216. Fahrschwadron?

[Alex Dekker]

A pity: I can check the complete 216. ID, I got both Tessin and Jenner about the division. Tessin mentioned the 216 Fahrschwadron as part of the 216. ID in Hannover, but without anything else. All I can find is the unit did exist. So far, not so good. Anyone got tips were to look for this Schwadron? My grandfather was drafted April 1 1940 and transferred to this Schwadron. But in August 1940 he was in the 267. ID, Regiment 497.

So were was this 216. Fahrschwadron? What kind of unit was this? Were were they stationed? My guess is in Hannover, so far. Anything will help. Thanks.

[Alanmccoubrey]

Alex, it bacame part of Aufklärungs-Abteilung 216 on 15th February 1940 according to Lexikon der Wehrmacht. With it being a bicycle unit the proper name would have been Radfahr Schwadron would it not ?

[Alex Dekker]

No, without 'Rad', though I made a mistake, it was Fahr Ersatz Schwadron 216. Nothing about this one in Tessin or Jenner.

[hero.]

Hi Alex and Allen !

As the Fahr-Ersatz-Schwadron 216 is a replacement and training unit, you can find
it in a Gliederung of the Ersatzheer (and as it is company-sized unit, it will not
show up in Tessin. In which cases they named Fahr-units Schwadron and when Kompanie,
I still don't understand ).

A Fahr-Ersatz-unit would train personnel for a horsedrawn supply-column.
Usually this would be done in a separate Fahr-Ersatz-Abteilung, which would train the
"Fahr"-personnel of the whole Wehrkreis and then distribute it to the several different units.

A company sized Ersatz-unit would typicllay have the number of the Ersatz-Rgt., to which it
was subordinated (seen scan : e.g. Inf.PzJg.-Ersatz-Kp. 267 would be expected under command
of Inf.Ers.Rgt 267, Quedlinburg, part of Div.Nr. 191, and it is !).
In the corresponding Gliederungen of the Ersatzheer from March or Oktober 1940, I could only find
a Fahr-Ersatz-Kompanie 267, however this was located in Hannover and subordinated to Div.Nr. 171,
as was the Inf.Ers.-Rgt 216, HQ Northeim.

Infanterie-Ersatz-Regiment 267 would supply replacements for 267. Inf.Div. This seems to be the connection.

Maybe, Fahrschwadron 216/267 was somehow attached to Fahr- und Nachschubschule Hannover ?!
(But I think the handwriting says Fahr-E.R. 19 ?!? )
But why an extra unit in this case ( I couldn't find a similar one) ?
Why are the numbers (267 <-> 216) and designations (Kp. <-> Schwadron ) different ?
All a bit mysterious. One Gliederung is from mid March, 1940, the other from October 1940, so the date,
when your grandfather was drafted, is inbetween. (Both Gliederungen at sturmpanzer, T78 R403)

Hope that helps a bit. A final question : Which book is Jenner ?

Best regards,
hero.

[Alex Dekker]

Thanks Hero, it takes away a bit of the mist. I figured too my granddad had to do something with horses, because of the 'Fahr'. The history of the Regiment 497 (part of the 267. ID) is clear enough, but nothing about personal which was transferred from the 216. ID. Martin Jenner, Die niedersächsiche 216./272. Infanterie-Division 1939-1945 (the book is reprinted, first print 1964), doens't mention a thing about transfers from the 216. to the 267. ID.

Bottomline, I know when my Granddad was drafted and when he entered the Regiment 497. But why? No clue at all.

[hero.]

Hi Alex !

I did see your reply and had a longer look at those Gliederungen ...
and now I found Fahr-Ersatz-Schwadron 216 as part of Fahr-Ersatz-Abteilung 11.
I completely overlooked this unit ! Sorry for causing some unnecessary confusion .

So it seems, that each Inf.-Regiment had its own Fahr-Schwadron/Kp. within
Fahr-Ersatz-Abt. 11 and Fahr-Kp. 276 is listed separately simply because it is
subordinated to Div.Nr. 191 ! No more confusion on the numbers.

And from the data you gave, I see no other reason to be confused.
Your grandfather was drafted to Fahr-Ers.schw. 216 and then he would receive
his basic military training as every infanterist and in addition some specialized
training to qualify him for his job.

After 4 month his training was finished (I think, a common timeframe at that time)
and only then he would be assigned to a field-unit. For the soldiers in Fahr-Ers.-Schw. 216
this often might have been the 216. Div., but not necessarily. Others might have come
to any other unit of WK XI and, perhaps even to a Heerestruppen-supply-unit, depending
on the actual needs.

Sorry again, for my mistake and best regards ,
hero.

[Alex Dekker]

Wow! Problem solved, I guess!

The same happened when he was trained as a Sani: first transferred to Bernburg (Regiment 497!), then trained as a Sani and transferred to the 347. ID, since after the training in Blankenburg and Bückeburg he could be placed anywhere, just like after the training within the Fahr Ersatz Schwadron 216. Nice work, thanks a lot.

[Alex Dekker]

According to Tessin:

Fahr-Ers.Abt. 11 * 26. 8.1939 in H a n n o v e r , WK XI aus der Friedenstruppe Fahr-Abt. 24;
Okt. 1942 geteilt; April 1943 vereinigt als Fahr-Ers. u. Ausb.Abt. 11.

U: Div. 171; 1.10.1942 Div. 471

Band 3, page 211.

Intersting, in so far for me for April 1. - August 1940, so the Unterstellung and splitting up is for me of no concern.