Fallschirmjäger Rgt 6 - Alfred Hanitzsch

I would like to share the Soldbuch grouping and story of Oberfeldwebel Alfred Hanitzsch who was an early member of c Regiment 6 and fought with the regiment on June 6, 1944. He received the EKI and Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen for actions near Carentan and has over 33 combat days listed in his Soldbuch.

Alfred was an accomplished Fallschirmjäger before D-Day:

Fall 1940 Hanitzsch joined the Luftwaffe
In February 1941 he received training with 1./Fl.Pz.Ausb.Rgt.42
From Summer 1941 to May 1942 (until wounded) he was fighting in Northern Russia with Luftwaffen-Feld-Regiment 4 (14) of Division Meindl
Promoted to Gefreiter, October 1941
Promoted to Obergefreiter, February 1942
Iron Cross second class, March 08, 1942
Wound Badge in Black, May 10, 1942
Ostmedaille awarded on August 17, 1942
In October of 1942 after recuperation from being wounded, Hanitzsch received paratrooper training at Fallschirmschutzen-Schule-Braunschweig. He was awarded the Paratrooper Badge on October 26, 1942
During 1943, Obergefreiter Alfred Hanitzsch served with 6./Fallschirm-Panzer-Jager-Abteilung 2 of the newly formed 2. Fallschirmjäger Division. (France and Italy).

Hanitzsch's Fallschirmschützenschein is signed by Generalmajor Bernhard Ramcke, who was Der Kommandeur der Ergänzungs-Einheiten und Schulen des XI. Fliegerkorps (The Commander of Replacement Units and Schools of the XIth Air Corps):

Italy 1943

Hanitzsch was sent to Italy (outside of Rome) between July 26 and July 28, 1943 after the fall of Mussolini. At this time he fought with 6./Fallschirm-Panzer-Jager Abteilung 2 of the 2. Fallschirmjäger Division. After the Italian capitulation on September 8, 1943, the division advanced towards Rome, resulting in short but fierce skirmishes with Italian units. Afterwards, the majority of the 2nd Fallschirmjäger Division was sent to Russia, Hanitzsch’s unit remained in Italy possibly in support of the III./FJR6 that was ordered on November 1, 1943 to St. Pietro Infine in the Reinhard Line of the Volturno. Heavy fighting broke out in the battle of Monte Cesima and Monte Cannavinelle. The battalion was destroyed by December of 1943.

By January 1944, FJR6 was down to only one battalion. Hanitzsch was part of the FJR6 reorganization in Cologne-Wahn around January 15, 1944. On June 1, 1944 he was promoted to Unteroffizier (Oberjäger).

Photos of Fallschirm-Pz.Jg.Abt. 2 in the streets of Rome, September 1943:

D-Day: Normandy 1944 - ‘Regimentskampfzug’ / FJR.6

I was able to exchange emails with Volker Griesser, author of The Lions of Carentan: Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 and confirmed that Hanitzsch was an Unteroffizier (Oberjäger) of the “Regimentskampfzug” of FJR6, which was the security element for the Regimental Headquarters, on June 6, 1944.

One of his platoon’s notable actions on June 7 was fighting elements 101st U.S. Airborne Division ‘Pathfinders’ of the 501st and 506th PIR outside of the FJR6 Regimental Headquarters in Saint-Côme-du-Mont - knocking out an M5 Stuart tank that became known as “Dead Man’s Corner” where the namesake museum stands today. Some of the American paratroopers were caught in this trap set by the platoon at the crossroads and 5 of the U.S. paratroopers were killed instantly. This action is listed as a close combat day in Alfred’s Soldbuch. Hanitzsch would have been their adversary in many of those Normandy scenes.

There are many close combat days recorded in his Soldbuch, including seven days around Carentan that are portrayed in the television series ‘Band of Brothers’. His list of close combat days in Normandy include:

The following information comes from Volker Griesser’s book, The Lions of Carentan:

Hanitzsch spent June 5th carrying out map exercises for its officers and platoon leaders; they focused on the destruction of an enemy airborne operation in the battalion’s staging area. On the contrary to his superiors, von der Heydte ordered his regiment to prepare to march and for battle that night – which turned out to be the correct assessment of the situation. As a result, it turned out that the men of FJR 6 were the first to identify enemy soldiers having landed in Normandy; in this case, it was the pathfinders of the 101st Airborne Division, who had landed between St-Côme-du-Mont, Baupte and Carentan, in order to direct with light signals the paratroopers who followed. This took place exactly seven minutes after midnight. The III Battalion reported that enemy paratroopers had landed north of Carentan.

