German Special Forces of World War II by Gordon Williamson

Author:Gordon Williamson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: German Special Forces of World War II
ISBN: 9781780969992
Publisher: Osprey Publishing

Much more convincing is this PzKw V Ausf G Panther disguised with extensive extra plates as an M10 tank-destroyer; note that the hull is seen here from three-quarter front, but the turret is traversed to ‘six o’clock’. It was photographed where it came to rest in La Falize village after the 21 December battle for Malmédy, when SS-Hstuf von Fölkersam’s Kampfgruppe X were supported by five of these tanks. (US National Archives)

Although PzBde 150 were unable to find much in the way of captured Allied armoured vehicles in usable condition they did have a good fleet of functioning jeeps. This one came to grief along with its crew. (US National Archives)

The fate of those members of Skorzeny’s ‘Einheit Stielau’ who were captured is exemplified by one such three-man team – Unteroffizier Pernass, Oberfähnrich Billing and Gefreiter Schmidt. Stopped by a US Military Police checkpoint and unable to give the correct password, they were immediately arrested. Since they were wearing American uniforms, and were in possession of fake identity documents and large sums in US currency, they were tried by court-martial as spies; all were found guilty, and executed by firing squad on 23 December 1944. (It also seems that significant numbers of German soldiers were captured wearing – simply for the sake of warmth – such items as American field jackets, greatcoats and winter overboots in conjunction with their own uniforms. In the atmosphere of ‘spy mania’ created by Einheit Stielau’s real and rumoured activities, they often paid for this booty with their lives.)

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