Heer Panzer Crewmen:

Hauptmann, Early Panzer Wrap:

This tank company commander has retained his old-style panzer uniform with the panzer rose piping around the collar. A combat veteran he served in the Russian campaign and then in Africa with Rommel.

His experience is not in doubt as he has been awarded not only the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class but also the Panzer Assault Badge numbered 25 engagements. These have come at a cost as he has been wounded at least four times and holds the Silver Wound Badge.

With the jacket, he wears the standard armor trousers in black and the Heer style overseas cap. The uniform has the early Panzer “Crash Hemet” Beret as well, but this was in the Pre-War, 1940 and early part of 1941. The Overseas cap was seen before the crash helmet was phased out.

We have a decent example of the officer’s type with the uniform. In 1943 was the Panzer-Black-M43 cap, pictured as a nice lightweight-officers example. The uniform has been portrayed with a couple of nice Schirmmutz (Officers Visor Cap) in the picture was a nice gabardine example, nice for parades, but they were not practical for tank use, with the headphones and whatnot.

Unteroffizier, 5th Aufklärung 2, / Panzer Division, Black-Special Wrap:

The 2nd Panzer Division was formed in ‘Wuzburg in 1935 and ended the war as Panzer Brigade Fulda in 1945. In 1938 the division was transferred to Vienna and its ranks were filled with many Austrians. The division fought hard but suffered heavy losses in Poland, and then it captured Abbyville and sealed the doom of France.

They were deployed next to the Balkans where they captured Athens. In 1941 the division fought to within 5 miles of Moscow but never reached it, and then in the Battle of Kursk they were torn up, and heavy fighting continued for them serving in several major battles in Russia.

The refitted in France after that, the division was thrown into battle before refitting finished, being needed in Normandy. they would never get to recover completely, being thrown into the Ardennes Offensive, in the end, they were fighting to withdraw from the Americans and funneled back through Fulda while holding back the Russians, in the famous “Gap” where they were decimated.

A survivor of many battles, his Unteroffizier a Panzer Soldat has paid a price and was wounded several times in the first months of the war, and then disabled with the loss of a leg in the Ardennes, (visible by the Gold Wound Badge on his uniform). He had entered the division in time for the French Campaign and the battles that followed. His leadership is shown by his iron crosses, his combat with the Panzer Assault Badge, and his Ost-Front Ribbon, maybe his most cherished item, or..most scorned. With the black special wrap uniform for armored troops, he had matching trousers several different caps, black boots, and a belt. With his dis-abling, he has been taking assignments at a desk more often than not, it could be what saved his life at the end of the war.

so, this uniform, as well as the following uniforms, are anything but the standard troop, as is obvious but the special insignia and decorations, it’s just the way it worked out, it’s these special uniforms that draw me out, I will try to get the normal fellows represented as well, but overall the uniform is the standard cuts and used by all “Panzer Truppen”, I like to tell these stories too, that have been fading into history.

“NEW” Feldwebel Panzer-Regiment 204, 22. Panzer-Division:

The Panzer force of the 22 Pz.Div. Pz. Rgt. 204 was cobbled together from its start in September 1941. Both the Regimental Panzer-Abteillungs were equipped with obsolete German or captured Czech and French armor. Shipped to the Ost Front in Februar 1942 to support the advance on the Krim or Crimea Offensive.

The regiment, along with the rest of the division, suffered badly, losing 40% of its strength in its first attack in Marz. In a dazed state, it remained in the Crimea as part of von Manstein's Unternehmen Trappenjagd (Operation Bustard Hunt). In Mai 1942, the division was sent north to the Kharkiv area and then took part in the 1942 summer offensive against Soviet forces in the Don River bend leading to the Battle of Stalingrad. During Juli 1942 the unit fought in the Battle of Rostov. Now paired with the 1st Romanian Armored Division, also equipped with obsolete armor, the 22. Pz.Div. comprised the XXXXVIII Panzerkorps.

