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TASK FORCE BAUM-Relics of the Reussenburg


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Garandomatic

It looks like that knife blade you discovered is to a KA-BAR... Interesting to see it in non-Navy or USMC use!

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  • 1 year later...

In memory of Abe Baum who recently passed away and in honor of the upcoming anniversary of the raid, I am bring this thread back to the top.

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X_redcatcher

Redleg13a, thanks for the update on Cobra King. Did you take any pics of it when you were there? If so, would you please post? There are a few on-line, but it would be nice to some more recent photos

 

Thanks!

 

The King Cobra was the tank that was right at the front gate at the base in Vilseck, it has been indeed removed and sent home :)

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Rakkasan187

When I was in the Berlin Brigade we used to train at Hammelburg in the summer and winter. It was a great place and the area very rich in history..

 

I do believe that the Bundewehr and other nations (US included) still use the Hammelburg training area today...

 

Leigh

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1SG_1st_Cav

I've read about this raid in a couple of different books and it is very interesting. How did they go from a 3,000 man task force to about a 300 man task force was ridiculous. If they had went in with the 3,00 man task force it could have made a huge dofference in the outcome. Thanks for sharing! Danny

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When I was in the Berlin Brigade we used to train at Hammelburg in the summer and winter. It was a great place and the area very rich in history..

 

I do believe that the Bundewehr and other nations (US included) still use the Hammelburg training area today...

 

Leigh

 

 

Leigh, I believe that the training area at Hammelburg is still used for MOUT training. IIRC, during the war, the German government relocated the villagers of Bonnland (located within the Hammelburg training area) and turned the village in urban training ground.

 

You may have very well walked over the areas where Baum's men fought!

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The King Cobra was the tank that was right at the front gate at the base in Vilseck, it has been indeed removed and sent home :)

 

 

I haven't been to the Patton Museum since I went to Knox for AOAC in the 90s. Looks like its time for a road trip!

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I would like to contribute two Purple Hearts to men who were involved in the raid.

 

 

Edwin H. Carlson, who was a member is the task force, and was attached to the 10th Armored Infantry Battalion. He was KIA on March 28th, during the attempted breakout on the morning of the second day of the raid. This is a link to all 26 of the men who were KIA during the two days of the raid..... http://www.taskforce...ste/us_kia.html

 

post-8213-0-10856400-1364260327.jpg post-8213-0-58586600-1364260347.jpg

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The Second soldier....

 

 

Faustino M. Corrales, who was a POW at Stalag 13C Hammelberg until the wa's end. This link is to his NARA record..... http://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=466&mtch=1&cat=WR26&tf=F&q=Faustino+M.+Corrales&bc=,sl,sd&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=55292

 

 

 

This link is for a narrative of the Story of the Raid...... http://www.taskforcebaum.de/index1.html

post-8213-0-38400800-1364260751.jpg

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The Second soldier....

 

 

Faustino M. Corrales, who was a POW at Stalag 13C Hammelberg until the wa's end. This link is to his NARA record..... http://aad.archives....&pg=1&rid=55292

 

 

 

This link is for a narrative of the Story of the Raid...... http://www.taskforce....de/index1.html

 

 

J.S. Thanks for adding these to the thread!

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"I haven't been to the Patton Museum since I went to Knox for AOAC in the 90s."it's basically dead. It is now the Patton Museum of Leadership or some silly thing., They moved the armor to Benning along with the Armor school to consolidate everything. So everyone is all together at the maneuver center of excellence (which implies there is one for less than that). I gather the Patton family and society was not too happy, and so they got to keep a small group of stuff at Knox. Not sure how much, but it's just shadow of what it was.

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Rakkasan187

 

 

Leigh, I believe that the training area at Hammelburg is still used for MOUT training. IIRC, during the war, the German government relocated the villagers of Bonnland (located within the Hammelburg training area) and turned the village in urban training ground.

 

You may have very well walked over the areas where Baum's men fought!

 

 

One of the houses in the town used to sell coffee and bratwursts and other goodies. I also remember a stream that ran close to the town. Will have to see if I can find my pictures from back when I was there..

 

Leigh

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"I haven't been to the Patton Museum since I went to Knox for AOAC in the 90s."it's basically dead. It is now the Patton Museum of Leadership or some silly thing., They moved the armor to Benning along with the Armor school to consolidate everything. So everyone is all together at the maneuver center of excellence (which implies there is one for less than that). I gather the Patton family and society was not too happy, and so they got to keep a small group of stuff at Knox. Not sure how much, but it's just shadow of what it was.

 

That's a shame to hear. Hopefully i'll get down to Benning again and see the new museum.

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One of the houses in the town used to sell coffee and bratwursts and other goodies. I also remember a stream that ran close to the town. Will have to see if I can find my pictures from back when I was there..

