After long search I could finally acquire a nice Heeresflak group and here it is.
Let me introduce our man, Leutenant Horst Crauel, a good boy born in Bremenhaven on October 8th, 1.920, evangelist and Optic as his profession.
Just after his 20th birthday he was conscripted into the Wehrmacht by 1./s.Art.Ers.Abt. 256 who provided him with his Soldbuch number 1152 and his DogTag 5031.
Our soldier was a trained artilleryman, sure being optic helped as where you can find a lot of optic apparatus than in any artillery unit.
After his trained he was send to 3./Heers Küsten Artillery Abteilung 789 which was based in the Crimea peninsula.
His service there was easy and looks like not too much combat or action as he only received two medals:
Confirmation of his DLRG awarded to him on August 16th, 1.938
Rumanian medal Crusade against communism dated June 26th, 1942
Both authenticated by the Fp 13421 that was Stab u. 1-3 Batterie Heeres Küsten Artillery Abteilung 789
Also he was promoted three times, all confirmed by 3./Heeres Küsten Art.Abt. 789
Oberkanonier on October 1st, 1.941
Gefreiter on December 1st, 1.941
Unteroffizier on August 1st, 1.942 (confirmed on August 20th)
He was there till the end of 1.942 when he was sent to an Officers course, 11 Officer-Anwarter-Lehrgang der Artillery Schiessschule, Artillerie Schiessschule Lehrgang II in Thorn, from October 12th till December 15th under Major Alemandinger
He completed the course wishful satisfaction as he was promoted on the same day (as normal) to Wachtmeister u. O.A. and Leutnant on December 1st, 1.942 by Artillerie Sciessschule Thorn Lehrgang II
Now is time to take part in more action and after a brief period with Heeresflakartillerie Ers,Abt. 278 (he receive some payment on January 12th, 1.943) he was sent to Heeresflakartillerie Abteilung 295 a unit recently created on May 15th, 1.943, looks he was with this unit from the beginning as one of his Security Controls is signed by an officer of this unit and stamped bu the unit on May 31st, 1.943, just mere two weeks after its official creation.
This unit was part of the 20 Panzer Division and, IMHO, he served attached to it till the end of the war.
Prior to go to his new unit he, as every officer self-respected, decide to purchase a gun and he decided to have a Walther PP in 7.65mm s/n 221622 on December 13th, 1.942. (I suppose he knew he has passed all exams)
With the 20 Pz.Div. He served during its battles in Kursk, Orel, Gomel, Vitebsk, Poletsk and the brutal blow of Operation Bagration till he was wounded on June 29th, 1.944, this put him in hospitals to recover.
Prior his wound he spent a couple of days in the Tirol as a guest of Luftwaffe Ortslazarett ELORIA b Constanza from July 27, 1.941 till July 29th, 1.941. (any help of why is welcomed)
Now his wound, looks like in the chaos of Bagration how he was evacuated is missed and he ended in the next hospitals:
Reserve Lazarett III Siedlce from July 7th, 1.944 till July 13th, 1.944 and transfer to
Res.Laz.Soest Tellaz. Marienhospital from July 16th till July 27th, 1.944 by bullet wound where he was discharged to training troops.
He spent some time in those units and then back to the 295 around October 22nd, he received some equipment and an MP 40 s/n 7545 on October 31st, clear proof that he was fully recovered and back in the saddle to defend the Fatherland.
He took part in the combats in Hungary and the retreat to Breslau, Schweinitz and Neisse in Silesia to Görlitz in the Polish border and the attacks and retreats in Niesky, Bautzen, Dresden till the surrender on May 3rd, 1,945.
He was not promoted beyond the rank of Leutnant but for his part in trying to stop the Red Army in its efforts to destroy Heeresgruppe Mitte he received two medals, WBiB on July 22nd 1.944 and EK II on August 28th, 1.944. His service after recovering gave him another two, GAB on November 9th, 1.944 and Heeresfalkabzeichen on March 25th, 1.945.
Looks like our guy was fortunate enough to be one of those who escaped to the west as no traces of being POW nor by Russian neither by Americans.
Hope you like this Soldbuch as much as I do. Pity it never had a photo so no face this time to match what he did.
