<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:HyphenationZone>21</w:HyphenationZone> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normal tabell"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> Just wanted to show you guys a little display I have put together. For me, one of the most interesting units is the SS-Pz-Aufkl-Abt 11, the armoured recon battalion of the “Nordland”-division. This unit was created during the summer of 1943, and was by the early fall sent to Croatia with the rest of the III. Germanisches SS-Panzer-Korps (The “Nordland”-Division and the “Nederland”-Brigade) where it was to participate in training and combat against partisans.
The reason why this unit is so interesting to me is the fact that in the third company served around 30 swedish volounteers, plus an additional 18 estonian-swedes. The company would during long periods be led by a famous Swedish SS-officer, Hans-Gösta Pehrsson, who was awarded the Ehrenblattspange as company commander for the efforts in the Kurland-Pocket. Because of this, I have always wanted something from the SS-Pz-Aufkl-Abt 11, and when a Estonian friend offered me a few dogtags, I had to get them. They are from the 5./SS-Pz-AA11, the battalions heavy company, which was equipped with halftracks with 7,5 mm anti-tank guns, regulear anti-tank guns and infantry guns.
The problem with dogtags, is that they often only tell what unit a soldier fought with, and not who the soldier actually was. Well, as I have a lot of interest in the battalion, I contacted a man who has the casualitie lists of the Nordland-division, and he managed to find one of them, the 5./SS-Pz-AA11 tag, with soldier number 1963.
Around the begining of december 1943, the whole III. Germanisches SS-Panzer-Korps was moved to the Leningrad front, where they resumed responsibility for the part of the front known as the “Oranienbaum”-pocket. The reason why the corps was moved there was that a large soviet offensive was awaited, something which also propaganda fliers from the soviet side warned the Germans about. The offensive was to commence on the morning of the 14<sup>th</sup> of january 1944.
The offensive started as promissed by the Soviets, and quickly gained ground, breaking through the lines of two unexperienced Luftwaffe-Feld-Divisionen and pushed westwards. The SS-Pz-Aufkl-Abt 11 would during this period of time serve as a “firebrigade”, and jumped from hot spot to hot spot.
The first company commander of the 5./AA11 was wounded on the 15<sup>th</sup> of january, why George Langendorf took over the company instead. During the days following, the battalion would be pushed westwards towards Narwa in Estonia. The 5./SS-Pz-Aufkl-Abt 11 tag was worn by SS-Panzer-Grenadier Josef Heber. He was born on the 30<sup>th</sup> of april 1923 in Tchakowa and participated in the combat after the breakthrough at the Oranienbaum-pocket.
(The tag worn by SS-Panzergrenadier Josef Heber)
From the 17<sup>th</sup> of january, the battalion was in action at Alt-Bor, with the assignment was to prevent the Soviet breakthroughs towards the southwest on the road to Kosherizy. The company commander Langendorf wrote a diary after the war, and concerning the battles between the 16<sup>th</sup> and 21<sup>st</sup> of january 1944 he wrote;
"The battalion defended the towns of Kapylowka – Kasherizy – Alt Bor (a forest village). The fifth company supported the infantry actions. The company held out at Altbor for 5 days, with low numbers of casualities."
One who was killed was however SS-Panzer-Grenadier Josef Heber, who fell in action on the 19<sup>th</sup> of january 1944, barely 20 years old. His remains was buried at the Heldenfriedhof “Nordland” an der Rollbahn Narwa-Leningrad. As the tags were found in Estonia, I guess the company brought his tag along but ditched it when he had been repported as killed. While one might think it is amazing to actually having found the name of the soldier who wore the tag, my next discovery was even bigger. There is a book published about the unit, which I actually helped with, and as I told a friend of mine that I had found the name of the veteran, he said “I know about him”... Well, as it turned out, a veteran of the company actually remembered Heber, and his account is published in the book. He told the following:
The battalion then continued their retreat towards Narwa, which was reached at the end of january 1944. The 5./SS-Pz-Aufkl-Abt 11 had by then participated in several costly battles, including the battles around Chjulgjusi and the tank battle at Gubanitzy, where the enemy charged with a full tank brigade of 54 tanks, mostly T-34´s, and about 350 soldiers. The battalion put 34 out of action, and 11 of them was credited to Caspar Sporck, a volounteer from the Netherlands who served in the same company as Heber. He fearlessly charged against them with his halftrack, armed with a short 75 mm anti-tank canon.
The company commander Langendorf was eventually awarded the Ritterkreuz for the companies actions in the fighting, as were the battalion commander Rudolf Saalbach. The rest of the display consists of an SS-Pz-Aufkl-Abt 11 tag which was dug up together with Hebers, but has unfortenly not been able to be identified. A repro Nordland-cufftitle which I bought as original and a signature from George Langendorf (Hebers company commander).
