Show me your 72 I.D. pieces.

[Archi]

Hello !

Fantastic documents/groups shown here ! Thanks to all for sharing their docs !

@Rick Admiraal :
Great docs and Very nice writup on the Armin Bauer WP on your site !
Regarding your question on the pink cross in the Arno Hammer SB, I do not know.
But perhaps it could help to post p. 17, as on p. 4 bottom, there are some lines
referring to that page 17 in the same color.

@LRRPS :
Really stunning ! This must be the most complete group I have ever seen (and that at such a high level) !

@Lionel :
Another great group ! At least I (!) would be very interested to see more, as Hptm. Abbel lead a battlegroup
in Sept. 1944, formed from EuA.Btl. 124 !
As there was quite some confusion in the G-2 reports and official docs with a Btl. Appel/Kappel, your docs
now confirm that Hptm. Abbel should be the correct name !

I do not know whether you have seen this posting (or you know anyway) :
http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...45&postcount=9
KGr. Abbel (formed from EuA-Btl. 124) was fighting at the northern rim of the Wallendorf bridgehead,
first under KGr. Pz.Lehr-Div. and then under KGr. 2. Pz.Div., South of Vianden.

In Oct. 44, most of the units in that area were used to rebuild 353. Inf.Div. with
- Btls. Paul and Abbel forming I. and II./Gren.Rgt. 942
- Btls. Garten and Mohr forming I. and II./Gren.Rgt. 943
It would be really great to see, what the SB of Hptm. Abbel shows of this reorganizations !

[Sorry for the sidetopic, but it is also connected to the SB I wanted to add to this thread.
I hope it is o.k. to add, although it is only a "normal soldier" , and he was with IR 124 only from ~March - Oct. 1943.
At least he received his EK II during this time].

Fritz Baldauf had a quite an interesting career, the details I have still to understand :
He was affiliated with Schützen-Rgt. 64 (16. Pz.Div.), Inf.Rgt. 37 (6. ID) (shrapnel woundings in both upper legs
near Moscow, late Dec. 41).
In 1943 : Feldausbildungs-Rgt 637, 5. and 7. Gren.Rgt. 124 (72. ID). With this Rgt., he received his EK II in Sept. 43
and with this unit he damaged his ankle (during an accident ?!), which sounds harmless, but he had to spent more than
6 weeks in hospital.

After that, he was released to Gren.EuA-Btl. 124 and became activated again (KGr. Garten, a WK XII Walküre call up) in Sept. 1944.
He fought at the Wallendorf bridgehead under KGr. Pz.Lehr and KGr. 5. Fsjg.Div., (please, see link above) and finally
he was incorporated into the rebuilt of 353. Inf.Div.
With 353. Inf.Div. he was wounded again by shrapnels, when this unit was committed at the Hürtgenwald area in
late November 1944. This wounding put him out of action until the end of the war.

Angel, great idea to open this thread ! I hope, more contributions are coming.

Best regards,

Archi

P.S.: I think, I never used so much "Smilies" in any of my postings before (sorry for that), but this time it may be justified ...

[Humble480]

I am glad to see so many collectors interested in this thread!

Here is one of my favorites...I am not going to write his full name so that it does not show up on Google (but you can read it on his WP).

Karl P. was a true warrior who was with IR 105 from 1937 to 1945 taking part in every major campaign. In early 1945 he was transferred to run a military school in Prague.

He started the war as a Feldwebel and ended as a Hauptmann. During the war he was wounded 11 times (on 8 different occasions)!

It has been near impossible for me to find WP/SB relating to IR 105, especially for one with a career like Karl's. Due to the high casualty rate it is hard to find soldiers who were in the 72nd for the entire war.

The regiment saw a lot of combat and became very experienced until it was destroyed in the Tscherkassy kessel in Feb 1944. IR 105 had 27 officers and 1,083 soldiers in January 1944 and after leading the spearhead for the breakout of the Tscherkassy kessel walked out with only 3 officers and just over 200 men.

Awards -
West Wall Medal
EKII
EKI
Infantry Assault Badge
Wound Badge Black, Silver, Gold (1942!)
Eastern Front Medal
Krim Shield

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (at Orel! May 1943)

German Cross in Gold (Christmas Eve 1943)
Close Combat Clasp in Silver (Tscherkassy January 1944)

I'll work on posting a separate thread with more information. Please let me know if you have any materials relating to Karl P.

[Humble480]

More photos...

[Humble480]

Last photos...

[Admiraal]

Nice additions guys!

Hello !

Fantastic documents/groups shown here ! Thanks to all for sharing their docs !

@Rick Admiraal :
Great docs and Very nice writup on the Armin Bauer WP on your site !
Regarding your question on the pink cross in the Arno Hammer SB, I do not know.
But perhaps it could help to post p. 17, as on p. 4 bottom, there are some lines
referring to that page 17 in the same color.

Good eye!
Here is a picture from page 17.

