World War 2 History Forum http://worldwar2talk.com/forum Discussion forum about history of World War 2. en Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:43:02 GMT vBulletin 60 http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/lbs/misc/rss.jpg World War 2 History Forum http://worldwar2talk.com/forum <![CDATA[P-51D Mustang "Short-Fuse-Salle" - Video - N286JB]]> http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=786&goto=newpost Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:03:09 GMT Video of the P-51D Mustang - N286JB - "Short-Fuse-Salle". Shot last summer in Camarillo California.

Living Warbirds: P-51D Mustang - N286JB - "Short-Fuse-Salle".

If you go to the link called "Warbird Videos," you can watch other clips I've already uploaded.

Would love comments/suggestions.

I have more clips I am editing and will post links as I finish and upload them. ]]> Allied airforces livingwarbirds http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=786 Ise http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=785&goto=newpost Tue, 18 Nov 2008 08:34:39 GMT Ise was the namesake ship of her class of battleships. During the early 1920s, she patrolled off the eastern coast of Russia. On 12 Apr 1922, she... Ise was the namesake ship of her class of battleships. During the early 1920s, she patrolled off the eastern coast of Russia. On 12 Apr 1922, she hosted a delegation which included Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, and the future Lord Mountbatten. Between 1928...

C. Peter Chen from ww2db.com ]]> RSS Feeds RSSbot http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=785 Perth http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=784&goto=newpost Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:07:50 GMT The light cruiser that was to become the HMAS Perth was built in the Portsmouth Naval Dockyard and commissioned into the Royal Navy in mid-1936 under... The light cruiser that was to become the HMAS Perth was built in the Portsmouth Naval Dockyard and commissioned into the Royal Navy in mid-1936 under the name HMS Amphion, a name common among ancient Greek myth. In a deal between the British and Australian governments, the Royal Australian Navy (...

C. Peter Chen from ww2db.com ]]> RSS Feeds RSSbot http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=784 Curtiss P-40N Warhawk - N85104 - Video http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=783&goto=newpost Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:38:47 GMT Video of the *Curtiss P-40N Warhawk - N85104*. Shot last summer in Camarillo California. Living Warbirds: Curtiss P-40N Warhawk - N85104... Video of the Curtiss P-40N Warhawk - N85104. Shot last summer in Camarillo California.

Living Warbirds: Curtiss P-40N Warhawk - N85104

If you go to the link called "Warbird Videos," you can watch other clips I've already uploaded.

Would love comments/suggestions.

I have more clips I am editing and will post links as I finish and upload them. ]]> Allied airforces livingwarbirds http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=783 US Navy Report of Japanese Raid on Pearl Harbor, Enclosure E, USS Cummings http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=782&goto=newpost Sun, 16 Nov 2008 12:36:36 GMT DD365/A16-3Serial 254U.S.S. Cummings,Pearl Harbor, T.H.December 18, 1941. From: The Commanding Officer.To: The Commander-in-Chief, United States... DD365/A16-3Serial 254
U.S.S. Cummings,Pearl Harbor, T.H.December 18, 1941.

From: The Commanding Officer.To: The Commander-in-Chief, United States Pacific Fleet. ]]> RSS Feeds RSSbot http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=782 Interrogation Nav 82, Captain Tsuneo Shiki http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=780&goto=newpost Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:47:31 GMT *Biography*SHIKI, Tsuneo, Captain, I.J.N.SHIKI was a regular officer of 20 years service. He was assigned to duty in the Bureau of Naval Personnel... BiographySHIKI, Tsuneo, Captain, I.J.N.SHIKI was a regular officer of 20 years service. He was assigned to duty in the Bureau of Naval Personnel during the war except for the period from November 1942 to August 1944 when he was Senior Staff Officer of the Second Fleet. He was present ...

C. Peter Chen from ww2db.com ]]> RSS Feeds RSSbot http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=780 Frederikshavn and Stützpunkgruppe Süd http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=779&goto=newpost Fri, 14 Nov 2008 21:12:39 GMT Frederikshavn is a medium size coastal city in Northern Jutland (Denmark) with some 23.000+ inhabitants. People have lived here for thousands of...
Frederikshavn is a medium size coastal city in Northern Jutland (Denmark) with some 23.000+ inhabitants. People have lived here for thousands of years, taking advantage of the fruits of the sea and the fertile land. Archeological evidence dating back to the Stone Age has been unearthed here, and Viking burial sites are common in the landscape. Also the early years of the second millennium found Frederikshavn a busy community, i.e. there are five medieval churches here, the oldest dating back to 1150. The coastline forms a natural harbor with a group of small islands protecting the inlet and for hundreds of years shipbuilding and fishing have been pivotal for the economy. Today the harbor is dominated by the ferry-traffic to Norway and Sweden, and tourism is an important trade.

