MLW

Thanks for the quick answer! Very helpful.

Here are two very naive questions - how many Croix de Guerre were issued during the war and is there a complete list of recipients? Regards, Marc

For anyone interested in WWI German unit histories, I highly recommend this site - http://www.military-books.de.vu/ - for a good selection of quality digitized unit histories at very reasonable prices. Regards, Marc

Sorry about the broken links - but I can't seem to post complete links in this forum. Very disappointing.

I apologize for that. Here are the links again, but without using the "insert link" function of this forum. You should be able to cut and paste the links into your browser and get the download. http://downloads.sturmpanzer.net/MLW/German_Testimony_Regarding_Sgt_York's_Exploits_(English).pdf http://downloads.sturmpanzer.net/MLW/German_Testimony_Regarding_Sgt_York's_Exploits_(German).pdf

Hello! I recent found and scanned the English and German versions of a document I found inthe US National Archvies titled German Testimony Regarding Sgt York's Exploits. It is quite an interesting read. Here are the links to the documents: http://downloads.sturmpanzer.net/MLW/German_Testimony_Regarding_Sgt_York's_Exploits_(English).pdf http://downloads.sturmpanzer.net/MLW/German_Testimony_Regarding_Sgt_York's_Exploits_(German).pdf

Hello Gunnar, Although I have only been actively visiting the US Archives at NARA II in College Park for about four years, as far as I know, the US archives have always been open to the public. I don't understand how any one person can prevent access to WWI records. I do know that trying to get material from the archives is difficult if you can't visit it personnally and search for what you want. One reason for this is that the primary job of the archive's employees to maintain and preserve the records, not serve as researchers for the public. Therefore, depending on who you contact at the archives, the level of assistance varies. It also seems that as the older, more experienced archvists are retiring, the knowledge of the various collections among the archivists is decreasing. That leaves people who live far away from the archives little choice but to either go to the archives themselves (which can be expensive and time consuimng) or to hire a professional researcher (which can be good or bad depending on the researcher). I go to the archives on a routine basis - about one a week. I have not been denied access to anything except the rarest and most fragile of documents and photographs. It is, however, time consuming to find and search through boxes and boxes of materials and then copy them. For this reason, I sometimes help other people with small research jobs, but even then, I have to limit it because research is time consuming and I have my own work to do (I scan and sell digitzed copies of WWI and WWII documents and photos). I have seen a few German avaition records in the WWI records - mainly information about Allied bombing attacks and a flyer casuality document. There is also a nice collection of official German photos. If there is something simple I can help you with, I will try.

No doubt, all archives have material that is not catalogued and is thus "lost" awaiting to be rediscovered. By rumors seem to collect in the archives as the dust bunnies do. For example, I have heard that the US archives did not return all its captured WWII German documents to Germany, but that boxes of material are still lying around the archive soemwhere. Seeing is believing, although recently some 20 or more microfilm rolls of WWII German progaganda images just popped up out of a cardboord box at NARA! Who says the archives are boring?

Well, unfortunately rumors don't mean much. I have found some interesting documents so far: - German Army Study on the Tank Action at Villers-Bretonneux 1918 - Fifth Army lessons from Verdun 1916 - First Army Experiences on the Somme 1916 - German Army Lessons from Flanders (Lens) 1917 There are also copies of many German Army, Corps, and Division War Diaries from 1917 and 1918 I am currently looking for: - Germany Tesimony Concerning SGT York's Exploits - A 1922 Report on the Schlieffen Plan - First Army War Diary and Orders for Mons and Le Cateau in 1914

Surprisingly, the US National Archives (NARA) has a large collection of WWI German Army documents. Most are from the 1917-1918 period. Some are translated into English. Here is why NARA has such an extensive collection; from it's website: "In August 1920, Col. Oliver Spaulding, head of the Army War College's Historical Section, began work toward the acquisition from German sources of documents relating to Germany's involvement in World War I. This was followed up by Lt Col. Edward Davis, the U.S. military observer in Berlin in late 1920. Col. Davis traded copies of the American plans for the St. Mihiel offensive to German archivists in exchange for copies of documents relating to German operations. This led to the establishment of a liaison under which American personnel; working in Potsdam, Germany; undertook the selection, copying, and to some extent the translation of German military logs, annexes, war diaries, and related material. Most of the original documents in the German archives were destroyed in April 1945 during a British air raid which caused a fire in the Heeresarchiv, Potsdam." I recently found two documents of possible interest to serious researchers of the German Army. You can download them as .pdfs at the following links: US Army 1925 Report on the German Reichsarchiv and its history, purpose, and organization: http://downloads.stu...archiv_1925.pdf US Army 1925 Report on production of the The Reichsarchiv's Der Weltkrieg 1914-1918 and Die Schlachten des Weltkriegs series: http://downloads.stu...ieg_1914-18.pdf

Surprisingly, the US National Archives (NARA) has a large collection of WWI German Army documents. Most are from the 1917-1918 period. Some are translated into English. Here is why NARA has such an extensive collection; from it's website: "In August 1920, Col. Oliver Spaulding, head of the Army War College's Historical Section, began work toward the acquisition from German sources of documents relating to Germany's involvement in World War I. This was followed up by Lt Col. Edward Davis, the U.S. military observer in Berlin in late 1920. Col. Davis traded copies of the American plans for the St. Mihiel offensive to German archivists in exchange for copies of documents relating to German operations. This led to the establishment of a liaison under which American personnel; working in Potsdam, Germany; undertook the selection, copying, and to some extent the translation of German military logs, annexes, war diaries, and related material. Most of the original documents in the German archives were destroyed in April 1945 during a British air raid which caused a fire in the Heeresarchiv, Potsdam." I recently found two documents of possible interest to serious researchers of the German Army. You can download them as .pdfs at the following links: US Army 1925 Report on the German Reichsarchiv and its history, purpose, and organization: http://downloads.stu...archiv_1925.pdf US Army 1925 Report on production of the The Reichsarchiv's Der Weltkrieg 1914-1918 and Die Schlachten des Weltkriegs series: http://downloads.stu...ieg_1914-18.pdf

