WesWorld

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

The Greek air arm is to receive, inter alia: thirty six Bücker Bü181 training aircraft from Luftwaffe surplus stocks; twenty four examples of the Bayerischen Flugzeugwerke Bf243 training aircraft; seventy-two Bayerischen Flugzeugwerke Bf262A fighter aircraft, plus twelve Bf262B fighter-training aircraft; twenty-five examples of the Arado Ar232 transport aircraft, and forty-two examples of the Dornier Do27 light utility aircraft. Deliveries are expected to begin by the close of October of this year.

Looks like Germany finally found the right Greek defense minister to bribe... ;)

A few strange orders, considering that some of those aircraft are superfluous to types already made in Greece.

Yes and no. The Bücker were offered for free. While there is an advance trainer in production there is no advanced trainer to provide direct experience with the planes similar to the Soko Orao. Since a jet fighter has been introduced some pilots will need to learn how to use the new fighter. That is the reason of the Bf262B.
The Arado's were the bribe.

Quoted from "Brockpaine"

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

The Greek air arm is to receive, inter alia: thirty six Bücker Bü181 training aircraft from Luftwaffe surplus stocks; twenty four examples of the Bayerischen Flugzeugwerke Bf243 training aircraft; seventy-two Bayerischen Flugzeugwerke Bf262A fighter aircraft, plus twelve Bf262B fighter-training aircraft; twenty-five examples of the Arado Ar232 transport aircraft, and forty-two examples of the Dornier Do27 light utility aircraft. Deliveries are expected to begin by the close of October of this year.

Looks like Germany finally found the right Greek defense minister to bribe... ;)

A few strange orders, considering that some of those aircraft are superfluous to types already made in Greece.

We resent the implication that bribery was involved in this transaction. We merely made Greece an offer they could not refuse.

Well I must admit it is surprising, though it is all stored equipment.
Looking at the latest Air Force order of battle its clear how long Greece has been NPC and the line up of aircraft is pretty outdated with a lot of ground to make up.

As a close and old ally, rest assured that practically anything in production in Britain is available to Greece, be it jets or anything else.

Kronen Zeitung, Sunday, 25 September 1949

The Steirische Gussstahlwerke of Judenburg was awarded a contract by the Heereswaffenamt to supply shell bodies for an improved variant of the Panzergranate 40 munition.


Allgemeine Deutsche Zeitung für Rumänien, Monday, 26 September 1949

The German Government has agreed to the request of the Ministry of War for the supply of seventy-five examples of the Focke-Wulf Fw340 jet fighter aircraft; it is expected that deliveries will commence early next year. The decision to acquire a limited number of the German fighter was prompted by delays in production of the PZL P.64 Sokol by Industria Aeronautică Română.


Berlin, The Cabinet Meeting Room, Tuesday, 27 September 1949

Blank finished his presentation on the proposed redeployment of the elements of the Atlantikflotte, and there was no immediate response as it was digested by the cabinet.

“Herr Chancellor?”

Adenauer too paused before responding. “Herr Dehler, what is your assessment of the potential British reaction to these proposals?”

The foreign minister pondered his notes. “I tend to agree with Herr Blank – the British Foreign Office might make noise but there is little they can do in concrete terms.” He looked at Blank for confirmation.

“Yes – I have no doubt that the Royal Navy will riposte by strengthening its local forces but there are limits – the British are too committed to refurbishing the defences of their colonies, particularly in the face of lingering fears of Chinese aggression. I would not expect them to pull major units out of the Mediterranean with the Italy in its current state of ‘confusion’.”

“Very good. Please make it so.”

Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Wednesday, 28 September 1949

The Ministry of Defence has announced the formation of Lehr und Erprobungskommando 322, the initial training and operational conversion unit for the new Junkers Ju322 strategic bomber. Stationed at Märkisch-Friedland it has already taken ten aircraft on strength.


Hamburger Abendblatt, Thursday, 29 September 1949

Ernst Heinkel AG of Rostock-Marienehe has been awarded a development contract to design and develop a new antisubmarine and maritime reconnaissance aircraft for the Marineflieger. The project has been given the designation He520.


Argentinisches Tageblatt (Cordoba), Friday, 30 September 1949

According to our European correspondent, the German Foreign Ministry has given approval to the International Armaments Corporation of Geneva to sell to the government of Peru a quantity of surplus military equipment. Reportedly the contract, valued at six million Reichsmarks, covers the supply of forty-five refurbished Panzerkampfwagen IV Ausführung F medium tanks, twenty eight remanufactured Sturmgeschütz III assault guns, twenty extra Maybach engines, and a quantity of spare parts. It is believed that Peru sought the material as spares or replacements to maintain the strength of its armoured force.

