Creating the Battle of the Bulge.....Wacht Am Rhine (4 Viewers)

[panda1gen]

That was never 10 years!{sm4}

You flatulent, po faced excuse for fourteen tons of excrement too useless to be called rubbish.

 

[Louis Badolato]

You flatulent, po faced excuse for fourteen tons of excrement too useless to be called rubbish.

I paid for an argument, this is just common abuse!{sm2}

 

[panda1gen]

I paid for an argument, this is just common abuse!{sm2}

argument is down the corridor third on the left you silly English person you

your mother fed you from your donkey's derriere seeping pustule and your father was unworthy to be a gnat living in a lumberjack's jockstrap - you are a very silly gnknight - go away before I reach for the asparagus :tongue::rolleyes2:

 

[panda1gen]

meanwhile .....



a panzer IV that says ni

 

[Louis Badolato]

argument is down the corridor third on the left you silly English person you

your mother fed you from your donkey's derriere seeping pustule and your father was unworthy to be a gnat living in a lumberjack's jockstrap - you are a very silly gnknight - go away before I reach for the asparagus :tongue::rolleyes2:

Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries! Now go away before I taunt you a second time!!{sm4}

 

[panda1gen]

Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries! Now go away before I taunt you a second time!!{sm4}

how dare you insult me you English son of an autistic aardvark - you are so stupid that you could not even qualify for the middle class twit of the year show - We wee on your visors and poop in your pantaloons, now go away, I want to admire my Norwegian Blue's singing in peace

- and it is nearly time for my shift in the castle mill

- by the way is this the five minute siege or the full ten years?

and now for something completely different

 

[Louis Badolato]

how dare you insult me you English son of an autistic aardvark - you are so stupid that you could not even qualify for the middle class twit of the year show - We wee on your visors and poop in your pantaloons, now go away, I want to admire my Norwegian Blue's singing in peace

- and it is nearly time for my shift in the castle mill

- by the way is this the five minute siege or the full ten years?

and now for something completely different

View attachment 239934

View attachment 239937

The Norwegian Blue is an ex parrot, it has gone to meet its maker, and no, it is not just pining for the fjords!!{sm4}

I work 48 hours a day down mill, 8 days a week, and pay mill owner for the right to work . . . ^&grin

 

[panda1gen]

The Norwegian Blue is an ex parrot, it has gone to meet its maker, and no, it is not just pining for the fjords!!{sm4}

I work 48 hours a day down mill, 8 days a week, and pay mill owner for the right to work . . . ^&grin

- no it isn't, how dare you, its resting

- I worked 49 hours chained together with knotted elderberries and thrashed with asparagus. I didn't get a wage, I was just fed off the mill owner's dog scraps.

and now for something ........

 

[Louis Badolato]

- no it isn't, how dare you, its resting

- I worked 49 hours chained together with knotted elderberries and thrashed with asparagus. I didn't get a wage, I was just fed off the mill owner's dog scraps.

and now for something ........

View attachment 240003

Luxury! We dreamed of dog scraps! We are cold gravel before working 100 hours a day, 14 days a week, 500 days a year!

And that parrot isn’t resting, it’s nailed to its perch!! That parrot couldn’t rest unless it’s in peace! That parrot won’t talk if you water- boarded it!

 

[panda1gen]

Luxury! We dreamed of dog scraps! We are cold gravel before working 100 hours a day, 14 days a week, 500 days a year!

And that parrot isn’t resting, it’s nailed to its perch!! That parrot couldn’t rest unless it’s in peace! That parrot won’t talk if you water- boarded it!

You are right, it can't talk if you water boarded it - it t' drowned.

Anyway my parrot is perfectly formed, with lovely plumage. It sings like a nightingale! It can also read the rules out ..... but perhaps not in public eh Bruce?

 

[panda1gen]

A US regimental HQ comes under attack in the 'Bulge'. A GI helps his buddy to a medic station (out of view) whilst an MP starts his jeep up to deliver a message to forward troops.



An ambulance is detailed to evacuate casualties from the regimental aid post

 

[Louis Badolato]

You are still making magic, Kevin!^&cool^&cool^&cool^&cool

 

[villagehorse]

A big fan of 'Winter' these days, so it's inspirational to see your work. Very well done.:salute::, Robin.

 

[panda1gen]

A big fan of 'Winter' these days, so it's inspirational to see your work. Very well done.:salute::, Robin.

