Wehrpass Holland Belgium WIA France KIA Russia

Wehrpass to Gefreiter Werner Jonnek.

He starts his military career on 29-8-1939 with 2./Schutzen ersatz Kompanie 51.

After his basictrainings he became part of 5. Kompanie Infanterie Regiment 51 wich was part of the 18. Infanterie Division.

The Division was part of the 4. Armeekorps (IV.A.K.)

On 10 May 1940 this Division took part in operation “Fall Gelb”

and crossed the German - Dutch north of Maastricht and soon also over the Maas or Meuse river towards Belgium and the Albert canal.

After 2 weeks fighting in Belgium the Division advanced towards France were he got wounded on 27 May by schrapnel as can seen on page 34.

For his first wounding he was awarded the Wounded Badge in Black.

A month later on 25 June 1940 he was promoted in the field to Obergrenadier as stated on the single document.

The wounding must have been not really bad as he had already returned or had stayed with his unit during the campaign in France.

From November 1940, the motorization of the 18. Infantrie Division which was completed in May 41, began and the renaming to the 18. Infantrie Division (mot). During the motorization it was subordinated to the 11th Army, still in Army Group C.

On March 24, 1941, the divisional commander, Generalleutnant Friedrich-Carl Cranz, died in a shooting accident (artillery shortshot) at the Neuhammer military training area. Major General Friedrich Herrlein assumed command of the division.

Operation Barbarossa

With the end of motorization in May 1941, the 18th Motorized Infantry Division was assigned to Panzer Group 3, which had belonged to Army Group Center from the start of the Eastern Campaign.

The unit fought in the Battle of Białystok and Minsk (now subordinate to the 16th Army, the subsequent Battle of Smolensk, took part in the advance towards Leningrad and at the end of the year took part in battles for Volkhov.

On August 26, the division captured Lyuban and then moved towards Tikhvin or Tichvin. With this movement, Leningrad was to be cut off from the east. On August 30, the 5th Company of the 30th Infantry Regiment (First Lieutenant Buchner) and the 2nd Battery of the 18th Artillery Regiment (First Lieutenant Galette) took the embattled Volkhov Bridge of Kirishi. Meanwhile the XXXIX. Subordinated to the Army Corps, Tikhvin was taken on November 8, 1941 by the 51st Infantry Regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Hans-Georg Leyser.

11 days later, on 19 November the Soviets started an counterattack to retake the city of Tichvin. After a few days of heavy fighting he got killed on 23 November 1941.

The 18. Infanterie Division had lost over 5.000 men and had a battle strength of only 1.000 men!

The Wehrpass is complete, no missing pages.

Used condition.

Code: B23212212