Hello guy,
Today i'll present you one the best grouping i was lucky enough to buy last year from a member of this forum. More researches could be done, but it's already a long story. I hope i'll be able to focus a bit more on each sector where this soldier was involved. Good read and i hope you'll enjoy!
Karl Maak was born on the 6th of july 1918 as the world is always immersed in the WW1.
Training and first units:
Maak entered the army in november 1937 with the 4,/Flieger-Ersatz-Abetilung 16 in Schleswig.
In april 1938, he was transfered to fliegerhorstkompanie Bug auf Rügen near Bug's peninsula, 5km in South-West of Wiek. It seems that there were trained aircrews secretly.
He was then transferred back to 5./ Flieger-Ersatz-Abetilung 16 in Schleswig where he was until august 1939 before being part of the Pak-Kdo.2. Here he was trained on anti-tanks pak 37.
In july 1940, Karl Maak will be transfered to the fallschirmjäger branch, and will stay in fallschirmtruppen until the end of his war.
Firstly integrated to 1./Fallsch-Panzerjäger-Abt.7, from 19/07/1940 to 17/08/1940, he passed with success the fallschirmschutzen training in schüle Wittsctock. He is awarded jump badge on the 7th october 1940.
He is trained to use many weapons, as we can observe in the Wehrpass entries : 98k/Lmg13/P08/Pak 3,7cm/Mp38/Mg34.
Operation Merkur:
Maak and his comrades are in may 1941, as a lot of paratroopers, sent to Greece, to take part in Operation Merkur. Now member of the 1 Zug, Maak was dropped over Alikianu, inland between Chania and Maleme.
1st Zug of Leutnant Sempert took off at 7.30 on the 21th of may, to jump and land around 8.20 in the sector of Alikianu. This 1st Zug is composed of 4 Anti-tank guns 3,7cm PAK and the first anti tank crew was composed as follow :
Geschützführer : Uffz. Karl MAAK (replaced Fhj. Uffz. BECKER +20/05/1941).
Schütze 1 : Gefr; FELDMANN
Schütze 2 : Gefr. MUES
MG-Schütze : Obgfr. Fred REICHENEDER
They will fight heavily, especially to take the Cretan city of Chania, and on the 27th of may, members of the 1st Kompanie raised the german flag on the church of the city. At that moment, they are now tasked to protect the costal areas around Chania.
On the 14th July 1941, they were brought back to Athen with Ju 52 and then to Schwerin, their new training's location. Maak, as his comrades were awarded EK2 (11/06/1941) and EK1 (26/06/1941) for their involvement in Crete and they received their cufftitle « Kreta ».
Russian front:
In december 1941, 1./Fallschirm-Panzerjäger-Abt.7 is now equiped with new anti-tank guns, the 5cm PAK 38. This new weapons arrival matches with their departure to the eastern front.
First stop : Dnjepropetrowsk in Ukraine. From there, they were transported by train to the actual city of Donetsk (Stalino). Arrived there, paratroopers took positions in what looked like steppes and the first losses of men and equipment appeared with the cold weather.. They will hold these positions for 3 months, until the end of march 1942 when an Italian Division releaved them.
During this period, Maak is promoted to Feldwebel.
The 1./Fallsch-Panzerjäger-Abt.1 is then transferred to the area of Volkhov in Nothern Russia and held their positions there until july 1942.
The unit suffered heavy losses during this period.
Before their arrival in Russia in 1941, unit counted 230 members, but only 35 came back from the Russian front to Schwerin on the 13th july 1942.
At that time, Maak and his comrades took some rest, trainings continued before being sent back to Russia, in the area of Witebesk – Smolensk in October 1942. Fights there were huge and losses were numerous. On the 1st december 1942, Karl Maak is promoted to Oberfeldwebel and received the Ostmedal and the erkampfabzeichen der luftwaffe.
Back to training:
In April 1943, they were brought back from Russia and sent to Normandy, for training in the area of Flers where the kompanie was rebuilt.
During a jump training, the Spiess Maak was badly injured as his canopy opened too late. His vertebral coloumn suffered from a hard landing.
Back on the tracks, Maak is transferred on the 5th of june 1943 to the old 1 ./Fallschirm-Panzerjäger-Abt.7 which is now renamed 5./Fallschirm-Panzerjäger-Abt.1.
The unit now received new guns, the 7,5cm PAK and moved to the south of France, in the area of Arles/Fontvieille. This newly formed kompanie is managed by Hauptmann Heuser who's replaced by Oberleutnant Kronenberger, his assistant is Leutnant Krabbenhöft and Karl Maak became Hauptfeldwebel.