Their mission was the defense of the northern flank of the 6. Armee at Stalingrad. Lieutenant General Ferdinand Heim commaded the Panzerkorps. On 19 November 1942, Operation Uranus began. The great Soviet counter-offensive to encircle Stalingrad smashed into the poor situation XXXXVIII Panzerkorps. Korp armor and vehicles had been parked in dugouts for an extended period of time, protected from the frost by straw. When the tanks were called on to respond to the Soviet offensive, many could not be started because mice had sought refuge in the A regimental Somua S-35, 111, shown in the Krim in 1942.

Rats and Lice from the Straw came into the tanks where they chewed up the insulation of electric system wires. Around 30 Panzer 38s met the onslaught of new T-34s of the 1st Soviet Tank Corps. Contradictory orders directing these Panzers in two different directions only aggravated an already hopeless situation. By 22 November the division was destroyed at Petshany with survivors making their way southwest to and across the river Chir to join various ad hoc Kampfgruppen. The Romanian Panzerkorps component lost 60% of its combat strength and crossed the Chir River with only nineteen of its original eighty-four serviceable R2s. 22. Pz. Div. was disbanded in April 1943.

The Feldwebel wears the war pattern, unpiped, Panzer uniform with war pattern tress on the Schulterklappen adorned with early pattern metal numerals. He wears both the Ost Front and Krim campaign awards. Panzer 38 (t) Ausf. G 'tactical number 522', 2. Zug, 5. Kompanie, II. Abteilung, Panzer-Regiment 204, 22nd Panzer-Division, Don Sector, Russia, September 1942. Prewar-style metal regimental numbers applied to Schulterklappen with war period tress.

Feldwebel und Fahnenträger,  Stab./ Panzer Regiment 204:

 Formed in France in September 1941 the 204 Panzer Regiment was part of 22. Panzer Division was equipped with captured and obsolete Czech, French, and German tanks. Their divisional insignia, a yellow/ocher Arrow pointing up and right, with two slashes (or bars) on the back end where feathers would be.

Sent to the Ost Front in February 1942 the division took part in an offensive action on 20 Marz losing  30-40% of their personnel.  The division remained in the  Crimea taking part in fighting there until being sent north to Karakov fighting through the summer on the Don River bend leading to Stalingrad. In July the 22nd took part in the Battle of Rostov following assignment with the 1st Romanian Armored Divison comprising the XXXXVIII Panzerkorps defending the northern flank of the 6th Army at Stalingrad.

With the start of the Soviet counter-offensive “Operation Uranus” on November 19, 1942, the 204th engaged the Soviets with 30 serviceable outdated tanks and was virtually destroyed.  Survivors were organized into Kampfgruppen on the Chir River.  The division was disbanded in April 1943 with its surviving members reassigned to new units.

The Fahnenträger Armellabzeichen or sleeve shield for standard bearer was introduced in 1936. This shield-shaped badge was woven on a bluish-dark green or black ground and had a size of 11.2 cm in height and 10.2 cm in width. It showed two crossed troop flags in the Waffenfarben of the branch represented, in this case, gold yellow.  The shield was composed of a black and white Heeresadler with aluminum-colored oak foliage with five leaves and two acorns.

Krimschild was awarded to military personnel under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein during the capture of the Crimean Peninsula on 21 September 1941 and 4 July 1942. Instituted on 25 July 1942 it was the most widely distributed of the German campaign shields with approximately 250,000 being awarded.

The Feldwebel wears the Sonderbekleidung der Panzertruppen with the Fahnenträtrager Armellabxeichen on the right sleeve with the Krimschild on the left.  For his combat leadership, he has been awarded the Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse

Major, Waffenrock, 3. Panzer Regiment, 2nd Panzer Division:

The Second Panzer Division was created by the Wehrmacht, in the city of Wurzburg on the 15th of October 1935. from two armored regiments, the 3rd, and the 4th Panzer Regiment, under the command of Oberst Heinz Guderian.

During the Anschluss of Austria by the Third Reich, assisted by NAZI elements within Austria, the Division was sent to form part of the garrison in the Austrian Capitol of Vienna. At the outbreak of the Second World War, the division was bolstered by a contingent of local Austrians, up to the point the division was knick-named the ‘Vienna Division’.

