Battle of the Hürtgenwald / Gr.Rgt.983 Group

[JUNGCO]

You usually go with the date on the award document because they may have been at a forward aid station before any hospital entry was made. Just think of how many times you find men awarded a wound badge and there isn't even a hospital entry in the Soldbuch.
Jeff

[Admiraal]

Nice Soldbuch

I agree with Jeff. The date on the award document is normally the correct date.
It takes a (few) day(s) to arrive at a hospital. Many soldiers go to a field-dressing station before that.
Some stay at their unit's medical unit for a day or 2 and have nothing written on page 12/13.
It depends on the wound and the location.

[InfanterieSammler]

Hi Willi,
That sounds like a fantastic experience. Do you remember what unit your vet served with?

Hi Jungco/Rick Admiral,
That makes perfect sense to me.

Regards,
John

[Willi Z.]

John, I am pretty sure it was the 89. Infanterie Division. He wrote a book about the battle and I am sure I have it somewhere. I met him in 2007.

[InfanterieSammler]

Hi Willi,

The 89th was sure there!

John

[Luft 76]

John, I am pretty sure it was the 89. Infanterie Division. He wrote a book about the battle and I am sure I have it somewhere. I met him in 2007.

Probably G. HASLOB ? «Ein Blick zuruck in die Eifel» ?

[Archi]

Hello !

Very interesting Soldbuch group and a very nice and detailed presentation !
(I always love to see maps, displaying the situation).
This is IMO a group with relevance and connected to an area and units I am very interested in.
Many thanks for taking the time for preparing and sharing all this.

I thought it might be useful to add a map with the official bunker numbering and a (postwar) photo of bunker 108,
which IMO shows, how well these bunkers are molded into the surroundings and how difficult the terrain was.
(With respect to Bunker 112, Bunker 108 was just around the corner, so to speak).
The German text below the map states, that this was the hardest fought area of the Westwall for over 4 months in 1944.

I'll also attach a scan of an US leaflet, which bears the copy of an original German document,
regarding the condition of II./Gren.Rgt 983 in late Oct. 1944, exactly the battalion this soldier was posted to :
From that report, it becomes clear, that II./GrenRgt. 983 had been reorganized/filled up with the
remnants of I./Lds.Btl. 9 and EuA-Btl. 328 and also with replacements from WK VI Ersatz-Btls.
There was a lack of soldiers with training on the l.MG and in night combat and a lack of training in general.
In addition, the battalion had a lack of heavy weapons (only 2 heavy MGs available) and also of signal equipment.

Some things, I found interesting regarding this soldiers career :
a) I think it is very rare, that you can pinpoint the actions were a soldier was wounded so closely !
b) When he was issued this Soldbuch, he was already a Gefreiter, so he must have served before.
Are there any infos on that ?
c) Are there any entries in the SB, that could clarify, when Lds.Ausb.Btl. I./9 was incorporated into
Gren.Rgt. 983 ?
d) I would be very interested in the name/signature of the Btl. CO of II./983 on the leaflet.
It would be great if someone could identify (or make a guess on) that name !
e) Finally, I would be interested in the map in post #20: from which book is it ?

(The map with the bunker designations I posted, is from: Manfred Gross, Westwallkämpfe and the photo
and the leaflet are from :
Hohenstein, Trees: Hölle im Hürtgenwald).

Thanks and best regards,

Archi

[InfanterieSammler]

Hi Archi,

Thank you for your kind words. Thank you also for sharing the map and the leaflet. The leaflet is especially interesting for me, as it directly applies to this solider since he was one of those incorporated into II/Gr.Rgt.983 from Landesschutzen Btl.9

When I collect documents/groups it is important to me to pull out as much of the soldiers story as I'm able to. This group appealed to for the very reason you mentioned - how often is one able to pinpoint a soldier's action/wounding to an exact specific place and time? The reference to Bunker 112 on 3 November 1944 really made this group!

To answer some of your questions.
b) I'm not sure about his already having the rank of Gefreiter.
c) The only thing I can see in the SB re: Landesschutzen Btl. 9 is the equipment issue from July 1944, so this unit must have been absorbed sometime between then and Oct.1944?
d) I don't recognize the battalion CO signature on the leaflet, however I am also curious.
e) The map is from his online article, which was reprinted from Rick Atkinson's book / http://www.historynet.com/the-hurtge...ace-of-any.htm

Best Regards,
John

[InfanterieSammler]

Here is a photo of Bunker #107. I think this photo really shows how well some of these bunker were camouflaged.

Can anyone tell me if Bunker #112 also had this same green camo paint on the front?

Regards,
John

[PaulR]

I have a question... was his receipt of the Wound Badge an error, or were awards granted for accidents/self-mutilation? I assume they were treated in the same regard, as they are covered by the same code?

[Willi Z.]

John, I have lots of photos from my trip there. Will find the file.

[Willi Z.]

Probably G. HASLOB ? «Ein Blick zuruck in die Eifel» ?

Here is the book. Not the veteran's real name though.

[InfanterieSammler]

I have a question... was his receipt of the Wound Badge an error, or were awards granted for accidents/self-mutilation? I assume they were treated in the same regard, as they are covered by the same code?

Hi Paul,

It's interesting that they used the same Wound Code for both, however, the way they differentiated was in fact the award (or not) of a Wound Badge. A soldier would not be awarded the Wound Badge for a self-inflicted injury.

John

[InfanterieSammler]

John, I have lots of photos from my trip there. Will find the file.

Hi Willi,

Much appreciated. I've noticed several of the bunkers from that area had that green camo paint. Wondering if they all had it at one time...

Thanks,
John

[Luft 76]

Here is the book. Not the veteran's real name though.

Interesting. Not the same indeed. I will try to find this one.