Named Flak Tunic

Helmut Maier, 2. I. Fl.Rgt.49
belonged to the second Battery of the first Battalion of the Flak-Regiment 49 - in the summer of 1942 near Stalingrad the first battalion Fl.Rgt.49 was placed under the command of the Stab / Flak-Regiment 37.

The first Battalion, Flak-Regiment 49 fought with distinction beside the 16.Panzer-Division at Stalingrad - there it was lost in the north sector of the Stalingrad cauldron (tractor factory Tschersinsky).

Helmut Maier was born around 1917. The earliest he could have been a Kanonier in the 2. Batterie of Flak-Regiment 49 would have been in early 1938. The I. Abteilung Flak-Regiment 49 was established on Oct.01 1937 in Mannheim. The officer commanding the second battery was apparently a Knight's Cross bearer.
He would have been an Unteroffizier in 1942.

Assuming Maier remained in this unit, he probably left the above tunic at home when the I.Fl.Rgt.49 was transferred from France to the Ukraine.
Maier ,if not KIA (and I couldn't find a Helmut Maier out of the 31 listed on Volksbund Website fitting the above), most likley went missing in Dec 42 or Jan 43.

Paul, if you know someone with a Vermisstenbildliste des Deutschen Roten Kreuzes (MIA picture registry of the German Red Cross) that incl. Flak-Regiment 49 it might be possible to find Maier's picture.

A lot of the Stalingrad MIAs found in the lists of the Red Cross are not listed with the Volksbund.

The last commanding officer of I./49 (the first battalion of the Flak-Regiment 49 was by then part of Flak-Regiment 37) was Major Gaidu?.
On Jan 29. 1943 the entire battalion consisted of only 26 men, according to the diary of a surviving member of I./Flak.Rgt.49

The diary (in German) can be found on line (very heart wrenching and graphic in detail).

Kriegserlebnisse meines Vaters im 2.Weltkrieg, die Schlacht um Stalingrad und Kriegsgefangenschaft in Sibirien

Here is a Knights Cross recipient of the first Battalion Flak.Rgt.49.
He was flown out of Stalingrad in Jan. 1943 together with two other KC holders. He was awarded the KC for knocking out twenty-four T34 tanks in about 15 minutes with 27 rounds fired from a 8.8 cannon.

http://www.das-ritte...chword=gem?nden


Here is another of the three lucky men flown out of Stalingrad in the last days of January 1943. Notice that he belonged to the same Battery as Helmut Maier.

http://www.das-ritte...amp;searchword=

And here is the third, the commander of 2./I Fl.Rgt.49 Hauptmann Johann Dietrich

http://www.das-ritte...amp;searchword=

Josef Mairinger is still alive: Kriegserlebnisse meines Vaters im 2.Weltkrieg, die Schlacht um Stalingrad und Kriegsgefangenschaft in Sibirien

 

More history on the unit, from Lexikom: http://www.lexikon-d...rtillerieLW.htm

This unit was a predecessor to a HG Flak unit!!! Forgive some of the grammar, as I did my best to translate accurately.



Set up on the 26 August 1939 in Mannheim. The unit was designated also as a Flakgruppe Mannheim. The unit was subordinate the 21st Flak-division and led in March 1944 the heavy Flak-department 491, the heavy Flak-department 492, the heavy Flak-department 636, the heavy Flak-department 701, that 5. / heavy Flak-department 903, the Light Flak-department 776, the light Flak-department 977, the light Flak-department 980, the Lsp. 107 as well as the Flak-batteries z. b. V. 6229, 6230 and 6238.