In early September 1939, at the beginning of the war, the 2nd Panzer Division took part in the invasion of Poland, as part of the XII Panzer Corps, of the 14th Army (Germany), Army Group South, based in Slovakia, the objective of the division initially were taking off the city of Krakow, where it came up against the 10th Mechanized Division, and 10th Armored Brigade (Poland). Throughout the campaign, it suffered heavy losses, particularly on the 18th of September in a bitter tank battle.

German armored advance through the Ardennes, including 2. Panzer-Division, between 10 and 16 May of 1940, as part of the Battle of France.

In January 1940, the Second Armored Division was re-assigned to the Western Front, around the area of Eifel, When May came of that same year, the unit to part in the Battle of France, as part of XIX Army Corps (Germany) under command of General Guderian, their former commander. The Kampfgruppe of which the division formed a part was under the command of Ewald von Kleist. The division helped the push through the Ardennes and was involved in the fighting in Belgium, and the Mosel River Valley.

On the 17th of May, along with the 1st Panzer Division, they managed to hold the banks of the River Oise, spearheaded the attack of Moy, and took the town of Peronne in the Somme on the 19th of May; arriving at the town of Abbeville on the 20th.

Later they would form the Armored element that flanked the British Expeditionary Army and forced their extraction from the European Continent from the beach at Dunkirk while engaging the French 2nd Armored Division, led by General Charles de Gaulle who later became the self-proclaimed leader of the ‘Free French Forces’.

The invasion had been typical of the newly developed ‘Blitzkrieg’ tactics being used by the German Army, utilizing infantry, armor, and the “Luftwaffe’s” Fighters and Bomber Aircraft, along with the Fallschirmjager.

After the rest of the week conducting repairs, and to re-group the unit, the 2nd Panzer Division advanced along the River Aisne into the interior of France. At the end of the campaign in the last months of 1940, the Division lost its 4th Regiment which was then used as the basis of the being formed 13th Panzer Division.

Romanian Garrison and Operation Marita. In April 1941 the 2nd Panzer Division was sent to Romania, with the mission of protecting the country, and more importantly, the Ploesti Oil Plant, keeping it from Soviet influence, and side-stepping the Romanian authorities, all the time positioning for possible, invasion by Germany into the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, there was an alliance made with Bulgaria and thus assured southern protection for Romania.

The division was reassigned to the XVIII Mountain Corps (Germany) of the 12th Army (Germany) on the 6th of April 1940 to play a role in Operation Marita, which was the Invasion of Greece.

The German army pushed through the southern part of Yugoslavia, taking the important city of Strumica and then carrying on southward towards the Grecian border, where they made contact with the 19th Motorized Infantry (Greece) in the area of Lake Dojran and on the 9th April, the Division took the city of Salonika. Eventually, on the same day, they forced the surrender of the 2nd Greek Army, which was on the east of the River Vardar.

The division, together with the 5th Mountain Division, the 6th Mountain Division, and the 72nd Infantry Division formed an attack group with the mission of securing the advance into Greece. After the 6th Division had taken Verroia and formed the Spearhead, on the other side of the River Haliacmon, the 2nd Panzer Division crossed the river, taking Katerini on the 14th of April.

During the Attack on the 15th of April, the area around Mount Olympus was taken, and on the 16th, New Zealand Troop acting as part of the Anzac Force was attacked in the Platamon Vally, Finally, after strong resistance, they broke the English Troops sent to the assistance of Greece, taking Larissa on the 19th April, and secured a significant British supply dump, which the 2nd Panzer Division used to push the attack without having to wait for re-supply.

After the final resistance was beaten in the Valley of Thermoalyae, the 2nd Panzer Division entered Athens together with the 6th Mountain Division. In September 1941 the Division lost some of its comprising units and was it was reassigned to the 22nd Panzer Division.

