Description
Ralf Vetter was called up in October 1942, interestingly he was born in Helsinki, Finland.
Grenadier Regiment 326 – 198 Infanterie Division
Wounded in 1943 in Russia with the above unit and received the Black Wounds Badge.
Grenadier Regiment 1121 – September 1944 – 553. Volks-Grenadier-Division
After the start of the Battle of Lorraine on November 8, 1944, American units began shelling the positions of the 553rd Volksgrenadier Division on November 12, 1944. On November 12, the Americans continued their attack and broke into the positions of the division on both sides of Leintrey (about 40 km west of Sarrebourg), which had already suffered considerable losses again. Under the orders of Army Group G, the severely weakened division had to expand its sector into the Reclonville and Cirey areas. The division was subordinated to the 19th Army and was no longer operational. In mid-November 1944, the division had to face heavy attacks south of Blamont from the 79th US Infantry Division and the 2nd French. Repel Panzer Division. The strength of the grenadier companies had dropped to 4-8 men, the Grenadier Regiment 1121 no longer existed.
On November 19, the attacking Allied formations were able to break through the front of the division in several places. Saint Georges was also taken by the enemy. A short-term marching battalion was added to the Grenadier Regiment 1119 and was completely wiped out in the fighting for Saint Georges. On November 20, the division was then included. The remnants of the division managed to break out of the encirclement via Niderviller (immediately on the Rhine-Marne Canal). According to AOK 19, the division was considered completely destroyed on November 20th. 1,300 men had escaped from the containment ring. On November 21, the division received 500 replacements from the Army NCO School in Bitsch. The following day, the divisional commander, General Bruhn, was taken prisoner. The division was taken over by General Höhne. The remnants of the division marched to Bitsch, where they were rallied. The Grenadier Regiments 1129 and 1121 were disbanded, the Grenadier Regiment 1119 still had the strength of a battalion. From Bitsch, the division was to be relocated to the Stuttgart area for refreshment. Due to a lack of personnel, however, it was immediately integrated into the defensive front on the Upper Rhine north of Karlsruhe. The division was now the XIII. Subordinated to the SS Army Corps and had a strength of one infantry regiment, two battalions from the Ettlingen NCO School, two replacement infantry battalions and various Volkssturm units. The artillery was a regiment with three departments (nine batteries) of different types of guns. Heavy weapons or anti-tank guns were completely absent. In early January 1945, the division received orders to cross the Rhine north of Strasbourg and form a bridgehead. Just one day later, it was under heavy Allied artillery fire. Then the division was taken back behind the Rhine and the LXIV. in the area north of Baden-Baden. Here the division became a corps reserve. On January 20, 1945, the division was assigned the Pioneer Battalion No. 405. On January 26, 1945, the division was transferred to the Pforzheim area for refresher training. In this refresher room, the division received teams born in 1927 and 1928 and the division was completely filled. At the beginning of March 1945, the division was transferred back to the Rhine and deployed there for defense. Here, too, they were again supported by Volkssturm units and fortress artillery. The planned training of the replacement did not take place because the soldiers had to be used to build the fortress. On March 24, the division received orders to move to the Höhenstrasse in the Weinheim-Heppenheim section of the Bergstrasse. On March 24, 1945, the division had a strength of 4,065 men. In the period from March 26 to 29, 1945, the right wing of the division was pushed back to Würzburg. On April 1, 1945, the division was ordered to retreat behind the Jagst. US troops focused on Crailsheim and took the town on April 6th. During the ensuing Battle of Crailsheim, the 553rd Volksgrenadier Division again suffered heavy casualties. On April 12, the US 10th Panzer Division broke through the division’s front near Öhringen. On April 16, Schwäbisch Hall was taken by US troops. The remnants of the division went back to Günsburg on April 22nd. The city fell to the Americans two days later. On April 23 the division still had a strength of 1,500 men, on April 26 there were still 600 men. On April 27, 1945, the division was finally crushed. A reorganization was planned as a division of the 33rd wave.
Comments:
Sadly he pulled his unit page, he likely had something to hide. But an interesting Soldbuch to a Soldier born in Finland who fought for the German Army.