Shortly after midnight the first battles against the American paratroopers took place near Carentan. It is recorded that 13./III/FJR 6 were the first Fallschirmjäger unit to engage with the enemy. The 3rd Battalion encountered the enemy first between St-Georges-de-Bohon and Rougeville, where three companies of American paratroopers had landed. The 13th Company of FJR 6 absorbed the enemy fire and achieved good results against the Americans, who were disoriented by the nighttime landing in an unknown area. The reason that they were the first to engage the enemy is because the American pathfinders were landing directly on top of their tents!

Obergefreiter Gunter Prignitz in the 13th Company:

“St-Georges-de-Bohon lay about 14km behind the coast. I belonged to the company troop of the 13th Company and lay with a total of 16 men divided into four tents, directly next to the churchyard. We had placed a regular observer with a battery commander’s telescope in the church tower. A half hour after midnight on 6 June, I heard our ground observer calling: ‘Alarm – parachutes – military gliders!’ while firing off his weapon.

The first thing I heard when I left my tent was an American soldier, who had landed in a giant tree, saying ‘Oh, oh, broken leg!’ His parachute still hung in a treetop, and he was on the ground. I disarmed him and spoke calmingly to him. His wounds weren’t bleeding. He was probably the first American prisoner of war of the battle of Normandy.

A second parachute lay laterally across one of our tents, the paratrooper who belonged to it, however, was not to be found. A Feldwebel ran around to the back of the tent and yelled: ‘Halt! Password!’ Only at daybreak when we found him dead did we understand why the American hadn’t reacted.”

Gunter Prignitz remembers that ‘Numerous battles with American soldiers took place around our tents and soon we had 30 to 40 prisoners locked up in the church (of St-George-de-Bohon).’ The 3rd Battalion reported that Oberfeldwebel Peltz was bringing in the first prisoners. Another member of the 3rd Battalion, Eugen Griesser noted:

“The American paratroopers were mostly young boys around 20, big and strong. They wore combat uniforms with sewn-on pockets in which they carried about half a colonial wares store: rations in cans, chewing gum, chocolate, reserve ammunition, pictures of naked girls and even explosives. It was no wonder that some of them just exploded under fire from the rifles.”

Rudolf Theil, an Obergefreiter in Haniztsch’s Regimental Combat Platoon, remembers what happened on the night of 5/6 June.

Arthur Volker, my bunker mate, had indigestion. He believe that this always happened to him when something was in the wind. I, too, could not hide my inner unease. After the relative quiet of the past weeks, I was worried about the massive bombings of the interior. Something was coming our way!

The rations had been miserable again that day: lots of pearl barley and a little fish, a lot of marmalade and a little sausage. We hoped it would stay quiet that night and that there would be no false alarms. Arthur and I were assigned duty on the high lookout post, an airy, windy task. A strong breeze blew in from the sea; now and again the moon shone through the clouds. It was not cold, just nippy; there on the high perch one got really knocked about.

At 2400hrs I had to relieve Arthur; until then I tried to catch a few winks of sleep. It didn’t work, sleep wouldn’t come. My unease grew stronger from hour to hour. I tried to read by the light of my Hindenburg light, but I could not concentrate. What the devil was being set in motion out there? The night was so calm, there was no noise of motors. Only the wind blew through the poplars. I had to relieve Arthur soon, and because I couldn’t sleep anyway, I decided to relieve him earlier than scheduled. I dressed, belted up, checked by submachine gun and magazine, and crawled out of the bunker. The fresh air made me shudder slightly and I listened carefully to the night. It was strange; this much quiet wasn’t normal. I had the feeling as if something treacherous was lying in wait for us. I went to the observation perch and called up: “Arthur, come down. I can’t sleep and will relieve you now!”

Arthur climbed down the ladder and said: “Shitty wind, the damned cold, nothing particular to report” and disappeared into the darkness. I climbed up to the perch and looked at my watch. Ten minutes to midnight. I hung my field glasses around my neck, loaded and secured my submachine gun, and made myself comfortable. After a few minutes I heard the familiar but distant noise of airplane motors. ‘Donnerwetter’, I thought, that’s not just a few. Hopefully they’re not going to unload on us. I looked at my watch again and held the binoculars up. It was 0007hrs when I looked to the northwest and saw all kinds of red flares and glaring white light signals. That could only mean one thing to an experienced soldier: The enemy is attacking!!!

My mind told me: this is the invasion. After the initial moment of shock, like a crazy man, I turned the crank on the field telephone that connected the observation post with the regimental command post.

Right away I was connected with the service’s clerk who sat next to the telephone. ‘Obergefreiter Thiel reporting, combat platoon, red and white light signals sighted direction northwest, loud airplane noise, the enemy is attacking!’ The phone at the command post was not hung up right away, so I heard how Oberleutnant Peiser gave the clerk the order to get the Major right away. Then I heard the quick steps of the Major and fragments of his speech: this afternoon - French - damn it - no alarm. The Major: ‘Combat platoon, report!’ I said: ‘Obergefreiter Thiel reporting, combat platoon. A large amount of light signals in the direction of the coast and Cherbourg. The enemy is attacking. This is the invasion, Herr Major, should I sound the alarm?’ I looked at my watch: 0011hrs. The Major: ‘Sound the alarm. Send Oberfeldwebel Geiss to report to me immediately!’ He hung up.

