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Non Tool Forum => The Break Room => Topic started by: Kapt Kopter on September 14, 2006, 05:41:07 AM

Title: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: Kapt Kopter on September 14, 2006, 05:41:07 AM
I was wondering if any of our plierheads out there were WW 2 history buffs?
I have always been interested on WW 2 and of course the Airplanes and Tanks,Armoured Cars,Artillery,Uniforms etc.
I have been a collector of WW 2 books and builder of models for over 30 years,I am particularly interested in the North African battles and Armour ie:Tanks Armoured Cars etc used by all nations during the war on all fronts.
The battles on the Eastern Front also intrique me......I guess the extremes of cold in Russia to the heat in North Africa interest me in how the men survived in such extreme conditions.
I can bet they would have loved a good multi tool back then!!!

Kap
Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: prime77 on September 14, 2006, 09:54:53 AM
I could have made that post myself Kap. I too am a huge WW2 history buff. I am really interested the air war aspect of it. As well as the technology of the airplanes, ships, and tanks. I've read many books on the subject. I like alot of John Keegans and Stephen Ambrose books. I wish someday to have a WW2 memorabilia collection but my funds don't permit it.
Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: Grant Lamontagne on September 14, 2006, 12:29:09 PM
I am a bit of an equipment/machinery buff and as such I have a great interest in the WW2 era since that's probably one of the single greatest periods in which machinery advanced in design before the computer age.  It has often been speculated that had the war lasted another few months, the Nazis would either have won or at least fought the Allies to a standstill mainly due to the production of their new jet fighters, the ME 262.  It's amazing that one simple machine, and the time to have produced it could have had such a profound impact on human history, but the ability to intercept, outmanouver and penetrate effectively are the basics of any type of combat.
Fascinating stuff when you think about it...
Def
Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: colubrid on September 14, 2006, 04:04:34 PM
My dad passed away 6 years ago and I bet he had some stories. He never talked about them though. I got most of my info from my mom and family.

He was a tank radio operator. Always fighting in the fronts. Always survived while the other lost their lives.

Now that may not sound to interesting except for the fact he was on the german side. Before the war my dad came from a wealthy family. They had the largest wholesale jewelry business in Veinna, Austria.  He also  belonged to Wanderfolgle which is the german equivalent to Hitlers boyscouts. Being tall, blond, blue eyed and being in college he was asked to join the SS. My dad didn't feel to good about it so he truned it down. Knowing this was a very bad idea (you don't turn down the SS) he was sent on a train to an unkown destination. He was worried it would be Russia. It turned out to be Italy where they stuck him in on the front of some of WW II the worst battles..  He chose the tank postion because it was next to the door of the tank. So whenver they were hit or someone dropped a grenade in the tank he could immediatly jump out. The others in the tank did not survive. This happened 5 times I beleive.

Lots of stories and I definelty grew up with a different perspective when growning up. Especially on Hitler and how falsly people here in the 60's USA conceived him. Before the war the german people never had it so good. They had everything. Everyone worked and everyone had money. It was a great time for them. Just thinking of the fashion and the technology they had not to mention the science ideolgy ect ect. It is hard to explain how people would follow such a man unless you talk to someone who lived through that time that is german or Austrian. Funny how you never see many germans talking about this on history channels. There are lots of them.


Right before my dad passed he spoke in a Messianic temple (Christian Jews) on Holucast remeberance day. He stood in place of the Germans and what they did. He also helped some Jews escape and they survived but did not vene mention that.. Even though he personally did not have any control over what was happening he stood in place, in that Chrurch, filled with jews. He was quite a man.

Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: J-sews on September 15, 2006, 03:48:37 AM
Hell of a story colubrid. I'm sure you are proud of your father, and with good reason.   
Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: NutSAK on September 22, 2006, 01:50:34 AM
I'm an aircraft land vehicle and tank buff, so, naturally I love the WW2 equipment.  It's amazing how necessity spawns ingenuity.
Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: Kapt Kopter on September 22, 2006, 02:00:00 AM
Colubrid, do you know what type/types of german tanks he rode in?
I am always interested in veterans stories,my aunts uncle was a member of a Churchill tank during WW2 in North Africa,saw battle against the Italians and Germans in Tunisia.....I only had a chance to talk to him a couple of times when I was a tenager.
He told me the Churchill was a great tank with tremendous climbing abliity and decent armour but unfortunaltely was under gunned.
He later served in Europe with a american made Sherman and he said they were very reliable but burned up like crazy when hit in the right areas, he also told me it was undergunned with its low velocity 75mm going against the Germans high velocity 75mm and of course the dreaded 88mm.
He felt the Germans had the better tanks but the later models were very complicated and required alot of maintenance compared to the Sherman.
He said the sheer numbers of Shermans overcame the better quality of german tanks such as the Panther,Panzer 4,Tiger etc.

Kap
Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: colubrid on September 22, 2006, 07:36:11 AM
Unfortnatly I cannot answer any of those questions any longer. My dad took that info with him . He did tell me what tanks and such he was in and why this happened and that happened. I was not paying close attnetion. At the time I was not interested. I was living my own life. When I did take an interest he was already quite sick. I do remember him telling me he saw miles and miles of germam planes and tanks just sitting on the feilds. The gas that they needed to run on was gone (blown up I suppose) and they were useless. This was towards the end of the war of course. So maybe thats why the US tanks took over in numbers(?). I highly doubt it was becasue Hitler did not have enough of them. Just needed the gas to make them run.

Just goes to show that Hitler had the capabilty to rule this world.
Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: prime77 on September 22, 2006, 10:09:35 AM
You always read stories from Sherman tank veterans that they tried to avoid confontations with German Panthers and Tigers if possible unless they had at least a 4 to 1 advantage.  Pretty amazing stuff. 
Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: Kapt Kopter on September 22, 2006, 11:50:14 PM
The British did come up with an answer to the armour of the Panther,Tiger,Jagdpanther etc when they retro fitted their 17 pounder anti tank gun to the Sherman renaming it the Firefly, this gave them parity with the German tanks for the first time.

Kap
Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: Kapt Kopter on September 22, 2006, 11:55:48 PM
The US military of course came up with their own answer the M10 tank destroyer, but its main problem was the new long barrelled 76mm wouldn't fit in the shermans turret unless they removed the top, which of course left crew members vulnerable.

Kap
Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: colubrid on September 23, 2006, 05:19:34 AM
Anyone going to see the new WWI movie Flyboys this weekend?
Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: prime77 on September 23, 2006, 05:45:09 AM
I was off from work today and wanted to see it but my wife and stepsons would't go with me. I'm not a big,go to the movies by myself person. I'll have to wait for it to come out on DVD.
Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: Ging on September 23, 2006, 01:29:27 PM
This thread might interest you guys...

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=391182

It is about the history of multi tools before Leatherman and features some WW2 tools (and they are made in Sheffield :))

Title: Re: Any WW2 History buffs amongst us?
Post by: eodtech on September 24, 2006, 01:56:30 AM
Not much of a buff but I did turn this WWII item into some serious $$$$....OSS LAPEL PIN FROM WWII (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4724&item=190024907691) . All I could say was WOW. Believe it or not there is another one on ebay right now ( 9/23/2006 )  search eBay for  "OSS lapel".