Description
Soldbuch to Unteroffizier Karl Luders
Luders was born on January 1925, in the area of Goslar.
His Soldbuch was issued on the 29th of April 1942, at a training camp for NCOs.
After tank training, Luders was sent to his frontline unit in 1944.
Panzer Regiment 25 (7 Panzer Division)
It would seem that the unit was issued with Panzer IV Tanks. Luders was shot in Belarus and was sent back from the front. He would end the war in a tank training unit in Bamberg.
In January 1944, the division was in a heavy defensive battle between Zhitomir and Shepetovka. From February 1, 1944, the division was moved in a 130 km long march to the southern edge of the Pripjet Marshes near Brody in order to stop infiltrating enemy troops. The relocation to the northeast followed on February 15, and at the end of the month the division fought in the Lutsk area. From March 3, the Army Reserve Division was in the area around Zbaraz, about 15 km northwest of Tarnopol. From here it took part in the fighting for Tarnopol and was then trapped in the Kamenets-Podolsk pocket. The division took part in the breakout to the west with heavy losses and was then relocated to the area 20 km west of Buczacz in mid-April 1944. On April 21, they moved to the refresher room south of Stanuislaus. But as early as April 25, the division, no more than one combat group, had to move south to the Carpathians. Until July 1, the division was used on the Carpathian passes.
The division was then moved by rail via Lemberg – Radom – Warsaw – Bialystok to Lida, as the Russians had succeeded in separating the North and Central Army Groups. Heavy retreat fights followed in the area south of Vilna and the crossing over the Nyemen. Until the end of July, the division fought on the river Nyemen and then north of Kovno, where it was involved in the opening of the land connection to Courland. On August 1, the division had to be withdrawn from the Dubyssa sector.
Awards:
Panzer Assault Badge in Silver
Wounds Badge in Black
Comments
A very nice Panzer Soldbuch, Luders was awarded the Panzer assault badge in Silver so he seen action in a Panzer. A nice photo also in this Soldbuch showing the tankers uniform very nicely.