Commanding Officers:

26. August 1939 Oberst Eduard Muhr
20. Juni 1940 Oberstleutnant Wilhelm Werner
27. Juli 1941 Oberst Adolf Wolf
1. September 1943 Oberst Max Hecht
11. Februar 1944 Oberst Bernhard Brickwedde



Set up on the 1 October 1937 in Mannheim out of that 1ST / Flak-regiment 18 with five batteries. The department was subordinate the higher commander of the Flakartillerie in the airgau IV, as of February 1938 to the Luftgaukommando XII. The department lay as of September 1939 at the west rampart. The department under major Runge supported the associations of the XXVI out of the room Kleve. Battalion. In the Maas-dike, the department shot 10 bunkers together and accompanied the corps through Holland and Belgium then into the beach D?nkirchen. The department captured an amount in Hollandof 4 cm Flak Bofors with ample ammunition and placed after out of the large prey by D?nkirchen the motor vehicle-equipment could be completed, a 6th battery under lieutenant block with 4-cm of Flak up. In the second part of the France expedition, the department in the Luftschutz- and earth battle use stood and came after the armistice after Brest. After the end of the west expedition, this additional battery formed the tribe of a new light Flak-department that was used with that 4-cm of Flak to the protection by Berlin. The department the XXVI supported as of May 1940. Battalion during the west expedition. Subsequently the department in France and the canal islands lay lay under the rod of the Flak-regiment 100th in August 1940 it in Ard, as of summer 1941 into the room St. Nazaire and then again after Brest to the protection of the battleships berthed there. Later the unit was transferred after Bordeaux in order to prepare itself for a mobile use Spain - Gibraltar. In July 1942 embarrassed the department into the room Cakais-D?nkirchen, secured then temporarily the breakthrough of the German battle ships in the room Vlissingen in Holland through the canal and came directly after the first air attack on the Renault-works in Paris there to a new use whereby the attack free times was used at the same time to the preparation to the use at the east front. The department transferred in April 1942 to south-Russia where it became imputes the rod of the Flak-regiment 12 in the 17th Flak-division. The department became first of all in the room Isjum - Artemowsk used. In start of the German large attack, it infringed under the responsibility of the Flak-regiment 37 to the 1st tank army and collaborated here above all with the 91st infantry-division. With this division, it became then the XXIV. Tank corps as a part of the 9th Flak-division of the 6th army trains part. In the north bar of Stalingrad, above all in the 16th tank-division, the unit suffered heavy losses and was lost there.

In June 1943 with five batteries in Italy the unit was rebuilt. The department was subordinate in January 1944 the rod of the Flak-regiment 39 in the 3rd Flak-brigade and as of February 1944 in the 22nd Flak-brigade to the responsibility of the Flak-regiment 57. In the same month, the department became the III. / Flak-regiment Hermann Goering.

This unit was a predecesor of a HG unit!!!

Here is a better article: http://www.ww2.dk/gr...k/flargt49.html

Flak-Regiment 49

Stab/Flak-Regiment 49 (o):

Kommandeure:

* Oberst Eduard Muhr, 26.8.39 - 20.6.40
* Obstlt Wilhelm Werner, 20.6.40 - 7.41
* Oberst Adolf Wolf, 27.7.41 - 25.8.43
* Oberst Max Hecht, 1.9.43 - 10.2.44
* Oberst Bernhard Brickwedde, 11.2.44 - 4.45

Formed 26.8.39 in Mannheim. Known as Flakgruppe Mannheim, 9.39 - 5.45.

Service:

