An interesting grouping, and not often met with Soldbuch and Photo album with training and Frontline photos. Awards: August 1942 – Iron Cross Second Class August 1942 – Eastern Front Medal September 1942 – Infantry Assault Badge in Silver January 1943 – Wounds Badge in Black August 1944 – Wounds Badge in Silver Soldbuch was issued in Feb of 1941, by his training unit which is in the photo album. Interesting points in the Soldbuch: Wounded multiple times, with grenade splinters, he was also suffering from freezing wounds on his feet which meant he needed a three month hospital visit in Narva Estonia. Interesting Point Photo Album: Photos of the unit commander a German Cross in Gold Holder, Camo Helmets, Frontline in the Trenches, this is not often seen and adds a nice element knowing where the Soldbuch actually was. Equipment: Issued a Rifle 43 in June of 1944 a very nice entry. Frontline Unit: Grenadier Regiment 505 (291 Infantry Division) The German 291st Infantry Division, was an infantry division of the Wehrmacht and served in World War II. It was formed on February 10th 1940 as a division of the 8th Wave at the Troop training ground Arys im WK I (Prussia). 291. Infanterie Division was formed in Insterburg in the military training area of Arys (south-east of Königsberg, East Prussia) in February 1940 as part of the 8th Wave. Created by using cadres from previously existing units, it took part in the attack on France but played no noticeable role there. During the expansion of the Heer in the autumn the division lost 3 Btns. of Infantry (I /504th, I /505th and I /506th.) and one of Artillery (III /291st.) to the newly raised 306. Infanterie Division, but these units were replaced before the division was assigned to Heeresgruppe Nord in early 1941 as 18. Armee’s reserve as they prepared for the launching of Barbarossa. The “Elch” (Moose) division managed to advance 44 miles in the first 34 hours of the campaign in the Baltic States, but after being assigned the mission of clearing the Baltic coast, was temporarily stopped in their tracks at the naval base of Libau where Soviet Marines and 67th Rifle Division repelled their first attempt to rush the town on 25 June. Resorting to point blank artillery fire, Herzog’s men finally overran the town after four days of fierce street and house fighting and continued advancing up the Baltic Coast before reaching the Latvian capital of Riga which was already under attack from the East by Philipp Kleffel’s 1. Infanterie Division, the following day.[1] After helping secure Estonia during July and August, the division was deployed on the right wing of XXXVIII Korps’s ring around the Oranienbaum Bridgehead in early September and broke through the Soviet first line of defenses around Leningrad at Popsha before turning north and taking Peterhof, on the Gulf of Finland, sealing in the Coastal Army. After this success, the front settled down into static positions that changed very little for almost two years, but, following his receiving the Knights Cross in mid-October, there was little time for Herzog and his men to catch their breath as they were shifted to 18th Armee’s front along the Volkhov River to resist continued efforts by the Russians to break through to besieged Leningrad.[1] The division was finally withdrawn from the front in late December, but only had a few days’ rest before Andrei Vlassov’s 2nd Shock Army launched a massive offensive at the beginning of January aimed at the thinly held line at the junction of 61. Infanterie Division and 21. Infanterie Division. 505th Inf. Regt., under Oberst Lohmeyer to seal the breach , but it was only a question of time before they made another probe elsewhere. “A matter of time” was ten days, the breakthrough was slightly to the south, and it was the 291st that again stood in their way, but, despite atrocious weather, its men stood firm long enough for the Polizei and 58. Infanterie Division to cut off the Russian penetration, though fighting within the pocket went on until late June. After defeating the Soviet 2nd Shock Army’s penetration of the front over the Volkhov River, and, despite the renewal of the offensive by the Russians in the Mga sector, just to the north of their positions, they were kept on the relatively quiet sector north of Novgorod until January 1943, when they were shifted to LIX Korps sector on the junction of Heeresgruppe Nord and Heeresgruppe Mitte. During that Winter the divisions three Infantry Regiments lost one battalion each, except for one company from each which was, initially, formed into a Ski battalion, but this unit was later converted to bicycles. Remaining in defensive positions around Korotsen over the Winter the division was reinforced by the recreation of 506th Gren. Regt. in February but was nearly annihilated by the Soviet 3rd Guards Tank Army near Shepetovka in early March. By June they were back on 4th Panzerarmee’s front (XLII Korps) as they fell back through south-east Poland (also taking part in the fighting inside the Hube cauldron). The severely understrength Division rejoined XLII Korps in August and remained with them until over-run and destroyed by 1st Ukrainian Front near Czestochowa (Tschensotchau) after the Soviets resumed their offensive in mid-January 1945. Some remnants were incorporated into the 6. Infanterie Divisions 37th Gren. Regt. whilst the remainder were used to augment 17. Infanterie-Division in March.   Comments: This is a really nice set, its not often to find a nice photo album with a Soldbuch.  This particular album the soldier never finished, although had these photos with it. Including GR505 at the front in the bunkers and trenches.

