Generalleutnant of the 167th VGD?

[sonderverband]

I was reading a history of the 35th ID and they mention capturing a Generalleutnant Unrein. Jost in April. There is no other mention of any other German Generals being captured, and the history is very focused on major accomplishments like this. I doubt other captured Generals would have been omitted. I wonder if he's not my mystery General?

I can't find any history on Jost, sadly.

[hucks216]

The only JOST listed in Die Generales Des Heeres is a Generalleutnant Walter Jost who was born on 25th July 1896.
He was promoted to Generalleutnant on 1st December 1944 and from 26th April 1944 to 24th April 1945 he commanded the 42 Jager Division which was fighting in Italy. He was KIA on 24th April 1945 so I very much doubt that it is him.
He is also the only Generalleutnant with the surname of Jost on the ABR site.

And the only Generalleutnant listed with a surname of UNREIN was the commanding officer of the 14th Pz Division (Martin Unrein) from (for this time frame) 1st December 1944 to 10th February 1945 and this division was fighting on the Eastern front. HOWEVER, he was captured by an American patrol on 24th April 1945 in a place called Roxförde. He was the commanding officer of Panzer Division 'Clausewitz'.
After that Lexikon is a little cloudy as to his post war life. It mentions that he was released in 1947 but also that a source mentions him being handed over to the Russians. Now all you have to do is see if this town/village &/or unit were in the American unit's area.

[sonderverband]

Unrein is the one. The 35th ID history said that the General was CO of the "Clasewitz task force." Not sure why the history says "Lt. General Unrein. Jost." instead of just UNREIN. Maybe a typo? Either way, that's who they captured! I am trying to get his pistol and holster too...

Thank you for clearing this up!

[hucks216]

Got there in the end!

[sonderverband]

Now unless the holster says "Unrein" in it, it will be hard to say these things were his for certain... but this unit only captured ONE Generalleutnant and I think the patrol that nabbed him would have disarmed him.

Thanks for all the detective work everybody!

[hucks216]

They may well of disarmed him but if the epaulettes are indeed his then they were probably taken from him as souvenirs by the troops more than anything else.
Here is Unrein's entry on Lexikon..
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/.../U/UnreinM.htm

[sonderverband]

This vet grabbed the pistol and the boards at the same time. I'm trying to get the rest of the stuff but it's very hard to get through to the grandson.

MORE HISTORY:

Resuming the story of the rest of the 35th Division, on April 15th came Combat Team 134 (the vet's unit), having been the last to leave the Ruhr fighting, and closed along the Elbe River between the 137th Regiment, and spread very thin towards the 30th Division which was in Magdeberg. The two regiments established several isolated defensive positions which fought off several night patrols from across the river. German prisoners were rounded up in large numbers and over 1,500 Allied P.O.W.s were found and released, fed, clothed, given medical care and sent home. On April 16, the division was transferred from XIX Corps to the XIII Corps, and on the same day sent patrols across the Elbe to locate enemy positions and determine the best places to cross the river if we were ordered to do so. Over 5,000 German prisoners were processed to P.O.W. camps including top German officers like General Unrein and SS Gen. Heintz Jost. Some scattered artillery dueling was conducted with the enemy, more often at night.

Zee proof is getting better und better!

[Eric JB]

Hi Sony,

No Typo and No Unrein Jost !!!

Jost and Unrein are here two separated names !!!

In one day, 24 April, Santa Fe troops captured SS Major General Heinz Jost and the Clauswitz Task Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Unrein.
Jost, listed in Shaef's "Who's Who in Nazi Germany," and head of the Gestapo in foreign countries, was captured by 2nd Lt. Darrel Droslem and S/Sgt. A. Rohleder of Counter-Intelligence Corps, who found him in a house at Magdeburg. Unrein, in civilian clothes and riding a bicycle, was captured by a 35th Reconnaissance Troop patrol under Cpl. Mike Waseline.

"in civilian clothes and riding a bicycle"

Maybe his uniform etc was packed on that bike

yours friendly

Eric-Jan<O</O

[sonderverband]

"in civilian clothes and riding a bicycle"

Damn.

The GOOD news is that I persuaded the grandson to look at the holster for a name. He says "I found a name inside, I'll send you pictures."



I said JUST TELL ME THE NAME!!!!!!!

Waiting for a reply....

[Simon O.]

good stuff, looks like the net's closing in. If it is Unrein then you've got the added bonus of having items to an oakleaves holder.

[sonderverband]

And the answer is.......

Dead end.

I got the name inside the holster: "K. Zahn." and of course there is no General Zahn. Let this disappointment be a cautionary tale to everybody out there:

VETS STORIES TOLD THROUGH GRANDCHILDREN ARE NOT TO BE HELD AS FACT.

Well, I got a nice pair of Generalleutnant boards at least.

Happy New Year

Earl