Heer Soldbuch – Feldwebel Steinadler – Grenadier Regiment 712 (416 Inf Div) – Unter Franken 1945! Iron Cross! (Hold)

Description

Heer Soldbuch to Walther Steinadler

Born in Radingen in 1920.

His Soldbuch was opened in 1939 when he was a member of the Machine Gun Company of:

Infanterie Regiment 39 (9. Infanterie-Division)

On May 10, 1940, the division took part in the western campaign. She crossed Luxembourg and Belgium. Then there was fighting in the Amiens area and on the Somme. During the second phase of the western campaign, the division crossed the Oise and the Ourcq and entered Paris. The division remained there as an occupation force before being transferred to northern France in July 1940. In March 1941 it was transferred to the General Government. As part of the 6th Army, the division took part in the Russian campaign from June 1941. She fought at Mosastyr and broke through the Stalin Line. She was then deployed at Oratow and Kanev, then at the Vorskla and at the Bereka. In 1942 the division took part in the battles at Izyum, Rostov and Bataisk. Then she turned to the southeast, marched through Krasnodar to the Kuban and to Krimskaya.

He served in the following other units:

Infanterie Regiment 528 (299. Infanterie-Division) 

Short time

Infanterie Regiment 111 – 35 Infanterie Div – 1940 

From May 10, 1940, the division took part in the western campaign, breaking through the Dutch and Belgian border fortifications in the Herzogenrath area north of the Eben Emael fort. The division then crossed the Juliane Canal, the Maas, the Maas-Scheldt Canal and the Albert Canal and reached the Dyle Position. During the second phase of the campaign, the “Battle of France”, the division served as an army group reserve of Army Group “B” and no longer took part in the fighting. After the end of the French campaign, the division was transferred to Belgium and used there for coastal protection on the Channel coast. In addition, the division was preparing for the landing in England.

Wounded in July 1941 – Bullet in the left lower leg.

Grenadier Regiment 712 –  416. Infanterie-Division – Dec 1943 – May 1945 

It seems that he served a few smaller units before, and was in the Mortar Company.

On October 4, 1944, the division was ordered to be transferred to the Western Front, with Grenadier Regiment 714 remaining in North Jutland. The average age of the division’s soldiers at the beginning of October 1944 was 38 years. The division was partially immobile at the time and lacked any combat experience. The division was actually supposed to be moved to the Belfort area, was determined by Army Group G to unload and deploy the division in the Saarburg – Mettlach – Merzig area. The division was this the LXXXII. subordinate to the Army Corps. The division replaced the 48th Infantry Division in its section and moved into a command post in Keuchingen near Mettlach / Saar on October 11, 1944. After the start of the Allied offensive across the Moselle on November 9, 1944, parts of the division were used in the defensive fighting around Freching and Kerling. On November 15, 1944, parts of Grenadier Regiment 712 fought in the Ritzing – Obernaumen – Kirschnaumen line. On November 17, 1944, the command post of the division was in Tünsdorf, on November 18 in Orscholz and on November 19 in Trassem. On November 28th the division headquarters were in Taben and on December 3rd in Taben-Rodt. On December 4, 1944, after a month of defensive fighting, the division still had a fighting strength of 2,400 men, of which 1,550 were infantry. Heavy fighting followed around the West Wall and the retreat to the Mettlach area on the Orscholzriegel. On January 14, 1945, the division still had a strength of 3,016 men. In the weeks that followed, heavy defensive fighting continued at the Orscholzriegel / Saar-Mosel triangle. During the period February 7–28, 1945, the division had 2,195 casualties. On March 13, 1945, the American offensive began in the area of the 79th Volksgrenadier Division and the 416th Infantry Division. In the sector of Kampfgruppe 79 Volksgrenadier Division, the Americans gained the eastern heights of the Ruwer sector and penetrated Waldrach from the north. In the area of the 416th Infantry Division, the American troops crossed the Saar and conquered Greimerath and the area west of it. By evening the division had been pushed back to a Scheiden-Bergen-Britten-Saarholzbach front line. The following day it remained quiet in front of the division. On March 15, the Americans attacked the front of the 416th Division on both sides of the road from Losheim to Britten, but were stopped by direct fire from the artillery stationed in the division’s sector. In the night of March 16, the LXXXII. Army Corps on the line Lückenburg – Reinsfeld – edge of the forest east of Kell – edge of the forest east of Waldweiler – west edge of Steinberg – east edge of Confeld – north-west edge of Mitlosheim – north-west edge of Losheim. On March 17, the division fought in the Nonnweiler – Birkenfeld area. The division’s command post moved first to Hasborn, then to the Kurhaus Haschberger Hof between Winterbach and St. Wendel. On March 18, the Americans broke through to Ottweiler. The divisional command post was moved to Fürth near Ottweiler. Weak rear troops of the division reached the Thallichtenberg – Selchenbach – Werschweiler – Fürth – Steinbach line by evening. The bulk of the remaining division reached the Glan position between Altenglan and Nanzweiler. On March 19, the remnants of the division were to take up positions on the Glan along the western edge of Pfeffelbach – western edge of Herchweiler – western edge of Steinbach. Parts of the division went back to the Altenglan – Nanzweiler section. American units managed to break through the division’s thin security lines. During the night of March 20, the divisional staff had to make their way to the city commandant of Kaiserslautern. All the remnants of the division that could still be reached were ordered to gather in the Neustadt an der Weinstrasse area. On March 20th, substantial parts of the division reached the Lohanniskreuz – Elmstein area, the divisional command post was in Iggelheim. On March 21, the splintered division reached its assigned section of the Rhine, Kotsch, 3 km southwest of Schwetzingen and Dettenheim, 6 km south of Germersheim. The bridgeheads Speyer and Germersheim belonged to the section. However, the Speyer bridgehead was already lost by March 23, Germersheim a day later. The division had lost its organizational structure on the retreat and was completely blown up. In the period that followed, it was no longer able to form a unified structure. During the night of March 26, the division’s staff was transferred to a gap in the front between the 1st and 7th armies near Aschaffenburg, where alarm and marching units were placed under its command. The remaining parts of the division in the Kirrlach area were placed under the 47th Volksgrenadier Division. The staff with subordinate units was on March 29 against attacks of the XV. US Corps deployed and on 30 March on contour line of the southern Spessart withdrawn. Heavy fighting broke out around Hessenthal and Eschau. North of Rollbach, American units broke through the divisional front and advanced on Reistenhausen am Main. On March 31, Hessenthal was lost, and the remnants of the division then retreated in the direction of the Main.

