Heer Wehrpass – Gefreiter Geipel – Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 231 (11 Panzer Division) – KIA Ultra Rare Grave Map – Killed by Partisans (Sold)

Wehrpass Grouping to Gefreiter Geipel

After a short stint in the RAD he volunteered to join Panzer Regiment 2. 

Although it would seem he would not actually be assigned to the Panzer Regiment, and served in a home front unit until September 1940:

His frontline unit was:

Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 231 (11 Panzer Division) 

After being set up, the division moved to Romania as a teaching force in mid-January 1941 and from there took part in the invasion of Bulgaria in March 1941. In April 1941 the division was used to advance on Belgrade during the Balkan campaign. After conquering it, the division advanced on Sarajevo. After the end of the Yugoslavia campaign, they remained as an occupying force in Yugoslavia and then marched back to their garrison location at the end of April. From the beginning of June 1941 the division in Poland was made ready for the Russian campaign. From June 22nd the division fought in Russia. After the Bug crossing and the breakthrough through the Russian border fortifications, the tank battle at Radziechow and fighting over the Styr crossings at Szcznrowice and Berestezko took place on June 23. By June 25, the division reached the Stalin Line via Horyn. Fights for Ostrow and the Wilja and Horyn crossings followed. In heavy fighting, the division broke through the Stalin line from July 2nd to 5th and then the Russian positions at Miropol. Then there were fighting at Starokonstantynow and Lubar and until mid-July 1941 at Cudnow – Berditschew. Then the division advanced by July 20 on Uman, which was fought for until August 8. This was followed by cleansing battles in the Dnieper bend and in the Boguslav – Cherkassy area until mid-August. The deployment in the operational area of ​​the 6th Army for the battle of Kiev followed by August 22nd. This began for the division on August 23 with fighting around the Gornostaipol-Osztjer bridgehead and ended at the end of August 1941. Subsequently, the division was in the operational area of ​​Army Group South and Center. At the end of September 1941, the division took part in the defensive battle of Yelnya and Smolensk. The double battle at Vyazma and Bryansk followed by mid-October, followed by the advance on Moscow. The Moscow protective position could be breached by the end of October. and overcome the Istra by the beginning of December. From December 5, the division was put on the defensive, there were defensive battles in front of Moscow, in the Rusa-Wolokolamsk position, east of Gshatsk and in the winter position Juchnow – Gshatsk – Subzoff.

According to his Officer in command in a letter to Geipels father:

”1.2.1942 – on an attack to the village Boldyrewo. There is a train station near Mitino, the line is Smolensk-Wjasma. The place was occupied by partisans and enemy paratroopers. During the attck we noticed that the enemy was stronger than we imagined. To prevent further losses we pulled back, and your son was hit by a machine gun blast, he died on the spot. We were unable to take him with us. His personal items were robbed by the Russians, as we went back there the next day and found him with six others. We buried them near the train station.”

On further investigation with this map, a search team was dispatched in 2012 to the location to try and locate the missing graves, but to no avail. 

Finding a map in such detail is extremely rare.