Show your stalingrad related urkunde's

[Betty Swollocks]

Hi all

It would be great to start a Stalingrad related thread with urkunde's issued during the battle. I'll start it off with a Black Wound badge citation to a Unteroffizier Muller of 2 Schwadron, Kradschutzen Abteilung 4. Part of the 24th Panzer Division. The award was given for fighting in and around the Red Oktober factory on 29th September 1942. He would have been a lucky man who was wounded then evacuated out of Stalingrad and the urkunde is signed by its commander Major Wolfdietrich Goder. On that day the 24th Panzer Division has high casualties as they lost two officers killed and 37 men killed and on top of this 91 men were wounded including Unteroffizier Muller. Also 8 were missing. Casualty figures are from "The Death of the Leaping Horseman" by Jason Mark which is a brilliant book on 24th Panzer Division and the fighting around the Red Oktober factory.

I hope this is a start of a great thread.

Darren

[desiro]

Well early 42 award doc.I.R 92 part of the 60th Infanterie division wiped out
at Stalingrad.

[jmark]

First one signed by Major Wolfdietrich Goder, second one by Knight's Cross winner Rudolf Petershagen. I really like the Krad.Abt.4 one!

Jason

[Betty Swollocks]

Nice doc desiro. the division was led by General Hans Adolf Von Arenstorff. Promoted from Colonel on 1/1/43. He surrendered on 2nd February 1943 and died in Russian captivity in May 1952 in Bryanka-Krasnopol.

Here is another one of mine. An EK2 2nd class to Jager Littringer of Jag Rgt 54. Part of 100 Jager Divison. Signed by Genral Werner Sanne who surrendered in the pocket on 31st january 1943 and died in Russian captivity in September 1952, i believe. On the day the urkunde was signed the 100th Jager Division were pushing into central Stalingrad where they stayed until the capitulation.

Littringer was awarded the IAB silver in December 1944 so he must have been either wounded at Stalingrad or called out of the battle on other official business.

I hope you like it and keep them urkunde's coming.

Darren

[Brian R]

Great documents. I have a few as well but am saving them for my book project. In the meantime, check these...

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=499517

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=429810

[Betty Swollocks]

Brian,

I'm loving the first set you show and I cant agree anymore to collect documents is so more interesting than the medals. I started collecting a year or so ago and initially bought with great enthusiasm a West Wall medal, EK2, BWB, SWB, etc etc and to be fair im looking to get rid of them. The only badge which i really like is a mint JFS42 Krim Shield which I will hold onto.

Good luck with the book project and let me know if you need any help as I have a few more Stalingrad related Urkundes's in my ever growing collection.

Feel free to post more Stalingrad related Urkundes as it would be great to have a huge post here.

Darren

[Betty Swollocks]

Hi all,

Another Stalingrad related signature. This one is for a EK1 awarded for the battles around Kharkov in May 1942 and signed by General Alexander Von Hartmann, commander of the 71st Infantry Division. Not actually signed at Stalingrad but by a General who would become famous as the only General to be killed in action at the battle on the 26th January 1943. He said very early on that he would not become a prisoner of war or commit suicide and when the fate of his division was sealed he said "I am not going to shoot myself but will sell my skin as expensive as possible" He then took his rifle and entered the railway embankment of Stalingrad south in front of the remains of his division which at this time was 3 officers, 7 nco's and 183 enlisted men and started firing around 8am. He was killed by a headshot and with him died Major Bayerlein of Inf Rgt 211 and Lieutenant Colenal Corduan of Inf Rgt 191. Apparently General Max Preffer and General Ulrich Vassol were present until all three generals were ordered to stand down. Hartmann was the only general shot and the other two were POW's on the 31st January 1943.

Hope you like it.

