Generators at Umspanwerk, Recklinghausen Germany

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In Recklinghausen Germany there is a museum right near the Rhine-Herne Canal. After sketching the canal, I walked over a footbridge and decided to go into the Umspannwerk museum. The museum tracks the progress of technology and energy in Germany. I figured that understanding the progress of energy in Germany might help me understand how energy fueled the German war machine during World War II.

What I decided to sketch was a large Tesla designed generator. A photo of Tesla was on the wall behind the generator. The front desk curators were very kind about getting me set up to sketch. Rather than getting my compact art stool outI decided to use a stackable chair that was with several other unused chairs behind the generator. The stackable chairs were locked together and I couldn’t get then unstuck. The guy behind the desk helped me by laying the chairs sideways on the floor and the. stepping on the legs. They snapped apart effortlessly.

The Ruhr area of Germany has deep veins of coal. The coal is fairly close to the surface near the Ruhr river in the south and it gets deeper as it is mined further to the north. What made the Ruhr area so important to the war was this source of energy.

Hydro power was used for some industry. Huge generators like the one I sketched would convert energy of spinning turbines spun by water onto electrical energy. Hydro electricity was important for specific industries like the aluminum and chemicals industries.

Germany’s energy consumption during WWII was characterized by a massive escalating demand primarily for oil (especially aviation fuel) which was provided through a huge synthetic fuel industry which converted coal to oil. This system collapsed under allied bombing, crippling the military by 1944-1945, forcing reliance on coal for electricity, and ultimately leading to fuel-starved German forces relying on horses.

The Allies crippled Germany’s energy by launching devastating bombing campaigns against oil fields, refineries, and synthetic fuel plants (the Allied Oil Plan), which drastically cut petroleum, oil, and lubricants production by over 90% by late 1944, which grounded the Luftwaffe and immobilized Panzer divisions, grinding the German war machine to a halt and severely limiting mobility for all forces. By 1945, the Wehrmacht was so fuel-starved that army vehicles were sometimes pulled by oxen, effectively ending mechanized warfare.

April 2, 1945: Rhine-Herne Canal Germany

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During WWII, the Rhine–Herne Canal,a vital industrial waterway in the Ruhr area of Germany, was a strategic target, seeing heavy fighting as Allied forces broke into the region in April 1945; the Germans destroyed bridges to slow the advance, but American troops eventually crossed the canal, securing cities like Herne and Gelsenkirchen, capturing key crossings and disrupting German resistance as part of the final push into Germany’s industrial heartland. 

On April 1, 1945. (Easter Sunday) C-Company spearheaded a drive south, atop of tanks of the 701st Tank Battalion to Rhine-Herne Canal virtually unopposed. By April 2, 1945 C-Company was at the Rhine-Herne Canal the 75th Infantry Division replaced elements of the 134th Infantry Division to secure the area.

Crossing the canal would require assault boats and pontoon bridges to be built by engineers. Each canal that the 75th Infantry Division had to cross was a dangerous natural barrier to the advance into the heart of Germany.

Having sat at the West bank to sketch I can say that the crossing would involve bridging about 100 yards while possibly under enemy fire. I sketched a crane as unloading several barges. The company tower was for Rolland Mills West which mills flour for baked goods.

Dorsten Attacked

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I did a second sketch in Dorsten Germany of Saint John’s Church. This Church, miraculously survived World War II with minimal damage; its primary wartime harm came in April 1945 when bombings or artillery shattered two choir windows, a testament to its relative good fortune compared to the heavily damaged city. Its survival of the intense fighting and bombing in the final days of the war (March and April 1945) made it a notable landmark and symbol of continuity amidst destruction.

To do this sketch. I sat just outside the inner city which is primarily for pedestrians. I set up my artist stool just outside of a jewelry shop. The shop owner came out to admire the sketch as I worked and he insisted in German that I take a bottle of sparkling water. I also met a woman who is an international traveler and she shared photos of place she had recently seen in Greece. we exchanged Instagram handles and now I can see her photos from around the world any time.

