D-Day Soldbuch subunit FJR 6 Carentan Normandy - Market Garden - Bulge

[mtdr]

Hello,

The last months I didn't show any acquisitions but I picked up some nice D-Day Soldbucher. I will show this interesting Artillery Soldbuch, with a nice history. The 8./ Artillerie Regiment 191 was attached to the I./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6 during D-Day and the Normandy campaign. The I./ FJR 6 and 8./ AR 191 were completely destroyed between 6 June 1944 and 8 June 1944 near Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. Only 25(out of 800+) Fallschirmjager/Artillerymen reached the German lines at Carentan. Later he fought in Holland during Market Garden and at the Battle of the Bulge. He ended the war in Artillerie-Regiment 352 of the famous 352 Infanterie Division.

This is the interesting story of Heinz Britz.

Heinz Britz was born on 03.09.1925 in Elversberg; Ottweiler some kilometers of the French border. He grown up in a Catholic family and his job was cabinetmaker. On 30.10.1943 Heinz Britz was called up for military duty. He was trained in the Leichte-Artillerie-Ersatz-und-Ausbildungs-Abteilung 33 in Homburg. On 08.12.1943 Britz was send to his first feldunit; Nach.Ausb.Stelle, Art.Ers.u.Ausb.Abt. 33 in Homburg. In the beginning of March 1944 he saw his family for the last time before he was send to his new unit; Artillerie Regiment 191 part of the 91 Infanterie Division. On 6 March 1944 the division is recalled to 91 Luftlande Division. Artillerie Regiment 191 is recalled to Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regiment 191. In May 1944 the division is send to Reims and shortly afterwards to Normandy. The division arrived on 19 May 1944 in Normandy, on the Cotentin peninsula, in the Manche district. The division was based in the area of Carentan – Sainte-Mere-Eglise – La-Haye-du-Puits. The HQ of the 91 LL division was close to Picauville and the HQ of the Geb.Art.Rgt. 191 at St. Sauveur-le-Vicomte. The artillerie abteilungen were based around Sainte-Mere-Eglise and Utah Beach.

[mtdr]

The 8./Artillerie Regiment 191 of Heinz Britz was based around Mont-Castre. Also the I btl./ Fallschirmjager-Regiment 6 was based around Mont-Castre. The 8./191 was attached to the I./FJR 6 and under directly command of Hauptmann Emil Priekschat. The 8./ AR 191 had 4x 8,8 cm 43/41 PAK to support the I./ FJR 6 with some heavy weapons.

When D-Day started many American Para’s of the 101 Airborne Division landed in the area of the 91 Luftlande Division. In the area of the I./ FJR 6 landed 100-150 American PARAs. In the morning the I./FJR 6 with the 8./ AR 191 as support unit get the orders to march to Sainte-Marie-du-Mont and La Madeleine to relieve the Germans at Utah Beach. In the night heavy battles took place between American PARA’s and German artilleryman at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. In the morning Major Friedrich-August von der Heydte commander of Fallschirmjager-Regiment 6 decided to seize up the situation at St. Marie-du-Mont. From the church tower he could see what happened at the coast of Normandy. He also noticed that the town was abandoned; the American PARAs left the town already and also the German artillerie bataillon withdraw westwards. Soon afterwards Von der Heydte left St.-Marie-du-Mont and set up is headquarter at Saint-Côme-du-Mont. In the morning the I./FJR6 and the 8./ AR 191 left their positions around Mont-Castre and marched quickly 20 kilometers to Saint-Come-du-Mont, when they received their last orders. But soon when they left St. Come du Mont they get involved in heavy fights around Angoville-au-Plain against PARAs of the 101 Airborne Division. When they mopped up the Americans around Angoville the German column met some heavy resistance some kilometers further around Vierville against other elements of the 101 Airborne Division. These battles delayed the German advance towards St. Marie du Mont seriously. When the Fallschirmjäger at artilleryman finally reached the outskirts of St. Marie du Mont they found the town already in hands of the 101 Airborne Division. Heavy battles took place but the Fallschirmjager supported by artillery of the 8./AR 191 couldn’t take the town. Hauptmann Emil Priekschat decided to dug in just outside of St. Marie-du-Mont. A fatal decision. In the evening of 6 June 150 gliders landed northeast of Carentan, in the back of the units. In the early morning of 7 june 1944 the naval artillery shelled the positions of the I./FJR6 and the 8./AR191 and another 150 gliders with PARA’s landed westwards of the Fallschirmjäger. The I./FJR6 and the 8./AR191 were slowly surrounded, more and more escape routes were being cut off. The Germans held their positions under increasing pressure. The units from Utah Beach connected with the PARA’s at Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. In the late morning of 7 June the I./FJR 6 send their last message “5 tanks destroyed, bataillon surrounded”. Hauptmann Emil Priekschat decided to withdraw, back towards Vierville but when the Fallschirmjager reached the village it was already in the hands of the American supported by tanks. Major Friedrich von der Heydte send elements of the II./FJR 6 and the III./FJR 6 to relieve the I./FJR 6 and the 8./AR 191 but their attacks failed. The HQ of FJR 6 was directly in danger and Von der Heydte decided to pulled back all the units towards Carentan. A large column of German soldiers from the II./FJR 6 , III./FJR 6 , AR 191 and GR 1058 pulled back through La Croix or the railway to Carentan. The I./FJR6 and the 8./ AR 191 were still surrounded southwest of St-Marie-du-Mont. In the morning of 8 June 1944 only 300 men remained after clashes at Vierville, Angoville-au-Plain, Beaumont and La-Basse-Addeville. For these 300 brave soldiers Carentan came in sight, there was only 1 obstacle; The Douve river. These men reached the gates of La Barquette, a few hundred meters from the German lines at Carentan. The gates of La Barquette were already in hands of the American PARAs and heavy fights broke out. Hauptmann Emil Priekschat supposed he was fighting against large enemy forces and surrounded the I./FJR 6 and the 8./AR 191. Only 25(out of 800 Fallschirmjäger + artillerymen) men under command of Leutnant Stenzel made their way to Carentan. Stenzel had the job to inform Von der Heydte, that the I./FJR 6 and its subunit 8./III./AR 191 were completely destroyed.

