Canons antiaériens au Hameau Germain

[Marc Laurenceau]

Le 6 juin 1944, le Captain Frederick C. Maisel, Jr (8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division) se voit attribuer une Silver Star pour avoir capturé "trois canons de 88 mm" à hauteur du Hameau Germain. Le texte de sa Silver Star se trouve ici : https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/79433

Sait-on aujourd'hui d'où viennent ces pièces antiaériennes et s'il s'agit bien de 8,8 cm que les Alliés avaient tendance à voir partout ?

Merci d'avance pour vos lumières.

[Manuferey]

Bonjour Marc,

Je reviens après une longue absence sur ce forum.

Cette histoire du Hameau Germain m'a intriguée pendant longtemps car je ne trouvais pas de trace de batterie ou position d’artillerie de campagne ou de Flak le 6 juin 44 dans les sources allemandes, seules les sources US en parlaient.

Et il ne peut s’agir à l'évidence de la prise de la batterie de Brécourt toute proche puisque c'est le fait de Winters et ses paras.

Je pense avoir finalement résolu l'énigme grâce à des sources allemandes et US et à la carte GSGS de la région pour la position.

La Compagnie I, commandée par Maisel, du 3e bataillon du 8e RI (4e DI) a en fait capturé les positions de 2 sections de la 13e compagnie lourde du Grenadier-Regiment 919, sur la crête, près de la route venant d'Utah Beach et allant vers Ste-Marie-du-Mont et donc au nord-ouest du Hameau Germain.

Cette 13e compagnie était armée de 6 obusiers légers d’infanterie de 76,2 mm d’origine russe (appellation allemande 7,62 cm leKH 290(r)) et était organisée en 3 sections de 2 canons. Les deux sections capturées avaient donc 4 canons au total. La 3e section était positionnée à Cauvin.

De plus, au Hameau Germain même, en fait une ferme, les Allemands avaient dû y laisser le train hippomobile de leurs obusiers légers, y compris les avant-trains. Les Américains de Maisel captureront aussi tout cet équipement hippomobile et les chevaux.

Emmanuel

[Marc Laurenceau]

Merci Emmanuel pour ces éclaircissements qui nous permettent d'y voir plus clair.

Est-il possible de préciser où je pourrais trouver ces sources allemandes et américaines si c'est encore disponible ? Merci.

[Manuferey]

J'ai trouvé les éléments du puzzle dans plusieurs sources :
- carte GSGS de la région
- carte allemande des points d'appui faite à partir de carte d'EM française
- Debriefing du Lt-Col Keil - NARA FMS # C018
- Livre "Utah Beach – June 6, 1944" de Joseph Balkoski avec témoignages du Capt. Maisel et du Sgt. Samuel Morris (même Co. I)
- Livre "Utah Beach to Cherbourg"
- Livre "« Utah Beach – Ste Mère Eglise – Ste Marie du Mont »

Emmanuel

[Marc Laurenceau]

Merci, cela me permettra d'affiner mes données.

Sauf erreur, les compagnies sont généralement dotées de 4 pièces d'artillerie. La dotation de 6 canons est-elle également confirmée ?

[Manuferey]

La 13 Kp. du GR 919 avait 3 sections de 2 canons donc 6 canons au total. C'est confirmé par le Gliederung de la 709. ID du 1er mai 1944. Mais seules 2 sections de cette compagnie, donc 4 canons, se trouvaient près du Hameau Germain. La 3e section avec ses 2 canons étaient positionnées à Cauvin comme je l'avais indiqué plus haut.

On retrouve d'ailleurs des 13 Kp. avec 6 canons de 7,62 cm leKH290(r) dans les 3 régiments de la 243. ID (GR 920, 921 et 922).

Par contre, les 2 autres Gren.-Regt. de la 709 ID, GR 729 et GR 739 n'avaient pas de 13. Kp.

Emmanuel

[MajChristianMaisel]

Good afternoon Marc and Emmanuel.

Emmanuel, I recently reached out to Marc and explained my take on this action and the possible "88s". I still believe they were 88's, but not from the Wehrmacht, I believe they were actually Luftwaffe. I know there is very little evidence in books of this, but I would love any help looking deeper into my theory.

My Grandfather, was CPT Maisel. My father and I have spent many years ( my entire life) researching, traveling and speaking with the men of my grandfathers Company and more. The story or Germain and all of his actions on D-Day have always been one of the big points of discussion. I have spoken with the men who were right behind him on his landing craft, the men who were with him at Germain, and many more places to include even the men who was wounded and in the same field hospital as him on the 22nd of June.

