Quiz: Andra världskriget

[masase]

Landskapet ser rätt Nederländskt ut.

[Femtiotrean]

Javisst, men jag har cyklat i norra Tyskland och det såg ganska nederländskt ut där också.

Jag har aldrig cyklat på Poslätten.

[Femtiotrean]

Bron var den fjärde av fem broar som byggdes i samma område inom några få dagar. Bron låg nedströms från en mindre stad.

Alla fem broar hade förstås ett namn och namnen byggde på ett tema som uppenbart var populärt för det fanns broar med samma namn också på andra frontavsnitten.

[Amund]

Jag har inte så gott om tid och har inte börjat googla - men tankarna går direkt till Walcheren Zeeland och Montgomerys fiasko mot 15:e tyska armén hösten 1944. Är jag också helt ute och cyklar?

[sveahk]

Eftersom vår ärade cyklist aldrig har varit på Po-slätten...så tror jag mer på just - Po...
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item ... /205189154

?

Hans K

[Femtiotrean]

Det är masase som har varit riktigt nära - han kanske t.o.m. redan visste svaret men råkade inte ha en bra fråga till hands så att säga? -- och så pass nära att jag tyckte en avledningsmanöver var på sin plats.

Året är 1945.

Det bör kanske påpekas att pionjärerna som byggde bron var inte brittiska.

[Hans]

...och så pass nära att jag tyckte en avledningsmanöver var på sin plats.
...

Och du extraknäcker på en trollfabrik?

MVH

Hans

[Femtiotrean]

enavfem.jpg (42.08 KiB) Visad 252 gånger

At 21.00 the four assault battalions of its two leading brigades, loaded in about 150 Buffalo amphibious tracked carriers, advanced in columns through the flood water on the river’s western bank, moved down into the water at their appointed places, and swam across the river to make a good landfall on the eastern bank. However, this bank was muddy, and this slowed the amphibians in their task of getting clear of the water, and also prevented the Sherman DD amphibious tanks from landing at full strength. Little opposition was met at first, however, and by first light part of xxxxxxx had been occupied.
/.../
/.../
Delay in the capture of xxxxxxxx combined with German artillery fire to interfere with British operations to throw bridges across the xxxxxxxxx river, but ferries were working effectively during the day and work began on the construction of the bridges.

On xxxxxxx the xxxxxxxxx finally cleared xxxxxxx and made progress to the north, albeit only slowly in the face of a determined German defence. The British division now had the whole of Brigadier xxxxxxxxxx's xxxxxxxxx attacking on its left, and captured xxxxxxx early on xxxxxxxx after an all-night fight. It was not until this time that the British division’s first bridges were finished.

[Amund]

Kanadensare som går över floden Ems i slutet av april 1945 - Emden, Leer?

[Femtiotrean]

Kanadensare? Oh yea, no, for sure!

Ems! We are not quite there yet...

1. bridge CL 9 - 18 GHQ Tps Engrs - started 25 March at 0800, completed 26 March 0200 hrs (hours taken 18).
2. bridge CL 15 - 30 C Engrs - started 24 March at 1500, completed 26 March at 0830 hrs (hours taken 41,5 - of which only 24 were worked);
3. bridge CL 40 - 8 GHQ Tps Engrs - started 25 March at 1700 hrs, completed 26 March at 2300 hrs (hours taken 30);
4. bridge CL 40 - 2 Cdn C Tps Engrs - started 26 March at 1000 hrs, completed 28 March at 1200 hrs (hours taken 50);
5. bridge CL 40 - 6 A Tps Engrs - started 26 March 1100 hours, completed at 29 March at 1800 hrs (hours taken 79);

[Femtiotrean]

[Femtiotrean]

The first bridge at Rees was a flimsy affair - the „Class 9 Folding Boat Equipment“ could take all vehicles up to 9 tons that infantry units were equipped with. This bridge lead to the large „Mahnenburg“ farm on the east bank, visible to the left in the background on the photo. The construction started at 0800 hrs on 25 March and was finished at 0200 hrs on March 26th. This bridge was named „Waterloo Bridge“.
The next bridge - also downstream from Rees - was a class 12 Bailey bridge. It was also finished on March 26 and named „Lambeth Bridge“
While the fighting was still going on in Rees British sappers started buidling a bridge from the bank opposite the town. This was a class 40 Bailey bridge which was finished in the early hours of 27 March - by then the fight for Rees was over. The first class 40 bridge at Rees was named „London Bridge“.
In a parallel effort - again downstream from Rees - Canadian engineers built another class 40 Bailey bridge. It was ready for operation at 1800 hrs on 28 March. The Canadian sappers named it „Blackfriars Bridge“.
Soon after, work on a „Class 40 High-Level“ Bailey bridge at Rees started - this one was finished at 1800 hrs on 29 March 1945. The name of this bridge was „Westminster Bridge“ and it was designed to stay operational in case of high water levels which were to be expected in the spring.

