The Gran Sasso raid: The Liberation of Mussolini
Re: Skorzeny's team at Gran Sasso
Hi Sid
Regards
Dennis
I seem to recall reading that Skorzeny was not with his unit at Friedenthal when Valkerie was launched. Something about him being on a train bound for Vienna. He was able to exit the train while it was still in the Berlin area. Can you confirm if this is true or not ?Sid Guttridge wrote:Friedenthal was, I seem to recall, about 20 kilometers north of Berlin.
It puts Skorzeny's own operations into some perspective when it is realized that it took his fully motorized unit so long to cover this distance that they were too late to play an active role in suppressing the Bomb Plot of 20 July 1944. They could have marched there on foot with time to spare if they had reacted immediately.
In short, for all his experience in mounting surprise coups, Skorzeny and his cohorts could be as vulnerable and slow reacting to surprise as anyone else.
Regards
Dennis
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Re: The Gran Sasso raid: The Liberation of Mussolini
Hi Dennis,
I read that as well, but have nothing further.
It was not necessarily Skorzeny's fault if he was out of position, but it shows that the biter can also be bit.
His role in the coup seems to have been to help put the Ersatzheer's staff back to work afterwards, making him perhaps the Most Dangerous Bureaucrat in Europe!
Cheers,
Sid.
I read that as well, but have nothing further.
It was not necessarily Skorzeny's fault if he was out of position, but it shows that the biter can also be bit.
His role in the coup seems to have been to help put the Ersatzheer's staff back to work afterwards, making him perhaps the Most Dangerous Bureaucrat in Europe!
Cheers,
Sid.
Re: The Gran Sasso raid: The Liberation of Mussolini
Hi,
please can someone the imatriculation from DFS-230 Gliders, used by this raid ?? Only one is cleary visible LC+1-8, the next are LC+1-26 and LC+1-34 ??? Thank you for your help
please can someone the imatriculation from DFS-230 Gliders, used by this raid ?? Only one is cleary visible LC+1-8, the next are LC+1-26 and LC+1-34 ??? Thank you for your help
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Re: Skorzeny's team at Gran Sasso
Peter wrote:A photo from Bundesarchiv/Wikipedia, maybe Menzel or Radl on the right hand edge wearing the HJ badge ?
SS-Obersturmführer Ulrich Menzel
SS-Untersturmführer Otto Schwerdt
SS-Unterscharführer Hans Holzer
SS-Untersturmführer Robert Warger
SS-Hauptscharführer Manns
SS-Unterscharführer Bernhard Cieslewitz
(Source: Thema anzeigen - Die Befreiung Mussolinis auf dem Gran Sasso - Panzer-Archiv )
Re: The Gran Sasso raid: The Liberation of Mussolini
Maybe I failed in finding the answer, but what was exactly the number of Mors' paratroopers during the raid?
(Skorzeny's men excluded)
Thanks in advance
(Skorzeny's men excluded)
Thanks in advance
Re: The Gran Sasso raid: The Liberation of Mussolini
Always nice reading this thread..
A question: is it known the Glider's squadron name ?
A question: is it known the Glider's squadron name ?
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Re: The Gran Sasso raid: The Liberation of Mussolini
There was 380 men in total in Mors' raid.
Gliders you had 8 out of 10 (80 men) other 2 had 20 of Skorzeny's men.
Mors had 300 men for town and cable car station.
If we get technical do we minus the two war correspondents Bruno von Kayser and Toni Schneiders and Geneal Solieto?
So we can minus Solieto and two glider pilots from both of the gliders carrying Skorzeny's team that leaves 17 men including Skorzeny but on this forum I see listed 16 including Skorzeny. So my question would be who's the missing SS man from those two gliders?
Gliders you had 8 out of 10 (80 men) other 2 had 20 of Skorzeny's men.
Mors had 300 men for town and cable car station.
If we get technical do we minus the two war correspondents Bruno von Kayser and Toni Schneiders and Geneal Solieto?
So we can minus Solieto and two glider pilots from both of the gliders carrying Skorzeny's team that leaves 17 men including Skorzeny but on this forum I see listed 16 including Skorzeny. So my question would be who's the missing SS man from those two gliders?
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Re: The Gran Sasso raid: The Liberation of Mussolini
An Italian Blackshirt,jump trained.
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Re: The Gran Sasso raid: The Liberation of Mussolini
Recruited by Skorzeny.
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Re: The Gran Sasso raid: The Liberation of Mussolini
Surrendered to the Germans in Rome Aug 43 as a Folgore soldier.
Re: The Gran Sasso raid: The Liberation of Mussolini
Just curious where did you get this information from?
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Re: The Gran Sasso raid: The Liberation of Mussolini
Father-in-law and his daughter.
Began like this.
"One time I do this job with a guy."
"He like a giant"
"He got a big scar."
Motioned across his cheek.
Apparently Mussolini shook his hand and gave him a small medal.
This is how they kept everything relatively cool,a native Italian speaker.
Began like this.
"One time I do this job with a guy."
"He like a giant"
"He got a big scar."
Motioned across his cheek.
Apparently Mussolini shook his hand and gave him a small medal.
This is how they kept everything relatively cool,a native Italian speaker.
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Re: The Gran Sasso raid: The Liberation of Mussolini
Short man half out of the Pic.
Still looking for the close up of this man,face still half out of the Pic,taken from about six feet,still offering 300 cdn finders fee.Toni Schneider was the photog.
Still looking for the close up of this man,face still half out of the Pic,taken from about six feet,still offering 300 cdn finders fee.Toni Schneider was the photog.