Hill Street Apartment Orlando

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I have been staying in an AirBnB in Thornton Park Orlando. I like the place because I have been able to walk to event sketching opportunities every evening. There is one big problem however is that the place does not have working Wi Fi. I need Wi Fi to write these articles every day and I need it twice a week to teach virtual online classes. I walked to the Downtown Orlando Public Library to use it as my office yesterday. I have been thinking that I would like to keep staying in Orlando through the Orlando International Fringe Festival which runs from May 19 to 27. After that my plan is to drive north to New York State where I hope to rent and then possibly buy a place to settle down.

Having no Wi Fi, I am considering starting that road trip early.Yesterday I looked at rental properties in Orlando to see if I could find something for two months. Many rentals want an 8 month lease commitment. Around the corner from where I am sating is this property on Hill Street in Thornton Park. It is just a block from the Falcon Art Gallery and Bar. Photos on Zillow showed an attic space with a skylight. The artist in me was attracted to the possibility of using that as a painting studio space.

Booking an appointment to see the place was a long drawn out process, with photos of IDs and an online form. There was no personal showing of the space, but rather a lockbox. I filled out all the forms but never heard back about the appointment. Online I was told that a code would be sent by text. That code was never sent, so I had to call the realtor. I was told to just go to the house and a text would arrive at exactly the time of the appointment. I walked the few blocks over and waited in front of the house. The text never came, so I called the realtor again and he lead me on a hunt for the lock box. He said it might be attached to a water pipe which I found odd. The front door of the home opened and I explained to the fellow sho came out that I was looking for the lockbox for the rental. He pointed to a side door. His eyes were bloodshot, and I was just happy that he didn’t have a gun.

When I got to the side door there sure enough was a lockbox bolted to the doorknob. The realtor finally gave me the code over the phone. The apartment was on the second floor. I climbed the narrow staircase. I knew that I would not be able to get my artist desk up those stairs. There was a grey room that was maybe 10 b y 12 feet with windows that overlooked the back yard. A door lead to a tiny bathroom and another door was the closet. I tried to turn on the ceiling fan but it refused to spin. The kitchen was set up with windows on three sides. The refrigerator blocked the view out of one of the windows. I tried faucets and electric to be sure everything worked.

One more door lead up to the attic which is where the skylight was. This was my hope for a grwt studio space. As I climbed the steps I realized it must get hot u0 there. At the top pf the steps I realized that I could not stand up. My head hit the ceiling. If I were to use the space as a studio I would always have to sit and then walk hunched over like Quasimodo.

I am only thinking about renting the place for a couple of months, so I thought, maybe I could survive in the cramped space. I need to be thinking about more than surviving. I want to thrive. I am already finding myself sketching at an accelerated pace now that I can walk to arts events. If I can find a decent studio home base then I can continue to thrive.

Rather than leave right away, I stayed to sketch the place. While sketching, I get to weigh the pros and cons of a place. This apartment is in a fantastic location, but it is just too small. The upstairs space with the skylight would only be used for storage since I am unable to stand up. What I am left with would be a 10 by 12 foot room that would have to work as the studio and bedroom. The place without WiFi seems like a palace in comparison but it is furnished and far more expensive.

April 7, 1945: Castrop-Rauxel Germany

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The 291st Infantry Division attack on Castrop-Rauxel Germany resumed on April 7, 1945. Two squads of the 1st Platoon of G-Company rode into Castrop on two lead tanks, followed by a tank destroyer. The two other tanks found positions on the outskirts of town and supported the attack with fire. Machine guns were set up in the upper stories of two houses to support the attack.

At 7AM C-Company moved into the city on the left on foot. Three tanks drove at full speed down Highway 2 with the soldiers hanging on for dear life. As they cleared a road block, they were hit with a hail of German small arms fire. American troops jumped down and sought cover in houses on either side of the street. A moment later the tank destroyer took a direct hit and burst into flames. Three men who had jumped off the lead tank ran to the back of a house, and surprised a German crew of six who were about to fire a 120-mm mortar. The Germans were killed and a thermite grenade was dropped into the barrel of the mortar.

C-Company continued to move into town from the left killing Germans who were trying to escape. About 15 Germans ran towards the woods on the opposite side of town and they were in the sights of one of the machine gunners. He didn’t fire because he wasn’t sure if they were Americans or Germans.

