Leutnant Gerhard Thiele  Thiele was born in the Zwickau area of Germany on the 18th of January 1914. In His Civilian life he was a Technical drawer, married and living with his wife.  Soldbuch is a second issue, issued to Thiele at the : Schwere Artillerie Ersatz und Ausbildungs Abteilung (mot) 38 in November 1944.  Frontline Unit  Served from 1939 till 1944 with:  Artillerie Regiment 711 / 711 Infantry Division  From Normandy to Belgium  In June 1944 the division was in Normandy north of Liseux and thus exactly east of the Allied landing area. The division formed the westernmost division of the 15th Army. During June 6, 1944, Allied paratroopers jumped in the area of ​​the division, which had the task of securing the area east of the landing heads.  The division was able to use two companies against the Allied paratroopers. Since the division was not set for a fight with the Allies, the 346th Infantry Division was inserted between the division and the landing heads. The 711th Infantry Division then occupied the previously uncontested stretch of coast between Cabourg and Le Havre.  From mid-August 1944, this stretch of coast came within reach of the Allied units and the division had to intervene in the fighting. The units that were arriving were involved in the fighting to varying degrees up to August 20, 1944.  By early September 1944, the division was pushed back to the area south of Dunkirk and southeast of Boulogne. On the 5th September 1944, the not yet refreshed division had to withdraw to Courtrai. On September 10, 1944, the “Kampfgruppe 711 Infantry Division” was in the Oostsonbourg area, 3 km north of Vlissingen. On September 11th, the combat group marched off in the direction of Antwerp. It must have been here that Thiele was wounded for the 3rd time in his career.  On November 5, 1944, the division held a 9 km deep bridgehead south of the Meuse, 12 km north-northwest of Breda.  It would seem that the wounding was not so serious, and he was wounded once again now the fourth time on the 18th of November 1944.  Thile was awarded the Iron Cross First Class for his actions in November 1944.  Ardennes 1944  Thiele was with: Heeres Artillerie Batterie 1092 , armed with a rare 12.8cm K44 Pak. It is highly likely that Thiele was a Batterie Commander.  7th Army – Its role was to protect the southern flank of the Fifth Panzer Army and the entire Ardennes Offensive. Like the other two German armies in the offensive, the 7th Army took substantial losses. The 7th Army defended against the northward attack of the US 3rd Army, but ultimately failed to halt General George S. Patton‘s drive to Bastogne and Houffalize. The 7th Army, however, managed to avoid encirclement and retreated again to the Westwall. It seems that Thiele was then wounded by shrapnel on December 22nd, 1945.      Thiele would on his release from hospital join the:  Volks Artillerie Korps 401 / 1. Fallschirm-Armee – “Operation Plunder” Thiele was once again posted to an artillery unit, and was once again wounded by shrapnel. His unit was involved in actions between March 23 and 27, 1945, the army took part in the defense against the Allied Operation “Plunder” and was unable to prevent the Allied units from crossing the Rhine. Thiele was then sent to a hospital in Zwickau, and on the 15th of April 1945 he was on the way to his hometown, to check in at the hospital.  According to his family a strange event took place, when he was mistaken for a war criminal due to his name, he was handed over by Soviets to the US Army. This story is also recorded in a book: “Gardelegen Holocaust –  By Torsten Haarseim” – It was reported on the 16th of April in the New York Times that the war criminal was found, although they had the wrong man. They had arrested the wrong Thiele.  His grandson wrote this on a German Forum:    “My grandpa didn’t tell much about the war. My great aunt said that he suddenly cried out at night and got up drenched in sweat. But rather came from captivity. A few days before the surrender he was at home in full gear (Werdau near Plauen). I assume that his unit was wiped out or surrendered. There he then hid until he reported to a Russian commandant’s office, where he was first taken into Russian captivity. Now that’s a bit strange. This is what my grandpa told his sister-in-law shortly before he died (my great aunt). My grandpa was extradited to the Americans because they were looking for someone from the SS who had the same name as my grandpa. He came to Dachau, there it was probably to be interrogated (from which the nightmares came). He was probably only able to stay afloat because he repaired American shoes from old tires. It must have been around 1951 when he was released