* 1939/43 in Mannheim
* 1.11.43 in Mannheim under 21. Flak-Division, with s. 1.-5./492 (o), s. 1.-5./701 (o), s. 1.-4./491 (o), s. 1.-5./636 (o), s. 5./903 (o), s.Bttr.zbV 6229 (o), s.Bttr.zbV 6230 (o), s.Bttr.zbV 6238 (o), le. 1.-6./776 (o), le. 1.-5./977 (o), le.980 (o), le.Bttr.zbV 7254 (o), le.Bttr.zbV 7255 (o), Lsp. 1.-2. and 5.-6./107 (o), Ausw.Zug 272 (o), Ausw.Zug 292 (o) and Vo.Messtr.38 (v)
* 1.1.44 in Mannheim under 21. Flak-Division, with s.492 (o), s.491 (o), s.636 (o), s.701 (o), s. 5./903 (o), le.776 (o), le.977 (o), le.980 (o), Lsp.107 (o), Flak-Bttr.zbV 6229, 6238 and 6230
* 1.2.44 in Mannheim under 21. Flak-Division, with s.491 (o), s.492 (o), s.636 (o), s.701 (o), s. 5./903 (o), le.776 (o), le.977 (o), le.980 (o), Lsp.107 (o), Flak-Bttr.zbV 6229, 6230 and 6238
* 1.3.44 in Mannheim under 21. Flak-Division with s.491 (o), s.492 (o), s.636 (o), s.701 (o), s. 5./903 (o), le.776 (o), le.977 (o), le.980 (o), Lsp.107 (o)(?), Flak-Bttr.zbV 6229, 6230 and 6238
* 1.4.44 in Mannheim under 21. Flak-Division with s.491 (o), s.492 (o), s.636 (o), s.701 (o), le. 7./776 (o), le.977 (o), le.980 (o), Lsp.107 (o), Flak-Bttr.zbV 6216 and 4 s.Heimat-Flak-Bttr. (201 - 204./XII)
* 1.5.44 in Mannheim under 21. Flak-Division with s.491 (o), s.492 (o), s.636 (o), s.701 (o), le.776 (o), le.977 (o), le.980 (o), Lsp.107 (o) and 4 s.Heimat-Flak-Bttr. (201 - 204./XII)
* 1.6.44 in Mannheim under 21. Flak-Division with s.491 (o), s.423 (E), s.492 (o), s.636 (o), s.701 (o), le.776 (o), le.980 (v), Lsp.107 (o)(?) and 4 s.Heimat-Flak-Bttr. (201 - 204./XII)
* 1.7.44 in Mannheim under 21. Flak-Division with s.491 (o), s.423 (E), s.492 (o), s.636 (o), s.701 (o), le.776 (o), le. 5./987 (o), s. 5./255 (o), s. 1./435 (o), le.980 (v) (= Flak-Abt.zbV 12300) and 4 s.Heimat-Flak-Bttr. (201 - 204./XII)
* 1.8.44 in Mannheim under 21. Flak-Division with s.492 (o), s.636 (o), s.701 (o), s.423 (E), 2./s.241 (o), 5./s.255 (o), 1./s.435 (o), 1.-5., 7./gem.491 (o), 1.-4., 6., 9./le.776 (o), Stab, 5./le.987 (o), Stab/Lsp.107 (o) with 6 batteries (1.-2., 5.-6./Lsp.107 (o), 8./s.491 (o), 7./le.776 (o)); 4 s.Heimat-Flak-Bttr. (201 - 204./XII)
* 1.9.44 in Mannheim under 21. Flak-Division with 5./s.255 (o); s.291 (o); s.418 (E); s.423 (E), 1./s.435 (o); gem.491 (o); s.492 (o); s.636 (o), 3./s.681 (o); s.701 (o); le.776 (o), 5./le.987 (o), le.Alarm-Flak-Bttr. 14./XII; Flak-Transport-Bttr. 131./XI
* 1.10.44 in Mannheim under 21. Flak-Division with 2./s.241 (o); s.263 (E); s.291 (o); s.418 (E); s.423 (E); 1./s.435 (o); Stab, 1.-4., 7.-8./gem.491 (o); s.492 (o); s.636 (o); 3./s.681 (o); s.701 (o); Stab, 1.-4., 6./le.776 (o); Flak-Transport-Bttr. 131./XI
* 1.11.44 in Mannheim under 21. Flak-Division with 2./s.241 (o); 5./s.255 (o); s.263 (E); s.418 (E); s.423 (E); 1./s.435 (o); 2./s.477 (o); Stab, 1.-4., 7.-8./gem.491 (o); s.492 (o); s.636 (o); 3./s.681 (o); s.701 (o); Stab, 1.-4., 6./le.776 (o); Flak-Transport-Bttr. 131./XI
* 1.12.44 in Mannheim under 21. Flak-Division with 2./s.241 (o); 5./s.255 (o); s.418 (E); s.423 (E); 1./s.435 (o); 2./s.477 (o); Stab, 1.-4., 7.-8./gem.491 (o); s.492 (o); s.636 (o); 3., 5./s.681 (o); s.701 (o); Stab, 1.-4., 6./le.776 (o); Flak-Transport-Bttr. 131./XI

I./Flak-Regiment 49 (gem. mot.):

Formed 1.10.37 in Mannheim from I./Flak-Regiment 18 with 1. - 5. Batterien.