Kronen Zeitung, Saturday, 1 October 1949

The infantry landing ships Hahnöfersand and Hanskalbsand were laid down today at the Österreichische Schiffswerften. The pair being the number of such vessels constructed by the firm to eight.


Training Frigate Roon, Rhodes, Sunday, 2 October 1949

Following her visit to Beirut, Mohr had set course for Larnaca in Cyprus, calling there for several days before continuing the Roon’s circuit of the Aegean with a brief call at Nicosia and thence to Rhodes. Here he again had the opportunity of hosting a delegation of Greek naval officers and demonstrating the capabilities of his ship and his crew.


H.M. Submarine Odin, The Wadden Sea, Monday, 3 October 1949

The waters off the Jade were shallow, but Commander Jonathan Parkes had brought his boat as close to the shipping lanes off Wilhelmshaven as he dared. Her mission was to keep an eye on the movement of German ships – they were constantly moving ships in and out of their ports, a practice Parkes judged to be a deliberate attempt to confuse observers like himself and the Odin.

The boat’s intercom called him to the bridge – not much more than a few steps – which he covered quickly.

“Sonar report sir. Many screws, distant. Sounds as if Jerry is up to something.”

“Take her to periscope depth. Let’s see what our friends are up to.”

Moments later Parkes was rewarded with a view of the upper works of many ships as they appeared over the horizon at the mouth of the Jade. He changed the magnification on the ‘scope to get a better identification, and drew a deep breath. The mass of ships seemed to fill his view as the emerging German force maneuvered, a thick destroyer screen surrounding at least three cruisers, maybe four. He tried to get a count of the escorts but could not be certain. Their course would bring them dangerously close to Odin.

“Put her on the bottom!”

Parkes pulled as much water over him as the Wadden Sea permitted and hoped it would be enough. The sounds of the screws of the German warships thrashing the sea did not need sonar to be heard throughout the boat. The passing minutes seemed like hours but eventually the noise faded and Parks brought the Odin back to periscope depth.

“Make to Commander, 9th Flotilla. Four cruisers, many escorts, departing Wilhelmshaven, course north, speed fifteen knots. Give our position. And put a time of origin on it.”

Nachrichten für Außenhandel, Tuesday, 4 October1949

The Deutsche-Afghanische Companie KG, of Berlin, has been established by German business groups to foster improved trade between the Reich and Afghanistan, a nation still recovering from lengthy civil war. The new firm has an initial capital of five million Reichsmarks, and its remit includes general import and export and investment in the Afghan economy.


Marinestützpunkt Heligoland, Wednesday, 5 October 1949

The cruiser Breslau lay at anchor in the outer harbour of Heligoland, surrounded by many of the ships of Einzatzgruppe 58.4. Even with the extension of the facilities here under Projekt Hummerschere the arrival of the Atlantikflotte’s scouting force strained an already crowded anchorage. This point was among the first noted by Konteradmiral Gerhard Wagner in a report to his superiors. Fortunately, most of the U-boats of Einzatzgruppe 61.4 were at sea, on their patrol stations off the Royal Navy’s bases to the west. He recommended continuation of Hummerschere and urged the rapid completion of facilities in the Skitt-Gatt Hafen submarine base, which would relieve much of the pressure on the other parts of the naval base.


Der Tagesspiegel, Thursday, 6 October 1949

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence confirmed today the rumoured decision of the Heer to adopt a derivative of the French Obusier de 155 mm Modèle 44 to meet its requirement for a replacement of the 15 cm schwerer Feld Haubitze 37. The new weapon, to be designated Feldhaubitze FH155-1, will be manufactured under license in German factories, though it is anticipated that a number of French-built guns will be obtained for initial troop training. No schedule for deliveries has been announced at this time.

Militär-Wochenblatt, Friday, 7 October 1949

An agreement has been reached with the Government of the Russian Federation to permit the manufacture under licence of a variant of the Ilyushin IL-28 for the Luftwaffe, to succeed the Arado Ar234 in the light tactical bomber role. The Dornier-werke of Friedsrichshafen will take the lead in producing the aircraft, under the designation Do.417. It will be joined in the production group by the Gothaer Waggonfabrik AG of Gotha-Friedrichroda, the Heinkel-werke factory at Waltersdorf bei Berlin, and the Industriewerke Heiligenbeil at Heiligenbeil in East Prussia. It is hoped that the first production aircraft may be delivered in the late spring of 1950.


