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Essel Bridge Battle South of Fallingbostel


Richard Auld

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Guys,

This short engagement was recorded in the Ulrich Saft book Kriege in der heimat.

These photos were taken post war by a young boy that used to play on the wrecked tanks, what a play ground he had!

He is now in his 80s and has recently rediscovered these pictures taken before 1949 but after the war.

It shows two of the tanks from the battle although he tells me there were 3 British tanks in a row in column of march and they were destroyed on the North South road that goes past the Hotel Kroepke which is still there today. those tanks were on the road circa 3 to 400m South of the hotel just before the slight bend in the road.

The Tiger was further South and I will confirm the locations later.

The flak was to the North East of the road described above.

The old boy (Albert) has offered to walk the locations with me but he is not in the best of health. I will do it as soon as I and he can.

Rich

tanks.jpg

flak.jpg

t2.jpg

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Interesting Tiger picture. The commanders cupola is an early type but the road wheels say it is a Mid or Late production.

 

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It outlines that a hastily put together force was assembled from the Panzer Lehr school components stationed at Fallingbostel.

Likely the vehicles were there long term and had pieces like running gear replaced as worn out?

That could explain the missmach in your expectations based on the turret?

Rich

PS its a good book as it outlines all of the closing battles in the area, there are two more books covering the South and the air war!

Edited by Richard Auld
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I'm sure you are right about the replacing of parts with other Tigers. I found myself wondering if this Tiger was part of Gruppe Fehrmann. An  interesting picture none the less.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Mike you are correct, it is a Fehrmann Tiger, I believe F02 or F01. A crewmember from that engagement later lived and worked at the Onkel Nickles pub in Ostenholz. There I think he met the author of the book a then Oberstluetnant Ulrich Saft and gave his account that is in the book.

I have seen in Printerest that there are many pictures of a tank with F02 serial but it does not fit the countryside here, then or now. I always thought there was only one Tiger around this location but F02 was hit and knocked out by a Commet tank, old Albert tells me the tank here is rumourded to have been put out of action by the crew.

Sadly no numbers visible but the two birch trees are front left and rear right are comparable to some existing pictures.

Rich

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  • 1 year later...
On 13/09/2019 at 19:53, Richard Auld said:

Guys,

This short engagement was recorded in the Ulrich Saft book Kriege in der heimat.

These photos were taken post war by a young boy that used to play on the wrecked tanks, what a play ground he had!

He is now in his 80s and has recently rediscovered these pictures taken before 1949 but after the war.

It shows two of the tanks from the battle although he tells me there were 3 British tanks in a row in column of march and they were destroyed on the North South road that goes past the Hotel Kroepke which is still there today. those tanks were on the road circa 3 to 400m South of the hotel just before the slight bend in the road.

The Tiger was further South and I will confirm the locations later.

The flak was to the North East of the road described above.

The old boy (Albert) has offered to walk the locations with me but he is not in the best of health. I will do it as soon as I and he can.

Rich

tanks.jpg

flak.jpg

t2.jpg

Rich

Did you manage to follow up this story? I'm very interested because my late father was Driver of one of the Comet tanks that 'met' Fehrmann Tiger F01 on the Esseler Damm on 12th April 1945. 

Steve Pannell

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Hello,

A great account you have given us and your Father was THERE.....Please try and send a personal message to Rich ad hope he reads it and can help you?

Best to you...Desert Rat/ Ian

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22 hours ago, Desert Rat said:

Hello,

A great account you have given us and your Father was THERE.....Please try and send a personal message to Rich ad hope he reads it and can help you?

Best to you...Desert Rat/ Ian

Thanks Ian. I've sent a message a few days ago to Richard but it appears he left this Forum just a day or two before I joined. Hopefully he will read my message anyway. Further details of my research are in the WW2Talk thread link below:

http://www.ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/battlegroup-fehrmann-tiger-v-three-british-comets-3rtr.36224/page-13#post-875059

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Hello Stephen,

Thanks for the link very interesting. Maybe Rich will pick up your message soon as he is not on here he may well.....just have a check and find it. Sorry I don't know any other way to contact him?

Best to you.....Desert Rat/ Ian

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  • 4 weeks later...

You might be able to contact Richard on the WAF forum, It seems that he posts on there site a lot of the time, and he may reply to you

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On 26/03/2021 at 20:13, Davejb said:

You might be able to contact Richard on the WAF forum, It seems that he posts on there site a lot of the time, and he may reply to you

Thanks. I tried the WAF Forum a few days ago and can't find him currently registered. I will keep trying. Best wishes, Steve. 

