Ritterkreuzträger of schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656

Schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656 was a unique Heerestruppe formation of the Wehrmacht, the only heavy tank-destroyer regiment raised during the Second World War. It was established on 8 June 1943 in Sankt Pölten from the Stab of Panzer-Regiment 35 under the command of Oberstleutnant Baron Ernst von Jungenfeld. The regiment controlled three Abteilungen: I. Abteilung (schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653) and II. Abteilung (schwere Panzerjäger-Abteilung 654), each equipped with 45 Ferdinand (later Elefant) tank destroyers mounting the 8,8 cm PaK 43/2, together with III. Abteilung (Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 216) under Major Bruno Kahl armed with Sturmpanzer IV Brummbär assault guns. Two Funklenk-Kompanien operating Borgward IV remote-controlled demolition vehicles were also attached. Deployed to the Eastern Front in June 1943, the regiment was subordinated to XXXXI. Panzerkorps of the 9. Armee for Operation Zitadelle. From 5 July it supported the 86. and 292. Infanterie-Divisionen along the Orel–Kursk railway, claiming hundreds of Soviet tanks and guns while suffering significant mechanical and combat losses. After the failure of the offensive the regiment remained in the Orel sector fighting defensive battles against the Soviet Operation Kutuzov before transferring south to the Zaporozhye and Nikopol bridgeheads. On 1 September 1943 the Abteilungen regained their independent designations, and the regimental structure was dissolved on 16 December 1943 near Nikopol; the remaining elements continued as separate units while the Stab was later used to form Panzer-Brigade 101.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


Oberstleutnant Bruno Kahl (1914-1999) was born on 23 November 1914 in Köln and died there on 27 February 1999. He entered military service in 1933 as Fahnenjunker with Kraftfahr-Abteilung 6 in Gießen, was commissioned Leutnant on 20 April 1935 and served as Nachrichten-Offizier with Panzerjäger-Abteilung 9. Promoted to Oberleutnant in 1938, he became Kompaniechef of Gebirgs-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 48 and took part in the campaigns in Polen and Norwegen. In autumn 1940 he volunteered for the Panzerwaffe and joined Panzer-Regiment 21 of the 20. Panzer-Division, rising to Hauptmann in June 1941 and later commanding its III. Abteilung. On 8 February 1943, as Hauptmann und Kommandeur of III./Panzer-Regiment 21, he received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes for distinguishing himself southeast of Toropez, where after three days of hard fighting his reinforced Abteilung sealed the last exit from a Soviet pocket through a bold thrust launched on his own initiative. In April 1943 he assumed command of Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 216, designated III./Panzerjäger-Regiment 656 within the newly formed schweres Panzerjäger-Regiment 656. For his outstanding leadership of this Brummbär-equipped unit in support of the 86. Infanterie-Division during the Battle of Kursk and the subsequent fighting around Orel, he was awarded the Eichenlaub (270th recipient) on 8 August 1943 as Major. After serving as an instructor with the Bulgarian army and commanding a Panther training course, he took over Panzer-Regiment Großdeutschland in late 1944, was promoted to Oberstleutnant on 1 January 1945, was wounded for the eighth time in April, and entered American captivity near Dachstein, from which he was released in June 1945. In civilian life he later became a director of Bayer AG.

Source :
http://www.old.axishistory.com/list-all-categories/154-germany-heer/heer-regimenter/4483-schwere-panzerjaeger-regiment-656
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