The battle for Dorsten on March 29, 1945 had B-Company, the 18th Tank Battalion, A-Company 7th Armored Infantry Battalion and the 3rd platoon of A-Company 53d Engineers Battalion, put pressure on Dorsten from the east. My gather 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken with his C-Company infantry troops would have moved ip towards Dorsten from the south. There were German snipers at the railroad tracks which would have made the advance difficult.

Dorsten was captured by 7:30am on March 29, 1945. At 2:30pm two tank Battalions gathered at a railroad on the west end of the city and stated moving east out of the city. Due to congested roads, lack of roads and enemy weapons fire, the attack bogged down.

The following morning, March 30, the attack was resumed by the two tank companies at 9:30am. There was fighting on the high ground east and south of Dorsten where the Germans had a clear view of the approach and were throwing direct fire. The tank Battalion move towards Marl Germany to the east was held up because of the fact that all the bridges across the front were blown.

The XVICorps Commander decided that it wasn’t an armored job because there were few infantrymen with each armored outfit. He ordered the 75th Infantry Division to take over. At 6am next morning, the 75th Division took over with two Regimental Combat Teams abreast and three rifle companies. As the 75th Infantry Division passed thru, the 2d Battalion of the 290 Infantry Regiment was pulled back off the front line.

Born Netherlands: Common Wealth Cemetery

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I was directed to go to this Common Wealth Cemetery by a woman who saw me sketching the Born Church, and invited me to meet her family and sit for a cup of coffee. She drove me to this site and even showed me a good parking spot behind a medical facility. This is the Mary Mother of Mercy Cemetery and it has three graves of British soldiers. I returned the next day to sketch.

I found it interesting that Major G.C. Williams was listed as Artists Rifles. He died on December 23rd 1944 at the age of 36.

Artists Rifles, 28th Battalion London Regiment Artist's Cap Badge ...The Artists’ Rifles was a British Army Reserve regiment, during WWII it served as an officer training unit instead of deploying overseas. The “Artists'” in its name is a legacy from its predecessor, the Artists’ Rifles, a Volunteer Corps unit formed in 1859 that included painters, sculptors, and musicians. During the Second World War, it was used as an officer training unit.
The cap badge featured profiles of Roman gods Mars and Minerva. The regiment was not deployed during the Second World War, functioning as an Officers Training Corps throughout the war.
J.G. Thompson was a gunner with the Royal Horse Artillery. He died December 24, 1944 at the age of 31. Corporal R. Mc Bane was with the Riffle Brigade. He died December 8, 1044 at the age of 23.

The graves are meticulously maintained with live flowers and carefully planned plantings. White stones were at the base of the graves so grass was kept away from the headstones and then there were areas of natural plantings and potted live flowers.

Dutch families adopt Allied graves and maintain the plots. All the war graves in the Netherlands have been adopted and there is a long waiting list, which could take years, for a family to finally adopt a World War II grave site. There are still many in the Netherlands who remember vividly the liberation day celebrations and how important that was to the country and the world. The next generation grew up knowing how big liberation was and the importance of the sacrifice these men made for their freedom. On Facebook, I saw photos of the lovely family who maintain this grave site. The parents are introducing the tradition to their children. People who maintain the graves are now being introduced to living family of the serviceman they are honoring. Now they get to see his picture and learn a little about him from people who loved him the most.

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.

Museum Peel & Maas, Helden Netherlands

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After assembling in Panningen Netherlands, the 75th Infantry troops were then transported to Helden Netherlands, near the Maas River. Translated, Helden means “Hero’s”. The 75th took up defensive positions on the Maas River to keep the Germans from crossing over. The 75th was under the command of the British Second Army’s VIII Corps, 21st Army group under Field Marshall Montgomery.

1st Lieutenant Dick Sassin outlined the situation, “We wound up in Holland right next to the British. There was harassing mortar fire and artillery from across the river. There was intensive training on assault boat techniques. C-Company was again at full strength due to replacements and returns from hospital stays.”  1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken was one of the replacements Sassin was referring I sketched the Peel and Maas Museum since it had an exhibit on World War II. The building was constructed in 1929 as a Roman Catholic a parish of Saint Lambertus Helden. It was built for the sisters of Divine Providence who settled in Helden in 1879. The building would have been here when the 75th Infantry was assigned to defend the country.