Resistance in Sicily and Italy:
In july 1943, the kompanie is transported to Naples with Lastenseglern GO 242 to counter the allied landing in Sicily. During the landing in Sicily, one of the glider's tyres exploded and Hauptmann Heuser and his men passed near a complete disaster. The following night, the airfield was bombed and gliders were destroyed. The only solution was now to go to south Italy with train and then load trucks to join the area of Catania which was the area to defend. Working with the Fallschirmjäger-Regiment.3 and the Fallschirm-MG-Btl, Maak and his men fought against the allies, being forced to loose ground days after days.
They were the last units to leave Sicily and were always fighting in Calabrien in august 1943. The retreat sent them to the fights around Pescara in Italy, to protect the ports. Here, they fought heavily against Canadians and New-Zealanders.
Normandy:
Because of the situation in Italy, Maak's Kompanie was sent to Bretagne to be integrated in the 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division and formed the Fallschirm-Panzerjäger-Abt.3.
Maak was part of the 1./Fallsch-Panzerjäger-Abt.3 and had soon to fight against the allies in Normandy. On the 8th of June, Karl Maak with the rest of the 3rd Division went to Normandy, passing towards Avranches, to take positions on a line at the north-east area of St-Lô.
Now begin the hell around St-Lô.
Maak and his men will fought for days and even months in Normandy. Entries in his wehrpass show a bit more where he was involved:
9.6 – 15.7.44 : fights west of Caumont
16.7 – 26.7.44 : Saint Lô
27.7 – 31.7.44 : Torigini
1.8 – 3.8.44 : Vire River
4.8 – 8.8.44 : Vire
9.8 – 17.8.44 : Orne river and Falaise
18.8 – 22.8.44 :encirclement battle in Argentan
23.8 – 26.8.44 : Fights on the Seine river
Maak was probably made POW during the last days of the battle of Normandy, as they were retreating. After the war, he became member of the Bundeswehr and was a member of the Fallsch-Panzerjäger-Abt veteran's association.
For sure a quite single destiny, dedicated to the Army. He passed through a lot of interesting parts of ww2 history.
Today i'll present you one the best grouping i was lucky enough to buy last year from a member of this forum. More researches could be done, but it's already a long story. I hope i'll be able to focus a bit more on each sector where this soldier was involved. Good read and i hope you'll enjoy!
Karl Maak was born on the 6th of july 1918 as the world is always immersed in the WW1.
Training and first units:
Maak entered the army in november 1937 with the 4,/Flieger-Ersatz-Abetilung 16 in Schleswig.
In april 1938, he was transfered to fliegerhorstkompanie Bug auf Rügen near Bug's peninsula, 5km in South-West of Wiek. It seems that there were trained aircrews secretly.
He was then transferred back to 5./ Flieger-Ersatz-Abetilung 16 in Schleswig where he was until august 1939 before being part of the Pak-Kdo.2. Here he was trained on anti-tanks pak 37.
In july 1940, Karl Maak will be transfered to the fallschirmjäger branch, and will stay in fallschirmtruppen until the end of his war.
Firstly integrated to 1./Fallsch-Panzerjäger-Abt.7, from 19/07/1940 to 17/08/1940, he passed with success the fallschirmschutzen training in schüle Wittsctock. He is awarded jump badge on the 7th october 1940.
He is trained to use many weapons, as we can observe in the Wehrpass entries : 98k/Lmg13/P08/Pak 3,7cm/Mp38/Mg34.
Operation Merkur:
Maak and his comrades are in may 1941, as a lot of paratroopers, sent to Greece, to take part in Operation Merkur. Now member of the 1 Zug, Maak was dropped over Alikianu, inland between Chania and Maleme.
1st Zug of Leutnant Sempert took off at 7.30 on the 21th of may, to jump and land around 8.20 in the sector of Alikianu. This 1st Zug is composed of 4 Anti-tank guns 3,7cm PAK and the first anti tank crew was composed as follow :
Geschützführer : Uffz. Karl MAAK (replaced Fhj. Uffz. BECKER +20/05/1941).
Schütze 1 : Gefr; FELDMANN
Schütze 2 : Gefr. MUES
MG-Schütze : Obgfr. Fred REICHENEDER
They will fight heavily, especially to take the Cretan city of Chania, and on the 27th of may, members of the 1st Kompanie raised the german flag on the church of the city. At that moment, they are now tasked to protect the costal areas around Chania.