Wehrmacht Soldbuch for NCO Kurt Haberkorn. Soldbuch opened in December of 1939 with Infanterie Regiment 174. In 1941 – Etra Südost / Wehrmachttransportleitung Südost On 01.11.1940 – set up in Vienna, the use of which is to be considered in connection with the dispatch of the German army mission to Romania, which began in October, and the increasing involvement of the Balkans in German military plans. It was initially responsible for the transport command in Ostmark, Bohemia and Moravia, the transport officer in Pressburg and the German border command in Regensburg. Location always Vienna Late 1944 / 1945 – Grenadier Regiment 1120 (553 Volksgrenadier Division) –   Fought against: US ARMY – 79 US Infantry Division & 10 US Armoured Division near Oehringen/Schwaebish Hall 1945   553. Volksgrenadier division was created on 9 October 1944 by the renaming of the 553. Grenadier division in Lorraine. The 553. Grenadier division was originally formed as a Sperr division (blocking division) in Münsingen. The unit was composed of men from Württemberg. In September 1944, the 553rd was rushed to the Lorraine region of the western front and thrown into battle against the Allied troops advancing on the city of Nancy. During September 1120. Grenadier regiment of the division defended Forêt de Champenoux to cover the withdrawal of the rest of the division. The regiment had entrenched thoroughly, building a line of log-covered dugouts and foxholes ten or fifteen yards inside the forest. Within the shelter of the woods a few assault guns backed up the infantry and covered still more entrenchments. When the Americans attacked with tanks and infantry on 20 September, they were repulsed. Repeated attempts were made to push the 1120th Regiment out of their positions during the day, and the following day, but all were driven back. The Americans tried a prolonged artillery barrage to demolished the entrenchments, but even this was unable to dislodge the defenders. On 22 September, the Americans tried a combined attack with the 80th and 35th Infantry Divisions, supported by one combat command of the 6th Armoured Division and the Volksgrenadiers were finally pushed out of the forest. With the Americans now threatening both his flanks, the 553. GD’s commander, Oberst Erich Loehr pulled his division back. The division was pulled out of the line in October. The whole 553. Grenadier division had been worn down after a month’s hard fighting and had to be reinforced. The reinforcements it integrated were number of fortress and independent battalions in the area of Army Group D. Even with the addition of these groups, one regiment (the 1121st) was dissolved along with the 2nd Battalion of 1120. Grenadier regiment. While the US Third Army was advancing from Metz, the US Seventh Army was preparing to clear the Saverne Gap. In mid-November, the American 44th Infantry and the French 2nd Armoured Divisions started an advance aimed at taking Saarbourg. Among the defending units was the newly renamed 553. Volksgrenadier division. Another hard defensive battle began for the Volksgrenadiers. The Allied assaults ground down the German units until they were only shadows of their normal organisations. After Saarbourg fell to the US 44th Infantry Division on 21 November, the remnants of 553. VGD were pulled out and transferred to southern Alsace. During Operation Nordwind the division the division attacked alongside 10. SS-Panzerdivision from Gambsheim towards Haguenau. At the end of January, the High Command decided to pull the 553. VGD out of the line entirely and rebuild it once again. The division was re-established on 31 January 1945 in Pforzheim. The division was deployed in the 19. Armee sector on 20 March. The division surrendered to the Americans shortly thereafter in Württemberg. Awards: Wounds badge in Black , he was wounded twice and received no Silver badge due to the war ending.   Soldbuch comments.  Very nice piece of paper added to the front page, detailing that he is if the captured only allowed to say his name, rank and home address, anything else is dishonourable and guilty of treason against Germany. A rare late war unit, fighting in desirable and sought after battles.   10th Armoured – US Army  Documentary about the fighting in Germany, also where Haberkorn was wounded. An interesting documentary covering the creating on the Volks Grenadier Divisions

Horst Schröder was born in 1920. He was enlisted in the Army in 1940 with a Tank Hunting training unit. He served with: Panzerjäger Abteilung 193 (93 Infanterie Div)  After the division was recalled, the division was transferred to France as an occupying force. After the start of the Russian campaign, the division was transferred to the Eastern Front at the end of June/beginning of July 1941. The division marched through Wesenberg, Narva and through the Luga position to Leningrad. From October 1941 to March 1942 the division was at the Oranienbaumer Kessel. In May 1942, the division moved to the Volkhov and the Tigoda north of Lake Ilmen, where there were heavy trench warfare. From August to November 1942 the division was then deployed at the Lowat southwest of Cholm. He was wounded March 1941 in August 1941 he was fit again. Schneider spent some time in training after. In November 1942 , he was shot in the face with a training bullet and spent six days in hospital. He severed for short periods in both the following units: Radfahr Abt 8 (8 leichte Division)  Panzer Grenadier Regiment 14 (5 Panzer Division)  March 1943 – 31a – Shot by infantry bullet – released in August 1943 Grenadier Regiment 1114 ( 551 Volks Grenadier Division) From August 22, 1944, the regiment was loaded onto the railway in Thorn and then transported via Allenstein – Memel to Akmene, where it was unloaded from August 25, 1944. On August 26, 1944, the regiment took over parts of the section of Panzergrenadier Regiment 103 of the 14th Panzer Division and replaced it in its positions. From August 27, 1944, heavy fighting broke out in the only moderately developed positions. Company-strength Russian units managed to break into the regiment’s HKL at the southern tip of Lake Jonelaiciai. The regiment managed to re-occupy the HKL in a counterattack by the morning of the following day. Since the HKL was not greatly expanded, the regiment subsequently suffered heavy losses from Russian fire. On October 5, 1944, the Russian attack on the German positions began. The regiment was badly hit and pushed south. In the period that followed, the remnants of the regiment fought in the Kurland pocket. Feb 1945 – Lung problem Awards Eastern Front Medal Wounds Badge in Silver Iron Cross Second Class Equipment MP40 Iron Rations Private Pistol Lamp Summary An interesting photo inside his apartment! This Soldbuch could be researched further and in more depth. But all in all a nice Officers Soldbuch.