My father's service record

[alex1004]

I have received my father's service record, minimal that it is, from the Deutsche Dienstelle. However I am trying to find more information on where exactly his units would have been (geographically) and which battles he would have been part of.
Are there any websites or books which detail the routes various troops took, or the battles they were involved in?
I'm very new to this, but I have googled the various unit names he was a part of and am finding it difficult to discover any real detail.

[dutchcollector]

Hi Alex,
you might want to try lexikon der wehrmacht site.

greetings Rik

[Simon O.]

Very few units have this information documented online. If you post which units and timeframes you're interested in there's plenty of people here that can fill in at least some details for you.

[Admiraal]

Post a photo/scan from the letter (or type down the info here).

[alex1004]

Hi Alex,
you might want to try lexikon der wehrmacht site.

greetings Rik

Thank you Rik - I'll have a look at it!

[alex1004]

Very few units have this information documented online. If you post which units and timeframes you're interested in there's plenty of people here that can fill in at least some details for you.

Thank you Simon - I will do so.

[alex1004]

Post a photo/scan from the letter (or type down the info here).

Thank you Rick - here is the info I have, apparently his personal records were lost so they found the info in other places:

1-10-1940: 6 Nachrichten-Ersatz-Batterie leichte Artillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung (motorisiert) 75, Tempelfelde

09-11-1940 - 6-01-1941: 5. Batterie leichte Artillerie-Ersatz-Abeilung (motorisiert) 75, Eberswalde

08-01-1941 - 08-02-1941: 18. (Sturm-) Batterie Artillerie-Lehr-Regiment, Juterbog

24-02-1941: 3. Batterie Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung 204

09-05-1941: 3. Batterie Sturmgeschutz-Ersatz-Abteilung 200, Schweinfurt

30-07-1941: 2. Batterie Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung 185, Heerestruppe, Osten (Ensuing in a hospital stay)

15-10-1941: 3. Batterie Sturmgeschutz-Ersatz-Abteilung 200, Schweinfurt

04-12-1941 - 27-07-1942: Genesendenbatterie Sturmgeschutz-Ersatz-Abteilung 200, Schweinfurt

30-07-1942: Stab Artillerie-Schiess-schule Thorn

10-11-1942: 6. Nachrichten-Ersatz-Batterie leichte Artillerie-Ersatz-Abteilung (motorisiert) 75, Eberswalde

20-4-1943-30-6-1943: Artillerie-Schule III Schule fur Fahnenjunker der Artillerie Lehrgang VI, Suippes bei Chalons / Frankreich

1-7-1943 - 7-3-1944: Schule fur Fahnenjunker der Artillerie-Lehrgang VI Lehrstab II, Mourmelon / Marne

14-5-1944: 2. Batterie Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 130, die Einheit wurde am 7-3-1944 im Raum Nancy-Verdun afgestellt und unterstand der Panzer-Lehr-Division, May 1944 Paris

After that the only thing I know is that in Jan 1945 he was stationed in Neuruppin near Berlin as an Oberfähnrich d.R and on 21-1-1945 he was a Leutnant d.R. zur Führerreserve O.K.H, being sent to the area around Vienna from there to go to the Italian front. In May 1945 he was a POW in an American camp.

[Simon O.]

Hi Alex

I'm sure others will be able to fill in more details, especially as he served with the panzer lehr division and the sturmartillerie, but here's a little to begin with.

Clearly he joined the artillery and was trained as a signaller it would seem.

It could well be he volunteered for service with the sturmartillerie rather than was transferred.

24-02-1941: 3. Batterie Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung 204

09-05-1941: 3. Batterie Sturmgeschutz-Ersatz-Abteilung 200, Schweinfurt

These two units are essentially the same and were training units, 204 only existed for a short time before becoming 200.

30-07-1941: 2. Batterie Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung 185, Heerestruppe, Osten

This was his first frontline unit, it was heavily engaged in fighting under the 18 Armee, part of heeresgruppe Nord, he fought through the Baltic countries in the drive towards Leningrad. Amongst other places he would have fought at Dorpat (Tartu) and Jöhvi in Estonia.

It's worth noting the the battery commander of 2./ Stug.Abt.185, Oberleutnant Horst Kraft won the Knights Cross on 29 Sept 1941 and that during your fathers service with that battery Bodo Spranz who later became one of the most famous and highly decorated members of the Sturmartillerie also served with that unit. It's quite possible he knew him.

He was clearly severly wounded or became very ill sometime prior to 15 Oct. '41, meaning he only spent a couple of months at the front.

He was clearly a good soldier, i don't know if he joined up as an officer aspirant but as you know he underwent officer training in 1943. It could well be he was not fully fit for frontline duty but fit enough for depot duty until the Panzer Lehr division was raised in France. He would have served during the Normandy campaign but that's about as much as i can say. It's also worth noting that Artillerie Ersatz Abteilung 75 was stationed at Neuruppin late '44, so perhaps he was wounded again during the Normandy campaign?

So, if you have no other information other than this (none of his papers survived?) then the two units you need to focus on are 2./Stug.Abt. 185 between July and Oct 41 and 2./ Pz.Art.Rgt.130 during 1944, which by the way was equipped with 6 105mm Wespe self-propelled guns.

This is more or less what 2./Stug.Abt.185 was equipped with in 1941

http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/kstn/kstn4461nov41.htm