Roddy MacDougall Posted October 24, 2008 Share #51 Posted October 24, 2008 Hi Guys This is a very interesting set of photos, my main area of interest is the Battle of the Bulge and I certainly recognise the locations of more than a few photos you have posted. Judging from the numbers of knocked out German armour it may be possible that the Colonel was part of an Ordnance evacuation team? If you would like more specific information regarding the locations and units seen in those photos I can identify I would be delighted to help. Roddy MacDougall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raidercollector Posted October 24, 2008 Share #52 Posted October 24, 2008 Photo 1: A photo of a 9th AD recon guy looking over aerial photos of probable targets. Photo 2: I think a Major or Lt. Colonel in the 9th AD awarding a soldier. - Jeff Jeff If you notice in the second picture. He is wearing a captured german ppk or pp Pistol and holster. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2vault Posted October 24, 2008 Author Share #53 Posted October 24, 2008 Hi Guys This is a very interesting set of photos, my main area of interest is the Battle of the Bulge and I certainly recognise the locations of more than a few photos you have posted. Judging from the numbers of knocked out German armour it may be possible that the Colonel was part of an Ordnance evacuation team? If you would like more specific information regarding the locations and units seen in those photos I can identify I would be delighted to help. Roddy MacDougall Hi Roddy, Why yes, it would be great if you could provide more information that you may know about the places in the photos. Go ahead and post them right here in the thread instead of PMing me though, I am sure i'm not the only one that would find your additions interesting. - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roddy MacDougall Posted October 24, 2008 Share #54 Posted October 24, 2008 Hi Roddy, Why yes, it would be great if you could provide more information that you may know about the places in the photos. Go ahead and post them right here in the thread instead of PMing me though, I am sure i'm not the only one that would find your additions interesting. - Jeff Hi Jeff The photo of the Panther tank that you showed was taken in the Belgian village of Sterpigny, the vehicle belonged to the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen and was knocked out there in December 1944. The first selection of photos, extreme right hand column, 2nd photo from the bottom shows a King Tiger of KG Peiper in the town of Spa, Belgium. This vehicle was evacuated here prior to being shipped back to Aberdeen proving grounds for evaluation, incidentally it still resides at Fort Knox. I have some other photos of this vehicle taken at Spa if you are interested? In the same selection the photo to the left of the King Tiger looks like the bridges built by U.S. Army Engineers at Ouren, there should be two wrecked vehicles at the edge of the river but the selection is to small to confirm this. Would it be possible to see a slightly larger version of the photos as it will help identify things positively? Roddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roddy MacDougall Posted October 25, 2008 Share #55 Posted October 25, 2008 Hi Jeff These are the two photos I was refering two with the King Tiger and what I believe is the bridges at Ouren. If I am right about the Panther with the missing piece of it's gun barrel there is an interesting story that surrounds this tank involving a DSC. Can you tell me if it has any visible turret digits? Roddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeeper704 Posted October 25, 2008 Share #56 Posted October 25, 2008 I'd be interested to know if those bridges are indeed the ones near Ouren, Belgium. I have been there numerous times. Please post these photos separately. Thank you. Erwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greendevilsix Posted October 25, 2008 Share #57 Posted October 25, 2008 Photo 1: What appears to be a P-51 Mustang. Photo 2: A building complexe somewhere around Germany. Note the vehicals at the bottom of the picture, they are US trucks and jeeps. - Jeff The building in the photo is the I.G. Farben Building located in Frankfurt Germany. I worked at the building from 1988-1992 when it was the V Corps HQ. It had been renamed the Abrams Building sometime after GEN Creighton Abrams died. The Americans vacated Frankfurt and the building in 1992 and it was returned to the city which now uses it as school for higher education of some kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2vault Posted October 27, 2008 Author Share #58 Posted October 27, 2008 The building in the photo is the I.G. Farben Building located in Frankfurt Germany. I worked at the building from 1988-1992 when it was the V Corps HQ. It had been renamed the Abrams Building sometime after GEN Creighton Abrams died. The Americans vacated Frankfurt and the building in 1992 and it was returned to the city which now uses it as school for higher education of some kind. Hmm, very interesting information. This also helps me to identify the location of the rest of the aerial shots which 95% of them are dated May 10th, 1945. So thats where the other shots must have been taken, Frankfurt, Germany. Also, here you go nicolas75, here are shots of the front and reverse of the ID card. At some point the card was laminated, but I think it was done while he was still in service because the word, "Inactive" is punched on it. You can tell is probably was done in service still