Description
Soldbuch to Oberwaffenmeister Andreas Endres
Born into a catholic family in 1914, Enders was enlisted into the Wehrmacht already in 1939.
The Soldbuch was opened in August 1939 by:
Infanterie Regiment 451 (251 Inf Div)
After the formation, the division was relocated as Army Reserve of the 5th Army in the Eifel in the area north of Monschau. At the beginning of the western campaign, the division marched from the area south of Aachen to Liège, then fought its way through Lille to Bethune. The division then returned to Lille, where it was used as an occupation force. From July 1940 to April 1941 it was an occupying force in Brittany.
By the end of 1941 Endres was assigned to a new unit for learning to be a weapons specialist.
Heereswaffenmesiterschule in Berlin
After training he was assigned to:
Kradschützen Abteilung 4 (24PD) Kampfgruppe Edelsheim in Stalingrad
The unit was under the 24th Panzer Division and was destroyed in Stalingrad in January 1943.
Although it would seem that Endres was indeed with the unit from the 1.4.1942 – till the 3.3.1943, although it would seem that he was sent on leave on the 4th of November 1942 it is highly likely he did not return to his unit as it was recorded as being encircled in Stalingrad on the 19th of November. Endres was a very lucky man, he likely never seen any of his original unit ever again.
As for the battles of Kradschützen Abteilung 4 in Stalingrad they were heavily involved for fighting in the centre of the city, even parts of the unit were part of the infamous Kampfgruppe von Edelsheim.
See here for an in depth synopsis:
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Panzerdivisionen/24PD-R.htm
by April 1943:
Enders was awarded the War Merit Cross with Swords, his Document is hand signed by General von Edelsheim (Knightscross with Oakleaves and Swords)
Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 24
On April 7, 1943,in France was renamed Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 24. In August 1943, they were sent to ward off the expected Allied landing and relocated to Northern Italy. From October 16, 1943, the company was relocated to southern Russia. The further deployment in the last years of the war took place in partly large-scale areas in the Ukraine, Romania, Poland and Slovakia and ended in the enclosed East Prussia.
Enders was awarded the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords in January 1945.
On March 27, 1945, the unit was set for a break out and the reaching of the Pillau area. For this purpose, a bridgehead had to be built at Balga. The division entered without tanks and without artillery support. The attack succeeded, and by noon the line had been reached. The division was now a line of defense with no depth whatsoever. The Russian enemy never attacked as planned.
A very desirable unit, very desirable battles to a special NCO who seen both the West and Eastern Front, the Stalingrad link and the von Edelsheim signature really make this a nice lot.
