Captured by US troops soldbuch group

[desiro]

Picked up this nice group a while ago and haven't had time to show it
on here until now.From what ive managed to research his units served
at Normandy and during the Battle of Bulge.Any help would be appreciated.
He was captured by 325 (would that be the 325 Glider inf Rgt).

Cheers
Andy

[desiro]

1

[desiro]

2

[desiro]

3

[Stormfighter]

Here's the information regarding the Feldpostnummer listed on his last letter home:

46172

(8.9.1943-22.4.1944) 3.2.1944 Stab u. 1.-2. Kompanie Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung West,

(23.4.1944-24.11.1944) 26.7.1944 Stab u. l. 2. Kompanie Panzergruppen-Nachrichten-Abteilung 676,

(25.11.1944-8.5.1945) 21.3.1945 Regimentsstab u. 1.-2. Kompanie Panzer-Armee-Nachrichten-Regiment 5.

[desiro]

Thanks Barry.From my limited research I think his unit served in Normandy
and at the battle of Bulge.

[Archi]

Hello !

This Soldier, Albert Bauer, entered the Heeresunteroffiziersschule (=H.U.S.) für Nachrichtentruppen (mot.)
(located in Zerbst, ca. 30 km SE of Magdeburg), in late January 1944, where he would have been in the
4. Inspektion (= 4th company). For the designation of the school see also :
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtop...da307#p1148464

From the handwritten letter and the typed letter, both from mid July 1944, he had signed for 12 year duty,
for which he was to receive a "Kapitulantenhandgeld", (300 RM, I think) which by that time obviously could no longer
be received in cash, therefore he (resp. his mother) needs to name a bank account, to which the money could be transferred.

From the equipment page of his Soldbuch, it seems his one and only field unit was the 2. company of Panzer-Armee-
Nachrichten-Regiment 5. (Would be interesting to see the units page !).

He wrote his his last letter home on 27. December 1944 from somewhere near the Eifel. As one of his POW documents
is dated from 12.January 1945, he must have been taken prisoner shortly after sending his last letter.

The unit he was in, was the signals unit of Panzergruppe West (Eberbach), which was in August 1944 redesignated
as 5. Panzerarmee. So it should have gone the same way as the resp. HQs., which fits with your research.

It is unclear, when exactly the Panzergruppen-Nachr.-Abt. 676 was redesignated to Pz.Arm.Nachr.Rgt. 5,
(there are conflicting informations) :
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...Gliederung.htm

I would be curious, whether it s possible to say how long he attended the HUS and whether he was aftwerwards
first transferred to an Ersatz-unit or immediately to Pz.Arm.Nachr.Rgt. 5.

Cheers,

Archi

[desiro]

Thankyou for your comments Archi

[desiro]

21

[Luft 76]

Uncommon unit . Interesting ! .
This man was perhaps not far away from Gen. Eberbach when he was suddendly surrended and captured by british troops in Salleux, near Amiens, on 31 august 44. Only few men of his Stab and services were able to run away. Sepp Dietrich was also fortunate.

[Archi]

Hi all !

Thank you, desiro, for putting up the additional scans !
(And Luft76 could be right with his assumption.)

Now it is clear that after finishing the HUS-school, this man was first sent back to his Nachrichten-Ersatz-Abt. 33
and from there to the field-unit which was first Panzergruppen-Nachrichten-Abteilung 676, which was then
redesignated Pz.Armee-Nachr.Rgt. 5.

I couldn't find the exact date of the redesignation, but some hints :
The change in the HQ designation (Panzergruppe West => PzAOK 5) occured around August, 7th.
In the Lexicon link, at the bottom is a list of Heerestruppen under the direct command of Pz.AOK 5,
Already on August, 18th, the signals unit is named Pz.Armee-Nachr.Rgt 5, so the change was made probably at the same time
when the HQ became Pz.AOK. 5.
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...nzerarmee5.htm

This would mean that your man, was with that signals unit some time before August 1944. I am not sure whether
it is possible to pinpoint the date more exactly.
(Perhaps from the stamp of the Durchschleusungsstelle, 21.6.1944 ? But I am not sure what this refers to ...)

Pz.AOK 5 was transferred from HGr. B to HGr. G on September, 12th, to fight against Pattons 3rd Army.
On October 16th, the HQ was withdrawn from the fontline an transferred to the area of Willich (S of Krefeld).

There it started its preparations for the battle of bulge.

If you want to do a bit further research, I think the KTBs of Pz.AOK 5 fom June-October 1944 are available
on the Sturmpanzer site.

Thanks again for showing the interesting docs !

Cheers,

Archi

[desiro]

Thankyou Archi for your time and information.

Hi all !

Thank you, desiro, for putting up the additional scans !
(And Luft76 could be right with his assumption.)

Now it is clear that after finishing the HUS-school, this man was first sent back to his Nachrichten-Ersatz-Abt. 33
and from there to the field-unit which was first Panzergruppen-Nachrichten-Abteilung 676, which was then
redesignated Pz.Armee-Nachr.Rgt. 5.

I couldn't find the exact date of the redesignation, but some hints :
The change in the HQ designation (Panzergruppe West => PzAOK 5) occured around August, 7th.
In the Lexicon link, at the bottom is a list of Heerestruppen under the direct command of Pz.AOK 5,
Already on August, 18th, the signals unit is named Pz.Armee-Nachr.Rgt 5, so the change was made probably at the same time
when the HQ became Pz.AOK. 5.
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...nzerarmee5.htm

This would mean that your man, was with that signals unit some time before August 1944. I am not sure whether
it is possible to pinpoint the date more exactly.
(Perhaps from the stamp of the Durchschleusungsstelle, 21.6.1944 ? But I am not sure what this refers to ...)

Pz.AOK 5 was transferred from HGr. B to HGr. G on September, 12th, to fight against Pattons 3rd Army.
On October 16th, the HQ was withdrawn from the fontline an transferred to the area of Willich (S of Krefeld).

There it started its preparations for the battle of bulge.

If you want to do a bit further research, I think the KTBs of Pz.AOK 5 fom June-October 1944 are available
on the Sturmpanzer site.

Thanks again for showing the interesting docs !

Cheers,

Archi