All in all, there were five floating bridges available at Rees at the end of March to support the British advance east of the Rhine (also called the „Berlin bank“) and further into the Northern German plain - a terrain ideally suited for a modern and highly motorized army.
Of course, such an army needed immense loads of supplies. To ensure to flow of these supplies the engineers of 50th Infantry Division - with the help of the Pioneer Corps - at the beginning of April started the construction of two more bridges across the Rhine at Rees. These were to be a „semi-permanent bridges“ and Bailey equipment was used for these. The British sappers were supported by a Dutch engineer unit - and by a company formed by D.P.s (Displaced Persons), mostly liberated ex-POW or ex-forced labourers who were nationals of the mighty eastern ally - the Soviet Union.

On 25 March, Royal Canadian Engineers of 2nd Canadian Corps Troops moved into position to construct a Bailey Pontoon Bridge at Rees, Germany.

The bridge was designed to carry Military Load Class 40 vehicles and was named “Blackfriars Bridge.“ Its length was 558 m (1814 ft) including the ramps at each end. The 34 m (110 ft) landing bays were constructed to Military Load Class 70 standard and the end floating bays were reinforced to provide extra strength. The full floating section comprised 34 connected spans of 42-foot length and one span of 32-foot length. Construction of 825 meters of new road was started immediately.

Construction of the ‘home bank’ was assigned to 30th Field Company while the far bank was the responsibility of 29th Field Company. 31st Field Company was tasked with the construction of the floating bays. Each company was augmented by British pioneers. Bridge construction began mid-day on 26 March but was delayed due to slow delivery of stores and heavy fog. All-told, some 227 truck-loads of bridging stores were man-handled and some 9500 man-hours were employed in constructing the bridge. At 1803 feet total length, it was identified as the longest Bailey Bridge at the time.

The bridge was opened for traffic about noon on 28 March 1945, only two days after construction began. The officer in charge of construction of Blackfriars Bridge was Lt. W. F. Brundrit from 30th Field Company. Lt. Brundrit was awarded the Military Cross for his courage and leadership on this bridging project - from the earliest reconnaissance until completion of the task.

Frågan är fri!

[Amund]

Det var en bra fråga Femtiotrean! Det som slår mig är att det fortfarande var strider så långt västerut trots att freden bara var ca en månad bort. Många brittiska och kanadensiska förband bör ha befunnit sig långt öster om dessa broar. Deltagande soldater MÅSTE säkert känna av att det inte är så alldeles superviktigt att en sådan här operation blir framgångsrik - kriget är ju ändå snart slut.

Min mor berättade att när kanadensarna kom skedde det uppgörelser mellan civila och soldater, och troligen (gissar jag) mellan fiendestyrkor. När kriget ändå snart är slut så kan ingen ha haft intresse av att ta stridandet på fullaste allvar.

Min mor berättade att tyska soldater skulle spränga en liten bro över ett mycket litet vattendrag, en å eller liknande. Alla på gården följde de tyska soldaternas uppmaning att ta skydd i källare när bron skulle sprängas, men bonden antydde att ingenting skulle hända utan allt var teater. Han hade med bl.a. fläsk och potatis från gården som mutor till den tyske officeren räddat bron och visste att det inte skulle bli någon smäll. Men de var ju tvungna att låtsas eftersom det annars kunde likställas med sabotage eller kollaboration med fienden.

Har tyvärr inte tid just nu med en ny fråga, så den är fortfarande fri!

[Amund]

Dags för en fråga,

Denne man var en av de högre militärerna under VK2.

Militär.jpg (15.78 KiB) Visad 194 gånger

Han var faktiskt som yngre officer stationerad i Petersburg under det omvälvande revolutionsåret 1917 och februarirevolutionen.
Han arresterades en gång av säkerhetspolisen för spioneri under en militärövning i Kievtrakten men släpptes så småningom.
Hade ett mycket högt befäl när Andra Världskriget bröt ut.
Den högsta ledningen var kanske inte alltid nöjd med hans insatser under krigets inledande år, han var bland annat militärbefälhavare under ett par nesliga reträtter undan de framvällande tyska styrkorna.
Hade en ledande roll vid invasionen av Persien som skedde i samarbete med en allierad nation.
Var vid krigsslutet stationerad i Asien.

Vem var han?

[Amund]

Erhöll Order of Saint Vladimir 1917, men det var ju faktiskt en Tsar-orden, alltså innan Bolsjevikerna kom till makten.

Mitt under brinnande Andra Världskrig skiftade han arbetsuppgifter med en kollega, de bytte plats helt enkelt.


Anses ha misslyckats med detta:

Företag.jpg (4.06 KiB) Visad 184 gånger

Blev Fältmarskalk 1943.

Nä nu ger jag kanske inga fler ledtrådar. Tror jag gör att det blir svårare och mer förvillande för varje ledtråd.