The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

German Heer 1935-1945.

Moderator: John W. Howard

User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6959
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.............

The 262 in the blitzkrieg years: 1939 to 1941.

The 262 Infanterie Division in 1941.

Rawa Ruska.

I only had with me that damned rangefinder and a pistol. Gladly I would have thrown away the rangefinder, which I never had used. The Russian were everywhere and near, if only I would have a gun for my own defense. There were only a few large trees otherwise small ones within that small forest, which offered little covering.

While I was crossing a narrow path, I did get fire from the front and a hail of bullets that hissed around my ears. I threw myself to the ground and came lying directly beside a comrade. A Russian machinegun aimed at us again and again. We were lying rigidly in the middle of that hail of bullets. Someone shouted: “Snipers atop the Trees”, however the enemy continued his task unleashing hundreds of bullets till he ran out his ammunition. Then he was detected and shot, falling from the top of a tree some 50 meters away from us.

But my comrade did not rise again. A bullet had pierced his steel helmet and hit his head. I turned him around and told coming from my heart: “Hans, I envy you”. This was my feeling after that baptism of fire. Now we were attacked from three sides so we had to retreat.

Source: Kriegserinnerungen 1939 – 1949 aufgezeichnet von Karl Fischl.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
http://hwar1941.narod.ru/strsw1.jpg
http://hwar1941.narod.ru/strsw1.jpg
image002.jpg (71.14 KiB) Viewed 4137 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6959
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.............

The 262 in the blitzkrieg years: 1939 to 1941.

The 262 Infanterie Division in 1941.

Rawa Ruska. Withdrawal.

The most part of my unit remained lying at the railway embankment, since the railroad line was under fire from two well disposed shelters. The russians fired well so my comrades could not follow ahead. However we had to get back over it yet. Everyone who tried to get across was shot even with a small cannon which fired high explosive shells. While we were looking for a new attempt I saw straight a few meter how a comrade of the rifle company was badly hit, he raised on his feet and fell over the slope. Only half of his face was left; so cruel could be this fight it was my thought.

Finally we came over there, and we could get some cover. However the battalion could not move forward any more, but it had to withdraw again far to the rear and entrenched itself before the Rusians’ attacks. The enemy was far superior here and the others battalions could not followed yet. We were cut off of them and had to fight for our skin. In the late afternoon we had to withdraw again and in doing so get across a open meadow taking hostile fire from all sides. Then our machineguns furnished fire support on us again so we could reach safely the edge of the next forest.

There we entrenched ourselves again and should pass the night awake holding that positions at any cost. In the middle of the night hostile cavalry galloped passing directly on our machineguns position. It was already an amusing feeling. That had been the first day in the war for me - a good baptism of fire - which one does not forget in the life. It was only three days later that we knew that our battalion, the I./ IR 486 (500 men) had suffered 133 casualties, of them 34 killed and 99 either wounded or misses; all this on the first day, Sunday 22.Juni 1941.

Source: Kriegserinnerungen 1939 – 1949 aufgezeichnet von Karl Fischl.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA362067&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA362067&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf
image002.gif (28.92 KiB) Viewed 4098 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6959
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.............

The 262 in the blitzkrieg years: 1939 to 1941.

The 262 Infanterie Division in 1941.

Rawa Ruska.

On the second day, Jun 23 of 1941, we had to withdraw again and then to fight off some Russian attacks. On this second day our food was only water from puddles or ditches also. On the next day, Jun 24 of 1941, around noon we went some distance back again, this time several hostile tanks came to us. We got the message, when they were already one kilometer before us. Since daybreak its roaring could be heard.

Hence we had to withdraw ourselves into a forest and entrenched there into tank holes. Because it was the third day without food supply we were allowed to take, half of the combat's ration, which carried with him each soldier to eat in action. That was half of the 200 gr of pigflesh butter and something from the biscuit’s bag. That was not easy at all to eat, since we were thirsty also and our throats were dry.

However, the mass of the tanks did not reach our position. When they were getting across a coverless ground before our forest, arrived the German dive bombers (Sturzkampfbomber) coming down from some thousand meters height shooting and bombing at the tanks. That had its effect indeed. From the 27 attacking tanks most were destroyed and others were left by its crews. When we wanted to look more closely those destroyed tanks we took strong hostile fire and we had to withdraw to the woods.

Source: Kriegserinnerungen 1939 – 1949 aufgezeichnet von Karl Fischl.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6959
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.............

The 262 in the blitzkrieg years: 1939 to 1941.

The 262 Infanterie Division in 1941.

