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Wehrpass – Oberschütze Adolf Seibel – Flak Battalion 611 / 4.Armee – 2cm Flak Crew – Battle for Moscow – KIA (HOLD)
KIA Wehrpass Grouping – Oberschütze Seibel Fla.Batl 611 (4.Armee) – 2cm Flak 30 Gun Crew – Battle of Moscow Grouping consists of the following: Complete Wehrpass with battle list Letter to family from Seibels commanding officer explaining his death on 25.1.1942 The above letter typed out. Two letters from his friends to Seibels parents. ‘Gedenkblatt’ – Large Golden Eagle letterhead, Death Certificate signed by Company Commander. Adolf Seibel was born on the 26th of Feb 1920 in Wehen/Weisbaden into a protestant family. Seibel was not married, and was enlisted into the Fla Ers Kp 66 in Wackernheim on the 2nd of December 1940. Seibel swore his allegiance on the 16th of December 1940, during hsi training he was trained on the 2cm Flak 30 as well as the K98 Rifle. On the 25th of February 1941, Seibel joined his frontline unit : Heeres-Fla Batl (mot) 611 – (4.Armee) The battalion was equipped with Flak (2cm Flak 30 & 3,7cm Flak 36/43) for the close support of Infantry, their role: Defense against ground attack aircraft of all kinds and fight against reconnaissance planes in the destruction area of 1200 m (2 cm) or 2000 m (3.7 cm), Support of the infantry in ground combat up to a maximum range of 4400 m (2 cm) or 6500 m (3.7 cm). According to Seibels Wehrpass he took part in the following battles with the 4th Army From June 22, 1941, the army took part in the Russian campaign. It crossed the Bug River north and south of Brest-Litovsk and then advanced further east. After the Bialystok Kessel Battle, the army marched towards Minsk, where it took part in another encirclement Battle and broke out. The mass of motorized units pushed further east towards the Dnieper river and reached it at the beginning of July 1941. After crossing the Dnieper, the Smolensk encirclement battle then followed, the advance on further to the Desna. The 4th Army stayed here for the time being until it took part in the attack on Moscow on October 2, 1941. By the end of October the army stood on Oka, Nara and on the Rusa. After the failure of the German offensive against Moscow in early December 1941, the army was hit by the Russian counter-offensive. There were severe Russian break-ins, especially at Malojaroslawez, Kaluga and Medyn. At the same time, severe frost set in on the 4th Army area. At Juchnow there was heavy fighting with the Red Army, which lasted until May 1942. Subsequently, the broken through enemy troops were destroyed in the rear of the army. Battle of Moscow e
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Soldbuch – Oberleutnant Wolfgang Loah – “Spy Plane – Espionage” – Test Pilot – Jet Bomber Ar234 – Kommando Hecht & Sommer – EK1 / Pokal / FFSG / Ehrenliste (Sold)
Oberleutnant Wolfgang Loah “ Spy Plane” Espionage Missions – Test Pilot – Jet Bomber Ar234 – Kommando Hecht & Sommer – EK1 & Pokal Winner Loah was born on the 3rd of July 1915 in Hamburg into a protestant family. His Soldnbuch was issued on the 20th of September 1939. Loah was at the time a Wachtmeister indicating prewar service in the Airforce. Loah would begin his service in the air after serving as ground forces in the Leichte Flugabwehrgruppe Wangernooge. Although by December 1940, Loah would take to the skies. In April of 1941, he was assigned to: Aufklärungsgruppe ObdL (Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe) This special unit was specifically used for taking photos at a height of over 9000 meters. By 1943 it was renamed as: (F) / 100 Known as a special and secret aviation unit, responsible for the overseeing and development of the latest secretive weapon systems. The First Staffel, of which Oblt Loah was a pilot, would frequently make long distance recon missions over the Mediterranean, England and parts of the Eastern Front. Other Staffels undertook special missions for the RSHA, such as dropping of agents! It is stated that because of the nature of the missions that each Leutnant or Oberleutnant had the powers of a squadron commander. Secrecy was paramount, airfields were disguised and they operated under special code names. It would seem that in a Russian Archive has Loahs Flugbuch, and in a very informative article on Loahs unit he is mentioned. What was the goal of 1./ Aufklärungsgruppe ObdL on the Eastern Front? Continuous monitoring of the railway network with special emphasis on Kobrin, Zhabinka, Gaynovka, Bialystok and Grodno. Road reconnaissance to confirm the type and condition of the road network, including the Minsk – Moscow highway . Reconnaissance of fortifications in these areas to determine the presence of anti-tank ditches and other protective structures. “ Here a mission overview of the Spy missions over the USSR before the invasion. The crews were required to take photographs with overlapping images so that there would be no “blank spots” on Soviet territory. In addition to planned photos, the command demanded perspective images in good quality. Thus, the entries in the flight book of the