Cam Rahn Bay, Indochina, Saturday, 8 October 1949

The small airliner that carried Lieutenant Commander Juan Divarola back from Saigon swung out over the bay before making its approach to the aerodrome at Nha Trang, the home of the shore installations that served the allied fleets based there. Since his arrival in June he had spent much time shuttling between here and the capital – arranging complementary patrol patterns for air searches over the South China Sea, smoothing over the occasional difficulties caused by visiting air crew, reporting to the naval staff in Manila on the movements of both friendly and non-friendly vessels. It was the bread and butter of a naval liaison’s business. The small twin-engine craft lined up on the runway below and began its descent; Divarola wondered what he might find on his desk.



Die Welt am Sonntag, Sunday, 9 October 1949


In recent weeks Africa has dominated the news. In East Africa the growing activities of the Arbegnoch freedom fighters have prompted the arrival of additional Italian troops from the Metropole, while the enlistment of local auxiliaries swells the force deployed to support the puppet government of the East African State. (top left, right). In the Congo the Dutch authorities recently staged a celebration to mark the unification of its armed forces there with those formerly a part of Oubangi-Chari, veterans of the suppression of the insurgency there not many years ago. (bottom left).

Elsewhere, French colonial forces, while not actively engaged in combat, are obliged to train under combat conditions, which all too frequently entail injury to personnel. Here (bottom right) we see one such soldier being taken from the training area by helicopter, speeding his treatment and future complete recovery.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Monday, 10 October 1949

The Defence Ministry announced today the planed formation of the Second Armoured Cavalry Regiment. No further details were available.


London, The German Embassy, Tuesday, 11 October 1949

Walter Schellenburg finished The Times article with brief laughter. The article on the British Army’s adoption of a new machinegun was interesting enough – and he made a mental note to investigate further – but the fact that is was to employ the 8mm Mauser cartridge was ironic indeed. Having employed the .303 cartridge for sixty years the British Army would now replace it with two – their new 7mm intermediate cartridge for rifles and the 8mm round for machineguns. The poor supply troops who had to deal with them would not, he thought, be happy.


Frankfurter Zeitung, Wednesday, 12 October 1949

The food company August Oetker has introduced a new line of product aimed at the busy housewife. Derived from concepts developed for military field rations the Oetker Ready Meal features pre-cooked entrees and meals – meat, vegetable, and dessert – sealed in a compartmented aluminium tray that merely needs to be heated prior to serving. Their economy and convenience are expected to appeal to the busy younger generation of today.

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

London, The German Embassy, Tuesday, 11 October 1949

Walter Schellenburg finished The Times article with brief laughter. The article on the British Army’s adoption of a new machinegun was interesting enough – and he made a mental note to investigate further – but the fact that is was to employ the 8mm Mauser cartridge was ironic indeed. Having employed the .303 cartridge for sixty years the British Army would now replace it with two – their new 7mm intermediate cartridge for rifles and the 8mm round for machineguns. The poor supply troops who had to deal with them would not, he thought, be happy.

IIRC, this was actually a historical decision the British made, since the supply chain for the armoured corps (which used the 8mm machine guns) was run somewhat independently. :) So the poor supply troops probably don't have to deal with the problem at all...

The choice kinda needed to be made, though: since the .303 cartridge is rimmed, it's less than ideal for use in more modern machine guns. Although the 7x43 Enfield round is pretty much the perfect rifle round, it doesn't fit very well as a machine-gun round for tanks.

France and Russia just preferred to add weight and use the 13.2mm or 12.7mm HMGs for armoured vehicles, but the principle is pretty much the same. (Although Russia still uses the 7.62x54R in some roles, which largely shares the same strengths and weaknesses of the .303.)

Quoted from "Brockpaine"

Quoted from "BruceDuncan"

London, The German Embassy, Tuesday, 11 October 1949

Walter Schellenburg finished The Times article with brief laughter. The article on the British Army’s adoption of a new machinegun was interesting enough – and he made a mental note to investigate further – but the fact that is was to employ the 8mm Mauser cartridge was ironic indeed. Having employed the .303 cartridge for sixty years the British Army would now replace it with two – their new 7mm intermediate cartridge for rifles and the 8mm round for machineguns. The poor supply troops who had to deal with them would not, he thought, be happy.

IIRC, this was actually a historical decision the British made, since the supply chain for the armoured corps (which used the 8mm machine guns) was run somewhat independently. :) So the poor supply troops probably don't have to deal with the problem at all...

The choice kinda needed to be made, though: since the .303 cartridge is rimmed, it's less than ideal for use in more modern machine guns. Although the 7x43 Enfield round is pretty much the perfect rifle round, it doesn't fit very well as a machine-gun round for tanks.

