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Pz Lehr Soldbuch set - WIA in the bulge

Peter U

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Hi guys, a merry Christmas to you all,


This is the newest addition to my Panzer Lehr/Battle of the bulge Soldbuch collection.

Heinz Rhode, he was mobilized in August ’39 and joined the 4[SUP]th[/SUP] company of Pi Btl 71 as a Gefreiter; his engineer battalion was part of the 50ID, this division will participate in the Polish campaign and fight around Bromberg and in the battle of the Bzura.
After the defeat of the Polish army the 50ID is soon relocated to the west and takes up a position against the Maginotline.
By now Heinz Rhode is an Obergefreiter with the first company of Pi Btl 71, during operation yellow his unit is kept in reserve but when operation red starts they are at the frontline again, their task is to breakthrough the French line in Chemin des Dames (a famous WW1 battlefield), then the Marne needs to becrossed, it is here that he gets a French bullet through his right foot.
The wound keeps him in hospital from June 13 ’40 till August 21 ’40.
On June 30’40 he gets the VWA black, on November 15 ’40 follows also an EKII and on December 1 ’40 a promotion to Unteroffizier.
When he is recovered from his injury he becomes an instructor in a training unit for engineers.
At the end of ’43 or in early ’44 he is promoted to Feldwebel and transferred to the newly created Panzer Lehr Division.
The PanzerLehr Division is one of the most modern units in the German army, fully motorized, also the engineer battalion is equipped with halftrack vehicles and the infamous Flammpanzer also is part of their arsenal.
When the allies land in Normandythe Pz Lehr Div is rushed to the front; the combat is fierce, Heinz Rhode is in June ’44 engaged in five close combat actions, this results in a general assault badge and the prestigious EKI.
After the defeat in France the Pz Lehr Div is reequipped, the resources are very limited now and only the third company is issued armored vehicles.
The Pz Lehr Div will once again play an important part in the next offensive, operation Wacht am Rhein, the assault through the Ardennes forest.
During the first days of the offensive the engineers of the Pz Lehr Div build a bridge across the Our and Irsen rivers in Gemünd (German/Luxembourg border); it is in these first days of the offensive that Heinz Rhode is seriously wounded.
Alas I can’tread the entire wound entry but the shrapnel wound he received from what Ithink is from a projectile fired from a tank, was so serious that his right lower leg had to be amputated.
So he ended the war as an invalid, promoted to Oberfeldwebel and decorated with the wound badge in silver.


Cheers,
Peter
 

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More images from his well used Soldbuch.
 

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His award documents.
 

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Some "now" pictures I made this year in Neffe, the little crossroad hamlet just East of Bastogne.
It was here that units of the Pz Lehr Div were engaged in fierce combat with American troops of team Cherry on December 19 1944.
Perhaps it was here that one of the tanks under command of Lt Col Cherry shot of the leg of Feldwebel Heinz Rohde?
 

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Pistol entries

I see he was never issued a rifle but there are two pistol entries. Any idea what they were? Was the second one a Belgian pistol of some sort?
 
I see he was never issued a rifle but there are two pistol entries. Any idea what they were? Was the second one a Belgian pistol of some sort?

Hello John,

He was issued a pistol ?/42 with serial number 5112 & indeed a Belgian pistol with serial number 47850a; also he was issued a MP with serial number 7350.


Cheers,
Peter
 
A few pistol possibilities

Asssuming the first pistol entry is S/42 and the serial number is a no letter suffix it could be a S/42 K date P 08 or the company clerk could have omitted the letter suffix. My guess is it was some P 08 variation.
The second entry (belg.) could be either a FN 1935 High Power fixed sight variation or FN Browning M1922 military blue variation, as both have serial numbers in the a suffix.
 
Asssuming the first pistol entry is S/42 and the serial number is a no letter suffix it could be a S/42 K date P 08 or the company clerk could have omitted the letter suffix. My guess is it was some P 08 variation.
The second entry (belg.) could be either a FN 1935 High Power fixed sight variation or FN Browning M1922 military blue variation, as both have serial numbers in the a suffix.


Thanks for the extra info! :thumbsup:



P
 
My opinion also

Asssuming the first pistol entry is S/42 and the serial number is a no letter suffix it could be a S/42 K date P 08 or the company clerk could have omitted the letter suffix. My guess is it was some P 08 variation.
The second entry (belg.) could be either a FN 1935 High Power fixed sight variation or FN Browning M1922 military blue variation, as both have serial numbers in the a suffix.

Great work Sherlock> :thumbsup:
 
More interesting than collecting stamps!

Peter's posts are the best, great information. I always check to see what weapons these guys were issued.
 

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