WWII German Army Soldbuch – Oberfeldwebel Hofmann – Grenadier Regiment 915 (352ID) – Normandy Close Combat Days Near Gold Beach Landing on DDay + 3 – Wounded in Close Combat with 29 US Inf Div at St Lö – Ultra Rare (Sold)
Description
This Soldbuch was opened in 1939 to Johannes Hofmann.
He served in the following units:
Panzerjäger Abt 319
Schnelle Abt 319
Grenadier Regiment 915 (352ID)
The 352nd began its coastal duty by improving the beach obstacles, emplacing mined stakes and timber structures. This involved not only cutting and hauling timber from miles inland, but also driving stakes and piles deep into the sand. The first band of obstacles – about 250 yards (750 ft) out from the waterline at high tide – consisted of ‘Belgian Gates’ – reinforced iron frames with supports that were built atop rollers. Next came a band of mined stakes and log ramps, meant to tear the bottoms out of landing craft or tip them over. Finally, there was a row of metal obstacles, including ‘hedgehogs’, made of steel rails. Although the Germans had attached mines to many of the obstacles, few of them were waterproofed, and corrosion had long since taken its toll of many of the explosive devices.
By June 1944, many of the coastal strongpoints in their sector were still being manned by personnel from the 726th Infantry Regiment, of the neighboring 716th Division. As a tradeoff, one infantry battalion from the 352nd Division was placed under the command of the 716th Division to help shore up their defenses. In the ‘Bayeux zone’, 914th regiment was stationed in the west, 916th regiment was stationed in the east, while 915th regiment was in reserve to the south. The soldiers of the 916th and 726th Regiments occupied slit trenches, eight concrete bunkers, 35 pillboxes, six mortar pits, sites for 35 Nebelwerfer, (multi-barrel rocket launchers) and 85 machine-gun nests. The defenses were clustered in strongpoints. In the early hours of 6 June the first reports of Allied activity in the 352nd zone came from the Cotentin Peninsula and elements of the 915th Grenadier Regiment were dispatched to investigate, those units manning the defences on the coast also reported large numbers of vessels out to sea, and just before sunrise at 06:00 the allied naval bombardment began, ending 35 minutes later as US tanks and the first wave of infantry landed on the beach to a hail of fire from the heavily fortified strongpoints. Throughout the morning the Americans received heavy casualties on the beach but by 13:00 groups of US soldiers were in possession of key fortifications, had reached some heights overlooking the beach, and opened several beach exits. Just after 15:00 the 916th Grenadier Regiment counterattacked from the Colleville-sur-Mer area but was forced to fall back once again, at around 17:00 the village of St. Laurent-sur-Mer fell to the Americans.
The 916th Grenadier Regiment and a mix of other units either already in place or brought forward throughout the day defended Omaha beach against the landings of the US 1st and 29th Divisions at Omaha Beach, holding the bluffs above the beach for several hours, inflicting heavy casualties, before being overwhelmed. The survivors of the 916 Grenadier battalion along with other units retreated in the morning hours of 7 June after the commander, Colonel Ernst Goth, could no longer hold the positions retaken in the night of 6/7 June.
Hoffmann was what seems to be hit by a 31a, a bullet after fighting three days close combat with Allied soldiers. There is a signed off paper showing three close combat and assault days.
1. Assault Day – 9.6.1944 in Bazenville – Fighting British Soldiers
2. Close Combat Day – 14.6.1944 – Bois de Bretel
3. Close Combat Day – 17.6.1944 – La Luzerne
Research on the Towns and the Battles:
1. Bazenville
In the spring of 1944, the commune of Bazenville was occupied by the command post of the 6th company of the Grenadier-Regiment 726 (716. Infanterie-Division) commanded by Hauptmann Adolf Kukenhoner.
On June 6, 1944, the first unit allied to cross the village of Bazenvile was the 502nd RASC (Royal Army Service Corps) Company, which was responsible for recognizing the practicability of the axes for the benefit of the infantrymen of the 6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry Regiment (151st Infantry Brigade) that follows shortly after. The infantry, supported by a squadron of tanks belonging to the 4th / 7th Dragoons Guard (8th Armored Brigade), then progressed towards Bayeux. The 69th Infantry Brigade in turn reached the outskirts of Bazenville as it progressed towards the national road 13 which it was to reach in the evening. But around 4 pm, the Germans counter-attack in the area: they belong to the Grenadier-Regiment 915 (352. Infantry-Division) commanded by the Oberstleutnant Karl Meyer. After a brief but violent engagement, during which Brigadier Ronald H. Senior commanding the 151st Infantry Brigade and wounded and taken prisoner (he managed to escape that same day), the Germans retreated. The British advance to the south without worrying about Bazenville, abandoned by the adversary who fell further south.
