Announcement

**mtdr** · 02-04-2017, 01:17 PM

Before Normandy

Karl Prünte was born on 04.01.1921 in Fröndenberg; Kreiss Una; Nordrhein-Westfalen. He was a son of Carl Prünte and Maria Rausch-Prünte. Carl Prünte, born in 1884, was a World War I veteran who served with the 21 Infanterie-Regiment. He worked in different business around Fröndenberg as a shoemaker. Maria Rausch-Prünte was born in 1887 in Eickel, her job was obstetrician. They married on 11.10.1911 and the Roman Catholic family was living at the Hassleistrasse 28. Karl had a little sister who is still alive. The family Prünte was famous in Fröndenberg. Forefathers raised the “Prünte Kettenwerk GmbH” and Carl raised choir “Sangenlust”. Karl himself was educated as “Schlosser”, in English known as locksmith. He worked in several business in the Ruhr district. In 1937 and 1938 he took part in different competitions related to his job. These certificates are part of the Soldbuch convolute.

But also Prünte couldn’t escape military service. His Soldbuch was opened on 02.02.1943 in the Grenadier-Ersatz-Bataillon 156 in Lingen. He completed training in June or July 1943 and was send by Truppenübungsplatz Süd to the Panzergrenadier-Regiment 73, part of the 19. Panzer Division. The division is fighting in Ukraine around Charkow against the Soviets, when the German Army started Operation Zitadella, also known as the Battle of Kursk. On 22.07.1943, during the Battle of Kursk, Karl is wounded by a bullet(woundcode 31A). From 30.07.1943 to 08.10.1943 Prünte is in different Lazaretts but is finally ready for combat again. He is send to different Ersatz-units. He received the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz on 27.08.1943.

Attached Files

**mtdr** · 02-04-2017, 01:20 PM

D-Day

His first unit after his recovery is Bau-Pionier-Ersatz-und-Ausbildungs-Bataillon 11 in Halberstadt. On 01.12.1943 Prünte is promoted to (Bau)-Obergrenadier. After training as a Pionier Prünte is transferred back to Panzergrenadier-Ersatz-und-Ausbildungs-Bataillon 73 in Salzwedel. During this time Prünte is deployed as Waffenmeistergehilfe, he learned everything about the Karabiner 98 K, leichte MG34, the MG42, the MP and the Pistole. Normally this Bataillon is supplying the 19. Panzer-Division but Prünte didn’t return to his old division. In February 1944 Prünte is send to the new created 352 Infanterie-Division in Normandy, France. In the first 2 weeks of March 1944 Prünte is in Rouen; Normandy with feldpostnummer 21535(feldkommandantur 517). Shortly after he met his new comrades in the 4./ Grenadier-Regiment 916.

The 352 Infanterie-Division was formed on 05.11.1943 in Saint-Lô. The 916 Grenadier Regiment was formed on 14.11.1943 in Le-Mesnil-Rouxelin. Hermann Hinze was attached to the Stab./ Grenadier-Regiment 916 under Oberst Ernst Goth. 1/3 of the Regiment existed of Eastern Front veterans, the other 2/3 existed of 17 and 18 years old recruits. The complete 352 Infanterie Division had 12734 soldiers.

Stab./Grenadier-Regiment 916
Trévières; Oberst Ernst Goth
I./ 916 – Ryes
1./916 – Between Arromanches and Le Hamel
2./916 – Between Arromanches and Le Hamel
3./916 – Between Arromanches and Le Hamel
4./916 – Between Arromanches and Le Hamel
II./ 916 – Formigny ; Hauptmann Grimme
5./916 – St. Laurent-sur-Mer(WN 69) ; Oberleutnant Hahn
6./916 – Le Buissonet(Trévières) ; Leutnant Heller
7./916 – Surrain
8./916 – Colleville-sur-Mer; Leutnant Backhaus

As you can see the Stab./ 916 and the II./ 916 were in the area of Omaha Beach, the I./ 916 was in the area of Gold Beach. On 15 March 1944 Prünte and his comrades took their new positions around the coast(Tracy-sur-Mer – Arromanches – Ryes), later known as Gold Beach. The men of the 916 Grenadier-Regiment worked hard to build fortifications around Le Hamel, Arromanches and Puits d’Herodes. I think Prünte had an important task in the weapon arsenal of the 4th Kompanie because he was a weapon specialist. The I./916 manned the beach defense between Arromanches to Le Hamel/Les Roquettes.

