Looking for 9. Panzer-Division, PR 33: Survivors

[Alfred Vouk]

My father, Joseph (Pepi) Vouk, will be travelling to Austria August 25th, for ten days. He would like to meet any surviving members of his 9th Panzer Division, Panzer-Regiment 33. He's 82 years old now, living in Canada, and this will probably be his last trip. My brother and sister and I will be with him in the Klagenfurt area. Please respond if anyone knows who we should get in contact with to facilitate a meeting with a survivor or anyone from the Kameradschaft der Schnellen Division des ehemaligen Österreichischen Bundesheeres.

Thanks!

Fred Vouk

[Jan-Hendrik]

Would try to contact these :

Kameradschaft der Schnellen Div. des ehem. österr. Bundesheeres, nachmals 4. Leichte Div. - 9. Panzer-Division

Geschäftsstelle: Postfach 60

A-1061 Wien

Jan-Hendrik

[Timm Haasler]

Fred,

Don't have to high hopes when contacting the veterans association of 9th Pz.Div. in Vienna. In general they didn't answer anymore even to former vets still living in Germany.

As I couldn't find your fathers name in my files of II./ Pz.Rgt. 33 he probably belonged to the 1st Abteilung of the regiment, which was equipped with Panzer IV and StuG III. Maybe he can remember to which company he belonged.

Best regards
Timm

[Alfred Vouk]

.....I was just speaking with my dad and he doesn't remember what company he was in, just 9th Panzer Division, 33rd regiment. However, we will be in Klagenfurt the last week of August. He said that he handed in his Soldbuch at an office in Villach at the end of the war, so we will try and get it back when we are there.

It has been so many years... He suggested we open a bottle of schnapps together while we are there and this should loosen his memory (haha).

Fred

[Timm Haasler]

Hi Fred,

Looking at the other topic you placed on this forum it looks like your father was a member of the 2nd battalion which was equipped with the Panther. Although I have a copy of Kurt Gätzschmann combat history of II./ Pz.Rgt. 33 which has a complete list of all members of this battalion I couldn't locate your fathers name.

As I did a lot of reasearch on 9. Pz.Div. for the time period September 1944 - January 1945 I would be more than glad if your father could share some of his memories for this time period.

One question could very easily prove to which unit your father belonged. If he had been in Austria from early September till mid November he was a member of the 1st battalion of Pz.Rgt. 33. If he was in the area of Stolberg (near Aachen) - Arnheim - Venlo - Geilenkirchen he was for sure with the 2nd battalion.

Best regards
Timm

[Alfred Vouk]

I just spoke with my dad again. It is very difficult to nail his memory down during the time period you mentioned, as he was in Aachen, but that might have been in April 1945, when they surrendered to the Americans. He does recall spending nearly a month in Austria, with three weeks at home around Villach and more time billeted in people's homes around St. Belden, the home of the 9th Division. They were granted this vacation after the disasterous retreat from the Ukraine, through the Crimea. There wasn't much left of the 9th Division after Russia. After the vacation they went to the south of France to be re-equipped, and then on to Normandy.

He was involved with driving the zugmachines as well, for tank recovery and so on, so he fit into several roles.

Can you tell which batallion he was in?

Fred

[Timm Haasler]

Fred,

The essential questions remains, what did he do after Normandy and before the Battle of the Bulge?

From what you wrote it looks like he was a member of the repair platoon but once again there was no Josef Vouk in the repair platoon of II./ Pz.Rgt. 1. The only name that comes close to your fathers name is a Josef Vanas born in Wolfsgraben near Preßbaum - Lower Austria.

Best regards
Timm

[dabbydo]

I did a little searching and the best place to try and find veterans is here:

http://www.feldgrau.com/contacts.html

There is a listing of German organisations you can contact to help contact veterans.

Good luck!

David

[Alfred Vouk]

.....for pointing out that site. Unfortunately the Austrian contact for the 9th is woefully out of date.

[Alfred Vouk]

..... I will try and find out the answer to the essential question of what he did between Normandy and the Ardennes campaign, but it is not so easy tracking his memory to a timeline.

Do you have all the names for the 9th Panzer Division? I would dearly like to show them to my dad as he cannot even recall the names anymore -- this may help to prompt his memory.

Thanks,

Fred

[Timm Haasler]

Hi Fred,

I'm afraid that I can't provide the list of II./ Pz.Rgt. 33 online because we are talking about a list with more than 100 pages full of names. After all I have two very reliable veteran contacts for both battalions who are living in Germany. I'm sure they can provide names of still living Austrian veterans but I need at least a clue regarding the unit he belonged to.

Maybe these additional information can help your father to remember:

I./ Pz.Rgt. 33 and the staff of the regiment were gathered in the Kaiserslautern area after Normandy and after handing over the remaining tanks the battalion was send to Austria for re-equipping with new Panzer IV's. Due to production shortages the battalion was rebuild with only three companies instead of four and one of these companies was equipped with assault guns instead of Panzer IV. By mid November the battalion and the staff of the regiment joined the division again in the West but obviously wasn't before the Bulge.

II./ Pz.Rgt. 33 was also gathered in the Kaiserslautern area after Normandy but was immediately send to the area south of Aachen in order to stop the Allied breakthrough. The battalion received highest priority for re-equipping and also benefited from the integration of the remnants of Pz.Brig. 105. By the end of September the battalion was send to Arnheim but during the next two weeks the battalion only provided fire support from the eastern bank of the Pannerdens canal. By mid October the entire division was withdrawn from the front for rest and refitting near Xanten. By the end of October the division together with II./ Pz.Rgt. 33 participated in the local counter attack in the area of Meijel (The Netherlands). This was a very short engagement and by early November the division gathered for a second period of rest and refitting near Rheydt till 15.11.1944. Till the 04.12.44 the division was engaged between Heinsberg and Linnich before it was again withdrawn for rest and refitting. The battalion had suffered heavily in both men and weapons.

Best regards
Timm

[Alfred Vouk]

Thanks for the information on the two battalions. I've interviewed my father extensively over the past several years, and he definitely fought in the Ardennes, or the "Battle of the Bulge". He recalls some of the details quite vividly, like how the Americans abandoned all of their equipment, and how the battle went well until the weather turned, and then the Jabos came out and pulverized them.

He's definitly a Panther man, not a Panzer IV man.

I missed him today, but I will talk to him about your information tomorrow. At this time it seems to me that he was a part of the 2nd battalion.

[Timm Haasler]

Fred,

Today it is a little bit late over here in Germany. I will contact the veteran from II./ Pz.Rgt. 33 tomorrow and ask for contacts in Austria. Hope I can provide some names in the Klagenfurt area before you and your family will leave.

Best regards
Timm

[ritterkreuz1945]

Hello,
I am a feldwebel in the 10th regiment 9th panzer ( reenacting) in Illinois, USA.
I would love to have any insights your dad would be willing to share on the division.
Thank You
Michael Gray

[gpjeuken]

Hello, All.
I am new here, and study the tank battle 7th armored / 9th PD on end of oct. 1944 close to Meijel.
I saw the eigenhändige Skizze of Horst Troger,(tankcommander,) of the battle and his letters.
Much of this I can give a place.

I have studiet also the reports and drawings from 814 tankdestroyers and understand what hase happened
In the place where I am born.
Still I am looking for more information about the German tanks and soldiers who died and survifed on these days.
Also battle stories and German army reports.

Any information will be very helpfull.
You can answer here. Thank you in front, Regards, Gerard Jeuken, Holland. [email protected]