Soldbuch - 11th Infantry Division

[KatManDude]

I picked up this Soldbuch recently...I like collecting documents and my first wehrpass posting went so well.....

I would like to share the information I have gathered from the document and hope that additional info may be gleaned from the community

brief details
* Jakob Schmelzer born June 11, 1908
* Soldbuch is dated to April 25, 1940
* promotions - Oberschutze 12/40, Gefreiter June 1942, Obergefreiter 10 1943


He served in the 11th Infantry division, when active he was in the Aufklarungs-Abteilung 11(Recon) which then became the Fusilier Battalion 11 in late 1944

From what I can tell he served in the following areas during the time-frame of the soldbuch entries..

June 1940 - ~ Nov 1940 * France/Atlantic Coast
Nov 1940 - June 1941 * East Prussia
Jun 1941 - Feb 1943 * Wolchow , Lake Ladoga
Feb 1943 - June 1944 * Leningrad, Narva, Riga
June 1944 - March 1945 * Courland Pocket

The 11th Infantry spent the entire time after Operation Barbarossa on the eastern front except for a brief RnR period in Greece in 1943...the majority of the unit was evacuated from the Courland Pocket, supposedly prioritized over other units due to their excellent fighting record

Awards -
Ostmedaille - July 1942
EK II - Aug 1943
Wound Badge in Black - March 1944

He was in the Field Lazarette on 3 occasions
1) Feb 29, 1944 - March 4 1944 * bullet wound (fighting in Pleskau area at the time)
2) March 26, 1944 - April 25, 1944 * no wound code listed
3) Feb 2 1945 - Feb 17 1945 * bullet wound ( fighting in Courland pocket at the time)

The book is missing the photo, falling apart and has water damage...no surprise when you see where it has been

the pics

page 1


page 2-3


unit info


Field Hospital details


awards detail and leave pages


additional unit info


last page with final evac(?) leave date granted April 12, 1945 and an addendum noting one day of "close combat" towards the qualification

[MAP]

So much history can be gained from these documents. This soldier certainly was exposure to much combat.

[KatManDude]

thanks....that's why I enjoy documents and photos, I get some sort of "connection" with the individual....it amazes me that the soldbuch is still around, considering you had to carry it with you the entire time

[Willmore]

Really nice Soldbuch, thank you for sharing it with us.


On the page glued into the rear where he received his close combat day, I’m reading Brückenkopf (Bridgehead) Kirischi

1942/43 - Kirischi bridgehead
I. Army Corps (Wehrmacht) - zxc.wiki


11.Infanterie Division

5.1942 – 1.1943 : Volkhov – Ladoga
11.Infanterie-Division - Feldgrau

[Willmore]

Kirischi bridgehead

Kirischi bridgehead / Volkhov - Feldgrau.net

[TWS]

thanks....that's why I enjoy documents and photos, I get some sort of "connection" with the individual....it amazes me that the soldbuch is still around, considering you had to carry it with you the entire time

Agree. I have a few salty Soldbücher that I really like because they were THERE. Unlike a soldier's Wehrpaß that was kept in the company trains, a Soldbuch was carried by the soldier. One of my favorites is to a soldier who was wounded at Stalingrad in October and evacuated out - thus the survival of the Soldbuch. It's a neat feeling to look at it and know it was carried for a couple months in actual combat within Stalingrad.