Soldbuch 9. Panzer Division Holland 1940 – Russia PAB + EK 2

Soldbuch first issue to Stabsgefreiter Spitzkirn.

From (at least) 1939 he served with Kavallerie Schutzen Regiment 10 of the 9. Panzer Division. Feldpostnumber: 27517

With the 9. Panzer Division he took part in Operation Fall Gelb wich started on 10th May 1940.

On 11 May the Division crossed the Maas or Meuse river near Gennep and Cuijk. The same day it reached Volkel, Uden and Erp.

On 12 May it crossed the Zuid-Willemsvaart in the early morning and headed towards Loon op Zand and Geertruidenberg. Wich is close to the Moerdijk bridge where previously the Fallschirmjager had been dropped and holding the bridge. On the 14th it arrived in Rotterdam.

In 1941 it took part in Operation Barbarossa as part of Heeresgruppe Sud and Heeresgruppe Mitte.
In August 1941 he got wounded for the first time;

”Halsdurchschuss”
In late August 1942 or early September 1942 he got wounded:

”Durchschuss rechter Schulter”.

He should be at least entitled the Wounded badge in Black.

In 1945 he became part of 2./Panzer Regiment 39 of the 17. Panzer Division wich was fighting on the Eastfront.

The division found itself in constant retreat as part of the XXIV Panzer Corps commanded by Walther Nehring first towards Lodz, then crossing the Oder river where it took positions near Glogow in February. It took part in defensive operations near the Scinawa (German: Steinau) bridgehead in mid-February.

The division had suffered heavy losses during those events and was re-supplied near Gorlitz, now renamed Kampfgruppe 17th Panzer Division due to being severely understrength and being no more in size than a regiment. It continued its defensive actions in the region during the Silesian offensive. The division was eventually forced to retreat into Czechoslovakia heading towards Brno.

In February 1945, the division, by now reduced to a Kampfgruppe, was attached to Army Group Center on the Oder River. By March 1945, it retreated as far as Jägerndorf by the Red Army. Early in April, it had retreated southwest into Moravia, where in quick succession it came under the order of 17th Army and 1st Army. The division surrendered to the Soviet army near Görlitz at the end of April 1945.

Fieldunits

- Kavelerie Schutzen Regiment 10, 9. Panzer Division

- Schutzen Regiment 11, 9. Panzer Division

- Panzer Regiment 39, 17. Panzer Division

In 1943 after he recovered he served as Panzerwart II = mechanic

Verwendung as Kradfahrer = motorcyclist

Although the Soldbuch is missing page 21-22 with the medal entries his portrait picture clearly shows;

- EK 2

- Panzerkampfabzeichen 

- Bandspange 

- Shoulderboard with S (Schutzen) 10 = Kavallerie Schutzen Regiment 10

It comes with his Wehrmachtfuhrerschein or driverslicence from 1939.

Good used condition, missing page 21-22

Needs further research.

code: D26344

Verwendung: Kradfahrer