An interesting small grouping to the Sniper Alfred Weis, born in 1927, he was enlisted into the German Army in February of 1945. He served with : Festungs Pak Kp 2/XXXX (Festungs-Pak-Verband XXXX) – Oberrhein Front On December 16, 1944, the Germans attacked in the Ardennes. What became known as the “Battle of the Bulge” forced the movement of large numbers of U.S. troops north out of Alsace and Lorraine to counter the German attack. In January, additional U.S. troops were moved north in response to the German counter-offensive into northern Alsace, Operation North Wind (Unternehmen Nordwind). Taking advantage of the stretched Allied lines, Himmler ordered the recapture of Strasbourg. German troops assaulted across the Rhine near Gambsheim on January 5, 1945[4] and soon occupied a bridgehead including the towns of Herrlisheim, Drusenheim, and Offendorf north of Strasbourg. South of Strasbourg, German troops in the Colmar Pocket attacked north toward Strasbourg on January 7, inflicting painful losses on the French II Corps, but were ultimately unable to break the French defense. Reinforced by elements of the 10th SS Panzer Division, the German troops in the Gambsheim Bridgehead held their own against U.S. and French counterattacks during January 1945, manhandling the U.S. 12th Armored Division at Herrlisheim. The German successes of January, however, marked the high point for the Upper Rhine High Command. The Gambsheim Bridgehead, and further to the south, the Colmar Pocket, would not be reduced by Allied forces until well into February 1945, but the operations of the Upper Rhine High Command after mid-January were defensive in nature. Equipment: G43 with DOW Scope on the 5.4.1945 along with a pistol and cleaning kit for the Sniper Rifle, as well as a set of 6×30 BLC Binoculars . (PLEASE NOTE: These are very late entries, and we do not really think the Rifle entries are provable 100%). Swiss Issued IDs Interesting, and what seems to be incredibly rare is the Swiss ID attached. He is pictured in a Panzer Wrap, without Eagle issued in December of 1945. So he made it over the border to Switzerland to surrender on the 27th of April 1945. The photo was taken by Photo Brandt in Arosa, and the Swiss Countryside can be seen in the background. It seems he was then interned in a Camp in Chur, under the Military Internment Graubunden Chur. Another ID, was issued for when he was in Arosa Switzerland , and had to be presented when he visited any local businesses. Extra A nice uniform photo  in RAD Uniform. Another document states that he was handed over in December to the French Army in Tuttlingen, interestingly it states he is a POW and a Deminer, so he was likely active in post war mine clearance. Also a 1947 issued Sport ID was in the grouping. Final   What an incredible bit of history with the Swiss link, he was active with arms for about two weeks and made it to Switzerland.

Wonderful Original WWI Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation Tiffany Sterling 5765G Makers 483 Sterling Silver 925-1000 Presentation Plate 13 Inch Diameter Weighing 864 Grams. This Magnificent Piece is Date Engraved 1918 with ‘Aircraft Service Wings’ to the Top at 12 O’clock, Engraved – To Richard F. Hoyt In Appreciation of His Good Fellowship While Secretary of The Wright-Martin Aircraft Corporation During the War from His Coworkers with Eight Signatures Below. Richard F. Hoyt was a 20th Century Industrialist, Banker, Developer and Board Member of Numerous Large Corporations.  He was Chairman of Madison Square Gardens and was Awarded The Presidents Cup by President Herbert Hoover in 1929 for among other issue his Significant Contribution to Military Aviation During WWI.  Hoyt was a Financial Sponson of Both Charles Lindbergh and Adm. Richard E. Byrd’s Expeditions.  He was an Early Speedboat Enthusiast (see 1934 New York Times Obituary & Photo of Pres. Hoover Presenting Cup for Reference) Fine Condition as Photographed with one small ding at about 11 O’clock, A Superb Addition to Any Advanced Aviation or Tiffany Sterling Collection, a Fine Display Piece with Volumes of History Hidden Within

Wonderful & Exceptional 1836 Tobacco Jar Table Box Mahogany Crafted from a Timber of Royal Navy H.M.S. Gibraltar Originally The Spanish Navy Fénix; A Turned Mahogany Table Tobacco Box, made from the Timber Of H.M.S. Gibraltar (1749), Circa 1836.  The Interior has a Manuscript Label Purposefully and Intricately Inlaid to the Upper Lid Interior, Covered in Wood Banded Glass this History States ‘This is a piece of H.M. Ship Gibralter 80 guns built by the Spaniards on the Island of Cuba and launched in 1751 by the name of Phoenix, captured by Sir Geo Rodney in 1780 commanded by Admiral Langara. The Admirals Flag was presented to his Majesty George the Third by his son Prince William Henry then a Midshipman in the Fleet “Well does Great Britain Merit the Empire of the Sea when the humblest Stationes in the Navy are filled by Princes of the blood” said Admiral Langara. – She was taken to pieces in Pembroke Dockyard in 1836′ – G.T. –  Originally built for the Spanish Navy in Cuba in 1749, the Fenix was the flagship of Admiral Juan de Langara.  