help with unit ID....please

[RichardC]

the picture posted is from a reply back to my Opa in 1961 regarding the status of his lost military papers...for the longest time I didn't know what unit he fought in and my Oma came across this form from the Deutsche Dienstelle..in the bottom corner there are posted these units...I also know that the first unit was where he was trained and the second was where he ended up in. I looked up the second unit and came up with this...he was in the 13th Komp. (Inf Support) of Inf Regt 768 which was part of the 377th ID..he told me he fought at Kursk and Voronezh...I looked this up and sure enough this unit was there...he also told me they had horses and i remember vaugely he told me he fired a cannon(?) thus, the 13th Inf Support Kompanie...so that part of the mystery is solved for me...my question is does anyone know the history of the first unit he was with...where it was stationed..what happened to it... etc...any help will be greatly appreciated... BTW... feldgrau.com .and the German Order of Battle ..Infantry ...book by Nafziger where a great help to me...

[Matt L]

Hi Richard,

No problem- here's the information on Infanterie-Ersatz-Regiment 257:

Infanterie-Ersatz-Regiment 257
1. Aufstellung:
* 6.9.1939 in Potsdam, Wehrkreis III, als Stab für die Ersatztruppen der 257. Infanterie-Division (4.
Welle); 19.9.1939 nach Landsberg/Warthe verlegt; 18.9.1942 umgebildet in Reserve-Infanterie, dann
15.10. Reserve-Grenadier-Regiment 257 und nach Staro-Konstantinow in die Ukraine, 1.1.1943 zur
Umgliederung auf die Krim verlegt und 29.3.1943 umbenannt in Grenadier- (Feldausbildungs-)
Regiment 257, I. aus 338, II. aus 455, III. aus 466. Die im März 1944 geplante Umbenennung in
Grenadier-(Feldausbildungs-) Regiment 717 wurde nicht durchgeführt; Regiment wurde aufgelöst; II.
(in Bessarabien) wurde II./Grenadier-(Feldausbildungs-)Regiment 717, III.wurde Sturm-Bataillon
AOK 17.

2. Gliederung:
1939 IEB 457 (Berlin-Tegel), 466 (Gr.Glienicke), 477 (Rathenow)
1940 IEB 457 (Landsbcrg/W), 466 (Schwerin/W), 477 (Meseritz), 479 (Landsberg)
1942 Reserve-GB 338, 455, 466
1943 I. 1-4, II. 5-8, III. 9-12, Nachrichten-Kompanie, Infanterie-Geschütz-Kompanie,
Panzerjäger-Kompanie, Pionier-Kompanie

3. Unterstellung:
Division 163; 30.11.1939 Division 143; 15.5.1942 Division 153; 1.10.1942 153. Reserve-Division;
15.1.1943 153. (Feldausbildungs-) Division

If you don't read German, just say so and I or someone will translate it. Your Opa would indeed have been part of an Infanterie-Geschütz crew- the 13. Kompanie of an Infanterie-Regiment was the Infanterie-Geschütz Kompanie. They operated weapons such as the 7,5cm leichte Infanterie Geschütz 18 and did provide support- artillery support (not support as in supply, etc.).

Matt

[RichardC]

Hi Richard,

No problem- here's the information on Infanterie-Ersatz-Regiment 257:

Infanterie-Ersatz-Regiment 257
1. Aufstellung:
* 6.9.1939 in Potsdam, Wehrkreis III, als Stab für die Ersatztruppen der 257. Infanterie-Division (4.
Welle); 19.9.1939 nach Landsberg/Warthe verlegt; 18.9.1942 umgebildet in Reserve-Infanterie, dann
15.10. Reserve-Grenadier-Regiment 257 und nach Staro-Konstantinow in die Ukraine, 1.1.1943 zur
Umgliederung auf die Krim verlegt und 29.3.1943 umbenannt in Grenadier- (Feldausbildungs-)
Regiment 257, I. aus 338, II. aus 455, III. aus 466. Die im März 1944 geplante Umbenennung in
Grenadier-(Feldausbildungs-) Regiment 717 wurde nicht durchgeführt; Regiment wurde aufgelöst; II.
(in Bessarabien) wurde II./Grenadier-(Feldausbildungs-)Regiment 717, III.wurde Sturm-Bataillon
AOK 17.

2. Gliederung:
1939 IEB 457 (Berlin-Tegel), 466 (Gr.Glienicke), 477 (Rathenow)
1940 IEB 457 (Landsbcrg/W), 466 (Schwerin/W), 477 (Meseritz), 479 (Landsberg)
1942 Reserve-GB 338, 455, 466
1943 I. 1-4, II. 5-8, III. 9-12, Nachrichten-Kompanie, Infanterie-Geschütz-Kompanie,
Panzerjäger-Kompanie, Pionier-Kompanie

3. Unterstellung:
Division 163; 30.11.1939 Division 143; 15.5.1942 Division 153; 1.10.1942 153. Reserve-Division;
15.1.1943 153. (Feldausbildungs-) Division

If you don't read German, just say so and I or someone will translate it. Your Opa would indeed have been part of an Infanterie-Geschütz crew- the 13. Kompanie of an Infanterie-Regiment was the Infanterie-Geschütz Kompanie. They operated weapons such as the 7,5cm leichte Infanterie Geschütz 18 and did provide support- artillery support (not support as in supply, etc.).

Matt

Thanks for your help...where did you find this info if i may ask....?? and why would this kompanie be designated as Infantry and not Artillery?

[Matt L]

No problem- I'm happy to help. I got the information from a CDROM entitled "Organizationsgeschichte des deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945" which contains all the known units of the Wehrmacht- just like the multi-volume set of books by Tessin. You can also find out a lot of unit information on the Lexikon der Wehrmacht website: http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/...liederungH.htm

This unit is the organic artillery of an Infanterie-Regiment- just as every Infanterie-Regiment had it's own Panzerjäger Kompanie (the 14.) too. Some even had their own Pionier Kompanie (the 15.). So these units would be directly under the command of the Regiment- independent or Divisional Artillerie was not.

Technically, the Kompanie isn't designated Infanterie and not Artillerie, it was an Infanterie Kompanie that used artillery. The soldiers were all Infantristen just like those in a regular Schützen Kompanie, but they were specialists- in this case in the use of light artillery.

Oh and since you're interested, your Opa would have worn an Erkennungsmarke marked: 'I.G. Ers. Kp. 257' or a variation thereof.

Matt

[RichardC]

where can i get a copy of that cd..and thanks again for your help....

[Matt L]

Hi Richard,

They're available from Detlev Niemann: http://www.detlev-niemann.de/

Matt