The War Tourist Magazine is issued by www.wartourist.eu • Reprint only with permission • No. 3 • February 2009 • Theme Issue The mighty GUNS at HANSTHOLM and KRISTIANSAND New TWT layout As you will notice, the TWT has a new layout. “Again!”, you’ll The Skagerak probably say; “-three issues, three different layouts; why page 4 can’t this guy make up his mind?” Gatekeepers, Fair question, and perhaps we will get there eventually, but for the time being, I am keen on experimenting. The TWT Visiting is still in its early infancy, and as with any toddler, new and exciting things happen almost every day ;-) Hanstholm, page 8 One thing is fairly sure, the Coat-of-Arms or Crest you see in the upper left corner is here to stay (or so I think ;-) We’ll Visiting need some sort of logo to signal that; “Hey, here is the TWT. Cool..!” Kristiansand, page 11 The issue you have in front of you is also special in the sense that it concerns itself almost entirely with one topic, namely the two mighty fortresses that guarded the entrance The mighty to the Skagerrak. I have been wanting to do this article for a Tirpitz guns, page 12 long time, so... here we go! Enjoy... the campaign made a court crushing them on the beaches the Allied rapidly advanced martial (as considered by Hoth), during attempted landfall. With inland and after a few days were Rommel, the mason or even a reprimand, impossible. that in mind, the Normandy beach unstoppable for the insufficient and It was, however, primarily during became his “Hauptkampflinie” – the overstretched German forces. his service in Africa that Rommel main battle line - and fortifications of the Atlantic Wall achieved the nimbus of an and obstacles were designed and On his way back from a meeting outstanding – almost invincible erected to support that tactic. His with Hitler in his forward HQ on Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel was After the war Rommel became - tank commander, earning him boyhood engineering skills came in July 17th 1944, Rommel’s staff car born in Heidenheim, Germany, near an instructor at the Dresden the flamboyant nickname he is handy as he toiled to make the best was strafed by an RCAF fighter, and Ulm, in the state of Württemberg Infantry School from and the remembered by; The Desert Fox. out of sparse resources, and e.g. the Field Marshal was hospitalized on November 15, 1891. His father War Academy in Potsdam from his infamous “Rommel’s asparagus” with severe head injuries. While was a Protestant headmaster of 1929 to 1938. During that period Rommel in Normandy should prove themselves deadly to recovering, he on several occasions the secondary school at Aalen. The he published what was originally Recalled to Germany by Hitler many Allied soldiers during D-Day. rather bluntly expressed his dismay Rommels had three more children, his war diary. Titled; “Infanterie before the final disaster in Africa with the Führer and the way he was two sons, Karl and Gerhard, and greift an” (Infantry Attacks), this waging the war; a carelessness that a daughter, Helene. Little Erwin quickly became a highly regarded later should prove fatal, as it was had to his own account a happy military textbook, and attracted the overheard and reported by local childhood. He was interested in attention of Adolf Hitler. Nazis. mechanics and engineering, and at the age of fourteen, he built a full- Rommel, now a colonel, was Following the failed plot against scale, operational glider together appointed commandant of the War Adolf Hitler only three days after with a friend. This technical Academy at the Theresian Military Rommel’s incident, a widespread Portrait: Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, aptitude steered young Erwin Academy in 1938. He wrote a investigation was conducted courtesy Wikipedia (Deutsches Bundesarchiv, towards becoming an engineer, but second handbook; “Panzer greift for non-commercial use). to identify the instigators and at his father’s insistence, he joined an” (The Tank in Attack), a book supporters. Some of the coup A word from the editor... a local Infantry Regiment in 1910 as that even renowned US Panzer ringleaders’ documentation The February issue of The War Tourist, which an officer cadet and proceeded to Ace, George Patton, read and mentioned Rommel as a potential you have in front of you, turned out to be the Officer Cadet School in Danzig. acclaimed. After a relatively brief supporter and an acceptable a special or “Theme Issue” as mentioned period at the school, Rommel was military leader take charge after a on the front. As you will note, all the usual In 1911, while still a Cadet, Rommel handpicked to take command of successful coup. No evidence linked stuff; the editorial, details, E&OE, rating met 17-year-old Lucia Maria Mollin Adolf Hitler’s personal protection Rommel to the plot, nor that he had system*, website of the month, news