The next day, June 7, Grenadier-Regiment 915 again counterattacked towards point 64, a field movement located on the western outskirts of Bazenville. Strong commitments took place and the Oberstleutnant Karl Meyer died when the British stormed his command post in the castle in the southwest of the village. His regiment was put out of action: of the 700 soldiers engaged, only forty were still valid at the end of the day. On the evening of June 7, Bazenville was definitely under British control.
From June 7 to June 14, 1944, the engineers of the Royal Engineers 16th Airfield Construction Group reinforced by elements of the RAF 3207 and RAF 3209 Servicing Commandos built an airfield called ALG B-2 east of Bazenville. The castle, damaged by the fighting, serves as the headquarters of the 83rd Group Control Center of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. The aerodrome is operational until August 28, 1944.
The British military cemetery at Bazenville contains 979 corpses: 630 British, 326 Germans, 21 Canadians, 1 Australian and 1 Polish.
2. Bois de Bretzel – 115th Infantry Regiment – 29th (US) ID
At 0600 hours, 13 June 1944, 3rd Battalion recrossed the Elle River against light opposition consisting mostly of artillery and mortar fire. They advanced to position northwest of COUVAINS and were attached to the 116th Infantry. The 1st Battalion remained in a defensive position and the 2nd Battalion moved to the defensive line north of river previously held by 3rd Battalion. The Regiment less the 3rd Battalion went into Division reserve. This position was maintained until the afternoon of 16 June 44 when the 2nd Battalion moved against a strong point of enemy resistance 300 yards north of HINET and west of ST. CLAIR. It Cleared out this resistance and remained there in a position(defensive) overnight. The 3rd Battalion reverted to Regimental control and remained in position. During night the 1st Battalion moved north through ST. CLAIR toward LES FOULONS against slight resistance and occupied a position 200 yards east of LES FOULONS. It remained here in position until next morning. The Regimental CP followed behind the 1st Battalion to a position 700 yards northeast of LES FOULONS where it closed in at 180400B. The next morning the 2nd Battalion was moved southeast to COUVAINS and attached to the 116th Infantry. The next afternoon the 1st and 2nd Battalions moved southeast towards COUVAINS and then west to BOIS de BRETEL. The Regimental CP followed to BOIS de BRETEL. The 1st Battalion was committed south of woods during the afternoon, and encountered heavy resistance. The 3rd Battalion was also committed to left of 1st Battalion and it did not advance against heavy resistance. The 1st and 3rd Battalions remained there overnight in defensive positions. The 2nd Battalion 115th Infantry was detached from the 116th Infantry, and under Regimental control, relieved the 2nd Battalion, 116th Infantry on the morning of 19 June 44, taking over positions north of La FOSSARDIERE. Early that morning the 3rd Battalion moved to defensive position in vicinity of SEGUEVILLE. The 1st Battalion set up defensive positions at BOIS de BRETEL. The Regimental CP, originally at BOIS de BRETEL, moved to rear of 2nd Battalion, and then to 657682.
3. 17.6.1944 – La Luzerne – Battle of St Lö
The 29th Infantry Division attacked through the hedgerows to the northeast of Saint-Lô, near the Madeleine quarter, taking heavy casualties. On July 15, the 1st Battalion of the 116th Infantry Regiment, led by Major Sidney Bingham (called the “lost battalion”), unwittingly advanced ahead of other division elements and found itself isolated 1,000 yards east of Saint-Lô for an entire day without ammunition and with little food. They had 25 wounded, with only three medics, and were surrounded by German forces. Planes were called in to drop plasma. Martainville hill was continuously showered by German artillery. On July 17, the 3rd Battalion, 116th Infantry, under Major Thomas D. Howie, joined up with the “lost battalion” around 4:30 in the morning. Hidden by dense vegetation, the 3rd Battalion had orders not to return enemy fire, and use only their bayonets. The mission was successful, but Howie was fatally wounded by a mortar shell explosion. Their position was then heavily attacked, preventing any further movement that day.
On July 17, Captain William Puntenney, Major Howie’s executive officer, requested artillery and air support to disperse the German troops. Short of munitions, still at the crossroads of the Madeleine, they found themselves at a mine depot, abandoned by the Germans. Meanwhile, the 115th Infantry Regiment passed through La Luzerne, deploying at the bottom of the Dollée Valley.
Hofmann would spend the rest of year of 1944 recovering from his bullet wound. After which he would then go to a replacement unit.
His Wound Badge in Black Certificate from Gren Reg 915 on the 17.June 1944 is signed off by the Regiment adjutant.
Final Comments:
Highly sought after Soldbuch, these are ultra rare to find nowadays. The close combat days really make this something for the top shelf collector of Normandy battles.