The 1st and 2nd Platoons found one another in town. A captured German soldier told the interrogator that the town was swarming with parachutists. Because it was getting dark, and the 3rd Platoon could not be located, it was decided to hold off further attacks until morning.

C-Company of the 1st Platoon had received orders to push through Castrop-Rauxel and continue mopping up operations to the south. Mopping up operations continued through April 8 and 9th 1945.

When to run up the white flag and surrender to the Americans became a crucial question for German civilians. Doing so too early meant falling afoul of the Nazi authorities who were demanding a fight to the finish; doing so too late could mean a violent introduction to the American way of war. All too often, the local Nazi bigwig called upon his townsmen to fight to the death, then fled just before the Americans attacked.

April 5, 1945: Brambauer Germany

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From April 5 to April 15, 1945, Bambauer Germany was a command post for the 75th Infantry Division. The troops got some much needed rest and relaxation. After the 75th Infantry Division crossed the Dortmund-Ems Canal they held a line from the Zweg Canal just south of Ickern to Brambauer Germany.

In Brambauer, I decided to sketch the Martin Luther Church. I was seated right next to a World War II memorial that was a stone courtyard where the walls had plaques covered with the names of soldiers who had died in that war. Since it was World War 1 related, I decided to pass on sketching it. It was a bitter cold day and a tram car would pass the church every half hour or so.

Brambauer contributed to the German war effort thanks to its coal mines which provided fuel for factories and German tanks. Brambauer’s location near the industrial heartland meant it experienced the war’s impact through industrial demands, bombings, coal extraction, and the final battles of the war as Allied forces advanced.

The original Martin Luther Church was was a neo-Renaissance style church built between 1904 and 1906. It was largely destroyed during World War II. Only the tower stood at the end of the war. During the Nazi period, the broader German Protestant church was divided between the “German Christians” movement, which aligned with Nazi ideology and antisemitism, and the “Confessing Church”, which resisted state control. Pastor Karl Friedrich Stellbrink, a member of the Confessing Church preached in Lübeck until his arrest and murder by the Nazi regime.

At first Karl Friedrich embraced the Nazi ideals, but he soon felt that the Nazi’s had a hatred for Christ. On a Palm Sunday sermon in 1942, after the devastating bombing of Lübeck, Karl Frederick exclamation: “God has spoken in mighty language – the people of Lübeck will learn to pray again.” This sermon led to his arrest by the SS Police, followed by the arrest of the three Catholic chaplains. Along with them, 17 members of the Catholic community and one Protestant Christian in Lübeck were charged. Karl Frederick was murdered for his anti – Nazi sermon.

The present-day Martin Luther Church in Brambauer was erected as a simple brick building between 1962 and 1964. The original, surviving tower still bears the scars of the war.

After the war the town was used as a site for German war graves, including fallen soldiers and Soviet prisoners.

Ickern Germany: Rhine-Herne Canal

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The Rhine-Herne Canal was also known as the Zweg Canal on 1945. It runs north-west running into the Dortmund-Ems Canal. It is about half way between the Lippe Canal to the north and the Ruhr River to the south.I suspect that the 75th Infantry was already to the west of this canal and would not hav had to cross it. This canal likely marked the advancing troops right or western flank.

XVICorps which included the 75th Infantry Division in which my father. 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken was serving attacked from it’s position north of the Rhein-Herne Canal. Resistance came from the German 116th Panzer Division, composed of  the 16th Panzer Grenadier Regiment and the 116th Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion and other miscellaneous units.

The 75th Infantry Division Commander, Major General Ray E. Porter didn’t believe that soldiers had to be cold, hunger dirty and unshaven to be a good soldier. He devoted a good bit of time to see the men lived otherwise. He was committed to seeing that officers and enlisted men would live as comfortably as the situation might allow.

Resistance was light at first. From German prisoners of war, it was learned that their orders were to continue delaying actions and to withdraw on first contact with the American forces. Resistance gradually stiffened and units began to receive heavy small arms fire, self propelled mortar and machine gin fire. About 20 bridges had been blown up by the Germans in the area. Civilians were called upon by the American regimental commander to work on the reconstruction of bridges. Rifles were found in many homes along with German uniforms. It was impossible to estimate the number of soldiers who became  civilians overnight.

