High Scorers with Panzers and Paks

[Gastolli]

Unteroffizier Kurt Basan - Geschützführer, 1. / Pz.Jg.Abt.225 - 4 kills

Hello Antonio,

ah, nice photo. I can add a little something on Uffz. Basan here:
Date and place of action was 22.7.1944 at Radysche.

Also, I have found an old note from an visit of mine to the German Bundesarchiv in 2015, seeing file RH 39/661 (Rundbriefe from Pz.Jg.Ers.Abt. 20, Hamburg), the one from 19.10.1944 also mentions Uffz. Basan:
Uffz. Basan on security position with his schwere Pak. 4 T34 attacked, Uffz. Basan himself aiming the gun destroyed the first T34 at 200 m range, the second T34 was destroyed, standing behind a cemetery at 150 m range, than the third T34 was destroyed with an shot into the turret ring (Drehkranz), the forth T34 turned away and was killed with 3 shots at 600 m range. He just needed 8 shots within 8 to 9 minutes to achieve this success.

Another name from these "Rundbriefe":

Lt. Detjen was mentioned in the Rundbrief from 15.3.1943:
He was Führer of 1./Pz.Jg.Abt. 30 and within 4 weeks was able to destroy 6 tanks as a Geschützführer and also destroyed 1 tank in close range combat.
Lt.d.R. Günter Detjen, he's still listed with Pz.Jg.Abt. 30 as the Ordonanz-Offizier in April 1944.


Oliver

[alcius]

Thanks Oliver

I found a newspaper article about Oberleutnant Bernhardt commander of a Panzerjagerabteilung.
From what I understand, he destroyed 66 tanks in 3 days of battles, 42 of them from one company.
At the beginning it is written that one Unteroffizier destroyed 10 tanks, another destroyed 10 in 2 days, and a third destroyed 8 in 2 days.
I think it's Pz.Jäg.Abt. 90, since the Unteroffizier Baumester is mentioned as having destroyed 10 tanks.
I didn't understand who the other 2 are, but there are numerous names with victories, but I understood little.

https://zeitpunkt.nrw/ulbbn/periodical/ ... rnhardt%22
Remscheider General-Anzeiger 53 (23/08/1941) 198


Antonio

[alcius]

My Error-
Unteroffizier Baumeister not Baumester
Unt. Lorenz Baumeister - PZ.JG.Abt.90- Ritterkreuz

Antonio

[Gastolli]

Unt. Lorenz Baumeister - PZ.JG.Abt.90- Ritterkreuz

Hello Antonio,

wow, interesting first hand account, not an PK report but from the unit leader!

Oblt. Gerhard Bernhardt, Chef 1./Pz.Jg.Abt. 90
he died on 18. Oct. 1941 at Nowaja Derewnja, was promoted Hauptmann p.h.
https://www.volksbund.de/erinnern-geden ... 5fd04b0c7e

O.k., the report says, that Pz.Jg.Abt. 90 up to the date of the report has destroyed 66 soviet tanks, while the 1.Kp. of Oblt. Bernhardt was responsible for 42 tanks plus 4 armored cars.

As to Uffz. Baumeister:
Action was on 20.7.1941 at Jelnya, he between 6.00 - 10.30 a.m. destroyed 10 soviet tanks (3 Christie, 7 T26) near the south-east of Jelnya.

As to the report:
Obviously this was on 25.7.1941, a few days later (see NARA files below), an the gun commanders mentioned in the report had tank kills according like this:

1 tank = Ogfr. Rasch
2 tanks = Uffz. Recktenwald, Ogfr. Zistel, Uffz. Henkel, Fw. Wagner
4 tanks = Uffz. Heiß

NARA Roll T315-R567 (10. Pz.Div.) on 20.7.1941:

00779.jpg

NARA Roll T315-R567 (10. Pz.Div.) showing the successes of Pz.Jg.Abt. 90, and obviously, the date of the action described in the report of Oblt. Bernhardt was 25.7.1941, that day the Abteilung reported 17 tank kills, the 1.Kp. reported 14 tank kills, this is the only day possible!

00111.jpg

I have no further details as to the names of the men mentioned ...

Oliver

[alcius]

Thanks Oliver, always precious.

Leutnant Ego Hardt - 912 Stug.Abt. - 6 kills and 1 close combat

https://digital.wlb-stuttgart.de/sammlu ... d4a9ff8265
Stuttgarter NS-Kurier 9/4/1945

From what I understand, having his Sturmgeschutz out of action, with the Wachtmeister Fahlisch he destroyed an enemy tank in close combat.
After his Stug was repaired he destroyed 6 more enemy tanks

Antonio

[pintere]

Here's a declined submission for the award of the Knight's Cross to Leutnant Otmar Wesely of the 2./Heeres-Sturmartillerie-Lehr-Brigade 111. He and his Batterie destroyed 75 tanks within a 4 day period in April 1945, of which he was personally responsible for 14 (including 10 IS-2s).

