Korps-Nachrichten-Abteilung 474

[Steve Smith]

Hi there,

Piet was good enough to provide me with some info on a unit I'm helping someone with.

The unit is below.

Korps-Nachrichten-Abteilung 474, being part of the LXXIV. Armeekorps.

I've been looking at various sites detailing LXXIV and wondered if someone could put me out of my misery and tell me where Korps-Nachrichten-Abteilung 474 comes into all of this?

Am I right in thinking this was some sort of signals unit?

Many thanks,

Steve

[Piet Duits]

Steve,

Indeed, it was the Corps Signal Battalion.

In general, a regular german Corps as of mid 1944 was build up like this:

Generalkommando Armeekorps (General Headquarters Army Corps)
Korps-Kartenstelle (Corps Map Detachment)
Stab Artillerie-Kommandeur (HQ Artillery Commander)

Korps-Nachrichten-Abteilung (Corps Signal Battalion)
with a HQ and 2 to 4 companies

Kraftfahr-Kompanie 90 t (90-t motor transport company)
Kfz. Werkstatt-Zug (motor workshop platoon)
Feldgendarmerie-Trupp (military police detachment)
Feldpostamt (fieldpost office)

The KNA 474 was unusual, as it had a HQ and only 2 companies. Usually there were 3 and some even had the 4th company as well, despite orders to disband that 4th company.
The LXXIV. Armeekorps was a Corps that stood for the largest part of the war in a static role on the french coast. So, as a static Corps it did not need to be motorized. And exactly that was needed when they had to retreat euh... tactically shorten the lines when France had to be given up.

HTH,


Piet

[Steve Smith]

Hi Piet,

Thanks once again.

I still get confused over how all this fits into a German Division, give me a British one and I can talk for hours!

I've got a lot of references to where LXXIV were in Normandy, but does this mean that Korps-Nachrichten-Abteilung 474 were part of some sort of HQ unit?

Looking at their make up with the other units you've listed they seem very much like the kind of unit you'd find in a HQ Lines of Communication unit in say the 7th Armoured Division?

The other question I have is were they connected to any of the units listed in the 5th Panzer Army in, for example, the 10th Panzer-Division, or was this a seperate independent unit?

I dread to think what they went through in August, mind you that goes for every German unit that went throught that hell, but being a static unit makes it worse!

Steve

[Piet Duits]

Steve,

I think you are mixing up some things.
The assets I described above do not have anything to do with a division of any kind.
These are all standard Corps Assets.
The Artillerie-Kommandeur (or Arko) could be compared with what the british called the AGRA, but then on Corps level.
The Korps-Nachrichten-Abteilung (KNA) provided the communications to the divisions, both in wire and in radio, the remaining assets were for the use of the Corps itself.

Piet

[Steve Smith]

Hi Piet,

Thanks for clearing that up.

If i've got this right the British equivelent would be say, XXX Corps Signals.

Steve

[Piet Duits]

exactly

[Steve Smith]

Piet,

What sort of archive documents are available from German sources? My ultimate aim in all of this is to be able to try and follow LXXIV Armee Korps in Normandy.

I have very basic maps from books such as Overlord by Max Hastings and Six Armies in Normandy by John Keegan, but what would you recommend I read/research.

What is it like for war diaries etc given that a lot of stuff was lost in the war.

Steve

[Piet Duits]

Steve,

From what I know, not much has been saved for this Korps.
What the NARA has on it can be found on http://www.sturmpanzer.com.
Richard Hedrick has been so kind to put the guides to the files online, and with a bit of searching you can find out what they have in Washington.
On http://www.bundesarchiv.de -> BA-MA you can also do a search for the LXXIV. Armeekorps, but the information is scarce there too.

Piet

[Steve Smith]

Hi Piet,

I understand what it must be like at the bundearchiv as it can be like that at the National Archives at Kew, especially for certain British units in WWI.

There seems to be a problem with sturmpanzer link? It states

'This IP address cannot be used for browsing.'

Any ideas?

Steve

[Leo Niehorster]

Remove the full stop at the end of the URL and it works:
http://www.sturmpanzer.com/

[Steve Smith]

Thanks Leo.

Steve

[Piet Duits]

Hi guys,

It took me a few years :-), but here's some additional info on the Korps-Nachrichten-Abteilung 474:

Abteilungsstab
Oberst Krueger, Abteilungskommandeur
Oberleutnant d.R. Wilhelm Becker, Abteilungsadjutant
Leutnant d.R. Ewald Gollub, Leiter des Nachrichtenbetriebes
Stabsarzt d.R. Walter Gattwinkel, Truppenarzt

1. Kompanie
Oberleutnant d.R. Werner Hickmann, Kompanieführer
Leutnant Bock, Zugführer
Leutnant Killian, Zugführer
Leutnant d.R. Emil Gmelin, Zugführer

2. Kompanie
Oberleutnant Malleis, Kompanieführer
Oberleutnant d.R. Hanns Weispfenning, Zugführer
Leutnant d.R. Willi Meckenstock, Zugführer
Leutnant Flach, Zugführer

(Source: Offizier Stellenbesetzung LXXIV. A.K., Stand 15. Mai 1944)