Before the campaign, the Divisions had to recover from losses, and suffered from wear and tear, as well as their heavy weapons, which had been sunk in route, in the Mediterranean, by allied submarines; they were sent to Italy, to be re-directed from there by heavy railway to the east. After they had recovered and been re-supplied, in October 1941, the 2nd Panzer Division was sent to the Eastern Front, thrown into the ‘Meatgrinder’ in support of Armee Croup Center, catching up in time, to get involved in the advance towards Moscow.

They became an active component of the XL Panzer Corps, of the 4th Panzer Army. During the Battle of Moscow, vanguard elements of the division reached the outskirts of the city reaching 9km from the center of the city of Moscow; some of their units even reported they could see the city domes of the Kremlin in the distance.

after being on the defensive, the Division was forced to withdraw following a counterattack of the Red Army in the winter of 1941, taking part in the various battles defensive as a component of the 9th German Army during the first months of 1942.

In 1943 the 2nd Panzer Division took part in Operation Citadel, fitted into the XLVII Panzer Corps of the 9th German Army, of Army Group Center. The German Offensive was stopped as it was discovered the Western Allies had begun landing forces ashore, in North Africa. They then began a fighting retreat where they suffered heavy losses.

As a result of combat fatigue and wear, the division in late 1943 was sent to France, specifically to Amiens in the Somme, for its restructuring and reorganization. It remained in the area to deal with the hypothetical invasion of France by the Allies.

However, when there was the Invasion of Normandie, by the Allies, on June 6th of 1944, the 2nd Panzer was not sent in immediately, but remained in the Somme, due to the erroneous assumption (By High Command) that there would be a second Allied Landing in the region of Calais; an idea fostered by the English, by the use of double agents of exactly this purpose.

From this, and all the damage and delays caused by the local partisans as well as the constant airstrikes from bombers and fighters, the Division had no strength and was not able to reach the Normandy Front till July. When it arrived, they clashed with English Troops, from the 50th Infantry Division, and the 7th Armored Division.

Having participated in many various battles and confrontations, it took part with its last 25 tanks, in the failed attempt at a counterattack at Mortain. Later it was brought up in the Falaise Pocket, just managing to escape, but not without suffering a high loss of vehicles and casualties. Those that got stuck in the pocket were annihilated. However, the defense of their position was crucial in not allowing the Allies to completely close the encirclement of the German Forces, allowing many soldiers to escape to fight another day, albeit, they were beaten up, starving, and without the equipment to fight back yet, a high number did make it out.

Completely dismantled, the division was sent to Bitburg in Germany to be reorganized again, absorbing the remnants of the 352. Infantry Division. Due to the shortage in material resources, which afflicted the Third Reich, was significantly reduced in its complement of tanks, some of their companies only had assault guns to use, although one company received some Panther tanks.

Images by Allied troops from the time of the Battle of the Bulge show the stubborn American Army and stubborn Allied resistance to the Germans. Eventually, the vanguard of the division got to within 4km of the Meuse River, but they were forced to retreat, because of the fierce counterattacks conducted by the American Forces, as well as the lack of gasoline for the German’s Mechanized Forces failed.

Finally, most of the 2nd Panzer Division was surrounded by the US. 2nd Armored Division on Christmas Day, but, then some of it was able to escape with still some of their tanks to the German lines. Strikes for Allied Ground Attack Aircraft greatly hampered the ability of anyone to get out in large groups, and they came out in small groups retreating bit by bit.

Now they were operating with extremely, reduced effectiveness, the 2nd Pz. Div. took the park in the Spring of 1945, at the Battle of the Rhine. In this, the Wehrmacht tried to repulse the Allies from crossing the river. The Division assisted the XIII Army Corps, of the 7th German Army, Heersgruppe B in the battle, but as history shows, it was all but impossible, they could slow down the Allies, and course casualties, but the end was clear, and there was no stopping it.

The final fate of the unit (no longer really a division) had them fighting in the city of Fulda in April 1945, and along with the rest of the remnants of the XIII Army Corps, of the 7th Army, surrendered to the American forces on the 7th of May 1945.

Note: I know some of these stories get a bit long! still have to cover the high points.