 

Leigh

 

Leigh,

 

Look forward to seeing your photos! Bonnland played an important part in the destruction of TF Baum. Some of the German forces were training there in anti-tank warfare when Baum's force attacked. The Germans were able to respond quickly and put their training to use.

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  • 1 month later...
Geoff Walden

That's a shame to hear. Hopefully i'll get down to Benning again and see the new museum.

 

Don't make that trip anytime soon. There is no new armor museum at Fort Benning, and it likely won't be built for a few years (maybe even several years, considering military funding these days). The vehicles that were in the Patton Museum at Fort knox are now in storage at Benning, not accessible to the general public. I know most of the best vehicles are at least stored inside, but I don't know about "Cobra King" (I sure hope it's inside as well!). BTW, when the Patton Museum volunteers were examining "Cobra King," they found original Technical Manuals and an oil/fuel can spout (what most of us call a "donkey d**k"), still stored inside in the correct places ... after all these years.

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Geoff Walden

 

 


In memory of Abe Baum who recently passed away and in honor of the upcoming anniversary of the raid, I am bring this thread back to the top.

 

 

Here are a couple photos of Abe Baum during the "reenactment" of TF Baum in October 2005, in Gemuenden, Germany, near Hammelburg.

 

 

post-117453-0-03374600-1367950135.jpgpost-117453-0-25734400-1367950140.jpg

 

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In memory of Abe Baum who recently passed away and in honor of the upcoming anniversary of the raid, I am bring this thread back to the top.

 

 

Here are a couple photos of Abe Baum during the "reenactment" of TF Baum in October 2005, in Gemuenden, Germany, near Hammelburg.

 

 

attachicon.gifTFBaumOct2005a.jpgattachicon.gifTFBaumOct2005b.jpg

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing these! Gemunden was the scene of serious fighting for TF BAUM.

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  • 1 month later...
Geoff Walden

This hulk of a 105mm howitzer armed Sherman, which was apparently one of the three such SP arty vehicles attached to Task Force Baum when they unsuccessfully attempted to liberate the POW camp at Hammelburg, Germany, in late March 1945, is now at a museum. This hulk was found on the ranges at Hammelburg training area several years ago and it appeared on the cover of the "After the Battle" magazine about TF Baum (issue 91). After that, it was no longer used as a hard target and was moved to the site of TF Baum's last stand (still within the training area).

In March, the hulk was finally moved to a museum for preservation (they are even talking about eventual restoration). The front cover still retains original stenciling - it's hard to read and I'm not a Sherman researcher, but it says something about closing the drain plugs. (Does anyone have a reference to what these stencils would have said?)

 

This tank was commanded by T/Sgt. Charles Graham of the 10th Armored Infantry (acting platoon leader). It was apparently knocked out by a Hetzer tank destroyer when TF Baum was surrounded and overrun. The circled hole is thought to be the penetration from the Hetzer hit. (This is not universally accepted - some say this vehicle was knocked out by a Panzerfaust.)

The tank is now located at the Deutsch-Amerikanisches Nachkriegsmuseum in Rütschenhausen, near Schweinfurt.
www.nachkriegsmuseum.d...tseite.php

 

The museum also has a tankers helmet that was found in the area of TF Baum's last stand on the Hammelburg training area. It still has a 37th Armored insignia that can be barely made out.

 

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  • 3 months later...

Bringing this thread back up got me to think about a couple of relics that I hadn't posted yet.

 

With the help of another forum member, this piece was finally identified as being part of a bazooka's 2.36" rocket.

 

post-203-0-09654200-1382833089.jpg

 

 

But here is a piece I don't know if it was US, German or civilian. The heel of a shoe with a horseshoe. Any thoughts are welcome!

 

post-203-0-07823500-1382833259.jpg

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Here is one that is a bit of a head-scratcher. This fuze was developed prior to WWI, it is a Dopp. Z 98 fuze. According to one website, it was developed exclusively for a 10cm Howitzer shell. It was outdated by the time of WWI, but according to the website they are still found on WWI eastern front battlefields. http://www.passioncompassion1418.com/decouvertes/english_fusees_collection_all.html#DoppZ98

 

Since this was the infantry school, maybe out of date rounds were still in use? The gun it was used with was the10.5 cm light field howitzer 16. I don't remember any field artillery in use against TF Baum, only SP guns, tanks and infantry. Once again, any SWAGS are welcomed!

 

 

post-203-0-75298500-1382833829.jpeg

post-203-0-27021700-1382834041.jpeg

 

 

 

 

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Finally, I thought I had the rust stopped on these relics, but as you can see, it appears that there is still some active oxidation occurring. Any thought on slowing down, if not stopping altogether, the rust?

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As a thought, could the Pre-WWI fuze have been fired for training during WWI?

 

Also, rust is a chemical reaction; that means just putting oil will not stop it; but may inhibit it as it should create a reletivly oxygen free environment; albeit temporary. What did you use to stop the rust?

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