On the 14th July 1941, they were brought back to Athen with Ju 52 and then to Schwerin, their new training's location. Maak, as his comrades were awarded EK2 (11/06/1941) and EK1 (26/06/1941) for their involvement in Crete and they received their cufftitle « Kreta ».
Russian front:
In december 1941, 1./Fallschirm-Panzerjäger-Abt.7 is now equiped with new anti-tank guns, the 5cm PAK 38. This new weapons arrival matches with their departure to the eastern front.
First stop : Dnjepropetrowsk in Ukraine. From there, they were transported by train to the actual city of Donetsk (Stalino). Arrived there, paratroopers took positions in what looked like steppes and the first losses of men and equipment appeared with the cold weather.. They will hold these positions for 3 months, until the end of march 1942 when an Italian Division releaved them.
During this period, Maak is promoted to Feldwebel.
The 1./Fallsch-Panzerjäger-Abt.1 is then transferred to the area of Volkhov in Nothern Russia and held their positions there until july 1942.
The unit suffered heavy losses during this period.
Before their arrival in Russia in 1941, unit counted 230 members, but only 35 came back from the Russian front to Schwerin on the 13th july 1942.
At that time, Maak and his comrades took some rest, trainings continued before being sent back to Russia, in the area of Witebesk – Smolensk in October 1942. Fights there were huge and losses were numerous. On the 1st december 1942, Karl Maak is promoted to Oberfeldwebel and received the Ostmedal and the erkampfabzeichen der luftwaffe.
Back to training:
In April 1943, they were brought back from Russia and sent to Normandy, for training in the area of Flers where the kompanie was rebuilt.
During a jump training, the Spiess Maak was badly injured as his canopy opened too late. His vertebral coloumn suffered from a hard landing.
Back on the tracks, Maak is transferred on the 5th of june 1943 to the old 1 ./Fallschirm-Panzerjäger-Abt.7 which is now renamed 5./Fallschirm-Panzerjäger-Abt.1.
The unit now received new guns, the 7,5cm PAK and moved to the south of France, in the area of Arles/Fontvieille. This newly formed kompanie is managed by Hauptmann Heuser who's replaced by Oberleutnant Kronenberger, his assistant is Leutnant Krabbenhöft and Karl Maak became Hauptfeldwebel.
Resistance in Sicily and Italy:
In july 1943, the kompanie is transported to Naples with Lastenseglern GO 242 to counter the allied landing in Sicily. During the landing in Sicily, one of the glider's tyres exploded and Hauptmann Heuser and his men passed near a complete disaster. The following night, the airfield was bombed and gliders were destroyed. The only solution was now to go to south Italy with train and then load trucks to join the area of Catania which was the area to defend. Working with the Fallschirmjäger-Regiment.3 and the Fallschirm-MG-Btl, Maak and his men fought against the allies, being forced to loose ground days after days.
They were the last units to leave Sicily and were always fighting in Calabrien in august 1943. The retreat sent them to the fights around Pescara in Italy, to protect the ports. Here, they fought heavily against Canadians and New-Zealanders.
Normandy:
Because of the situation in Italy, Maak's Kompanie was sent to Bretagne to be integrated in the 3.Fallschirmjäger-Division and formed the Fallschirm-Panzerjäger-Abt.3.
Maak was part of the 1./Fallsch-Panzerjäger-Abt.3 and had soon to fight against the allies in Normandy. On the 8th of June, Karl Maak with the rest of the 3rd Division went to Normandy, passing towards Avranches, to take positions on a line at the north-east area of St-Lô.
Now begin the hell around St-Lô.
Maak and his men will fought for days and even months in Normandy. Entries in his wehrpass show a bit more where he was involved:
9.6 – 15.7.44 : fights west of Caumont
16.7 – 26.7.44 : Saint Lô
27.7 – 31.7.44 : Torigini
1.8 – 3.8.44 : Vire River
4.8 – 8.8.44 : Vire
9.8 – 17.8.44 : Orne river and Falaise
18.8 – 22.8.44 :encirclement battle in Argentan
23.8 – 26.8.44 : Fights on the Seine river
Maak was probably made POW during the last days of the battle of Normandy, as they were retreating. After the war, he became member of the Bundeswehr and was a member of the Fallsch-Panzerjäger-Abt veteran's association.
For sure a quite single destiny, dedicated to the Army. He passed through a lot of interesting parts of ww2 history.
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