which german units were in Rhodes?

[Ozgur Budak]

I have a german binocular which once belonged to a german colonel stationed in Rhodes in the ww2. I dont have much knowledge on the occupation of Greek islands. Which units were occupying Rhodes? I guess they were Italians but were they any german units as well?

Another point. it seems there was fight between Italian troops and Germans in Rhodes on the last days of the WW2. any info about this as well?

Thanks
Ozgur

[Howard]

Merhaba,

All I can find is that there was a Strumdivision Rhodos under Heeresgruppe E. It comprised the following units:

Sturm-Regiment "Rhodos"

Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 999

Panzer-Abteilung "Rhodos"

IV./Artillerie-Regiment 999

Fla-Kompanie "Rhodos"

Pionier-Kompanie 999

Panzer-Nachrichten-Kompanie "Rhodos"

Versorgungseinheiten 999


Commander Generalleutnant Kleeman 28 May to 9 October 1944.

HTH

[asiaticus]

German Aegean OB August 1944
The below OB shows the German forces left in the Aegean after the general German withdrawal from Greece and the southern Balkans.

Order of Battle
On Kalymnos - CO of the island was Hptm Albrecht Weiss
2./XI./999 - Hptm WEISS

On Tilos
?./IX./999.
Later the
3./VI./999 - Hptm JENNINGER

On Milos - CO of the island was KKpt Kuhn
4./1011 - Olt KNAUER
1 (improved) MArtBt

On Leros - CO Obst Koschella
Stb/FestIR 986
IX./999
MArtA 624(KKpt HUFSCHMIDT)
HS-Fl „Leros“

On Kos - CO Obstlt Ruf
Stb/FestIR 967
XI./999
parts of the ArtA 960

On Rhodes
PzGrenBrig „Rhodos“ - GenLt Otto Wagener
4 PzGrenB (each 2-3 Kp) from different FestIB 999
1 PzA (3 Kp)
1 PzAA (3 Kp) from PzAA 999
1 ArtA (3 Bt) from IV./ArtA 999
1 PiLdgB(Hptm BUNTE) (3 Kp) from 3./PiB 999; 3./LdgPiB 86(Olt BIGGEMANN); LdgPiKp 780(Hptm BUNTE);
6.I-BootGrp/15.Ldg-Fl - Lt z.S. Berger
Heeres-Fl „Rhodos“ - in all some 30 boats
KJgKp „Rhodos“ - Olt Bertermann
HKArtR 627 with 18 Bt,
HS-Fl „Dodekanes“ - Kptlt Brachvogel

On Crete
FestD 133 - GenLt Klepp
GrenR 733 (I./ & II./)
GrenR 746 (II./ & III./)
ArtR 619 (I./ & II.[Geb]/)
PiB 133
NA 133
......133
PzA „Kreta“/212 (2 Kp) - from 5./PzR 31 & captured British & Italian tanks
HKArtR „Kreta“ (I./ II./ & III.)
MArtA 520 (5 Bt)
MGrenB „Kreta“ - personal from 2 dissolved MArtBt & other navy soldiers
KS-Fl „Kreta“
LwGrenB „Kreta“ - personal from LuNA „Kreta“ & other airforce soldiers




Sturm-Regiment "Rhodos" was sent to aid in the defense of Belgrade either in Sept or early Oct. 1944 and was with Kampfgruppe Wittman that was destroyed mostly destroyed in late Oct. 1944 SE of Belgrade.

[asiaticus]

I was sent this info a while back when researching German oob in the Balkan area.



RHODOS STURM DIVISION Formed on 5/31/43 on Rhodes with part of the 22nd Infantry Division and the Crete
Fortress Brigade. When organized the division contained:

-----1/,2/,3/Rhodos Sturm Regiment
----------Infantry Gun Company
----------(mot) Panzerjager Company
-----999th Reconnaissance Battalion
----------Staff, light armored car company & heavy
---------------armored car company
-----Rhodos Panzerjager Battalion
----------Staff, staff company, medium panzer company,
---------- (former 92nd)sturmgeschutz battery,
----------(former Rhodos) (motZ) panzerjager company
-----4/999th Artillery Regiment (motZ)
----------Staff, staff battery, 3 105mm leFH batteries,
----------& Rhodos self-propelled flak company
-----999th (tmot) Pioneer Company (former 3/999th Pioneer Company)




