The 101. leichte Infanterie-Division was formed on 10 December 1940 in the area of Prag as a division of the 12. Aufstellungswelle, drawing roughly one-third of its personnel from the 35. Infanterie-Division along with Grenzinfanterie and various Festungseinheiten, and was initially stationed in the Protektorat Böhmen und Mähren under commanders such as General der Artillerie Erich Marcks. After a brief involvement in the Balkanfeldzug in April 1941, the division was transferred to the Ostfront and joined Heeresgruppe Süd for Unternehmen Barbarossa in June 1941, advancing from Przemysl through the Battle of Uman, the Battle of Kiev and the First Battle of Kharkov while serving successively under various Armeekorps of the 17. Armee and 6. Armee. During the winter of 1941–42 and the Second Battle of Kharkov in May 1942 it fought in the Donez basin and around Isjum, after which it was redesignated the 101. Jäger-Division on 6 July 1942 with its Infanterie-Regimenter becoming Jäger-Regiment 228 and Jäger-Regiment 229 supported by Artillerie-Regiment 85, Panzerjäger-Abteilung 101, Aufklärungs-Abteilung 101 and other Divisions-Einheiten 101. As a Jäger-Division under Generalleutnant Erich Diestel and later General der Gebirgstruppen Emil Vogel it participated in the advance toward Rostow and Maikop during the Battle of the Caucasus in the summer of 1942 before conducting a costly retreat into the Kuban-Brückenkopf in early 1943, where it suffered heavy losses against the Red Army and partisans. Evacuated across the Kerch Strait in late 1943, the division was committed to defensive fighting along the lower Dnjepr near Berislaw and Nikolajew, then formed the rearguard for the XXXXVI. Panzerkorps during the breakout from the Kamenets-Podolsky pocket in March–April 1944 while attached to the 1. Panzerarmee. After further withdrawals across the western Ukraine and fighting in the Carpathians it was transferred to Slovakia in October 1944 for the Battle of the Dukla Pass, continuing rearguard actions through Hungary and Austria under Generalleutnant Dr. Walter Assmann until reduced to Kampfgruppe strength and surrendering to American forces near Nesselbach/Rosenberg in May 1945.
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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER
Hauptmann der Reserve Josef Kult (1912-1943) was born on 20 January 1912 in Deilingen, Germany, and entered military service in 1936 with Infanterie-Regiment 56, completing two years before discharge and recall as a Reservist on 26 August 1939 to the same regiment for the Polish and French campaigns. In early 1941 he transferred to the 101. leichte Infanterie-Division, later redesignated 101. Jäger-Division, assuming leadership of the 3. Kompanie of Jäger-Regiment 228. He received the Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse on 11 August 1941 and the Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse on 15 October 1941, followed by the Ostmedaille on 16 August 1942, along with the Verwundetenabzeichen and Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen. On 28 August 1942, during the advance toward Tuapse in the western Caucasus, more than one hundred Soviet troops infiltrated the rear of the I. Bataillon of Jäger-Regiment 228 near Lyssaja mountain; as Leutnant der Reserve and Führer of the 3. Kompanie, Kult immediately launched a counterattack with only three squads, destroying the enemy force in bitter close combat and thereby eliminating a critical threat to the entire Bataillon, an action for which he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 7 October 1942. Shortly thereafter he was promoted to Oberleutnant der Reserve and continued as Chef of the 3. Kompanie. During the heavy defensive fighting in the Kuban bridgehead on 22 and 23 February 1943, Soviet forces attacked with strong strength and infiltrated German positions in the dense terrain of the Caucasus foothills; positioned south of the Kuban near Auscheds in the C-Position of the Abinskaja sector, Oberleutnant der Reserve Kult again proved the soul of the resistance through selfless and flexible leadership at the head of his Jäger until he was killed by an anti-tank round on 22 February 1943. For this final demonstration of courage he was posthumously awarded the 212th Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 15 March 1943 and promoted to Hauptmann der Reserve.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/101st_J%C3%A4ger_Division
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Jagerdivision/101JD.htm
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