Interesting / Odd Wehrpass grouping

[erichcraciun]

Here is another small but interesting grouping to Feldwebel Wilhelm Kleinhenz.

First off the Wehrpass and Führerschein...as you can see, the Wehrpass was never really issued....As we shall see later, there a some entries, all completed by some military office, but none have an stamp / Dienstsiegel. I suppose, Kleinhenz lost his Wehrpass and this one was issued sometime after the war....more to come.

[erichcraciun]

As you can see...a nice, clean Foto of Kleinhenz (with no stamps) and his Wehrmachtsführerschein issued by the Heeres Pionier-Bataillon 127 (formerly part of the Pz Pionier Btl 27 / 27. Panzer Division.


An now the list of units...certified by a Dienstsiegel "Dienststelle Fritsch" / Office Fritsch...an interested unit set up for the Versorgung der entwaffneten deutschen Wehrmachtsangehörigen ...for the provision of disarmed German Army members....

I have heard of Dienststelle Fritsch, but never have seen an issuing stamp to the unit.

[erichcraciun]

Though I doubt, as stated in his Wehrpass, that Kleinhenz was with the Sanitäts Abt. 7 for the entire course of the war....Kleinhenz did see a lot of front line service.

Kleinhenz was awarded the following:

The Anschlussmedaille mit Spange

Ostmedaille

Kriegsverdienstkreuz 2.Klasse mit Schwerter

and the Krimschild.

And he fought in Polen...then back to Germany and in the Generalgouvernents then later as part of the German military contingent in Rumania....but where are the battle listing for the rest of the awards???

I do not suspect that these award entries are faked either...

[erichcraciun]

And here is something I have not seen often...a military Musterungs Ausweis from 1935 as general military conscription was reinstated in Germany along with a Red Cross Ausweis issued by Horch-Kompanie 7 (also a unit not listed in his Wehrpass).

Interestingly, Kleinhenz saved one page out of his Soldbuch...not the awards page - unfortunately!!! - just the Urlaub page!

[Ian Jewison]

Interesting Erich,

As you pointed out he served with Horchkp. 7

FP Nr. 14627:
(Mobilmachung-1.1.1940) 3.Horch-Kompanie 7,
(15.9.1940-31.1.1941) Horch-Kompanie 7,
(12.7.1941-26.1.1942) Horch-Kompanie 3./7,
(27.1.1942-14.7.1942) Nachrichten-Fernaufklärungs-Kompanie 617.

However sometime between January and July 1942 it actually belonged to Nachrichten-Fernaufklärungs-Kompanie 617.

The Führerschein was issued by FP Nr. 19308 which as you say belonged to Stab Pionier-Bataillon 127. It is signed by Major Curt Meusel DKiG.

/Ian

[Ian Jewison]

Sanitätsabteilung 7 was actually Sanitätsabteilung VII, for Wehrkress VII. Kleinhenz served with Sanitätsstaffel München.

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...Muenchen-R.htm


/Ian

[Edward]

I am wondering who had issued the Wehrpaß to Kleinhenz? Was it Sanitätsstafel München, or Dienstelle Fritsch?

That is the first Musterungs doc. I have ever seen. Never knew they had them. A neat group and thanks for sharing.

[JUNGCO]

1935 was the only year they used these. It was the first year for the new conscription process.
Jeff

[Edward]

1935 was the only year they used these. It was the first year for the new conscription process.
Jeff

Good info Jeff. Was the Musterungs doc. in any way the precursor of the Truppenausweis?

[erichcraciun]

Hello,

I suspect that the Wehrpass was filled out directly after the war. Kleinhenz returned from US captivity in July 1945 and began working for the Reichsbahn. He probably did not have his Wehrpass or Soldbuch so the Wehrpass was issued....oddly enough, not denazified....just my assumption since there is no issue date in the Wehrpass!

E

[erichcraciun]

Ian:

It looks like his ID Disk 3. (H) N 7 could have been issued (or reissued) by Horch-Kompanie 3./7....perhaps?

[Ian Jewison]

Most likely the unit he was in at the outbreak of war then....

Found this:

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...10a09f1bdf07f9

Also:

January 1921: Nachrichten-Abteilung 7, Horchstelle München
15.10.1935: 3. (Funk-Horch-Kompamie) bei Nachrichten-Abteilung 7 in München

/Ian

[JUNGCO]

The Musterungausweis was just proof that a man had mustered and had received his service classification based on fitness, racial purity, and political reliability.
Jeff

[Edward]

Good info. Thanks guys.

[Archi]

Hi all !

I think this Soldier had a very interesting career :
He was drafted in Oct. 1935 and served throughout to the end of the war, so he had one the longest careers possible
for someone who started as a conscript. It seems that at some time in 1937 he signed in for active service (Verpflichtungsschein).
(But it is hard to read).

He was trained as a medic (Sanitätssoldat, later Sanitäts-Uffz./Fw. ) and he possibly stayed with this task througout the war.

The connection with his fieldunit : 3. Horch-Kompanie 7 could be, that he was the Sanitätsunteroffizier of that unit.
(Both with origin in WK VII).

This would be a Nachrichtenfernaufklärungs-Kompanie (something like: long range radio intelligence company)
and it would be organized according to KSTN 865. A very late version (1945=) of this KSTN has survived and can be found on the
sturmpanzer site [T78 R392 H1/11, F6361190 - 93], the general structure should have remained the same.
The general task was to intercept, decipher and analyze enemy radio traffic.

It would consist of a Gruppe Führer (including 1 Sanitäts-Uffz.!), a signals platoon, an Auswertezug (for deciphering
and interpretation), Horchzug (radio interception platoon), Peilzug (direction finding), and the Tross (train).
In 1945 it consisted of 5 Offz., 77 Uffz. and 181 men in total (earlier in the war it might have been larger).

I fully agree with Ian, that he very probably was with this unit at the start of the war. (I think so because of
the low number of his EKM (30) anb because of the battle entries).
But I also think he might have been much longer with this unit, possibly well into 1942 :
According to the interesting link Ian found, this unit was deployed already in early May 1939 first at Deutsch-Krone,
than at Tempelburg (today Czaplinek). After the Poland campaign the intercept company 3./7 was transferred to
Königsberg/Cranz (Ostpreussen) to intercept Russian radio traffic according to this link :
http://books.google.de/books?id=aESB...nepage&f=false

According to the battle entries the unit moved to Romania in late December 1940 (at about the same time as the 12. Armee HQ).
(Not sure whether there is a connection). At least at the beginning of the Balkan Campaign 3./7 (Interception) is under
direct command of 12th Army :
http://niehorster.orbat.com/011_germ...04/12-army.htm

Then I could not find further infos, but usually such a unit would operate under control of an army or army group HQ.

From the info given, it seems clear that Wilhelm Kleinhenz, made his way with some unit from HGr. Süd (Armygroup South).
Because of the Red Cross Ausweis issued in April 1942 by "his" unit, I would simply assume that there was no change until
that time. (The unit designation changed however to Nachrichten-Fernaufklärungs-Kompanie 617 in April 1942,
according to a Kriegsgliederung d. Heeres).

At some time later he was possibly transferred to He.-Pi.-Btl. 127 ( in March and July 1943 also under Army Group South).
And then the trace disappears.

The Wehrpass is very probably issued by Dienststelle Fritsch, as this was a civil office which had the task to
take care of all German POWs in the area of the American 3rd Army :
http://books.google.de/books?id=u0Po...nepage&f=false

I hope that helps with some of the questions.

Cheers,

Archi