because the little punched holes go through the lamination as well. - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2vault Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share #59 Posted October 28, 2008 Ok Roddy and Erwin, here are some close-ups of the five photos you pointed out. I will post these five plus take some more close-up shots in other photos for you. I tried to re-size them just big enough to fit in the max. upload size, so just click on the images black header bar to see a bigger picture of it. - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2vault Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share #60 Posted October 28, 2008 Here is the shot of the one with the building that has a pile of rubble in front of it and a German tank with an imploded barrel. - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2vault Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share #61 Posted October 28, 2008 The last photo of your request. There is an official looking number painted on the turret and then below it is what appears to a little more sloppy of job that consists of numbers and letters. The official numbers read: O.T.I.T. 332 And the sloppy numbers read: 463ORDE... It appears that they keep going around the turret but they are obscured. Also, the 6 and O might be a b or zero, it is hard to determine with the sloppy font type. - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roddy MacDougall Posted October 28, 2008 Share #62 Posted October 28, 2008 Ok Roddy and Erwin, here are some close-ups of the five photos you pointed out. I will post these five plus take some more close-up shots in other photos for you. I tried to re-size them just big enough to fit in the max. upload size, so just click on the images black header bar to see a bigger picture of it. - Jeff Hi Jeff Yes for my money these are the bridges at Ouren, you can't see it in these photos but there are some wrecked German armoured vehicles just out of shot. The next photo shows the Panther Tactical number 225 (the one with the shortened gun barrel) that was the first vehicle knocked out at the entrance to Stoumont on the 19th December 1944, Private Albert A. Darago won the Distinguished Service Cross for engaging this vehicle with a Bazooka on his own. He volunteered to man the weapon although he had had no training and fired it from the upper floors of the Robinson house. The vehicle was also engaged by a 90mm AA gun and was knocked out, burning fiercely it blocked the entrance to Stoumont for some time. The King Tiger is indeed the one that now resides at Fort Knox, it was evacuated to Spa by the 463 Ordnance Evacuation Company and sent back to the O.T.I.T (Ordnance Technical Intelligence Team) in Aberdeen for appraisal. It's Tactical number is 332 and it was captured in LaGlieze when the 119th Infantry overan the village.I suspect that Colonel McAuley was possibly attached to this team or maybe even in charge of them. Great photos, I don't know how deep you want me to go into the ones I can identify, I don't want to put anyone to sleep Roddy I will have a look at the second selection ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2vault Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share #63 Posted October 28, 2008 Photo 1: A German Stug tank in a ditch and it appears the armor plating on the side of the rear half is missing. Photo 2: A factory in Belgium or Germany? There is a sign on top of the building on the left that says, "Ernst Leitz". - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2vault Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share #64 Posted October 28, 2008 Photo 1: This German tank has its tracks on the top next to the turret. There are also what appear to be Sherman tanks off to the back right. Photo 2: This tank has some numbers on the turret as well. They read, "234". - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2vault Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share #65 Posted October 28, 2008 Photo 1: There are piles of German plane parts and fuselages in this photo. Photo 2: This photo shows a German fighter plane parked out in the middle of the woods. - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2vault Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share #66 Posted October 28, 2008 Photo 1: A U.S. truck is transporting a bunch of German POW's. The photo shows all the POW's standing in the back while the truck is stopped and the driver is outside some where. Photo 2: An overturned German tank. Not sure how it could have turned over! - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roddy MacDougall Posted October 28, 2008 Share #67 Posted October 28, 2008 Photo 1: This German tank has its tracks on the top next to the turret. There are also what appear to be Sherman tanks off to the back right. Photo 2: This tank has some numbers on the turret as well. They read, "234". - Jeff Hi Jeff The first photo is of a Pershing on the Zebra mission to test these against German Armour, no location but almost certainly inside Germany, possibly the outskirts of Aachen. The second photo is a real gem and shows Panther 234 of the L.A.H. after it was knocked out by artillery and subsequently cut up by Patton's guys to up armour their Shermans, damn this is a good photo I have attached a geniune combat shot that shows Panther 225 burning after the attention's of PFC Albert A. Darago and the 90mm AA gun, I hope it's of interest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2vault Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share #68 