observer Lieutenant Wolf Loah (Lt. Wolf Loah) from 1. (F) /Ob.dL indicate that on June 12, his crew made two sorties on a “normal” reconnaissance aircraft over England, and on June 20 participated in two espionage missions over the USSR. The spy plane used for the espionage missions was a Do 215 (only 105 ever built), the aircraft was adorned with civilian style marking in order for the Soviet pilots to directly assume its a hostile aircraft, although some incidents did occur. Interestingly, “The masks have been dropped, the war with the Soviets has begun! Dornier Do 215 from 1. or 2./ObdL, photographed June 22, 1941. With a few strokes of the brush, the spy planes turned into ordinary reconnaissance aircraft: the Luftwaffe cross painted over the civilian D-ARED airborne code is visible” Photos and Loahs Flugbuch reference : https://warspot.ru/12211-krylatye-predvestniki-voyny The unit is the focus of a very detailed book, “The Luftwaffe’s Secret WWII Missions – By Dmitry Degtev, Dmitry Zubov By 1943, Loah now an extremely experienced Observer and Pilot, adorned with the Golden Clasp for Reconnaissance. Was assigned to another obscure and important unit, the: Versuchsverband der Luftwaffe. They were tasked with testing new planes, as well as captured aircraft and have been the subject of an informative book. “Colonel Rowehl’s Flying Eyes: The Secret German Aerial Reconnaissance. By Dr Norbert Rohde. “This book reports and documents events of explosive political and military importance, most of which were carried out on the basis of secret commando matters. With a few exceptions, the military operations described here were not mentioned in any of the Wehrmacht reports.” From what I was able to find out Loah was flying some rare aircraft on special missions as well as test flights. In March of 1944, it Laoh was shot down in an extremely rare Arado 240 T9 GL , (only 14 ever built) over Eastern Prussia. The details of the mission are unknown, it seems that Loah made it out of the aircraft and returned to the German lines safely. Interestingly, the same aircraft was flying over England a few weeks earlier at 10,000m high with a pressurised cabin. This was not the first crash Loah would experience. Below, the crashed Ar240 T9 GL, also a model of the same aircraft that Loah crashed. In July he was flying a Ju86 (WNr. 974 ) 31.07.44 According to a few online sources it would seem that Loah was the pilot of a Ju88 T-1 which crash-landed at Oranienburg (28th of August 1943) due to motor failure. Loah was badly wounded in the crash his Soldbuch records the wounds as burns of the 3rd degree and he would spend till November 1944 in recovery, it was likely this crash that he has damaged his Soldbuch. The unit is covered in depth in these books: On Special Missions: The Luftwaffe’s Research and Experimental Squadrons 1923-1945 (Air War Classics) 1st Edition by J. Richard Smith Dornier Do 215, Author: Mikael Olrog By 1945, Loah was assigned to one of the most interesting and advanced areal units of the entire war as an Operational Officer. Kommando Hecht & Sommer Sonderkommando Hecht formed on November 1944 and transferred, 28 February 1945, at Campoformido, near Udine, North East Italy, for reconnaissance missions over the Italy occupied by the Allies. Afterwards the Unit was nominated Sonderkommando Sommer from the name of his new commander, Oblt. Erich Sommer, a well-respected test pilot. In November 1944 the first bombing specimens were evaluated and framed in specially constituted units: the Sonderkommando Hecht and Sperling. The bombing missions required sophisticated techniques, since the crew consisted only of the pilot, and could take place with horizontal flight or dive. In the first case, the use of an automatic guidance system was…
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Soldbuch – Unteroffizier Werner Zöllner – Wounded in the Battle of Berlin 1945 – Abschnitt E (Hold)
Zöllner was born in Berlin on the 18th of October 1911 into a protestant family. In his civilian career he was a civil servant, living with his wife in Berlin Mitte on the Krausnickstr. He was enlisted into the Wehrmacht in 1939, taking up an administrational desk job in the school for fast troops in Wünsdorf and later in Zossen and in May 1942 he was promoted to NCO. In early 1945, Zöllner was issued a Czech pistol, a Model 1927 and was in the Potsdam-Nedlitz at the Ludendorff barracks serving with: On the 28th of April he was hit with a grenade splinter, and on the 1st of May he was still in Berlin and was awarded the Black Wounds Badge on the 1st of May 1945 on the frontline by an Abschnitt E Officer with the Feldpost Number 65976. (Abschnitt E: Oberstleutnant Römhild(t) – FPN 65976) According to records Zöllner survived the war, but it is unknown what happened to him after. Comments Featured in Battle of Berlin book, details will be given to the new owner. A very hard to find battle, Zöllner was lucky not to have been killed, the awarding of the Wounds Badge in Black on the first of May is a very nice addition to this Soldbuch, just a few days before hostilities ended.
