St. Nazaire raid - Page 2

Respenus · 11-02-06, 06:59 AM

Well my part of Europe din't have a chance for such big acts. But those in my family that could fight in those days, were partizans

And many risked their head for helping them (my mother grandma was warned and ran away before the Italian came to burn her house). In WWI, my ansestors (under a different name in those days of course) were general on the front, between Autria-Hungary and Italy (in those days, Slovenians were part of the Austria-Hungury). I always forget the English name of the river where the front was situated. Maybe the one of the first Blitchkrieg actions in war might help, The Miracle at Kobarid.

Biggles · 11-02-06, 07:15 AM

[quote=Respenus]first Blitchkrieg actions in war might help quote]

LoL, like that spelling: Blitchkrieg! If ye didn't know, it's spelled Blitzkrieg, but hey, you probably knew that.

P_Funk · 11-02-06, 07:21 AM

My grandfather says his father never spoke of WW1. Apparently he was a Machine Gunner on the Western front. Think of that weight on your conscience. We talk about the horrors of war and for the individual soldier I doubt anything could beat WW1 in that sense. In many ways it was the last soldier's war. After that collateral damage was rampant.

Biggles · 11-02-06, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P_Funk

My grandfather says his father never spoke of WW1. Apparently he was a Machine Gunner on the Western front. Think of that weight on your conscience. We talk about the horrors of war and for the individual soldier I doubt anything could beat WW1 in that sense. In many ways it was the last soldier's war. After that collateral damage was rampant.

Hm, yes.....statics says that 10 000 men was killed to gain 10 meters of land........quite terrible....and I think there was a bigger risk to die during WW1 than it was during WW2....

P_Funk · 11-02-06, 07:38 AM

Truly a stupid war. But it makes you think. If the First World War hadn't been to brutal and demonstrated in just about the most extreme way how outdated the conventional wisdom of the past was would the Second World War have been as... improved an affair? For instance Rommel perfected his method of Fire and Maneuver Tactics in the latter part of WW1. He published a book on it in the 30s. How different could it have been?

But then again that's silly since WW2 was just the eventual completion of what was halted in 1918. "Not a treaty but an Armistice for 20 years". A cookie to who can name who said that. And how right he was.

Sailor Steve · 11-02-06, 11:57 AM

Since people are telling war stories, here's one from the other side:

Back in 1998 I was working for a foreign-language satelite TV company. One Sunday morning I took a call from a gentleman asking about getting German TV. For some reason he started talking about his wartime experiences. He said his name was Fred Schmid (he was very particular about the spelling, no "Shcmidt"). He said he joined the German army at age 16 after his older brother was killed in a train wreck on the way to boot camp. He was put into the tank corps, and ended up on the Russian front. At age 17 he was his tank's driver, and his poor commander died in a funny way: he was outside in the woods "taking a dump" (as he put it) when a Russian bomber attacked them. The tank wasn't hit, but the commander bought it. Herr Shcmid said the rest of the crew elected him to be their new commander as he was the only one who could read and write.

He was 72 then; if he's still around he's now 80.

P_Funk · 11-02-06, 04:55 PM

That's a good story. Do you have any family stories too? But I love that other side of the line stuff. We always get the evil German thing whenever WW2 gets brought up. My grandpa said he never hated the other soldiers, that they were just lik him caught up in a war. Though they didn't spare any sympathies for any SS they encountered. And I can't blame him considering what a few SS regiments did to the Canadians. I believe it was the 12th SS Hitlerjugen (sp?) that executed a number of Canadian prisoners after D-Day. If they were Hitler Youth I guess they were already crazy.

Sailor Steve · 11-02-06, 05:32 PM

No, no family stories. Two of my six uncles were at Pearl Harbor, but they both died long before I ever thought of asking them. My dad turned 17 just after The War ended. He was in the navy for a couple of years, but my stories are probably better than his, as I at least got to a combat zone.

Hylander_1314 · 11-02-06, 11:12 PM

I like the one my Uncle used to tell how they'd get plastered on torpedo juice and the nagging headache that followed, and then go out on a night mission with heaving seas, and no radar, no lights or points of reference. PT duty could be rough.

Bonden · 01-23-07, 12:13 AM

My cousin, now in his 80's I'd guess, who I've known most of my adult life told me a story about his war experiences just a few years ago. He and two others had been captured by a like number of Germans. Somehow, he and these other two managed to overpower their captors and escape in a stolen Mercedes, nice one too he says, and proceeded to drive in a westerlerly direction until they ran into friendly forces. We were in a bar at the time and that's about all I recall of the story.

Someday, at say an earlier time of the evening, I'm going to get him to tell me the story again and see if I can get him to elaborate a bit more. He's a bit closed mouth about the whole thing.

