Jock Tamson Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Well ... Firstly there was only the 2nd SS "Das Reich" Div, not 'Second Motorised SS Infantry Division and the Das Reich Division'. Fine. Secondly, by the time 2nd SS started moving, the beachhead wasn't that fragile. The Allies definitely benefited from the delay imposed on 2SS on it's way up to the front, but that delay wasn't - on its own - decisive. Weak, it doesn't read to me that he claims to have saved the beachhead, merely that he saw an opportunity and took it. The situation with the beachhead provides the context for that decision. Thirdly, what the heck is a "German Red Cross Land Rover"? Fine. Fourthly, the Jedburgh guys working inland from Bordeaux weren't "10 miles behind enemy lines". The whole freaking country was enemy occupied (less a bit of Normandy). Also, borrowing from Band of Brothers, he was a Jed - they're supposed to be surrounded. To paraphrase you v JK - you have read it but not understood it. The Wiki article literally makes no mention of being "10 miles behind enemy lines". The point it is making is that from A to B it was a ten mile trip through an area active with enemy troops, in uniform. Fifthly, 2SS in its entirety was less than 23,000 men. The material losses and delays inflicted on 2SS were frustrating enough to lead that division to Oradour sur Glane, but numbered in the hundreds, not tens of thousands. The total number of surrenders was in the low tens. Fine. Sixthly, use your noggin. We already know that Macpherson was tens (actually hundreds) of miles from the nearest friendly conventional forces. Even if we take the story at face value, what the heck do you think he was going to do with 23,000 POW that far from home? Where does the article say they surrendered to him? Max Hasting's book Das Reich (about the march of that division from southern France up to Normandy, and the troubles it encountered on the way) has several glowing sections on Macpherson, including an attack on a small military convoy. Nowhere does he so much as hint at anything even vaguely resembling 23,000 PW. Published 30 years before Macpherson's autobiography. Did Hastings interview him? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonS Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Published 30 years before Macpherson's autobiography. But 40 years after the supposed events. Do you think that it was somehow kept a secret until Macpherson wrote his autobiog? Did Hastings interview him? Yes he did. (hint: I'm not disputing Macpherson's courage. Believe it if you want, but that paragraph is rubbish, and does the man a disservice.) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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