The 290th Infantry passed through the Combat Command R of the 8th Armored Division continuing to attack south towards the Rhein-Herne Canal. The 290th Infantry was held ip and unable to advance. The 75th Division commander Ray E. Porter sent orders that the unit must stop “dilly – dallying” and move the regiment up. Considering the slight resistance and the fact that the 290th had 3 tank companies, the division commander had no reason why he couldn’t keep up with the rest of the advancing units.

An autobahn highway bridge across the Rhein-Herne Canal was left standing by the Germans so that their troops could retreat. From there the Germans hoped t0 organize and make an attempt to break out of their encirclement. This autobahn crossing and the city of Ickern was stubbornly defended. With Germans on the east bank and the Americans on the west back, fire fight continued up and down the canal and casualties were heavy.

About 50 German soldiers were shouting across the canal and offering to surrender. The surrender did not take place. An officer had stopped their plan. Instead the Germans fired on American positions. At 1am on April 4, 1945 the crossing of the canal began. The plan was to build Bailey bridges but there was heavy fir from the area around the autobahn bridge site, and thr engineers had failde to provide ladders and bridging materials. The only way across the river was a single plank bridge which was partly submerged, and men had to leap from board to board in the pitch dark night. Three ladders were used to climb the steep embankment on the opposite shore. The climb was particularly hazardous for men carrying heavy weapons. Several fell backwards into the canal.

By 4am the 1st Battalion had taken 40 German prisoners and they had entered Ickern. By April 5th, 1945 Ickern had been captured after fierce house to house combat. Capturing this city allowed the 75th Infantry Division to continue it’s attack south towards the Ruhr River which would split the Ruhr pocket in two.

 

Brassert Town Square, Marl Germany

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Marl and the region around Marl, had resources and heavy industries that played a vital role in Germany’s preparations for World War II. Coal was the life blood of Hitler’s war machine. The city was bombed heavily during World War II. About 75 percent of the area was destroyed; more than one-third of the coal mines discontinued operations or suffered heavy damage.

As the allies, including the 75th Infantry Division, approached the city, the Volksrom or German peoples army were called into the Brassert town square. Consisting of old men and young boys, many were unemployed, miners. The German army was planning to blow up the mine as part of Hitler’s Nero Decree. Adolf Hitler’s Nero Decree, an order issued on March 19, 1945, which commanded the systematic destruction of all German infrastructure. The approaching enemy would thus find nothing but “scorched earth.” Hitler justified this step as a military necessity, but his intention was to destroy the German population as punishment for its defeat. There was to be no future for the nation after National Socialism.

The Decree…

Our nation’s struggle for existence forces us to utilize all means, even within Reich territory, to weaken the fighting power of our enemy and to prevent further advances. Any opportunity to inflict lasting damage on the striking power of the enemy must be taken advantage of. It is a mistake to believe that undestroyed or only temporarily paralyzed traffic, communications, industrial, and supply installations will be useful to us again after the recapture of lost territories. During his retreat, the enemy will leave behind only scorched earth and will abandon all concern for the population.

I therefore command –

1. All military traffic, communications, industrial and supply installations as well as objects within Reich territory that might be used by the enemy in the continuation of his fight, either now or later, are to be destroyed.

2. It is the responsibility of the military command posts to execute this order to destroy all military objects, including traffic and communications installations.

The Gauleiters and Commissioners for Reich Defense are responsible for destroying the industrial and supply installations, as well as of other objects of valuable; the troops must give the Gauleiters and Commissioners for Reich Defense the assistance they need to carry out this task.

3. This command is to be transmitted to all troop commanders as promptly as possible; orders to the contrary are null and void.

– Adolf Hitler

Like many large industrial and mining sites in Germany during this period, the Brassert mine likely utilized forced labor, a widespread practice in the Nazi economy. Nazi commission retreated in haste not guaranteeing that the mine was fully demolished. Mines were also used to store looted art the Nazi’s had stolen. Mines were ideal since they had a constant temperature deep under ground.

The Bassert coal mine was founded in 1905, with production beginning in 1910,it  employed 5,000 by the 1950s, and closed in 1972, with its land becoming commercial/recreational space.

As I sketched in the town square, people kept driving into the square to park and then walking over to a bank teller machine. It must have been pay day in town. The leaves were just starting to turn yellow. After I finished the sketch, I tried to find a restaurant to eat but I could only fond pizza shops.