France and Russia just preferred to add weight and use the 13.2mm or 12.7mm HMGs for armoured vehicles, but the principle is pretty much the same. (Although Russia still uses the 7.62x54R in some roles, which largely shares the same strengths and weaknesses of the .303.)

Oh, I know it is a historical decision, probably driven by several factors. The Besa would eventually be ousted by the Browning postwar, and I suspect that the RAC might have preferred the .303 Browning to the Besa in WW2 if the RAF did not have priority for its needs and absorb all available production. It's the irony of the British deliberately choosing a German cartridge. Schellenburg will certainly drop catalogs about from Sellier & Beloit.

Yes, my WW BESA is more or less a Browning clone for the 8mm Mauser round.
There seemed no ideal way around it and who knows, it might replace the Vickers Medium alongside the TADEN for squad use later on.

Slight change of topic, but...

Where did you find all of those divisional badges for the Heer? Are there other armies available as well?

Quoted from "Brockpaine"

Slight change of topic, but...

Where did you find all of those divisional badges for the Heer? Are there other armies available as well?

Most of them I found here. Some I created out of bits and pieces found there or elsewhere on the web. And some have color changes. Don't ask me for a proper blazon of a lot of them, as European heraldry is out of my league.

But yes, you will find stuff there for many other nations/services.

Thanks for asking. It adds color to the game. :D

Lübecker Nachrichten, Thursday, 13 October 1949

Among the unsung heroes of naval aviation are those members of the aero industry engaged in aircraft maintenance and overhaul. While some normal repair and maintenance can be dealt with by mechanics at the unit level, serious repairs, and upgrades to the latest levels of equipment, must be done in a factory environment. Repair centres, like the one shown here at Tutow in Mecklenburg, are operated by Deutsche Lufthansa. This facility is overhauling Fieseler Fi220 strike aircraft for the Marineflieger.




Marinestützpunkt Heligoland, Friday, 14 October 1949

Konteradmiral Gerhard Wagner was pleased with the activities of Einzatzgruppe 58.4. Since its arrival the number of suspicious submarine contacts in the vicinity of Heligoland had increased by half, and many of these had been confirmed as craft of the British navy. A number of surface craft bearing the White Ensign had also been encountered – outside of territorial waters, of course – and their patrol patterns duly noted. The remained much work to be done, but certainly the percentage of hours spent by his crews were far higher away from the crowded main fleet bases.


Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Saturday, 15 October 1949

Yesterday, Minister of Transport Wildermuth gave his semi-annual report to the Reichstag regarding progress toward completed the National Motorways system. The network in the Austrian provinces is essentially complete, and the München bypass ring road has been finished, allowing commercial traffic to bypass the city itself. The motorway northeast from Essen to the Dutch border is complete, as is the major stretch of road across the Franconian Taunus. The motorway linking Bielefeld with Kassel is now open to traffic. Work has begun on a new project intended to open a link westward from Koblenz to the French border.

Le Courrier du Indochina (Saigon), Sunday, 16 October 1949

The German East Asia Squadron departed the anchorage of Cam Rahn Bay yesterday evening. It is believed that Admiral Rogge is leading his ships on their regular cruise along the China coast.


Berlin, Luftwaffe Headquarters, Monday, 17 October 1949

Oberst Enno von Rintelen, chief of Referate V of Abteilung Fremde Staaten, the Luftwaffe’s air intelligence branch on foreign air forces, appreciated the thoroughness of the latest report from the Abwehr’s resident in London, Schellenburg. The recently filed precis had very useful budgets of information regarding the Royal Air Force’s latest types of aircraft – the Boulton Paul P.111 and Avro 707 experimental machines suggested that the British were very keen to maintain a qualitative edge over the Luftwaffe, even if the technology was untried. With the Saro SR.55 Duchess he was much less impressed; the age of the long range flying boat was past – the British Comet jet-powered airliner point the way into the future.

Schellenburg’s note of the formation of the Royal Air Force’s Radio-Location Reconnaissance Flight caught von Rintelen’s eye. He wondered what nefarious efforts might be hidden beneath such an innocuous title. He scribbled a note to remind himself to direct further inquiries.


Kronen Zeitung, Tuesday, 18 October 1949

It has been confirmed that an example of the Wiener Neustadter Flugzeugwerke Wf21 transport helicopter has been provided to the French military for purposes of evaluation. Company spokesmen refused to speculate on the possibility of the type’s adoption by either any of the French services.