I, too, hung up, and yelled as loud as I could: ‘Alarm! Alarm!’ And again and again: ‘Invasion, invasion!’ While doing so, I shot out two full magazines of submachine gun ammunition. I climbed down from the perch and Oberfeldwebel Geiss and other comrades were approaching me, looking sleepy and distraught. Everyone thought that it was just an air alarm, because an airplane motor inferno reigned above us. Oberfeldwebel Geiss sprinted to the command post, we took to our positions and our foxholes and waited for the unknown monster: invasion!

At 0600hrs on the morning of 6 June, Major von der Heydte arrived in Carentan to interrogate the captured Americans. The pathfinders of the 101st Airborne Division were particularly striking; they had shaved off their hair except for a thin stripe in the middle, and they had painted their faces with red and white. ‘Now they’re sending us their Indians’, Hauptmann Trebes said as he led Major von der Heydte to the prisoners.

Normandy ‘44 - Close-combat June 7 and 8 - St-Côme-du-Mont

As Major von der Heydte gained situational awareness the next day, he sent the 1st Battalion up the road from St-Côme-du-Mont to the town of St-Marie-du-Mont, which had been abandoned down to the last man by the previous occupants. The 2nd Battalion was sent in the direction of St-Mere-Eglise. In order to provide a reserve and to secure the key position of Carentan, the 3rd Battalion remained for now near St-Côme-du-Mont and Carentan. Near St-Côme-du-Mont, Major von der Heydte encountered the 4th and 8th Batteries of 191st Artillery Regiment, the 3rd Battalion of the 1058th Grenadier Regiment, and the 3rd Battery of 243rd Anti-Aircraft Regiment; without hesitation, he took these units under his command.

The 1st Battalion/FJR6’s move on St-Marie-du-Mont ended in disaster. Their escape route to St-Côme-du-Mont had been cut off and they were surrounded. In a desperate attempt to make it across an open marsh, only 25 men of the 800-strong 1st Battalion made it back to the German lines. FJR6 had already lost 1/3 of it’s men. The 2nd Battalion had dug in to the northeast of St-Côme-du-Mont after returning from St-Mere-Eglise, which they established had already been occupied by a large number of Allied troops and tanks.

As the battle developed near St-Côme-du-Mont, Major von der Heydte called up two companies of the 3rd Battalion from Carentan to St-Côme-du-Mont to reinforce the III./Grenadier Rgt 1058 defending the town. From my research it appears that these were the 9th and 13th Companies, along with Hanitzsch’s Regimentskampfzug that was already located in the town around the regimental headquarters. An energetic advance by American tank units had broken through the Gren.Rgt. 1058 lines. The 9th Company/ FJR6 was able to stabilize the army unit’s front, and the Fallschirmjager destroyed some enemy tanks with close combat tactics.

Hanitzsch’s Regimentskampfzug was used to help protect 13./III/FJR6 - which was the battalion’s heavy mortar company. In St-Côme-du-Mont, the 13th Company of FJR6 annexed the batteries of the 191st Artillery Regiment’s 4th and 8th batteries, in order to deliver counterfire against enemy heavy weapons. As darkness came on the evening of 6 June, a fire ambush of American naval artillery on the 4th Battery of the 191st Artillery regiment’s position led to the loss of 27 men, and caused the battery officer to issue an order to abandon the position. The 3rd battery of the 191st artillery is the one that was taken out in Band of Brothers at Brécourt Manor.

A division of American light tanks penetrated into the positions of the 3rd Battalion during the fighting. Obergefreiter Fischer managed to bring one of the vehicles to a halt with a panzerfaust directly in front of the battalion’s command post.

Hanitzsch engaged Companies A and D of the American 506th PIR, with Stuart light tank support, on the outskirts of St-Côme-du-Mont on 7 June. Company D advanced at 1830 two miles (3km) to the battalion objective, the crossroads between St-Côme-du-Mont linking it with Carentan. The leading Stuart light tank was knocked out by a panzerfaust at the crossroads, where the hull and a dead crewman hanging out of the tank gave the intersection the name “Dead Man’s Corner”. Company A followed Company D to the outskirts of the town, but both were recalled just before midnight when no other units could consolidate on them.

On June 7, the 13th Company fought off enemy assaults northeast of St-Côme-du-Mont. The army Battalion of Georgians trickled away from their positions and turned themselves over to the enemy. After three days, no more Georgians could be found. The current positions were looking untenable with the reinforced Allied troops growing by the hours. Major von der Heydte decided to fall back to Carentan, but the 191st Pioneer Battalion had blown the bridge over the Douve. The retreat was ordered.