On March 20, 1945 Marl was cleared.

Poker

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There were moments of levity and even leisure between military engagements. This sketch was done in Gingelom Belgium after the Americans had won the battle re-enactment. This isn’t a location that 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken would have been at. I went to see Museum Winter 44 to get more of an overview of what happened in Belgium during the war. The museum is close to where the Battle of the Bulge happened. The 75th Infantry was in that battle but Arthur arrived in Europe after those dates.

The helmet on the table held the bets for the cards that had been dealt. This moment felt the most like history was coming alive. War isn’t always about big explosions and heroic deeds. It is more often about passing the time and waiting for what may come next.

This is the courtyard at Museum Winter 44. It had started to rain. The poker players were under a giant Coke umbrella, but I wasn’t. The sketch is covered with tiny explosions from the rain hitting the watercolor. Most rain I had experienced in Belgium was sporadic and light, never fully committed to a downpour, so I kept sketching. I would just lean over the sketch while I worked.

It  had been a long day of sketching and I was famished. After the game of poker was over and my sketch was complete, I ordered some spaghetti and pulled up to the table. I couldn’t follow all the Dutch conversations, but several  soldiers were kind enough to speak to me in English. One wanted to know all about the 75th Infantry. He was looking for a bit of information I had not provided. I finally realized he wanted to know that the 75th infantry was part of the 290th Infantry Division. It turns out he collects books about American Infantry divisions and he had several history books that took him years to find. This reminded me that I have the broad strokes of where the 75th Infantry went during WWII but for the specifics of actual battles I have very little information. I have several written memoirs from 1st Lieutenants from the 75th Infantry, but those PDF documents are on a laptop that died in the Netherlands. I think I will be doing much more research once this sketch journey is complete.

My main goal is to get a feel for each place as I sketch. That goal I feel I am accomplishing. Sometimes pure luck or providence steps in and I find I am sketching the exact same place that a 75th Infantry war photographer took a photo of. I can never be sure that any location I sketch is exactly where 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken might have been. Troops were usually spread out along a wide front.  But I am getting to know each town, city and village by walking the streets. The damage and devastation is gone but the spirit of the place remains.

February 20, 1945: Panningen Netherlands

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February 20, 1945 was the beginning of the VENLO, LIMBURG + NETHERLANDS CAMPAIGN. The 75th Infantry was sent to an assembly area near Panningen Netherlands to relive the British 6th Armored Division. I am fairly certain that 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken would have joined C-Company here or the next town they were moved to.

1st Lieutenant Dick Sassin explained the move this way, “ We’re going to move in at night. They are going to move out. We aren’t under fire.” The 75th infantry division was to operate under the command of the British Second Army’s VIII Corps, 21st Army Group under Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery. The division was to take up a defensive position along the West Bank of the Maas River. German troops were well entrenched on the East bank. The river is about 100 yards wide at the location I saw. Germans would often fire harassing mortar rounds to the far shore of the Maas River.

Panningen played a significant role in the closing stages of World War II. It became a defensive position for the Allies along the West Bank of the Maas River. Nightly patrols across the mass were a critical cactivity for the troops stationed in Panningen.

I decided to sketch the Monument Deportation Everlo. It is a memorial in remembrance of the fallen and missing residents from Panningen. In the autumn of 1944, over 1,000 boys and men in the region between the Maas and Peel rivers were rounded up by the Nazis in raids and deported to Germany for forced labor. These events cost the lives of 120 men and left lasting scars on survivors and those left behind.

There were also three metal plaques that had engravings of the names of Canadian and Royal Air Force Pilots who had crashed in the area. Also listed were names of soldiers who had died from the 15th Scottish Division, the 49th West Riding Division, the 51st Highlands Division. In all, the names of 54 soldiers were listed as fallen hero’s to the town of Panningen Netherlands.

The trip to Panningen Netherlands for the 75th Infantry troops was accomplished in weather that had turned for the better. The box cars were not a hellish ride. 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken would have been taking a similar ride on his own or with other replacements to join the 75th Infantry troops in the Netherlands.

