pspod@earth.lerc.nasa.gov (Stefan) (07/05/90)
From: pspod@earth.lerc.nasa.gov (Stefan) In article <1990Jun18.010128.29354@cbnews.att.com>, mm49@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Michael Mayer) writes... > > >From: Michael Mayer <mm49@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu> > A couple years ago I came across an incredible book. It was in >german and was the story of the SS Sturmbatallion 500. This was a >"Bewaehrungsbattalion" (prove yourself battalion) It was compromised >mostly of german SS officers, that were courtmarshalled for things such as >retreating to a strategically better location (Hitler had ordered no >retreats.) > text deleted Do you have any evidence that this is fact and not fiction as is typical of many books of this nature describing the actions of renegade (but valorous) Nazi units on the Russian front (another variation of the ride of the Valkyries)
tiwasawa@netxdev.DHL.COM (Takashi Iwasawa) (07/12/90)
From: tiwasawa@netxdev.DHL.COM (Takashi Iwasawa) In article <1990Jul5.020656.14727@cbnews.att.com> pspod@earth.lerc.nasa.gov (Stefan) writes: > >From: pspod@earth.lerc.nasa.gov (Stefan) >In article <1990Jun18.010128.29354@cbnews.att.com>, mm49@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu (Michael Mayer) writes... >> >>From: Michael Mayer <mm49@cunixa.cc.columbia.edu> >> A couple years ago I came across an incredible book. It was in >>german and was the story of the SS Sturmbatallion 500. This was a >>"Bewaehrungsbattalion" (prove yourself battalion) It was compromised >>mostly of german SS officers, that were courtmarshalled for things such as >>retreating to a strategically better location (Hitler had ordered no >>retreats.) >> text deleted > >Do you have any evidence that this is fact and not fiction as is typical of >many books of this nature describing the actions of renegade (but valorous) >Nazi units on the Russian front (another variation of the ride of the Valkyries) I remember reading this book many years ago (14 or 15 years ago?). I cannot say whether the description of the unit's combat (or the author's ... I think the author came to the Sturmbatallion from a penal unit, after being court- martialed for abandoning an untenable position while commanding a platoon of Latvian volunteers) is correct. But the unit almost certainly existed. First, if I remember correctly, the book had two appendices, one of members of the unit who had received medals, and a second showing the organization of the unit (it was a square unit ... everything in fours instead of threes). A fictional account usually doesn't bother with such niceties as inventing a hundred or so names and a reasonable looking TO&E. Second, the SS battalion is mentioned in two books that I currently own. "War on the Eastern Front" by James Lucas (copyright 1979, the edition I have is published 1982 by Bonanza Books ISBN 0-517-382857) has a chapter (starting on page 23) about the final action of the tank destruction unit DORA II, which Lucas says is a part of the SS 500th Bewahrungs Battalion (sic -- being a purist, I think that an author ought to translate the unit designation fully or leave it in the original German). I think the book originally mentioned by Michael Mayer also contains a reference to DORA II. The other book I have is "German Airborne Troops" by Roger Edwards (copyright 1974, the edition I have is published by Doubleday ISBN 0-385-04246 9). On pages 143-144, there is a short history of SS Parachute Battalion 500/600, commanded by Hauptsturmfuehrer Rybka (I think that the SS Sturmbatallion 500 was commanded by Rybka; can you check this in your book, Michael?) It was raised in 1943, partly with penal troops. After parachute training at Kraljevo, Yugoslavia, it was used in the operation against Tito's headquarters in 1944 (Operation "Roesselsprung"). Heavy casualties reduced the battalion to about 200 men, and it was reconstituted but renumbered as SS Fallschirmjaeger- batallion 600. The battalion's later actions included Kurland, Ardennes (as a part of Skorzeny's Panzer Brigade 150), and Oder. *** PLEASE NOTE!!! *** *** I'M HERE ONLY TEMPORARILY *** Unfortunately, the email/netnews machine at my company is going away sometime soon (I thought it would be gone by end of June, but the schedule's been changing). The management has PROMISED to replace it, but I will be unable to receive/send anything in the meanwhile. So, if you have any posting or private communication that you think I'll want to read, PLEASE save a copy. When I get net access back, I'll post another note here, and then you can email me anything you want me to read. THANK YOU!!! Takashi Iwasawa /* Of course, these are all my opinions */ (703) 742-6631 (home) /* except for the parts that are direct-*/ (703) 749-2768 (work) /* ly quoted. Net Express doesn't have */ Net Express Communications Inc. /* any opinions on armor, battleships, */ Vienna, Virginia /* or tanks. */