Storm and Assault Boats

[Johan WILLAERT]

Thanks Clive,

Any news on the Motorcycle Book?

[Gretchen]

WE are looking for either the actual 18 foot storm boat made by Minnetonka Boat Works, inc, Wayzata, Mn or the blue prints. Century made them too. they were lightweight, 4 man carry, and used to cross rivers like the Rhine or Moselle in Germany and France. We are hoping to add to our historic boat collection in Wayzata on Lake Minnetonka. Any in fo you have would be much appreciated. Gretchen

[Scott Bentley]

Taken from a Brigade Mess Dinner Speech a few years ago on the topic:

"Just over 60 years ago the largest Airborne Operation in history, “Market Garden” took place in Holland in an attempt to bring an early close to the World War 2. The goal of “Market Garden” was for three Airborne Divisions to seize three groups of bridges, the 101st at Eindhoven, 82nd at Nijmegen and the British 1st at Arnhem.
Simultaneously the British 30th Corps was to smash through the German front lines and link up with each of the bridges ending in Arnhem. As you know this did not go too well for the British 1st Airborne Division.
The British drop at Arnhem consisted of 10,000 1st Airborne Troops. Unlike the two American Drops to the south, the 1st Airborne encountered some serious setbacks ranging from improper functioning communications gear to being dropped some 10kms from their objectives. To further hamper their operation, battle hardened German Troops from the 9th SS Panzer Division had coincidently been sent to Arnhem to regroup a few weeks earlier.
After putting up an incredible seven-day fight against German Tanks with no effective resupply, the British 1st Airborne Division was totally exhausted and 30 Corps was still too far away to relieve them. Plans were soon drafted to prepare an evacuation effort named Operation Berlin. In the morning of Sept 25th 1944, the order came down from General Urqhart: “Operation Berlin must happen tonight”.
23 Field Company RCE was then dispatched to evacuate the remaining members of the British 1st Airborne Division.
When Major M.L. Tucker (the commanding officer of 23 Field Coy.) arrived at an O-Group, he was assigned a sector and told to bring out as many survivors as he could. No one could say how many survivors there might be and there was no information available on the enemy situation or the crossing sites.
20 and 23 Field Companies with their Evinrude powered wooden Storm Boats would be assisted by the British 260 Wessex Fd Coy who were equipped with collapsible canvas paddle type Assault Boats which were described as being “Really quite useless”.
For 23 Field Company, the task of moving 14 x 20' long Storm Boats 500 yards and up over two 18' high clay dykes in the rain and under German Shelling was only the beginning.
The first boat to arrive on the far side was one of the small assault craft of the British 260 Wessex Field Company. The current in the flooded river was very strong and the British Sappers had to approach diagonally while paddling furiously. On the return trip, the passengers had to help out or risk being swept away.
The rescue of large numbers of men depended solely upon the Canadian Sappers, but the first boat they launched sank after being badly holed by Machine Gun fire. The second boat, captained by Lieutenant JR. Martin, set off across the river to determine the situation and start the evacuation. Witnesses reported that a direct mortar hit caused it to break apart in mid-river. None of the crew survived. Still, 23 Field Company pressed on.
To Quote Major Tucker the Commanding Officer of 23 Field Company:
“The night was intensely dark, but fires started by our bombers in the afternoon and the numerous flares sent up by the enemy must have revealed a great deal of our movement to him. There was a great deal of enemy fire during the night. Machine-guns set on fixed lines swept the river and beaches on both sides.... Mortar and 88-mm fire fell everywhere.”
He goes on to say:
“It was impossible to regulate the number of passengers carried in boats at times. Men panicked and stormed onto the boats, in some cases capsizing them. In many cases, they had to be beaten back or threatened with shooting to avoid having the boats swamped. “With the approach of dawn, this condition became worse. “They were afraid that daylight would force us to cease our ferrying before they could be rescued. A corporal operating a boat which was leaking badly decided he could make one more trip and bring off a few men before it went down. It sunk as it approached the south shore, but fortunately the water was shallow and they were able to wade ashore safely.”
It is estimated that the storm-boat crews of 23 Field Company with an average load of 16 passengers brought 150 boatloads back. Thus, of the approximately 2,600 British Para’s who were rescued, 2,400 to 2,500 troops were brought across the Neider Rhine River by 23 Field Company alone.
The cost to 23 Field Company was by no means light. Of the 50 odd men directly involved with the evacuation that bone chilling night, 6 were killed or missing in action, and 5 were seriously wounded.
Lt Russell J. Kennedy, resident of Kingston Ontario was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery and actions as the Troop Commander on site during the Arnhem operations. Also awarded, was the DSO to Major Tucker and Military Medals to Spr’s Thicke, Lebouthiere and McCready.
It was these actions of the Sappers from 23 Field Company that laid the foundation for 23 Field Squadron and 2 Combat Engineer Regiment. If the Sappers of 2 CER are ever called to do so again, they will be there."