Angel
Let me introduce our man, Leutenant Horst Crauel, a good boy born in Bremenhaven on October 8th, 1.920, evangelist and Optic as his profession.
Just after his 20th birthday he was conscripted into the Wehrmacht by 1./s.Art.Ers.Abt. 256 who provided him with his Soldbuch number 1152 and his DogTag 5031.
Our soldier was a trained artilleryman, sure being optic helped as where you can find a lot of optic apparatus than in any artillery unit.
After his trained he was send to 3./Heers Küsten Artillery Abteilung 789 which was based in the Crimea peninsula.
His service there was easy and looks like not too much combat or action as he only received two medals:
Confirmation of his DLRG awarded to him on August 16th, 1.938
Rumanian medal Crusade against communism dated June 26th, 1942
Both authenticated by the Fp 13421 that was Stab u. 1-3 Batterie Heeres Küsten Artillery Abteilung 789
Also he was promoted three times, all confirmed by 3./Heeres Küsten Art.Abt. 789
Oberkanonier on October 1st, 1.941
Gefreiter on December 1st, 1.941
Unteroffizier on August 1st, 1.942 (confirmed on August 20th)
He was there till the end of 1.942 when he was sent to an Officers course, 11 Officer-Anwarter-Lehrgang der Artillery Schiessschule, Artillerie Schiessschule Lehrgang II in Thorn, from October 12th till December 15th under Major Alemandinger
He completed the course wishful satisfaction as he was promoted on the same day (as normal) to Wachtmeister u. O.A. and Leutnant on December 1st, 1.942 by Artillerie Sciessschule Thorn Lehrgang II
Now is time to take part in more action and after a brief period with Heeresflakartillerie Ers,Abt. 278 (he receive some payment on January 12th, 1.943) he was sent to Heeresflakartillerie Abteilung 295 a unit recently created on May 15th, 1.943, looks he was with this unit from the beginning as one of his Security Controls is signed by an officer of this unit and stamped bu the unit on May 31st, 1.943, just mere two weeks after its official creation.
This unit was part of the 20 Panzer Division and, IMHO, he served attached to it till the end of the war.
Prior to go to his new unit he, as every officer self-respected, decide to purchase a gun and he decided to have a Walther PP in 7.65mm s/n 221622 on December 13th, 1.942. (I suppose he knew he has passed all exams)
With the 20 Pz.Div. He served during its battles in Kursk, Orel, Gomel, Vitebsk, Poletsk and the brutal blow of Operation Bagration till he was wounded on June 29th, 1.944, this put him in hospitals to recover.
Prior his wound he spent a couple of days in the Tirol as a guest of Luftwaffe Ortslazarett ELORIA b Constanza from July 27, 1.941 till July 29th, 1.941. (any help of why is welcomed)
Now his wound, looks like in the chaos of Bagration how he was evacuated is missed and he ended in the next hospitals:
Reserve Lazarett III Siedlce from July 7th, 1.944 till July 13th, 1.944 and transfer to
Res.Laz.Soest Tellaz. Marienhospital from July 16th till July 27th, 1.944 by bullet wound where he was discharged to training troops.
He spent some time in those units and then back to the 295 around October 22nd, he received some equipment and an MP 40 s/n 7545 on October 31st, clear proof that he was fully recovered and back in the saddle to defend the Fatherland.
He took part in the combats in Hungary and the retreat to Breslau, Schweinitz and Neisse in Silesia to Görlitz in the Polish border and the attacks and retreats in Niesky, Bautzen, Dresden till the surrender on May 3rd, 1,945.
He was not promoted beyond the rank of Leutnant but for his part in trying to stop the Red Army in its efforts to destroy Heeresgruppe Mitte he received two medals, WBiB on July 22nd 1.944 and EK II on August 28th, 1.944. His service after recovering gave him another two, GAB on November 9th, 1.944 and Heeresfalkabzeichen on March 25th, 1.945.
Looks like our guy was fortunate enough to be one of those who escaped to the west as no traces of being POW nor by Russian neither by Americans.
Hope you like this Soldbuch as much as I do. Pity it never had a photo so no face this time to match what he did.
Angel
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