Posted October 28, 2008 Photo 1: A German fighter plane parked out in the woods. It appears to be in very good condition. Photo 2: A tank with a lot of shrapnel holes in the front. I wouldn't want to have been inside.... - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2vault Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share #69 Posted October 28, 2008 Hi Jeff The first photo is of a Pershing on the Zebra mission to test these against German Armour, no location but almost certainly inside Germany, possibly the outskirts of Aachen. The second photo is a real gem and shows Panther 234 of the L.A.H. after it was knocked out by artillery and subsequently cut up by Patton's guys tu up armour their Shermans, damn this is a good photo I have attached a geniune combat shot that shows Panther 225 burning after the attention's of PFC Albert A. Darago and the 90mm AA gun, I hope it's of interest? Yes Roddy, all the information you have given so far has been of much interest. Its not often some one comes along and posts additional information. - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2vault Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share #70 Posted October 28, 2008 Photo 1: A nice photo of yet another German fighter plane in the woods. The tail section has seen better days... Photo 2: This photo is of a bridge that appears to have been built by some engineers. There are a couple vehicles crossing it coming towards the camera. There is a sign down near the bridges entrance but I can't quite make what it says. - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ww2vault Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share #71 Posted October 28, 2008 Photo 1: This photo has a caption on the back that reads, "The Counts castle from a distance, a good view". Photo 2: This photo shows the count and has a caption as well, "The Count and the Belgium Mayor on a fox hunt in Belgium". - Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted October 28, 2008 Share #72 Posted October 28, 2008 Hi Jeff ( ww2vault ), I don't think all the other guys have left me any words to say beyond all their words of praise, I know that I don't have any grouping in my thirty or more years of collecting to compare to what you have shown. Great find for you and interesting post for us. Hope you manage to find more like it in the future. Cheers ( Lewis ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roddy MacDougall Posted October 28, 2008 Share #73 Posted October 28, 2008 Photo 1: A German fighter plane parked out in the woods. It appears to be in very good condition. Photo 2: A tank with a lot of shrapnel holes in the front. I wouldn't want to have been inside.... - Jeff This King Tiger is in a small lane in the village of LaGlieze, it belonged to the schwere (heavy) ss501 tank battalion and was abandoned here when the Germans pulled out of the area. the hits on the nose were caused by the 82nd Airborne testing the effects of a bazooka on it. None of the hits penetrated the glacis but they did go through the turret side, as you can see they had a few goes at it. The 82nd had encircled the Germans along with the 119th Infantry and several armoured units, the Germans eventually had to abandon their positions in order to escape leaving quite a few armoured vehicles behind. Roddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roddy MacDougall Posted October 28, 2008 Share #74 Posted October 28, 2008 Photo 1: A U.S. truck is transporting a bunch of German POW's. The photo shows all the POW's standing in the back while the truck is stopped and the driver is outside some where. Photo 2: An overturned German tank. Not sure how it could have turned over! - Jeff The P.O.W.'s location is very hard to determine without a better look at their uniforms to see which unit they are from. The upturned Panther is the most westerly vehicle from KG Peiper and was knocked out along with two other Panthers west of Stoumont railway station on the N33 by 90mm AA guns from Battery C, 143rd AAA Bn and Sherman's from Co C, 743 Tank Bn. It was turned over to clear the road which it was partially blocking. I think you have another one of the K.O.ed Panthers in a later selection. Roddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeeper704 Posted October 29, 2008 Share #75 Posted October 29, 2008 This King Tiger is in a small lane in the village of LaGlieze That small lane isn't too far from where the museum is now. Yes for my money these are the bridges at Ouren, you can't see it in these photos but there are some wrecked German armoured vehicles just out of shot. Could it be the bridge to Dasburg? It's location is at "Rittersprung", right on the Belgian-German border. The Panzers of the 116th Panzer Division came down this way, together with 60th Panzergrenadiers. They were temporarily halted by the men of the 112th Infantrey Regiment and a lone M-10 TD closer to the village. Ouren was one of the few - if not only - place where the initial German assault was halted. Partly because the lines of the 112th IR (28th Division) were more organized in depth whereas the lines of 109th and 110th were more outstretched (hope I'm making sense here). The 116th Panzer did not have an easy job overcoming these defenses. On a sidenote, several older houses in Ouren still bear the scars of war (bullet and shrapnel holes). When I'm back home, I'll try and find pictures of this. Very nice pictures indeed and thank you so much for posting them. Erwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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