Ritterkreuzträger of 32. Infanterie-Division (Pommersche Division)

The 32. Infanterie-Division, also known as the Pommersche Division due to its recruiting base in Pomerania, was formed on 1 October 1936 in Köslin within Wehrkreis II under the initial command of Generalleutnant Nikolaus von Falkenhorst as a standard first-wave infantry formation consisting of Infanterie-Regimenter 4, 94, and 136, Artillerie-Regiment 32, along with reconnaissance, anti-tank, engineer, and supply units typical of the Wehrmacht's Heer. Mobilized on 1 August 1939, it participated in the invasion of Poland as part of the Fourth Army, advancing rapidly from the border near Preußisch Friedland to the Vistula River at Kulm, crossing the Drewenz at Gollup, encircling Modlin Fortress, and contributing to operations around Warsaw-Praga. In 1940 it fought in the Battle of France, crossing the Meuse at Givet, pushing through Belgian and French defenses to Cambrai, La Bassée, and Lille while overcoming resistance from North African and British units, then advancing across the Somme and Seine rivers toward the Loire near Nantes during Fall Rot, before relocating to the Cotentin Peninsula in preparation for the canceled Operation Sea Lion. Transferred to East Prussia in October 1940 and slightly reorganized with transfers to other divisions, it joined Operation Barbarossa in 1941 as part of Army Group North, seeing heavy action in the northern sector before becoming trapped in the Demyansk Pocket in the winter of 1941-1942 alongside other units, enduring encirclement and supply shortages until relief, after which several battalions were disbanded due to casualties. The division continued defensive operations in the Demjansk and Staraja Russa areas, later withdrawing to the Courland Pocket in 1944-1945 where it engaged in desperate battles against Soviet forces, before being evacuated by the Kriegsmarine and finally surrendering on the Hel Peninsula on 8 May 1945 under commanders including notable figures such as Wilhelm Wegener and Hans Boeckh-Behrens, having exemplified the endurance and attrition faced by German infantry divisions on the Eastern Front throughout the war.

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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (1895-1944) was a highly decorated German officer who rose through the ranks of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War, ultimately commanding major formations on the Eastern Front before his death in action. Born in Trebatsch, Brandenburg, Wegener served in the First World War with Grenadier-Regiment Graf Gneisenau (Pommersches Nr. 2) Nr. 9, was taken prisoner by the British in 1916, and later joined the Reichswehr, advancing steadily to become Adjutant of the 32. Infanterie-Division by the late 1930s. At the outbreak of war he served as Adjutant of the II. Armeekorps before assuming command of Infanterie-Regiment 94 of the 32. Infanterie-Division in July 1940. During Operation Barbarossa with Heeresgruppe Nord, his regiment distinguished itself in heavy fighting; on 24 July 1941, when three Soviet divisions struck the division’s left flank at dawn while it was in marching formation, Wegener’s men repelled the main assault and then hunted down infiltrating enemy groups in fierce forest battles, saving the divisional staff from being overrun. Further successes during the attack on Cholm, the defense of its bridgehead, and defensive operations east of Demyansk earned him the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 27 October 1941 as Oberst and commander of Infanterie-Regiment 94. In early 1942, with his regiment encircled in the Kessel von Demjansk, Wegener led a determined counterattack in the Watolino sector after Soviet forces captured Medyanki; using Bataillon Stuppi he recaptured the village in bitter house-to-house fighting on 15 January 1942, destroying a Soviet regiment and preventing a breakthrough that would have isolated Infanterie-Regiment 418, actions that brought him the 66th Eichenlaub on 19 January 1942 while still an Oberst. Promoted through Generalmajor and Generalleutnant, he briefly commanded the 32. Infanterie-Division before taking charge of the L. Armeekorps in September 1943 as General der Infanterie, leading it through grueling withdrawal battles from the Leningrad front across the Luga and Pleskau to Livland. In August and September 1944, as commander of the Wegener group comprising the L., X. Armee and VI. SS-Armee-Korps, he masterfully repelled repeated Soviet attacks in the Modohn area and stabilized the frontline, feats recognized with the 97th Schwerter on 17 September 1944. Just days later, on 24 September 1944 near Wolmar (Valmiera), Latvia, General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener was killed by Soviet ground-attack aircraft while returning from the front to his headquarters; Berlin radio announced his “hero’s death” on the Eastern Front two days afterward.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/32nd_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)