With all of that said, one thing that always remained the same was that they captured 88's at Germain. Soldiers who never saw my Grandfather since the day he was wounded told similar accounts of the actions on Germain and all said 88s. These same soldiers also identified other artillery pieces in other engagements not being 88s. While I agree with you that many Soldiers in Normandy tended to call any cannon an 88, The accounts of Germain stayed the same.

As a side note, a common account of this engagement was their surprise at the the German's sense of panic and surprise. One Soldier that was apart of the assault element, coming around the north side of the farm, describe Germans running out the doors and even in some cases, the lower windows still trying to get dressed and put equipment on. It was clearly a hasty and panicked withdraw. While Horses are not typically used to pull 88s, I believe there would have been ample to try and hastily move them if the situation dictated.

Back to the 88s.
I would like to throw out two other pieces of evidence.

First, one member of his unit gave us a Luftwaffe helmet he picked up from the area around Germain and St Marie Du Mont. (this doesn't prove anything but i find it interesting to my theory.)

Secondly, and most importantly, my grandfather brought home a handful of captured pictures that he specifically said that he picked up from Germain. I just don't see it being very likely of a German Wehrmacht artillery unit having pictures of Luftwaffe Flak units.

It may seem that because it is my grandfather, I want it to be 88's, but i can assure you I am proud of him and the men I have met no matter what it was that they captured. I just know what i have heard from many guys that were there and swear by it.

I wish there was a way to identify the unit in the pictures. I would bet they were taken in the eastern front. My dream would be to go metal detecting all around the Germain Property and see what other relics we could find to maybe give us some more clues.

Thank you for your help. I would love to find some more Data on the Luftwaffe units in the area.

Is there any way to insert a photo on here? Thank you

[Manuferey]

Hi Christian,

There happens to be a Luftwaffe unit with 88's stationed on the other side of Baie des Veys in June 1944: gemichte Flak-Abteilung (mot) 497 from Flak-Regiment 32 (which will then become Flak Sturm Regiment 1. in mid-June 1944) under III. Flak Korps.
According to German sources, it would have been positioned north-east of Isigny on June 5, 1944. It is possible that it was close to Maisy and its famous battery.

An interesting US pre-D-Day report mentions the following: “Twelve 88-mm dual purpose guns have been reliably reported at Halt, approximately 1 ½ miles west of Isigny, held in readiness to move to any threatened area in the sector”.
I have identified "Halt" as "La Halte des Veys", southwest of Isigny on the Highway 13, just east of the Vire river and the bridge over the river.

gem. Flak-Abt (mot) 497 as its name indicates was a motorized unit i.e. it had its own gun towing vehicles (halk-tracks or more commonly heavy trucks). Therefore, it was trained to move around as a mobile force and to deploy in different locations. But so far, I haven't seen any German report of gem.Fla-Abt (mot) 497 close to Carentan and beyond.

The difficulty with a battery of Flak 88's (or at least a section of 2 guns) in Hameau Germain is that we have not seen any mention of it so far of in German reports, nor in American interrogation records of Luftwaffe soldiers, nor seen any picture or footage of captured 88s at the area.

Regarding the "Luftwaffe helmet picked up from the area around Germain and St Marie Du Mont", we know that there were a couple of Luftwaffe units (none heavy) in the area on June 6:
- schwere Flak-Transport-Batterie 70/XVII) attached to Flak Regiment 30., stationed at Ste-Mère-Eglise on June 6. It owned prime movers for 88's but had no 88's on its own. This unit was probably used to move the 88 and 105 Flak guns of Flak Regiment 30 as needed as the heavy batteries of Flak-Regt 30 were in static positions and did not have their own movers.
- part of leichte Flak Abt. 955 (ETr.) which manned light Flak guns on railcars attached to trains. It was captured by paratroopers along the railroad near Chef-du-Pont .

Regarding the possibility of 88s towed by horses, we need to consider the following:
I have seen a picture of 6 heavy horses pulling a heavy antitank 8,8 cm Pak 43/41 gun, which weighed about 4,350 kg.
Horses would also pull 15 cm sFH18 horse-drawn howitzers of about 6,300 kg total but split in two loads - carriage and barrel - when horse-drawn, with 6 horses per load.
Knowing that a 88 Flak gun weighed closed to 7400 kg, it would have needed close to ... 12 horses to be moved!

You can imagine the time needed to attach 12 horses to a gun in a panic and the length of a column made of several 88s each pulled by 12 horses ! And I'm sure the number of horses would have made an impression on the US soldiers.

Emmanuel