Their positions came under heavy fire along with the regimental combat platoon deployed to protect them. The powerful shells of the naval artillery caused great losses among the Fallschirmjäger and destroyed some of the heavy weapons so necessary to providing support. At 0545hrs the Americans stopped the barrage but did not immediately follow up with their ground troops, so that the available elements of FJR 6 had a chance to regroup along the St-Côme-du-Mont-Carentan road and place the remaining mortars into a secure reverse-slop position. Soon, however, the American infantry showed up and stormed the new defensive line, and were only pushed back in bitter close combat.

The Allies were reinforcing the area with more men and armour; and the position on the road towards Carentan could also not be held for long.

The II Battalion / FJR 6 made it's way through the flooded fields over a railway bridge toward Carentan. During this process, the battalion lost all of its heavy weapons, because these could not be transported across the swamp. The support weapons of III./FJR 6 were set up to cover their withdrawal route. While the few mortars, submachine guns, anti-tank guns and 2cm anti-aircraft cannons could kept match the firepower of the Allied artillery, Oblt. Pöppel's company nevertheless managed to shut down an advanced command post with well-aimed mortar fire. The 3rd Battalion, however, also found itself under fire.

The men following Major von der Heydte through the swamp to Carentan from St-Côme-du-Mont (including Hanitzsch) had as difficult of a situation as the II Battalion - further pieces of gear and equipment sank into the water. A handful of Fallschirmjäger who attempted to save the machine guns at least, drowned for their efforts.

After Heydte's group reached the III Battalion positions north of Carentan, they could see the II Battalion approach the path in the marsh area. The Americans also noticed the movement and attacked the retreating Fallschirmjäger. Now the heavy weapons of the 3rd Battalion opened a devastating fire on the Americans, thus giving their comrades the chance to climb up the railway embankment and cross over the Douve on the railway tracks. The 8th Company of the 191st Artillery Regiment (subordinated to the 13th Company/FJR 6) even managed, by firing six tank shells, to destroy the church tower of St.Côme-du-Mont, in which the Americans had set up an observation post. The US troops were apparently too surprised by the fire assault to cover the railway bridge with their own mortars or machine guns; therefore the 2nd Battalion succeeded in reaching the safe side of the Douve.

The supply situation for the regiment was particularly worrisome, given the significant material losses they had suffered, especially in terms of vehicles and heavy weapons. FJR 6 also had to provide supplies for the units placed under them. Many of the ammunition and ration reserves were lost in the vehicles; furthermore, the fighting had led to a disproportionate use of ammunition.

Major von der Heydte's regimental command on June 10th stated:
...4. The following will be deployed:
...III./FJR 6 northern edge of Carentan up to and including Pommenauque...

...6. Heavy infantry weapons:
The parts of the 4th, 8th, 12th and 13th Companies of FJR 6 that are still capable of combat will be gathered into the Nahde Company and immediately assigned to the regiment. They will go into position so that they can function as the central point of the II and III/FJR 6. Nahde Company has their own permission to fire on any targets that will not be target by the artillery. They will use all their weapons during the day, and at night all weapons except the 1st Infantry cannon barrage fire.

During attacks on Carentan, the 635th Eastern Battalion, once again, proved the weak link, with serious breaches of its line in many sectors. Many of them quickly defected to the enemy. The remaining troops were regrouped and from then on only FJR 6 fought in the important areas - the army units took over securing the flanks. In this way the front could be held on 10 June against increasingly strong enemy attacks.

In a nighttime operation from 10 to 11 July, the Americans attacked the road bridge at St-Côme-du-Mont, but did not move forward from their positions in front of III Battalion/FJR 6. In situations like these the Americans displayed their material wealth and simply pulled back and demanded for plentiful air and heavy artillery support. For hours, the men of FJR 6 were subject to punishing bombardments that reduced their positions to rubble and ashes, burying whole troops and platoons.

The Fallschirmjäger did not yield, not even when the ammunition situation worsened. Rifle ammunition had to be collected in order to refill the belts of the machine guns. Every position was held literally down to the last cartridge; only once fired would the Fallschirmjäger pull back.

On this night of 10 to 11 June recorded as a close combat day in Hanitzsch's Soldbuch, the 13th Company was almost destroyed. They had already suffered heavy losses in the constant fighting through the past few days. After a three-hour firefight the enemy eventually succeeded in entrenching themselves in the Ferme Pommenauque and infiltrating Carentan to the northwest. Again the Americans pushed forward to the train station and occupied part of the building there. In order to close the hole in the defense between the remains of III./FJR 6 and the 13th Company of the regiment, the 6th Company, moving on their own initiative, threw themselves against the enemy at Pommrnauque.