[Gretchen]

Thanks Scotty B! You have provided more info. What this tells me is we are either diving in Europe or looking for design plans. I have passed this speech on. I will also check 23 Field Company out. I am so sorry and proud of these troops. I believe it is time to come home. If you think of any thing else let me know.
In gratitude, gretchen

[servicepub (RIP)]

John Sliz, the originator of this thread, wrote "Storm Boat Kings" which was recently published by Vanwell's.

THE STORM BOAT KINGS

THE 23 RD R.C.E. AT ARNHEM 1944

By John Sliz
ST. CATHARINES, ON—
WHEN DAWN ARRIVED ON September 26th 1944, Lieutenant Russ Kennedy of the 23rd Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers, found himself on the wrong side of the Rhine River in a storm boat with an engine that wouldn’t start. With him were thirty-six battle weary members of the British 1st Airborne Division, crammed into a boat meant to carry only sixteen men. They had two choices; to either sit around waiting to be captured or risk crossing the strong and wide river that was well within the sights of German machine gunners and artillery fire.
They had just witnessed the fate of the previous boat. Without an engine, twenty-five men had tried to paddle across without success. They were a slow moving target on a river in full illumination. Only four of them lived to make it to safety.
If the Lieutenant and his boatload of men could get across, it would mark the end to a long and difficult night. They were the last boat and the engineers had done a terrific job despite the odds. All night, the engineering units had ferried over 2,300 troops across the river. What was left of the besieged British 1st Airborne Division had been rescued.
THE EPIC BATTLE of the British 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem in 1944, has been told many times, but so far the story of how they were evacuated across the River Rhine has only been merely touched upon.
This is the story of how the Royal Canadian Engineers not only supported the Royal Engineers, but ferried the lion’s share of the Airborne troops across the flooded river under less than ideal conditions.
One unit in particular, the 23rd Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers would find fame because of their expert handling of the Storm Boats and for their bravery. Unfortunately, glory came at a high cost to a unit that would soon earn the nickname, ‘The Storm Boat Kings’.


PO Box 2131,
1 Northrup crescent
St. Catharines, ON L2R 7S2
(905) 937-3100 ext.858
(800) 661-6136
(905) 937-1760 fax
- Vanwell Publishing Limited
simon.kooter@vanwell.com

[Gretchen]

We must never forget how really difficult these situations and Battles were. We are already requesting 'The Storm Boat Kings' from Princeton library. It's so amazing what these men did for their country. This blog site is probably the best one I have ever participated in and must continue. I grew up watching 'World at War' with my Dad. That's when he would tell me some of the stories. I miss him. Thank you for responding so quickly. It will help with our preservation. There is so much yet to learn. gretchen

[Kent Aist]

In the attachment there was a question about what a fellow was doing with a saw in one of the photos. It looked more like a plane to me. It has a similar handle, but it shaves off wood to smooth or shape it.

Kent

[sapper740]

Originally Posted by Johan WILLAERT

Hi all,

Just found this thread while searching the net for these boats. For a display in a local museum, I'm looking for two British Folding Assault Boats of WW2 vintage or look.

Anyway, either WW2 vintage, postwar manufacture or replica is OK, as long as they have the correct WW2 look.

All offers will be considered...

Also is the book shown above available somewhere....

Thanks,

Johan

Johan, I highly recommend that you read the book, "Engineer Assault Boats in Canadian service" by John Sliz and published by MLU's own servicepub. I'm not an expert, but the storm boat in the Minnetonka picture is definitley not the folding canvas Assault Boat used by the RE's during OP Berlin. Further, the Storm Boat used by Canadian Engineers looks a lot different from the US Storm Boat, so depending upon who you are trying to portray, you might want a look at this book.

Chimo! Derek.

