Only a few weeks after finding the Jäger sniper Soldbuch that I recently posted on the forums, I got even luckier by finding this other sniper Soldbuch, to a Fallschirmjäger, Georg Strommer.
The Soldbuch was started in October 1943. Strommer originally served as an airplane mechanic with the Luftlande-Geschwader 2, based in France: Orange, Istres, Haguenau and Nancy. After the Allied landing in Normandy and the retreat of German forces from France, his I. Gruppe was disbanded in Nancy on September 9th, 1944. Strommer was then admitted to Fallschirmschule 4 in Salzwedel. After a short training of 3 weeks, he was sent to the 11. Kompanie of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 of the 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division, as it was being reformed near Oldenzaal after its destruction in Normandy. This division was immediately fighting on the Western Front, in the battle of the Hürtgenwald. Later, they were moved southward to the area of Bütgenbach-Lanzerath (Belgium), where the division prepared to participate in the Ardennes offensive. On December the 4th, 1944, Strommer was moved to the 14. Kompanie (Panzerjäger). A few days later, he was wounded by shrapnell, and arrived in hospital just one week before the start of the offensive. He received the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz. When he was released from hospital, Strommer was admitted in a Scharfschützen-Ausbildungs-Kompanie, late February 1945. Great stamps in the Soldbuch for his sniper equipment: K43, Zielfernrohr, Behälter, Reinigungsgerät 34, one magazine pouch, three magazines, and 20 shots of ammunition. He received a promotion to Gefreiter while he was still in the sniper school on April 20th, 1945. Though he could have seen some action in the final weeks of the war, this is the last wartime entry in the Soldbuch. Strommer was taken a POW and received Wehrsold as late as February 1946.
I have two questions relating to this Soldbuch:
- Can anyone with access to more detailed unit histories, tell me a bit more about the activities of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 in the early days of December 1944, when Strommer was wounded? Were they still in the area of Düren (Hürtgen), or were they already on the Belgian-German border near Bütgenbach?
- Is anyone able to read the name of the Scharfschützen-Ausbildungskompanie (something like 'Dainen'?), and is there more information to be found about this specific school?
Thanks in advance!
The Soldbuch was started in October 1943. Strommer originally served as an airplane mechanic with the Luftlande-Geschwader 2, based in France: Orange, Istres, Haguenau and Nancy. After the Allied landing in Normandy and the retreat of German forces from France, his I. Gruppe was disbanded in Nancy on September 9th, 1944. Strommer was then admitted to Fallschirmschule 4 in Salzwedel. After a short training of 3 weeks, he was sent to the 11. Kompanie of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 of the 3. Fallschirmjäger-Division, as it was being reformed near Oldenzaal after its destruction in Normandy. This division was immediately fighting on the Western Front, in the battle of the Hürtgenwald. Later, they were moved southward to the area of Bütgenbach-Lanzerath (Belgium), where the division prepared to participate in the Ardennes offensive. On December the 4th, 1944, Strommer was moved to the 14. Kompanie (Panzerjäger). A few days later, he was wounded by shrapnell, and arrived in hospital just one week before the start of the offensive. He received the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz. When he was released from hospital, Strommer was admitted in a Scharfschützen-Ausbildungs-Kompanie, late February 1945. Great stamps in the Soldbuch for his sniper equipment: K43, Zielfernrohr, Behälter, Reinigungsgerät 34, one magazine pouch, three magazines, and 20 shots of ammunition. He received a promotion to Gefreiter while he was still in the sniper school on April 20th, 1945. Though he could have seen some action in the final weeks of the war, this is the last wartime entry in the Soldbuch. Strommer was taken a POW and received Wehrsold as late as February 1946.
I have two questions relating to this Soldbuch:
- Can anyone with access to more detailed unit histories, tell me a bit more about the activities of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 in the early days of December 1944, when Strommer was wounded? Were they still in the area of Düren (Hürtgen), or were they already on the Belgian-German border near Bütgenbach?
- Is anyone able to read the name of the Scharfschützen-Ausbildungskompanie (something like 'Dainen'?), and is there more information to be found about this specific school?
Thanks in advance!
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