes. Geplant war, die verstärkte AA als Vorausabteilung einzusetzen. Geplant war weiter, dass die AA entweder der Panzergruppe PEIPER auf der Marschroute folgen, falls sich der Kommandeur dazu entschließt oder wir hatten den verstärkten 1. Rgt. Zu folgen. Die Entscheidung lag bei dem Kommandeur. Es hing davon ab, welche Kampfgruppe schneller Boden gewinnen würde. Es war zu erwarten, dass bis zum Ende der Hohen Venn die Abteilung der Gruppe ohne Kampfeinsatz folgen würde und sich die AA anschließend an die Spitze der Panzergruppe “Peiper” oder des 1. Rgts. setzen würde. Wer es auch sei, oder besser: wie der Fall auch sein mag, befehlsgemäß war die Maas so schnell als möglich zu erreichen unter Verwendung von Kradeinheiten, die die Brücke über die Maas südlich von Lüttich zu nehmen hatten, die noch nicht zerstört sein sollte."
"Die Entscheidung lag bei dem Kommandeur" is the key here: "it was for the commander to decide", if the march route of Panzergruppe Peiper was to be followed or "den verstärkten 1. Rgt." (being KG Hansen), depending on which KG made the quickest progress. "The commander" that's Knittel, however, my interpretation of what Goltz meant is that Knittel was free in his choice of march route: Rollbahn D assigned to Peiper or Rollbahn E assigned to Hansen, enabling him to follow close behind both of them, but not free to decide when or where he would overtake either of them. Hence Goltz continued that Knittel expected that they would cross the Hohes Venn (High Fens) behind them without fighting, and would only take their place as advance guard once they had passed the Hohes Venn (note that Malmédy is the southernmost point of the Hohes Venn). The Schnelle Gruppe indeed used both Rollbahn D and E on December 16 and 17, with elements of the SS-PzAA1 being reported spending the night from December 16 to 17 in Roth bei Prüm (Rollbahn E) and Hallschlag (D). The next day, December 17, Knittel and his advance guard reached Born at 13.00 hrs, where they had to wait for several hours (Coblenz on the phone, January 2007) for III./SS-PGR1 (Böttcher) to pass them. When the grenadiers had finally passed them (and had moved on to Recht) it had become dark and Knittel ordered his unit to prepare for the night. The next morning, December 18, Knittel moved on towards Recht in order to follow Hansen to Poteau when Mohnke ordered him on the radio to head for Stavelot because Peiper had crossed the Amblève River.
"A.: Wir unterhielten uns über die geplante Durchführung dieses Einsatzes. Geplant war, die verstärkte AA als Vorausabteilung einzusetzen. Geplant war weiter, dass die AA entweder der Panzergruppe PEIPER auf der Marschroute folgen, falls sich der Kommandeur dazu entschließt oder wir hatten den verstärkten 1. Rgt. Zu folgen. Die Entscheidung lag bei dem Kommandeur. Es hing davon ab, welche Kampfgruppe schneller Boden gewinnen würde. Es war zu erwarten, dass bis zum Ende der Hohen Venn die Abteilung der Gruppe ohne Kampfeinsatz folgen würde und sich die AA anschließend an die Spitze der Panzergruppe “Peiper” oder des 1. Rgts. setzen würde. Wer es auch sei, oder besser: wie der Fall auch sein mag, befehlsgemäß war die Maas so schnell als möglich zu erreichen unter Verwendung von Kradeinheiten, die die Brücke über die Maas südlich von Lüttich zu nehmen hatten, die noch nicht zerstört sein sollte."
"Die Entscheidung lag bei dem Kommandeur" is the key here: "it was for the commander to decide", if the march route of Panzergruppe Peiper was to be followed or "den verstärkten 1. Rgt." (being KG Hansen), depending on which KG made the quickest progress. "The commander" that's Knittel, however, my interpretation of what Goltz meant is that Knittel was free in his choice of march route: Rollbahn D assigned to Peiper or Rollbahn E assigned to Hansen, enabling him to follow close behind both of them, but not free to decide when or where he would overtake either of them. Hence Goltz continued that Knittel expected that they would cross the Hohes Venn (High Fens) behind them without fighting, and would only take their place as advance guard once they had passed the Hohes Venn (note that Malmédy is the southernmost point of the Hohes Venn). The Schnelle Gruppe indeed used both Rollbahn D and E on December 16 and 17, with elements of the SS-PzAA1 being reported spending the night from December 16 to 17 in Roth bei Prüm (Rollbahn E) and Hallschlag (D). The next day, December 17, Knittel and his advance guard reached Born at 13.00 hrs, where they had to wait for several hours (Coblenz on the phone, January 2007) for III./SS-PGR1 (Böttcher) to pass them. When the grenadiers had finally passed them (and had moved on to Recht) it had become dark and Knittel ordered his unit to prepare for the night. The next morning, December 18, Knittel moved on towards Recht in order to follow Hansen to Poteau when Mohnke ordered him on the radio to head for Stavelot because Peiper had crossed the Amblève River.
Last edited by Harro on 01 Feb 2015, 13:56, edited 3 times in total.
Re: Schnelle Gruppe Knittel
Just came across a statement SS-Untersturmführer Engelbert Rentsch, commanding 1./SS-PzAA1 in the Ardennes, gave on January 30, 1953, in support of Knittel:
He simply repeated what many said before: the battalion had orders to follow behind both Kampfgruppen Peiper and Hansen, and then to bypass enemy resistance and avoid enemy contact in order to take a bridge by surprise. Nothing new here, just one of many statements dr. Aschenauer collected to support Knittels appeal for reduction of his sentence which basically all had the same contents.
He simply repeated what many said before: the battalion had orders to follow behind both Kampfgruppen Peiper and Hansen, and then to bypass enemy resistance and avoid enemy contact in order to take a bridge by surprise. Nothing new here, just one of many statements dr. Aschenauer collected to support Knittels appeal for reduction of his sentence which basically all had the same contents.
Re: SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel...
Two threads have been merged and moved to the "Heer & Waffen-SS" section.
/Marcus
/Marcus
Re: SS-Sturmbannführer Gustav Knittel...
Dietrich Ziemssen, July 10, 1949:
From his explanation one could conclude that Knittel only had orders to follow Hansen, clearly in an attempt to clear Knittel from any involvement in KG Peiper and the Malmédy Massacre: hence the specific notion that he was never near the crossroads south of Malmédy. He even tries to hide all connections between Peiper and Knittel by leaving out Mohnkes December 18 order to link up with Peiper and by giving a false impression of the situation on December 19 (Ziemssen more or less suggests that Knittel never linked up with Peiper because the ordered attempt to recapture Stavelot failed. We all know that Knittel crossed Stavelot on the 18th and was with Peiper on the western bank of the Amblève when the order came to take back Stavelot).
From his explanation one could conclude that Knittel only had orders to follow Hansen, clearly in an attempt to clear Knittel from any involvement in KG Peiper and the Malmédy Massacre: hence the specific notion that he was never near the crossroads south of Malmédy. He even tries to hide all connections between Peiper and Knittel by leaving out Mohnkes December 18 order to link up with Peiper and by giving a false impression of the situation on December 19 (Ziemssen more or less suggests that Knittel never linked up with Peiper because the ordered attempt to recapture Stavelot failed. We all know that Knittel crossed Stavelot on the 18th and was with Peiper on the western bank of the Amblève when the order came to take back Stavelot).