Check this out: 2 WK / WW2 - 327 Fotos - 2 Album + Extras - ORIGINAL - (eBay item 130177415343 end time Dec-04-07 12:00:00 PST) What would be the Value of this whole Lot?
It's not only nice but VERY nice. It's pretty rare to find these and with most or all of the negatives as well. In all the years I collected pics, only once, was I able to get one, with it's negative.
$ 350.00 US maximum, no text or bios of the soldiers or unit, in fact nothing to support all the private singular photos of Heer and dead soldiers, 1 small note on the back of a postcard, sorry this whole lot would be best in the hands of the soldiers familie and what's up with the copyright black mark on everything that is nutz
I agree with ya on the above. Also, the only reference I saw that was made to a specific unit, was I THINK the 97th Panzer Regiment. The Officer most shown in the album appeared to be wearing the branch colors of the Pioneers. Sooooooo, my guess is that he was a Piuoneer officer-or if im wrong about the color of his piping, he could also be a Gebirgejager officer-but I don't think so as nothing supports the idea of him being a Mountain Trooper. Anyway, with the info I have on hand, I can't find a listing for any Panzer Regiment numbered 97. It's possible it was a Panzer Battalion with the number of 97. Anyway, whatever Regiment that was mentioned, I could not find any mention of any Pz Rgmt numbered in the 90's so IF it is a numbered Panzer unit, I believe it to be for a Panzer Battalion.
Hello, The Collection is of 2-3 different Family Estates. And one is from the II. Panzerregiment 97. Information on it: The pictures were taken during the Westfeldzug - 1940. In that campaign the IR 97 belonging to the 46 ID (sudetenland) under Majorgeneral Haase fought within the XXXVIII AK framework (General von Manstein) getting across the Somme on 5-6 Jun 1940. Here an excerpt of the story: In the woods south of Hill 99, hostile machine guns and individual riflemen opened fire again and again. This was due to the fact that the hostile machine gun nests were so cleverly concealed in the dense undergrowth of the woods and offered such stubborn resistance that it was necessary to take them one by one. Meanwhile the 1st Battalion was making its way through the depression south of Hill 74 to the small woods above the letter “y” in “Fourdrinoy” (500 meters northwest of Romomt Ferme), in order to place itself at the disposal of the Regiment. The regimental command post had been moved to a point 300 meters northeast of the crossroads (600 meters west of Hill 99). It was now dark. Hostile orders found subsequently revealed that the French 13th Division, comprising the 60th and 21st Infantry and the 8th Moroccan Rifles, and four battalions of light and two of heavy field afilllery, in the main had established a line of defense facing the German bridgehead at Amiens. The enemy also had concentrated his artillery fire on that area. The opponent was weakest in the region south of Picquigny. That was the reason why the 2d Battalion had advanced so rapidly to the high ground southeast of Fourdrinoy, after taking Hill 74 and the small woods 1,500 meters southwest of that point. The 3d Battalion had encountered considerably more difficulties, for it had to break through the defensive positions of parts of two hostile battalions placed one behind the other (2d and 3d Battalions, French 60th Infantry). Nevertheless, exploiting the effect of the air attack, the Battalion by nightfall gained the vicinity of the hostile artillery group at Saissemont. taken from: The Breakthrough of the German 63d Infantry Across the Somme, 5-6 June 1940 [from an article in Militarwissenschaftliche Rundschau, November 1940. Translated from the German in the Translation Section, ‘The Army War College”, Washington DC,] And concerning the Family-Issue. Sadly many Families in Germany don't have anyone left after their death, or their children are not interested in it and sell it. But i agree totally. The Albums, Awards and Uniform Parts of my Family Members of WW1 and WW2 are still kept and will never be sold. Regards, TKM
