Luftwaffe on D-Day

[ClayO]

A lot of you have probably seen the Luftwaffe on D-Day video on YouTube, but I just discovered it. The statistics are well known about how few sorties the LW flew on and around D-Day vs. USAAF and the RAF, but somehow hearing some of the specific stories makes it more real. The part about flying the mechanics to the front line airbases in the tail section of a Bf109 or FW190 is chilling. They had to know it was all over at that point, but had no choice but to follow their orders and keep on going.

 

[pbehn]

A lot of you have probably seen the Luftwaffe on D-Day video on YouTube, but I just discovered it. The statistics are well known about how few sorties the LW flew on and around D-Day vs. USAAF and the RAF, but somehow hearing some of the specific stories makes it more real. The part about flying the mechanics to the front line airbases in the tail section of a Bf109 or FW190 is chilling. They had to know it was all over at that point, but had no choice but to follow their orders and keep on going.

100,000 Russians died in the battle for Berlin. Where I worked for a long time in Germany there was an odd incident where a group of allied POWs met the British army in April 1945 with a white flag, they had been working on farms there and didn't want their girlfriends shot up. But just up the road in Uelzen a bunch of fanatics fought to the last causing a lot of casualties for absolutely nothing, the whole German military surrendered at Luneberg which was close by, just days later.

 

[ClayO]

100,000 Russians died in the battle for Berlin. Where I worked for a long time in Germany there was an odd incident where a group of allied POWs met the British army in April 1945 with a white flag, they had been working on farms there and didn't want their girlfriends shot up. But just up the road in Uelzen a bunch of fanatics fought to the last causing a lot of casualties for absolutely nothing, the whole German military surrendered at Luneberg which was close by, just days later.

I've read (I forget where) that at the beginning of the war, the Nazi generals estimated that if they hadn't won by 1943, the war was lost. I suppose many books have been written on why they didn't give up then - after losing the Battle of Britain, the Battle of the Atlantic, Stalingrad, North Africa, Sicily and southern Italy.

 

[pbehn]

I've read (I forget where) that at the beginning of the war, the Nazi generals estimated that if they hadn't won by 1943, the war was lost. I suppose many books have been written on why they didn't give up then - after losing the Battle of Britain, the Battle of the Atlantic, Stalingrad, North Africa, Sicily and southern Italy.

Hitlers secretary speaking on "The World at War" said that Hitler and some of those around him didn't give up hope until 24 hours before he killed himself. Considering the situation around the bunker it was utter madness.

 

[33k in the air]

Hitlers secretary speaking on "The World at War" said that Hitler and some of those around him didn't give up hope until 24 hours before he killed himself. Considering the situation around the bunker it was utter madness.

The madness of it all is portrayed quite well in the movie Downfall.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Hitlers secretary speaking on "The World at War" said that Hitler and some of those around him didn't give up hope until 24 hours before he killed himself. Considering the situation around the bunker it was utter madness.

I haven't rewatched that episode yet, I'm on 16 of the 26 in the series. But the several books I've read of the events in the last weeks of war in the ETO convinces me that there was more than a touch of madness in there and not just in Hitler's head either. Shuffling divisions that didn't exist, etc.

You kinda have to be mad to fight to the bitter end for the ideals he espoused, no?

 

[Snautzer01]

Bribery of senior Wehrmacht officers will explain why. Seems like after the war most said prussian loyalty but this looks like a far better reason.

 

[SaparotRob]

I just watched a Military History Visualized on why were the Allies surprised by the German offensive at the Battle of the Bulge. He states the reason is the Allies were expecting rational behavior.

 

[pbehn]

I just watched a Military History Visualized on why were the Allies surprised by the German offensive at the Battle of the Bulge. He states the reason is the Allies were expecting rational behavior.

The German counter attack was rational, it just used a different rationale.