from captivity. When he arrived in Berlin he found his wife in Berlin Tempelhof, from there he went by plane to Frankfurt and by bus to Sachsenheim (near Bietigheim – Bissingen). There he got an apartment and worked. My father told me that my grandfather had a lot of pictures from the Eastern campaign, probably also interesting ones through the telescopic sight, inquiries with the relatives did not yield anything. I must have some at home and want to have no idea. But I think you know such problems, if not you can be happy. I was able to save something. As you can see, he was technically gifted, this beautiful box is now 40-50 years old. Alt. He died in 1997 at the age of 81. “ Awards 6.9.1941 – War Merit Cross with Swords  8.9.1942 – Eastern Front Medal  28.8.1942 – Iron Cross Second Class 30.6.1942 – Wounds Badge in Black  12.5.1944 – Close Combat Clasp in Bronze  22.10.1944 – Wounds…

Unteroffizier Werner Weigel  Werner Weigel was born on the 18th of May 1921 in Albersdorf Leipzig, in his civilian career he was a painter.  Weigel was enlisted in the RAD on the 3rd of October 1940, he spent only 3 months in the RAD before he was called up to the Wehrmacht.  He arrived for training on the 10th of February 1941, by July he was sent for training as an Observer. Interestingly he was found fit for all roles in the aircraft and was sent for training.  After successful training, Weigel was assigned on the 16th of August 1942 to the: 12th Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 55  Weigel would spend until March 1943 with the IV Gruppe in Dijon France, the unit was mainly used for training runs from France to Germany, they were dropping concrete bombs. They flew the Heinkel 111, and reported only a few losses.  For more information of their stay in France, including pictures:  https://www.histavia21.net/LIEUX-HISTOIRE/BA-102/LONG-0007a1.htm On the 14th of April 1943, Weigel joined the II Gruppe,  6th Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 55  In 1943, from June 5th to 22nd, it took part in the air raids on Gorky and Yaroslavl. In night raids, together with other combat squadrons, the “Molotov” armored car plant and the Yaroslavl synthetic rubber plant were to be attacked.  282 people were killed in Gorki, 527 injured and 52 buildings of the plant were destroyed. In Yaroslavl, over 120 people were killed, around 150 others injured and over 200 buildings (including some of the rubber works) completely destroyed.  Then the staff, the II. And III./KG 55 took part in the Operation Citadel. It seems that in such a short time Weigel had earned himself the Front Flying Clasp in Bronze as well as the Iron Cross Second Class in the space of one month. On the 16th of June 1943 until Weigel was wounded in an emergency landing in a Heinkel 111 due to an engine fire due to enemy fire, the crash was so bad that two crew members were killed in the crash Weigel. Below the details of the Crash as well as the name of the young Pilot Officer who was killed in the landing.  Weigel acting as Observer survived a crash landing due to a fire on board on their return from a combat mission, in which the pilot and another crew member was killed.    WUNDERLICH, Otto. (DOB: 01.05.21 in Postelberg, Krs. Saaz/Bohemia). 17.05.43 Lt., 6./KG 55 KIA – emergency landing due to engine fire – vic Bakhekolkhos farm near Krichevo. Buried at Donezk.   Comments  An interesting Wehrpass from a highly sought after KG, Weigel flew 32 combat missions in a very short time. Weigel was extremely lucky to survive the crash, but he would never fly again.  A Heinkel 111 from KG 55 

Stabsfeldwebel Waldemar Ullmann  Ullmann was born on the 17th of March 1910 in the area of Reuthen, Germany into a catholic family. Ullmann married during his service in 1941, although oddly it seems his wife was removed as next of kin.  Ullmann volunteered for service in October 1929, with Infanterie Regiment 7 , as part of the 100,000 Man Reichswehr! His Kompanie was the 13th Kompanie which was named in honour:  Schlesisches Füsilier-Regiment “General-Feldmarschall Graf Moltke” Nr. 38 Infanterie Regiment 470 / 260 Infanterie Division – From Belarus to Moscow!  According to Ullmanns Wehrpass he served in the following actions, here an extract from the history books.  The move to the eastern front began on June 30, 1941. The train went to Siedlce, which was reached on July 4th. Unloading took place here and the march into the Wysokie Litowskie area was carried out until July 6th. As a corps reserve, the division then marched via Pruzana and Baranowicze to Lubany. There IR 470 had its first skirmishes with Russian units. On July 19, the march continued in the direction of Berezovka and on July 20, parts of the regiment attacked Romanishche together with the IR 460. At 8:20 p.m. the location could be taken. The attack continued on July 21st. The regiment crossed the Rudyanka River, passed through Pess’tschanya, and took Chernin in the evening. On July 23, the battle of Romanishche broke out and was to be retaken by the Russians. This was prevented by the 260th Infantry Division. On July 27th the regiment marched further north.   