Crew man, Stug, Elefant, Jagdtiger
A very nice document grouping that I was fortunate to buy a few weeks ago to a soldier who was a Stug crew member in the Crimea, a Ferdinand/Elefant crew member at Kursk and a crew member in a Jagdtiger where he met his fate fighting the Americans during operation Nordwind at Rimling near Bitche.
The group comprises of a set of citations an Arbeitsbuch and a DAF book to Franz Schroder who initially served with StuG-Abt 197 in the Crimea and was heavily involved at the siege and taking of Sebastopol. For this he was awarded the Krim shield. On 1st April 1943 Stug-Abt 197 was re-designated as schwere Panzerjager-Abteilung 653 and fitted out with Ferdinand/Elefant tank destroyers. Schroder saw service with the Ferdinands on the Northern salient of Kursk and at Ponyri station for which actions he was awarded the EKII (citation signed by Lothar Rendulic, RK,EL, Schw and DKiG) and the PKA in silber (Citation signed by Georg Baumunk DKiG, Commander Pz,Jag,Abt 653). Schroder also received the Ost medal (signed by Ernst Freiherr von Jungenfield DKiG commander of Pz.Jag.Rgt 656 to which Pz.Jag.Abt 653 belonged to at Kursk).
Members of 1 and 3 schwere Panzerjager-abteilung 653 began test driving the new Jagdtiger on 3rd September 1944 in Fallingbostel. In January 1945 Schroder was fighting American forces at the village of Rimling near Bitche in the Saar-pfalz area near the German border. All crew of Schroders Jagdtiger 134 were killed by a direct hit from a bazooka. Photos the remains of Jagdtiger 134 are well known and below I have added a first-hand account by Feldwebel Reinhold Schlabs describing the loss of Jagdtiger 134 and death of Franz Schroder. These photos and account are taken from the book The combat history of German Heavy Anti-tank unit 653 by KarlHeinz Munch.
The group comprises of a set of citations an Arbeitsbuch and a DAF book to Franz Schroder who initially served with StuG-Abt 197 in the Crimea and was heavily involved at the siege and taking of Sebastopol. For this he was awarded the Krim shield. On 1st April 1943 Stug-Abt 197 was re-designated as schwere Panzerjager-Abteilung 653 and fitted out with Ferdinand/Elefant tank destroyers. Schroder saw service with the Ferdinands on the Northern salient of Kursk and at Ponyri station for which actions he was awarded the EKII (citation signed by Lothar Rendulic, RK,EL, Schw and DKiG) and the PKA in silber (Citation signed by Georg Baumunk DKiG, Commander Pz,Jag,Abt 653). Schroder also received the Ost medal (signed by Ernst Freiherr von Jungenfield DKiG commander of Pz.Jag.Rgt 656 to which Pz.Jag.Abt 653 belonged to at Kursk).
Members of 1 and 3 schwere Panzerjager-abteilung 653 began test driving the new Jagdtiger on 3rd September 1944 in Fallingbostel. In January 1945 Schroder was fighting American forces at the village of Rimling near Bitche in the Saar-pfalz area near the German border. All crew of Schroders Jagdtiger 134 were killed by a direct hit from a bazooka. Photos the remains of Jagdtiger 134 are well known and below I have added a first-hand account by Feldwebel Reinhold Schlabs describing the loss of Jagdtiger 134 and death of Franz Schroder. These photos and account are taken from the book The combat history of German Heavy Anti-tank unit 653 by KarlHeinz Munch.
Though I would assume his Soldbuch was destroyed in the explosion I wonder if his Wehrpass is out there somewhere.
Arial photo of two disabled Ferdinands near Ponyri
First hand account of events surrounding Franz Schroders death.
Remains of Jagdtiger 134 at Rimling.
