Help with Das Reich Assault Gun Battalion Information

[TK GUY]

Hello,

I am having a hard time finding information on the 2nd SS Panzer Division's
Assault Gun (StuG IIIs) Battalion. Does anyone have information on this unit, or can point me in the right direction regarding a book, article that would have information on them? I am particularly interested in their actions in Normandy.

I was able to find out that the commander of the 3 rd Kompanie/SS-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 2 "Das Reich", was Obersturmführer (1st Lieutenant) Gerhard Roehder, Roehder was awarded the Knight's Cross on 1 December 1943.

Thanks for your help,

Paul

[JanC]

If I remember well their commander was Krag.

There were 3 batteries:

- 1st Bty: 9 x StuG
- 2nd Bty: 9 x StuG
- 3rd Bty: 8 x StuG

They took part in the battles around Caen, transferred to St Lo region. Were heavily involved in operation Cobra and lost a lot of vehicles in the Roncey pocket by end of july 44. Took part in the operation Lüttich ( attack of Mortain on august 7). This operation failed and so they got trapped at the falaise pocket. Have to look it up but I don’t think a lot of StuG reached the Seine river.

The Normandy 1944 magazines are ideal for such info. Battles/ actions/ units/ persons are discussed in detail. Very interesting, but only in french. Also the Heimdal books about the Normandy battles are very helpful and extremely acurate and interesting.

Cheers

[tintin44]

[TK GUY]

Dr

Thank you gentlemen for the information. I appreciate it very much. If only I could speak/read French. In terms of order of battle, were the three StuG companies/batteries broken down into platoons?

Does anyone have an additional information on this unit?

Thank you,

Paul

[Lloyd I.]

Hi Paul,

Scan to text, make text in image searchable, copy text, paste to online translator of your choice. Even if you do not speak the language you have options available if your willing to do the grunt work. Your simply missing out otherwise, in any language. Drive on.

Normandy's composition in 1944 as JanC pointed out which is technically their Gliederung from 43 to 45 with adjustments.

Its complicated considering their composition at times under the Panzer Regiment or Panzer Jager-Abteilung. Also they converted one of their companies from Stug to Mk IV during 44.

They had 26 of 31 operational Stugs at that start of the Normandy campaign. After Normandy and the Ardennes by Jan 1945 they were at 10% strength with 7 Stugs available.

Kommandeure :
- Juli 1944 : SS-Obersturmführer Hermann Bolte (KIA 16.8.44)
- 02.08. - 11.09.1944 : SS-Hauptsturmführer Dr. Wolfgang Roeder (wounded between 26th and 30 July near Mortain. Replaced by Braun.

SS-Sturmgeschütz Abteilung 2
- 1. Batterie 9 x StuG III commander SS-Ostuf. Friedrich-Wilhelm Graun, after Telkamp
- 2. Batterie 9 x StuG III
- 3. Batterie 8 x StuG III


SS-Hstuf. Friedrich Graun he was Chef of 1./Stug.Abt. 2 as of 11.43


SS-Ostuf. Wolfgang Otto and Chef of 2./Stu.g.Abt. 2 as of 11.43


SS-Ostuf. Hermann Bolte was a Zugfúhrer with 2./Stug.Abt 2 as of 42



SS-Hstuf. Hartmut Braun and Chef of 2./Stug.Abt. 2 as of 6.44


For Kursk
Stab with 2 StuG IIIs
Stab Battery with no StuG IIIs
1. Battery with 11 StuG IIIs
2. Battery with 11 StuG IIIs
3. Battery with 11 StuG IIIs


As they are considered Self-Propelled artillery they follow artillery terms. The commanders were called Batterie-Chef. Rather than Company its a Battery.

Ernst-August Krag seen in the middle was commander for a period but not exclusively. Krag also commanded the Aufklarungs-Abteilung

[TK GUY]

Thanks

Hi Lloyd I,

Thank you very much for the great information. Exactly what I was looking for.
Would you have any information on where they were deployed, names of towns/ area, around July 30 - August 1?

My interest is - I own the sleeve eagle and copy of the Soldbuch from a soldier from the 3rd battery. He was the gunner on a Stug. He was KIA August 1st. I would like to learn about where he was fighting specifically at the time of his death. He was just 18 years old and had only been with Das Reich since April 44. Wolfgang Roehder was the 3rd battery commander. Very interesting to learn Roehder commanded the entire Abt. for a while.

Looking at U.S. units in the general area at the time, it seems likely they may have been fighting the 67th Armored Regiment of the 2nd Armored Division, the recon element of 2nd AD, or elements of the 30th infantry Div. Knowing where the Stugs were deployed would narrow it down. 67th AR is who Chistain Tychsen, then DR commander ran into and was killed on July 28th. However, I've read that some elements of DR also encountered parts of the 3rd Armored Division and 1st Infantry Div.

Thank you for the information on Ernst August Krag. I found
him in Jost Schneider's "Their Honor Was Loyalty", but the limited text only mentions his recon position. I thought I had the wrong guy.

I will look into translation software for converting text.

Thanks,

Paul

[TK GUY]

Pic

The picture I found of Roehder.

[TK GUY]

Pic ii

Picture of Krag. Thanks for the one you posted.