Hi TKM, thanks for the info. I knew that the Panzer unit in question had to be Battalion in size and thanks for confirming it. I still see no records of a Pz Rgmt with that Nr? As for the info on the 46th ID that I have handy, this is what I have (Mitcham) The 46th I.D. was formed in late 1938 and was commanded by Genmaj Paul v. Hase (possibly misspelled last name in Mitchams book?) I wish I had Walther Peer Fellgiebels book handy to check it with. Anyway, The 46th I.D. fought in Poland and in France under the command of Genmaj Paul von Hase. Later this General became KDT of Berlin, and was later executed for his participation of the July 20th plot to assassinate Hitler. The 46th division fought in the Ukraine as part of the 11th Army and smashed its way through the Perekop Isthmus in the Northern Crimea in September. By now under the command of Generalleutnant Himer, they defended the Eastern approaches to the Crimea on the Kerch Peninsula. The Russian offensive of the Winter of 41-42, saw the 46th bare the brunt of the attack; of two Russian Armies. The Division was ordered to hold at all costs, but Gen Himer and his Corps Commander: General Count Hans von Sponeck retreated against orders in order to save the division. Infuriated, G.F.M. Walther von Reichenau, stripped the division of all of its banners and honors. Hitler, relieved Himer and von Sponeck of their commands. Shortly after, von Reichenau died and G.F.M. Fedor von Bock ordered the banners returned. Its honor now restored, the 46th I.D. (now commanded by Genmaj Haccius) took part in the siege of Sebastopol in the Caucasus in 1942-43 - where it became the rearguard for the XXXIXth Gebirgs Korps; during the retreat. The 46th later fought in the Donets & Belgorod. Then the division was severly mauled during the Battle of Dnepropetrovsk. The division was again mauled during the retreat through the Southern Ukraine. Though severly weakened & understrength, they distinguished themselves in the withdrawel through Transylvania. In late 1944, now reduced to Regimental strength, was in the fighting on the Slovak-Hungarian Frontier. What was left og the 46th, surrendered in Czechoslovakia, to the Russians in May 1945. This Division was commanded by not only: Hase, Haccius and Himer, but also by: Genmaj Karl von Le Suire, Genlt Arthur Hauffe, Genlt Schneckenburger, Genmaj Kurt Ropke and finally by Genmaj Erich Reuter. I forgot to mention that the 97th Pz Regt/Btn? was not a part of this divisions Order of Battle but it COULD have been attached to the 46th; for a short period of time.
Probably it was attached. But if it existed only for a short time, the Album shows Photos of Battlefields, destroyed Cities in France, dead french soldiers etc. More interesting is the Cover of the Album of the II. Panzerregiment 97. Ehrenblatt means "Paper" or "Sheet of Honour" And the deer at the top of the eagle could maybe represent the mascot of the Regiment? Any Idea?
Hi TKM, your probably correct on what you said above. I think almost anything is possible. Just for me though, I can't find any info on a 97th Pz Rgmt. Of course, im only using three bokks in particular and im sure none of them are 100% complete by any means ;-)) Your correct, that "Deer" was probably the official or un-official insignia for that Panzer Unit. I have a sew-on cap insignia that was for the 116th Panzer Division known as the Windhunds. That one shows a Greyhound running and the insignia is oval in shape and is about the size of a Penny coin. On the 97th though, im going to keep looking and see if i can find anything about it. So far though, no luck. ;-)) Oops, I just noticed that in one of your fist two postings (I don't remember which one it was but, there must have been a typo in your post. The "Sheet of Honor" says it's a PzGdr Rgmt, but in your posting, it said Pz Rgmt--no wonder I could not find anything on it ;-)) Anyway, i'll look and see what I have an the Gren Rgmt.
46th ID sub-units: 42nd, 72nd, 97th Inf Rgmts, 114th Arty Rgmt, 46th Recon Btn, 52nd PzJgr Btn, 88th Pioneer Btn, 76th Nachrichten Btn. Apparently they were only an Infantry Regiment which later on in the war, they were designated as a Grenadier Regiment. No Panzer involved but very likely they had a Stug III unit (Assault Gun unit) that was temporarily attached to the division? The attachment of a STUG unit to an Inf Division was a very common thing.