Rawa Ruska.

In the evening of that third day (Jun 24 of 1941) the company’s field kitchen finally could reach the frontline troops after the darkness fell. We got a mess kit full of nearly drying-cooked rice and some tea; otherwise the rice would remain stuck on our neck.

As the fourth day in Russia dawned (Jun 25 1941), it should not become better. We took cover into some old Russians positions, where they had dug themselves in their fox-holes at the edge of the forest. Now we were using these same fox-holes equal for covering us, since the Russians fired upon us from and over a wheat field. We placed here our MG position. Most of the time we spent digging holes and getting better our positions.

On this day finally I could deliver the rangefinder; one could not use that in this kind of war. Rather I wanted the carbine because I could defend my self better with it.

Source: Kriegserinnerungen 1939 – 1949 aufgezeichnet von Karl Fischl.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6959
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.............

The 262 in the blitzkrieg years: 1939 to 1941.

The 262 Infanterie Division in 1941.

Rawa Ruska.

This day was cloudy and drizzled. Before us was a large farming field and about 2 km behind it again one forest. We could see up there at the edge of forest that the russians were digging also. They had brought up a battery of artillery “Ratsch Bumm “ cannons of 76 mm in position and by half in the morning began the trouble for us. We were at the foremost edge of the forest hence it was a good goal for the Russians.

They opened up on the left edge of the forest in order to cover us with the salvos of four cannons. Our MG was emplaced in the center of the forest. Now the shells were shifted every half hour, approaching from left ever more close. I withdrew myself from the MG’s positions into mine fox-hole, which gave cover to a Russian soldier before. I pressed myself ½ meter into the hole with my steel helmet on the head. Around 5 minutes had passed, from the last four shells which were coming in rapid succession, and had blasted about 10 meters to the left of us; we expected more of it. There was a whistled and the first burst already howled before our position and the earth flew away over us. The second went three meters before me into the earth, a good meter to the left of the MG position, where two comrades ducked themselves.

Then I felt vibrate the earth of my hole then I heard voices calling far and then ever more close. The shell blasted 1/2 meter over the earth. Probably I had lost my conscience due to the explosion and my face and eyes were burned like touched by fire. Then a comrade showed me two parts of the burst shell, about 40 - 50 cm long, like a broken, strong, iron car tire; they lay between my feet. Such a large fragment could have easily divided me.

Source: Kriegserinnerungen 1939 – 1949 aufgezeichnet von Karl Fischl.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6959
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.............

The 262 in the blitzkrieg years: 1939 to 1941.

The 262 Infanterie Division in 1941.

Towards Brody.

It should not be and I got out of it for second time. Then someone helped me into the hole of another comrade; there I put on my back, because the rain on the hot face did relief me so well. It was a long day up to the evening when with other comrades, who had shells’ fragments, I was taken back to the main aids station. When I came back I announced myself to my Company Commander, he said only: „ they shoot behind on us also! “That did not encourage me very much, and I proceeded again to the hole with my comrades. Next days my eyes were completely red and swollen and I fell the face burning still for a long time. We were still in the forest the next day (Jun 26 1941). Then we continued again further eastward over the Bug and toward Brody.

I remembered only that we had to entrench ourselves often, and when the fox-hole was finished, we were called it again: Up, march! And in the evening we should entrench again, so we were safe for the night. We heard then that the bunkers, which we had met on the 1st day, and still had remained there were finally cracked by a special engineer unit. Now we got also the first post (letters) since the beginning of the fights.

From those days was this story that happened to me: A young-married Austrian comrade and I were on the advance posts when nigh fell. I was hidden in a hay’s heap waiting there, the other one was around 40 m to the left of me behind a bush at the edge of a potato field. It was about 11 o'clock at night and nearly darkly when I heard a frightful cry from my comrade. I could not do or see anything. My comrade told me later: a Russian patrol came to him, and he was sunk in his thoughts about his young wife in such a way that he could not see the Russian coming so he did this frightful cry. The Russians were frightened also and let themselves fall into the potato field and disappeared. The comrade had suffered a shock and returned from the unit train after several days.

Source: Kriegserinnerungen 1939 – 1949 aufgezeichnet von Karl Fischl.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6959
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.............

The 262 in the blitzkrieg years: 1939 to 1941.

The 262 Infanterie Division in 1941.

Towards Malin.

The next heavy attack was again on Sunday, 14 days after the first one. It was by Kramenez. Then we continued our march toward Schitomir into Ukraine. Here we found a fruitful ground which had up to approx. 80 cm of black humus. This earth often gave us protection from the hostile bullets. We had to entrench ourselves over and over. I had the impression that had dug in almost half Ukraine. At this time the date of the days loses itself.