(The whole display)
(The unidentified tag)
And just to make it clear once again: These tags were not dug up with the bodies of the fallen soldiers, but in a trashpit in Northern Estonia where the company had their refitting area during the spring - summer 1944.
The reason why this unit is so interesting to me is the fact that in the third company served around 30 swedish volounteers, plus an additional 18 estonian-swedes. The company would during long periods be led by a famous Swedish SS-officer, Hans-Gösta Pehrsson, who was awarded the Ehrenblattspange as company commander for the efforts in the Kurland-Pocket. Because of this, I have always wanted something from the SS-Pz-Aufkl-Abt 11, and when a Estonian friend offered me a few dogtags, I had to get them. They are from the 5./SS-Pz-AA11, the battalions heavy company, which was equipped with halftracks with 7,5 mm anti-tank guns, regulear anti-tank guns and infantry guns.
The problem with dogtags, is that they often only tell what unit a soldier fought with, and not who the soldier actually was. Well, as I have a lot of interest in the battalion, I contacted a man who has the casualitie lists of the Nordland-division, and he managed to find one of them, the 5./SS-Pz-AA11 tag, with soldier number 1963.
Around the begining of december 1943, the whole III. Germanisches SS-Panzer-Korps was moved to the Leningrad front, where they resumed responsibility for the part of the front known as the “Oranienbaum”-pocket. The reason why the corps was moved there was that a large soviet offensive was awaited, something which also propaganda fliers from the soviet side warned the Germans about. The offensive was to commence on the morning of the 14<sup>th</sup> of january 1944.
The offensive started as promissed by the Soviets, and quickly gained ground, breaking through the lines of two unexperienced Luftwaffe-Feld-Divisionen and pushed westwards. The SS-Pz-Aufkl-Abt 11 would during this period of time serve as a “firebrigade”, and jumped from hot spot to hot spot.
The first company commander of the 5./AA11 was wounded on the 15<sup>th</sup> of january, why George Langendorf took over the company instead. During the days following, the battalion would be pushed westwards towards Narwa in Estonia. The 5./SS-Pz-Aufkl-Abt 11 tag was worn by SS-Panzer-Grenadier Josef Heber. He was born on the 30<sup>th</sup> of april 1923 in Tchakowa and participated in the combat after the breakthrough at the Oranienbaum-pocket.
(The tag worn by SS-Panzergrenadier Josef Heber)
From the 17<sup>th</sup> of january, the battalion was in action at Alt-Bor, with the assignment was to prevent the Soviet breakthroughs towards the southwest on the road to Kosherizy. The company commander Langendorf wrote a diary after the war, and concerning the battles between the 16<sup>th</sup> and 21<sup>st</sup> of january 1944 he wrote;
"The battalion defended the towns of Kapylowka – Kasherizy – Alt Bor (a forest village). The fifth company supported the infantry actions. The company held out at Altbor for 5 days, with low numbers of casualities."
One who was killed was however SS-Panzer-Grenadier Josef Heber, who fell in action on the 19<sup>th</sup> of january 1944, barely 20 years old. His remains was buried at the Heldenfriedhof “Nordland” an der Rollbahn Narwa-Leningrad. As the tags were found in Estonia, I guess the company brought his tag along but ditched it when he had been repported as killed. While one might think it is amazing to actually having found the name of the soldier who wore the tag, my next discovery was even bigger. There is a book published about the unit, which I actually helped with, and as I told a friend of mine that I had found the name of the veteran, he said “I know about him”... Well, as it turned out, a veteran of the company actually remembered Heber, and his account is published in the book. He told the following:
"We grouped our first firing position in the area Altbor. There was snow on the ground and was a winter cold. I drew the wire to the battery position myself. This was through very sparse forest. My signaller, who accompanied me, carried the equipment. You had barely had time to establish the battery position in the snow in the woods and discovered targets, then the connection to the firing position was broken. My signaller - SS-Panzergrenadier Heber - must follow the thread and look for the cable breach, which probably were caused by mortar rounds. It was a long time without I was getting connection with him. Finally, I followed the thread back end myself. It went through the bushes and sparse forest. After a while I found Heber kneeling with thread in his hands. He had been hit in the head and was dead. This meant that there were hidden snipers nearby. Shortly thereafter, a shot went through my cap, and only a slight wound as a result. At last the connection was back in operation and we could start our first fire mission”
The company commander Langendorf was eventually awarded the Ritterkreuz for the companies actions in the fighting, as were the battalion commander Rudolf Saalbach. The rest of the display consists of an SS-Pz-Aufkl-Abt 11 tag which was dug up together with Hebers, but has unfortenly not been able to be identified. A repro Nordland-cufftitle which I bought as original and a signature from George Langendorf (Hebers company commander).
(The whole display)
(The unidentified tag)
And just to make it clear once again: These tags were not dug up with the bodies of the fallen soldiers, but in a trashpit in Northern Estonia where the company had their refitting area during the spring - summer 1944.
I have actually read Tiekes book about 10 times 
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