SS Germania Soldbuch and dogtag

[Peter U]

This was my latest purchase of 2012 and it is a real highlight in my Soldbucher collection.

Karl Wilhelm Fischer (°1915) from Twiste was a Waffen SS volunteer (1938) in theVerfügungstruppe.
(This blond Arian was 6cm to short for service in the Leibstandarte AH)
After his basic training and a NCO course he joined the 13[SUP]th[/SUP] company of SS Regiment Germania, he will stay with this unit his entire career; the 13[SUP]th[/SUP]company was the so called “Infanterie Geschutz” company, the heavy guns company, it was equipped with 7.5cm leIG 18 and 15cm sIG 33 canons.
When 1941ends Karl Fischer is already decorated with both EKs’; (the Waffen SS uses a higher standard to award EKs’ then the other branches of the German army) this and the fact that he remained with his unit until their escaped from the Korsun pocket must mean that he soon was one of the experienced veteran NCOs’ in his company.
As a member of the Wiking Division he was also encircled in the Korsun pocket in January’44, he was wounded by a piece of shrapnel but he was one of the lucky once that managed to escape.
A Wiki page about the battle:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Korsun-Cherkassy_Pocket
His wound is so serious that he will not return to active service anymore; there are entries in the Soldbuch that he was in a SS Führerschule in October ’44 but for what reason I don’t know, no entries in his Soldbuch suggest that he was an officers candidate.

 

[Peter U]

This Soldbuc his especially interesting for me because Karl Fischer also fought in my neighborhood in May ’40.
This is the story of the battle for Achterbroek:
On May 14 1940 the French units of the 7[SUP]th[/SUP] Army are pulling back out of Holland, in the previous days they unsuccessfully tried to retake the Moerdijk bridges, in the meanwhile the German army keeps the pressure on the French troops, the Luftwaffe attacks these French troops almost continuously, they want to knock out as many French units as possible before they can retreat back to the north of France where the can be put in to action against their main trust towards the sea.
To escape the air attacks, a large part of the French 7[SUP]th[/SUP] Army retreat through the forest area south of the Dutch town of Bergen op Zoom towards Antwerp, the 25 DIM (motorized infantry division) gets the task to cover the retreat.
It is a difficult task, the troops are tired and have been subjected to air assaults for 4 days now, the frontline they have to defend is also long and in very difficult terrain, a large part is moor- and marshland; general Molinie decides to places his troops not in line but in pockets on the strategic important crossroads, the reserve (80 light tanks + infantry) and his HQ are placed in the Belgian army barracks of Maria ter Heide.
The first and third battalion of RI92 (colonel Damidaux) have to defend the crossroads inthe hamlets Dorp and Achterbroek, his HQ is in the village just behind these two hamlets.
The German plan is to advance as quickly as possible to Woensdrecht, if they can reach this point, they will surround the French armored forces that are retreating through the forest; SS Rgt Deutschland, (reinforced with all available SS-VTdivisional troops) gets this task, SS Germania will protect their left (southern) flank.
At around 09.00 German artillery starts pounding the French infantry, after the barrage the recon troops advance; they notice that the French are not in line but indefensive pockets.
At noon the attack really starts, supported by the Luftwaffe SS Rgt Germania attacks the French that defend the crossroads in Achterbroek and Dorp.
At 14.00 the SS troopers have taken Achterbroek, surrounded Dorp and they are advancing southwards towards the anti tank canal of fortress Antwerp; a very dangerous situation for the allies, if the SS troops manage to create a bridgehead across this canal they basically would make fortress Antwerp indefensible and thus trap a hugh amount of Belgian and French troops.
General Molinie recognizes the problem, he immediately goes to the HQ of col Damidaux (which is also now in the thick of the fighting); to tell him that a counter attack will be made, the 80 R35 tanks of GBC510 and two battalions of RI121 will attack the Germans at 15.30.
The attack is a success the French that are surrounded in Dorp are relieved and the Waffen SS troops of Germania pushed back and even driven out of Achterbroek, the counter attack has surprised them, the French troops are far from defeated.
According to the French, they lose 5 of the 80 tanks in this battle.
At 19.00 the French of the 25DIM start to retreat, because of their successful counterattack in Achterbroek the SS troops that have realized that they overplayed their hand don’t pursuit them.

