Hello,
i´m searching for information about my great-great-uncle. As far as i know,
he was killed somewhere in Russia and i want to know where he died and in
which battles he fought.
I got a picture of his grave. On his cross is written:
O.-Gefr. Werner Hoffmann
1. / Pz. A.A. 16
* 17.12.1906
died on 29.07.1941
E.M. 53 (What does that mean?)
Further information: On the left side of the picture is a sign nailed to a tree.
"Flak Rgt. 43"
Could you please give me some information?
Thank you very much!
Vintervald
Searching for information about my great-great-uncle!
Moderator: Tom Houlihan
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Vintervald
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- Location: Deutschland, Niederrhein
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Re: Searching for information about my great-great-uncle!
Hello vintervald!
The sign says your relative was part of the Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 16 (tank reconaissance company).
The Pz.A.A. 16 was part of the 16th Panzer Division, and the division was part of Panzergruppe I..
It faced heavy battles and got temporarily overrun in late july 1941 during the operations close to the Uman pocket battles.
During the uman pocket battles, the german 17th army and the Panzergruppe I. surrounded 20 soviet divisions,
parts of the soviet 6., 12. and 18. Army.
When the pocket was closed, The Pz.A.A. 16 together with the Kradschützenbattalion 16 (motorcycle battalion)
had to secure a front of ~30km against soviet counter attacks near the village Oratow, and on 22.7. they were overrun
by heavy soviet forces that were trying to get out of the encirclement.
Under casualties and supported by arriving Infantery, the P.A.A. 16 and Krad.Sch.Btl. 16 managed to
retreat and get not completely overrun by the soviets, but they left many vehicles.
On the 25.7. the 16. Pz. Div. stopped the soviet attack an closed the pocket again. After hard battles,
on 8. August a number of ~100.000 soviet soldiers capitulated in the pocket and were arrested.
There was also a LeFla Batterie and a LeFH Batterie (light anti air and light artillery battery) supporting the
Pz.A.A. 16. The light anti air battery was the II. from the Flak-Regiment 43 (later called Regiment General Göring).
EM means Erkennungsmarke (soldiers dogtag) in that case. The soldiers took the dogtags of dead Kameraden,
to be able to tell the place of death and place of the cemetery laters to the relatives, and the number was a help to
indentify the soldier that took the dogtag of the dead Kamerad.
Finally a picture of Pz.A.A. 16 from 1941. You see they did not use tanks, but armored cars (called Sd.Kfz.). They were usually
less armored and armed than a tank, but faster and more mobile.
The sign says your relative was part of the Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 16 (tank reconaissance company).
The Pz.A.A. 16 was part of the 16th Panzer Division, and the division was part of Panzergruppe I..
It faced heavy battles and got temporarily overrun in late july 1941 during the operations close to the Uman pocket battles.
During the uman pocket battles, the german 17th army and the Panzergruppe I. surrounded 20 soviet divisions,
parts of the soviet 6., 12. and 18. Army.
When the pocket was closed, The Pz.A.A. 16 together with the Kradschützenbattalion 16 (motorcycle battalion)
had to secure a front of ~30km against soviet counter attacks near the village Oratow, and on 22.7. they were overrun
by heavy soviet forces that were trying to get out of the encirclement.
Under casualties and supported by arriving Infantery, the P.A.A. 16 and Krad.Sch.Btl. 16 managed to
retreat and get not completely overrun by the soviets, but they left many vehicles.
On the 25.7. the 16. Pz. Div. stopped the soviet attack an closed the pocket again. After hard battles,
on 8. August a number of ~100.000 soviet soldiers capitulated in the pocket and were arrested.
There was also a LeFla Batterie and a LeFH Batterie (light anti air and light artillery battery) supporting the
Pz.A.A. 16. The light anti air battery was the II. from the Flak-Regiment 43 (later called Regiment General Göring).
EM means Erkennungsmarke (soldiers dogtag) in that case. The soldiers took the dogtags of dead Kameraden,
to be able to tell the place of death and place of the cemetery laters to the relatives, and the number was a help to
indentify the soldier that took the dogtag of the dead Kamerad.
Finally a picture of Pz.A.A. 16 from 1941. You see they did not use tanks, but armored cars (called Sd.Kfz.). They were usually
less armored and armed than a tank, but faster and more mobile.
Re: Searching for information about my great-great-uncle!
Sorry could not edit anymore. Here a few maps regarding the battles.
Tactical situation on 5th August, after pocket was closed again. I added the location of Pz.A.A. 16 on 22. July.
Map to locate the battlefield, nowadays its ukrainian territory. I marked Uman and Archangelsk.
Archangelsk was a simplified german term for that city, which is called in ukranian Nowoarchanhelsk.
Tactical situation on 5th August, after pocket was closed again. I added the location of Pz.A.A. 16 on 22. July.
Map to locate the battlefield, nowadays its ukrainian territory. I marked Uman and Archangelsk.
Archangelsk was a simplified german term for that city, which is called in ukranian Nowoarchanhelsk.
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Vintervald
- New Member
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 1:30 pm
- Location: Deutschland, Niederrhein
- Contact:
Re: Searching for information about my great-great-uncle!
Thank you a lot, that helps me very much. Maybe i got some other questions in a few days.
Greets,
Vintervald
Greets,
Vintervald