WWII Waffen SS Soldbuch Group – SS-Rottenführer Affeldt – SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment 5 “Thule” – Shot in the Face – Captured 1945 – Extremely Rare

£1,598.00

Description

Here we have a very interesting SS Soldbuch issued in May 1942 with the Replacement unit (Ersatz) SS Polizei Infanterie Regiment 3 in Holland/Netherlands – s-Hertogenbosch to: 

Kurt Affeldt (Born 1924 – Died 2012) from Steinhagen, Westfahlen Germany.

In his civilian lifer before the war he was a Maschine Engineer/Worker.

Units served in:

SS Polizei Infanterie Regiment 3

SS Schutzen Regiment 3 

The SS Polizei Infanterie Regiment 3 was formed on September 18, 1939, during the formation of the Police Division from militarily trained members of the Order Police. After being assembled and spending three months at the Wandern military training area, the regiment was deployed to the Upper Rhine at the end of February 1940. During the French campaign, the regiment was deployed in June 1940 to storm the Argonne Forest and cross the Ardennes Canal. The fighting for the heights of Rilly and Voncq on June 9 and 10 was particularly fierce. After the fighting ended, the regiment remained in France as an occupation force. Older men were exchanged for younger recruits.

From mid-June 1941, the regiment was relocated to East Prussia. On June 30, 1941, the regiment crossed the Lithuanian border and followed the army units northeast. On July 14, it crossed the Daugava River near Dryssa. On the night of July 24, it crossed Ostrow. On August 1, 1941, the regiment moved to capture the key position at Luga. After suffering heavy losses, the regiment ceased its attacks and on August 22, 1941, moved southwest past Sopolje to attack the flank of the Russian positions. To avoid encirclement, the Red Army evacuated the city on September 1, 1941. After breaking through the Russian defenses, the regiment took part in the encirclement of Leningrad and subsequently remained in the Leningrad area. By order of February 10, 1942, the regiment was transferred from the Ordnungspolizei to the Waffen-SS on February 24, 1942, and renamed SS Police Infantry Regiment 3.

The regiment remained outside Leningrad for the entire year of 1942 and took part in the heavy defensive fighting there. On January 12, 1943, the Red Army began its winter offensive on the Northern Front. When Russian troops were able to break through the XXVI Army Corps stationed to the south, the SS Police Division with the SS Police Infantry Regiment 1 received orders four days later to fight to free Schlüsselburg and liberate the German troops trapped there.

By November 1942 – Affeldt was shot in the face and returned to Germany for treatment. 31a – Infantry Bullet – Left Cheek. 

He was not released till September 1943, after which he spent some time with a replacement unit in the Netherlands (Nijmegen).

By Early 1944, he was assigned to the SS Panzer Division Totenkopf 

Affeldt spent some time with SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 5 – “Thule” then was assigned in September to the Stab of the Wirtschafts Batl of the SS Panzer Division Totenkopf.

1944: Defensive Battles in the East

January–March 1944: Retreat from the Dnieper and the Korsun Pocket

Totenkopf was part of Army Group South, fighting in Ukraine.

In early 1944, the division was engaged in heavy defensive battles during the Soviet Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive.

It helped to relieve and later withdraw from the Korsun–Cherkassy Pocket, avoiding encirclement, though with significant losses.

April–July 1944: Poland and the Kovel Sector
The division pulled back into Poland, regrouping near Kovel and participating in defensive battles in Galicia.

It became part of SS-Obergruppenführer Herbert Gille’s IV SS Panzer Corps, within Heeresgruppe Nordukraine.

July–August 1944: Operation Bagration Aftermath
The division was ordered northward as part of efforts to stop the massive Soviet Operation Bagration, which devastated Army Group Centre.

Totenkopf fought defensive battles near Warsaw and Modlin, facing continuous Soviet offensives.

1944–1945: Battles in Hungary
October–December 1944: Operation Panzerfaust and Debrecen
Sent to Hungary, Totenkopf took part in Operation Panzerfaust, where the Germans secured control of Hungary following its attempt to exit the war.

It fought in the Battle of Debrecen, part of the defense against the Soviet advance into Hungary.

December 1944 – February 1945: Battle of Budapest
As part of IV SS Panzer Corps, Totenkopf was one of the key divisions involved in relief operations for the encircled German and Hungarian forces in Budapest.

Engaged in Operation Konrad I–III, failed attempts to break the siege of the city.

Totenkopf suffered extremely heavy casualties in these operations and had to withdraw toward western Hungary.

1945: Final Battles and Surrender
March 1945: Operation Frühlingserwachen (Spring Awakening)
The division took part in Operation Frühlingserwachen, the last major German offensive of the war, near Lake Balaton in Hungary.

Totenkopf was part of 6th SS Panzer Army, tasked with protecting the Hungarian oil fields.

The offensive initially made progress but was soon repulsed by the Soviets, leading to a major retreat.

April–May 1945: Retreat into Austria
The division retreated through Austria, fighting rearguard actions.

By April 1945, its remnants were pushed back through Styria, near Graz and Vienna.

May 1945: Final Surrender
On May 9, 1945, the remnants of the SS Panzer Division Totenkopf surrendered to Soviet forces near Radstadt, Austria, after Germany’s unconditional surrender (May 8).

Many surviving members were taken prisoner by the Red Army. Unlike Western Allies, the Soviets dealt harshly with captured Waffen-SS troops, often regarding them as war criminals.

A significant number of Totenkopf soldiers were either executed or sent to Gulag camps in the Soviet Union, where many perished.

Security Stamps 

20.IX.1943 – 8. Genesenden SS Grenadier Ausb u Ers Batl 4 – Stationed in Nijmegen, Netherlands  

6.XII.1943 – 8. Genesenden SS Grenadier Ausb u Ers Batl 4 – Stationed in Nijmegen, Netherlands  

4.III.1944 – SS Totenkopf Infanterie Regiment 

1.Sept.1944 – Wirtschafts Batl – SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Totenkopf 

Awards

Black Wounds Badge – 28.1.1943

Silver Wounds Badge – 2.12.1943 – Awarded by the Totenkopf Inf Regiment was likely an upgrade due to the nature of his facial wound.

War Merit Cross with Swords – Awarded During the Hungary Operation in Feb 1945

Last Comments 

A fascinating bit of Military history to an infamous Division. Affeldt was likely captured shortly after the failure of the Operations in Hungary in early 1945. He removed the runes from his SS Soldbuch, and clearly he was taken by the Red Army as his Soldbuch has his name written in Russian on the cover. He also removed the Runes or Deaths Head from his photo. Note that in the photo his injury is clearly visible. Affeldt returned home after his time in the Soviet POW Gulags, he passed away in 2012 in his hometown.