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Wehrpass – Flakhelfer Wolfgang Seppeler – Flak Division at Berlin-Lankwitz – Berlin Air Raids 1944 – Featured in a Book (Hold)
Wehrpass – Luftwaffenhelfer – 1st Flak Division at Berlin-Lankwitz Wolfgang Seppeler, born in 1927 in Berlin Neukölln, as a 17 year old student he was called up in January 1944 to be a Luftwaffenhelfer (Air-Force Assistant) in Berlin Lankwitz. He was trained on a heavy machine gun, and served for a total of nine months with the heavy Schwere Flak Abteilung 377 / Flak Regiment 22 In Berlin Lankwitz, they were under direct command of the 1st Flak Division, responsible for the air defence of the greater Berlin area, the headquarters of which were based in three Flak Tower Zoo. In early 1943, an order was passed called the Kriegshilfseinsatz der Jugend bei der Luftwaffe – (Youth war assistance with the Air-Force), the conscription of children under the ages of 18 deployed them to assist the Air Force in the bringing down of allied aircraft. By mid 1944 there were over one million children, both young men and woman standing at the barrels of weapons looking towards the skies. Interestingly, Wolfgang’s father Eduard was an engineer and ran a firm in Berlin producing the pitch element on propellers and missiles for Luftwaffe aircraft and weapons. Wolfgang Seppeler seems to have been dismissed in October 1944 and was found not to be fit for duty, and was ordered to report back in October 1945 by that time the war was long over. In 1945, the firm his father created was dismantled by the Soviets. It is unknown if Wolfgang Seppeler was caught up in the ground battles in 1945. Wolfgang Seppeler survived the war, and later went on to manage another part of his fathers firm that moved away from the production of items that could be used to harm others and still exists today. Wolfgang passed away in 1990. Comments A nice Wehrpass for a young Flakhelfer in Berlin. They do not come up too often for Berlin, a nice addition to any advanced Berlin collection. This Wehrpass is featured in an upcoming book on the Battle of Berlin. Details will be given to the new owner.
