Raw Data File
Prisoner of War Interrogation Report, #17, Billing, Schmidt, Pernass.

PWs: Officer Candidate Oberfaehnrich M.N. Naval Signal Service Günther Billing, 21 years; Gefreiter Wilhelm Schmidt (formerly with 5.Co. Luftwaffe Signal Regiment), 24 years; Unteroffizier Manfred Pernass (formerly with 5.Co. 12.Fallschirmjaeger Regiment in Chemnitz), 23 years.

Unit: Einheit Stielau (SS-Obersturmführer Horst Stielau), Headquarter Solar (SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny).

Captured: December 18, 1944, at Aywaille, Belgium.

Preamble: one Wehrmacht, one Kriegsmarine, and one Luftwaffe man prepared to pay the price.

Information on Stab Solar: At the beginning of November 1944, recruiting for Stab Solar (Stab Solar = SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny = SS.150-Panzer-Brigade), started. Men belonging to all armed forces and known to speak English, preferably with an American accent, were commanded to this Stab by their superior officers but Gefreiter Wilhelm Schmidt states he volunteered 'for a mission where linguistic knowledge was desired'. PWs Billing and Schmidt had to report to an SS Camp in Friedenthal, about 2 km away from the Concentration Camp in Orianenburg.

In Friedenthal, Schmidt was examined as to his linguistic abilities by a board consisting of one SS, one Luftwaffe, and one Naval officer. He and 20 to 30 other men including officers, were told that the outcome of the examination would decide whether they were to go to the Interpreters School in Grafenwoehr or Nuernberg or Orianenburg or whether they were to return to their respective units.

Schmidt passed the examination but was ordered to refresh his English and for this purpose served 3 weeks in a Prisoner of War Camps in Kuestrin (2000 US PWs) and Limburg a.d. Lahn (1000 US PWs). Then he was sent to Grafenwoehr. Billing was sent there from Friedenthal without examination and Pernass (obviously because he was considered for driver's duties only) was sent directly to Grafenwoehr without reporting to the board in Friedenthal.

According to the Prisoners, the following troops were in the Training Center in Grafenwoere: Fallschirmjaeger, Panzer Grenadiers, Luftwaffe Radio Operators and Linguists. The Prisoners estimated the entire strength at 700 to 1000 men. Of these, 150 were linguists. There are strong indications that all of these men were controlled by the 150.Panzer-Brigade which trained in Grafenwoehr and to which most of the above 700-1000 men belonged. The CO of the 150.Panzer-Brigade (not an SS Brigade) was SS-Obersturmbannführer Willi Hardieck. The Prisoners claim they do not know much about the composition of their Brigade except it is equipped with Mark V Panther Tanks.

The 150 Linguists were formed into a unit 'Einheit Stielau' by name. The title was taken from the unit's CO, SS-Obersturmführer Horst Stielau. The real CO of the Einheit, however, was SS-Obersturmbannführer Solar (Otto Skorzeny), commanding the Stab Solar (4 other Officers belonged to the Headquarter). Prisoner Billing who was admitted to the officer's mess states that about 40 Officers (Heere, Kriegsmarine, Luftwaffe) were in the group of 150 Linguists. Only two came from the SS. One of the officers was Major Lorenz. All the others were company Officers.

The Linguists were trained in Grafenwoehr up to November 15 and then in the neighboring Camp in Vilseck until December 6 or December 7. At first, they were divided into three groups according to their linguistic abilities. Then they were formed into a Pionier Group (Engineer), a Nachrichtenzerstorer Group (Communications & Sabotage) and a Funker Group (Radio Operator). Within these three groups, small squads consisting of 4 Officers or EM were eventually formed. Prisoners state that some squads had no Officer and some even 2 or 3. Their training consisted of American Organization, identification, close order drill, and linguistic exercises for the different groups. At the beginning of December, the first US weapons and uniforms arrived together with 30 jeeps bearing arbitrary markings. The destination of the groups became clear and none of the men protested.