After it was captured by British Admiral Rodney at the Battle of Cape St. Vincent in 1780, it was commissioned as H.M.S. Gibraltar and taken into service. The ship subsequently saw action at The Battle of Fort Royal, Invasion of Tobago, Battle of Cudalore, Glorious First of June, Battle of Heyeres Islands, Battle of the Basque Roads, & was awarded the Naval General Service Medal with Clasp ‘Egypt’  before eventually being broken up in Pembroke Navy Dock 1836.  This Historic & Unique Tobacco Box Measures 5 1/2 x 2 Inches – The piece remains in remarkable condition for its age as photographed but it has a split at the base of the upper half and provenance & glass can become loose with two pieces of the interior trim that holds it to the lid broken as seen (could easily be repaired); additionally, the lid is tight to the base and if pressed together as intended can be difficult to separate.  A Nearly One of Kind Addition to Any Royal Navy Collection, Library Room, or Maritime Display – One of the More Unusual Tobacco Jars Available! – Recent Estate Auction Acquisition & Presented as Acquired, Exceptionally Rare – Prominent San Bernardino Estate (see history below) Fénix was an 80-gun ship of the line (navio) of the Spanish Navy, built by Pedro de Torres at Havana in accordance with the system laid down by Antonio Gaztaneta launched in 1749. In 1759, she was sent to bring the new king, Carlos III, from Naples to Barcelona. When Spain entered the American Revolutionary War in June 1779, Fénix set sail for the English Channel where she was to join a Franco-Spanish fleet of more than 60 ships of the line under Lieutenant General Luis de Córdova y Córdova. The Armada of 1779 was an invasion force of 40,000 troops with orders to capture the British naval base at Portsmouth. As the flagship of Admiral Juan de Lángara, the ship fought at the Battle of Cape St Vincent on 16 January 1780, where she was captured by the British Royal Navy and commissioned as the third rate HMS Gibraltar in March of that year. She spent a short while in the English Channel before joining Samuel Hood’s squadron in the West Indies and taking part in the Capture of St Eustatius in February 1781 and the Battle of Fort Royal the following month. Gibraltar and five other ships were sent to stop a French invasion fleet bound for Tobago in May 1781, but found the French too powerful and had to withdraw. In November, her 18-pound guns were replaced with 24-pounders, after which, in February 1782, she sailed to the East Indies and in the following year participated in the Battle of Cuddalore. At the start of the French Revolutionary War, Gibraltar served in the Channel Fleet, fighting at the Glorious First of June in 1794 before being sent to the Mediterranean in May 1795. In June, the ship was in an action off Hyères; then, in December 1796, she was badly damaged in a storm and had to return to England for major repairs. By June Gibraltar was back in the Mediterranean, serving in the navy’s Egyptian campaign, where she remained during and beyond the Peace of Amiens, except for a short period when she was sent home for a refit. Returning to the Channel in April 1807, Gibraltar joined the fleet under Admiral James Gambier, which fought the Battle of the Basque Roads in 1809. This was her last major action; the ship was taken out of service in 1813 and converted to a powder hulk. She became a lazarette in 1824, then was broken up in November 1836 at Pembroke Dock. Construction and armament Fénix was a Spanish, two deck, ship of the line built in Havana from mahogany.[2] Launched in 1749, her dimensions were 178 feet 10.75 inches (54.5 m) along the gun deck, 144 feet 6 inches (44.0 m) at the keel, with a beam of 52 feet 11.75 inches (16.1 m) and a depth in the hold of 22 feet 1.75 inches (6.8 m). This made her 2,184 35⁄94 tons burthen (bm). Classed as an 80-gun third rate, Fénix was armed with thirty 24 pounders (11 kg) on her lower gun deck, thirty-two 18 pounders (8.2 kg) on her upper gun deck, twelve 9 pounders (4.1 kg) on the quarterdeck, and six on the forecastle. Her sister ship, Rayo, was later converted to a 100-gun, three-decker. She was wrecked at Trafalgar in 1805. Fénix was captured by the British in 1780. She was copper sheathed and fitted out for British service at Plymouth Dockyard between April and August 1780 at a cost of £16,068.5.3d. The Admiralty changed her armament a number of times: in November 1781 the 18-pounders on her upper deck were upgraded to 24-pounders, and the same December two 68-pounder (31 kg) carronades were added. By 1810,…