RH_19_XV_24_0249-compressed_page-0001 2.jpg

Source: BArch RH 19/XV-24

[Gastolli]

Leutnant Ego Hardt - 912 Stug.Abt. - ...

THIS, is funny, the best example of how flawed the correct spelling of names could be within these newspaper articles!

I searched in vain for a Ego Hardt (an unusual forename by itself), but than:

Leutnant Ego Hardt = Leutnant Egghardt
The well know Ritterkreuzträger from Stug.Brig. 912:

https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/299 ... Alfred.htm

Ouch!

But, o.k., at least we have one newbie (with "just" on shared tank kill in close combat), but I'm sure he also had some "regular" kills to his credit:

Oberwachtmeister Hans Fahlisch, 2./Stug.Brig. 912, EK2 in 1943 as an Unteroffizier, EK1 in early 1944 as an Wachtmeister.

Oliver

[Gastolli]

Leutnant Otmar Wesely of the 2./Heeres-Sturmartillerie-Lehr-Brigade 111

Hi Evan!

Thanks for that, I can add, that Othmar Wesely got the EK1 with 1./Stug.Abt. 184. He already was a Leutnant d.Res. that time, and was wounded on 31.3.1943. Most probably he afterwards just returned to the front in early 1945 with Stu.Art.Lehr-Brig. 111.

Before he was promoted to Leutnant d.Res., he must have been with Stug.Abt. 197 and Stug.Abt. 191, but I have no details, just short notes of mine from many, many years ago from the post-war newsletter "Der Sturmartillerist". According to that, his forename was Othmar (note the spelling, confirmed by his name of the EK1 award from 329. ID). He died on 1.7.1977.

Oliver

[alcius]

Thanks Oliver, I thought I found a new one.
I would never have gotten to Egghardt.

I have another one that I couldn't find anything about.
Feldwebel Wiesenpfad, der mit seinem Pakgeschütz 80 feindliche Panzerwagen vernichtet oder in die Flucht geschlagen hat.

Durlacher Tageblatt : Heimatblatt für die Stadt und den früheren Amtsberzirk Durlach; Pfinztäler Bote für Grötzingen, Berghausen, Söllingen, Wöschbach u. Kleinsteinbach
Montag, 08.26.1940
https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothe ... ssuepage=4

Antonio

[Gastolli]

I have another one that I couldn't find anything about. ... Feldwebel Wiesenpfad ...

Hi Antonio,

this one ..., I think we have to speculate a little something.

First: a little downgrade, I would trust the following article more than all the others:

https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothe ... ssuepage=2

It says "He and two other Feldwebel ...", so it was the success of a Zug of 3,7 cm Pak.

For sure, they had some kills of french light tanks, but, let's say ..., 20 kills, the other 60 retreated??? Maybe a few more, or a few less ..., but that would get them the EK1 that early in the war, no Ritterkreuz.

Second: This name seems to be totally wrong, you can't find ANY entry within Volksbund Database, Fold3, telephone book Germany or just via Google, showing any living person with that name. Some of these pages also search similar names, but nothing!

I had a look into other newspapers just for the Name "Wiesenpfad", nothing.

My suggestion: the name Wiesenfahrt sound very similar, and of course you can find some of them, and also one Feldwebel Wiesenfahrt, who died 1944 in Italy:

https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothe ... ssuepage=3

https://www.volksbund.de/erinnern-geden ... ecf04abe36

BUT, of course, who knows? This particular person was born in 1912, so well could have been a Feldwebel even in 1940, but still a Feldwebel in 1944 ?

On the other hand this name is not that common, not much choices.

And, yes, Wiesenfahrt is just a possible explanation for the obviously wrongly spelled name in the article in EVERY newspaper I have found, but of course every newspaper that time used the same reference to print that stuff for their readers ...

Fw. Wiesenfahrt, Alois ???
min. 5 tank kills (80 french light tanks destroyed or chased off by 3 Pak 3,7cm)

Hm ...

Oliver

[alcius]

Thanks as always Oliver

Leutnat in a Westfalischen panzerjager destroyed 8 enemy tanks and 4 pak
I don't know the name and department.

leutnant zugfuhrer.png

https://sammlungen.ub.uni-frankfurt.de/ ... 0panzer%22
Neueste Zeitung Vol. 11 (03/08/1941) 02+03.08.1941

Antonio

[Gastolli]

Hi Antonio,

hm, in this case ..., no, I have no idea!

The newspaper says "westfälische Panzerjäger-Abteilung", so it's not a 14.(Pz.Jg.) company of an Grenadier-Regiment.

Westfalen means = Panzerjäger-Ersatz-Abteilung 6 in Herford, but the Pz.Jg.Abt. which got personnel from that replacement unit don't have an officer with the Ritterkreuz, the Ehrenblattspange or the Anerkennungsurkunde for action before 2.8.1941.

See here:
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gl ... Ers6-R.htm

So, no, sorry, no idea

Oliver