Namur Belgium: The Citadel

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The Citadel in Namur Belgium sits on the confluence of two large rivers, The Meuse and the Sabre. The Citadel is a huge stone fort that has overlooked those two rivers for centuries. In February of 1945, the tunnels under the Citadel were used by the 75th Infantry as a command post. Napoleon nicknamed the Citadel Europe’s remote mound due to the extensive network of underground tunnels.

The importance of the Citadel diminished when 9 forts were built around the city of Namur Belgium. When the Germans attacked in 1940 the forts fell after 3 days of fighting. Namur was liberated by Allied forces on September 6, 1944. Namur is near where intense fighting incurred at the Battle of the Bulge in Decemeber of 1944. Although the city itself was not the center of the conflict. Perhaps that is why it was once again used an a command post as troops headed north to form a defensive line along the Meuse River up in the Netherlands.

It is possible the 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken might have reported here before joining troops up in the Netherlands. Since 80 years have passed since February of 1945, I decided to sketch anything that might have been around at the time. This tree with it’s age old roots growing over stone work would have certainly been alive and growing at the time.

About February 17, 1945, Le Havre Cathedral Notre Dame

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Cathedral Notre Dame in Le Havre, France suffered minor damage from WWII bombings. It is the oldest of the very few buildings in central Le Havre to have survived the devastation of World War II. While 82% of the city was destroyed by Allied bombing raids in the space of 5 days, the cathedral walls remained standing.  Arthur Thorspecken arrived in the port about February 17, 1945.

The church was built in the 16th and 17th centuries. The bell tower dates from 1520 and there are some impact scars from the bombings to this day. It is a Roman Catholic Church. My father was raised Roman Catholic but was excommunicated when he married my mother, Elvira Corr who was Methodist. They were married while my father was still in Military training in North Carolina. My oldest sister, names after Shirley Temple was born in 1943 while Arthur was in training.

As I was doing this sketch, a sea gull waked right up to me and sat down at my feet. I don’t think he was begging for food, he was just curious as to why a human was sitting still for so long. The street I was sitting at was under construction so several cars turned in and realized they had to back out and turn around.  As they did their 5 point turns the tires got close to the seagull and he was ready to move but sat still when he know they tires would not hit him. I respected his bold tenacity.

From this port city, Arthur would have likely been transported with other replacements, by truck to one of several 75th infantry headquarters that were set up as the 75th Infantry troops moved north by train to Panningen Netherlands.They had just finished operations in the Colmar Pocket where they pushed the Germans out of France.At first I thought Arthur Thorspecken  might have been involved in the fighting in  Colmar, but the timing was not right.

In early February 1945, he 75th infantry headquarters were in headquarters were in Charleville-Mézières France, Charleroi Belgium, Namur Belgium, Tongeren-Borgloon Belgium, and Weert Netherlands, before arriving in Penningen Netherlands. I decided to stop in each of these cities since Arthur probably would have reported to a command post before joining the troops assembling in Panningen Netherlands.

On February 17, 1945 the 75th Infantry was assigned to the  Ninth Army, 12th Army Group, atta hed to the British Second Army for operations. Arthur’s first experiences in battle would have been on the west bank of the Maas River. Allied troops held the west bank while the Nazis held the east bank. The Germans would constantly fire mortars at the allies. The unit history I have seemed to paint the Netherlands defensive position as an easy assignment. But as I was looking to learn more online, I found one question on Reddit that wanted to know how his father might have died in the Netherlands. His father served in the 75th infantry as well. There were endless dangers. Had my father not survived, I would not be here.

The Hound of the Baskervilles: Final Poster

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For the final Orlando Shakespeare Theater poster for the Hound of the Baskervilles, I kept the seated poses for Watson and Sherlock Holmes. In the Hound of the Baskervilles, Watson actually plays a much larger role than Holmes since he goes to the Baskerville estate to investigate alone. It is a chance to see him use his powers of deduction, but he is as swept up in the legend of the huge hound as the townspeople.

Through the mystery and intrigue Sherlock was actually investigating from afar. The Hound of the Baskervilles has been adapted so many times for movies and theater production that it is a perfect fit for a comedic farce. Most people are well aware of the story. It was required reading for me in high school.

mangling, murder and mayhem can be extremely funny when resented with tongue in cheek. In this production actors hod ornate picture frames to portray the historic Baskerville family lineage. I always love paintings that come alive, by expressing emotion.

If you get a chance to see this production, I would highly advise it. It should be laugh out loud funny.