11-02-06, 06:59 AM	#16
Respenus Ace of the Deep Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1,169 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Well my part of Europe din't have a chance for such big acts. But those in my family that could fight in those days, were partizans And many risked their head for helping them (my mother grandma was warned and ran away before the Italian came to burn her house). In WWI, my ansestors (under a different name in those days of course) were general on the front, between Autria-Hungary and Italy (in those days, Slovenians were part of the Austria-Hungury). I always forget the English name of the river where the front was situated. Maybe the one of the first Blitchkrieg actions in war might help, The Miracle at Kobarid. __________________

11-02-06, 07:15 AM	#17
Biggles Silent Hunter Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sweden (I'm not a Viking...) Posts: 3,529 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	[quote=Respenus]first Blitchkrieg actions in war might help quote] LoL, like that spelling: Blitchkrieg! If ye didn't know, it's spelled Blitzkrieg, but hey, you probably knew that. __________________

11-02-06, 07:21 AM	#18
P_Funk Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Canada, eh? Posts: 2,537 Downloads: 129 Uploads: 0	My grandfather says his father never spoke of WW1. Apparently he was a Machine Gunner on the Western front. Think of that weight on your conscience. We talk about the horrors of war and for the individual soldier I doubt anything could beat WW1 in that sense. In many ways it was the last soldier's war. After that collateral damage was rampant. __________________

11-02-06, 07:38 AM	#20
P_Funk Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Canada, eh? Posts: 2,537 Downloads: 129 Uploads: 0	Truly a stupid war. But it makes you think. If the First World War hadn't been to brutal and demonstrated in just about the most extreme way how outdated the conventional wisdom of the past was would the Second World War have been as... improved an affair? For instance Rommel perfected his method of Fire and Maneuver Tactics in the latter part of WW1. He published a book on it in the 30s. How different could it have been? But then again that's silly since WW2 was just the eventual completion of what was halted in 1918. "Not a treaty but an Armistice for 20 years". A cookie to who can name who said that. And how right he was. __________________

11-02-06, 11:57 AM	#21
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Since people are telling war stories, here's one from the other side: Back in 1998 I was working for a foreign-language satelite TV company. One Sunday morning I took a call from a gentleman asking about getting German TV. For some reason he started talking about his wartime experiences. He said his name was Fred Schmid (he was very particular about the spelling, no "Shcmidt"). He said he joined the German army at age 16 after his older brother was killed in a train wreck on the way to boot camp. He was put into the tank corps, and ended up on the Russian front. At age 17 he was his tank's driver, and his poor commander died in a funny way: he was outside in the woods "taking a dump" (as he put it) when a Russian bomber attacked them. The tank wasn't hit, but the commander bought it. Herr Shcmid said the rest of the crew elected him to be their new commander as he was the only one who could read and write. He was 72 then; if he's still around he's now 80. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

11-02-06, 04:55 PM	#22
P_Funk Ocean Warrior Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Canada, eh? Posts: 2,537 Downloads: 129 Uploads: 0	That's a good story. Do you have any family stories too? But I love that other side of the line stuff. We always get the evil German thing whenever WW2 gets brought up. My grandpa said he never hated the other soldiers, that they were just lik him caught up in a war. Though they didn't spare any sympathies for any SS they encountered. And I can't blame him considering what a few SS regiments did to the Canadians. I believe it was the 12th SS Hitlerjugen (sp?) that executed a number of Canadian prisoners after D-Day. If they were Hitler Youth I guess they were already crazy. __________________

11-02-06, 05:32 PM	#23
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	No, no family stories. Two of my six uncles were at Pearl Harbor, but they both died long before I ever thought of asking them. My dad turned 17 just after The War ended. He was in the navy for a couple of years, but my stories are probably better than his, as I at least got to a combat zone. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

11-02-06, 11:12 PM	#24
Hylander_1314 Sea Lord Join Date: May 2006 Location: 5 Miles Inland West Of Lake Huron Posts: 1,936 Downloads: 139 Uploads: 0	I like the one my Uncle used to tell how they'd get plastered on torpedo juice and the nagging headache that followed, and then go out on a night mission with heaving seas, and no radar, no lights or points of reference. PT duty could be rough. __________________ A legislative act contrary to the Constitution is not law. -John Marshall Chief Justice of the Supreme Court ---------------------

01-23-07, 12:13 AM	#25
Bonden Seaman Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Martha's Vineyard, MA Posts: 36 Downloads: 409 Uploads: 0	My cousin, now in his 80's I'd guess, who I've known most of my adult life told me a story about his war experiences just a few years ago. He and two others had been captured by a like number of Germans. Somehow, he and these other two managed to overpower their captors and escape in a stolen Mercedes, nice one too he says, and proceeded to drive in a westerlerly direction until they ran into friendly forces. We were in a bar at the time and that's about all I recall of the story. Someday, at say an earlier time of the evening, I'm going to get him to tell me the story again and see if I can get him to elaborate a bit more. He's a bit closed mouth about the whole thing.