Bio of General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (1895-1944)

Full name: Wilhelm Wegener  
Nickname: No known nickname

Date of birth: 29.04.1895 - Trebatsch, Kreis Beeskow-Storkow, Brandenburg (German Empire)
Date of death: 24.09.1944 - Near Wolmar an der Düna, Valmiera (Latvia)

Religion: Protestant (Evangelisch)  
Parents: Father Pastor Paul Wegener, Mother Gertrud Wegener née Fischer  
Siblings: No known siblings  
Spouse: Paula Emilie Sophie Haberlandt (married on 18 October 1921, daughter of the late manor owner Walter Siegfried Karl Haberlandt from Beelitz-Schwochow)  
Children: Bernd-Wilhelm Wegener (born 7 August 1922), Jochen Wegener (born 11 July 1926), Immo Wegener (born 5 April 1937)  

Promotions:  
00.00.1914 Kadett
02.08.1914 Fahnenjunker (Fähnrich)  
19.01.1915 Leutnant (seniority 01.09.1915)  
31.07.1925 Oberleutnant (seniority 01.04.1925)  
01.02.1930 Hauptmann (18)  
01.11.1935 Major (39)  
01.10.1938 Oberstleutnant (6)  
01.09.1941 Oberst (41, later backdated to 01.10.1940)  
01.06.1942 Generalmajor (18b)  
01.03.1943 Generalleutnant (3)  
01.12.1943 General der Infanterie (5)

Career:  
29.04.1895-1914 Childhood and school years in Trebatsch, Brandenburg  
02.08.1914 Entered the Prussian Army as Fahnenjunker with the Ersatz-Bataillon of the 2. Pommersches Colbergsches Grenadier-Regiment "Graf Gneisenau" Nr. 9 in Stargard  
Autumn 1914 Front service on the Eastern Front  
1915-1916 Front service on the Western Front  
Summer 1916 Captured by British forces during an assault, held in captivity until late 1918  
20.12.1918 Returned to Germany  
30.03.1919 Served with Freiwilligen-Bataillon Kolberg in border protection  
01.10.1920 Transferred to the Reichswehr as company officer in Infanterie-Regiment 4  
18.10.1921 Married Paula Emilie Sophie Haberlandt  
1922-1935 Various company and staff officer positions in Infanterie-Regiment 4, including adjutant and regimental signals officer  
01.10.1934 Regimental adjutant of Infanterie-Regiment Stargard  
15.10.1935 Adjutant of Infanterie-Regiment 25  
06.10.1936 Division adjutant of the 32. Infanterie-Division  
01.11.1939 Staff officer at Generalkommando II. Armeekorps  
01.07.1940 Commander of Infanterie-Regiment 94 of the 32. Infanterie-Division  
01.06.1942 Commander of the 32. Infanterie-Division (in the Demjansk Pocket)  
27.06.1943 Transferred to the OKH Führerreserve  
17.09.1943 Temporary command of L. Armeekorps  
01.12.1943 Commanding General of L. Armeekorps (later Korpsgruppe Wegener)  
1944 Defensive battles from the Leningrad area via Luga and Pskov to Livland  

