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Holland May 10 1940 Soldbuch

Peter U

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Because today it is May 10 I thought it to be a good idea to show a May 10 1940 related Soldbuch, the one of Oberleutnant Peter Karpinski.

Peter Karpinski (°1912) from Swinemunde was a professional officer in the German army and when the war broke out he became the company commander of the 10th company of IR481 (256ID).
His battalion would invade Holland by train on May 10 1940; the plan was that in the early hours a small group of commando's, the so called "Brandenburgers", Germans and Dutch traitors in Dutch uniforms would capture the railroad bridge in Gennep, then this bridge will be crossed by an armoured train closely followed by a regular troop train, these two trains would ride through the Dutch trench line in Mill, unload their troops in the rear of the Dutch entrenchment and capture it from behind, thus opening the way for the 9 Pz Div, the relieve force for the German airborne troops that have landed in Rotterdam.
That was the plan and the Brandenburger commando's indeed managed to take the Gennep railroad bridge intact and the trains crossed it, minutes later they indeed pass through the Dutch trench line, Dutch soldiers looking at the train not knowing that their country is being invaded, several miles in the rear of the trench line the two trains are marshalled and they reverse back towards the trench line to attack the Dutch troops in their rear position, while their brothers in arms attack the Dutch trenches and bunkers in a classic way from the front.
This is the point were the plan goes wrong, while they were reversing the two trains, the armoured train is now again in the front, the Dutch are alarmed and have realized what happened, they close the railroad barrier and brace themselves for what is coming.
When the armoured train at speed runs in to the barrier it comes to a violent crash and it derails, the Dutch army also opens fire on the train with their old fashioned (19th century) artillery, most of the German troops in the train are out of action; in the meanwhile the normal train in which Peter Karpinski's company is being transported comes to a halt too, the German soldiers haven't been in combat either and need a strong leader to turn the situation once again in to their advantage.
Peter Karpinski is that leader, he orders his man to derail and attack the Dutch bunkers, his actions will prevent a disaster and the Germans indeed manage to break through the Dutch defences on the first day, for this he will be awarded the EKII on May 12 and the EKI on June 14 1940.
In the summer of 1940 Peter Karpinski is transferred to the 371ID, he eventually will be come a Major and general staffs officer; in September 1944 he is awarded the German Cross in Gold, he is also recommended for the KC but this high award is eventually not awarded to him, he ends the war in Russian captivity.
He will be detained in several Red Army POW camps and prisons for eleven years, of which he will spend two years in solitary confinement, after his release he joins the Bundeswehr and becomes a Major General in NATO.
His war diary and pictures are used to write the history of the 256ID.



His Soldbuch is the example he used from August 1939 until the summer of 1941 and it has very little entries, but on the upside to illustrate this thread I use images of a good friend of me that has his Bundeswher Wehrpaß in his collection and another friend that has several pictures of him.
 

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A nice detail is that his regimental commander awards him the EKII while he is on horseback riding through Holland towards the Belgian border.
Blitzkrieg! No time to stop to award medals.
 
A different place

These stories always enlighten me about a part of the war I was not well versed on.:thumbsup:
 
A different place

These stories always enlighten me about a part of the war I was not well versed on.:thumbsup:
 
Very nice find. Its sad that the group has been broken up into three different collections. Hopefully that will be reversed one day.

Do you know why this pass ends so early in the war? Was he issued another one for some special reason?
 
Very nice find. Its sad that the group has been broken up into three different collections. Hopefully that will be reversed one day.

Do you know why this pass ends so early in the war? Was he issued another one for some special reason?


The Karpinski lot was broken up in more then three pieces, I'am pretty sure his award documents, medals and uniform pieces are in one or more collections too; I think after he passed away his archive fell in to the hands of a militaria dealer that just broke it up in little pieces for the collectors market.
Groupings sometimes need to be split, it is a necessary evil, let me explain: take for example the grouping of the Waffen SS officer Fritz Witt, his items (uniform pieces, medals and documents) were auctioned many years ago; OK the group is now split up forever but who, besides some Russian oil tycoon, has the cash to buy and keep such an expensive group complete?
Now that it is split up several private collectors are happy with a piece of the Fritz Witt estate in their collection.
On the other hand I don't see the point of spliting up low value groupings such as a 200€ Soldbuch and its matching 75€ EKII award document for example and this happens a lot too.


I can only guess why this one was replaced.
It is indeed curious that he was issued a new Soldbuch in 1941 while his original was still pretty much empty and in good condition; also it is curious that this now invalid example was kept by him, according to regulations it should have been put in his file.
 
I like the 481st regiment, regiment fought in my area in May 1940. I have a few pictures of Oberleutnant Peter Karpinski.
Oberleuntnant - may 1940.
Officer in the Bundeswehr.
One of his officers was killed here in Eeklo by belgian sharpshooters, Toni Glas. And also his ordonnans was shot dead while the Oberleutnant stood next to him.
 

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