Document discussion

[Hank C.]

Hi all - I'd like to discuss this document on the e-stand, if for nothing else my own education:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=100966

The unit stamp, with no FP # or unit designation bothers me. Seems that this stamp with the "2" on the bottom has been on some other questionable documents.

I am NOT accusing the seller of anything; I only want to learn.

THanks in advance.

Hank

[Hank C.]

MODERATOR(S) - Please move to appropriate forum. I've been told this isn't a FJ document.....

thanks

[Willi Z.]

Have moved this thread.

[Simon O.]

Firstly, there is a similar example to the same regiment, same stamp but different signature in forman's guide to docs vol.1 page 295.


As has been stated this is not to an FJ unit. This regiment belonged to the 13 and 12 Feld-Division (L). LW field divisions, only by the time of this award they were part of the Heer.

There are a few points i can see that raise an eyebrow, i'm not saying it's bad at this point, just some things that need sorting out.

firstly, the stamp. Of course a stamp like this is going raise question marks.
Secondly, the signature. According to his bio Generalmajor Dr. Emil Stephan was regimental commander from 29.03.43 to 17.05.44. Now the doc here shows an Oberstleutnant as regiments führer, ie. a temporary appointment, which is possible. The doc in Forman's, signed 3 weeks prior to this shows a different Oberstleutnant but this time as kommandeur, ie. permanent, something somewhere is not right.
Thirdly, the regiment had ceased to be LW-Jäger-Regiment 26 in Nov. 1943 and had since it's transfer to the Heer been Jäger-Regiment 26 (L). One would expect a clerk at regimental HQ to know that...but.


I'd like to hear from any of the LW field division experts we have (i think there are one or two around who specialise in these units)

[stdub]

I´m with you Simon. You pointed out the oddities that caused me to propose to discuss the document.

I´m curious if the LW-Division experts give a clarification.

The seller himself did not give a statement, though he was online today.

Best wishes

Joerg

[Jason von Z.]

I do a fair bit of collecting and research related to the Luftwaffen-Felddivisionen, but unfortunately I am not a document collector. That being said, I can not comment much on the authenticity of the document based on the stamp used, the paper, type face, etc. However, I would just like to make a few comments based on my research on the divisions themselves.

I have seen Generalmajor Dr. Stephan listed as regimental commander in Mehner's "Die Luftwaffe 1939 - 1945", but I have never seen this confirmed in any of the divisional/corps documentation that I have on the 13. Luftwaffen-Felddivision (several hundred pages worth). However, that in itself means nothing since the divisional records are virtually non-existent (save for some files from December 1943/January 1944), and corps-level records rarely stoop down low enough to mention regimental commanders. The Luftwaffen-Felddivisionen (as well as many regular divisions of the Heer) were so battered at this point in the war that you had captains commanding battalions, and most often an Oberst or Oberstleutnant commanding a regiment. Which makes it odd that a Generalmajor would still be commanding Luftwaffen-Jäger-Regiment 26 - but stranger things have happened. All that I can confirm from my documentation is that Hauptmann Scheller was commander of I./Lw.Jäger-Regiment 26 at the end of December 1943. I can not make out the exact name of the Oberstleutnant who signed this document, but it appears to start with a "Z" (?) and it is not a name that I recognize.

Regarding the use of "Luftwaffen-Jäger-Regiment 26" instead of "Jäger-Regiment 26 (L)", I can confirm that this is actually okay. Yes, the field divisions were all transferred into the Heer effective 01.11.43, but that certainly did not stop the use of "Luftwaffen-Jäger-Regiment" in divisional and corps documents. The terms were used interchangebly. I can produce numerous documents from January - April 1944 which continue to refer to the regiment as "Luftwaffen-Jäger-Regiment 26". So in my opinion, there is no problem in that respect.

Just for some backround: Lw.Jäger-Regiment 26 was moved to the rear area of the 215. Infanterie-Division at the end of March 1944 in order to prepare for reorganization and incorporation into 12. Felddivsion (L) as part of a planned rebuilt Jäger-Regiment 25 (L). The shattered remnants of the regiments of both the 12. and 13. Felddivision (L) were in a state of flux during this time period, so it is not completely unbelievable that a temporary (and unknown) regimental commander signed this document. To give you an idea of how beat up the regiments were in March and April 1944, the total combat strength of two battalions from 10.03.44:

II./Lw.Jäger-Regiment 25: 48 men
III./Lw.Jäger-Regiment 26: 44 men

Hope the above proves interesting and sorry for not advancing the determination of authenticity very far!
Jason

[Simon O.]

Thanks Jason! That helps a great deal. I think most important is your comment on the regt being moved out of the line in March '44. That's exactly the time one would expect things like decorations to be awarded. The battered state of the unit may also explain the stamp.

I think i'm quite happy about the doc now we know a little more about what was going on in the regiment at the time.

[Hank C.]

Very interesting! As I said from the get-go, just here to learn!