Hi. I am new to this site and not very competent when it comes to IT but here goes. I am trying to establish what aircraft manufacturing facilities were located at Torgau. I have read that there was a Heinkel plant located there but I have fail;ed to locate any information on it. I am also led to believe that there was a plant making V@ parts located in the same town. I am aware that there was opened in Torgau a camp for political prisoners - mainly French for the period 4 September 1944 until 1 October 1944 at which time the prisoners were sent back to Ravensbruck. Also located in Torgau was Stalag IV-D and the labour from there was also used in the industries around Torgau. These camps were in reality Arbeitskommandos, and were named for example AK75 Muna Munitions factory; AK76 Elsnig "WASAG Munitions factory. Information on the bunkers etc that surrounded the munitions factories would also be appreciated. I have seen the site on the web - mostly in German but the detail is vague. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Aircraft Parts/Munitions Manufacturing Torgau 1944-45
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I did some searching and only found reference to a TNT and ammunition factories located in Torgau proper, as you referenced. The TNT factory apparently replaced an earlier factory located elsewhere which suffered a massive explosion (pre-war).
As for aircraft manufacturing, it appears that the Torgau camps fed labor into factories in surrounding cities/towns. Perhaps there might have been sub-component manufacturing in Torgau - there isn't much mention of manufacturing in the town besides explosive-related stuff. Of note - nothing in the immediate area made it on the 8th Air Force target list - only leaflet drops (assuming escape info or messaging to prisoners) were made. The presence of numerous POWs in the town may have also caused the USAAF to avoid bombing otherwise good targets in the town for fear of causing friendly casualties.
Some close-by aviation-related factories include the Messerschmitt factory at Landsberg, Junkers bomber factories at Dessau, the Erla Flugzeugwerke factory in Leipzig / Heiterblick, and the Mitteldeutsche Motorenwerke in Leipzig / Taucha, as well as the Arado factory at Wittenberg. A bit further away on the Czech border was also the Focke-Wulf factory at Marienberg.
As a side ntoe, Torgau is also the location where the "official" staged photographs of the US Army and Red Army link-up were taken. The actual first contacts had occurred the previous day about 30 miles away.
Source: akg-images.co.uk
As for aircraft manufacturing, it appears that the Torgau camps fed labor into factories in surrounding cities/towns. Perhaps there might have been sub-component manufacturing in Torgau - there isn't much mention of manufacturing in the town besides explosive-related stuff. Of note - nothing in the immediate area made it on the 8th Air Force target list - only leaflet drops (assuming escape info or messaging to prisoners) were made. The presence of numerous POWs in the town may have also caused the USAAF to avoid bombing otherwise good targets in the town for fear of causing friendly casualties.
Some close-by aviation-related factories include the Messerschmitt factory at Landsberg, Junkers bomber factories at Dessau, the Erla Flugzeugwerke factory in Leipzig / Heiterblick, and the Mitteldeutsche Motorenwerke in Leipzig / Taucha, as well as the Arado factory at Wittenberg. A bit further away on the Czech border was also the Focke-Wulf factory at Marienberg.
As a side ntoe, Torgau is also the location where the "official" staged photographs of the US Army and Red Army link-up were taken. The actual first contacts had occurred the previous day about 30 miles away.
Source: akg-images.co.uk
- Thread starter
- #3
Thank you very much for taking the time to respond to my query. I have picked up a couple of important pieces from what you have provided. Firstly I was unaware that there was a TNT facility at Torgau and secondly I gave no thought to the fact that there were prisoners of war located there and the effect that would have had in terms of Allied raids. I have managed to locate the name of the munitions plant that was located there - it was Heeresmunitionsanstalt Torgau and that it was under the command of Heeresfeldzuegkommando located at Kassel. I am also aware that AK76 Elsnig "WASAG" Munitions factory was located nearby along with a number other sites where labour was used. I will do a little more digging
MiTasol
1st Lieutenant
Keep us posted. As far as I know this is an area where little history has been compiled