Thanks Robin and Louis


Congressional Medal of Honor

VERNON McGARITY

Rank and organization: Technical Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company L, 393d Infantry, 99th Infantry Division.
Place and date: Near Krinkelt, Belgium, 16 December 1944.
Entered service at: Model, Tennessee.
Born: 1 December 1921, Right, Tennessee.
G.O. No.: 6, 11 January 1946.

​

T/Sgt. McGarity was painfully wounded in an artillery barrage that preceded the powerful counteroffensive launched by the Germans near Krinkelt, Belgium, on the morning of 16 December 1944. He made his way to an aid station, received treatment, and then refused to be evacuated, choosing to return to his hard-pressed men instead.

The fury of the enemy's great Western Front offensive swirled about the position held by T/Sgt. McGarity's small force, but so tenaciously did these men fight on orders to stand firm at all costs that they could not be dislodged despite murderous enemy fire and the breakdown of their communications.



During the day the heroic squad leader rescued one of his friends who had been wounded in a forward position, and throughout the night he exhorted his comrades to repulse the enemy's attempts at infiltration.



When morning came and the Germans attacked with tanks and infantry, he braved heavy fire to run to an advantageous position where he immobilized the enemy's lead tank with a round from a rocket launcher. Fire from his squad drove the attacking infantrymen back, and three supporting tanks withdrew.



He rescued, under heavy fire, another wounded American, and then directed devastating fire on a light cannon which had been brought up by the hostile troops to clear resistance from the area.



When ammunition began to run low, T/Sgt. McGarity, remembering an old ammunition hole about 100 yards distant in the general direction of the enemy, braved a concentration of hostile fire to replenish his unit's supply. By circuitous route the enemy managed to emplace a machinegun to the rear and flank of the squad's position, cutting off the only escape route. Unhesitatingly, the gallant soldier took it upon himself to destroy this menace single-handedly.



He left cover, and while under steady fire from the enemy, killed or wounded all the hostile gunners with deadly accurate rifle fire and prevented all attempts to reman the gun. Only when the squad's last round had been fired was the enemy able to advance and capture the intrepid leader and his men. The extraordinary bravery and extreme devotion to duty of T/Sgt. McGarity supported a remarkable delaying action which provided the time necessary for assembling reserves and forming a line against which the German striking power was shattered.

 

[Louis Badolato]

They made a better class of men in the crucible of the Great Depression and Second World War. T/Sgt McGarrity exemplified the adage coined on Iwo Jima: uncommon valor was a common virtue. Thank you for sharing his story Kevin.

 

[panda1gen]

For the Battle of the Bulge, Volkswerfer Brigades of Nebeltruppen were generally assigned at Corps level. They were used to bring their heavy firepower at key breakthrough points, so that the advance could pass through the narrow road choke points at the base of what would become the Bulge.

By this time they were usually known just as werfer rather than nebelwerfer units.


A towed battery usually consisted of six mortars, there were usually three batteries per battalion. Three battalions were usual to form a regiment and two regiments made up a Brigade. This assumed they were at full strength, as many were at the start of the Bulge campaign.


In addition, some regiments may be reinforced with a Panzerwerfer battery of six to eight vehicles.


These units were intrinsically mobile, assuming they could move through the severe traffic jams formed on the German side of the front. The 150mm six barrelled mortar was mounted on a derivative of the 37mm pak 36 carriage. It had a range of 6900m. Around 6000 launchers and 5.5 million 15cm rockets were made.


Larger weapons were made subsequently, but the 150mm is shown below.


From this date 74 years ago, they were moving into position and digging foxholes for the crew, although they would not yet know what for.

 

[Louis Badolato]

Great shots Kevin! Love the sunset photos, the silhouettes look real!

 

[panda1gen]

Great shots Kevin! Love the sunset photos, the silhouettes look real!

Thanks Louis

The initial onslaught was made under cloud cover ........









Panzer fours and panthers were preferred at the tip of the spear rather than the slower King Tigers

 

[Louis Badolato]

The cloud cover neutralized the Allied air supremacy, which ordinarily would have torn up the soft skin support vehicles necessary to the Panzer's advance.

 

[panda1gen]

The cloud cover neutralized the Allied air supremacy, which ordinarily would have torn up the soft skin support vehicles necessary to the Panzer's advance.

clear sky at night, fighter bomber delight ....