Awards and Decorations:  
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse 1914
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse 1914
Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz 1918
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 2. Klasse (26 September 1939)
Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz 1. Klasse (29 May 1940)
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen (26 November 1941)
Demjanskschild
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #627 (27 October 1941) as Oberst and Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division. On 24 July 1941, while the division was advancing in marching formation, three Soviet divisions suddenly struck its exposed left flank at dawn. The main assault was repelled, but Soviet infiltrators slipped between the German columns and threatened to overrun the divisional staff. Wegener immediately directed his regiment into savage close-quarters forest battles, hunting down and destroying the enemy groups one by one until the danger was eliminated and the staff was saved. His regiment continued to distinguish itself in the late 1941 battles of the 16. Armee, particularly in the attack on Cholm, the stubborn defense of the bridgehead there, and the desperate defensive combats east of Demyansk.
Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber (17 January 1942)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #66 (19 January 1942) as Oberst and Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division. He received the award for his heroic actions in the Demjansk Pocket in January 1942. When the Soviets launched a powerful attack in the Watolino sector and captured the village of Medyanki, Wegener personally led a counterattack with Bataillon Stuppi. In brutal house-to-house fighting that raged through the streets and buildings, his men clawed their way forward under intense fire, ejecting the enemy and securing the village by late afternoon on 15 January 1942. In the process they annihilated an entire Soviet regiment and prevented a further breakthrough to the north that would have cut off the neighboring Infanterie-Regiment 418, thereby holding the pocket together during one of its most critical moments.
Medaille Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42 (24 July 1942)
Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class (29 March 1943)  
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #97 (17 September 1944) as General der Infanterie and Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps. Wegener earned award for his masterful defensive leadership in the summer of 1944. Throughout August and September his corps repelled wave after wave of Soviet attacks in the Modohn area. When he assumed command of the larger Korpsgruppe Wegener, which included the L., X. Army, and VI. SS-Armee-Korps, he repeatedly stabilized the crumbling front during the difficult withdrawal from the Leningrad sector through Luga and Pskov toward Livland, preventing a complete collapse under relentless enemy pressure.
Only days after receiving the Swords on 17 September 1944, Wilhelm Wegener was killed on 24 September 1944 by a Soviet ground-attack aircraft while traveling to his army group headquarters near Wolmar in Latvia. He was regarded as an experienced, calm, and resolute leader whose regiments and corps stood firm in the most critical situations of the Eastern Front.
Mention in the Wehrmacht Communiqué (26 September 1944)

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Wilhelm Wegener was a German general of infantry who served in the Wehrmacht during World War II and became one of the most highly decorated officers on the Eastern Front. Born on 29 April 1895 in the small Brandenburg village of Trebatsch as the son of Protestant pastor Paul Wegener and his wife Gertrud née Fischer he rose steadily through the ranks from a young Fahnenjunker in the First World War to command large formations in the desperate defensive battles of 1944. A recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords he was known among his troops for his calm resolve and tactical skill under extreme pressure. Wegener led Infantry Regiment 94 and later the 32nd Infantry Division through the brutal fighting around Lake Ilmen and the Demyansk Pocket before taking charge of L Army Corps and the ad hoc Korpsgruppe Wegener during the Soviet summer offensives in the Baltic states. He was killed in action on 24 September 1944 near Wolmar in Latvia when Soviet ground-attack aircraft strafed his vehicle en route to army group headquarters only a week after receiving the Swords.

Wegener's military career began abruptly with the outbreak of the First World War. On 2 August 1914 he entered the Prussian Army as a Fahnenjunker with the replacement battalion of the 2nd Pomeranian Colberg Grenadier Regiment Graf Gneisenau Number 9 stationed in Stargard. By autumn he was at the front on the Eastern Front and later transferred to the Western Front where he saw heavy combat. In the summer of 1916 during a violent assault he was captured by British forces and spent more than two years in prisoner-of-war camps until his release at the end of 1918. He returned to Germany on 20 December 1918 and immediately joined the Freiwilligen-Bataillon Kolberg for border-protection duties in the chaotic postwar period. These early experiences of frontline fighting capture and survival in captivity shaped his later reputation as a steady and resourceful infantry leader who understood the harsh realities of prolonged combat.