Lieutenant Brunnklaus and his men managed to fight through to the road bridge and establish a connection with the remains of the 3rd Battalion located there. Once again, events came down to bitter close-quarters combat between German and American paratroopers. Leutnant Brunnklaus fell in the sense struggle, hit in the back by a pistol bullet. In the face of overwhelming superiority of enemy numbers and weapons, and in response to the completely inadequate provisions situation, especially with regards to ammunition, the Fallschirmjäger were pulled back.

At 1705hrs Major von der Heydte reported to the 91st Airborne Division:

"All leaders of Jäger companies have fallen or been wounded. Hardest fighting on the city limits of Carentan. The last of the ammunition has been fired; at 1800hrs we will vacate Carentan and fall back to Elevation 30-Pommenauque. This line can only be held if ammunition and provisions arrive."

The Luftwaffe put in a rare appearance over Carentan on the night of 11/12 June. Transport Ju-52 planes dropped 13 tonnes of supplies over the edge of the city, including urgently needed ammunition for rifles and machine guns.

The commanding general of LXXIV Corps, General con Choltitz, expressed his admiration of the Fallschirmjäger for their resistance they had maintained for six days in Carentan. The General coined the phrase the 'Lions of Carentan'.

Here are some links to more information on the battles:

Saint-Côme-du-Mont:

https://www.dday-overlord.com/en/battle-of-normandy/cities/saint-come-du-mont

Carentan:

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/2019/01/02/the-lions-of-carentan-part-ii-defending-carentan/

Carentan – U.S. perspective (June 8 to June 15):

https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/utah/utah5.htm

Photo next to Oberfeldwebel Uhlig (July 1944)

Hanitzsch is standing next to Oberfeldwebel Alexander Uhlig in this well-known photo from Normandy. Alfred Hanitzsch is the soldier on the far right side. He is the one wearing a helmet and looking at the camera.

Alfred Hanitzsch, Oberfeldwebel Alexander Uhlig, and other men of the 16th Company near the sunken road used as a starting line for their action against the 90th U.S. Division.

Uhlig became the commander of the 16th Company / FJR6, which was formed at the beginning of July 1944. FJR6 received 830 replacements at this time that were mostly young and inexperienced. Major von der Heydte reorganized the companies of FJR6, so that battle-experienced Fallschirmjäger would be standing shoulder to shoulder with the young boys. Nevertheless the companies were not more than 30-40 men. Major von der Heydte disbanded the Regimentskampfzug and the men became the nucleus of the 16th Company.

Uhlig received the Knight’s Cross for leading his men – a small group of 30 Fallschirmjäger on a mission to stabilize the regiment’s front during the Allied Operation Cobra. One July 23, Uhlig’s group took on and defeated an entire U.S. Battalion (90th Inf. Div.), taking over 230 prisoners, including the Battalion commander and eleven other officers.

It is most likely that Hanitzsch received his EKI for Uhlig’s Knight’s Cross action on July 23rd. He received the EKI and IAB on August 11th. This was the final major action of the 16th Company. After this they fought retreating skirmishes. They were quickly separated from the remnants of FJR6, became encircled, and were completely destroyed in August. None of the men from the 16th Company made it back to the German lines after this time and Uhlig became a POW. I believe that Alfred Hanitzsch was wounded for a second time during or right after Uhlig’s Knight’s Cross action and was sent towards Nancy, France – which is how he survived and received awards in August. This was a very chaotic retreat and Fallschirmjäger had to escape to the east in small groups or even alone for days to avoid capture.

Other photos of the 16th Company in the sunken road near Sèves Island:

Most likely men of the 16th Company getting ready to engage the US 90th Infantry Division near *Sèves* Island.

Retreat from Normandy

As the situation deteriorated for the Germans in Normandy, FJR6 was approaching total annihilation. Survivors of FJR6 retreated in smaller and smaller groups until only individual men made their way back. Many described stories of passing through American columns and creeping through ditches alongside roads on which American tanks were rolling directly next to them.

On 10 August, FJR6 received the order to relocate to Nancy. Due to the high losses of men, the regiment was relieved from frontline duty. Since the beginning of the invasion, FJR6 had been in action; almost all of its men were sick or wounded at this point. When the order arrived, Oberstleutnant von der Heydte’s command was only 40 men strong. Little is known to this day about the fate of the other men. Only eight weeks earlier, the regiment had been 4,600 men.

The next day on August 11th, Hanitzsch was awarded the EKI and IAB. It seems that the men were awarded the Infantry Assault Badge instead of the Luftwaffe Ground Combat Badge, because they were subordinated to the 17th and 2nd SS Divisions during their time in Normandy. For him to receive the awards on this date it seem that he must have made his way to the FJR6 camp at Tincebray. Due to being on the frontline since June 6, many soldiers of the regiment did not have their awards entered in the Soldbucher until August for previous actions. Around this time Hanitzsch was separated from FJR6 in the chaos and did not rejoin the ranks of the regiment again.

