Description
Soldbuch to Stabsgefreiter Ludwig Wagner
Wagner was born in Espern, and worked as a landworker in his civilian life.
His Soldbuch was opened in 1939 by a training unit for Kradschützen.
Frontline Units:
Aufklärungs Regiment 9
In the western campaign, the regiment joined the paratroopers who had jumped off at Moerdijk on May 11, 1940 and pushed into Rotterdam fighting. After moving to the Somme to deploy near Dunkirk, the regiment advanced on June 5, 1940 via Amiens towards Paris to Clermont. Turned south, it went on June 10th from Coulommiers-La Charité, where the secret files of the French General Staff were captured. We continued in the direction of Lyon and Roanne, which was taken on June 19th. From there the regiment was thrown around to the southwest, the regiment got as far as Bordeaux before France surrendered. Following the immediate home march, the regiment was disbanded on July 31, 1940, after almost exactly two years of its existence.
Wagner was wounded by a French bullet on the 4.6.1940
Kradschützen Bataillon 59 ( 9 Panzer Division)
During the Balkan campaign, the battalion fought on the Stracin Pass, near Skopljes and Prizrens and, from April 13, 1941, against the British expeditionary force via Bitolj, Klidi and Kozani to Aliakmon, Venetikos, Elasson and Larissa as far as Volos. Then we went to Moravian-Silesia in a country march to freshen up. From June 22, 1941, the battalion participated in the attack on the Soviet Union with the coup d’état on Tarnopol on July 2, 1941 and in closing the Uman pocket on August 2. Krivoy-Rog was reached on August 16, and Dnepropetrovsk-South on August 25, 1941. On September 11, 1941, the battalion was pulled out to close the Kiev pocket on September 15, 1941 and after the thrust over Ssumy-Fatesh, after overcoming the autumn mud period on November 3, 1941, Kursk fell, from where on November 20, 1941 Tim was achieved. The battalion spent the wonter at Shchigry. On April 13, 1942, the battalion was merged with the reconnaissance division 9 and now designated motorcycle rifle battalion (AA) 59. Reinforced in this way, the battalion moved out of its winter position to jump out of Voronezh on June 28, 1942 as part of Operation Blau I, but had to fend off violent flank thrusts by the Soviets west of the Don from July 5, 1942, until it was on August 11, 1942 Relocated via Orel, in the Wirbelwind company on which Shisdra was deployed. On September 3, 1942, the trench strength of the division was still 55 men! Wagner would be one of these last men, winning the Iron Cross Second class in December 1941.
Panzer Aufklärungs Regiment 9
Deployed on July 5, 1943. On July 12, 1943, they were thrown into the Orelbogen, where they fought south of Szuchinitschi. The division stayed in the Orelbogen and took part in the retreat battles of Army Group South. On October 7, 1943, the division fought near Zaporozhye. From February 8, 1944, the department was in action at Nikopol and Apostolowo. From February 22, 1944, the division was used at Krivoy-Rog. The Vossnesensk area was reached by mid-March 1944. From there, the division with the 9th Panzer Division was loaded to the south of France for refreshment. However, they did not achieve its full target and was posted on July 27, 1944 to reinforce the invasion front.
Alencon was reached on August 10, 1944, but the division was then removed from division leadership and deployed further north. After that she stayed in the Falaise basin with mass and after a short defensive deployment on the Seine at the end of August 1944, the Reich territory was reached. In the run-up to the West Wall, the defense of the Reich began with fighting at Stolberg from September 4th to 23rd, 1944. This was followed by fighting around Arnhem from September 27th to October 8th, 1944. Between October 25th and 29th, 1944, the division was involved in fighting used around Venlo. This was followed by the defensive battle near Geilenkirchen from November 10, 1944 to December 4, 1944. After that, the unit with the division was made available for the Ardennes offensive. During the Battle of the Bulge, the department was used from December 25, 1944 to January 4, 1945 around Rochefort and then at Houffalize. In February 1945, after being taken back to the Siegfried Line, the department was deployed near Brno in the Eifel and then further north of it. In the Cologne-North – Worringen area, the unit bled to death by March 7, 1945 and was worn out on the left bank of the Rhine.
Awards:
Wounds Badge in Black – 31 (Bullet) in France June 1940
Panzer Assault badge in Bronze
Eastern Front Medal
Iron Cross 2nd Class
Wounds Badge in Silver – 31b Shrapnel March 1943
Clearly it is stated in the Soldbuch that Wagner is to be used as a Kradmelder (Motorcycle Dispatch)
Equipment:
Luger P08
Signal Pistol
Included:
Iron Cross Second Class Certificate – Signed by Knights Cross winner Generalmajor Scheller (KIA) Rare Signature
Allied Captured Papers , also describes his wounds as giving him trouble again.
Comments
A nice Soldbuch to a Soldier who saw the full war, for the most part in different vehicles as well as being a designated Motorcycle Dispatch rider, a nice and unusual entry.