On December 5 or 6, the 150.Panzer-Brigade moved to Munstereifel, Einheit Stielau left on December 8 and arrived in Munstereifel during the night of December 12/13. The group camped in tents or the (???????) house about 1 km outside Munstereifel. There, additional US clothing and documents (drivers licenses and pay books) were distributed. On December 14, 29 jeeps, one with each squad of 4 men departed, heading for Hallschlag and Stadtkyll where Stab Solar was located. Prisoners who overslept followed one day later. All men were dressed in American uniforms and had American weapons. For secrecy's sake, however, they were told to wear a German Paratroopers jump jacket while on the German side of the line.

Mission: Prisoners state that the mission of the Einheit Stielau was to spearhead the German armored attack. All jeeps were supposed to operate independently in the rear of the American lines. The 10 Pionier Teams (Engineer) were to act as commando groups and to destroy Headquarters and Headquarter's personnel, the 10 Nachrichtenzerstorer Groups (Communications & Sabotage) were to eliminate message centers, radio stations, and communications lines in order to create confusion and to make the German advance easier. The Funker Teams (Radio Operator) were to reconnoiter behind the American lines and keep the approaching German armored columns informed about the American intentions and dispositions. Prisoners who belonged to the Funker Team state that they were to cooperate with the 150.Panzer-Brigade via the (Leitstelle) message center. They believe that other Teams of the Einheit Stielau were to collaborate with other armored units. Prisoners were unable to identify these. They identified the Paratroopers of the 150.Panzer-Brigade employed as infantrymen near or in Stavelot.

rest to follow ... depend on the archive quality

I didn't know about your PDF Wolfgang.
I just loaded it and will of course find help fur my project.

You told me yesterday that Billing Pernass and Schmidt were captured on December 17 but it was on December 18. There wasn't any open way for the 6.SS.PA to enter Belgium (jam) and the US Troops didn't mind to give them the way open.
Losheimergraben was closed ! Lanzerath was also closed (I&R 99) ! Even in Hasso corner coming up out of Bleialf there was also closed. At least for the entire day 16/12 and part of the 17/12 to.

Anyway, I'll check your PDF now and will probably find my way out to a Teams/Units Leaders for a roster of the 150 and Stielau.

There is something we could maybe do - exchanging photos about the subject. I have a friend working in the Photos at NARA and I can ask him to have a look if you give me the correct info (American Ways) ... if you was there also you know what I mean for photos searches.

Gunter

Hallo Michael

In every single piece of text I am finding things I never did read somewhere before.
Beside this why are we calling our self 'historian' if we give up that fast.

I got the IPW 17 from Wolfgang (I think) and I am re-typing it entirely (that's my way to 'runter schluck' the archive.
I've found a Major Lorenz (?) and that's not even the half of the first page.
During the cross-examination of the paper mountain ... I think that I have yet 3 or 4 complet Teams (Stielau).

I am not pro this or that - I am pro soldiers and pro history and I strongly believe that rendering honor to the courage
and the sacrifice done by combat men during WW-2 (and from both sides - Allies or Axis) is the work historians
have to do. That's why I am getting inside this thema
It's because Me, (Gunter) said this to you (Michael) and to you (Wolfgang) is the only way to say something accurate than
the usual "Someone said this to someone else and another one".

I've often told that I am crazy ... wait till I start to believe it !

Billing Schmidt Pernass

Captured : December 18 1944 at Aywaille, Belgium. (PWI #17)

Gunter

Hallo
I will of course check this documents(s)
this is so far what I have collected

- Herbert Petter who had belonged to a reconnaissance team of the Brigade.66.
- Otto Sternhuber, a German and member of the Skorzeny Brigade who, how-ever, was American born and had spent his early youth in this country from which his parents only thereupon returned to Germany.
- Joachim Heinz who had been assigned to the warehouse of the Brigade'straining center.
- Franz Lang, a navy man, who had at-his request been transferred to theSkorzeny Brigade
- Albert Ernst who had been a member of the unit commanded by the defendant Scherff and of which the defendant Hass was the "Adjutant" (corresponding to American "Executive Officer").

- Philipp von Behr;
- Ralph Bellstedt;
- Guenther Fitze;
- Hans Hass;
- Dennis Muentz;
- Walter Scherf.