Paul

[TK GUY]

Pic

Krag

[TK GUY]

Dr

Lloyd, I am sorry, I overlooked your statement about Roehder being wounded between July 26-30th, near Mortain. That would probably mean they were fighting the elements of the 2nd Armored Division I mentioned or 30th Inf. Div. How were the three batteries usually allocated - fighting as individual batteries assigned to the panzer regiment, the Panzerjager Abt., or one of the infantry regiments?

Thank you,

Paul

[JanC]

Lloyd, I am sorry, I overlooked your statement about Roehder being wounded between July 26-30th, near Mortain. That would probably mean they were fighting the elements of the 2nd Armored Division I mentioned or 30th Inf. Div. How were the three batteries usually allocated - fighting as individual batteries assigned to the panzer regiment, the Panzerjager Abt., or one of the infantry regiments?

Thank you,

Paul

Paul, they were mostly operated by battery.

If your guy was KIA by august 1st it must be in the Avranches region. On august 7 the Wehrmacht launched operation Lüttich direction Mortain/ Avranches in order to cut off the fast moving American forces. Das Reich took part in the operation. The operation was halted by Von Kluge on august 8th because of slow progression through constant air attacks. He had the intention to restart the attack a very powerful attack some days later, but the situation didn’t permit. They started retreating from august 13 onwards. Because of the mass concentration of armoured forces in the region the Allies saw an opportunity to encircle them.

[Lloyd I.]

Paul, If you have Microsoft OneNote with your Office suite you're already set. The student version is free. They offered various language packs as well. Save the scanned image as a .TIFF file and open it in OneNote, follow my previous steps, assuming you have an Intel based CPU and Win OS versus IOS/Mac.

Method of attack. Typically they were broken out and subordinated to support an infantry attack. Infantry supported by armor and artillery probing for weak spots in a line to exploit then breakthrough. Other methods might include forming a firing line however this is more common to Eastern Front not Normandy where line of sight was hampered. They may also employ at crossroads in the AT role favorable in Normandy and certainly photographic evidence exists.


29 JULY 44
Due to conflicting orders from German High Command OB West when they were Southwest of St Lo Das Reich began a piece meal withdrawal SE through Roncey to Percy. It was at a crossroads near Notre-Dame-de-Cenilly where a small group from US 2nd Armored was emplacing a roadblock. There was also a St. Martin - Roncey Roadblock which was situated SE of Roncey and Montpinchon. 2nd SS and Fallschirm.Regt. 6 overran a US outpost of the US 4th Infantry Division but were held in place as US infantry retreated to the US 78th Artillery Battalions position.


If your man is listed as Gefallen on 1.8.44 it is possible he was caught up in the crossroads battles earlier from 29 July to 1 Aug when DR was spread out and attempting to consolidate their lines. Or their failed push through Roncey. I would put my money on either 2nd Armored Division or even one of the US Tank Destroyer Battalions as most likely. The Aug 7 battle for Mortain where 40 German vehicles were destroyed in one day and Lüttich occurred too late to be your Kanonier.


Schnieder was one my first introductions to RKt. Not exactly accurate, biased, and very dated material, some incorrect. The late Mark C Yerger provided focused detail. All the commanders are in his German Cross in Gold Holders series for Das Reich Stug Abteilung. Weidingers volumes are also recommended.


Best.

[Lloyd I.]

For the time frame your after

SS-Sturmgeschütz Abteilung 2
- 1. Batterie 9 x StuG III commander SS-Ostuf. Friedrich-Wilhelm Graun, after Telkamp
- 2. Batterie 9 x StuG III commander SS-Ostuf. Wolfgang Otto
- 3. Batterie 8 x StuG II commander SS-Hauptsturmführer Dr. Wolfgang Roeder, replaced by SS-Hstuf. Hartmut Braun

SS-Ostuf. Hermann Bolte was KIA in Normandy.

The image shows from left to right: StuG-Abteilung Das Reich; Hermann Bolte, Hartmut Braun, Wolfgang Otto & Friedrich-Wilhelm Graun

Last image is of Bolte.

[TK GUY]

DR StuGs

Hi Lloyd I, JanC, & others,

Thank you very much for the additional information regarding batterie commanders and number of StuGs available during the Normandy fighting. A very interesting photo, with the StuG named for Gotz Von Berlichingen. I was able to find a number of photos of knocked out StuGs from the Das Reich Abt. 2 in the book “Breakout at Normandy – The 2nd Armored Division in the Land of the Dead”, by Mark Bando. Where there markings on the DR StuGs that would allow you tell what batterie they were assigned to?

Here is a photo of Franz Schuster, KIA at age 18, August 1st, 1944 and a photo of the eagle that was with the Soldbuch. As I mentioned, the Soldbuch is owned by forum member Stormfighter (Barry). I just have the eagle.

Does anyone have the Mark Yeger book on Das Reich German Cross in Gold winners that would have information on Wolfgang Roehders award for August 17th, 1944? If so, please send me a PM. Roehder signed Franz Schuster’s Soldbuch in two places and I would like to learn more about him.

Thanks again for all the information/photos.

Paul

[fknorr]

Does anyone have the Mark Yeger book on Das Reich German Cross in Gold winners that would have information on Wolfgang Roehders award for August 17th, 1944? If so, please send me a PM. Roehder signed Franz Schuster’s Soldbuch in two places and I would like to learn more
Paul

Paul. PM me with an email address and I will send you photos of pages you are seeking from Yerger’s German Cross book.