OKH records show that in September 1943 the division was organized and equipped as follows:
Division Staff
----------1 Division Staff
----------1 Motorcycle Platoon (2 80mm mortars, 3 light anti-tank
---------------rifles, 4 HMGs, and 18 LMGs)
Rhodos Infantry Regiment
----------1 Regimental Staff (former Staff/440th Grenadier Regiment)
----------1 Regimental Staff Company
---------------1 Signals Platoon
---------------1 Pioneer Platoon (3 LMGs)
---------------1 Motorcycle Platoon
----------1 (mot) Pioneer Platoon (3 LMGs & 1 heavy anti-tank rifle)
-----1st Battalion: (former 1/440th Grenadier Regiment)
----------3 Grenadier Companies (3 HMGs, 12 LMGS, 3 light anti-tank rifles, & 3 50mm mortars)
----------1 Machine Gun Company (12 HMGs & 6 50mm mortars)
-----2nd Battalion: (former 2/440th Grenadier Regiment)
----------3 Grenadier Companies (3 HMGs, 12 LMGS, 3 light anti-tank rifles, & 3 50mm mortars)(one on bicycles)
----------1 Machine Gun Company (12 HMGs & 6 50mm mortars)
-----3rd Battalion:
----------3 (tmot) Grenadier Companies (3 HMGs, 12 LMGS, 2 150mm sIG, rifles, & 2 80mm mortars)
----------1 (mot) Machine Gun Company (12 HMGs, 2 150mm sIG, & 3 80mm mortars)
-----13th (Infantry Gun) Company:
----------(2 150mm sIG & 6 75mm leIG)
-----14th (Panzerjager) Company (former 14th Co/440th Grenadier Regiment) (12 75mm PAK 40)
Rhodos Panzer Troop:
----------1 (motZ) Panzerjager Company (former Rhodos Panzerjager Company)(9 75mm PAK 40 & 6 LMGs)
----------1 Medium Panzer Company (15 Pz III Tanks)
----------1 Sturmgeschutz Company (15 StuG)
999th Reconnaissance Battalion:
----------1st Armored Car Company (24 LMGs & 18 20mm guns)
----------1 Armored Car Platoon (75mm guns)
----------2nd (mot) Company (2 80mm mortars, 3 heavy anti-tank rifles, 4 HMGs, and 18 LMGs)
----------3rd (mot) Company
---------------1 Pioneer Platoon (3 LMGs)
---------------1 (mot) Panzerj?ger Platoon (3 75mm PAK 40 & 3 LMGs)
---------------1 Signals Platoon
----------4th (motZ) Panzerj?ger Company (12 75mm PAK 40 & 12 LMGs)
Self Propelled Flak Company: (12-20mm flak guns)
4/999th Artillery Regiment:
----------1 Battalion Staff & (mot) Staff Battery
----------1 (motZ) Battery (4 150mm sFH & 2 LMGs)
----------1 (motZ) Batteries (4 105mm leFH & 2 LMGs ea)
----------1 (motZ) Batteries (4 105mm leFH & 2 LMGs ea)
999th (tmot) Pioneer Company: (former 3/999th Pioneer Battalion)
----------(9 LMGs, 3 heavy anti-tank rifles, 3 50mm PAK 38 & 6 flamethrowers)
Rhodos Panzer Signals Company: (former 657th Radio Company)
----------(16 LMGs)
999th Supply Troops:
----------1/999th (mot) 90 ton Transportation Company
----------999th (mot) Supply Company
The units were later renamed and the division had:

-----Rhodos Grenadier Regiment
-----Rhodos Fusilier Battalion------
-----Rhodos Panzer Battalion
-----Rhodos Flak Company
-----Rhodos Pioneer Company-----
------Rhodos Signals Company-----