In 1940 4./49 and 1./86 exchanged designations.

Destroyed 1.43 at Stalingrad.

Reformed 6.43(?) with 1. - 5. Batterien. In 1.44(?) a new 1. and 5./49 was formed from 1. and 5./35.

In 2.44 redesignated III./Flak-Regt. Hermann G?ring (1. - 5./49 became 13. - 17./HG).

Service:

* 10.37 - 2.38 in Mannheim under H?h.Kdr.d.Flakart. in Luftkreis IV
* 2.38 - 9.39 in Mannheim under Luftgaukommando XII
* 9.39 Westwall (Pfalz)
* 5.40 in France, supporting XXVI. Armeekorps
* 1940/41 France and Channel Islands (Stab/Flak-Regiment 100)
* 8.40 in Dinard
* 12.40/4.41 in Brest
* 3.42/4.42 in Paris
* 1942 in southern Russia, 17. Flak-Division (Stab/Flak-Regiment 12)
* 1.43 in Stalingrad, under 9. Flak-Division (Stab/Flak-Regiment 37)
* 6.43 in Italy(?)
* 1.1.44 under 3. Flak-Brigade (Stab/Flak-Regiment 39)
* 1.2.44 under 22. Flak-Brigade (Stab/Flak-Regiment 57)

II./Flak-Regiment 49 (gem. mot.):

Formed 10.41 from I./Flak-Regiment 491 with 6. - 10. Batterien.

In late 1941 9./49 became 3./98, and was replaced.

In 7.44 destroyed at Vitebsk, and disbanded shortly thereafter.

Service:

* 12.41 Koluft 9. Armee, central Russia
* 1942/43 in Rshew area (12. Flak Division and 18. Flak-Division)
* 1.11.43 in Central Russia under 10. Flak-Brigade (Stab/Flak-Regiment 10)
* 1.1.44 under 23. Flak-Division (Stab/Flak-Regiment 31)
* 1.2.44 under 12. Flak Division (Stab/Flak-Regiment 101)
* 1.3.44 under 18. Flak-Division (Stab/Flak-Regiment 6)
* 1.4.44 under 18. Flak-Division (Stab/Flak-Regiment 6)
* 1.5.44 under 18. Flak-Division (Stab/Flak-Regiment 6)
* 1.6.44 at Vitebsk under 18. Flak-Division (Stab/Flak-Regiment 6)
* 1.7.44 under 18. Flak-Division (Stab/Flak-Regiment 6)
* 1.8.44 under 18. Flak-Division (Stab/Flak-Regiment 6)

 

Nice tunic and great story. You did a great job of researching it. I wish my Arty Majs tunic could be further researched-but it cannot be. All I know about him is that he was a 2 war vet and won both classes of the IC twice-once each war. I also know that he served on the Eastern Front but know nothing about him after that.

 

Thanks Mr Evans. I appreciate the feedback. Although Flak tunics are among the most common and under appreciated branches in the Luftwaffe, this is among my most favorite items in my collection.

The tunic literally tells a story of it's own. One can see physical evidence that indicates where the owner was once a Kanoneer and worked his way up to UFFZ. There are traces of holes where other gulls were once placed. Also, there is a very very faint shadow where Grefeiter chevrons used to be.

The unit's history is enough for me to wonder if this man even survived the war.

Anyway, thanks for looking. Please feel free to post any comments or questions.

 

Quite welcome and, tunics-no matter what bracnch of service-are my absolute favorite militaria items-though I only have one Army tunic-Artillery-and it too tells a good story on its own.

What maker is yours? Mine was made by Franz Teufel in Duisburg.

 

What type of army tunic do you have(M43, waffenroch, etc?)

You are right... any marked tunic does have a story. I love such items. Heck, a story of sorts can even be pulled out of a liner stamping.

How can I find the maker stamp? All I know of are depot stamps.