Shitomir had been stormed by our armored units, and the Russian troops left a burning city behind. As we moved ahead everything had been burned on the right and on the left of the road. The resistance was only small there. The unit went to northeast over radomist toward Malin, because of the double-railed railroad heading to the city of Kiev. Here we met again heavy resistance and 5km before Malin went again with difficulty ahead.

Source: Kriegserinnerungen 1939 – 1949 aufgezeichnet von Karl Fischl.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6959
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.............

The 262 in the blitzkrieg years: 1939 to 1941.

The 262 Infanterie Division in 1941.

Malin.

We already saw at the railroad line some large buildings and to the left of of it large oil tanks. It was a large supply area for Ukraine. The depots were for the harvest which can be brought from this fruitful area. The fact that these were strongly defended was clear now. Our attack was starting, we progressed however on one day only 1 km. Here we had to fight for each meter and entrench ourselves again and again.

The next day should become very interesting again. Strong artillery fire covered up the foe positions, and we prepared an attack. Three heavy assault guns had came, and we, the heavy group of machineguns, came on the armoured vehicles. The remaining Infantry went only behind the cannons. Thus we broke into the hostile positions we had to take and the line we had to occupy and defend.

There was a special feeling on the tanks; with each shot or with any rotation of the assault gun there was so some jerk that soon would have flown out of them . Also we got much hostile fire. But by the afternoon we had made it and had occupied the station and railway line. It was a hard day.

Source: Kriegserinnerungen 1939 – 1949 aufgezeichnet von Karl Fischl.

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Russian counterattack along the axis of Malin (05 to 08 of Aug 1941).<br />http://hwar1941.narod.ru/emalin.htm
Russian counterattack along the axis of Malin (05 to 08 of Aug 1941).
http://hwar1941.narod.ru/emalin.htm
image002.jpg (53.15 KiB) Viewed 3945 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6959
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.............

The 262 in the blitzkrieg years: 1939 to 1941.

The 262 Infanterie Division in 1941.

Malin.

The 262 ID had occupied new defensive positions on the embankment of the railroad, in front of great storage depots. The machine gun of Karl Fischl was located in a shed protected by oats coats, which were also used to sleep. From the beginning of the hostilities, the soldiers slept in pits (most of the time) and occasionally in tents. Here the author relates a small episode of those days: a companion, soldier Buglmüller, totally sleepwalker cried: „The Russians! The Russians!, then jumped up and run away with the tent over his head.

Here in Malin we were 2 weeks in the same position, and often we had to repel very strong attacks of the Russians. They came several times at night up to some meters near and on one day attacked them one behind the other into nine waves. There it gave to much to do for our MGs. In a black front always some hundreds came by mature grain field on us too. But they suffered many losses. The daily meal came at night up to our position. We got much artillery and mortar fire, but most parts of them fell on the depots, and the shells often struck into the oats bags over the MG position. There in each case the upper bags burst, and oats squirted by the whole building. A few days before the far march we had resound to nevertheless completely leave, because the bombardment became nevertheless too dangerously, and those resounded was already completely shot-up.

Source: Kriegserinnerungen 1939 – 1949 aufgezeichnet von Karl Fischl.
eBay auction (item 140350914892 end time Oct-18-09 074704 PDT).

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
The assault guns furnished support to the infantry in the attack.
The assault guns furnished support to the infantry in the attack.
image002.jpg (28.67 KiB) Viewed 3915 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6959
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.............

The 262 in the blitzkrieg years: 1939 to 1941.

The 262 Infanterie Division in 1941.

Malin.

When the other German forces were to left and right at our height, we resumed the attack. It was a hard day for our group. Early during the morning the attack continued in broad front and we advanced to open field. We begin to receive fire almost immediately reason why repeatedly we had to look for cover and to throw ourself down to the ground; the enemy was intrenched to about 2 kilometers and a half to our front.

This was the position that we had to attack now; we came near after one hour. A few jumps and the crew of our machine gun was in the middle of the Russians who came to meet us. Here we should resist the assault, the leader of the machine gun, Uffz Wagner with submachine gun, the gunner Nº 1 who was comrade Kerbl with the machine gun and I (gunner Nº 2) with pistol and hand grenades.

Kerbl fell after a while and when the Uffz tried to take the machine gun was he was downed also, I threw a grenade and saw Harter, our group leader, and shouting his name I met with the rest of them. Again I came without being injured and still today I do not know how it happened. Here were laying several dead and hurt enemy soldiers.

