Battle of Aschaffenburg

[Daniel L]

Can anyone forward me to any good sources about this battle which was called the Monte Cassino of Germany?

Best regards/ Daniel

[Benoit Douville]

Daniel,

I found this about the Battle of Aschaffenburg:

http://www.koch-athene.de/6th/aschaffen ... enburg.htm

Regards

[Daniel L]

Hi Benoit, that's actually the site that got me interested in the battle.

Best regards/ Daniel

[kerrd]

I have the After Action Reports of the 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division, U.S. Seventh Army, for
March and April 1945. The 157th captured the city after fierce fighting.

I also have 15 high-resolution U.S. Army Signal Corps photos of Aschaffenburg from the National Archives,
College Park, MD.

If anyone wants copies of the AARs or photos, just let me know.


Dave

[kerrd]

Here is the link to Major Quentin W. Schillare's thesis on the Battle:

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD ... tTRDoc.pdf

And a site I found today:

http://www.west-wall.de/specials/WMTS/wmts.htm

Dave

[IvanSR]

Interesting account. This is why I still visit this forum, after all those years - you always learn something new.

[kerrd]

While at the NARA last weekend, I scanned seven new photos of Aschaffenburg
and copied the S-2-3 Journal of 2nd Bn, 157th, for the battle.


Dave

[BCFF]

I would definitely like to have the reports for the Battle of Aschaffenburg. I am trying to pinpoint where the 157 was located once they crossed the Main river.

[Mori]

Note that Schillare thesis, although interesting, is completely wrong in its quantitative assessment of German strength. This flaws Schillare's conclusions dramatically.

There is a chapter dedicated to Aschaffenburg in John Antal's City Fight (there). It's based on good primary sources and pretty detailed - although kind of boring for the casual reader.

[dfordyce]

I am interested in the documents and photos you referenced as I believe my grandfather died in this battle. The details we have are sketchy, but he was shot by a sniper on Apr 2nd near Schweinheim. This battle was active at this time, so I'm hoping to find more details.

Diana

I have the After Action Reports of the 157th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Division, U.S. Seventh Army, for
March and April 1945. The 157th captured the city after fierce fighting.

I also have 15 high-resolution U.S. Army Signal Corps photos of Aschaffenburg from the National Archives,
College Park, MD.

If anyone wants copies of the AARs or photos, just let me know.


Dave

[kerrd]

I am interested in the documents and photos you referenced as I believe my grandfather died in this battle. The details we have are sketchy, but he was shot by a sniper on Apr 2nd near Schweinheim. This battle was active at this time, so I'm hoping to find more details.

Diana


What is his name, Diana.

By the way, we have a Facebook Group for the 45th:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1377024265874978/


Dave

[dfordyce]

Hi Dave,
His name is William Craport. He joined the National Guard forces in Ohio and was assigned to the 45th. I have some letters the army sent my grandma when he died, outlining minor details and I pieced together that he would have been very near if not in Aschaffensburg when he was shot in the throat by a sniper on 2 April.

Thanks for the link. I joined the facebook page!
Diana

[kbeckwith68@gmail.com]

Hi there,

I've been poking around on the internet trying to assemble an idea of my grandfather's journey during WWII based on the information I have. It's overwhelming and I didn't realize how much I did not know! I would love to be able to determine where in Europe he made landfall, and the route he took during the war.

I have a letter he wrote home dated June 12 1945. I also have a copy of a censored pamphlet titled "The story of Aschaffenberg", however this doesn't tell me specifically which groups my grandfather was in.

His name was John W. Ingman, from Worcester MA.

What I do know is that he was in the 45th division, 157th infantry, and I believe based on his discharge papers (which my mother has) and the return address on the envelope of the letter that he was in the 1st Battalion Headqarters Company, if that is a thing. In the letter he speaks of the towns he was in at the end of the war-- Munich, touring Hitler's demolished home, visiting a mountain resort near lake Konigsee, and being transferred from the 7th army into the 3rd army. Then being sent to somewhere in or near Augsburg, to a large building that used to be a convalescent hospital. I imagine this was prior to being sent home. But I am not certain.

I honestly don't even know where to begin. There are a lot of terms that I'm unfamiliar with, and I'm delving into the details of the war for the first time, so the learning curve is steep. If anyone could point me in the right direction or has any information I'd be thrilled.

Thank you,
Kristen