The I./916 was surrounded by weak elements of the 716. Infanterie-Division. On its left the 916th Bataillon had the 4./Grenadier-Regiment 726 around the Longues battery. On the right flank it had the 3./Ost-Bataillon 441. The Bataillon was backed by some batteries of the 352. Artillerie-Regiment. If there would be an invasion the mobile “Kampfgruppe Meyer” would support the Bataillon if needed. The weak support of other units would be fatal on D-Day.

On D-Day the 231st Brigade had to take the “Jig” sector on Gold Beach, the 69th Brigade the “King” sector and the 47th Commando’s the “Item” sector. The 231st Brigade landed in the sector of the 352 Infanterie-Division. This sector was heavily fortified around Le Hamel and Les Roquettes. Before the invasion started the Allied Military High Command knew the landings in this area would become difficult. “Le Hamel West had some heavily fortified houses and trenches, well protected by mines, barbed wire and an anti-tank trench. In “Le Hamel East” more fortified houses were located with a huge sanatorium and some bunkers, pillboxes and infantry positions. Le Hamel was defended by well trained and fanatic soldiers, well equipped with heavy and light MG’s and mortars. These soldiers of the 916 Grenadier-Regiment had also 2 anti-tank guns and some field guns. The soldiers of the I./916 manned WN37, WN38, WN39, WN40, WN41, WN43 and WN44. 600 meter east of Le Hamel the 916 also manned a machinegun post with different MG’s around Les Roquettes.
The first 2 British battalions landing in Jig were the 1st Hampshire(right flank) and the 1st Dorsets(left flank). The first companies of 1st Hampshire were driven more east by the sea and the wind. They landed in directly fire of the machinegun posts of Les Roquettes. The first hadn’t any support of heavy weapons. Because of the rough sea the High Commando decided to transport the DD-tanks to the coast with ships. The 5 tanks of the 1st Royal Marine Armoured Support Regiment who landed in the Jig sector were destroyed by the anti-tank guns of the 916 Grenadier-Regiment.
Around 08.15 also the 2nd Devons landed in the Jig sector. The beach obstacles and mines were still intact causing many casualties. The teams who had to remove the obstacles and mines were delayed by the rough water and German snipers. They caused many casualties in these teams. Behind the 2nd Devons the 47th Commando’s landed. They had the important task to take Port-en-Bessin. 3 of the 5 boats of the 47th Commando’s were damaged or destroyed by mines. The commando’s had to swim to the coast. In the first hour the 47th Commando’s lost 43 men and many equipment. Because off the disaster in sector Jig and sector Item, the 56th Brigade who had to land in these sectors, was transferred to sector King.

On the other side of Gold Beach, the British had an easy job. They quickly overran the weak German positions of the 716 Infanterie-Division in the King sector. The British moved inland quickly, reaching Bayeux in the evening.
Around 09.30 the first 916th positions were cracked, when the MG posts around Les Roquettes were taken by the 1st Hampshire. They went to the west, around the heavily fortified Le Hamel. In the afternoon they attacked the higher ground and bunkers around Buhot and Puits d’Herodes. The British made slow progress, they had many casualties. When they conquered these positions, Le Hamel was surrounded. Around 16.00 the German soldiers in Le Hamel West surrendered to the British. The 916th soldiers in Le Hamel East were fighting an unequal battle and surrendered around 20.00. Around this time the British also took St.Come-de-Fresne and Arromanches.

The men of the I./Grenadier-Regiment 916 fought bravely that day, but the amount of casualties was high. Tired and hungry the men of the Bataillon pulled back. Promised reinforcements didn’t show up. Kampfgruppe Meyer was delayed the whole day, later split up between Gold Beach and Omaha Beach. When parts of the Kampfgruppe finally showed up, they were quickly defeated. Oberstleutnant Meyer was killed in action.

