Don Cossack Panzer unit Rschew...infos needed

[Ostuf Charlemagne]

Here are two pics of a Don Cossack unit,token in Charente Maritime,near Normandy,France,1944,before D-day....
They wear a tank badge on the arm 'cause they belonged to a german tank unit at Rschew in the Eastern Front (temporarily ,i guess)
The second badge colour is blue.....any info about this unit ?
What kind of service,battle did they saw in Rschew ?
Wich was the german panzer unit ????
The officer is Leutnant Isaieff.

[Juha Hujanen]

Hello.

The upper photo shows men of Ost.Art.Abt 621 and the on the below is Second Lieutenant Isaieff indeed.He served in Festung Regiment 360.

The tank badge was specially created to Cossacks who had distinguished themselves in combat against Russian tanks.It was a metal silhouette of Pz.III tank with an F letter.I don't know if other units than 6th Cossack Regiment under Captain von Renteln wore that award.

Here's a pic of von Renteln in Eastern front Winter 43.

Cheers/Juha

[Daniel L]

Interesting pictures. Something tells me that von Renteln's badge is positioned incorrectly.

Best regards/ Daniel

[Juha Hujanen]

Yeah,in all other pics the badge is up from the 6th Cossacks Regiment badge.Propably it was just introdused and regulations came after that (Germans were strickt in these things ) or mayby CO had some liberaties

Cheers/Juha

[Ostuf Charlemagne]

Thaaaaaaaaaaaanks a lot ,Juha !!!

I scanned a pic of Von Renteln (who was estonian...) in the topic ''Waffen-SS and revolvers'' in this same section of forum,where he appears as a major in Normandy .

[Peter]

Please can anybody ID this unit from the badges, obviously it is formed from Ostfolk but which ? The Unteroffizier/Feldwebel appears to have a PzKampfAbz as well as an Ostfolk Medal. The photo is from Bundesarchiv/Wikipedia

[Peter]

Another picure from Bundesarchiv/Wikipedia

[Juha Hujanen]

It's Ost-Art.-Abt. 621.

Cheers/Juha

[Peter]

thanks Juha, do you know the significance of the Panzer abzeichen on the sleeve ?

[Peter]

excellent, I hope a Moderator can join these threads so we have all of the photos/info together

[George Lepre]

Hi Peter -

Done. Thanks for the tip.

George

[jarek_g]

It's NOT Ost-Art.-Abt. 621.
This emblem (tank with letter "F") was used by subunits Kosaken Festungs Grenadier Regiment 360 (Staff Coy, Pionier Coy and IG Coy , whitch formed from soldiers of Kosaken Kompanie 638). CO Major later Oberstleutnant Ewert Waldemar von Renteln.
See also:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... on+renteln
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... highlight=

Best
Jarek

[Arensburger]

I scanned a pic of Von Renteln (who was estonian...) in the topic ''Waffen-SS and revolvers'' in this same section of forum,where he appears as a major in Normandy .

Ewert von Renteln was from Estonia, but had German nationality. He had born in centre-Estonia.(http://www.mois.ee/english/jarva/praama.shtml). His father Woldemar von Renteln bought this manor from Johannes Hoyningen Huene 1899 and hand down to his son Ewert von Renteln in 1913.
Ewert von Renteln was officer in Russian Imperial Army and served as senior lieutenant in czar bodyguard regiment "Garde du Cheval".
At the time of Russian revolution he manages to escape from Bolsheviks captivity to Estonia. Here he joins White Russian North-West Army (commanded by general Judenits). There he comes up to commander of the regiment. In some sources he fought as member of the Baltic Battalion also in Estonian Independence War.
1939 left from Estonia to Germany.
He died in Soviet prison camp Stalinski, south from Novosibirsk in 1946.

[benjamen13]

Hey fellows,

I am a reenactor and am part of the 360th Cossack (reenacted). Thanks for posting some of the photos. Here is a photo of us with a home-made unit patches and tank badges.

[K.Kocjancic]

What does "F" stands for on the tank?