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.
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.