After the war Wegener built a solid professional foundation in the small Reichswehr army. Transferred on 1 October 1920 as a company officer to Infantry Regiment 4 he progressed through successive roles including adjutant battalion signals officer and regimental communications officer while also completing specialized courses in machine guns and communications. He married Paula Emilie Sophie Haberlandt on 18 October 1921 the daughter of a deceased manor owner from Beelitz-Schwochow and the couple raised three sons Bernd-Wilhelm born in 1922 Jochen born in 1926 and Immo born in 1937 one of whom later served as a paratrooper. Promotions came methodically to Oberleutnant in 1925 Hauptmann in 1930 Major in 1935 and Oberstleutnant in 1938 during which time he served as division adjutant of the 32nd Infantry Division in Köslin. By the outbreak of the Second World War he was an experienced staff officer with deep knowledge of infantry organization and training.

Wegener's first combat assignments in the new war came as division adjutant of the 32nd Infantry Division during the Polish campaign in 1939 followed by service as a staff officer with II Army Corps in the French campaign of 1940 where he earned clasps to both classes of the Iron Cross. On 1 July 1940 he assumed command of Infantry Regiment 94 still part of the 32nd Infantry Division. Promoted to Oberst in September 1941 he led the regiment into the opening phases of Operation Barbarossa with 16th Army of Army Group North. His unit quickly proved its mettle in fast-moving advances and sudden defensive crises across the vast Russian terrain demonstrating the kind of aggressive yet disciplined leadership that would later earn him Germany's highest decorations.

The action that secured Wegener the Knight's Cross on 27 October 1941 as the 627th recipient unfolded on 24 July 1941 when three Soviet divisions struck the exposed left flank of the 32nd Infantry Division at dawn while it marched in column. Although the main enemy assault was thrown back Soviet infiltrators slipped between the German formations and threatened to overrun the divisional staff in the dense forests. Wegener instantly swung his regiment into savage close-quarters combat hunting down the scattered enemy groups one by one through thick undergrowth and sudden ambushes. His men cleared the woods yard by yard eliminating the infiltrators and saving the staff from destruction. Later that autumn the regiment excelled again in the attack on Cholm the stubborn defense of the bridgehead there and the desperate holding actions east of Demyansk where Wegener's leadership kept the line intact amid relentless Soviet pressure.

Wegener received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 19 January 1942 as the 66th recipient for his regiment's critical role inside the Demyansk Pocket. In the Watolino sector Soviet forces had seized the village of Medyanki and threatened to split the German lines. Wegener personally directed a counterattack with Battalion Stuppi launching his troops into bitter house-to-house fighting that raged through snow-covered streets ruined buildings and icy courtyards under intense artillery and small-arms fire. By late afternoon on 15 January 1942 the village was recaptured an entire Soviet regiment annihilated and the threatened breakthrough to the north halted just in time to prevent the isolation of neighboring Infantry Regiment 418. These actions helped stabilize the pocket during one of its darkest moments and earned Wegener promotion to Generalmajor in June 1942 when he took full command of the 32nd Infantry Division still trapped inside the encirclement.

After further promotion to Generalleutnant in March 1943 and General der Infanterie in December 1943 Wegener assumed command of L Army Corps in September 1943. In the summer of 1944 he led the larger Korpsgruppe Wegener comprising L Army Corps X Army Corps and VI SS Army Corps during the chaotic withdrawal from the Leningrad sector through Luga and Pskov toward Livland. His corps repeatedly repelled massed Soviet attacks in the Modohn area throughout August and September 1944 stabilizing collapsing sectors and preventing a complete breakthrough despite overwhelming enemy numbers and relentless pressure. For this outstanding defensive leadership he was awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves on 17 September 1944 as the 97th recipient. Tragically only seven days later while traveling to army group headquarters near Wolmar his vehicle was attacked by Soviet ground-attack aircraft and Wegener was killed instantly on 24 September 1944. He was buried with military honors in Riga two days later and his death was announced in the Wehrmacht communiqué praising a hero's death on the Eastern Front. Throughout his career Wegener was remembered by comrades as an experienced calm and resolute commander whose personal courage and tactical judgment enabled his units to hold firm in the most critical and hopeless situations of the long war in the East.