Darren

[WEISNER]

Very interesting document and story to go along with it Darren!
Kevin

[Betty Swollocks]

Hi all

I thought i'd share another Stalingrad related Urkunde to a Lance Corporal John of Flak Rgt 241. This was part of the 9th Flak Division who participated in the offensive on the city but were mainly tasked with safeguarding the Stalingrad area from air attack. The Division comprised of 18 Heavy Flak batteries and 30 light flak batteries. After the encirclement of 6th Army in November 1942 the division was involved with defensive actions inside the pocket. The Urkunde is signed by Colenal Wolfgang Pickert who was to become General of the 9th Flak Division on 1/10/42. On the 12th january 1943 Pickert was flown out of the pocket to attend a conference and on his return to Stalingrad the plane was forced to turn back to Salsk. Therefore Lieutenant Colenal Richard Haizmann took command of the division and was wounded at the end of January 1943 by a Russian bombardment. He died in captivity on 23rd February 1943 at an assembly point for prisoners.

General Pickert sent a message into the surrounded 9th Flak Division telling them " The 9th Flak Division will rise again" which it did in 1943. Pickert was a lucky man.

[Brian R]

Great documents, Darren. I've seen quite a few award documents signed by Hartmann (I have one from late 1941) but they never seem to be from Stalingrad. I've seen quite a few from the spring and summer of 1942, but I don't recall seeing any from August or later (when the fighting was actually taking place). He must have stopped signing them - perhaps someone has an example of a 71 ID doc from Stalingrad but signed by a staff member for Hartmann. Nevertheless, Hartmann is a great signature to include in a collection - its a cool looking sig and his story is one of the more interesting.

You really have a great set of documents. The Pickert one you have is great - I see his signature on documents from 44 and 45 when he was a Flakkorps commander much more than pre-Stalingrad when he was head of 9th Flak Division. Yours is awesome - and his story is especially interesting given that he really did intend to go back into the pocket. I've read that he actually sent "goodbye" messages to his family.

Award documents are the best!

[Betty Swollocks]

Thank Brian, I do especially like the Pickert citation. As I say he was a lucky man and after further research ive found out he was flown out of the pocket on the 12th january 1943 and flew to Novo-Cherkask to report the battle situation to Richthoften. On his return to Pitomik airport the next day he couldnt land as the airfield had been bombed by the russians. He then flew back in the next day but Pitomnik was on the verge of being taken by the russians so upon orders he was flown to Taganrog. There he was to rebuild the new 9th Flak Division ready for the Krim and Kuban bridgeheads.

Darren

[Simon O.]

Does anyone have any documents to members of the 295 Infanterie Division? In particular any soldiers who survived and were transferred into the rebuilt division in Norway in '43.

[Betty Swollocks]

Hi Simon

I do have a KVK2 with Swords Urkunde to a Obergefreiten in the Veterinärkompanie 295. Its dated 1st September 1942 and Signed by General Rolf Wuthmann. Sorry to say though its the only document I have to the solder so ive no idea if he survived Stalingrad.

Darren

[Luft 76]

Not realy an Urkunde, but...

Document about EK 2 award for a Ofw. and Zugführer in 11./IR 276 (94.ID).



The same man was two times wounded in Stalingrad battle. Second time in october by "Explosive bullet" in shoulder and arm, probably during hard street fighting. So he survived.

[Betty Swollocks]

A great post, thanks luft, It looks like his first wound was awarded during the 94th Infantry Division's drive towards the Grain Silo area in southern Stalingrad. General der Artillerie Georg Pfeiffer led the Division and they suffered appalling casualties until virtually exhausted. I have two Urkunde's signed by this general and i'll post them soon.

Here is a nice quote from a soldier of the Division.
"16 September. Our battalion is attacking the grain elevator with tanks. Smoke is pouring out of it. The grain is burning and it seems the Russians inside set fire to it themselves. It's barbaric. The battalion is taking heavy losses. Those are not people in the elevator, they are devils and neither fire nor bullets can touch them."- German soldier Willi Hoffman, 94th Infantry Division, on the battle for the grain elevator.

The EK2 looks to be awarded for fighting when the 94th Division was moved from central Stalingrad to bolster up the northern flank. They were stationed between Spartakovka and Orlovka until steadily pushed back towards the city itself.

Darren