Militaria-Reisig & Antiquitäten - Top
Display your banner here
Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Aktion Bayreuth - What is it?

Article about: I have a Soldbuch to a member of LW Flak units (namely Flak.Rgt 36 and Flakschw.Abt 399 (which I believe was located near Darmstadt)). On 9th April 1944 to 5th August 1944 he went from Flaks

  1. #1

    Default Aktion Bayreuth - What is it?

    I have a Soldbuch to a member of LW Flak units (namely Flak.Rgt 36 and Flakschw.Abt 399 (which I believe was located near Darmstadt)). On 9th April 1944 to 5th August 1944 he went from Flakschw.Abt 399 and served in 'Aktion Bayreuth'. As well as the Flak Badge he also wore the Fernsprecher trade badge so could of been used in that capacity.

    Would anyone be able to shed any light on what 'Aktion Bayreuth' was? I originally thought that it could be linked to a relocation of units in order to protect the Bayreuth Festival but after posting a question on AHF someone mentioned that there was a KZ-Außenlager (of Flossenbürg) set up near Bayreuth at around this time. Can anyone confirm that there is such a link between 'Aktion Bayreuth' and the KZ, or is it indeed related to the festival?
    Aktion Bayreuth - What is it?
    Last edited by hucks216; 05-17-2014 at 01:29 PM.

  2. #2
    ?

    Default

    KZ-Außenlager Bayreuth, a sub-camp of KZ-Floßenbürg, was indeed established during June 1944. The camp was a relatively small concern, with around 80-90 prisoners in total deported there during its existence. The inmates were mostly skilled technicians - the purpose for the site was to develop a targeting device for remote control bombs. Kommandoführer Adolf Nies led a detachment of around 15 SS men present. No deaths were recorded at the camp but one Italian inmate died during the evacuation march toward the main camp, Floßenbürg, which set off on April 11th 1945.

  3. #3

    Default

    thanks Carl.

  4. #4

    Default

    Thanks for the information Carl.

  5. #5
    ?

    Default

    More than welcome, no trouble at all.

  6. #6

    Default

    Quote by CARL88 View Post
    More than welcome, no trouble at all.
    Well done.

  7. #7

    Default

    A follow up to Carl's earlier post:

    KZ-Außenlager Bayreuth held prisoners from nine countries (including Russians, Poles, German, French, Czech), the highest number of prisoners 63 men (November 1944). The inmates were mostly skilled workers and technicians. One source notes that the prisoners did not wear striped prison uniforms.

    Research and development of a target device for remote controlled bombs was carried out in KZ-Außenlager Bayreuth by the Institut für physikalische Forschung "Institute for Physical Research," under the direction of physicist Werner Rambauske. KZ-Außenlager Bayreuth, the Institute and the accommodation for prisoners were housed in the west-wing of cotton mill building in Bayreuth. See photo below:

    The research carried out by the Institute at KZ-Außenlager Bayreuth was related to the use of television technology, "Projekt Fernsehwaffe - Project TV weapon", primarily in the area of defence research, and in particular remote-glide bombs controlled by means of a television picture to the target. This type of remote steering of explosive devices or bombs was one of a number of other target recognition systems in which the Institute was looking at solving the "sehende Bombe" control problems.

    The prisoners worked primarily as a draftsman, to lathes and in the manufacture of precision engineered metal components.

    The use of "television" combined with the German weapons research is an interesting and overlooked aspect of TV history.


    A interesting side note is that both the V1 and V2 were equipped with automatic flight control systems supplied by Askania which was owned by the Bosch company...who are very much still in business today.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Aktion Bayreuth - What is it?  
    I collect, therefore I am.

    Nothing in science can explain how consciousness arose from matter.

  8. #8
    ?

    Default

    Thanks Stefan.

    Arno Schmidt succeeded the aforementioned Adolf Nies as Kommandoführer at Bayreuth - reportedly following the escape of two inmates from the sub-camp. During the winter of '44/'45, an SS dog handler was also assigned to the camp.

    A report of daily life inside the camp...

    The night was spent inside the basement of the building - located at Carl-Schüller-Straße. Roll call was at 6:30am, then the inmates were sent to their workplace. Czech inmates prepared the food, which generally consisted of a weak potato soup at 12:00 and a small portion of bread with either margarine or a spoonful of jam in the evening. As the war progressed and conditions worsened, the inmates rations were reduced and sometimes cut completely. It was recorded that a dog and cat were also used as food. One French inmate served as a physician of sorts, although he practiced with rather limited supplies. One at least two occasions, the SS escorted sick prisoners to the city where they were treated by a doctor and a dentist. The inmates did not wear the familiar striped clothing but instead wore civilian clothing, possibly taken from murdered Jews at one of the extermination camps further east, marked with a large "KL", painted in oil on the back of their shirts and jackets. As at many camps, post was allowed (both to and from the camp) - with the usual restrictions. Generally, the former inmates regarded their transfer to Bayreuth as somewhat fortunate - certainly in comparison to that of the main camp at Floßenbürg, which was often described as hell on earth.

    The first transport of 33 prisoners arrived from Floßenbürg in June 1944 - most had been transported from Neuengamme earlier. Later that summer, several inmates arrived from Neuengamme, Dachau and Groß-Rosen. In autumn, Groß-Rosen supplied a further 20 inmates, mostly Polish and Soviet electricians. The final transport of 20 prisoners from Floßenbürg arrived in February 1945, including a group of 8 Italians.

    These details were remembered by the former Dutch inmate Ernst Hoyer and his fellow prisoners Henri Clément and Pierre Sourisse - both French inmates issued with the Floßenbürg prisoner numbers 10334 and 10399.

    Images:

    1. KZ-Außenlager Bayreuth Kommandoführer Adolf Nies (credit KZ-Gedenkstätte Floßenbürg).

    2. Commemorative marker laid at the site of the former camp.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Aktion Bayreuth - What is it?   Aktion Bayreuth - What is it?  


  9. #9

  10. #10

    Default

    Great info!...

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Konvolut IR 42 Bayreuth AR 113 Tropen Winterbekleidung

    In Field equipment, kit and other
    11-19-2013, 06:10 PM

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Militaria-Reisig & Antiquitäten - Down
Display your banner here