Info regarding Wegener's death from KTB (Kriegstagebuch) of L. Armeekorps: "11:30 a.m. The commanding officer is en route from the 21st Infantry Division to the intermediate command post at Rubene. In the distance, he sees Rubene burning and his own Stuka attack against the Rubene area. He then turns around and drives north back towards Varnas. Near Rumbeni, the vehicle fails to stop in time during a low-level air attack; it is no longer possible to take cover. The commanding officer is severely wounded and dies a short time later. The accompanying first order officer, Oberleutnant der Reserve Kleinfeldt, is also killed. The driver and accompanying motorcycle messenger remain unharmed. The two bodies are recovered and transported to the prisoner-of-war camp in Unguri. After lying in state in Unguri, the commanding officer's body is transported via the army prisoner-of-war camp to Riga for burial in the Ostland Cemetery." (September 24, 1944)

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Oberst Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division).



Oberst Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division) in the Russian winter.

Oberst Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division) in the Russian winter.

Oberst Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division).



Oberst Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur Infanterie-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division).



Generalmajor Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division).



Generalmajor Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division).

Generalmajor Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division).

Generalmajor Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division).



Generalmajor Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division).



Wilhelm Wegener (center) in the division's cemetery during the funeral of one of his men.



Wilhelm Wegener with his wife Paula Haberlandt and their sons in Dresden, 1942.

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Major Wilhelm Eggemann (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division), which was held on 20 April 1943 at Staraya Russa, Novgorod, Soviet Union. The one draping the medal on the right is Generalleutnant Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division), while the one helping to drape it in the center is most likely Rittmeister Hans-Joachim von Koeckritz (Kommandeur Aufklärungs-Abteilung 32 / 32.Infanterie-Division). In this photo, Koekritz is seen wearing a schirmmütze (visor hat) with the totenkopf crest on the front. This is because he is a former member of the Reiter-Regiment 5, one of Germany's leading cavalry units with a long history, which members - or former members - proudly displays the skull symbol in their caps. Other pictures from this award ceremony can be seen HERE.



Generalleutnant Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division) during Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Major Wilhelm Eggemann (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division), which was held on 20 April 1943 at Staraya Russa, Novgorod, Soviet Union.

Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Busch (center, Oberbefehlshaber 16. Armee) and Generalleutnant Wilhelm Wegener (left, Führer L. Armeekorps) on the Eastern Front, taken in September 1943. On 23 September 1943, National Socialist news coverage wrote on the back of the picture, "During the fighting south of Lake Ilmen. Eichenlaubträger Generalfeldmarschall Busch and Eichenlaubträger Generalleutnant Wegener during defensive fighting at a command post in the section south of Lake Ilmen." Photo: Berliner Verlag Archiv Collection / Elle.

At least three Ritterkreuzträger are shown in this picture: Oberst Max Lemke (Kommandeur Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 / 12.Panzer-Division), Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model (Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Nord), and General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps). The SS officer behind Lemke is DKiGträger SS-Hauptsturmführer Rudolph Maeker (Adjutant Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Nord). The picture was probably taken in February 1944 during the visit of Field Marshal model to the operational area of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 near Leningrad.



From left to right: Unknown Heer officer, General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps), Generalleutnant Rudolf Schmundt (Chefadjutant des Heeres beim Führer und Oberbefehlshaber der Wehrmacht), General der Infanterie Werner Kienitz (Kommandierenden General Stellvertretenden Generalkommando II. Armeekorps in Stettin und Befehlshaber vom Wehrkreis II), and General der Infanterie Joachim von Kortzfleisch (Kommandierenden General Stellvertretenden Generalkommando III. Armeekorps in Berlin und Befehlshaber vom Wehrkreis III). The picture was taken during the funeral of Generaloberst Hans-Valentin Hube in Berlin, 26 April 1944. Other pictures from this funeral can be seen HERE.



General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps) with officers of 218. Infanterie-Division.

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Hauptmann der Reserve Bruno Büchau. The medal was awarded by General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps). Büchau received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 19 August 1944 as Führer II.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 159 / 69.Infanterie-Division. Other pictures from this ceremony can be seen

General der Infanterie Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandierender General L. Armeekorps) in a picture taken on 19 September 1944, five days before his death.

