The 137. Infanterie-Division was formed on 10 October 1940 at Truppenübungsplatz Döllersheim as part of the 11. Welle (wave) of the Wehrmacht, drawing personnel primarily from replacement units in the Krumau area, and was structured as a standard infantry division with Grenadier-Regimenter 447, 448, and 449, Artillerie-Regiment 137, Pionier-Bataillon 137, Panzerjäger-Abteilung 137, and supporting reconnaissance, signals, and supply elements. Under initial command of Generalleutnant Friedrich Bergmann, it first entered combat during Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 as part of Army Group Centre, advancing through the Białowieża Forest and participating in the push toward Orscha and the Smolensk region, where it faced intense Soviet resistance in dense woodlands and conducted blocking actions against retreating enemy forces. Throughout 1941 and 1942, the division remained on the central sector of the Eastern Front, enduring heavy defensive fighting around the Dnieper River, participating in operations near Vyazma and Rzhev during the winter crises, and suffering significant attrition from Soviet counteroffensives, partisan activity, and harsh weather conditions. By mid-1943, cumulative losses had reduced its strength dramatically, leading to the consolidation into only two grenadier regiments and a division battalion by November 1943; it was subsequently withdrawn from the line, officially disbanded on 2 November 1943, with its remaining troops reorganized into Division Group 137 subordinated to Korps-Abteilung E under Army Group Centre, while its staff was repurposed for the 271. Infanterie-Division. Commanders included notable figures such as Hans Kamecke and Egon von Neindorff in its final phases, and the unit's history exemplified the grinding attrition faced by German infantry formations on the Ostfront, contributing to key holding actions but ultimately succumbing to the unsustainable manpower demands of prolonged warfare.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EICHENLAUBTRÄGER
Major Karl-Heinz Noak (1916-1978) was a highly decorated officer in the Wehrmacht during World War II who later served as an Oberst in the Bundeswehr. Born in Berlin, he joined the Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 3 in October 1936 and was commissioned Leutnant in Panzerabwehr-Abteilung 4 by April 1939, later serving as Zugführer in the 2./Panzerjäger-Abteilung 46 of the 44. Infanterie-Division. He earned the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 5 August 1940 for extraordinary bravery and prudent leadership during the Battle of France, when his actions were crucial in securing a bridgehead across the Loire River at Beaugency using the still-intact bridge. Under the heaviest enemy fire, Noak advanced metre by metre with his Pak gun across the bridge, then launched a bold thrust on the opposite bank with a strong patrol, capturing a bitterly defending French company along with numerous machine guns, anti-tank guns, and a field gun—an achievement of decisive importance for operations on the southern bank in mid-June 1940. Transferred to the Eastern Front with the 137. Infanterie-Division, Noak, now Oberleutnant and Chef of the 1./Panzerjäger-Abteilung 137, received the Eichenlaub (63rd award) on 16 January 1942 for his outstanding leadership on 26–27 June 1941 near Białowieża. Tasked with blocking the sole Soviet retreat road through dense forests with his lead company from Pionier-Bataillon 137, reinforced by troops from Infanterie-Regiment 448, his unit faced the main Soviet withdrawal alone due to a positioning error. Acting as a lone wave breaker amid the flow of retreating forces, Noak's company held firm in intense combat through his exemplary command, preventing the enemy breakout and contributing significantly to the division's advance. He later commanded schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 654, earning the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 6 January 1945, and survived the war to continue his military career in the postwar Bundeswehr until his death in Koblenz.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/137th_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)
No comments:
Post a Comment