 

[Peter U]

A Waffen SS propaganda team was with Germania during the battle for Achterbroek and the took a series of pictures of the battle, some of the pictures were later published in the book Waffen SS im Westen, by Friedrich Zschäckel.
An online copy of the book:
http://archive.org/stream/Zschaecke...erichtInBildern1941140S.Scan#page/n0/mode/2up




Emil Dersch, a SS reporter was KIA on May 14 1940.
This are some pictures of the book from which I'am certain that they were taken during the fighting in Achterbroek.
The French placed a lot of land mines, one the morning of May 14 a dispatch rider of the recon troop of the VT division, Ostuf Hans Metscher, was killed by one of these mines when he drove his motorcycle over it.

 

[Peter U]

I'am 90% sure that I have found a "then and now" match for one of the pictures.

This PAK crew push their gun over the Achterbroeksteenweg towards the hamlet dorp; the hamlet Achterbroek is just behind them.

 

[Peter U]

This is a picture of Karl Fischer in 1938, just compare it with the photo in his Soldbuch.
Fighting on the Eastern front does something man!

 

[Peter U]

This picture I found online, it is a French reenactor in a uniform of the 92RI.

 

[mrfarb]

Wow, great Soldbuch!

 

[Peter U]

This is a wikipage about the R35 tank, the type the French used in Achterbroek in May '40:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_R35


GBC510 was made up of 9BCC and 22BCC (BBC is the French abrivation for tank batallion).

 

[mauser99]

thanks..

that was a great read.. I wish I could read german so I really could enjoy these soldbooks more. Peter is a true lover of history for sure. Plus, living where is all happened must be quite a thrill.. Someday I hope to get to europe so I can walk some of this Hallowed ground.

 

[Amberg]

that was a great read.. I wish I could read german so I really could enjoy these soldbooks more. Peter is a true lover of history for sure. Plus, living where is all happened must be quite a thrill.. Someday I hope to get to europe so I can walk some of this Hallowed ground.

Please regard this as an invitation!
If you find time, I'll show you some interesting places over here.
Maybe we can visit "Peter U." and have some of that ugly tasting beer over there. ;-)
@ Peter: GREAT collection!
Thanks for showing.
Wolf

 

[Peter U]

Thanks for the positive reactions!!!



This Soldbuch and his May '40 story is just an example that Belgium has many more intersting battlefields then those of the battle of the bulge.

May 14 1940 Achterbroek, is one of the many forgotten battles, there is no memorial and the people that witnessed it are almost all passed away now and then it tends to be really forgotten, which would be a hugh shame and a real loss.
I'am just a humble collector of documents but I see it as a task to preserve local history, that WW2 isn't something that was fought only in Normandy or in the Ardennes forest between the Germans and the western allies but also in May '40 and that in this short campaign a lot of French soldiers together with their Belgian allies sacrificied their lives for our freedom.



Cheers,
Peter

 

[leopard]

Achterbroek May 1940

Hi Peter,

This battle is not really forgotten, Peter!
I do live for about 3 Km from that main road, where this battle took place.
I just finished a personal photo book about Achterbroek & Essen in May 1940 and have some interesting pictures/documentation about that battle in Achterbroek! I also have a Soldbuch from a member from the 13e Company, who fought in Achterbroek.

Peter, if you would like to share some information about this battle, please contact me.
Kind regards,
Danny

 

[leopard]

Achterbroek May 1940

BTW; Yes the location is correct!
Much has chanced in the last years.

 

[leopard]

Then and now on that day....14-05-1940.

 

[bjarne]

Interesting thread

Thanks for posting to forum members

 

[leopard]

Achterbroek

Hi,

This picture was taken in Achterbroek and I’m almost sure that this is Karl Fischer.
Regards,
Danny

 

[Peter U]

Danny, you are right I think!!!!!



Thanks.





Peter

 

[Peter U]

The compleet picture.

 

[leopard]

Yes, spiteful this is a forgotten battle! The last six months....... I have tried to find more information on all military forums I know about this matter, but got not any replay!

Peter, this is very interested! WOW

I see that you only have those pictures from the book Waffen SS im Westen, by Friedrich Zschäckel.
I do have some high resolution original scans and picture that never reach that book!
I also know the exact location where this picture is taken.

Kind regards,
Danny

 

[Peter U]

Yes, spiteful this is a forgotten battle! The last six months....... I have tried to find more information on all military forums I know about this matter, but got not any replay!

Peter, this is very interested! WOW

I see that you only have those pictures from the book Waffen SS im Westen, by Friedrich Zschäckel.
I do have some high resolution original scans and picture that never reach that book!
I also know the exact location where this picture is taken.

Kind regards,
Danny

Hi Danny,

Indeed I have to help myself with the pic's from the Waffen SS im Westen book; in the past I have seen more pictures from the series, those that never made it in to the book, alas I have no copies of them.

Did you get my PM?


Cheers,
Peter