What the heck happened here?! 5 KCs same day. Grenadier Rgt. 102

[WJW]

I was lucky to acquire the grouping of this KC winner.
(Thank you to the person who found it for me)



When looking into his KC award it appeared that four more soldiers of
Grenadier Regiment 102 were awarded the KC on the same day for the same action.

Oberst Fedor Appelt, Kdr. GR 102
Hauptmann Georg Kinder, Kdr. II./GR 102
Hauptmann Helmuth Mayer Zur Linde, Führer III./GR 102
Unteroffizier Karlheinz Sandmann, 1./GR 102

So the Regimental commander, all three Battalion commanders and an Unteroffizier were all awarded the KC for the same action. Must have been some battle!

In the area of Nowgorod attached the Regiment Held the line on 17 and 18 January and on the 19th pierced a Russian encirclement.
This is roughly what I found. Does anybody have more Information on this action of the 102 Grenadier Regiment?

[hucks216]

Lexikon mentions rearguard actions around that date. You might be able to find the details in this book...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Die-Geschich...rerie+division

[MarcRikmenspoel]

The Soviet offensive in the Leningrad area began on January 14, 1944. It broke apart the German fron in that area, and HG Nord began a general retreat to the Panther Line.

The units southeast of Leningrad, along the Volkhov River, started to be outflanked from the north, as they withdrew under pressure. Various units served as rear guards to allow the bulk of the Germans to successfully retreat to the west. Some of the leaders of the rear guards received the RK for enabling this success. I'm not aware of the specific circumstances beyond what is already mentioned, but other winners included the Estonian Alfons Rebane (commanding OstBataillon 658) and the Latvian Voldemars Viess (assistant commander of the 2. SSInfanterie Brigade).

[Lionel H.]

Hi WJW !

1) the same Day, OK. But are you sure when you write "for the same action" ?? Because same Award date, even Inside the Rgt, doesn't mean automatically "the same Action". The Proposal where perhaps stacked on the General's field Desk, and were signed the same day and send the same day to Berlin for being approved and confirmed....
It is just a question and/or suggestion...
2) The Group from Issermann was sold by Kai Winkler. The Group can still be seen in his Archive (Access = 50,00 euros)
3) I have a signature of Issermann in my Collection. Perhaps you haven't seen it before. Here you are. Kind regards. Lionel. </P>

[WJW]

Info

Thank you Hucks and Mark for the extra info.
Lionel, it is the same action in the sense that it were defensive battles spread over a few days. The Regiment must have done particularly well. Not the same action as in one particular feat of arms. Thanks for the scan of his signature.

[Mogdala]

Wouter congrats to your new addition!!!!

[glinskiy777]

The place about which you ask, called Nekochowo, which is about 20 km North of Novgorod. This place has been a mess of the Russian army and to enhance the front here threw 102 infantry regiment 24 infantry division of the city under the mga and many others, including 2 brigade SS (Latvian), one of its commanders Voldemārs Veiss, was awarded the Knight's cross for successfully defending this. the village For a few days of fighting, killed many soldiers on both sides, including Stephan Flakus, a bowler hat which I found in the place of these battles. https://cloud.mail.ru/public/Bxet/wHv2LH9J6 https://cloud.mail.ru/public/BjLh/9rrR751i7