etc. who was to become his wife. battalion (Führer Begleitbataillon). could taint his image, Rommel To the question of tank support, been contacted by any of the plot has been left out to cater for the lengthy Graduating in November 1911 he During this period he met Joseph idled for a period. He was finally Rommel argued, that due to ringleaders, but in the paranoid article on Hanstholm and Kristiansand. was commissioned as a Lieutenant Goebbels, the Reich’s minister of given command of a newly formed overwhelming dominance by the Führer entourage, suspicion was Furthermore, the article on Rommel came as on January 1912 and four years propaganda, who would become Army Group B, assigned to defend Allied in the air, tank forces should more than enough. an afterthought and consequently delayed later, in 1916, he married Lucie (her a fanatical admirer of Rommel, Northern Italy, but after General be split up in smaller units and the publishing. Reason for this is that I aim pet name). In 1928 the couple had tirelessly exploiting the model Albert Kesselring assumed sole dwell in heavily fortified positions On October 14th Rommel was to write a series of articles on Danish coastal their only child, a son, Manfred, soldier’s victories in the propaganda Italian command late November 43, as close to the coast as possible. approached by generals Meisel batteries while traveling the west coast this who would later become the Lord after the outbreak of WW2. summer and thus found it appropriate to Rommel moved the Army Group to As the Allied onslaught began, & Burgdorf, delivering the death start with a few words about the “mason” or Mayor of Stuttgart (1974-96). Normandy, France, where an Allied they would not have to move far sentence and conveniently bringing architect behind this epic structure. World War Two invasion had long been expected. in long, vulnerable columns. Gerd the necessary poison vial. As a Anyway, here you have your TWT. Hope you World War One After the Polish surrender, Rommel Following an inspection tour along von Rundstedt, his superior, on his national hero, Rommel was to be are happy with it, and if so; pass the good Rommel, now serving in the elite returned to Berlin to organise the the entire Atlantic coast and finding part feared that the overwhelming spared the humiliation of a public news (and the link) on to your friends ;-) Alpen Korps (Mountain Corps), Führer’s victory parade, taking part it little more than a mere garden firepower of the Royal Navy would trial and granted a hero’s funeral saw action in France, as well as in himself as a member of Hitler’s fence full of holes, he was utterly destroy any shelter no matter how – provided he took the offered Romania and Italy during the Great entourage. Rommel then used his dismayed and wrote a critical report well built. He believed that the few cyanide post haste. Despite the Not a member yet..? War. He soon gained a reputation good relationship with Hitler to to Hitler, who in turn put Rommel in tanks available should be formed heroic offer from his Aide de for quick tactical decisions and gain command of the 7th Panzer charge of the repairs. into large units inland, allowing the Champ, Captain Aldinger, that they The War Tourist Group for taking advantage of enemy Division. During the invasion of Allies to overextend their forces into could try to shoot their way out, on facebook and plaxo perplexity following an attack. France and the Low Countries in Throughout the winter of 1943 France before the panzer cut them Rommel immediately realized that are rendezvous points for Three times on the stretcher with 1940, Rommel showed considerable and the early months of 44, he off from their supply lines. Hitler, the race was over and he had to the seasoned devotee of battlefield wounds, he was awarded skill as a panzer commander, worked tirelessly on this, knowing whose “intuition” told him, that the comply with his Führer’s command. battlefield sightseeing the Iron Cross twice; First and wading high-speed through the that the boasting charades of Dr. landings would take place at Pas de He kissed Lucie goodbye, hugged and touring the great Second Class, but industrious Erwin bewildered enemy. His division Goebbels about an impregnable Calais, vacillated, and ended up by his 16-year old son Manfred and fortifications throughout also managed to gain the highest was thus nicknamed “Gespenster- Atlantic Wall would not fend off an placing the tanks somewhere in the drove off in his callers car. history, focusing on the two World Wars. It is a place for war history cadres to meet, and medal Prussia could muster; the Divisionen” (Ghost Division), due invasion on their own, and that middle, where they were of little to share photos, data and links to places of Pour le Mérite – not the everyday to its speed and surprise; 7th when invasion came, the German use to either plan.