A Lone Fallschirmjäger (Metz and Aachen/Geilenkirchen – Attachment to Panzer Reconnaissance - 115th Pz.Aufkl.Abt. / 15th Panzergrenadier Div.)

Nancy, Metz, Aachen/Westwall 1944

Attachment to Panzer Reconnaissance (115th Pz.Aufkl.Abt. / 15th Panzergrenadier Div.)

Near Nancy (where FJ Rgt 6 was regrouping), Hanitzsch became separated from FJR6 and fought with the Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 115, 15. Panzergrenadier-Division of the Heer (Feldpostnummer 02272). The division had just been relocated from the Italian front to help stop the Allied advance in France. It appears that the 15th PGD passed through Nancy on their way to the frontlines. Pz.A.A. 115 was a very experienced unit that worked closely with Fallschirmjäger in North Africa and Italy, so I’m sure they were happy to pick up a warrior in France to join them. They needed to replace their own losses from the Italian Campaign and I’m sure picked up whomever they could find to bolster the ranks. Hanitzsch was still a Fallschirmjäger, but fought with this unit for several months. I will upload a photo showing the armored recon unit working with FJ in Italy.

With the armored recon of the 15th Panzergrenadier Division, Alfred Hanitzsch was again fighting in close combat that was recorded in his Soldbuch. These three engagements were part of the initial German successes that took place in the ‘first phase’ of the Battle of Metz 1944:

September 11, 1944 – “Côte de Faye” (South of Metz along the Moselle – near Arnaville/Arry)
September 12, 1944 – “Côte de Faye” (South of Metz along the Moselle – near Arnaville/Arry)
September 18, 1944 – “Jolivet” (Lunéville)

Photos of 115th Pz.Aufkl.Abt. / 15th Panzergrenadier Div. working with Fallschirmjäger:

Côte de Faye

The success of the Allied breakout in Normandy and collapse of German troops in the Falaise Pocket led to a strategy of holding terrain in order to buy time to strengthen the Westwall. Here is an American report of the action at Côte de Faye:

“On 11 September at dawn, a time favored by the enemy for local counter-attacks, both flanks of the 10th Infantry were hit by infantry and tanks. The 1st Battalion suffered less than on the previous day and the Germans were driven back to Arry in short order, although the battalion antitank guns, posted to cover the approaches from Arry, were overrun by the enemy tanks.

However, the 2nd Battalion, deployed along the Côte de Faye, encountered a much stronger force and lost 102 men in a bitter fight during which the enemy managed to infiltrate into the American lines. But the attack faltered as rifle and machine gun fire continued to cut the Germans down, and they finally withdrew, only to come under a shelling by the American batteries across the river.”

Credit: https://history.army.mil/html/books/007/7-6-1/index.html

Jolivet (Lunéville)

Regarding the action at Jolivet a week later, here is some information from the Wehrmacht-Awards website:

“On 18 September, Panzer elements again met US reconnaissance forces in the vicinity of Lunéville.  Making contact with German forces that were “thought not to be there” rather surprised the Americans, who quickly concentrated their spread out units.  Believing the Germans to be disorganized, several hasty attacks were mounted in the next few days in order to take advantage of that belief and thus, seize a bridgehead across the Moselle River.  However, the late summer lull caused by the Allies’ logistics situation had worked to the Germans’ advantage and provided the Wehrmacht time to establish a defense.

During this first phase of the battle, the Americans attempted three attacks to remove Metz as an obstacle to their advance in to the Reich.  All three were extraordinarily bloody fights, but two were clearly German victories.  The third held only moderate success for the Americans in that it gained a small foothold across the Moselle, but which could not be immediately exploited.”

Credit: https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/campaign_awards/cufftitles/metz.htm

Hanitzsch was with the Panzer Recon of the 15th PGD from at least September to late November 1944. The 15th PGD was put into the frontlines in pieces as needed, so I am not sure where the 115th Pz.A.A. fought in October of 1944. His next close combat actions are reported near the end of November northeast of Aachen near Geilenkirchen with the armored reconnaissance unit.

Nov. 19, 1944 – close combat “Apweiler” (NE of Aachen, near Geilenkirchen)
Nov. 21, 1944 – close combat “Schlackenberg” (NE of Aachen, near Geilenkirchen)

Apweiler

Apweiler from the U.S. perspective: “The Roer River Offensive”

“Before CCA could strike on 19 November, CCB got another taste of German reserves sufficient to justify General Harmon’s foresight. Before daylight, a contingent of seven tanks and a battalion of infantry of the 15th Panzer Grenadier Division struck that part of Task Force X, which was occupying Apweiler. Sgt. Stanley Herrin and the crew of his tank of Company I, 67th Armored Regiment, were largely instrumental in stopping one prong of the counterattack. Spotting the foremost German tank, Sergeant Herrin knocked off its track with his first round. A tank destroyer finished the job by knocking off the turret. Sgt. Herrin and his crew then accounted for two tanks, which followed.