Training Frigate Roon, Lisbon, Wednesday, 19 October 1949

The ship rode easily at anchor in the busy harbour. Having crossed the western Mediterranean Mohr had brought his ship to the Iberian city preparatory for the next phase of her cruise – one which would take her across the Atlantic for a cruise to Brazilian waters. There was much to prepare – storekeepers saw to the loading of provisions, the engineering staff checked the ship’s machinery and made necessary repairs; the Roon’s bunkers were filled to the top. In two days’ time she would depart – and her captain made certain this crew was kept up to the mark.


Berliner Morgenpost, Thursday, 20 October 1949

The Army Ordnance Office has issued requirements to industry for development new self-propelled artillery pieces to equip the mechanised artillery units of the Heer. Parallel requirements have been issued for vehicles equipped with the 10.5 cm leichte Feldhaubitze 44 and the French-derived 15.5 cm Feldhaubitze FH155.


Militär-Wochenblatt, Friday, 21 October 1949

Our French allies, together with the troops of Indochina, actively patrol the northern border areas of Tonkin to defend against potential Chinese incursions. While the actions of Chinese forces in attempting to grab sandbanks in the South China Sea may have dominated headlines, the threat of possible land invasion cannot be overlooked. The patrols along the border face a stern enemy – the jungles and the mountains themselves. But the professionalism and training of the Franco-Indochinese troops assures that their missions are completed successfully and with minimal casualties from the terrain they encounter.

Wilhelmshaven, Saturday, 22 October 1949

Kees Vrooman was well aware of the fact that little that went on in the great German naval yard remained unknown for very long; if the Germans were up to anything secretive they did it in the yards at Kiel, far from prying foreign eyes. That did not however stop him from earning some useful sums from a contact in Naval Intelligence for any bits of information that he picked up – like the notes and photographs that burned a hole in his pocket as he made his way to the rendezvous.

That morning the Germans held a massive ceremony to mark the completion of five – FIVE – amphibious landing ships and elsewhere in the yard work was under way for another five such ships. He had no idea why the Germans need so many large, slow targets – their ungainly, nay ugly, lines offended his sensibilities. But he hoped his contact would reward him appropriately; the rent was due, his tab at the local pub was getting too long, and his wife was complaining of the need to scrimp.


Aerokurier, Sunday, 23 October 1949

A frequent visitor at many of Germany’s airports, the Russian Ilyushin 14 twin-engine civil transport is seen here departing from Flughafen Leipzig/Halle at Schkeuditz. The growth of economic ties between Germany and the Russian Federation has brought much business travel to the region, and the airport is served by not only Deutsche Lufthansa and Russia’s Aeroflot but by Polskie Linie Lotnicze, Československé státní aerolinie, and Hungary’s Magyar Légiközlekedési Vállalat.



Hamburger Abendblatt, Monday, 24 October 1949

Recently returned from a tour of West Africa where he led a trade promotion delegation Minister of Economics Otto von Hapsburg spoke to a gathering of leaders of industry and commerce at the Afrikahaus. He spoke of the great potential for trade and investment in the region and its continuing importance to Germany’s economic growth. But he cautioned that the years ahead would not be easy and investors should be wary.

“The wind of change is blowing through this continent [Africa]. Whether we like it or not, the growth of national consciousness among the native peoples is a political fact that we must recognise, evaluate, and – in our own interests – support as far as possible.

Shanghai Evening Post, Tuesday, 25 October 1949

After several days visit the German cruisers Custozza and Novara have departed to re-join the other elements of the East Asia Squadron on its cruise through the waters of the North China Sea.


Berlin, Abwehr Headquarters, Wednesday, 26 October 1949

The chief of the Abwehr read the reports from his agents in East Africa with some concern. His efforts to destabilise the Italian position there through covert support of the Arbegnoch independence movement seemed on the brink of achieving too much too soon and inspiring imitation. A group of Somali rebels calling itself the Waddaniyin had begun to trouble the Danish territory around Berbera so much so that it had called forth French intervention – by all reports the French had carried out a deftly-managed battle with one group of Somalis. His plans to continue to ship arms to the Arbegnoch were now threatened by increased Danish and French naval patrols intent on shutting down the Somali Waddaniyin. Fortunately the Arbegnoch were having sufficient success against the Italians and their puppet auxiliaries that outside arms were no longer an absolute necessity. And then there were suggestions that N’Dofa, the leader of the Ubangi rebels, had found at last a haven in East Africa. The man had evaded the Dutch for years and even now the reports were little more than rumours.

The potential combination of Ethiopian and Somali rebels alongside the still simmering situation in Yemen had the making of a powder keg. N’Dofa would be the spark. Gehlen would have to coordinate with his counterparts…


Elbinger Volksstimme, Thursday, 27 October 1949

The corvettes Nymphe and Niobe completed their operational training today and are expected to depart soon to join the Atlantikflotte.