Heer Soldbuch – Obergefreiter Hofmann – Inf.Sich Batl 908 Holland & Grenadier Regiment 984 & 980 (Normandy)! (HOLD)
Description
Obergefreiter Hofmann, was born in 1902.
He joined the German Army in January of 1941.
It is unknown when he was exactly with certain units, although his last entry for the GR908 is in July 1944, for the GR984 in October, then shortly after he is captured.
He was assigned to:
Landesschützen Batl 908 / Infanterie Sicherungs Regiment 908 (15th Armee)
Grenadier Regiment 984
Two entries are in the Soldbuch from GR984, a promotion in October of 1944 being one.
Unit Synopsis:
After the start of the Allied invasion in June 1944, two battalions of the division were transferred to Normandy. In July 1944 the rest of the division followed. This was used on the Cotentin peninsula. The division suffered heavy losses in the course of the fighting in the American Operation Cobra and in the retreat in the Falaise Pocket. From August 21, 1944, the remnants of the division were gathered in the Cambrai – Péronne area (northern France) and the division was reorganized again by August 27, 1944. It was deployed again along the Somme (northern France) and was destroyed a second time in early September 1944 in the Mons pocket (Belgium). Only 2,400 men of the division, 400 of them combat troops, were able to escape from the Mons pocket and retreat to the Maastricht area. On September 5, 1944 the remnants of the division were in the Sint Truiden area (Belgium). When the division crossed the German border at Aachen, it still had a strength of around 800 men.
Grenadier Regiment 980
It seems that Hoffmann was fighting with GR980 in September of 1944 for a few days.
Unit Synopsis:
They fought alongside units such as the 1.SS, 2.SS, and to a great-degree 12.SS-HJ. GR980 was often praised for their action in battle although they were not seen as an elite unit. After having participated in heavy action around Caen GR980 was eventually caught in the Falaise Pocket. Those who survived escaped to the north under continual harassment from the French resistance. GR980 later fought in the Hürtgen forest.
Summary