This uniform, a Waffenrock or ‘Dress Uniform’ is owned by a Major (usually the only soldier that got to wear a Waffenrock), of the 3rd Regiment. The Major has seen service with the Freikorps, then joined the Reichswehr, and continued service with the Heer Wehrmacht.

His service is shown by the Long Service Medal in Silver. He was involved in some facet of the German-Italian ‘Afrika’ Campaign, perhaps being on extended service due to the division’s loss of equipment in the Mediterranean. He also managed to get to serve in the first winter of the Russian campaign.

Also on his medals bar is the Iron Cross II Class and a Seleisian Medal that has no explanation. The medals bar is even more-rare, the Panzer-Waffenrock, and would be for some special ‘Big-Event’ or ceremony, and a ribbon bar women any other time on the jacket.

The Badges of the Iron Cross Ist Class, Panzer Assault, and Wound Badge all hanging from loops sewn on. Nearly all Waffenrocks had the silver Aiguillette over the right shoulder, a Generals, or General’s aide would be gold. The insignia, all officer quality, trimmed in bright pink, the rose was the official color for the ‘Panzer’ branch, carrying over the pink trim through the piping down the front, and collar Litzen, his shoulder boards, and the edges of the French cuffs, in the bottle-green same as the collar. The trousers follow suit, and the uniform is finished off with black shoes, and perhaps, a dress belt. He has had a custom, 1st class, near-matching Schirmmutz, Officers Hat made for this event as well.

Major, Dress Summer Jacket, Panzer Regiment 1, 1st Panzer Division:

The 1st Panzer Division was formed on October 15, 1935, from the 3rd Cavalry Division and Headquartered in Weimar. Initially, it consisted of two panzer regiments organized into brigades, a motorized infantry brigade, a reconnaissance battalion, a divisional artillery regiment, and support ancillary formations.

In 1938 the division participated in field exercises with the XVI Corps, a fully motorized formation. By the start of the Polish Campaign in September 1939, the 1st Panzer Division was one of the six panzer divisions in the Wehrmacht. It was then deployed with the XVI Corps, 10th Army (Army Group South) in the upper Silesia Region.

The 15 Corps, with the 1st and 4th Panzer Divisions, drove northeast into Poland, rapidly penetrating towards Warsaw. On September 16-20 they eliminated a Polish counter-attack along the River Bzura. With a double encirclement of the Polish Army by the two Panzer Divisions, resistance soon came to an end.

In May of 1940, the 1st Panzer Division Guderian’s XIX Corps advance into France, through the Ardennes Forrest. The Corps achieved a decisive breakthrough at Sedan and by May 16 the panzer formations were advancing rapidly to the English Channel coastline. 1st Panzer Division came within 25 km of Dunkirk despite determined British and French resistance but was stopped by Hitler.

First Panzer Division was next as part ‘XXXIX-Corps’ on the Aisne River line for the advance south against the remaining French forces. Break-through was achieved by June 12 and the Division advanced rapidly toward Belfort. Armistice with France was accepted on June 22. ending the camIn October the 1st Panzer Division began reorganizing, as part of the Wehrmacht’s increase of their mechanized divisions. The Second Panzer Regiment and selected cadres were removed for the formation of the 16th Panzer Division. In compensation, the 113th Panzergrenadier Regiment was added to balance the divisional organization.

The Army now at Lake Ladoga and the city of Leningrad cut off, the 1st Panzer Division formed part of the general attack against the city perimeter on September 8th. The attack was making good progress and the Corps advanced continually till they could see the city. However, then the Corps, along with the 1st Panzer Division was pulled from the line, and removed on September 18th.

And on October 2nd the 1st Panzer Division joined the drive on Moscow (Operation Typhoon) under ‘XXXXI’ Armeekorps (Mot), assigned to Panzergruppe 3. The Division achieved one of the closest approaches to Moscow among the German Forces, reaching Belyi-Rast at the end of November, only some 50 km from the Russian Capitol.

For the next few months, the 1st Panzer was on the offensive with the remainder of the German Army against the ‘Russians’ Winter Offensive, It was defending Klin, to the northwest of Moscow, on December 7, 1941.

