Description
SS Soldbuch issued to Werner Kitzler, born in November of 1926 in Seidorf (Kreis Hirshberg), Germany. He was trained in civilian life as a car mechanic. By the time he was called up he was still living at home with his parents and unmarried.
SS Soldbuch was issued on the 2nd of May 1944, with SS Panzer Grenadier Ausbildungs und Ersatz Batl 9 in Stralsund. This is signed by an SS Obersturmführer who was the Stamm Kompanie leader.
After training, this included training with the Stug training unit SS Panzer Jäger (Stu. Gesch) Ausb.u.Ers.Abt 3.
According also to two security stamps in the Soldbuch Kitlzer was in Heidelarger on the 22nd of June 1944 training on the Stug, he was still there by September of 1944.
Kitlzer was assigned to the SS Panzer Jäger Abteilung 11 – 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
It is unknown how long Kitlzer spent with this active unit, which would have been armed with anti tank armoured fighting vehicle but it is safe to assume he made it out somehow and ended up as a Prisoner of War in the West. As payments are added to his Soldbuch post war as a POW in 1945.
The Division fought in the Kurland Pocket
From late October to December 1944, the Nordland Division fought fierce defensive battles in the Kurland Pocket. Though the division had been assembled at Priekulė for a breakout to the south, the Red Army had become aware of the German intentions. On 16 October 1944, the battles for Kurland Pocket began when Soviet troops met the division’s attack with full force. Nevertheless, the division was able to hold their positions. During a second attempt to break the German forces in Kurland, the division was able to maintain its lines.On 23 January 1945, a fourth Red Army attack to clear the Kurland Pocket, focused on Priekulė, was launched. Multiple Red Army assaults succeeded in breaking into the German positions. However, together with 14. Panzerdivision, Nordland was able to retake their positions after counterattacking. By early December the divisional strength was down to 9,000 men.
Pomerania. At the end of January 1945, the division was finally pulled from the front and loaded onto ships in the Baltic port of Liepaja (Libau), where it was shipped out of the pocket to Pomerania.The division disembarked at Szczecin (Stettin), with the Panzer Battalion Hermann von Salza being sent on to Gotenhafen for refitting. In late January, Nordland Division was assigned to Steiner’s 11th SS-Panzer Army, which was now forming in anticipation of the defence of Berlin. In early February 1945, the refitted Panzer Battalion returned to the division, and a trickle of reinforcements began arriving. On 15 February 1945 Nordland was then moved to the staging area for Operation Solstice (Sonnenwende), the Pomeranian Offensive. The offensive had been conceived by Generaloberst Heinz Guderian as a massed assault all along the front but had then been reduced by Hitler to the level of a local counterattack. From the area of Reetz, the division attacked towards the encircled city of Arnswalde. Initially, Nordland’s attack achieved a total tactical surprise and the division soon advanced to the banks of Lake Ihna in all sectors.
