Monday, April 10, 2017

Walter Kretz from Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 244

Walter Kretz, a radioman and loader in the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 244 (244th Assault Gun Battalion), describes his experience in the Battle of Stalingrad : “I was made a relay radioman in a radio vehicle. These were lightly armored vehicles with radio equipment, wheels at the front, and tracks in the rear. When the assault guns were in action, they were used to bring up supplies of ammunition. Our battalion commander was Major Dr. Paul Gloger, who was well beloved by the troops. He was generally known as ‘Papa Gloger.’ In our operations, we saw Stalingrad by the Volga for the first time. We fought in northern, central, and southern Stalingrad. The entire city stretched for about forty kilometers along the Volga. Most private homes had been made of wood; many had been burned down already so that only the chimney was left standing. Because of the constant shelling from both sides, there were fires burning constantly in the entire city. High in the city, our battalion strongpoint was located in a small white house. All around us, homes had been destroyed or burned down. When we stayed there over -night, we felt secure, but later we moved to earth bunkers during the night as the shelling from the other bank of the Volga increased. Once, a comrade and I had to bring a report to our assault guns, probably because the radio had malfunctioned. We had to stay in cover as much as possible since the enemy could see us. Down at the railway tracks, we came under fire. We passed on our report and, taking another route, returned to our battalion strongpoint, during which we took cover behind the chimneys. In the autumn of 1942, the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 244 received twelve 15cm heavy infantry guns on Panzer III carriages for special purposes. They were to be used right in front. In Stalingrad, there was a crossing that was always shelled when Wehrmacht vehicles drove down the street, even though the enemy could not observe it. For horse-drawn wagons, it always was difficult since they drove too slowly. It was concluded that Soviet observers with radios could see the crossroads from the factory chimneys. So now the gun commanders of the 244th were given the order to topple the chimneys. The gun commander brought down four or five chimneys. A Soviet artillery observer plunged down from one chimney. A Croat major of the Croatian Infanterie-Regiment 369, who had seen the kill, handed the gun commander a Croatian decoration.”


Source :
Book "Winter Storm: The Battle for Stalingrad and the Operation to Rescue 6th Army" by Hans Wijers

StuG Passes a Stuka in Stalingrad

Rolf Wichmann’s vehicle passes a Stuka that made an emergency landing near Stalingrad, October 1942. Wichmann, gunner in the vehicle of the commander of the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 244 (244th Assault Gun Battalion), recollects: “Our strong-point and our repair workshops were located in the ravine at Gumrak. Our operations partially took place in the open terrain to the north (beating off of Soviet attacks, defending against tanks), and partially in the core area of Stalingrad. During operations toward the tractor factory, the commander’s gun was knocked out by dug-in Soviet tanks near a railway. The shell went into the running gear, exploded there, ripped open the right side, and tore off the covering plate. Driver and loader were dead. Oberleutnant Dr. Wilhelm Schrader-Rottmers (commander of the 1st Battery) was severely wounded in the head and the upper body (he was discharged from the army after recovery). Schrader-Rottmers is the holder of Ehrenblattspange, which he received in 5 October 1942. I myself suffered lung wounds, broken ear drums, and flesh wounds; I lay at the main dressing station at Kalach until the end of October since I was not transportable, and then I was flown out in a Junkers Ju 52.”


Source :
Book "Winter Storm: The Battle for Stalingrad and the Operation to Rescue 6th Army" by Hans Wijers

Sunday, April 9, 2017

StuG Crews Washing Their Vehicle

It is quite unusual to see the chassis number "90121" (which indicates an Ausf.B) painted on the box on the rear deck as seen here. The men and their machines are relaxing here in Central Russia, in July 1941. The StuG.III's of the Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 184 bear two digit numbers. The tens digit is the Zug (platoon) number, while the ones digit is the vehicle number within a platoon. Two Geschütze (Assault Guns) were in each platoon, assigned the vehicles number "2" and "4".