Field returns dated from 15 August 1944 show the division with the following organization and equipment:
-----1/,2/,3/Rhodes (tmot) Grenadier Regiment
-----13th Infantry Gun Company (2 150mm sIG & 6 75mm leIG)
-----14th Panzerj?ger Company (9 75mm PAK 40)
-----Rhodos (mot) Fusilier Battalion
-----Rhodes Panzer Battalion
----------Staff Company (3 Pz III K tanks)
----------1st Sturmgesch?tz Company (13 75mm StuG & 3 105mm StuG)
----------2nd Panzer Company (15 Pz IV Tanks)
----------3rd Panzerj?ger Company (10 75mm PAK 40)
-----999th Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion
----------1st Light Armored Car Company
---------------1 Platoon (10 armored cars with 20mm guns)
---------------1 Platoon (6 armored cars with 75mm guns)
----------2nd (mot) Company
----------3rd (mot) Company (3 75mm (motZ) PAK 40)
----------4th (motZ) Company (12 75mm PAK 40)
-----4/999th (motZ) Artillery Regiment
----------3rd (motZ) Battery (4 105mm leFH)
----------4th (motZ) Battery (3 152mm Russian guns)
----------5th (motZ) Battery (4 105mm leFH)
----------6th (motZ) Battery (4 150mm sFH)
-----Rhodes (mot) Pioneer Company
-----999th (mot) Pioneer Company
-----999th Supply Troop
----------1/,2/999th (mot) 90 ton Transportation Companies


On 10/17/44 part of the division was detached to Belgrade where it was absorbed into the Brandenburg
Panzer Grenadier Division. The Rhodos Fusilier Battalion was also sent to the 41st Infantry Division.
The division was ordered disbanded on 10/17/44 and incorporated into the Brandenburg Panzer Grenadier
Division.

[Jan]

Is this Information of Nafzinger Book??

Jan

[asiaticus]

Maybe. It is so very detailed.

I got it from someone over the net when researching the Germans Balkan oob for a project I was working on. I dont know the original source, but the person I got if from was very knowledgeable and it seems in line with the other oob for the later Agean forces above that comes from a website:

http://www.geocities.com/kumbayaaa/gero ... i1944.html

Article on the later German activity in the Aegean:
http://www.geocities.com/kumbayaaa/gerw ... n4445.html


It would seem from this that the Sturm Rgt escaped the Wittman debacle
when it was sent to the Brandenburg Division.

[NicolasEll]

Hi,

Thanks for the interesting info on the Gliedreung of Rhodos units.
Would you know whether the Sturmdivision Rhodos included the units stationed in the island of Paros from March 1943 to Summer 1944?

Thanks

Nicolas

[asiaticus]

No dont know about that.

[Lupo Solitario]

for the rest, it should be reminded that Rhodes had been an italian territory since 1912 and had an italian administration and garrison til september 1943 when it surrended (in a quite unclear way) to germans. After that an italian contingent was incorporated in whermacht garrison without any consequences for the rest of the war

[tigre]

Hello to all ; taken advantage of this old thread.........

1. Sturmgechütz Pz Abteilung Rhodos 1943..............

Source: Orig.Foto Panzer Tank Stug Sturmgeschütz Abteilung Rhodos Wappen 1943. eBay auction.

Any info regarding this unit will be fully appreciated. Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; taken advantage of this old thread.........

Panzer-spähwagen in Rhodes (allegedly)..............

Source: http://www.ebay.de/itm/LE52-Sd-Kfz-251- ... rmvSB=true
http://www.ebay.de/itm/SB1-Panzer-Spahw ... 51ad2bd32e.

Cheers. Raúl M

[NicolasEll]

Great pictures, it is sometimes amazing what one can find on Ebay! Any idea of the unit? Date?
Thx

[tigre]

Hello to all ; Nicolás, could be from Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 999 of Sturm-Division Rhodos (May 1943 - October 1944). Cheers. Raúl M .

[Alanmccoubrey]

Am I the only one who thinks that is an SdKfz 250/9 and not a 222 ? Given that I am correct this photograph cannot have been taken on Rhodes as no units on Rhodes had the 250/9.
Further, are there many railways on Rhodes ? The SdKfz 250/9 photograph is of vehicles on a train.

[tigre]

OK Alan good point....Cheers. Raúl M .

PS: Do not trust in eBay captions ja, ja.........................