I am not counting the units, about 20 in number, which until about
January 15, 1945 carried out reconnaissance missions 2 to 3 kilome-
ters behind the American lines on order of the army group or corps.
These missions had nothing to do with Greif, and although they were
carried out in American uniforms, they did not involve sabotage.
Several of the units crossed the enemy lines a number of times, all
returned.

Of the eight units involved in Operation Greif only two were reported missing, the other 6 came back. A previously-captured jeep
was fired on while leaving the American sector by the enemy, who suspected a desertion. This was reported to us later by the opposing
German division,

(Solar)(My Commando Operations)
- Leutnant Schmidthuber was wounded seven times
- I established my command post in Schmidtheim during the night of December 15-16.

With the full agreement of Generalobersl Jodl, to whom 1 had shown all the plans worked out with Folkersam, the 150th Panzer
Brigade was to consist of:
- 2 tank companies* each equipped with 10 Sherman tanks;
- 3 armored reconnaissance companies, each equipped with 10
American armored cars;
-2 anti-tank companies;
- 3 battalions of motorized infantry (with American trucks), with
reconnaissance units and a screening company;

- 1 company with a special mission;
- 1 company of light flak;
- 1 signals company;
- 1 regimental headquarters for brigade and command sections
for each battalion.

- Hauptsturmfûhrer Karl Radl, one of Skorzeny’s former (Adjudant) commandos was called ...
One of Skorzeny’s teams, led by
- Fritz Büssinger, arrived at the city of Huy on the second day of the offensive, Yet another team, under the command of
- Wilhelm Gie
- SS-Oberscharführer Ernst Barkmann asso del SS-Panzer-Reggiment 1 della 2. SS-Panzer-Division “Das Reich”, che, proprio nel co

A general military government court tried the following German officers
and enlisted men:
- Col. Otto Skorzeny SS
- Capt. Philipp von Behr (Navy)(Born in Latvia)
- Walter Scherf (Army)
- Hans Hass (Army)
- Wilhelm Maus (Army)
- Lt. Dennis Muentz (Navy)
- Guenthier Fitze (Navy)
- Ralph Bellstedt (Navy)
- Wilhelm Kocherscheidt (Army)
- Arend de Bruin (Dutch-SS)

One of Skorzeny’s teams, led by Fritz Büssinger
et another team, under the command of Wilhelm Giel

Karl Radl, one of Skorzeny’s former commandos

Team 1 - 3 men - Kapitänleutnant Schmitt
Team 2 - 3 men - Hauptmann Stielau
Team 3 - 4 men - Feldwebel Heinz Rohde, Oberleutnant Petter

Holders of the German Cross in Gold (4)
- Dreier, Otto, 23.01.1945, Oberleutnant, Pz.Brig. 150
- Rath, Bernhard, 23.01.1945, Oberfähnrich, Pz.Brig. 150
- Slama, Helmut, 23.01.1945, SS-Hauptsturmführer, Kampfgru.Arzt Pz.Brig. 150
- Testorf, Wilhelm, 23.01.1945, Oberfeldwebel, Pz.Kp./Pz.Brig. 150
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer/Waffen-SS (5)
- Ernst, Albert, 07.01.1945, Oberleutnant, Pz.Brig. 150
- Foelkersam von, Adrian, 05.02.1945, SS-Hauptsturmführer d.R., Pz.Brig. 150
- Scherf, Walter, 05.02.1945, Hptm., Fhr. einer Kampfgruppe Pz.Brig. 150
- Skorzeny, Otto, 05.02.1945, SS-Obersturmbannführer, SS-Jagd-Verbände
- Wulf, Hermann, 05.02.1945, Oberstleutnant, Pz.Brig. 150

Order of battle

Kampfgruppe X (SS-Obersturmbannführer Willi Hardieck, later SS-Hauptsturmführer Adrian von Foelkersam)
- HQ
- 3 x Infantry Company (Ford trucks)
- 2 x Armored Infantry Platoon
- 2 x Anti-tank Platoon
- 2 x Heavy mortar Platoon
- Engineer Platoon
- Signal Platoon
- 5 Panther tanks & 5 StuG III

Kampfgruppe Y (Hauptmann Walter Scherff)
- HQ
- 3 x Infantry Company (Ford trucks)
- 2 x Armored Infantry Platoon
- 2 x Anti-tank Platoon
- 2 x Heavy mortar Platoon
- Engineer Platoon
- Signal Platoon
- 5 Panther tanks & 5 StuG III