 

On April 1, these remnants reached a bridgehead near Lohr. On April 2, the division formed a thin line of security in the Main Wertheim–Würzburg loop in the Homburg line 4 miles (6 km) south of Marktheidefeld–Ültingen–Veitshöchheim, facing south. On the morning of April 3, the division was then with weak rear troops in the Main loop from Gemünden – Marktheidenfeld on the east bank of the river. The bulk of the division had been withdrawn to the Wernfeld – Veitshöchheim section of the Main. Their security line ran from Marktheidenfeld to Zellingen. As a result of the enemy threat, the division withdrew its rear troops in the Main loop on April 4 to a bridgehead position in the Wernfeld and Karlstadt areas. The bulk of the division defended its sector behind the Main. By the evening of April 4, the division had cleared both bridgeheads. On April 6, the Americans took on the southern wing of Rimpar and Burggrumbach’s division. On April 5, things remained quiet on the divisional front. On April 6, the Americans took Arnstein. At Karlstadt they crossed the Main unhindered and then advanced on Schwabenried. On both sides of the Würzburg – Schweinfurt road, American formations broke through the thin German defensive line and took Werneck and Weigolshausen. This largely split the front of the 416th Infantry Division. During the night of April 9, the remnants of the division retreated behind the Main and moved into a section from Haßfurt (excl.) – Volkach (incl.). The east bank of the Main south of Schweinfurt could only be monitored with scouting parties. Only in Volkach itself and in the Main loop west of the town were the division’s stronger infantry defenses.

With the fall of Schweinfurt and the Americans crossing the Main near Volkach, the front of the 416th Infantry Division had to be withdrawn on April 10, 1945. On April 11 it reached the Ebern line – eastwards from Zell am Main – western exits of the Steigerwald. This new line also came under severe pressure on April 12. On April 13, the division was taken back behind the Regnitz in the Hirschaid – Terchheim section. On April 15, the division went back to the Egloffstein – Südrand Pratzfeld – Nordrand Forchheim – Weppersdorf line. By the evening the division had fought back to the Lauf area. On April 16, 1945, the division was then with weak defenses in the line Hersbruck – east of Lauf and from there facing west in the line Lauf – Altdorf, on April 17 in the line Hartmannshof – Happurg – Altdorf. On April 20, the division was in the Ursensollen – Kastl – Wiesenacker – Valburg – Holenstetten line. On April 22, the division fought back to the Groß-Duggendorf – Beratzhausen – Neukirch line. In the night of April 23, the division was able to break away from the enemy and reached the Laaber – Hemau area. During the night of April 24, the division crossed the Kelheim bridge with all its units onto the south bank of the Danube. On April 24, she took over the Amberg section – east of Regensburg – Abbach. On April 26, the remains of the division were pushed back further and further by American units in the Regensburg area. On April 27, these remnants were in the Aufhausen and Schierling line. On April 30, the division then went back to the Inn section Mühlendorf – Wasserburg. American units pushed into the flank of the division near Landshut. On May 1, 1945, the remains of the division were smashed by American units near Wasserburg.

Awards

1. Iron Cross 2nd Class
2. Wounds Badge Black
3. Infantry Assault Bade

Summary

A very interesting Soldbuch, as the areas of Würzburg and Schweinfurt are hardly ever seen in Soldbücher! A rare chance to get a fighter from that area in 1945. Where he was captured we will never know but he made it through the whole war and was captured by US troops.