[mtdr]

The unit fought at Carentan where the battery commander died on 9 June 1944. Later it pulled back from Normandy and fought at Market-Garden and the Battle of the Bulge.

Units:

[mtdr]

[mtdr]

On 27 June 1944 , 4 8,8 of the III./AR 191 were destroyed most probably the 4 of the 8./ AR 191. And the commander of the I./ FJR 6 Hauptmann Emil Priekschat.

[Eric JB]

Hi Aram,

Great research and a fine description, a real pleasure to see and to read.

Your man was one of the lucky survivors / escapers.

And ....... 352.VGD. one of my favorite Battle of the Bulge divisions.

Thanks for a job well done.

Best regards

Eric-Jan

[5thFallschirm.]

Nice to see you're happy with the SB Aram, and very good research. It is in better hands with you to be appreciated and researched.


Best regards,

Nick

[jmark]

I concur with the others: great research and write-up!

Jason

[Panzer Rob]

Very nice Soldbuch Aram! Great research, too

Thanks for sharing this one with us.
Rob

[Luft 76]

Yes, nice doc of interesting units !
Does this man has been transferred to 344.ID before to join 352.ID, or opposite ?

[mtdr]

Thanks for the comments!

@Luft76 After Market-Garden, the 91 Luftlande Division was disbanded on 5 November 1944. The remains of the division were send to the new formed 344 Infanterie Division around Aachen. I think he was send from AR 191 to AR 344. Later he was wounded and send to the 352 Infanterie Division in the last months of the war.

He was wounded in November 1944 around Aachen and received the VWA im Schwarz. He was wounded again in March 1945.

I will also thank Scott/Revellations(http://www.defendingarnhem.com/), he give me many information about this unit!

[Steinberg100]

Hi mtdr, really nice Soldbuch. Thanx for the show :-) a real pleasure to see and to read the story. Maybe we can see the pages with the entries of the lazarett and other signs ? There is maybe more to research.
For example is the Batteriechef (CO) of the 8./Art.Rgt.191 Lt. Helmuth Scheibcke sign the Beförderung at 22.8.44. Lt. Scheibcke was later the Co in Art.Rgt.344 and honored at the 5.2.45. He survived the war. Second little information is that he had "Sonderurlaub at 04.04.44" signed Lt. Schmidt or Hptm. Schmidt. Stamp from the Art.Abt.1025. Maybe you have other documents ? Because the entries at the unitpage No 4. I read in the following way: 8./Art.Rgt.191 (canceled) we know why IV/Art.Rgt.352 11. Batt. but canceled and changed back to IV./Art.Rgt.191. later canceled again in Art.Rgt.344 and than in the same time to 5.Batt. In my list Heinz Britz has a new place. I have only 3 man from the 8./Art.Rgt.191. The most names are from the 6./Art.Rgt.191 and the other units. Maybe after the last count there are 3000 names from 91.LLD. In future I hope that I found the original Soldbuch from my grandfather. It was lost in the way of war from the east to the west POW camp at Betzenheim near Bad Kreuznach. But again a quite good job ! Regards Boris

[Buckeru]

Hello

Thanks for sharing

Best buckeru