In January and February 1942, the Division fought the Soviet Rzhev-Vyazma Offensive, some 150 km west of Moscow. The division remained in the Rzhev area through the end of the year, before being withdrawn to France for refitting in January and February of 1943.

In June of 1943, the 1st Panzer Division was sent to the Balkans region, then to Greece for coastal defense duties. It remained there until October and then returned to the Eastern Front in November, where it participated in the defense of Ukraine. The division did not attack as part of the Battle of Kursk, but it fought in a desperate, defense against the Russian thrust west of Keiv.

In early 1944 the division was attached to the IIIPanzer Corps and took its place along the battle line in relief of the Korsun-Cherkasy Pocket. In April 1944, as a part of Generaloberst Has-Valentin Hube’s ‘First Panzer Army’ the division was trapped in the Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket, and was involved in the breakout.

In September the division was withdrawn to the Carpathian Mountains, as the Germans strove in vain to stem the Russian advances. By October the division was in Hungary, fighting rear action guard, and in January 1945, it fought in Operation Konrad, the abortive attempt to release the encircled city of Budapest. following the general German retreat to the west, all the German Armed Forces collapsed, and the 1st Panzer Division reached the eastern end of the Austrian Alps, where they surrendered to the US. Army.

This major has seen after surviving the first winter in Russia, the uniform is the ‘Summer-White’ tunic only worn in rear headquarters areas and gatherings. He was wounded too, several times having the Silver Wound badge possibly no longer to operate in the front line combat he now trains new replacement troops. Despite his injuries, he tries to stay fit and proudly wears his Olympic Games Ribbon, his other contributions to the war effort are noted by his War Merit Cross. His leadership in battle was recognized and he wears the Iron Cross II Class in his buttonhole, this recognition came at the same time he earned his Tank Assault Badge.

This light-weight summer walking-out jacket is made up using customized removable insignia, and decorations so the white could be heavily bleached in laundering, and pressed without damage to them. It was worn with a nice Schirrmutz Visor Cap, dress slacks or breeches, and polished boots. He would not have gone to all the trouble on the insignia if he did not intend to use it, many were used 1 or 2 times only for special events, like having an appointment with the Fuhrer or receiving decorations, but some officers away from the front lines for a while using them, and in teaching roles.

Otto Carius of 2 Company, schwere 502 Panzer Batallaion :

Just one year after the war had started Carius graduated from high school. After being rejected 2 times, as unfit for military service (being underweight) He was finally accepted. Assigned to the infantry, he then volunteered for Panzers. His father was not overly happy, referring to tanks (as seen from first world war eyes) as metal death traps. After cooling and training for tank operations, Carius was sent to schwere Panzer Abteilung 502, where he met the enemy head-on in the Soviet Union. He was severely wounded, and his escapades in Russia were put on paper, in a book he wrote called “Panzers in the mud”, a good read I might add, insight into the man, the place and times of his life as it were in battle. Fighting in the East, Carius and his crew(s), he is credited with knocking out something more than 150 enemy tanks, not including anti-tank weapons, bunkers, etc. He was a “Panzer Ace”. He and his gunner also shot down an IL-II with his 88mm main gun in the Tiger, in late 1943 on the Eastern Front.

In the desperate final months of the War, These were very desperate times, When they were shortages everywhere, and the outcome of the war no longer doubt, he was retrained and took command of some of the largest Self Propelled Guns of the war. And in 1945 he became the commander of a Jagdtiger company, the 512 Heavy Tank Battalion, and now he was on the Western Front. And now he was fighting against the Americans and UK Forces.

In the early weeks of March 1945, The 2nd Company, with their Archaic Monster Tanks, were moved to the front, now near Siegburg, where they tried to defend the Rhine River battle line trying to keep the American forces from crossing the river, they did beef up the line, but pretty irrelevant, just a delaying action.

The end of the war for him came, trying to defend the Ruhr Pocket, east of the Rhine, With no line of escape, and no supplies coming, he ordered that the operable Jagdtigers all be destroyed, to make them useless to the enemy, and he surrendered his troops to the US Army on 7 May. He was interned, but the numbers were so overwhelming that he was released from captivity just two weeks later on 21 May.