South of the city a plateau is rising some 70 meters over sea level. This hill, locally known as “Pikkerbakken” is a moraine - a result of glacial terra forming - as the ice was pushing soil and gravel in front of it during the last ice-age.

Pikkerbakken had been a popular resort for decades before the German occupation of Denmark in April 1940. On its sides blueberries and strawberries grew in abundance and from its top one had – and still has - a stunning view over the town of Frederikshavn and the Bay of Aalbaek. On a clear day it is possible to see Skagen, the northernmost point of Denmark, and the island of Laesoe to the East, both some 25-30 km away.

These properties as a lookout were not wasted on the German Pioneer staff as it was searching for a suitable place for an Anti Aircraft battery to protect the harbor of Frederikshavn; a vital point for the supply routes to Norway.

The first guns
Frederikshavn has been of strategic importance since the Viking age and has had actual coastal fortifications from at least the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48), before it even had a harbor. The task for these fortifications was to support Danish naval forces in their protection of the sailing routes to Norway. Redoubts were constructed north and south of the city and modified throughout the years. Still today the original tower for storing gun powder, built in 1686, is a prominent landmark for the town.

Construction of actual harbor facilities started in the 1830ties and was completed in 1895.

The German occupation
One of the main reasons that Denmark was invaded on April 9th 1940 was the need for the German High Command to protect supply lines to Norway by gaining control of internal Danish waters. In that respect, Frederikshavn had a key strategic position.

It remains unclear whether the occupation forces had pre-arranged plans for the plateau of Pikkerbakken, and what artillery emplacements may have been initially attempted in the first hectic days of the occupation, but very soon after April 9th, the first confirmed battery arrived to Frederikshavn and was placed here, designated as 3. M.A.A./509, and on May 1st this battery was test-fired and ready for action. The battery comprised four 88 mm S.K.C./30 with a range of some 12 kilometers horizontally and approx. 8 kilometers in the anti-aircraft role. A 20 mm cannon for low altitude engagement completed the picture.

In March 1941 it apparently was decided to rearm the battery and the 88 mm guns were shipped to Germany late March, rendering the battery more or less defenseless for a good fortnight as the new 105 mm armament did not arrive before April 15th. The new S.K.C./32 guns had a service ceiling of some 10 kilometers and a direct fire horizontal range of 15 kilometers. They were modern, rapid firing semiautomatic weapons capable of both air and sea borne target engagement, firing up to 15 rounds a minute. At this stage, guns were still mounted on open platform pivots and crew was quartered in tents or wooden barracks. Later the guns were entombed in bunkers with compartment for the crew.

In the following months some improvements were undertaken as fire control and gun positions were reinforced with logs and trenches between the positions were constructed. At the same time the battery was camouflaged, but entombment in actual concrete bunkers was yet to come.

The first bunkers
In September 1942, however, following the increased demands to coastal fortifications along the Westwall stated in Hitler’s directive No. 40 of March same year, excavation for the four Fl243 gun emplacements and for at fire control bunker was initiated. During the course of the winter these installations were completed and in February 1943, the battery was once again declared ready for action. Each gun crew now lived in a 15 man underground bunker and the guns themselves were shrouded in steel cupolas.

An Fl244 Fire Control bunker was added in February, serving as a command post for the entire AA battery and – sporting shower and toilet facilities - catering for 27 enlisted men, 6 non-commissioned officers and two officers.

All these interesting bunkers are unfortunately inaccessible today as the area is still under the auspices of the Danish Naval Authorities.

Following the first five bunkers, a massive construction work took place. In rapid succession large ammunition bunkers (Fl246), a generator bunker (Fl245), several crew bunkers type 622 and a water supply bunker in a converted 621 were completed, all in the summer of 1943. In the fall and early winter a large hospital bunker (638) was added. Within the same time frame a number of Bauform constructions for close combat defense were placed in and around the battery.