Kampfgruppe Z (Oberstleutnant Hermann Wulf)
- HQ
- 3 x Infantry Company (Ford trucks)
- 2 x Armored Infantry Platoon
- 2 x Anti-tank Platoon
- 2 x Heavy mortar Platoon
- Engineer Platoon
- Signal Platoon

Equipment
Vehicles
- 1 Sherman operational and 1 in long term repair
- 5 Panthers operational
- 5 StuG IIIs operational
- 4 SdKfz 250/1s operational
- 6 SdKfz 251/1s operational
- 6 M3 halftracks (American) operational
- 6 SdKfz 234/1s operational
- 4 M8 armored cars (American) operational
- 12 motorcycles with sidecar (German)
- 1 motorcycle with sidecar (American)
- 43 motorcycles (German)
- 20 motorcycles (American)
- 28 jeeps (American)
- 6 light civilian type car (German)
- 36 medium civilian type car (German)
- 9 heavy civilian type cars (German)
- - 64 light trucks (German)
- 56 medium trucks (German)
- 8 medium trucks (American)
- 6 heavy trucks (German)
- 1 truck (American)
- 1 truck (German)

Weapons
- 226 light MGs
- 31 heavy MGs
- 24 8cm mortars (German)
- 24 4.2inch mortars (American)
- 5 3inch AT guns (American)
- 14 57mm AT guns (American)

Formed on October 4, 1944 in preparation for action in the Ardennes Counteroffensive

About 150 of the best English-speaking personnel were formed into smaller detachments with specific missions :

4 Reconnaissance Detachments (3 - 4 men)
Wearing US Iniforms the 4 groups would reconnoitre deep into the US positions and send back any and all information of troop movements. Meanwhile they would pass on fake orders, reverse roadsigns, remove minefield warnings and cordon-off roads using white tape (minefield warning)

2 Demolition Detachments (6 men)
Also wearing US Iniforms the 2 groups would destroy fuel dumps, ammunition depots and small bridges (not on the intended route of advance)

3 Lead Detachments (3-4 men)
Also wearing US Iniforms the 3 groups were assigned to work with 1, 12 SS Panzer Division and 12. Volksgrenadier Division. Recognizable by their blue scarf, they would spread confusion in front of the divisions and lead them through lightly defended areas.
By December 18, 1944, the surprise effect was lost and the detachments were used as regular infantry. Although their number was small (44 men) their psychological effect was huge! All but 8 returned to the German lines (2 Recon detachments were captured and executed)

SS-Jagdverband "Mitte" (1 company)
SS-Fallschirmjäger Abteilung 600 (2 companies)
Sonderverband "Jungwirth (2 companies)
7. (reserve) Panzergrenadier Kompanie
11. Panzer Regiment (4. Kompanie)
Panzerjäger Abteilung 655 (1. Kompanie)
Panzer Aufklärung Abteilung 190 (1. Kompanie)
Panzer Aufklärung Abteilung 2 (1. Kompanie)
I./Artillerie Abteilung 40 (4. batterie)

-------------------------------

right now I have 2 questions

1 what is the correct name Wlater Sechrf or Scherff
2 what is the correct name Oberleutnant Wulf or Wolf

-------------------------------

About the start time ! Solar said that the PB-150 as well as the Stielau Einheit were to follow the Troops of the 1.SS-PD. The first elements of the 1.SS which came to move were those of Peiper trough Hergesberg early on the 17 after they could bypass Losheim (the town). According to this if the 1.SS entered Belgium early on the morning of the 17 ... well PB.150 followed on the same day. The Losmeimergraben Gap wasn't open on the 16 and there was no other road to enter Belgium in this area, especially with a column Mark VI-2 Tanks.

now I will check your papers
thanks

Hallo Wolfgang

We meoten allemal neederland spreeken ... mar nee ick ben in Francorchamps ... and we are speaking french ...
Genau so isses fur meine Deutche....

I think I saw almost everything about Solar Greif Rabenhugel etc ... This look like all the Greif veterans which are talking about the operation were all in the same school and learned all the same lesson. They all talk about a lot of things without saying something relevant to the operation.