After the invasion of Normandy, on June 6, 1944, people in the Netherlands hoped that freedom would come in a matter of weeks.  They would have to endure 5 more months before complete liberation. On October 8, 1944, a month before liberation, the Germans captured 2000 men and boys on the West Bank of the Maas during Sunday services. Men tried to hide in between the pipes of the organ. During the following week, another 1000 were captured. Of these ca-turned men 836 were from Peel and Mass. In the years 1940 to 1945, 299 residents of Peel and Maas lost their lives due to the war, and the bombing destruction that accompanied the war.

Frits Bruijnen remembered… “It’s foggy at Christmas. We are on the train going towards Watenstedt and the Herman Goring Works. At factory Aktion 88 I usually at night had to stack shells on train wagons without rest. So we stack hundreds every night. The shells were likely fired at Limburg our home Provence. In Watenstadt there was little to live for. Every week we got 1200 grams of bread that needed to last the week. After being liberated, I walked home. My mother asked ‘who are you?’ She didn’t recognize me.”

Saint Martin’s Church Weert Netherlands

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With each new town I stop at I go to the downtown market to see which buildings might have been standing in 1945. In Weert Netherlands I decided to sketch Saint Martin’s Church built starting in 1456. Construction lasted for more than 100 years. The tall church tower was completed in 1887. The church was badly damaged in an Allied bombing raid in October 1944. The tall church tower remained standing, The Germans used the surviving tower as an  observation post.

The tower collapsed after a second WWII Allied bombing and damaged the nave below. It took years of hard restoration work to bring the building back to its former glory.

The 75th Infantry Command Post was in Weert as troops were assembled in the Netherlands. If 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken reported here before joining his C-Company he would have seen the highly damaged Church.

As I was doing this sketch I noticed a young man watching me from one of the tables at the left of my sketch. When I finished, he came over and let me know that he was sketching me at work. unfortunately I finished my sketch before he could complete his sketch. He could speak English rather well and invited me for a bite at the restaurant he was sitting in front of.

That restaurant, which is just out of view in my sketch, was MacDonalds. He told me it is the most  American of restaurants. So, I had a Big Mac, Coke and fries in Weert. Actually fries are very popular in every European country I have gone to. My goal now it to find restaurants that to not show fries on their online menus. I went to an Indian restaurant today just to avoid French Fries.

The young artist showed me his sketchbook and he had a wonderful sketch of the Saint Martin’s Church. He managed to catch all the horizontal variegated brick work which I had ignored in my rush to complete my sketch. We became instagram buddies. He had to help me locate a couple of the buttons on my iPhone needed to complete the task. Though my focus is in trying to unearth some of the history from 80 years ago, people keep introducing themselves to remind me that looking towards the future is just as important.

Of  course the artist asked me about the current United States president. I explained that having a wanna be dictator in the White House is part of the reason I am looking at the World War II past. Someone else told me that America has no history compared to Europe.

“Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” –Winston  Churchhill

“History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce”. –Karl Marx

Windmill near Weert Netherlands

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Weert Netherlands was a command post and headquarters for the American 75th Infantry Division after the Battles of the Colmar Pocket in South West France. It is possible that 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken could have reported here before joining his C-Company troops in Panningen Netherlands. The 75th Infantry was to set up- a defensive line along the West Bank of the Maas River. German troops were on the East bank of the river and the 75th needed to keep them from advancing back into the Netherlands. The Netherlands surrendered to Germany in May 15, 1940, after a five day invasion. The entire country of the Netherlands was liberated by Allied forces by May 5, 1945.

1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken would have arrived 9n the Netherlands shortly after February 17, 1945. That means German forces still occupied some areas of the country. Weert managed to escape-e major bombing destruction, although areas around the city were a battlefield. The most fighting the 75th saw in the Netherlands was in Roermond.