Source :
Book "Achtung Panzer - Stug III, Stug IV and SIG.33"

StuG Crews on the Way to Leningrad

On the way to Leningrad, the Sturmgeschütz Besatzungen (Assault Gun crews) relax on their StuG. They were possibly from Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 185 under the 18. Armee, July 1941.


Source :
Book "Achtung Panzer - Stug III, Stug IV and SIG.33"

Monday, April 3, 2017

StuG Training at Jüterbog

Jüterbog was the home of the Sturmartillerie. Here, on the extensive training grounds, basic tactics were trialled. The Sturmgeschütz is being replenished with ammunition from an SdKfz 252 Munitionswagen (ammunition carrier). Both vehicles carry the distinctive badge of the Artillerie-Lehr-Regiment (ALR).


Source :
Book "Sturmartillerie: Spearhead of the Infantry" by Thomas Anderson

StuG Driven Through a Shallow Ditch

A Sturmgeschütz Ausf.B of Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 184 (StuGAbt 184) is driven through a shallow ditch during a training exercise. A careful reconnoitre of the terrain was essential, as even such a small obstacle could affect an assault.


Source :
Book "Sturmartillerie: Spearhead of the Infantry" by Thomas Anderson

Monday, January 16, 2017

Sd.Kfz.223 in the German Road Before the War

It was not uncommon to see armored vehicles on the roadways of prewar Germany, either on exercise or simply to test road worthiness after repairs or maintenance, as seems to be the case with this Sd.Kfz. 223 (Fu).


Source :
Book "Scouts Out: A History of German Armored Reconnaissance Units in World War II" by Robert Edwards, Michael H. Pruett and Michael Olive

Training of SS Aufklärer

Among the earliest motorized assets of the Leibstandarte and the SS-Verfügungstruppe were reconnaissance sections. Many of the early soldiers were detached to army schools for advanced and professional training. In this image, we see scouts training on an Sd.Kfz. 222, one of the more readily identifiable German armored cars of the Second World War. This appears to be a relatively early image as the scouts wear what appear to be modified army Panzer uniforms, which was done in the years prior to the start of the war, when the SS started fielding its own armored vehicle uniforms. The caps are also modified Allgemeine SS black caps, worn prior to the introduction of an overseas cap specifically for SS-Verfügungstruppen and the Leibstandarte in 1938.


Source :
Book "Scouts Out: A History of German Armored Reconnaissance Units in World War II" by Robert Edwards, Michael H. Pruett and Michael Olive

Little Girl Posed with Sd.Kfz.232

The daughter of a soldier is given a martial background for a posed photograph. It is not known why the white silhouettes of the armored cars are painted on the superstructure of the Sd.Kfz. 232 (Fu) vehicles.


Source :
Book "Scouts Out: A History of German Armored Reconnaissance Units in World War II" by Robert Edwards, Michael H. Pruett and Michael Olive

Sunday, January 15, 2017

Panzer III Loaded with Infantry in the Rzhev Salient

This Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf.J moves towards the front loaded down with almost 20 infantrymen. Note the new-style drive sprocket (introduced on the Ausf.H) and idler wheel as well as the hull extensions, which are drilled to accept tow hooks. There is a Notek head-lamp beneath the soldier perched on the near fender; note that both fenders lack their mud flaps. The picture was taken in the Soviet Union in 21 March 1942 during Battles of Rzhev by Kriegsberichter Böhmer from Propaganda-Kompanie (PK) 697


Source :
Book "Panzer Vor: German Armor At War 1939-45" by Frank V. De Sisto
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-269-0240-11A,_Russland,_Panzer_mit_aufgesesssener_Infanterie.jpg

Panzer III with Mounted Infantry

A Panzerkampfwagen III Ausf.J is shown here. The sides of the hull were extended and drilled for tow hooks and the armor basis was increased to 50mm. Note also that lengths of track were stored on any surface possible as extra protection against Soviet anti-tank rifles. This panzer seems to have some friends in the infantry who appreciate its presence in their area of operations.


Source :
Book "Panzer Vor: German Armor At War 1939-45" by Frank V. De Sisto