In Defense of the Rhine
From 1944 on the Heimat Blak Batteries LwH Einheiten 37/VII and 35/VII (Alsace ) were increasingly deployed in areas that were far
from the home of the Luftwaffe flak helpers. For example, students from Baden and
Württemberg were initially stationed in Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, then
one after another at short intervals near Karlsruhe, in the Palatinate, at the
Swiss border at the Maerkt Barrage (Kembs) and finally at Pforzheim.
The used on site anti-aircraft battery 37 / VII was a
so-called home flack battery , which had its command post in Istein Baden near Rheinweiler.
This battery was mainly operated by students from the years 1926-28 from the
grammar schools and high schools of Müllheim, Lörrach and Weil Am Rhein, Schopfheim and
Villingen. Divided into 3 trains (Zuege) as Luftwaffenhelfer.
Hitler visiting Istein /Baden in 1939 or later home base of Heimat Flak Reg.
The 4th train, which was
used between the Old Rhine and the canal, consisted of Alsatian forced recruits of
721st Leichte Flakabteilung with the same vintages as those of the German side and were the LwH 35/VII with command post in Pforzheim. The old argument that they were forced as recurits for 3rd Reich I continue to dispute , many of those were fanatic JJ French Nazis and members of numerous Fascist movements in France who fought as far as Stalingrad and who pogrommed Jews in Alsace.
Formed on 1.7.44 in Karlsruhe as Flakgruppe Karlsruhe, under 20 Flak Battrie with s. 1.-8./234 (o), s. 1.-4./357 (o), s.1.-3.,
5./458 (o), le.721 (o), le. 3./825 (E), Lsp. 2./962 (o), Lsp. 4./203 (o),
s.Flak-Bttr.zbV 6148, 10550, 10551, 10552, 7 le.Heimat-Flak-Bttr. (3./VII,
4./VII, 5./VII, 29./VII, 35./VII, 37./VII (Kembs) 46./VII) and 8
s.Heimat-Flak-Bttr. (231./VII, 232./VII, 233./VII, 240./VII, 4. - 7./VII)
HJ Luftwaffe Flak Helfer
The youth HJ-LwH
Grandidiers were assigned to the "721st Leichte Flakabteilung", unit in
which was attached the "Leichte Heimat Flak Battery 35 / VII" and the
"Flak Regiment 68". This unit was, among others,
for the defense mission of the hydro-electric dam of Kembs (Alsace) and
lived its attack by the famous Lancaster "Dam-busters" on October 7,
1944.
Note AA Bunkers west and east side of the Target
LwH Heimat Flak Batterie 35/VII (Alsace ) near Kembs
Alsace boys of Rhine Batterie LwH 35/VII
Helmet from one of the 35/VII boys
37/VII Rhine Defenders Baden / Alsace
Luftwaffe Flak soldiers on French side of the Rhine
Heimat Flak Batterie LwH 37/VII
Light AA Flak near Weil Am Rhein
LwH 37/VII Light Flak Batterie, Weil Am Rhein Bunker (very rare shot)
Same Bunker in 2018
Weil Am Rhein Heimat Flak 37/VII Bunker Reconstruction (Bad Zeitung)
LwH Flak & Radio Bunker unit on southern Barrage (Kembs Barrage in Background )
Normandie like Bunker near Weil Am Rhein
Maginot line Bunker on French side of the Barrage (photo 2018)
Barrage detonation bunker Weil Am Rhein
German AA Bunker Oberrhein near Kembs elec.hydro station Sept 1944
Rhein Kriegsmarine patrol units, Loerrach aprox.1943
German bunker Upper Rhine eastern bank
Swiss Border Patrol near Weil Am Rhein 1944
Crossing of Rhine 1945 mud obstacles
Crossing of Rhein near Rosenau / Kembs 1945
Liberated pear near Huningue Alsace
Rosenau Alsace near Basel(French and Swiss Armies border meeting)
French soldiers guarding the liberated Rhine bridge north of Kembs
US & French Forces on Rhine River(far north of Kembs )
French Army Jeep in liberated Colmar 1945
Spits at Colmar Meienheim airfield Feb.1945
French tanks Commandos D'Afrique from "Belfort Pocket " near Huningue 1945
Memorial French tank of the "Commando Rhine Danube" near Kembs
French and African soldiers who lost their lives in liberation of Kembs 1945
Commandos D'Afrique which crosses the Rhine near Kembs on night of 17 March 1945
Rosenau - Kembs memorial Oct 2018
Sources :
Sources :
Badische Zeitung,German Archives Baden Wuertenberg,
NZZ, French Archives Comar,W.Prager ,
Schweizer Rheinhaffen
Commos Rhin -Danube
Landesarchives Baden Wuertnberg
617 Sqd Ops Details
Nuerenberg War Tribunal records
Comments
Post a Comment