For those who may be interested, I saw that a DVD with several SS-Dienstaltersloste is available on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.co...s/dp/B0014EXODQ Cheers, Marc

All: I have been doing some research lately on the combat effectiveness of WWII German units. In my searches I found two documents that you may find interesting ? both are posted on the front page of my web page ? maginotlineatwar.com The first is an excellent analysis of German schwere Panzer-Abteilung titled "Swinging the Sledgehammer: The Combat Effectiveness of German Heavy Tank Battalions in World War II." Too bad we don't see more works like this. The second is an interesting but inconclusive analysis titled "Combat Effectiveness of Allied & German Troops in the Invasion of Crete" that attempts to use casualty rates as an indicator of combat effectiveness. If you like formulas, then this study is for you. If you know of any other similar documents, plese let me know! Thanks.

All: I posted another US Army Foreign Military Study from the US National Archives on my web site ? Operational Basis for the First Phase of the French Campaign 1940. As always, it is posted on the bottom of the front page. Regards, Marc www.maginotlineatwar.com

All: Here are two short FMS I copied yesterday at the US National Archives. I posted them to the bottom of the front page of my website: - German Heavy Tanks. An interesting discussion of German vs Soviet Armor. I suspect the author?s views are somewhat controversial. - The Story of Soviet Armor by B. Mueller-Hillebrand. Explains why the German Army did not put captured T-34s to widespread use. Cheers, Marc www.maginotlineatwar.com

All: I posted a Foreign Military Study titled ?Organization of Air Defense in the Field? to my website; located at the bottom of the front page. It is about the I Flak Corps in France 1940. Regards, Marc www.maginotlineatwar.com

All: I posted something you might find interesting to the front page of my web site ? ?Notes on the Execution of War Diaries in The German Armed Forces.? It is a Foreign Military Study from the US National Archives. It gives an interesting perspective on the pluses and minuses of German unit war diaries and squares well with my own experiences as an Army staff officer. Regards, Marc www.maginotlineatwar.com

All: I found a short US Army Foreign Military Study on the German division numbering system. It is not the most explanatory document, but is interesting to see what a senior German officer wrote about the topic. I posted in at the bottom of the front page of my web site. If you are interested, please take a look a download it; I will only keep it on my site for about a week or so. Regards Marc www.maginotlineatwar.com

All: I have posted an interesting period US War Department publication - British Commandos (1942) - to my web site. It is interesting to see the contemporary view. The document is posted at the bottom of the web site's front page. Regards, Marc www.maginotlineatwar.com

All: I have posted an interesting period US War Department publication - Enemy Airborne Forces (1942) - to my web site. It is interesting to see the contemporary view. The document is posted at the bottom of the web site's front page Regards, Marc www.maginotlineatwar.com

All: In collaboration with a member of another forum, I recently posted photographs and Solduch/Wehrpass scans from a German soldier - Franz Netzsch - who fought on the Maginot Line in June 1940. He provided the images and a sharp eye on uniform details. I provided some background on the Maginot Line and identified a blockhouse in one of the photos. A great example of teamwork. The scans are on the "The Combatants" page. Click on the link below Netzsch's photo. Cheers, Marc www.maginotlineatwar.com

All: I found an interesting article about military modelers in WWII. It was published by the US Army Field Artillery Journal in 1946. I thought some of you might enjoy it. I posted the document on the bottom of the front page of my website - www.maginotlineatwar.com Since it is not my primary interest, I will keep it on my site for only about a week. Regards, Marc www.maginotlineatwar.com

Hallo Laurens: Thank you for your kind comments. I am by no means an expert on Knights Cross winners. I do know that there are picture postcards of Oberleutnant Scheunemann, Oberstleutnant L?wrick, and Major Sch?ler. They all won Knight's Crosses for action on the Maginot Line. I am working on redesigning part of my webpage. I will adding information about other Knights Cross holders over the next few months. All the Best, Marc www.maginotlineatwar.com

Hello All: I recently recently received a copy of Oberleutnant Alfred Germer's personnel file from the US National Archives. I turned into into a .pdf and posted it to my web page (www.maginotlineatwar.com). It is located at the bottom of the site's front page. The file is large - about 6 MB - hence my posting it on my page and not directly to this forum. Oberleutnant Germer is famous among the Maginot Line community for having led the engineer assault on Ouvrage La Ferte (known to the Germans as Panzerwerk 505). His assault detachment, from the pioniere battalion of the 71. ID, disabled the ouvrage's armored cupolas and its armored turret.) After unseating the turret with a 40 kg charge, Germer's detachment threw explosive charges into the weapon embrasures of the turret which started a fire inside the ouvrage, causing the turret's ammunition to explode. Smoke and fumes from the fire subsequently killed the entire French crew - 106 soldiers. Germer was awarded the Knight's Cross for his part in the action - the first (but not last) Maginot Line fort to fall to German attack. Germer was reported MIA at Breslau in March 45. As far as I know, several other Knight Crosses were awarded for combat action along the Maginot Line. In time, I hope to get the personnel records of these soldiers too and post them to my webpage. All the best, Marc www.maginotlineatwar.com