After Rudjaanka was reached, the division and the regiment set up to secure the front. From August 5th, an attack to the south was launched to close the gap between Army Groups Central and South. On August 10, the division was replaced by the 45th Infantry Division and marched north again. On the night of August 12th the Berezina was crossed at Shazilki and the Dnieper at Streschin on August 13th. They then met their army corps and attempted to prevent the enemy forces from breaking out between Rogachev and Shlobin. The regiment had to fend off difficult enemy breakthrough attempts. On August 19th the encirclement was over and the regiment marched south again towards Gomel. On August 23, the movement began with an attack in the direction of Chernigov in order to enclose the enemy armies near Kiev. Parts of the division had reached Desna by August 30th. On September 1, the regiment began its attack on Kisseleska from the heights around Tschernisch. When the 5th Company reached the bank of the Desna, a platoon succeeded in crossing the river with river boats and forming a bridgehead. The regiment extended the bridgehead to the villages of Poski, Wibli and Uborki. The next day it had to fend off severe counterattacks. Via Chernigov, Kiev was advanced further and the return route of the Russian troops was cut off. The division established itself on the Chernigov-Kiev road and repelled all Russian attacks. The badly battered division and thus the regiment no longer took part in the further fighting during the Battle of Kiev. It stayed in the positions it had reached and rested. It was not until September 14 that the regiment marched again, this time to the northeast in the direction of Bryansk and then further north to Dubrovka. The first frost occurred on September 27th. At the end of September the 52nd Infantry Division was relieved at Dubrowka.   On the night of October 2, the regiment began to attack Moscow. The regiment crossed the Dessna and formed a bridgehead. By the evening 120 bunkers had been knocked down and 200 prisoners taken. The first snow fell on October 6th. On October 7th, the Kaluga-Brjansk railway line was taken, and it continued in the direction of Kaluga. But on October 21st, the advance in the baseless mud was stopped. The regiment took up position in the Okatal. At the beginning of November the regiment and the division moved into the Kremenki bridgehead. When the German attack on Moscow resumed on November 13th, the regiment moved into its staging area on either side of Browna and made a deep break in the enemy frontline on the first day of the attack. In spite of this, the division and regiment’s attack remained concentrated in the increasingly fierce enemy resistance. On November 14th, the initiative passed to the Red Army and breached the frontline on the wings of the regiment. The attacks of the regiment did not abate on November 15 either, and only the 260 Artillery Regiment, which fired 2050 shells that day, was able to prevent a breakthrough. But the attacks began again on December 8th. On December 15, Russian units succeeded in breaking through the 52nd Infantry Division, so that the Kremenki bridgehead had to be evacuated. On December 17, the regiment repelled a Soviet attack into the seams of the 260th and 52nd divisions.    At noon, the regiment was overrun by Russian tanks and 40 soldiers were killed. The regiment went back to Radenki. The division was trapped by Russian forces and had to free itself from the encirclement at Christmas. The division withdrew to the Detschino area and moved to the new line on December 31st. Ullmann was wounded in these breakout fights and was lucky to have made it out.    It was not until January 1943 until he was back on the frontline again, now healed from his wounds and now a Stabsfeldwebel.  Serving with the Machine Gun Company of Infanterie Regiment 684 / 335 Infanterie Division  The division was then transferred to France as an occupying force and used to secure the coast in Brittany and near Marseille. In October 1942 the division was reclassified into an attack division and in February 1943 it was transferred to the 1st Panzer Army on the Don. Heavy defensive battles followed on the Donets and in the Voroshilovgrad area by August 1943. In September and…