I agree with Mister Solar ! Peoples involved in the operation were so used to use the word 'Solar' (meaning Otto) that it almost became a password. In the minutes of the Skorzeny Trial they even use this word and design it as a main operation password.

I sent almost 2 days and one night to search the Internet in 4 different languages to find what I am looking for - the names and grades of (at least) the units leaders and this is not an easy task.

So far, this is what I have found ...

--------------------------------------
Staff 150.Panzer-Brigade
SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny; Adjutant, Oberleutnant Gallend; Signal, Hauptmann Streckfuss, Ordnance, Leutnant Blau.
Kampfgruppe X
Oberstleutnant Hermann Wulf; Hqs Sec.; Signal Sec.; Engineer Sec.; Armored Sec.; Recon Sec.; Signal Sec.; Mortar Sec.; Medical Sec.
Fallschirmjäger Battalion Schluckebier, Major Max Schluckebier; 1.Co., 2.Co., 3.Co., 4.Co. SS-Obersturmführer Fritz Leifheit.
Kampgruppe Y
Hauptmann Walter Scherf; Adjutant, Leutnant Hans Senftleben; Ordnance Officer, Leutnant Hans-Jürgen Haß; Signal, Oberleutnant Reble; Engineer, Oberleutnant Wetterling; Pay Officer, Oberzahlmeister Otto Brenner; Armored Company, Leutnant Albert Ernst; 20-MM AAA Co, Leutnant Stein; Mortar, Leutnant Täubricht.
Fallschimjäger Battalion Bading, Leutnant Rudolf Bading; 1.Co.; 2.Co.; 3.Co.; 4.Co. – SS-Oberstrumführer Manns (1./SS-Jäger-Bataillon 502).
Kampfgruppe Z
SS-Obersturmbannführer Willi Hardieck (WIA 12.17.1944, DOW12.18.1944) and replaced by SS-Hauptsturmführer von Fölkersam; Adjutant, SS-Untersturmführer (?).
Fallschirmjaeger Battalion Kreyenbrink, Oberleutnant Kreyenbrink; 1.Co.; 2.Co.; 3.Co.; 4.Co., Leutnant Grabowski.
Commando Company von Behr (Einheit Stielau)
Coverte Captain Phillip von Behr & SS-Obersturmführer Horst Stielau, 24 Teams Recon, 8 Teams Radio and 7 Teams Sabotage.
---------------------------------------

I am re-publishing a well known archive :
German Special Operations in the Belgian Ardennes
Battle of the Bulge
Maj. Jeffrey Jarkowsky – US Army

and to say something ... I am wondering where in the hell he searched the archives for the thesis.
The very first sentence of the text drives me crazy since the beginning of the work ...

"It was December 16 1944. The German offensive had just exploded along the entire Ardennes front. American vehicles clogged the Belgian roads as they streamed westward. A jeep, one many, crawled down the hill leading to Huy, Belgium, its gears straining to maintain its slow pace behind the column of American trucks. The four soldiers in the jeep strained to see the bridge that spanned the Meuse River. They also looked for a spot where they could pull out of the long, retreating convoy. Soon, they found it. The Team Leader, Feldwebell Heinz Rhode, directed the driver to pull into a stretch of grassland right along the river, near the bridge. The radio operator contacted their base and relayed their vital message".

Who the hell is this Feldwebell Heinz Rhode? how did he stands at the bridge in Huy on December 16 when the operation started on the 17 because the 150.PB following mostly the 1.SS-LSSAH which had to wait almost a day to start moving moved out of Germany?

So, in trying to correct and make the archive more accurate I am picking into every digital directions and I am still picking ...

