Construction Battalion Disc

[Good Pwny]

Did I do my homework right?

The construction battalion 16 was 26 at the mobilization on August 1939 in the Military District III erected. The battalion was placed in units of RAD as a military force. Initially, the battalion was in the 14th Army used in southern Poland. On 20 January 1940, the battalion for construction battalion 16 of the Wehrmacht was reclassified. Thereafter, the battalion was in the Battle of France in the 16th Army used. At the beginning of the Eastern campaign, the battalion was in the Army Group South used. In September 1941, the battalion was under the sixth Army . In 1942, the battalion for construction battalion K 16 was transformed. On 19 August 1943, the battalion in construction Engineer Battalion 16 was renamed. In August 1943, the battalion was destroyed in the southern Ukraine. On 1 October 1943, the battalion was officially disbanded.

[Jan S]

Hmmm, very interesting ID tag to me!

[Good Pwny]

Hmmm, very interesting ID tag to me!

Oh really?

[Matt L]

It's an interesting one- since the unit was created in late August 1939, when there was officially a Wehrmacht, it would seem it wasn't ever a Deutsches Reichsheer unit- that suggests it was 'old' pre-marked stock that was simply used up.

You have the unit right- the Google translation's a bit choppy but gets the point across I suppose.

[Good Pwny]

Alright boys and girls, is this a rare disc? It was dug in the Stalingrad Pocket. School is still in session for me Was this a RAD guy? Pioneer? Unknown?... I'm like the dumb kid in this class. I have a load of discs, but have so much to learn! Give me a star for trying, lol.

[Glenn66]

There are many, many , many discs still being found around Stalingrad even today. I have 2 construction bataillon 1/2 discs in my collection, interestingly enough both from the same kompanie of Bridge Construction Bataillon 522 (part of the corps troops of Army Group Von Weichs LV corps)



To my understanding the Brücken-Bau-Bataillon were part of the engineer corps.

A quick search has found the engineering and construction units lost at Stalingrad are as follows:
413. PiRgt. Stab
604. PiRgt. Stab
41. PiAbt. [mot]
45. PiAbt. [mot]
60. PiAbt. [mot]
635. PiAbt. [mot]
754. PiAbt. horse drawn
255. Bridge Const. Abt. [mot]
522. Bridge Const. Abt. [mot] less 1 company
655. Bridge Const. Abt. [mot]
2./21. Bridge Const. Abt. [mot]
925. Bridge Column Suad Staff
3. Pi.Listening Platoon
48. Brüko B Bridging Column
122. Brüko B Bridging Column
134. Brüko B Bridging Column
160. Brüko B Bridging Column
2./404. Brüko B Bridging Column
635. Brüko B Bridging Column
23. Commander of Construction Troops
16. Fortress Engr. Staff and I. and II. Groups
16. Fortress Construction Battalion
540. Road Construction Battalion
521. Road Construction Battalion less 1 company
501. Road Construction Battalion less 1 company
1.Kmpfgr. Const. Battalion less 1 company
110.Kmpfgr. Const. Battalion less 3rd company
71.PiAbt. of 50.ID
162.PiAbt. of 62.ID
294. PiAbt. of 294.ID
336. PiAbt. of 336.ID
50. PzPiAbt. of 22.PzDiv
Staff Heckelberg Service Units 43 and 47

Cheers
Glenn

[Matt L]

Something like 90,000 men were lost at Stalingrad, and who knows how many discs were thrown away by, or confiscated from the 200,000 taken prisoner and just dumped- Stalingrad isn't really a rare source at all LOL I bought my first disc from there in probably 2005? I can't recall- then it seemed special, but the diggers were then new to ebaY LOL They'll be finding discs for decades to come probably.

The unit itself isn't really very interesting I'm afraid- construction battalions are not combat formations, although they're trained soldiers like any others; in Stalingrad, they probably did fight at one time or another, but it wasn't the primary purpose. The only thing that makes this disc at least a little interesting is the strangeness of it being a Deutsches Reichsheer blank, but then that's not exactly unique either- I have two like it myself. And the condition is pretty bad.

Glenn's is a little more interesting- Brückenbau discs are pretty uncommon and bridge-building is rather more specialized and important tactically/strategically for an army...