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KIA Stug Abt 667 Soldbuch

Peter U

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It is time for another Soldbuch of the terrible autumn fighting in northern Belgium and southern Holland which took place after the Market-Garden disaster to control the port of Antwerp, this time one of a Sturmgeschutz crewmember.


Oskar Blumenthal (°1916) started the war as an Oberkanonier with the the fifth battery of AR258, the artillery regiment of the 258ID; this division was kept in reserve in the Polish campaign and saw limited action in the battle for France against the Maginotline.
In the autumn of 1940 when the German army expanded his unit was used to create the seventh battery of AR122 of the newly formed 122ID.
The 122ID was part of Heeresgruppe Nord for the invasion of Russia, the war now had entered a more serious phase for Oskar Blumenthal, in early September 1941 he was WIA by a grenade splinter in the battle for Leningrad.
The wound he received was rather serious and kept him off duty until mid March 1942 and after he was recuperated enough he was trained to become a NCO of a Sturmgeschutz.
Just in time for the summer offensive of 1942 he joined the first battery of Sturmgeschutz Abteilung 191, while they fought in the steppes of Woronesch in September 1942 he got malaria, followed by a case of yellow fever, in mid November 1942 he rejoined his unit.
While they were in Kertsch to refit he got muscle problems and spend another five weeks in hospital.
In December 1943 while they were fighting in Kertsch on the Crimea he was WIA for the second time, once again by shrapnel, he now remained in hospital until the end of February 1944 and with a replacement unit until September 1944.
And now it becomes really interesting for me, Wachtmeister Oskar Blumenthal (most likely a AFV commander) is now transferred to the third battery of Sturmgeschutz Brigade 667, a unit equipped with Sturmgeschutz III and Sturm Haubitze which is part of the Kampfgruppe Chill which is holding up the allies just north of Antwerp.
On October 21 1944 the Germans decide to counter attack, a push will be made along both sides of the N1, the main road between Breda (Holland) and Antwerp (Belgium), the frontline is almost exactly on the Belgian/Dutch border; the infantry units will be supported by AFV's, amongst them Sturmgeschutze and Sturmhaubitze from 3/Stug Brig 667.
The fighting is fierce, the British are initially pushed back but with the aid of Churchil tanks they manage to contain the counter attack.
Stug Brig 667 does lose several AFV's in this battle, Oskar Blumenthal is also one of the casualties, he is KIA on the day of the counter offensive; he ends up being buried in Holland and so we can presume that he most likely died in a German field hospital, he now rests on the German war cemetery in IJselstein (Holland).

The Soldbuch is full of interesting entries for a AFV crewmember such as an uniform picture in a green wrapper, a Belgian 9mm pistol (HP35),...etc.
The last pages of his Soldbuch are alas missing but from the picture we can see that he wears an EKII ribbon, because of the wounds he received he also had a wounded badge in black and he most likely also qualified for a Sturmabzeichen.
 

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More images of the Soldbuch and a map from the excellent book "Autumn Gale" which shows the losses of AFV's on October 21 1944.
 

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Excellent SB and background Peter :thumbsup: Thats an excellent book as well bought on your recommendation.
 
More great work Peter! Thanks to you for continuing to share these interesting stories! :thumbsup:
 
I never get tired of reading these stories from Soldbuchs, great documents.

Thanks, Peter!

Jeff
 

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