Panzer Grenadier Div....The Bulge??

[RichardC]

Hello,
I have a death card from a stabsgefreiter of a Panzer Grenadier Division that was killed 25 December 1944 on the westfront..what i want to know is is the term, Panzer Grenadier Div. ,a general term describing one of many of such type divisions or is a term used to describe a named Division like Panzer Grenadier Division "Grossdeutschland" for example..what i'd also like to now if this particular soldier was in such a named Division and perhaps died in the Ardennes offensive...any help would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks

[Angel Farré]

Hello,
I have a death card from a stabsgefreiter of a Panzer Grenadier Division that was killed 25 December 1944 on the westfront..what i want to know is is the term, Panzer Grenadier Div. ,a general term describing one of many of such type divisions or is a term used to describe a named Division like Panzer Grenadier Division "Grossdeutschland" for example..what i'd also like to now if this particular soldier was in such a named Division and perhaps died in the Ardennes offensive...any help would be greatky appreciated...

Thanks

It's a general definition of a type of unit, normally in the death cards you find just member of an............. not given the name or number of the unit, suppose security reasons. If the card stated he was killed on the West on Christmas day probably it happened during the Bulge offensive.

Angel

[Mike C]

Hi Richard,

The term "panzer-grenadier" was standard for armoured infantry. There were at least two PG Divisions in action in the Bulge (3d and 15th Panzer-Grenadier Divisions). My bet is the 15th Panzer Grenadier Division. This Division threw a battlegroup against Bastogne on Christmas Day and, to quote Parker's study of the battle: "None of the 200 German troops and 18 tanks that pierced the American line were able to escape; all were killed or captured." (pages 196-197).

Mike

[RichardC]

i read over the card again and says that he was killed in a luftangriff..which means 'air attack"...was the weather clear enough on 25th of December 1944, in the Ardennes to allow planes to attack ground troops....but then again he could also have been killed during a bombing mission(?) or perhaps he was not necessarily in the Ardennes but somewhere else in Europe where the weather was clearer to allow planes to fly...oh well the mystery of death cards....

thanks again for the help..

[CSP]

It would be possible, but off the top of my head I do not know where to start (National Archives probably) to get the battle logs of the Numbered USAFs that flew the western front and look up flight entries for Dec 25 1944. Combat missions would show up as well as locations flown I suspect, and you might get an idea, if not an answer.

[Gary T]

The term "panzer-grenadier" was standard for armoured infantry. There were at least two PG Divisions in action in the Bulge (3d and 15th Panzer-Grenadier Divisions). My bet is the 15th Panzer Grenadier Division. This Division threw a battlegroup against Bastogne on Christmas Day and, to quote Parker's study of the battle: "None of the 200 German troops and 18 tanks that pierced the American line were able to escape; all were killed or captured." (pages 196-197).

Of course the term Panzer Grenadier also refers to infantry in panzer divisions not just PzG divisions.

[Chris Stewart]

Might also be useful to mention that Panzer-Grenadier regiments were only named that on July 5th, 1942 (I think...) when all Schutzen Regiments were renamed to that. PzG divisions are basically just motorized, often armoured, infantry I do believe.

Also as Gary mentioned, PzG regiments would have existed in both PzG divisions and Panzer Divisions, which probably doesn't help narrow down your search any =)

[Gary T]

Might also be useful to mention that Panzer-Grenadier regiments were only named that on July 5th, 1942 (I think...) when all Schutzen Regiments were renamed to that. PzG divisions are basically just motorized, often armoured, infantry I do believe.

Also as Gary mentioned, PzG regiments would have existed in both PzG divisions and Panzer Divisions, which probably doesn't help narrow down your search any =)

Richard,

what is the man's name? Nearly all Western Front casualties are on the Volksbund website. Most have the place of death. This would enable you to narrow down the field...

[RichardC]

Richard,

what is the man's name? Nearly all Western Front casualties are on the Volksbund website. Most have the place of death. This would enable you to narrow down the field...

The guys name is Alois Stapfner...there is only a death date Dec 25th 1944 but he was 29 when he died so birth year is 1915, place of birth was Uicha(?)

Whats that Volksbund site you mentioned?

[Gary T]

The guys name is Alois Stapfner...there is only a death date Dec 25th 1944 but he was 29 when he died so birth year is 1915, place of birth was Uicha(?)

Whats that Volksbund site you mentioned?

Sure you have that surname right? No one of that name was killed in either World War.