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Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle

Article about: This is Report which is Part of little Grouping to Kurt, Photo was most likely taken in South of France--September 1943. After Receiving Help with the Translation--My Thanks must Go to Patri

  1. #1

    Default Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle

    This is Report which is Part of little Grouping to Kurt, Photo was most likely taken in South of France--September 1943. After Receiving Help with the Translation--My Thanks must Go to Patrick, and HPL2008 For there hard work in enabling us None Native Germans to read this.

    Will show this Little grouping/Report. In Instalments thus avoiding Swamping Posts.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle  

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  3. #2

    Default Re: Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle

    Report on the winter operations 1942/43 of the 4th (Machine Gun) Company
    Gren.Regt. “Feldherrnhalle”.


    In several days of railway travel, the division advances southward in mid-November. Forgotten are the swampy forests of Wochow, the mosquitoes and the hazardous acrobatics on wooden
    catwalks. Wide, rolling land opens up. The eyes of the soldiers, used to the density and the
    darkness of the woods, greedily take in the expanse. Here are proper villages and one has a
    kilometer-wide overview of the land.
    The company arrives at the base W….
    Heavy machine gun- and heavy mortar groups are subordinated to the rifle companies in their bases. These, beautiful as their names – Agathe, Hannelore etc. – are splendidly constructed. One had expected action and here were the nicest winter positions instead.
    Is such a thing still possible? The “old sweats” rejoice – the “new guys” feel cheated of their
    combat experience.


    Four days later, the company is standing by behind its vehicles once more, ready for movement. Once more, when crossing the ice, the steep slopes of the L… are to be surmounted. Horses strain in their harnesses, the fists of men pull on wheel spokes and ropes. In a clear, starry night, ice covered roads are followed.

    The next morning, the “Feldherrnhalle” Battalion is loaded onto
    vehicles. Tightly wrapped up in their winter suits, the men are sitting on the open trucks. Everyone is silent. Here and there, someone tries to light up the inevitable cigarette with numb fingers and despite of the snowstorm. The last villages that remain standing are passed in quick movement.The next villages are only recognizable by the signs with their names anymore. The column stops
    next to a firing battery that has been set up on an open field. Under the thunder of the volleys, the officers shout their last orders. The chiefs are with the commander. In forced march, hauling ammunition on sleds, the move into the assembly area. Underneath their heavy winter suits, the men are running in sweat. The mission is clear: “B…, only weakly manned by the Russians, is to be taken by the Battalion.”

    The snowstorm has become weaker, only a few degrees below freezing anymore. The snow clings heavily to the felt boots. The assault company is already working its way forward in the lightly curved bed of a stream. The heavy machine guns are hammering away along the edge of the forest. And intermittently sounds the muffled “Plupp, Plupp” of the mortars. The commander observes the advance of his companies. There, on the road towards the village, a strong unit on the move. Many pairs of eyes stare intently through binoculars. Damn it! Four tanks
    with a very strong escort force.

  4. #3
    ?

    Default Re: Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle

    Looking forward to more Justin
    The gates of hell were opened and we accepted the invitation to enter" 26/880 Lance Sgt, Edward Dyke. 26th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers , ( 3rd Tyneside Irish )

    1st July 1916

    Thought shall be the harder , heart the keener,
    Courage the greater as our strength faileth.
    Here lies our leader ,in the dust of his greatness.
    Who leaves him now , be damned forever.
    We who are old now shall not leave this Battle,
    But lie at his feet , in the dust with our leader

    House Carles at the Battle of Hastings

  5. #4

    Default Re: Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle

    The speed of the attack has to be increased! The commander
    personally leads the way for a heavy machine gun platoon and moves out of the forest. 800 meters of open plain. Dash, position, fire, dash. The men are breathing heavily. It has to be achieved. The defensive fire grows more intense. Many a young grenadier makes his final dash. A young Lieutenant from the 4th Company. is already in the village. Alas, too late. When he is hit by a bullet, the entire assault grinds to a halt. For the counter-attacking Russians, too, have now moved into position. Their tanks are already rolling at a distance equal to that of the assault company. Now, no one can make a dash anymore. The men hold on to their conquered positions doggedly. Without an order to do so, the grenadiers will not move a single step backwards, no matter how
    high the blood sacrifice may be. The day will not end. The hands of the wristwatches are moving slowly. Finally, the call is passed from man to man: “The Battalion withdraws!” The falling dusk covers everything in a shielding grey. Across the red streaks of tracer fire from the tanks, the Battalion’s elements work their way back.