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Stephen, you will find that Richard is back on the site for the time being, and hopefully he will reply to your request

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On 04/04/2021 at 01:15, Davejb said:

Stephen, you will find that Richard is back on the site for the time being, and hopefully he will reply to your request

Thanks. I have indeed now got in contact with Rich. 

Best wishes

steve. 

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  • 6 months later...

Rich

Any progress contacting Albert etc? As you know, I have a very keen interest in Fehrmann Tiger F01

Best regards

Steve Pannell

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Steve,

I spoke with Albert in summer about the flak positions. I have a rough location. He is not in the best of health and worried about Covid as one of his friends has died with Covid.

I have just had some time off work and one of my pals was on patrol in the area of his house and noted and ambulance with blue lights in attendance. I have since being back at work last week seen no activity at his house. Will keep you informed.

Best

Rich

 

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11 hours ago, Richard Auld said:

Steve,

I spoke with Albert in summer about the flak positions. I have a rough location. He is not in the best of health and worried about Covid as one of his friends has died with Covid.

I have just had some time off work and one of my pals was on patrol in the area of his house and noted and ambulance with blue lights in attendance. I have since being back at work last week seen no activity at his house. Will keep you informed.

Best

Rich

 

Thanks Rich. Let's hope Albert is OK - that's far more important than anything else.

best regards

steve

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  • 1 year later...
On 20/10/2021 at 09:35, Richard Auld said:

Steve,

I spoke with Albert in summer about the flak positions. I have a rough location. He is not in the best of health and worried about Covid as one of his friends has died with Covid.

I have just had some time off work and one of my pals was on patrol in the area of his house and noted and ambulance with blue lights in attendance. I have since being back at work last week seen no activity at his house. Will keep you informed.

Best

Rich

 

Good afternoon Rich

Any news of Albert?

Best regards

Steve

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  • 1 month later...

Steve,

sadly he passed this summer, last year he told me where the flak was but due to his health we were not able to take him out to the area as I wanted.

I miss his stories, he was a character.

If I find anything of interest in your area, I will post it up here.

It is all doom and gloom at the moment as another good friends wife has just died unexpectedly, he is struggling with it and I have vowed to make more time for him and drag him out to some of his local battle sites (Winsen Aller). We were chatting and he said he has a possible aircraft site in Meissendorf but his pal in the know, has also just recently died.

We are quite busy sorting the shop for Christmas and I have a lot of shifts due to people on the sick.

If you have any other interests in my general geographic area feel free to ask and I will try my best.

Best

Rich

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 18/10/2023 at 15:42, Richard Auld said:

Steve,

sadly he passed this summer, last year he told me where the flak was but due to his health we were not able to take him out to the area as I wanted.

I miss his stories, he was a character.

If I find anything of interest in your area, I will post it up here.

It is all doom and gloom at the moment as another good friends wife has just died unexpectedly, he is struggling with it and I have vowed to make more time for him and drag him out to some of his local battle sites (Winsen Aller). We were chatting and he said he has a possible aircraft site in Meissendorf but his pal in the know, has also just recently died.

We are quite busy sorting the shop for Christmas and I have a lot of shifts due to people on the sick.

If you have any other interests in my general geographic area feel free to ask and I will try my best.

Best

Rich

 

Rich

So very sorry to hear the sad news about Albert and your other friends: life can be cruel. Tempus Fugit - it will catch us all eventually - and I realise that WW2 is very quickly passing out of living memory and soon to become 'history'.

Best wishes and thanks for your message

Steve

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  • 2 months later...
On 18/10/2023 at 07:42, Richard Auld said:

Steve,

sadly he passed this summer, last year he told me where the flak was but due to his health we were not able to take him out to the area as I wanted.

I miss his stories, he was a character.

If I find anything of interest in your area, I will post it up here.

It is all doom and gloom at the moment as another good friends wife has just died unexpectedly, he is struggling with it and I have vowed to make more time for him and drag him out to some of his local battle sites (Winsen Aller). We were chatting and he said he has a possible aircraft site in Meissendorf but his pal in the know, has also just recently died.

We are quite busy sorting the shop for Christmas and I have a lot of shifts due to people on the sick.

If you have any other interests in my general geographic area feel free to ask and I will try my best.

Best

Rich

 

Sorry for his passing Rich. Thanks for sharing the story and the great photos!

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