[Archi]

Hello Rick Admiraal !

Thanks for posting that additional page 17.
I am sorry to say, that I do not see any clear connection to the cross on p. 1.
Perhaps some of the colleagues have an idea ?!

Excellent WP to Hptm. Karl Prümm shown by Humble480 !
I'll add a small info, regarding the actions for which he earned his Knights Cross.
Perhaps already known, but still interesting I thought.

Best regards,

Archi

[Admiraal]

Hello Rick Admiraal !

Thanks for posting that additional page 17.
I am sorry to say, that I do not see any clear connection to the cross on p. 1.
Perhaps some of the colleagues have an idea ?!

...

Best regards,

Archi

Thanks anyway Archi
Do you happen to know more about the Ersatz and Marsch units during 1945 on page 17?

[Humble480]

Thanks for the information, Archi! I really appreciate it.

Here is an article from 1943:

Against overwhelming supremacy
The excellent deed of the Knight's Cross carrier Lieutenant Prümm

In the attack of Southwest Orel, which closed a gap during the winter fights at the end of March, a Trier Grenadier Regiment had a stronger enemy group-as was later revealed, 450 men with numerous automatic weapons-in the right flank. From a height position, the grenadiers were given strong flanking fire, which greatly affected their further action. Before the other morning the attack was continued in the front, Lieutenant Karl Prümm from Trier, the head of the 7th Company, should turn off this flanking with the available parts of his company.

After a fire of the heavy weapons of the battalion, Lieutenant Prümm engaged in a bitter fire fight at the head of 17 grenadiers in the hostile positions on the edge of a high plateau. But then he and his small troop were beating raging fire from deep-staggered snow positions spread all over the plateau which made any further penetration impossible. Meanwhile, a squad of the 5th Company had been set up against the enemy positions and had also worked its way to the high ground. Under fire from two sides into their snow positions, the first Bolsheviks started running back. Lieutenant Prümm recognized a moment of weakness in the opponent and immediately seized the opportunity. Taking command of the squad from the 5th Company (combining with his 17 grenadiers) he introduced "Hurray" against the hostile positions. The Soviets were surprised by this onslaught, behind which they suspect stronger German forces; Only individually, then in larger squads left their positions.

Now there was no stopping for Lieutenant Prümm; Far ahead of his grenadiers, repeatedly leading through his example, he broke the opposing position system and encountered the place behind, which was taken in a bitter house-to-house struggle. Thus, the flank threat of the German attack was turned off; In addition to high bloody losses, they took 161 Soviet prisoners and 17 grenade launchers and MGs. Lieutenant Prümm remained at the head of his company, even though he suffered his seventh wound in these fights.

Best regards,
Jordan

P.S. this photo was taken about 2-3 weeks after the action described above.

[Humble480]

From Oppermann's WP it looks like he was called to active duty 1 day before K.P! Looking at his RAD photo, I think that it is possible he could be in this photo with K.P. from 1937.

[Archi]

Hello Jordan/Humble480 !

First I wanted to apologize, that I only noticed later on, that you would have preferred,
not to mention the full name of this KC holder. Then it was too late for me, to edit the post. Sorry !

It would be great, if you find the time to present this WP of an outstanding soldier in much more detail.

I would like to mention a few things :
- You made a perfect translation of the article. However, as it was published in a German newspaper,
it is possible, that it is not absolutely precise. (This refers mainly to the dates mentioned and
the description of the circumstances, under which his act of bravery occured).
- In addition, I am surprised on the battle calendar entry, which states that his unit was involved in
the battles for Rshew until 24.Feb. 1943 only and already from 25.2.43 SW of Orel.

I had a look at some Lage maps and original docs and from those the following picture occured :
- 72. Inf.Div. was fighting SE/South of Rshew until early March, when "Operation Büffel" started
(retreat from the Rshev salient).
- According to the KTB of 2. Pz.Armee, on 3.3.1943 47. Pz.Korps was informed, that 72. ID will be
transferred as reinforcement. It should be expected, that at first a "reinforced Rgt." arrives around 6.3.,
and that the other elements of the division will follow a few days later.
On the 7.3., it is mentioned that this "Rgt." in fact had only the strength of a weak battalion.
[IMO, those were the most critical days. The rest of the division came in later on, piece by piece. ]

If you combine these official records, the maps below and the excerpt from the divisional history I posted above,
which states that Hptm. Zimmermann (Kdr. I./105), Fw. Wernig (Zug-Fhr. 4./IR 105) and Hptm P. (Kp.-Chef 7./IR 105)
received the KC for the same actions in this timeframe, I would consider it possible, that this battlegroup
consisted of I./IR. 105, reinforced by elements of the II./105 and that the important actions had taken place
already in the first half of March 1943.
But of course, that is my interpretation only. Maybe someone has more exact info on this ?!

Best regards,

Archi

P.S.: The 3 maps correspond to: 10.3., 17.3 and 25.3.43