    That very same evening, the General arrives. Speaks words of recognition. The Russians’ unexpected counter-attack was crushed by the Battalion’s dashing actions, the cutting-off of the Division’s own elements operating further south had been prevented. The men breathe a sigh of relief. They think of their fallen comrades; so it was not in vain after all. Days later. A young officer commands the unit. The days and nights in snow holes have not gone by without leaving their mark. Even the faces of the young replacements have grown harder, more
    determined, although they do not have the stubbly beards of the veterans yet.

    The Russians have not yet attacked. But the signs of an attack mount up. It all kicks off on the 5th. “Ratsch-Bum” [=German soldiers’ slang term for the Soviet 76 mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3)] and mortars drown out the noise of the approaching tanks. The men jump into their snow holes. Projectiles from infantry weapons whistle by. To the left, two T34s are rolling across the plain. They are almost within the positions. But now, they are within range of the anti-tank guns. Soon, red flames that are ending in a mushroom cloud of smoke are crackling above the tanks. The escorting infantrymen are lying in the snow as motionless, cramped bodies. Two tanks by the edge of the forest cause the company’s men serious trouble. One machine gun has been put out of action.

    Two grenadiers cover up the shot-up weapon with their dead bodies. But now, the third man in the hole has stood up. He does not care about tanks or death anymore. Every shot from his carbine avenges his comrades. Now, at last, the heavy anti-tank guns finally get one of the tanks in their sights. A shot roars out. Flames destroy one tank. The second one hightails it. By the evening, the Russian attack has been repulsed. For one more day, Ivan keeps on trying. Then it is over. 14 tanks lay in the regiment’s sector, burnt and smashed. The black day of B. has been made good for again.

    Will post the last section after work

  6. #5

    Default Re: Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle

    Now follows the building of positions. Withdrawal of the company. Rebuilding of the battalion. Training and stationary warfare alternate variedly. In February, the I. Battalion “Feldherrnhalle” moves into another endangered sector. Houses still offer shelter while the positions are being fortified. Days later, all hell breaks loose. The whole frontline is on fire. The Russian armored assaults are rolling daily. The objective of the Russians’ attack is large, their losses are even greater. The 4th Company’s elements are subordinated to the rifle companies. The heavy machine gun nests offer iron resistance. The
    mortar crews are tirelessly feeding their doom-spewing barrels. Some positions are overrun. Whole crews are lost. Still, the main fighting line is holding. Time and time again, the Russians charge it in vain.

    Where there once stood villages, now only smoking, charred plains are left.
    Angrily, the Russian tanks fire into everything that rises above ground level. A wonderful panoramic view of the battle can be seen from the 4th Company’s command post. The evershifting battle can be observed to its smallest details. The forward observers of the 21-cm mortars, the 15-cm batteries and the other cannons have rewarding targets in these days. To the right and the left of the River L., which is winding its way broadly in its steep slopes, the smoke pillars of burning tanks rise up. The ice is still holding and the messengers rush across this dangerous plain time and time again. Located 600 meters behind the main combat line are the staff of the I. Battalion and weak elements of the 4th Company as well as some forward observers with their radiomen.