[Johan WILLAERT]

Thanks for the replies, but meanwhile we have obtained boats that are now on display in the 'For Freedom Museum' in Knokke....



More pictures from the museum:
http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/sh...ad.php?t=11266

[Gretchen]

Hanno,
I am from Wayzata, MN. I grew up with Minnetonka Boat Works. We too are Looking for any design info. We don't think these plywood boats are just laying around. We are putting together a Boat museum. I read from you that theseStorm boats used a plastic bonded plywood. Do You have any more info? Gretchen

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Gretchen

Hanno,
I am from Wayzata, MN. I grew up with Minnetonka Boat Works. We too are Looking for any design info. We don't think these plywood boats are just laying around. We are putting together a Boat museum. I read from you that these Storm boats used a plastic bonded plywood. Do You have any more info? Gretchen

Hi Gretchen,

I would be amazed if any of the plywood boats would survive for decades, other than being put in long term storage by the armed forces. This is how a number of U.S. M2 Plywood Boats survived, these can be seen in museum and private collections today.

As for the American Storm Boat, other than the info provided here and in the link by David (see below), I don´t have any further info re. the design, manufacture or current whereabouts. Being local, I think you have the best chances to find out more information in local archives and from people who worked at the Minnetonka Boat Works? Also, you should try contacting the the US Army archives.

Sorry, I wish I could be of more help to you.

Regards,
Hanno

Originally Posted by cletrac

Here's a site with some pictures showing some details of storm boats.
http://www.40thengineers.org/storm_boats.htm

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Gretchen

We don't think these plywood boats are just laying around.

Gretchen,

Well it seems in France they do? See http://www.vehicules-militaires.com/...ieds&Itemid=48

Hope this helps,
Hanno

Barque-pont US
01-03-2010
Barque du génie en bois, double coque.
Très bon état.
500 kg environ.
Datée 1953.
500 euros.
Tél.: 0675517099

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Some more Life Magazine pictures:

boat laden bren carrier

crossing

crossing 2

crossing 3

Attack In Holland: British infantrymen unfold their wood and canvas assault boats and prepare to make a dash across the Wessem Canal under heavy German mortar fire during attack in Holland

[Hanno Spoelstra]

The Storm Boat Kings by John Sliz

Appendix to Newsletter No.105 of the Society of Friends of the Airborne Museum Oosterbeek, February 2007

https://www.pegasusarchive.org/arnhem/RepStorm.htm

[Hanno Spoelstra]

The CWM is highlighting Operation Berlin, see this link

Operation Market Garden and the Royal Canadian Engineers
Discover Second World War materials related to the Royal Canadian Engineer (RCE) units involved in the evacuation of some 2,500 Allied airborne soldiers at the end of Operation Market Garden. On 25 September 1944, the 20th and 23rd Field Companies, RCE, along with the 260th and 553rd Field Companies of the Royal Engineers, and with the support of the 1st Polish Parachute Brigade, launched Operation Berlin. This daring nighttime effort evacuated Allied airborne forces across the Nederrijn (Lower Rhine River) at Arnhem, Netherlands, under heavy German fire.

There are no known photographs of the Operation Berlin evacuation of Allied airborne forces across the Nederrijn (Lower Rhine River) on the night of 25-26 September 1944. These images from late November show the 23rd Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers using storm boats with outboard motors to transport soldiers of the United States Army’s 101st Airborne Division across the Waal River near Nijmegen, Netherlands. The Americans were being relieved after holding their positions for more than 70 days.
Through the Canadian War Museum’s digitization program, you can now discover more materials related to Operation Berlin in our collections: https://bit.ly/3XW7nfZ

Evacuation of American soldiers from Nijmegen
CWM 20000026-008-2, 20000026-008-1, 20000026-008-3
George Metcalf Archival Collection
Canadian War Museum

[Hanno Spoelstra]

British / Allied Personnel having their first drink in Nijmegen after their evacuation from the German encirclement in Arnhem - September 1944

Captain Jan Linzel (second from left) is a member of the Royal Netherlands Navy attached to No 10 Commando.

During the night of September 25-26 1944, “Operation Berlin” took place with the intention of evacuating the survivors of the British 1st Airborne Division trapped in the Arnhem area which were surrounded on three sides by superior German forces.

The operation evacuated around 2,400 Personnel, thus ending Operation Market Garden.

IWM HU 5417