MMM May Challenge, Week 1 Update

Hi Folks,

Not much to show off currently, I've been blocking in the basic colours of the 115 German Infantry that I currently have on my desk. Something of a thankless task! I'm planning on starting to tidy up the base colours and get a wash on the first smaller batch this week.

In other news, I revisited my research on 89. Infanterie Division, and with a little luck and the help of my German speaking friend, I came across another source. Which led me to this:

Not very clear on these images, but basically these are from interviews conducted with one of the divisions officers at the end of the war. They are not quite perfect sources, being taken more from recollection. But I'm happy that they are more accurate than most other information I have come across.

What they tell me is the specific information I was looking for about the units OOB during Totalize. That the infantry units had 7.5 cm and 5 cm A/T guns, that the A/T company only had 7.5 cm guns, that the artillery had 2 batteries of German 10.5 cm guns, unusually 1 battery of 88 cm guns and one of French 15.5 cm guns. The SP gun and AA elements were not present, being 'on the way'.

There is a reference to the unit possibly having 'no rocket projectors of the heavy type', which may mean Nebelwerfers or possibly, in the context, Panzershrecks. Russian 'howitzer infantry cannon' were used instead of infantry guns.

I've some other documents which I have yet to read, but cover the unit through August into September. I hope they might shed some more light on what the unit went through. It also reveals this units perspective of what happened during Totalize.

I'm really happy with this - I also now consider that I'm better informed about this German division than the authors of the few books on Totalize I own!

To catch up on what some of the other members of MMM are up to in the challenge, check out this recording of our Saturday chat (hosted by myself).