Units Evacuated from Crimea in 1944

[Sturmgeist]

Any information on these units? I believe it was a naval evacuation. In the letters of one soldier, he wrote basically that there was a naval evacuation and that he didn't go because he believed since he was a pioneer he was "The first one in and the last one out". He also wrote that men were holding onto the railings of the ships. Not much detail, and I don't have the original letter. Its been lost within the family. He he also wrote once "We can see the lights of Stalingrad now, but I know we'll never take the city". Are there any units that were evacuated from Crimea that were previously stationed nearby Stalingrad?

Thanks

[PZIV]

Yes, the main reason Army Group South had to take the Crimea was to make sure enemy units were not behind their lines, but also to use as a jump off point to invade the Caucusus region by sea via a small crossing between the Crimea and mainland. The units from there could have been near Stalingrad. When things went sour and the Caucusus units were in danger of getting encircled, they evacuated to the Crimea by boat.

[Gary T]

Are these original Feldpost letters?

[Sturmgeist]

Are these original Feldpost letters?

Yes. I'm not sure if he could have been transfered to another unit. I highly doubt that would be the case.

Yes, the main reason Army Group South had to take the Crimea was to make sure enemy units were not behind their lines, but also to use as a jump off point to invade the Caucusus region by sea via a small crossing between the Crimea and mainland. The units from there could have been near Stalingrad. When things went sour and the Caucusus units were in danger of getting encircled, they evacuated to the Crimea by boat.

Thanks for the info. I know that they had another naval evacuation when Sevestapol was evacuated at the Khersones Peninsula. I guess my real question is what units were evacuated from the Kerch and what units were evacuated from the Khersones Peninsula.

[Larry deZeng]

The following remain the standard works on these two evacuations:

FORSTMEIER, Friedrich. Die Räumung des Kuban-Brückenkopfes im Herbst 1943. Darmstadt: Wehr und Wissen Verlag, 1964.
HILLGRUBER, Andreas. Die Räumung der Krim 1944. Supplement 9 to Wehrwissenschaftliche Rundschau, 1959.

Both have lengthy listings of the units evacuated.

--Larry

[Gary T]

Yes. I'm not sure if he could have been transfered to another unit. I highly doubt that would be the case.

They should have a Feldpost number on them then. That will tell you what unit he was serving with.

[Sturmgeist]

They should have a Feldpost number on them then. That will tell you what unit he was serving with.

Unfortunately the grandson of the soldier does not have the letters. They've been lost within the family. If anything I doubt that the envelopes would be kept.

[Gary T]

Unfortunately the grandson of the soldier does not have the letters. They've been lost within the family. If anything I doubt that the envelopes would be kept.

So how do we know he 'saw the lights of Stalingrad'? I'm not sure any German soldiers saw the lights of Stalingrad and it was bombed into ruins before the majority of the German Army got near the city.

To find out what units he served with the easiest route would be to write to WaSt.

There wre plenty (73. ID, 198. ID, 50. ID, 111. ID etc ) of divisions who served in the Caucasus, were evacuated fron the Kuban and also were lost or evacuated in the Crimea in May 1944. None of these ever served anywhere near Stalingrad. He may also have served in an army or Korps level unit.

[Sturmgeist]

I don't know. My best guess was that he was in the 46. Infanterie-Division, 42. Infanterie-Regiment, and then sometime in 1941 he was transfered to Pionier-Bataillon 88.

Photos of him are here:http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=262831

[hec801]

Hey,

just one thing: The Pionier-Bataillon 71 of the 50. ID served as the only part of the division in Stalingrad. Some soldiers which were wounded in Stalingrad and brought back to Germany. After German troops at Stalingrad surrendered, they were brought back to the new PiBtl. 71 of the 50. ID when the division served at Kuban area...

Later, the Bataillon served on the Krim and was partially evacuated...

Regards

Hannes

[Sturmgeist]

Thanks! This may be just what I was looking for!

Thanks again.

[Brendan Hunt]

*Changed account

Was the 50. ID the only division partially evacuated? I always beleived that after the 46. ID was sent to the Kuban Region it came back as part of the 17. Armee and went to defend Sevastapol.