3./Flak-Rgt 33 Oblt. Schwabach Mark II in Flammen

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ClintHardware
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3./Flak-Rgt 33 Oblt. Schwabach Mark II in Flammen

#1

Post by ClintHardware » 08 Mar 2018, 10:40

I translated the following yesterday. Its not perfect by any means. Its from Esebeck's account. I hope I got the spirit of the account about right and what he intended to describe. The literal German text is quite fractured in places so I "rounded" it into English but without changing the detail as far as I can tell. This is either the 15th or the 16th of June 1941 - can't check for the moment. Its from a September 1941 Berliner Zeitung article.

Correction this is 3./ I. Flak-Regiment 33 unless you know otherwise.

Mark II in Flammen
In the ranks of the panzers there is now movement. They are ammunitioned and refueled. "Panzer marsch!".

The new wave of attack, accompanied by the anti-aircraft battery of Oberleutnant Schwabach and the tank hunters in the flank, rolls on. This Capuzzo, thinks the Oberleutnant on the command tank, is going to be a simple act of robbery. Twice it has changed hands in the course of the last few weeks. Each time Tommy has been forced out.

However, this attack does not come to be the decisive thrust. The British do not make a stand in front of the walls [of Capuzzo] but instead make only a show as our rising dust indicates the beginnings of the German attack.

An accursed feeling emerges. Everywhere the Mark IIs show themselves. Our movements are not now like moving on the high seas but we turn and twist to confuse his aim and to try to get around him. Closer and closer comes Tommy. Still no shot is fired by the Flak guns. The tension increases. Down to 500 metres the first Mark II has approached our flak guns, which in turn move away from their position ahead of the panzers.

Our guns shoot streams of fire. Two of the guns disappear from view in dust and smoke. The crews stare through this screen and eventually see clearly two Mark IIs are in flames. The gun crews are cheering with an overwhelming sense of relief. Oberleutnant Schwabach, in a once-white silk shirt, a fly swat in his hand, is so hoarse from shouting orders that he can scarcely shout anymore. He raises his arm and slaps the Detector on the shoulder with joy that almost makes the Detector sink to his knees. Eight shots have been fired. Keep Firing! Keep Firing!

Two light English cruisers are coming on, moving quickly. Attention! Calm down! Unteroffizier Melzer, the gun commander, squints. "Let them come…." then Melzer raises his hand and glares at the Oberleutnant because the lessening range values are continually being called out and he wants to begin firing. Firing commences ... five or six shots are chasing the cruisers. Again, hits produce tell-tale thin black threads from the tanks. A crew member can still just get out and he takes cover behind his tank, but the ammunition is already exploding. Incandescent flames roar around the two cruisers.

Of course, Tommy is not stupid. He moves quickly from Capuzzo and slips around the flak and panzer positions, suppressing their observation with fire.The British layers are not bad but luckily, they are shooting into the sun and can only observe with imprecision.

Suddenly it is reported: "The enemy are behind us!". Two Flak guns are immediately pulled out of their positions and thrown quickly against the enemy tanks attacking from that diriection leaving only one gun still dealing with the first enemy group.

Three Mark IIs crawl towards us and at 2200 metres they are brought under fire. The shots are neatly close to the tanks and spray around them despite their return fire. Then one is seen to turn away on its own axis and is also on fire. The second Mark II is in a similar state and the third turns and quickly disappears from view - he has had enough.

Meanwhile, it is time for the panzers to break off the action. The British artillery fire is growing in intensity minute by minute but the British attempt to enclose the Germans has failed. However, our attack to take Capuzzo has failed. But why is this? Six enemy tanks are shot up – much more of a result you can not ask.

The evening’s dusk finally changes the horizon. The view is clear with shadows thrown by the scorching red sun. The air feels cleaner and it is finally becoming cool. It was a hell of a day! About 60 degrees as we fought our weapons. Those crews of the Flak now realise the sweat they lost as they kept going in the action.

Then again comes a new attack order. Capuzzo has to be taken. Again the flak guns roar before the reassembled wave of panzers attack. Fast forward toward Capuzzo in the failing light. Capuzzo is only vaguely recognizable. The flak and panzers approach the walls up to 800 metres away when a wild savage fire falls upon them. The ruins must be peppered with those now blazing guns. But it does not help Tommy because we go into action calmly.

Ammunition! The Flak gunners are breathing hard with the exertion of bringing the heavy baskets of shells off their wagons. At the same moment the fight begins. Working in the open, and without any significant cover, the crews serve the guns. Once again, our flak proves to be a dreadful deadly weapon: a single gun under Corporal Melzer destroys five Mark IIs. This gun had gone ahead immediately the order was given. The British tanks move into the shadows of the night and at the end of the fight, all around, are the fires of battered blazing armoured fighting vehicles. The mass of British tanks have moved back into the shattered field of ruins. It's an unimaginable fantastic picture and colourful chains of tracers float across the evening sky. The sounds of explosions and impacts merge; the air trembles with the roar of bursting explosions and the A.F.Vs incessant firing.
Imperialism and Re-Armament NOW !

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Urmel
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Re: 3./Flak-Rgt 33 Oblt. Schwabach Mark II in Flammen

#2

Post by Urmel » 11 Mar 2018, 02:42

Somebody there liked to write. I have the AAR for 3./Flak33's participation in Totensonntag here:

https://rommelsriposte.com/2017/01/03/s ... 3-flak-33/
The enemy had superiority in numbers, his tanks were more heavily armoured, they had larger calibre guns with nearly twice the effective range of ours, and their telescopes were superior. 5 RTR 19/11/41

The CRUSADER Project - The Winter Battle 1941/42


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ClintHardware
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Re: 3./Flak-Rgt 33 Oblt. Schwabach Mark II in Flammen

#3

Post by ClintHardware » 11 Mar 2018, 10:58

Yes. I think a journalist got hold of Esebeck's account and added some drama. However, its not dreadful. In the paragraph referring to burning tanks he/they did not specify whose tanks were burning and both sides caused losses so I used the term AFVs.

The action described fits the 15th June. On the 16th 3. Batterie kept coming under rapid counter-battery fire and having to move - but I am still checking this out so may be wrong.

I have both NARA rolls of the 15. Panzer Division and will see if there are some details there. Let me know if the second roll can help you with your project.
Imperialism and Re-Armament NOW !

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