The orders were found by a priest in a house north of Altenkirchen.
Order for Stützpunkt Maaßenhof:
Commander: Feldwebel (Staff-Sergeant?) Haug
2 i/c: NN
Unit: 4./Festungs-PAK-Verband XIV
You are commander of the emplacement and have the order to defend it against any attack to the last round, with all means at your disposal, even when you have been by-passed by the enemy, or have been cut off. A withdrawal from the emplacement is only allowed under orders. You are fully responsible to bring the emplacement into a condition allowing all-round defense. You have to make contact with neighbouring emplacements.
You have the following weapons: 2x 88mm ATG 43 L71, 2x 7.62mm gun, 2 MG42, 2 MG81, 2 automatic rifles, 16 rifles, 2 SMG, 4 Pistols 7.65, 1 Pistol 08, 17 Panzerfaust, 59 grenades, 8 AT mines.
Ammunition: 96 HE rounds 88mm, 100 AT rounds 88mm, 62 HE rounds 7.62, 114 AT rounds 7.62, 8,918 rounds rifle/MG, 114 rounds 08, 11 rounds 7.65.
This order has been prepared in two copies (one for the emplacement commander, one for the unit commander).
Signature of the emplacement commander: Haug, Gustav, Staff-Sergeant
Signature of the Company Commander: Tellputh
Order for Stützpunkt bunker system north of Stetternich:
Commander: Sergeant (Uffz) (FW - Staff Sergeant) Willy Reinhardt
2 i/c: Uffz. Hans Sudholz
Unit: 3./Festungs-PAK-Verband XIV, I. Zug (1 Halbzug) (1st Platoon and one half-platoon)
You have the following weapons: 2x 88mm ATG, 2x MG, 1 SMG, 4 Pistols, 12 Panzerfaust, 80 grenades, 11 AT mines.
Ammunition: 147 HE rounds, 147 AT rounds, 400 rounds rifle, 5,200 rounds MG, 275 rounds pistol (also SMG)
Signature of the emplacement commander: Reinhardt, Sergeant
Signature of the Company Commander: pp. Henterich, Lt.
Order for Stützpunkt Merscherhöhe:
Commander: Lt. Meier
2 i/c: Feldwebel Kühlen
Unit: II. Zug, 1.(mot.Z.) Panzerjägerabteilung 363 (= 1st motorised company AT Battalion 363)
You have the following weapons: 2x 75mm, 2 MG42, 2 MP44, 10 rifles, 6 Pistols, 12 Panzerfaust, 45 grenades.
Ammunition: 54 HE rounds, 84 AT Pz-Gr.39, 2,400 rounds MG, 1,000 rounds rifle, 100 rounds pistol.
Signature of the emplacement commander: Göbel, Lt. and 2 i/c Company
Signature of the unit commander: unreadable
Signature of the company commander: Meier, Lt.
It appears that the 104th Infantry Division was involved in these battles on the US side: http://www.104infdiv.org/archive.htmOrder for Stützpunkt NN (could be 243, 247, 234):
Commander: Feldwebel Hänsch
Unit: 3./Festungs-PAK-Verband XIV
You have the following weapons: 5 rifles, 2 lMG, 1 SMG, 4 Pistols, 12 Panzerfaust, 45 grenades, 13 AT mines.
Ammunition: 1,200 rounds lMG, 400 rounds rifle, 150 rounds tracer
I thought this was quite interesting because it shows in a lot of detail the equipment provided for the emplacements. I also find it interesting that a mere Feldwebel could be in charge of something like the first emplacement, which looks very strong on paper. Finally, while I knew that Festung-Pak-Verbaende did exist, I knew nothing else about them.
Hopefully of interest to some.
All the best
Andreas