Infantry alone took care of the two other prongs of the German thrust. At one point, bazooka gunners knocked out three tanks, while an unidentified infantryman climbed atop the rear deck of a fourth and silenced the Germans inside by dropping hand grenades into the turret. At the other point, the Germans were without tank support and were stopped by withering fusillade of small arms fire delivered at close range.

When CCA’s Task Force A attacked during the afternoon eastward from Puffendorf toward the gap in the anti-tank ditch, the Germans counterattacked again, this time against what they must have taken to be Task Force A’s exposed left flank. Using about a hundred infantry supported by four tanks, they seemingly forgot that CCB’s Task Force I still held Puffendorf. Catching the Germans in the flank, CCB’s tank destroyers knocked out two of the tanks, while Sherman mounting a 76-mm caught a Panther tank broadside. The Panther went up in flames. That ended the threat.”

Credit: https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/Siegfried/Siegfried%20Line/siegfried-fm.htm

German *Panzergrenadiers* are photographed during the height of their operations in the Geilenkirchen salient as they advance with the support of a heavily camouflaged assault gun.

Schlackenberg

Schlackenberg from the U.S. perspective:

“Not until the next day, 21 November, after CCB had pushed out to higher ground outside Gereonsweiler, did the Germans muster a counterattack. They concentrated against a particularly vulnerable infantry company of Task Force X – Company A, 406th Infantry – which was holding with exposed flanks on a rise a thousand yards north of Gereonsweiler. The first strike by a company of infantry in the late afternoon was repulsed, but as darkness fell, three companies of the 11th Panzer Grenadier Regiment dealt a cruel blow. Two platoons of Company A were almost obliterated as the company fell back some 300 yards to gain defilade against small arms fire. There, with the aid of another company rushed up to one flank, Company A held. When Colonel Hurless rushed tanks and tank destroyers to help, the infantry and armor together pushed back to the crest of the rise and restored the line.”

Credit: https://history.army.mil/books/wwii/Siegfried/Siegfried%20Line/siegfried-fm.htm

Shortly after these battles, Hanitzsch returned to the Fallschirmjäger. In November a general regrouping took place and there was an order to either return such Fallschirmjäger or other “incorporated soldiers” back to their branch or transfer them to the Heer permanently. Hanitzsch became a member of the newly formed Fallschirmjäger Regiment ‘z.b.V.’ around this time.

Fallschirmjäger Rgt ‘z.b.V.’ / FJR. 25 - Pomerania 1945

Hanitzsch became a Feldwebel of the newly formed Fallschirmjäger Regiment ‘z.b.V’ at the end of 1944.

This was an elite Fallschirmjäger “Special Duties” regiment. The regiment was formed in November 1944 under the command of Major i.G. Gerhard Schacht, who received the Knight’s Cross for actions at Fort Eben-Emael. It was an attempt to combine elite “special operations” and “cloak and dagger” Fallschirmjäger units together at a time when units were being diluted with young and inexperienced recruits. Major Schacht himself had taken part in other special operations during the war, including a raid on Malta via a German U-boot to capture a prisoner for information:

The disappearance of Private Assuero Cassar – Jeffrey Sammut (timesofmalta.com)

FJR ‘z.b.V.” was formed (Stab only) to control Fallschirm-Jäger-Battaillone Schäfer and Schluckebier. These were the two Luftwaffe parachute battalions previously attached to Kampfgeschwader 200 (and then known as Sonderverbande Jungwirth). Kampfgruppe Jungwirth was specially assembled for the Vecors plateau mission in July 1944 against French partisan forces in the French Alps where hundreds of partisans had created a stronghold from which they were mounting operations against the German occupiers. Schäfer was in command of one of the parachute companies of KG 200. The para-trained commandos of II./KG 200 remain a little-known arm of Germany’s WW2 parachute forces.

Many of the Fallschirmjäger in this regiment were armed with STG44 machine guns and had the most advanced equipment that could be found for their outfitting. They were sent to Eastern Front and were engaged in combat almost every day - ending at Seelow Heights and the Battle of Berlin.

On 29 January 1945 six Tiger II heavy tanks of 503 Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung set off against sporadic resistance toward Driesen bridgehead with one of the anti-aircraft platoon’s 4x20mm Flakpanzer IV ‘Wirbelwind’ self-propelled guns. They were accompanied by an advance party of 365 Fallschirmjäger under Major Hörl from Fallschirmjäger-Regiment z.b.V. Schacht (later Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 25, 9. Fallschirmjäger Div). They were heading south to win back the recently Soviet-occupied town of Regenthin. The plan was for this force to breakthrough Reichsstrasse 1 (National Road 1) between Hochzeit and Woldenberg.