After the war, Carius studied pharmacy, eventually having his own, pharmacy that he named the "Tiger Apotheke". Otto Carius ran this pharmacy until he retired in 2011. He died on 24 January 2015.

Heer Panzer Commander, Major Willy Jähde:

On January 18, 1908, Willy Jähde was born in Helmsdorf Germany. After his schooling in Forst in der Lausitz, Willy Jähde went on to serve in the German Reichswehr as an 18-year-old Prior to Hitler’s complete takeover of the country. He ended up being assigned to the 2nd Company of the 6. Kraftfahrabteilung, stationed in Hannover.

This unit would end up being used to form the early Panzertruppe. He went to the Dresden Kriegschule. He came out a lieutenant. But in the following years, he was assigned as a liaison officer in Breslau, he did not enjoy this work, and after a couple of years in this position, he applied for a transfer.

In 1936 Jähde moved over to the 3rd company in the Panzerabteilung 66 (66th Pantserbataljon) now an Oberieutnant. In October 1938, Panzerabteilung 66, became one of the elements forming the 2. leichte Division where he took part in the fighting in Poland. And on 2 September he saw his first experience in battle, as a commander. That same day he was given the EK-II.

Then he fought in Kjelzy (Kielce) and Siedlce, capturing the towns. Then Radom also fell. There was very heavy fighting at Weichsel (Vistula) in September of 1939, where Willy Jähde distinguished himself again earning the EK-I there.

Then in October 1939, the 2. leichte Division was renamed the 7th Panzer Division. Panzer-Abteilung 66 was then built up again and used to fill the ranks of the 25. Panzer Regiment. He was involved with the Battle for France, Hauptmann Jähde’s company was ambushed near Kamerich, but they escaped with their lives.

From mid-1941 to mid-1942, Jähde was the Company Commander of Heeres-Unteroffiziersschule der schnellen Truppen in Putlos. But then in July 1942, he became the Commander of I. Abteilung of the Panzerregiment 29 as a part of the 12. Panzerdivision. And the orders sent them to the Eastern Front. The Panzer Division was large, but they were soon overwhelmed by the numbers of the enemy, and the KV-Is and T-34 Tanks were no slouches like was seen in the opening stages of the War with Russia. The fighting in the Soviet Union was far more brutal than any of the prior fighting of WWII. While engaged in heavy fighting near Tortolowo, in the Pogostje’s Pocket, Jähde’s successful tactics and competent leadership were noticed by Oberste Führung (highest command).

By the autumn of 1943, he had Jähde taken over the Schwere Panzer Abteilung 502, replacing Hauptmann Oehme, and soon he was fighting in the battles around Newel (Nebula). Heavy Battaling continued for six weeks there. The Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 was transported by train (standard procedure), but then directly went from the offloading, and drove directly into the battles at Gattschina (Gatchina) and surrounding areas.

The 1st Company was completely wiped out, and now “Major” Jähde was stranded behind the lines in Russian territory, cut off from the German Forces. The Company Commander, Leutnant Carius had formed up a rear-guard position, As Jähde’s tanks, broke out to the west towards Gatchina-Wolossowo-Narwa, and traveled down the road.

While serving with the Schwere Panzer Abteilung 502 he had fought alongside other decorated panzer officers like Otto Carius, and Johannes Bölter, as well as the Italian Borns, Alfredo Carpaneto.

He earned the wound badge in gold for his seventh wound. while recovering he was also awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross, for his efforts in the fighting around the Gattschina area.

After he left the hospital and recovered from his wounds, he took over the command of the Ausbildungseinheiten der Panzerschützen, a part of the Heeres-Unteroffiziersschule der Panzertruppen in Harz. the inevitable end came in 1945 when he was captured by the Americans, and he was incarcerated. He was later transferred to Russian troops, but he escaped from there.