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Soldbuch – Obergefreiter Otto Stock – 3 Panzergrendier Division – Bastogne 1944 – Died as POW in France 1945 (Hold)
Soldbuch to Obergefreiter Otto Stock Stock was born on the 7.11.1921 in Germany. Soldbuch was issued on the 31.10.1944 in Naumburg with an Infantry replacement unit. Although Stock must have had another Soldbuch as he was previously serving in the Luftwaffe with Kampfgruppe z.b.v 4 and Kampfgruppe z.b.v 40 Stock was awarded previously with the Front Flying Clasp in Bronze for Transport. It seems he won this award whilst on flights (Not a Pilot) into Stalingrad and out with a Junkers JU52. As well as flying in and out of the Kuban Bridgehead. Stock must have had at least 20 flights to be awarded the Bronze award. His flying career started early, as in 1939 he had both A + B Classes of the Glider Badge. 1943 Stock was awarded the War Merit Cross with Swords. In November 1944 Stock was also awarded the Medal for the Fight against Communism. By late 1944, Stock was now transferred to the Wehrmacht and after a short training on how to fire both a rifle and Machine gun he joined his frontline unit Feldersatz Bataillon 3 under the 3rd Panzergrenadier Division just in time for the Ardennes Offensive. In the middle of December 1944, the division was briefly refreshed in preparation for the Ardennes offensive and then, from December 20, 1944, was deployed to protect the northern flank of the German Ardennes offensive. The division fought in the Krinkelt – Elsenborn area until December 26th and then marched into the section west of Bastogne. Defensive battles followed around Chenogne and in January 1945 at Flamière and the retreat to the area west of Houffalize. At Lichtenborn the division was withdrawn from the front in order to move to the north at the end of January 1945. The division was used to defend the Gmünd-Schleiden section. From February the division fought on the Erft section and then withdrew over the southern edge of Cologne to the right bank of the Rhine. It must have been around February 1945 when Stock was captured, as his last entry was for injections at that time. It seems he was captured by Allied Soldiers as his POW number 31G indicates on page 1, sadly it seems that Stock passed away in a POW Camp in France and is mentioned in the German War Graves Commision lists as such having passed away on the 18.5.1945
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Urkunden Grouping – Feldwebel Alois Brosig – Infanterie Regiment 183 (Sold)
Document Grouping to Unteroffizier Alois Brosig Brosig served with Infanterie Regiment 183 / 62 Infanterie Division The 62nd Infantry Division was set up on August 26, 1939 in Kanth near Breslau. After the establishment, the Army Reserve Division of the AOK 10 in the Opole area and then took part in the advance on Crete. After the end of the Polish campaign, the division was relocated to the Schnee-Eifel. From May 10, 1940, she took part in the western campaign, crossed Belgium and attacked across the Aisne west of Soissons in the area of Ham on the Somme. The division then took over security in the Orleans and Blois area at short notice. In June 1940 the division was relocated to Poland. On October 24, 1940, a third of the division (Staff 190, I./164, I./183, I./190) was transferred to the 323rd Infantry Division. From June 22, 1941, the division took part in the Russian campaign and attacked south of Cholm over the Bug Iron Cross Second Class – 12. July 1941 – Signed by Generalleutnant and Commander of the 62 ID – Walther Keiner (Knights Cross Winner) Infantry Assault Badge – 1st of August 1941 – Signed by the Regimental Commander Wounds Badge in Silver – 24th of June 1941 – Signed in Breslau Promotion Document – 5 July 1941 – Signed by the Company Commander It would seem that Alois lost a limb or had a severe wounding rendering him as not suitable for service anymore and he was thus discharged.
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Wehrmacht Führerschein – Leutnant Claus Rienäcker – Fliegerhorst Lübeck Blankensee (HOLD)
Wehrmacht Führerschein – Leutnant Claus Rienäcker Rienäcker was born on the 4th of June 1919 in Berlin Charlottenburg. Posted at the: Luftnachrichten Stelle des Flughafenbereiches Lübeck-Blankensee
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Soldbuch – Sonderführer (Z) Erwin Sperrle – Feldeisenbahn Betriebs Abt 2 – Krim/Ost/KVK2 (Sold)
