The Round Tablette



The Round Tablette

Volume 14 Number 1

Published by WW II History Roundtable

Edited by Jim Gerber

Welcome to the 19th year of the Dr. Harold C. Deutsch World War Two History Roundtable. This season’s program will be some of the best we’ve had with several prominent historians returning as well hearing from some new historians. Tonight’s program will be on the 13th Airborne Division and is being presented in connection with the 13th Airborne Reunion. We welcome all of our guests this evening.

2005 – 2006 Program Schedule:

September 8 The 13th Airborne

October 13 Seizing the Secret Technology

of the Nazis

November 10 Advisor to President Truman

in the Aftermath of WW II

December 8 Battle of Saipan

January 12 Russian Counter Attack on

the Eastern Front

February 9 Long Range Patrol with PBM

Mariners

March 9 Operation Varsity – Air Drop

Across the Rhine

April 13 Hitler’s Final Defeat in the

West

May 11 The Longest Battle – US 1st

Army – Crossing the Siegfried

Line and into the Ruhr

This year you will notice some differences in the way we will be doing things. First of all, we are charging an admission fee of $5. There are several reasons for this admission fee. We continue to pay $300 per night for the use of the auditorium. Because of budget cuts from the state, Fort Snelling is forced to charge us this fee. It makes sense when you realize that the History center is opened just for us in the off season. This costs money for heating, lights, janitorial services and snow plowing. Also, in a continued effort to provide the highest quality programs, we try to bring in the best historians that are available from across the country. We usually pay their air fare and lodging. Most of the speakers donate their time if we pick up the cost of their travel.

Secondly, you will notice that we are offering a season pass this year. The cost is $30 and this provides admission to all 9 programs for the price of 6. These passes will be offered for sale September through December. This will help us to budget our expenses and hopefully help with our bottom line. Last year, we operated at a deficit and have no reserves this year to do that. We had asked for a donation of $3 to $5 per program and actually took in about $2.25 per program. The Board of Directors continues to volunteer hundreds of hours to put these programs together and want the Roundtable to continue well past our 20th anniversary next year.

A third change this year is that we are incorporated as a non-profit corporation and, therefore, all admission charges and donations are tax deductible. We hope that you will continue to support the Dr. Harold C. Deutsch WW II History Roundtable so that we can uphold the high standards of Dr. Deutsch.

The 13th Airborne

The 13th Airborne was constituted into the US Army on January 9, 1942. On August 13, 1943, the division was activated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina and Major General George W. Griner assumed command. In December, 1943, three regiments, the 88th Glider Infantry Regiment, the 326th Glider Infantry Regiment and the 515th Parachute Infantry Regiment joined the division. In January, 1945, the 13th Airborne Division embarked for France. On arrival, it was assigned to the XVIIIth Airborne Corps.

Assignments to combat missions came quickly but with frustrating results. Alerted along with the 17th Airborne Division for an assault against the Nazis forces at Wesel, Germany, the 13th’s participation was cancelled for lack of enough aircraft to airlift both divisions. Next, the division geared up for Operation “Chocker”, the landing across the Rhine at Worms. The day before the division was to take off the 13th’s paratroopers and glider-troopers again moved out of their barbed-wire enclosed assembly areas. The paratroopers marched to the airfields, found the C-47’s, climbed into the ones they were assigned to, and secured the drop loads. Glidertroops loaded and lashed ammunition, pack howitzers, Jeeps and trailers into the gliders ready to take off at dawn. They woke up the next morning to the news that the mission had been cancelled while they slept. General Patton had captured Worms while they were loading up the day before!

Next came operation “Effective”, which was to deny part of the Alps to the Nazis to prevent them from establishing a last ditch stronghold. New intelligence, however, indicated that this operation was no longer necessary and it was cancelled. Finally, as the days of the Third Reich were drawing to a close, elements of the 13th were scheduled to land at Copenhagen, Denmark, on a classified mission. It, also, was cancelled. Shortly thereafter, the Division was told that it would be redeployed to the Pacific to participate in the invasion of Japan after a stopover in the United States. The 13th Airborne Division arrived at the

New York Port of Embarkation on August 23, 1945 and was stationed at Fort Bragg. Shortly thereafter, Japan surrendered.

Condensed from a history of the 13th Airborne by Col. James Mrazek

Further Reading on Tonight’s Topic:

Geronimo! American Paratroopers in WW II

By William B. Breuer

St. Martin’s Press

New York, New York 1989

Paratrooper!

By Gerard M. Devlin

St. Martin’s Press

New York, New York 1979

Airborne; A Combat History of American Airborne Forces

By E. M. Flanagan, Jr.

Ballantine Books

New York, New York 2002

Beyond Valor

By Patrick O’Donnell

The Free Press

New York, New York 2001

Tonight we are also trying something new. We are starting the announcements 10 to 15 minutes before 7:00 PM in order to get the program started on time. If you have announcements please try get them to us early so we can allow enough time for them. While we will try to get them all in, we will strive to begin the program promptly at 7:00 PM.

Civil War Roundtables:

St. Croix Valley Civil War Roundtable

September 26 – Minnesota 2nd Light Artillery

Awada’s in Woodbury, Dinner 5:30, Program 7:00 PM.

Twin Cities Civil War Roundtable

September 20 – Brackett’s Battalion

6:00 PM Call 952-934-1124 for location

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