Gunter

One last thing

Rabenhugel ! I thought this was a Sub-Operation inside the Greif Project. Rabenhugel was the part of 'capturing' US Equipments ?

ich habe gerade das Skorzeny Trial durch gelesen und

'solar' was the 150.PB's password und dass

A general military government court tried the following German officers
and enlisted men:
Col. Otto Skorzeny SS
Capt. Philipp von Behr (Navy)(Born in Latvia)
Walter Scherf (Army)
Hans Hass (Army)
Wilhelm Maus (Army)
Lt. Dennis Muentz (Navy)
Guenthier Fitze (Navy)
Ralph Bellstedt (Navy)
Wilhelm Kocherscheidt (Army)
Arend de Bruin (Dutch-SS)

One of Skorzeny’s teams, led by Fritz Büssinger
et another team, under the command of Wilhelm Giel

Karl Radl, one of Skorzeny’s former commandos

Team 1 - 3 men - Kapitänleutnant Schmitt
Team 2 - 3 men - Hauptmann Stielau
Team 3 - 4 men - Feldwebel Heinz Rohde, Oberleutnant Petter

noch nicht gut aber besser ...

<b>Staff 150.Panzer-Brigade</b><br>
CO - SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny<br>
Adjutant - Oberleutnant Gallend
Nachrichten-Zug Hauptmann Streckfuss<br>
Ordnance Officer - Leutnant Blau<br>
<br>
<b>Kampfgruppe X</b><br>
CO Oberstleutnant Hermann Wulf<br>
Headquarters Section<br>
Signal Section<br>
Engineer Section<br>
Armored Section<br>
Recon Sections<br>
Mortar Section<br>
Fallschirmjäger Battalion Schluckebier - Major Max Schluckebier<br>
1.Co.<br>
2.Co.<br>
3.Co.<br>
4.Co. SS Obersturmführer - Fritz Leifheit<br>
Medical Section<br>
<br>
<b>Kampgruppe Y</b><br>
CO - Hauptmann Walter Scherf<br>
Adjutant - Leutnant Hans Senftleben<br>
Ordnance Officer - Leutnant Hans-Jürgen Haß<br>
Signal - Oberleutnant Reble<br>
Engineer - Oberleutnant Wetterling<br>
Pay Officer - Oberzahlmeister Otto Brenner<br>
Armored Company - Leutnant Albert Ernst<br>
20-MM AAA Co - Leutnant Stein<br>
Mortar - Leutnant Täubricht<br>
Fallschimjäger Battalion Bading - Leutnant Rudolf Bading<br>
1.Co.<br>
2.Co.<br>
3.Co.<br>
4.Co. - SS-Oberstrumführer Manns (1./SS-Jäger-Bataillon 502)<br>
<br>
<b>Kampfgruppe Z</a><br>
CO - SS-Obersturmbannführer Willi Hardieck (KIA 12.17.1944)
Replaced by - SS-Hauptsturmführer von Fölkersam<br>
Adjutant : SS-Untersturmführer
Leutnant Selle
Fallschirmjaeger Battalion Kreyenbrink - Oberleutnant Kreyenbrink<br>
1.Co<br>
2.Co.<br>
3.Co.<br>
4.Co. - Leutnant Grabowski<br>
<br>
<b>Reserve</b><br>
1 Fallschirmjager Battalion ?<br>
<br>
<b>Commando Company von Behr (Einheit Stielau)</b><br>
CO Coverte Captain - Phillip von Behr<br>
CO SS-Obersturmführer Horst Stielau<br>
24 Recon Commandos<br>
8 Radio Commandos<br>
7 Sabotage Commandos<br>

Found this

SS-Kampfgruppe Solar
[ex Skorzeny troops / Ardennen, Schwedt ; main components : SS-FJ-Btl.
600, SS-Jagdverband "Mitte" ; (feb)/march,april 1945: Zehden bridgehead ;
later used to refit SS-PGR 7]

German Cross in Gold (2)
Hunke, Werner, 30.03.1945, SS-Hauptsturmführer, Kgr. Solar
Milius, Siegfried, 30.03.1945, SS-Hauptsturmführer, Stab Solar

Army Honor Roll Clasp (2)
Stielau, Lothar, 00.00.1945, Oberleutnant, Kampfgruppe Solar
Petter, Hubert, 00.00.1945, SS-Oberscharführer, Kampfgruppe Solar

SS-Fallschirmjäger-Bataillon 600
[Sondertruppe RF-SS, resp. / SS-Jagdverbände ; part of Kgr. Skorzeny -
Kampfkdt. Schwedt/Oder, also called "SS-FJ-Btl. 1 Skorzeny" [per Tessin]
(?) ; later (suriviors) part of Kgr. Solar (Zehden)]
for further/detailed info on SS-FJ-Btl. 500/600

I tried to do everything to make sure no one could find out because I didn't want to make like advertizing for it but ... as I see ... hehehehe

this is a capture of the page number 2

I am redoing my entire website which is not an easy work because I am trying to add the maximum informations I can.
Since I sitched TLDs (form .com to .be) I have to redo the website from A to Z. Do do this I am re-writing my old published archives and try to make these publications as complet as possible.