Sonderführer (Z) Erwin Sperrle Sperrle was born in Ulm, Germany into a Catholic family on the 7th of March 1902. In his civilian career he was a Reichsbahn Inspector, inspecting trains. He was married and lived with his wife in Ludwigsburg. In October 1944, according to the Soldbuch, Sperrle lost his house to an allied bombing raid, luckily his wife Frieda survived but was forced to live in a hotel. His Soldbuch was issued on the 29 of March 1941, with: Feldeisenbahn Betriebs Amt 2 The field railway operations department 2 was set up on March 15, 1941 in military district VII as an army force. On March 23, 1942 it was renamed field railway operations department 2. from 1941 to 1943 it was deployed in southern Russia. December 1941 in the Feodosia area, December 1942 to February 1943 in the Millerowo and Rossosh area, from August 1943 in Greece, 1944 in Macedonia Skoplje station. Sperrle would join another unit in late 1944: Feldeisenbahn Betriebs Amt 5 Serving in Croatia, in Slavonski Brod. Equipment Pistol – FN Browning MP 40 – 4 Magazines Nice entries for items such as Officer Cap etc. He was given a Führergeschenk ( Packet with nice items) Interestingly, a stamp for a bottle of sparkling wine is entered. Awards 7.8.1942 – Eastern Front Medal – Documents signed by Captain of the unit. 15.11.1942 – War Merit Cross with Swords – Document signed by: General Rudolf Gercke (Winner of the Knightscross of the War Merit Cross with Swords – rare signature. A lot of info online about Gercke who passed away in a POW camp in 1947). 6.3.1943 – Crimean Campaign Shield Interestingly, at the rear of the Soldbuch in the pouch is the small Spange for the Eastern Front and KVK that he is wearing in the picture. Wounds Malaria 1.3.1945 – wound spent till September 1945 healing. He saw the end of the war in a hospital in Agram, Yugoslavia. Post War It seems he was used almost immediately after his illness was gone, serving in various Allied controlled Labour Units. Comments A must have Soldbuch Grouping for the Reichsbahn/Train Collector, I have not seen another unit like this. Moreover, Sperrle could be a relation of the famous Luftwaffe General Sperrle. The photo in the Soldbuch is very nice showing his awards, and the special insignia for a Sonderführer.
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Soldbuch – Unteroffizier Wilhelm Wohlgemuth – Fighter Pilot – Bf109 G-6 “Blaue 8” Shot Down 1944 (SOLD)
Unteroffizier Wilhelm Wohlgemuth Wohlgemuth was born on the 4th of July 1922, and was trained as a salesman. Interestingly he was an NSFK member, learning how to fly various glider aircraft, the NSFK Flugbuch details many flights, and it displays a very clear picture of him in the Hitler Jugend. His Soldbuch was issued on the 19th of August 1941, after successful fighter pilot training with: Jagdgeschwader 105 & Jagdgeschwader 102 By August of 1944, Wohlgemuth was a trusted fighter pilot and was assigned for a very short time to: Jagdgruppe Süd The formation order for the Jagdgeschwader Süd goes back to the beginning of summer 1943. The squadron should not be a “normal” squadron association, but a special association to combat the British Mosquito aircraft flying in at high altitudes. The squadron should only have a strength of 20 machines, so only as strong as half a day-hunting group. The installation began on June 1, 1943 in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, the group was equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-5. On the 24th of August 1944, Wohlgemuth arrived at his final frontline unit. Jagdgeschwader 4 / 12 Staffel This was equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G and was then used in the Reich Air Defense. In September 1944, the group began to be converted to the Messerschmitt Bf 109 K. Wohlgemuth took to the skies on the 11th of September 1944 to intercept US Bombers, when they met the aircraft of the 55th Fighter Group. During the aerial combat Wohlgemuth was extremely lucky to have survived his aircraft getting shot down, although as he made an escape from the aircraft and was rescued, he lost his left arm due to the wounds. Seen below the pictures of the others from JG 4 that were not lucky to survive. Parts of his aircraft that came down over Craiwinkel on display in the JG Exhibition, of which some can be seen online. From the archive: Uffz. Wilhelm Wohlgemuth (12.) * 04.07.22 Verw. Bf 109 G-6 441 666 „Blaue 8” Oberhof/Thüringen, Luftkampf Some information can be found in the following book: “Courtesies of the Heart” – By Kenneth Breaux¨ Wohlgemuth gave interviews to the author and gave his recollections. Wohlgemuth was awarded the following medals/licenses: Glider Pilot License Pilots Badge Wounds Badge in Black Wounds Badge in Silver Interestingly, according to Wolhgemuths Pilot License he was allowed to fly the following aircraft. Bü131 & 181 Kl.35 AR66 & 96 FW58 Bü133 Fw56 He51 Bf108 Bf109 (D,E,G) MCC 202 – Italian Figher Potez 63 – French Bomber BL155 Fi156 Comments An interesting Grouping to a named pilot, who seems to have flown even as an old man up to 1993. Wohlgemuth is well recorded as are details of the day his plane was shot down. A very nice grouping to a very lucky fighter pilot.