Attached Files

**mtdr** · 02-04-2017, 01:23 PM

After D-Day

This was the first day of Operation Overlord. The 352. Infanterie-Division fought in June and July heavy battles in the bocage. They were pushed back towards Saint-Lo. The division was completely destroyed at the end of July 1944 and pulled back to refit. Prünte survived all these battles unharmed. He was lucky, this time…

In November 1944 Prünte was transferred to the Stabskompanie./ Grenadier-Regiment 915, 352 Volksgrenadier-Division. With this unit he fought heavily in the Battle of the Bulge. After Kursk, Normandy this was the 3rd battle Prünte would survive, luckily again.

After the Bulge offensive failed, also Karl Prünte ran out of luck… Look at the blood on the cover of the Soldbuch, most probably blood from his fatal wounds. Karl Prünte never went home, the last time his parents get news of him was in March 1945 around Bittburg. The first tracing request was submitted in 1947 by his father, it was renewed in 1950. In 1965 his sister applied for a declaration of death on behalf of Karl Prünte. The case was closed by the German Red Cross on 14.11.1980 by means of a military expertise. According to this expertise Karl Prünte was with high probability killed in action between mid-February and end of March 145 in combats of his unit through the regions Pfalz and Eigen to the river Rhine, attempting to retreat from the German/French frontier area. For this reason the military exertise about his presumed fate still is to be considered as fully valid. Karl Prünte belongs to those individuals whose fates so many years after the end of war could not be clarified.

Attached Files

**mtdr** · 02-04-2017, 01:28 PM

Maps and a bunker on Gold Beach.

Attached Files

**mtdr** · 02-04-2017, 01:39 PM

The German Red Cross send me some papers with many information about Karl Prünte. Maybe interesting to show one of these papers.

Attached Files

pprrrr.jpg (85.9 KB, 867 views)

**mtdr** · 02-04-2017, 01:51 PM

If you are interested in this unit. Here is another Soldbuch of the 916 Grenadier-Regiment in my collection:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=653129

He was fighting with the Stabskompanie on Bloody Omaha Beach.

**Paulus_Gun** · 02-04-2017, 02:06 PM

Incredible story & Soldbuch! Must be an honor to keep it safe. Interesting that they took his Soldbuch without recovering his body (later on).

Did you get the grouping directly from his sister?

**warnej** · 02-04-2017, 06:16 PM

Do any of the documents mention sending the soldbuch to his family? What is the last date in the soldbuch? Maybe he was issued another soldbuch after this one which would explain why the family had it.

Jason

**Lutfen** · 02-05-2017, 04:12 AM

Great to see the care and attention taken to reasearch this group.

As pointed out by others, it's interesting to see that the soldbuch was recovered but the details of Karl's death were lost. However, given the confusion during the battles at the end of the war that's probably far from unusual. You can imagine the dog tag and soldbuch being hastily retrieved in the face of enemy action but the circumstances failing to make it into the unit's records.

Regards,
Michael

**mtdr** · 02-05-2017, 11:37 AM

Thanks for the comments guys, I appreciate them! It is indeed an honor to keep his Soldbuch save and his story alive!

I didn't get the grouping directly of his sister. I made different scenario's why his Soldbuch was recovered but not his body, but till this day it is a mystery.

**longislandercjv** · 02-05-2017, 12:55 PM

Well presented!
A segment of history is saved thanks to your efforts!

**mtdr** · 02-05-2017, 03:19 PM

Originally posted by longislandercjv View Post

Well presented!
A segment of history is saved thanks to your efforts!

Thanks for the compliment!

**djpool** · 02-06-2017, 05:45 PM

Very interesting reading. Thanks Jim

**mtdr** · 02-07-2017, 08:10 AM

Thanks Jim, glad you like it!

Originally posted by djpool View Post

Very interesting reading. Thanks Jim

Announcement

Blood Soaked D-Day Soldbuch - Gold Beach - 352 Infanterie Division GR 916 Bulge KIA!

Blood Soaked D-Day Soldbuch - Gold Beach - 352 Infanterie Division GR 916 Bulge KIA!

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Users Viewing this Thread