Treebursts from artillery

[André]

Hello

Does anyone have any information regarding treebursts from arty during WW2? Any stories from real battles?

The reason I ask is that treebursts occur very often in CM, and I want to know how it was in real life.

Thanks!

Heinz

[Mattias]

Heinz,

Anything you can pick up about the Hürtgen forest battles (oct-dec 44, SE of Aachen) will tell you about the terrors endured by the Americans and Germans fighting there.

The tree bursts were every bit as terrifying and devastating as the ones portrayed in CM.

M.

[Guest Tom]

Heinz ,

some notes from Sergeant John P. Klines war diary ( 423rd Combat Infantry Regiment

106th US Infantry Division in the " Battle of the Bulge " )

" A rifle company to our rear, Company I, 423rd, were waiting on orders to proceed down the hill in support L Company. It was about 0900 when we were suddenly hit by very heavy artillery fire. It seemed that all hell had broken loose. The shells were exploding all around us, on the ground and in the trees. Men were screaming for Medics. I heard during the day that M Company's Commander, Captain Hardy, had been killed and the Executive Officer, Captain Wiegers was blinded by a tree burst. There was a terrible lot of confusion at that time. I thought to myself that the officers could be from one of the rifle companies. That was not so, it was our officers that were hit by tree bursts.

Captain James Hardy, M Company Commander, was killed by the very first tree burst as the German shells landed in the woods around us. Captain Wiegers, M Company Executive Officer, although hit, was not blinded. "

Mr. Klines website ( especially the war diary ) is a MUST READ !

Mr. Kline´s website about the 106th division

US/German Veteran Meeting

Regards

Tom