I like that in the Netherlands they train trees to grow only in tight horizontal Boxes. It started to rain very lightly as I sketched. I leaned over the drawing and waited for the rain to stop.  A fellow walking his dog stopped to see how the sketch was going. He asked if he could take a picture of me holding the sketch and l was happy to pose. This particular windmill has been around for 150 years, so it would have been here in 1945.

I walked towards the entrance of the mill, but it was not open. A pear tree had dropped ripe fruit next to the mill. The tree was on a neighbors property, but the fruit had dropped over a fence by the mill. I picked up a few pears since Seacoast Bank was still denying me access to the finds I had put aside for this trip.

when I went back to my car, I was about to get in and the fellow who had been walking his dog waved and called my name. I had parked right in fr0nt of his home. He invited me into the back yard for a coffee and we talked politics and about his job selling medical equipment. His home was lovely and they had a gorgeous garden. That is true of most homes in the a Netherlands, they love have lush gardens.

It is hard to imagine that this was a war torn country back in 1945.

Procession: Tongeren-Borgloon Belgium

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Tongeren-Borgloon was a command post for the 75th Infantry Division as troops were sent by train and troop transport trucks to the Netherlands. It is possible 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken might have gone to this command post before joining C-Company in the Netherlands. If Arthur Thorspecken walked the streets of Tongeren, he would have likely stopped to see this statue celebrating an ancient victory against the Romans.

T0ngeren was occupied by the Germans in WWII. The Germans used the newly built Ambiorix barracks for training. The Allies liberated Tongeren on September 8, 1944. German V-Bombs were falling in the area in December of 1944.V Bombs created by the Germans were early cruise missiles. It was known by the Germans as the Hollenhund (hellhound). Allies referred to is as the buzz bomb or doodle bug.

When I got to the city square, I decided to sketch the bronze statue of Ambiorix the king of the Euronext. The statue dates from 1866 but the history dates back Roman times, 54 BC. Ambiorix defeated the Romans who invaded his country. Julius Ceaser referred to the Belgians as the bravest of all the Gauls. Ambriorix is shown in Germanic attire with a dragon helmet and his weapon of choice, a hatchet.

An older gentleman stopped to watch me sketch for a while. He explained to me that the costuming was all wrong. Many locals don’t like the Germanic attire on the statue, but they are stuck with it. The fence surrounding the statue 9s made of spears which is in keeping with Celtic tradition.While doing the sketch, a Sunday procession made its way through the public square. This is a Catholic tradition and half of the towns youth must have taken park. Women had angels wings and golden sleeves. Scholars and clerics marched together. A statue of the Virgin Mary was carried by 4 men through the streets.They marched right in front of me and past the merry go round to my left.

Gingelom Belgium: The Briefing

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As the time of the WWII battle approached, there was a briefing among the allies in the entry way to a courtyard across the street from Museum Winter 1944. 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken would have been in charge of handing out similar orders to his platoon of 18 to 50 men. I jotted down a sketch in my pocked sized sketchbook and finished just before the meeting broke up. From my vantage point in the courtyard entry doorway. I could not overhear the plans being put in place. I would make a horrible spy but at least I would get a few decent sketches done.

One of the solders came up to me and looked over my shoulder at the sketch. In English, he complained jokingly that I had only drawn American soldiers with the helmets. That wasn’t true because I drew several fellows with berets. He p0inted out that Scotsmen like himself wore RED berets. I quickly pulled out a red colored pencil and scribbled in some red on a beret. The soldier was quite pleased and bragged to his buddy about how he had affected the art being made.

Army troop trucks started firing up and with a roar they were off to battle. I asked the owner of Museum 1944 how far a hike was it to the battlefield and she invited me to take a ride to the site in her father’s jeep.  As we drove to the field, we passed quite a few villagers walking to the battle site. I felt a little guilty since I wasn’t in a uniform,  but at least my shirt was drab green which camouflaged me.

The German camp was in a recess in a field with hills on three sides. There were no lookouts on top of those hills. Had there been lookouts, they might have noticed that hundreds of people were gathering on top of the hills surrounding the site. There was one rather large tree which divided the camp in two. On one side, to the East, there was a Red Cross medical area with nurses. I decided to focus on the front end of the camp, with a few scattered tents.