FJR16 Kapelsche Veer & Hochwald KIA Soldbuch

[Paulus_Gun]

And more extra pages.

[Paulus_Gun]

I hope you guys learn from it and at the same time enjoy my contribution. I also appreciate any additional information.

Best regards,
Paul

[Paulus_Gun]

I have to make one correction: at first I thought that his birth town Schwaden was located in East Prussia, but it is actually in northern Bohemia (today Czech Republic), which makes him a Sudeten German.

(The concentration camp Theresianstadt was located 20km south of Schwaden.)

https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sv%C3%A1dov

[Ironcrown]

Good research and nice Soldbuch, a typical late war paratrooper document
That soldier was in a Fallschirmjaeger Regiment, but very likely never jumped from a plane. Most of the components of the paratrooper units at this stage of the war were like him

[Paulus_Gun]

Good research and nice Soldbuch, a typical late war paratrooper document
That soldier was in a Fallschirmjaeger Regiment, but very likely never jumped from a plane. Most of the components of the paratrooper units at this stage of the war were like him

Yes he definitely never jumped. If I am correct there weren't even any true FJ schools left since mid 1944.

And to add some information about Veritable: Someone shared a terrific thread on another forum which shows that the FJR16 arrived much earlier in the Reichswald than I thought. The FJR16 arrived at Kleve at the start of Veritable: http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads...eb-1945.50898/

[Paulus_Gun]

Today I have visited Wilhelm's grave in Kalkar. As you can see it is a modest grave with nothing but his name and grave number. It is a peaceful place with 243 German war graves, next to the civilian cemetery. In the second picture you can see his grave at the bottom of the picture.

[Archi]

Hello Paul !

Thanks for another very interesting contribution.
Well researched and nicely presented !
I think this soldier had an interesting career, connected to airfield support,
flying units and finally a Fallschirmjäger combat unit.

As you were asking for additional informations :

a) The 14th co. of FJR 16 (FPN 61873) should have been the anti-tank co. (perhaps its clear,
but I thought, this is worth mentioning)

b) FJR 16 (Kdr.: Oberst Dorn) was indeed withdrawn from 6. FsJg.Div. at the beginning
of February, 1945 and moved to the Reichswald area, as reinforcement for 84. ID.
It took positions West of the road Kleve-Gennep, but had not enough time to fortify them sufficiently.

So, on 8.2.45, it was essentially overrun and had to retreat during the following night to the NE.
There it fought a fierce battle at Materborn (SW of Kleve) on 9.2. against the 43rd British Wessex-Division.
The regiment was driven back further, and on 13.2. it fought at positions near Moyland, NW of Kalkar,
together with II./FJR. 21 and the remnants of 84. ID, (the latter had been badly shattered at the Reichswald.)
(Sorry, if this is all covered in the link, but the link didn't work for me).
(My info is based mainly on : Busch, Die Fallschirmjäger-Chronik).

c) I'll attach a map from a Canadian G-2 report, showing the German OOB close
to the date he died. 116. Pz.Div. is located exactly at the Hochwald gap and
6.Fsjg.Div. obviously held positions to the North, at the western rim of the Hochwald.

I hope this adds some useful information.

Best regards,

Archi

[Paulus_Gun]

Hello Archi,

a)thank you for your post! Now that you mention it I indeed remember reading in the past that the 14th company is the anti-tank unit. I totally forgot about that. This also makes perfect sense, because he was part of the Fallschirm-Panzer-Zerstörer-Ausbildungs-Bataillon for a few days.

b)Some of the movements are covered in the provided link, but you still add some nice facts. Thank you for providing the source. I'll look into that.

c)The map is really useful. It shows well where the different units were stationed. However, I am a bit puzzled by it. Did the Canadians first have to face several German divisions from the south before they could read the Gap and the forest itself?

Furthermore, I did not know that elements of the 190. Infanterie-Division were involved at the gap as well. As far as I know that division was stationed more to the south east. That information might be useful for this thread: http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=908718

[Archi]

Hello Paul !

Regarding a) and b) : Good to hear that you could make use of that info.

c) Perhaps needs some additional explanation :
I posted that map, because I thought you might be interested on the dispositions of his division
at that time. The battles are covered in great detail in the history of 116. Pz.Gren.Div. (H.G. Guderian).
However, the map in that book, is rather confusing. So, I thought I better post the G-2 map above, after
I had confirmed that the units of interest, 6. Fs.Jg.Div. and the different elements of 116. Pz.Div. are
shown in the correct positions. For the other units further West, I didn't check in detail, but they
should be roughly ok, too.

One should be aware of course, that this map is based mainly on interrogation of POWs and some additional
infos like captured maps, orders, etc. ...
So its not "exact", but from my experience, very often rather close to the actual situation.

To understand the scale of the map :
The Hochwald gap, a very small clearing along the road from Uedem to Xanten, in this map is only the
very small "nose" with the "16 Pz.Rgt.?" designation. The 116. PzDiv. held positions in the immediate vicinity
and South of it. Further North (in the main part of the Hochwald) were the positions of 6. Fsjg.Div.

Where the frontline turns from N to West, it was held by 8., 7. Fsjg. Division and then by elements of
180. and 190. ID. I do not see any of those close to the "gap" (except maybe I./1221).
(The point where the front turns south again should be between Weeze and Bergen.)

While 190. and 180. ID around 25.2. still held positions between Bergen and Venlo, I think that they piece
by piece had to give away battalions to stabilize the front in the North (and the South as well, where
US troops were attacking.). But this is all still very complicated, and I was not really able to
understand those movements (which would be interesting of course for the other thread.)

I hope, it is more clear now, how to understand the map.

Best regards,

Archi

[Paulus_Gun]

Thank you for your explanation. Now I see understand how I should look at the map. It is always interesting and confusing at the same time that different elements of a unit are spread over a wide area, especially because much literature only deals with the divisional level. The actual front situation can often not be explained on a divisional or even regimental level.

[Floris]

Interessting Soldbuch.
The Kapelse Veer battles are worth a chapter on it's own.

[Paulus_Gun]

Thank you for your reply Floris. The Kapelsche Veer is indeed a small but fascinating chapter in the liberation of the Netherlands. Fortunately there are a fair amount of Canadian and Dutch sources available.

[mtdr]

Interesting Soldbuch and research!

[dennisb]

Interesting Soldbuch.
I see you already found a link to a Soldbuch I posted before.

[rayhigh5]

kappelse veer

thank you very intresting and only a few km where i live