Source: Kriegserinnerungen 1939 – 1949 aufgezeichnet von Karl Fischl.
eBay auction (item 140350914892 end time Oct-18-09 074704 PDT).

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6959
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.............

The 262 in the blitzkrieg years: 1939 to 1941.

The 262 Infanterie Division in 1941.

Malin.

When the fight was appeased a little, we could take care of our wounded men. The Uffz Wagner had received a shot in the abdomen which left a great opening on his back, whereas Kerbl received a shot by the helmet around the left ear and bled profusely by both sides of his head. The Group commander ordered to me to take the wounded up to the collecting point helped by some Russian prisoners; already in the way Wagner, feeling his end close, asked to me that I greet his wife for him.

Uffz Wagner died that very day at 16:00 hours in the Aid station and comrade Kerbl survived because the projectile had only scalped his head and he returned after 14 days.

I went back to my group that meanwhile had deployed in a ravine; we just could advance a few kilometers during the following days until we were finally stopped. We took then a position behind some shrubs in a oats field; the Soviets were about 400 meters away of us.

Source: Kriegserinnerungen 1939 – 1949 aufgezeichnet von Karl Fischl.
eBay auction (item 140350914892 end time Oct-18-09 074704 PDT).

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
A German soldier was ready to repel the enemy assault in his defensive position.
A German soldier was ready to repel the enemy assault in his defensive position.
image002.jpg (49.01 KiB) Viewed 3864 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6959
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.............

The 262 in the blitzkrieg years: 1939 to 1941.

The 262 Infanterie Division in 1941.

To Kiew.

The 262 ID remained in this uncomfortable position by space of 8 or 9 days until it could continue the advance. Here some replacements were received and the Group Harter had new faces; also other wounded soldiers, by case the comrade Kerbl, returned to our unit.

In the middle of August of 1941, the 262 ID reassumed the advance. This time, towards the great Dnieper River. There in the marshes of the Prijpet the fight was developed in the heat of the summer and the annoying mosquitos that did not give rest to the soldiers during the night. It was necessary to use the mosquito netting on the helmet.

Another unit before the 262 ID had already established a bridgehead on the other side of the river. During the night the combat engineers had constructed a bridge over the river which had there about 200 meters in width. The 262 ID crossed the water obstacle by that bridge and soon he found again a ferocious resistance. There were no haltings and every day the fight became harder and harder. The following action was the crossing of the Desna River (affluent of the Dnieper) in assault boats to establish a bridgehead and this time the troops of the 262 ID were in the first waves.

The Division reached therefore a point located to about 50 kilometers to the north of Kiew and after several days could advance more to the East, gained the environs of the Ukrainian capital. During those days several Russian divisions marched complete to the captivity since they had been surrounded and could not break through the encirclement.

Source: Kriegserinnerungen 1939 – 1949 aufgezeichnet von Karl Fischl.
eBay auction (item 140350914892 end time Oct-18-09 074704 PDT).

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Crossing of a river in the assault boats  - Russia 1941.
Crossing of a river in the assault boats - Russia 1941.
image002.jpg (15.66 KiB) Viewed 3818 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
User avatar
tigre
Patron
Posts: 6959
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2005 5:42 pm
Location: Argentina

Re: The 262 Infanterie Division during the years of the victory.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D ; the last part follows.............

The 262 in the blitzkrieg years: 1939 to 1941.

The 262 Infanterie Division in 1941.

Once finished off the encirclement, that very afternoon at 14:00 hours, the 262 ID was again in march towards the north; during the travel was spread the rumor that the Division would be transported towards France but it was only a dream. A short days later the Unit turned to the East. After several days of travelling and while the 262 ID was prepared to enjoy of some rest, at dusk it was received the order to Keep moving northwards.

Shortly after one violent storm untied and that overflowed the river that we had to cross, hence we forded it with water until the waist. It was a march of 84 kilometers without foods or even a brief rest. After marching 20 hours we arrived at a town in the middle of a wooded zone; there something of bread was distributed and the division was deployed immediately on action against the partisanos that began to shoot on the troops from edge of a forest. The irregular ones offered strong resistance but in the end they were defeated and the march continued towards the east having as the main direction Orel-Briansk.

Source: Kriegserinnerungen 1939 – 1949 aufgezeichnet von Karl Fischl.
eBay auction (item 140350914892 end time Oct-18-09 074704 PDT).

It's all folks. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
Post Reply