The coastal battery
The idea of an actual coastal battery did not surface in the mind of the planners before an incidence took place, demonstrating that the mine field and the batteries in Hanstholm was far from sealing off the Skagerak as intended. In April 1940 some French torpedo boats managed to slip by these sentries and into Danish waters. A short skirmish with German naval forces followed, but no ships were sunk and the intruders soon retreated. However, subsequently the Naval Group East raised the demand for a battery to be placed for protection of Frederikshavn, and in May the Battery “Hipper”, consisting of four WW1 battleship 150 mm guns, was relinquished from its position at the ElbeRiver estuary and sent to Denmark. The guns were placed in open positions with a bulwark of timber and soil.

The lifespan of Battery Hipper on Pikkerbakken was to be short. A few months later – in August – it was dismantled and sent to Germany. As a replacement, four 120 mm guns - obsolete model 1912 with a limited range of only 10 km, commandeered from a Danish coastal fort at Copenhagen - were installed. At the same time, the name “Sperrbatterie Frederikshavn” was introduced for the battery, and the unit was organized as 1. M.A.A./509.

Also this part of Pikkerbakken was soon to be saturated with heavy concrete bunkers, starting with ammunition and crew bunkers, the large 162a fire control bunker and another water supply bunker. Photo to the right shows fire control

The next and final rearmament took place in 1944 and by the same token, the characteristic casemates that today overlook the harbor was constructed.

The gun bunkers
The M270 is a relatively large gun embrasure with ammunition storage rooms and a basement chamber for collection of used shells. The guns finally installed here were four out of originally 9 guns from the Danish armored ship “Niels Juel”, launched in 1922. They were still fairly modern weapons, capable of sending a 46 kg shell 18.000 meters. A well-trained crew could fire seven rounds a minute.

Due to the size and weight of the guns (some 6 tons), construction started by casting octagon concrete slabs on which the guns were mounted. The bunkers were subsequently constructed around the guns. For some reason, only three out of four guns were entombed in concrete whilst the fourth remained in its open position as the war ended. Perhaps it was found useful that one gun retained a 360 arc of fire or perhaps the job was simply not finished as peace broke out. Although construction work continued in many places along the AW into April 1945, some slack was noticeable as the outcome of the war became obvious to even the most headstrong Nazi commandant.

Capitulation
Although information is sparse, it seems that Stützpunktgruppe Süd may have been under German command in some time after the general capitulation of German forces in Denmark (May 5th) - perhaps for as long as to May 17th where the British Commander Bruford arrived to Frederikshavn with a detachment of 25 men. Records show that the last of the German troops marched out of the area in the evening of May 21st although some may have left earlier.

Operational record
Like so many other coastal batteries along the AW, the guns were never fired in anger. Frederikshavn was never attacked from the sea, and the only guns who saw action was the AA battery, frequently firing at passing bomber formations on their way to Germany or on mine-laying aircrafts off the coast.

Cold War
In September 1945, the Danish Navy took over the installations and after much debate, the fort was re-commissioned in 1952 as Bangsbo Fort. This was in the early years of the Cold War, and once again were the ancient guns from Niels Juel expected to protect the harbor of Frederikshavn. In the same period the forts of Stevns (Southern Seeland) and Langeland (on the isle of same name) were built, also based on outdated German WW2 naval artillery.

At Bangsbo, radar and communication equipment was updated and new AA guns installed (40 mm twin Bofors), but everything else was left pretty much as the Germans had built it. Bangsbo Fort was in service until 1961, where it was decommissioned as obsolete.

A part of the fort is still in use by the Danish Navy as a center for controlling the waters off Frederikshavn and as an early warning station. More about this some other time...

The future for Stutzpunktgruppe Süd/Bangsbo Fort
A very active support group is working tirelessly to conserve and restore this unique facility. Lately, a generator was discovered, bought and installed in the original bunker - and it works!

Negotiations are allegedly ongoing with Danish military authorities to gain possession of a 40 mm Bofors AA battery and on the lawn behind the museum, equipment is waiting to come under the loving care of the work group.

Consequently, both the open air museum as well as the large museum bunker (M152) is well kept and definitely worth a visit. Bangsbo is a place where you can come back year after year and new things will have happened. Highly recommendable.

_______________


Note: If you read Danish and want the full story of Pikkerbakken, Kenneth Kristensen, Director of Bangsbo Fort Museum, has written an excellent book to which I owe many of the details here. The book is obtainable from the Museum Shop.

