This is a very special pic in my collection that I would like to share. I just want to thank Adrian Nisbett Author of "Heroes in Death the von Blücher Brothers in Crete" for allowing me to purchase it from him and providing us the information about this historic image taken at the battle of Crete.
This photograph of Oberleutant Wolfgang von Blücher (RK- Dordrecht) -the last to be taken of him - was taken shortly before his unit (2 Kom. 1FJRI) dropped near Heraklion on 20 May 1941. Blücher was first to leave the aircraft and he is waiting for the signal to jump. Note that he is also carrying a camera. The photo was taken by Gefreiter Rudolf Jacobs, an assistant MG34 gunner in von Blücher’s platoon. Jacobs and his co-gunner, Gefreiter Gerhard Broder had served with von Blücher in Norway and Holland. Shortly before his death in 2017, Broder recalled the moment the photo was taken and the tense expression on his platoon commander’s face. He and Jacobs jumped immediately after von Blücher.
While the machine-gun team was ordered to stay in a support position, von Blücher was ordered by regimental commander Bruno Bräuer to take a group from his platoon and advance in darkness towards the airfield, believed to be in German hands. This was incorrect and Blücher and his men found themselves under heavy fire from well-entrenched members of the Black Watch, supported by light tanks. With daybreak a rescue mission was planned but much time was lost trying to assemble the widely scattered paratroopers. By late morning most of the men had been killed or wounded and several attempts to reach the group had been beaten back. From their position some 600 metres from the surrounded group, Broder and Jacobs could only watch the destruction of their comrades. Then they too came under attack from one of the tanks. Broder dived into a shallow depression, closely followed by Jacobs. The tank opened fire with its machine-gun and one round hit the camera which was attached to Jacobs’ belt. A little later von Blücher was killed and the few survivors surrendered. During the action, von Blücher’s youngest brother, 17 year old Hans Joachim tried to reach his brother’s position with ammunition. He was killed in the attempt, something Wolfgang was made aware of shortly before his own death. A third brother, Lebrecht, was killed shortly after landing to the east of Heraklion.
Rudolf Jacobs returned to his home in Düsseldorf after the battle and took his camera to a photo shop. Only one photo on the roll in the damaged camera could be saved: that of Wolfgang von Blücher. A little later he sent one print to the von Blücher family and kept a second in memory of his much-admired platoon commander.
Caption for photo below: Gerhard Broder (L) and Rudolf Jacobs (R) just before boarding the aircraft for the flight to Crete. Jacobs’ camera case can be seen on his right hip.
This photograph of Oberleutant Wolfgang von Blücher (RK- Dordrecht) -the last to be taken of him - was taken shortly before his unit (2 Kom. 1FJRI) dropped near Heraklion on 20 May 1941. Blücher was first to leave the aircraft and he is waiting for the signal to jump. Note that he is also carrying a camera. The photo was taken by Gefreiter Rudolf Jacobs, an assistant MG34 gunner in von Blücher’s platoon. Jacobs and his co-gunner, Gefreiter Gerhard Broder had served with von Blücher in Norway and Holland. Shortly before his death in 2017, Broder recalled the moment the photo was taken and the tense expression on his platoon commander’s face. He and Jacobs jumped immediately after von Blücher.
While the machine-gun team was ordered to stay in a support position, von Blücher was ordered by regimental commander Bruno Bräuer to take a group from his platoon and advance in darkness towards the airfield, believed to be in German hands. This was incorrect and Blücher and his men found themselves under heavy fire from well-entrenched members of the Black Watch, supported by light tanks. With daybreak a rescue mission was planned but much time was lost trying to assemble the widely scattered paratroopers. By late morning most of the men had been killed or wounded and several attempts to reach the group had been beaten back. From their position some 600 metres from the surrounded group, Broder and Jacobs could only watch the destruction of their comrades. Then they too came under attack from one of the tanks. Broder dived into a shallow depression, closely followed by Jacobs. The tank opened fire with its machine-gun and one round hit the camera which was attached to Jacobs’ belt. A little later von Blücher was killed and the few survivors surrendered. During the action, von Blücher’s youngest brother, 17 year old Hans Joachim tried to reach his brother’s position with ammunition. He was killed in the attempt, something Wolfgang was made aware of shortly before his own death. A third brother, Lebrecht, was killed shortly after landing to the east of Heraklion.
Rudolf Jacobs returned to his home in Düsseldorf after the battle and took his camera to a photo shop. Only one photo on the roll in the damaged camera could be saved: that of Wolfgang von Blücher. A little later he sent one print to the von Blücher family and kept a second in memory of his much-admired platoon commander.
Caption for photo below: Gerhard Broder (L) and Rudolf Jacobs (R) just before boarding the aircraft for the flight to Crete. Jacobs’ camera case can be seen on his right hip.
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