Austria - much harder hit at Stalingrad than Germany?

[Sid Guttridge]

I have found the following on line:

According to Manfred Kehrig and Stefan Karner, around 50,000 Austrians served in Stalingrad, of which 49,000 died. The total 6th Army around the time of the encirclement numbered approximately 250,000. Of the 5,000 “Stalingrad Heimkehrer” (soldiers who returned after the war), 1,000 came from Austria. One-fifth of German troops in Stalingrad were actually Austrians. Thus Austrians proportionally were overrepresented when one compares the population of Austria in 1938 — around 6 million — to that of the 65 million people living in Germany in the same year.

Cheers,

Sid.

[Pruitt]

The 44th Infantry Division was based in Vienna. Not sure about other divisions.

Pruitt

[ljadw]

Strength of 6 th Army was 340.000, of whom the half was encircled. 297. ID was from Lower Austria .

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi Guys,

As I understand it, there were three Austrian-raised divisions lost at Stalingrad, plus assorted corps troops, etc,. The other largely Austrian division lost was 100th Jäger.

The reason seems to be that, for reasons of logistical convenience, most non-mountain Austrian divisions were initially deployed at the southern end of the main Eastern Front, rather like most East Prussian divisions were similarly deployed at it northern end.

Cheers,

Sid

[ljadw]

100.Jäger division was raised in December 1940 for Barbarossa,initially 2/3 of its manpower came from Austria, 1/3 from Silesia, later its manpower was more diversified ( also for political reasons ) .Source : Forum der Wehrmacht .

While no one will know he number of Austrians that died at Stalingrad, 50000 is to much :following Overmans 46000 Austrians had died on 1 January 1943 and for the whole of 1943 their number was 45000.

We also don't know how many Austrians belonged to the 19 non Austrian divisions that were at Stalingrad .

The Austrian Boltzmann Institut für Kriegsfolgenforschung said that 120000 "Germans were taken POW at Stalingraad (unclear is if this limited to the encirclment period) of whom 6000 returned .From the 114000 who did not return, there were 11500 Austrians.

This makes the claim of 50000 Austrians at Stalingrad very questionable .
"

[Cult Icon]

There were also many Austrians in 2.SS "Das Reich". Not sure of the actual number though. One of their bases were there.

[Sid Guttridge]

Hi ljadw,

Two and two-thirds divisions at about 15,000 men each gives 40,000 alone, without counting corps and army troops, or those attached to the Croats, or those sent as replacements during the campaign.

Given the annihilatory nature of Stalingrad, something approaching 50,000 missing Austrians seems perfectly plausible.

Cheers,

Sid.