Von der Heydte and Baraque Michel

[Óscar G]

Hi! I´m new on this forum. Reading your threads I´m learning a lot of interesting details about my (your... our...) "passion". So, I made up my mind to register myself and I´ll begin now to make some questions. (Of course I´ll share everything I can)

Visiting Ardennes last summer, I was able to go to Baraque Michel and Monte Rigi zone: a good experience. I´ve read several books telling how the group was formed, VDH´s complaints about the mission... Can anyone tell me more details about this last fallschirmjäger jump? Is there any photo of the event?

I´ve enjoyed VDH´s photos posted some weeks ago. Willi posted another one (Ju52 shot down..) really interesting.

Thanks in advance

[Prosper Keating]

Von der Heydte's memories of and remarks about the Ardennes drop - Operation Stösser - are well-documented. The operation was FUBAR, a real disaster. But a further interesting detail was the presence of three Waffen-SS artillery spotters from the Hitlerjugend Division who jumped with VDH's airborne battlegroup on December 17th 1944. Their story is told in the new Bender book, Red Shines The Sun, by Eric Queen, on pages 231 and 232. VDH personally asked Sepp Dietrich for these men, SS-Sturmbahnführer Harold Etterich and NCOs Hermann Leonhard and Rudi Rosenauer. VDH tasked Sgt-Major Willi Peters, awarded the RK on 01/11/44, with looking after them. Peters, a veteran of the prewar Fallschirm-Infanterie, got separated from the SS men on the DZ but found them again three days later. In the interim, Peters had knocked out three enemy tanks, winning three Tank Destruction Strips to add to the one he already had. Anyway, the story is told in the book. Check the Bender banner at the bottom of this webpage. There is even a recent photo of the three SS men. As for photos of Operation Stösser, to which VDH referred as Operation Suicide, there are no known photographs.

Hope this helps,

Prosper Keating

[Óscar G]

Thank you for the information, Prosper. I didn´t know the presence of the three Waffen-SS... Interesting matter. You say that there is no known photo.
These are the two ones I know. The first one shows VDH wounded at Monschau, already in captivity, and the second one is from Greg way´s website. Oberleutnant von Kayser is giving a report to VDH (this shot shows perfectly their desperation scattered in that woodden area: the "suicide" you have explained...). Greg suggests that there are some photos more...

[Prosper Keating]

Well! It just goes to show that one learns something new every day. So someone on Operation Stösser did have a camera with them. There must be other shots. I had actually seen that image somewhere else but it was wrongly captioned as a Normandy or post-Normandy shot. Of course it is in the Ardennes. VDH's right hand is bandaged. The shot of a haggard VDH in the woods speaks volumes. He is not having a good day out. The American shot of VDH being stretchered is also incredible. VDH is at the end of his endurance, as he said in his account.

PK

[Óscar G]

So, "squezzing" the thread all we can, What does the white spot of the right side of von Kayser´s helmet mean? It seems the other fallschirmjäger has it too. Maybe a "identity marker"? Is there any other reference of this (spot, marks appeared on helmets...) in other fallschirmjäger operations?

[fergmacleod]

white dots

Arn't those just unpainted bolt-heads typical on late war helmets?

Fergus.

[Willi Z.]

They could be slotted aluminum bolts distorted alittle in the photo. Cool photos! VDH sure looks like he has had enough....of the war...by then, most felt that way...

I have a series of photos taken by GIs......some show shot down Ju52s..others show chutes in the trees.

Willi

[Óscar G]

White dots

Yes, Willi, probably that´s the logical explanation. Anyway, I compare the size of the slotted aluminum bolts shown in one item from your collection (Collection display and groups forum... Germany 1945) with the white "mysterious" dots and it seems to me the sizes are different...
I don´t know if this is one of the photos you have written about.
Cheers... and pleased to meet/read/you, Willi! Óscar

[Prosper Keating]

Here, so that those of our members who aren't familar with FJ helmets will know what you are talking about, is a classic late-war FJ helmet with the unpainted aluminium alloy bolts in question.



The owner of this helmet, recovered in Normandy, didn't have a good day out but it is possible that he survived as his name has not been found on any of the KIA lists so far consulted.

Prosper Keating

[Willi Z.]

Cool photo of the drop canister!

I think those white spots on the helmet are the bolts. The B&W photo is alittle distorted, giving the bolt a "larger" look. If not, then I can't spot the spanner bolts...

Here is that one photo, showing the shotdown Ju52......all the info is on the back.

Willi

[Óscar G]

Stösse chutes

This shot I´ve found may be one of the photos Willi mentioned above. Some GIs are inspecting a chute. Maybe a RZ36 one? You´ll be able to make sure it, Willi, retaking a thread you posted showing some pictures of an extremely rare RZ36 chute.
The parachute may belong to VDH´s team because of the woodden area we see...
Regards.

[Willi Z.]

Very nice Oscar! It looks like a RZ20 chute, with 28 panels. I will try to find my other photos.....and scan them later.

Willi

[Óscar G]

Stösser photos

Hi! Searching and searching I´ve found two shots more. Th first one is the same that you posted, Willi, but in this one appear some Gis inspecting the remainders of the Ju52. Thought it would be interesting. The other one shows a drop canister(?) different than the other one seen above. I haven´t seen such a drop canister before... (any opinions?)
Willi, I´m still looking forward to your "marvelous, wonderful and splendid" scanned photos you mentioned...
Regards