Source:  
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/W/WegenerW-R.htm  
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/34553/Wegener-Wilhelm.htm  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Wegener  
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Wegener_(General)  
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300  
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html  
https://forum.axishistory.com/  
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/forum/wehrmacht-era-militaria/photos-and-paper-items-forum/13698410-searching-for-photos-and-documents-of-general-der-infanterie-wilhelm-wegener-kc-ol-ols-1895-1944
https://www.geni.com/  
https://grokipedia.com/  
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html  
https://www.feldgrau.com/WW2-German-Officer-Wilhelm-Wegener
https://pixpast.com/stock-photo/rkt-general-wilhelm-wegener-and-his-wife-paula-haberlandt-and-paratrooper-fallschirmjager-son-in-dresden-1942-germany-14753.html

Ritterkreuz Award Ceremony for Wilhelm Eggemann

 

Ritterkreuz award ceremony for Major Wilhelm Eggemann (Kommandeur II.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 94 / 32.Infanterie-Division), which was held on 20 April 1943 at Staraya Russa, Novgorod, Soviet Union. The one draping the medal on the right is Generalleutnant Wilhelm Wegener (Kommandeur 32. Infanterie-Division), while the one helping to drape it in the center is most likely Rittmeister Hans-Joachim von Koeckritz (Kommandeur Aufklärungs-Abteilung 32 / 32.Infanterie-Division). In this photo, Koekritz is seen wearing a schirmmütze (visor hat) with the totenkopf crest on the front. This is because he is a former member of the Reiter-Regiment 5, one of Germany's leading cavalry units with a long history, which members - or former members - proudly displays the skull symbol in their caps.

Eggemann’s Ritterkreuz recommendation reads as follows:

“During the great defensive battle in the time period 26.02.-18.03.1943 the 32. Infanterie-Division defended the area between Borossino and Lowat, with its frontline facing southwards. In this time Major Eggemann and his Bataillon (which was involved in all the major combat from the start and had by now become badly depleted) were deployed to a thick, coverless swampy area east of Koslowo. Following endless artillery fire of all kinds the enemy struck against the front of this Bataillon on the 15.03.1943 with the support of tanks.

On the morning of that day an enemy tank-supported penetration on the left wing of the Bataillon threatened to turn into a breakthrough. A Kompanie which had been temporarily attached to the Bataillon was supposed to withdraw to the positions of the heavy Pak in an orderly fashion. However it was instead threatening to fall into confusion, and had lost contact with its neighbours. The enemy sent in tanks and infantry through the extant frontline gap. An enemy breakthrough seemed inevitable. Such a move would seriously compromise the Regiment, which had by now used up its last reserves. It would probably also make it impossible for the Division to carry out its planned withdrawal to the Redja river during the following night.

In this situation Major Eggemann chose the reckless and yet only feasible option given the circumstances. Using the remnants of his staff and individual soldiers who happened to be in the vicinity, he formed the core of an offensive group. He personally dashed from squad to squad, directing the men of the left Kompanie and compelling them to hold out. He also gathered up individual squads in order to strengthen his own assault group. Now leading at the head of this group, he threw himself at the head of the enemy. He did this despite the exhausted state of his men and having personally been wounded twice in this fighting. With his machine-pistol in hand he was a model for his Grenadiers in the ensuing close combat. Along with his assault group he was able to eliminate the battalion sized enemy force that had penetrated the lines down to the last man. Two enemy tanks also ended up destroyed behind friendly lines. This restored the old combat situation, and the front could now be held until after nightfall, when the planned withdrawal was commenced.

This battlefield success was achieved with energy, boldness and fearless devotion to duty. Furthermore it was the prerequisite for the successful withdrawal of friendly lines to the Redja position. Eggemann’s Bataillon enabled the Regiment to carry out its withdrawal movement without leaving behind any heavy weapons, equipment or ammunition in spite of the extreme difficulties associated with the terrain.”

Source :
Leander Haslerud photo collection
http://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2013/07/album-foto-32-infanterie-division.html
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/3888/Eggemann-Wilhelm.htm
https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/1939-eisernes-kreuz-forum/minty-ek1-wear-105499/