Ritterkreuzträger u. Stabsarzt Hans-Joachim Schulz-Merkel, Panzer / Sanatair 130:

He was known as the Panzer-Doktor, and he was the only Army Doctor awarded the Knights Cross to the Iron Cross, for combat leadership. He had been assigned as the Medical Doctor for the 1st Battalion of the 35th Panzer Regiment.

In November 1943 Merkel found himself as the ranking officer in his area, and took command of the situation, in battle on the Russian Front. Schulz-Merkel would lead the Abteilung through the battle of Karowotitschi, where it destroyed 15 (possibly 22) Soviet tanks. A short time later they broke the Soviet encirclement and thereby the trapped German division was able to escape. For this action, he was wounded as well, and on 23 December 1943, he was awarded the wound badge, along with his Knights Cross of the Iron Cross.

With the forming of a new Panzer Division, the “LEHR” in 1943, Merkel was assigned to the medical section of Sanatästtruppen 130 which consisted of two medical companies and three ambulance platoons.

The Division was created to defeat the imminent Allied Invasion that was coming in the west. But their first combat actions came in in Hungary, occupying the capital of Budapest and belatedly arriving in France. in May, far too late to have a big effect on the seen.

The Normandy Invasion, and the commitment of the Panzer Lehr, saw the division in constant combat, with no letup. They never got to reorganize their organization or combat strength as a ‘Panzer Division’. After the withdrawal from the Normandy area fought a constant rear-guard action, being decimated bit by bit, Backing their way back to Germany until the end of the war came for them, and a few surviving elements surrendered to the Allies in May of 1945.

We have two uniforms now for Stabsarts Merkel. First is a representation of the uniform he wore as part of Regamet 35 in Russia. It is a standard Heer-style armored uniform of the enlisted soldier with standard collar insignia and breast eagle.

Merkel added medical shoulder insignia to the uniform. He wore standard panzer trousers with the panzer jacket. The is not any evidence of him wearing the panzer cap with the uniform, or even Officer Schirmmutz, he is seen in a wide variety of clothing in different pictures.

The second jacket for Dr. Merkel is the standard Heer (Wehrmacht) M36 style of uniform. Here as per regulation, he wears the Blue piped medical insignia on both the collar and shoulder board insignia. This is likely what he wore while with the Panzer Lehr Division in the West. He likely had a Schirmmutz and/or Field Cap, Breeches, and boots. As a combat veteran he probably also carried a standard service pistol like a Lugar P08 or Walter P38 (Even though he was a Doctor) on his Officer’s black leather belt, with a double claw belt buckle.

Schulz-Merkel was thus recognized for achieving a feat that was very out of proportion to the normal scope of his duties. He survived the war, passing away on the 2nd of September 2000.

Unterfeldwebel Kraftfahrparktruppenschule Gardelegen Wehrkreis XI:

Kraftfahrparktruppenschule is a training place within a Wehrkreis or military district that conducts all the necessary training to produce any and all troops required to service and maintain the motor vehicles within units of the German army. The German military system created combat units from within geographical areas, the Wehrkries. This created a cultural identity for the units as the soldiers were all basically the same makeup.

Given Germany had only been a country united under Prussian leadership since 1871 this was very important to maintain the idea of belonging to a larger group.

The driving force behind the need for motorized combat and transport vehicles was the formation of the Panzer Divisions. Marching infantry and horse-drawn artillery could not keep pace with these engines of ‘Blitz’ warfare. From motorcycles to tanks all required service, repair, and maintenance; and this required entire dedicated units inside every motorized formation.

The close affiliation to the Panzer forces is explained using the same ‘Rose’ Waffenfarbe. The Unterfeldwebel’s Heeresdienstanzug Model 1936 uniform’s early Schulterklappen display silver metal ‘S’ Schule cipher with the Roman XI for Wehrkreis centered on Hannover.

As with most technical ranks, he spent several years in the Reichswehr and now in the new Heer part of the “Wehrmacht” teaching his students the trades they will need to keep the war machine, literally, running. His long service is evident by the long service ribbon. He wears a Feldmütz with a matching Waffenfarbe chevron and a custom leather sweat shield.