The article above is an excerpt from the December issue of The War Tourist Magazine, a free bi-monthly publication downloadable from www.wartourist.eu, where you can also subscribe. Subscribers usually get their copy a week or so before it is uploaded to the website. ]]> Travelling in historical places wartourist http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=779 Type 99 http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=778&goto=newpost Fri, 14 Nov 2008 11:07:54 GMT The Type 99 gas-operated light machine guns entered trial service with the Japanese Army in 1939, and mass production of these weapons began in Apr... The Type 99 gas-operated light machine guns entered trial service with the Japanese Army in 1939, and mass production of these weapons began in Apr 1942. Their design was essentially the same as the Type 96 light machine guns, with the only major difference being that the Type 96 design used 6.5-mm...

C. Peter Chen from ww2db.com ]]> RSS Feeds RSSbot http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=778 Mogami http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=777&goto=newpost Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:45:33 GMT Mogami was the namesake ship of her class of cruisers. Her class of cruisers was uniquely designed to be lightweight yet still provided adequate... Mogami was the namesake ship of her class of cruisers. Her class of cruisers was uniquely designed to be lightweight yet still provided adequate armor; however, some design defects cracked hull welds during trials, returning her to the shipyards to repair the defects in the following year. Duri...

C. Peter Chen from ww2db.com ]]> RSS Feeds RSSbot http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=777 Henry Stimson http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=776&goto=newpost Wed, 12 Nov 2008 08:21:58 GMT Henry Lewis Stimson was an American statesman who served six presidents. A conservative Republican and something of an imperialist, he is best known... Henry Lewis Stimson was an American statesman who served six presidents. A conservative Republican and something of an imperialist, he is best known as the Secretary of War during World War II under Democratic President Franklin Roosevelt. Chosen for his aggressive stance against Nazi Germany a...

C. Peter Chen from ww2db.com ]]> RSS Feeds RSSbot http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=776 Nurse of Times Square Photo Fame Led NYC Veterans Day Parade http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=775&goto=newpost Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:41:33 GMT Image: http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/images/imagemagick/tmb_battle_japansurrender14.jpg (http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/image.php?image_id=361)When... When Japan's surrender was announced, the crowd gathered at New York City's Times Square bursted into a wild celebration. Photographer Victor Jorgensen, at the right place at the righ...

C. Peter Chen from ww2db.com ]]> RSS Feeds RSSbot http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=775 Wisconsin http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=774&goto=newpost Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:50:20 GMT USS Wisconsin was the third of United States Navy's Iowa-class battleships. With Captain Earl E. Stone in command, she held her trials in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, United States. On 7 Jul 1944, she departed Norfolk, Virginia, United States for Trinidad in the British West Indies for her s...

C. Peter Chen from ww2db.com ]]> RSS Feeds RSSbot http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=774 Grumman F7F-3P Tigercat Video http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=773&goto=newpost Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:12:51 GMT Video of the *Grumman F7F-3P Tigercat*. Shot last summer in Camarillo California. Living Warbirds: Grumman F7F-3P Tigercat... Video of the Grumman F7F-3P Tigercat. Shot last summer in Camarillo California.

Living Warbirds: Grumman F7F-3P Tigercat

If you go to the link called "Warbird Videos," you can watch other clips I've already uploaded.

Would love comments/suggestions.

I have more clips I am editing and will post links as I finish and upload them. ]]> Allied airforces livingwarbirds http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=773 A Veteran Passes http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=772&goto=newpost Tue, 11 Nov 2008 04:12:05 GMT About seven years ago, I met Bill Lee (http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/local/obituaries_purchase_run.htm?obitID=25051). Â*Bill recently... About seven years ago, I met Bill Lee. Â*Bill recently died after complications from a stroke. Â*He was a Navy veteran of both World War II and Korea. Â* About a year ago, Bill f...

C. Peter Chen from ww2db.com ]]> RSS Feeds RSSbot http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=772 Fw 187 Falke http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=771&goto=newpost Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:48:41 GMT The Fw 187 Falke (Falcon) design was drawn up by Kurt Tank as a private venture within the manufacturer Focke-Wulf as a twin-engine long range... The Fw 187 Falke (Falcon) design was drawn up by Kurt Tank as a private venture within the manufacturer Focke-Wulf as a twin-engine long range fighter. The design was unveiled publicly in 1936 at an exhibition attended by top German leaders including Adolf Hitler, but ultimately the Reich...

C. Peter Chen from ww2db.com ]]> RSS Feeds RSSbot http://worldwar2talk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=771