Screenshot_2019-11-15 German Special Operations (Bulge) - EUCMH Knowledge Base.jpg
+
I published this archives a couple years ago ... 5 or 6 and started redoing it yesterday.
I did the introduction (easy) but in the 'abstract' I am already bugged !

Here it is

It was December 16 1944. The German offensive had just exploded along the entire Ardennes front. American vehicles clogged the Belgian roads as they streamed westward. A jeep, one many, crawled down the hill leading to Huy, Belgium, its gears straining to maintain its slow pace behind the column of American trucks. The four soldiers in the jeep strained to see the bridge that spanned the Meuse River. They also looked for a spot where they could pull out of the long, retreating convoy. Soon, they found it. The Team Leader, Feldwebell Heinz Rhode, directed the driver to pull into a stretch of grassland right along the river, near the bridge. The radio operator contacted their base and relayed their vital message. They had reached the Meuse. Rhode and his team had reached their assigned target Their mission was to conduct a reconnaissance of the Meuse River bridge at Huy, Belgium for the advancing 6.SS-Panzer-Army. Far from being GI's, the four soldiers were members of a German special operations unit, the Stielau Commando Company.

I am trying to find out the names of the 4 or 5 soldiers in the Jeep at the Meuse River bridge on december 16.

Heinz Rhode says that Stielau said "loss jung..." I speak prefectly (almost) German but can not write it. Anyway in German, the way Rhode says this as well as the way Stielau says it sounds exactly like Stielau got in Rhode's jeep.

I understood that Heinz Rhode was the Team leader of the jeep but if Stielau is in the jeep to (???)

My question is as follows : who is the driver of the jeep and the radio operator (in the text) and alos who his the man number 4 ?
Any help will be really appreciated.

Gunter

Hallo Michael
Yes it did ! thank you.
Gunter

so weit bin ich ....(sorry but my German is not good)

- Einheit Stielau - SOLAR
Group 1 - Oberfähnrich Günter Joachim Billing (OK); Unteroffizier Manfred Franz Joachim Pernass(OK), Obergefreiter (luftwaffe) Wilhelm Schmidt (OK)

Group 2 - (?) Manfred Bronny; Stabgefreiter Hans Walter Otto Reich (OK); Leutnant Günther Ernst Heinz Schulz (OK); Leutnant Karlheintz Wilhelm Wiesenfeld (OK)

Group 3-1 - Obermachinist Horst Ernst Görlich (OK); Leutnant Arno Krause (OK); Obergefreiter Rolf Meyer (OK); Unteroffizier Erhard Emil Miegel (OK); Obergefreiter Robert Martin Emil Pollack (OK); Obergefreiter Hans Dietrich Wittsack (OK) -- 3-2 Leutnant zur See Günther Rodulf Schilz (OK); ...(?)

Group 4 - Gefreiter Otto Richard Struller (OK); .... ??

Diese group was at the Meuse River Bridge on December 16 but there is 1 man to much in thisn group ?

Group 5 - Kapitänleutnant Schmitt, Feldwebel Rohde, Unteroffizier Moorhaupt, Oberleutnant Herbert Petter, Hauptmann Stielau

?? Oberleutnant Egon Herbert Wolfgang
K. Siebauer
Stabsgefreite Rainer
Obergefreiter Fritz Christ
Anton Morzack
Alfred Franz
Richard Jakszyk
Erwin Brian
Josef Müller
Rolf Jesch
Heinz Pipitz
Karl Müller
Gunther Ohletz
Stefan Wende
Hubert Albrecht
Hubert Rawe
Curt Bruns
Stefan Kotas.

I am trying to get the entire Stielau roster complet and particularly the 4 men with Rhode at the Meuse River Bridge on December 16

can anyone help ?