Luft. FELD soldbuch - KUBAN !

[Gary T]

What unit was he with when in October 1944? The dating of the Kubanschild entry is fine - all those I have seen date from October 1944. However, it is strange that the EK2 was awarded exactly the same day...what unit did he earn it with?

[phil1942]

Hello, yes the Kuban Shield entry is verified and without doubt.
For starters the unit he was with was a definite Kuban Shield entitled unit, the Kuban award entry and stamp is without doubt. Also the Kuban Shield award entry signature is verified by another special insert page in the back of the soldbuch signed by the same commander - that of Stamm-Komp. Lands. Schtz.Ers.Btl. 5 in Stuttgart. This is the unit he was with on the day of the EK2 and Kuban Shield entry.

Regardless of any doubt over the Ek 2 entry. It doesnt alter the fact that this is a combat Luft. Feld div. soldbuch from the 5th Feld Div. in the Kuban / Crimea throughout 1943. That is really I am concerned with.

Thanks for any further comments.
By the way, it certainly seems plausible that a Stabsfeldwebel with a Luftwaffe feldjager regiment that saw 10 months service in the Kuban could have won the EK2. Spending 10 months with a frontline infantry unit in the Crimea of 1943 was not exactly a Sunday outing !! - this was a very intensive combat zone in that time period.

What unit was he with when in October 1944? The dating of the Kubanschild entry is fine - all those I have seen date from October 1944. However, it is strange that the EK2 was awarded exactly the same day...what unit did he earn it with?

[Gary T]

This is the unit he was with on the day of the EK2 and Kuban Shield entry.

When did he leave 5. LW FD? Unless the date of the EK2 is wrong I can't see how he could have won it in October 1944.

By the way, it certainly seems plausible that a Stabsfeldwebel with a Luftwaffe feldjager regiment that saw 10 months service in the Kuban could have won the EK2. Spending 10 months with a frontline infantry unit in the Crimea of 1943 was not exactly a Sunday outing !! - this was a very intensive combat zone in that time period.

10 months? The division was only in the Kuban from February to April. From then until October it was in the Crimea where no fighting took place. It then did saw action at Melitopol in October\November 1943.

Being a Stabsfeldwebel he would have probably been the company sergeant major which meant he would have spent most of his time in charge of the company train...more than a few miles behind the lines.

The strangest lack of EK2 I've seen was a Feldwebel in Pz AA 23 who had the Pz Ass in Bronze and Wound Badge in Gold (after 7 wounds) but no EK2!

[phil1942]

He left 5th feld div in Feb. 44.

There is a special insert page which states he was employed with SONDERKOMMANDO STUTTGART, employed in the airwar and STOLLENBAU.
Possible he won the EK2 during this service, or possibly the EK2 was back-dated ?
See attached pic.
Interesting how he ended up with Res. Panzer Abt. 7 for a while. I wonder what was going on there.

Thanks for your help. I take my hat off to you knowlege. You are obviously a "top-level" authority on sodlbuch and related wehrmacht history.

When did he leave 5. LW FD? Unless the date of the EK2 is wrong I can't see how he could have won it in October 1944.




10 months? The division was only in the Kuban from February to April. From then until October it was in the Crimea where no fighting took place. It then did saw action at Melitopol in October\November 1943.

Being a Stabsfeldwebel he would have probably been the company sergeant major which meant he would have spent most of his time in charge of the company train...more than a few miles behind the lines.

The strangest lack of EK2 I've seen was a Feldwebel in Pz AA 23 who had the Pz Ass in Bronze and Wound Badge in Gold (after 7 wounds) but no EK2!

[phil1942]

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[phil1942]

leave - melitopol

Funny how he got a leave right at the time of the Melitopol Soviet assault. I would have thought all leave would have been cancelled at this time due to the crisis.
If my dates are correct the Melitopol assault began on 13th October. Then he gets leave two days after - what is with that ?
If you have read the book "the forgotten solider" - the famous autoboipgraphy about the grossdeutchland soldier, you will know his leave was always being cancelled due to soviet assaults. The MP's at the train stations would turn back all troops who were wanting to head back home for their leave if there was a soviet push taking place.

p2