Battle Information

[odiestreasures]

Hi All

Does anyone have any information on a battle at Modohn from April 1944 thur October 1944 . Any information on Gren Rgt 426 that took part in this action would be appricated.


Thank You
Odell

[Larry deZeng]

Hi All

Does anyone have any information on a battle at Modohn from April 1944 thur October 1944 . Any information on Gren Rgt 426 that took part in this action would be appricated.


Thank You
Odell

Gren.Rgt. 426 belonged to 126. Inf.Div.:
Apr – Oct 44: Pskov area then withdrew into Latvia toward Riga under AOK 18.

The place name MODOHN is unknown to me. It is not a Russian, Estonian or Latvian name, so you may have it spelled wrong.

--BHS1956

[F L Clemens]

My guess is that "Modohn" is someone's misinterpretation of a place name written in Suetterlin. It may well be "Narwa".

[odiestreasures]

Battle Informaion

Thank you both for your input. I'm trying to pin down where the 11/Gren Rgt 426 was during this time from April 1944-October 1944,and what actions they were involved in. The Kommander of this unit won both the german Coss in Gold and the Oakleaves during this time frame.

Odell

[F L Clemens]

It would help a lot if you could provide your source for the location name of "Modohn". Is it handwritten, typewritten, or what? What document do you get that name from?
I have plenty of maps of the area, none with the name "Modohn" or anything like it. For a unit to have fought in that sector for several months, the actual place name would most likely show up on a map. As I suggested, it makes more sense if you are talking about "Narwa" as an area or front, rather than one single town, since the Germans were being pushed back throughout the period.

[F L Clemens]

Okay, based on the info you sent me in a PM, the action at Modohn was specifically on 28 April 1944 and not during a date range through October.
That means it was a very small place. You'd probably have to get that from the division records.

Lexikon der Wehrmacht:
"Hilgemann, Klaus

<TABLE id=AutoNumber1 cellSpacing=1 width="100%" border=1><TBODY><TR><TD width="50%">* 21. Februar 1918, Stettin + 6. Juli 1973, Gut Gernreit bei Michelsdorf / Österreich</TD><TD width="50%"> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Klaus Hilgemann trat 1936 als Fahnenjunker in das Infanterie-Regiment 78 ein und wurde 1938 zum Leutnant befördert. Bei Kriegsbeginn wurde er in das neu aufgestellte Infanterie-Regiment 464 versetzt, mit dem er im Mai 1940 am Westfeldzug teilnahm . Im Oktober 1940 kam er als Zugführer zur 13. Kompanie des Infanterie-Regiments 426, mit dem er ab Juni 1941 am Rußlandfeldzug teilnahm. Im August 1941 wurde er als Oberleutnant Chef der 13. Kompanie des Infanterie-Regiments 422. Für seine Leistungen bei den Kämpfen zur Befreiung des Kessels von Demjansk im September 1942 wurde ihm am 8. Oktober 1942 das Ritterkreuz verliehen. Am 1. Dezember 1942 zum Hauptmann befördert, führte er anschließend das II. Bataillon des Regiments, ab März 1943 wurde er Kommandeur des II. / Grenadier-Regiment 426. Am 28. April 1944 mit dem Deutschen Kreuz in Gold ausgezeichnet, zeichnete er sich mit seinem Bataillon bei den Kämpfen bei Modohn besonders aus, wofür ihm am 29. Oktober 1944 als Major das Eichenlaub verliehen wurde. Im Dezember 1944 wurde er Lehrgruppenkommandeur bzw. Kommandeur der Kriegsschulen Hannover, Neuenburg bei Prag und Zeithain. Zuletzt führte er noch eine RAD-Division im Raum Torgau.
Ritterkreuz (8. Oktober 1942) Eichenlaub (29. Oktober 1944)"

[F L Clemens]

From internet research, Modohn appears to be the German name for the Latvian town of Madona, halfway between Pleskau (Pskov) and Riga. If this is the right place, the battle would probably have been against Russian breakthrough forces. The alternate is that there was a smaller Modohn due south of Pleskau along a stable defense line.

[odiestreasures]

Sir

Thank You for your help.


Regards
Odell

[F L Clemens]

No problem, I am interested in that area and time period for other reasons. Before I chase down info at the archives, can you give a more specific reason for your request and describe what you are looking for? Research time, like any time, is a limited resource and I don't like to chase whims.