Soldbuch 26.Pz.Div. KIA in Italy (Salerno)

[Daniele C]

Werner Klein, Feldwebel receives this second issue soldbuch on the 13.8.1942 while already with the 1./ Infanterie Regiment 9 then renamed 1./Panzergrenadier Regiment 9 of the 26.Panzer Division.
When He got the soldbuch Klein had been with Infanterie Regiment 9 for a while the regiment was part of the 23.Infanterie Division that fought in Poland,France and in the central sector of Russia until June 1942 where it taken from the front and sent to refit in Charleroi in Belgium.
On the 10.September 1942 the Majority of the 23.Infanterie Division was renamed and "upgraded" to 26.Panzer Division. A smal part of the 23.ID instead will reform a new 23.Infanterie Division before being redeployed in Russia again.
The New 26.Panzer Division will remain in Charleroi for 1 years to train until June 1943 where it gets transferred to Italy.
In August 1943 Klein and his Division is in Calabria fighting the Americans while retreating further north then in September 1943 They fight the Allied landed at SALERNO.

on the 23.9.1942 the Regiment is somewhere Just north of Acerno (north of Salerno) and Klein gets Killes in Action.

He rests in the German Military Cemetery in Cassino. His soldbuch and Half of his dog tag were taken from the body (soldbuch still soaked with dirt & blood) and sent to the Family.

[Daniele C]

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[mtdr]

Interesting Soldbuch Daniele!

[mufasa]

interesting SB Daniele!

the farewell of August 1944 : it is very likly that our man was buried in Monte Soprano by the Allies and then through the Red Cross the family was advised of the death and burial place ..

ciao Oriano

[Daniele C]

thanks!

Oriano where did you get that?

[mufasa]

thanks!

Oriano where did you get that?

only a free deduction .... killed 23 September 1945 .... the funeral
leaflet wass much later, dated August 1944 and indicates the exact place of burial... I remebered a similar situation in this HG soldbuch:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...astasia&page=2

[Daniele C]

I see thanks my friend!

[mtdr]

Daniele, I don't want to hijack this thread but probably a nice addition to this thread. Another Soldbuch of the 26. Panzer-Division who was KIA in Italy. He was killed in Pisa and buried as unknown soldier in Futa Pass. His unit was the Gre.M.Kp. III./ 26 Pz. These “Marsch” units were send to the division for replacement. I think he was also send to the Panzergrenadier-Regiment 9, but because of the heavy combats and his death there was no time to write his new unit in the Soldbuch.

[mufasa]

most likely just arrived and immediately thrown into the fray .... July 1944 was a month of many adjustments. and replace the the Panzer Grenadier Regiment 9 .... I had posted here anothernew arrival in the Pz.Gr.Reg.9 fell in Rimini in october






http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...cecchio&page=5

[mufasa]

that Canelle (Pisa) 17 July 1944 is very difficult to find ... the Panzer Regiment 9 like all the 26 Panzer Gren. Div. fought in that days around Ponsacco (15 km east of Pisa, South of Pontedera, under the river Arno) and Canelle is probably a name on a topographic map ((I found something but too far .....

.... here are some famous photos taken the 18 July 1944 (the day after) in Ponsacco by the Americans of two PzIV of the 26 Pz.Div.

very interesting the 834 on the turret of the second tank: tank nr.4 of the 3rd platoon of the 8 company (II Abteilung)

[mtdr]

Oriano, thanks for the interesting information and photo's!