    One night, a strong Russian raiding party outflanks the foremost line, overruns a light machine gun position and gains a foothold in the village. The alert has caused wild, random shooting. Everyone is firing on everyone. Mixed in with this is the fire from heavy mortars. The chief of the 4th Company rushes to a machine gun. Hit, he collapses. Using his tracer fire, one machine gunner manages to set ablaze a sauna that was still standing. At last, the whole chaos is being illuminated. With cries of “Hurrah”, the Russians are being herded together. A relief platoon arrives in the village. The crew of a Russian heavy machine gun that had been set up is gunned down with submachine guns. By dawn, the village has been mopped up. 30 dead Russians are left behind. This assault has done Ivan no good. But our joy is not unclouded. The men grow silent in remembrance of their dashing chief. The attacks continue. One morning, an hour-long barrage is rolling over J. The destroyed village’s soil is being torn up by everything from Stalinorgel [= “Stalin’s Organ”, German soldiers’ slang term for the Soviet Katyusha multiple rocket launcher] fire to the heaviest delayed-fuse shells. What is Ivan up to? Does he believe strong forces to be here? Observation is hardly possible anymore. 5 Tanks have broken through the main fighting line and are now by the town’s perimeter. The antitank guns manage to get off one round from their heavy gun, then the tanks have moved in. The Company’s command post is being shot up. Flames are eating away on the beams. One tank pushes on to the Battalion’s command post. A bloody dicey situation! Many a man falls under the fire from its weapons. At that point, one First Lieutenant attacks the steel monster. A detonation, the tank is in flames. The rest scram at full speed. The 4th’s new chief has swept the remainder of his men forward again. The disembarked crews of the two tanks are gunned down. A hand grenade into the open hatch of one tank and it is on fire. The chief places a demolition charge onto the second tank. Hardly has the ignition occurred, only just are the flames flickering up, when the iron masses are already blown to pieces. The men press themselves flat on the ground to evade the hundredweight-heavy pieces. Not all of them succeed, but J. is liberated. In the other villages, too, the fight is almost decided. At that point, the engines of German bomber squadrons are booming, crashing rows of bombs scatter the remainders of the enemy. Exulting, the grenadiers rise up from their holes, greeting their comrades of the air.

    Same as every day, the radio message “Main fighting line still firmly in our hands” is transmitted to the higher command echelons. After this final effort, the Russians give up. Stillness returns to the churned-up landscape. The sun
    has melted away the dirty, powder-stained snow. The first ice floes are drifting on the L. Once again, the I. Battalion and with it the 4th Company “Feldherrnhalle” has proved itself in combat. Many are no more among us, yet they all are role models for us, us, the grenadiers of a proud Regiment. Many are now adorned with the colored ribbon in their buttonhole, some with the silverframed black of the Iron Cross 1st Class. Proudly, the Battalion Commander addresses his men: “The heaviest attacks have been repulsed, several regiments of the 150th Stalin Brigade and one penal detachment have been destroyed. Numerous captured automatic weapons, 34 destroyed or immobilized tanks. Be proud of your achievements, proud of your fallen comrades!” Strongly, the cries of “Heil” sound across the wide fields. The Grenadiers of the “Feldherrnhalle” Regiment are standing by for new battles and victories.

  7. #6

    Default Re: Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle

    That's the last of the transcript, Here is One of the Original Pages the translation comes from.
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle  

  8. #7

    Default Re: Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle

    And Finally Kurt's Documents
    Click to enlarge the picture Click to enlarge the picture Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle   Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle  


  9. #8
    ?

    Default Re: Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle

    Excellent stuff Justin , nice to see the Feldhernnhalle collection is coming along
    The gates of hell were opened and we accepted the invitation to enter" 26/880 Lance Sgt, Edward Dyke. 26th Bn Northumberland Fusiliers , ( 3rd Tyneside Irish )

    1st July 1916

    Thought shall be the harder , heart the keener,
    Courage the greater as our strength faileth.
    Here lies our leader ,in the dust of his greatness.
    Who leaves him now , be damned forever.
    We who are old now shall not leave this Battle,
    But lie at his feet , in the dust with our leader

    House Carles at the Battle of Hastings

  10. #9

    Default Re: Report on the Winter operations 1942/43 Feldherrnhalle

    Absolutely incredible Justin! Thanks for posting it.

    Jay

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