Just before the attack was launched, the Soviets had begun their own attack. The troops assembled for the attack in Pomerania launched counter-attacks from their deployments around Zatten. At Heidekavel the Königtiger tanks encountered a large concentration of 80 to 90 Soviet tanks. The Soviet armoured attack was repulsed and by the evening Regenthin was in German hands. However, the 2nd Battalion of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment z.b.V. Schacht took very high officer casualties during the battle to take Regenthin. Hanitzsch received his promotion to Feldwebel at this time.

On 31 January, 1st Company of 503. Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung under SS-Obersturmführer Max Lippert with four Königstiger tanks attacked from Regenthin with Fallschirmjäger in support. They advance about 15 kilometres, destroying 80 Soviet guns and inflicting heavy casualties on the Red Army infantry. During fighting in a forested area near Anmarsches SS-Oberscharführer Dienersberger was killed when he was struck in the head. At the time he was firing from his tank turret with his machine-pistol at Soviet infantrymen. The tank of SS-Untersturmführer Bromann was halted after several anti-tank guns hits. The other three tanks continued to advance from Regenthin towards the anti-tank positions. The leading tank, commanded by SS-Unterscharführer Lindl, was hit 22 times, but still pushed through the position! Another tank, under SS-Uuntersturmführer Meinl, which held the left flank, was hit by a Soviet tank and began to burn and crew suffered serious burns. The advance of the Fallschirmjäger battalion was carried out towards Woldenberg to Lämmersdorf.

The Soviets bypassed the German advance and threatened the battle groups rear, forcing them to retreat to the original positions in Regenthin that evening. Afterwards the Fallschirmjäger are withdrawn to the area of Neuwedell.

The regiment quickly became a ‘mixed bag’ after heavy losses on the Eastern Front in Feb/March 1945 were replaced with young recruits. After 17 March 1945, the regiment was pulled from the frontlines and incorporated into the 9th Fallschirmjäger Division.

In 1945, Hanitzsch was involved in constant hand-to-hand combat:

Jan. 31, 1945 – “Angriff auf Regenthin”
Feb. 1, 1945 – “Angriff auf Jägersburg u. Lämmersdorf”
Feb. 2, 1945 – “Abwehr des Angriffs auf Jägersburg u. Lämmersdorf”
Feb. 10, 1945 – “Abwehrkämpfe bei Gutsdorf”
Feb. 11, 1945 - “Abwehrkämpfe bei Kallies u. Klarpfuhl”
Feb. 19, 1945 - “Abwehrkämpfe um Klarpfuhl u. Gegenstoss”
Feb. 21, 1945 – “Angriff auf Sandberg bei den Höhen vor Klarpfuhl”
March 2, 1945 – “Abwehr des Angriffs bei Gräbnitzfelde u. Karshagen”
March 3, 1945 – “Abwehr des Angriffs auf Langenhagen, Woltersdorf-
Silbersdorf u. Frienwalde u. Gegenstoss”
March 4, 1945 – “Abwehr des Angriffs auf Kannenberg”
March 5, 1945 – “Abwehr des Angriffs auf Massow u. Gegenstoss”
March 6, 1945 – “Abwehr des Angriffs auf Christinenberg u. Gegenstoss”
March 8, 1945 – “Abwehr des Angriffs auf Christinenberg u. Gegenstoss”
March 9, 1945 – “Abwehr des Angriffs auf Christinenberg u. Röhrchen”
March 10, 1945 – “Kämpfe um die Nibelungsenstellung (Oberhof)”
March 11, 1945 – “Kämpfe um die Nibelungsenstellung (Oberhof)”
March 12, 1945 – “Kämpfe um die Nibelungsenstellung (Oberhof)”
March 13, 1945 – “Kämpfe um die Nibelungsenstellung (Oberhof)”
March 14, 1945 – “Kämpfe um die Nibelungsenstellung (Oberhof)”
March 15, 1945 – “Kämpfe um die Nibelungsenstellung (Oberhof)”
March 16, 1945 – “Kämpfe um die Nibelungsenstellung (Oberhof)”
March 17, 1945 – “Kämpfe um die Nibelungsenstellung (Oberhof)”

Seelow Heights - Alfred is Killed in Action (April 1945)

I believe that Alfred was wounded for the third time around March 17, which was about the time his unit was pulled out of the lines and moved towards Seelow Heights.

On April 5, 1945 he was awarded the Close Combat Clasp in Bronze. All of the FJR6 paratroopers that fought in Carentan were entitled to the Close Combat Clasp in Silver due to a decree from Hermann Goring in the fall of 1944, but by the time of this order there were very few original members left in the regiment to give the award to. At the time Hanitzsch was with the 15th Pz.Gren. Div. It is also interesting that he had enough close combat days for the Close Combat Clasp in Silver by his own merit. From other awards given to FJ Rgt. 25 members at this time, it appears this was the ‘Luftwaffe Close Combat Clasp in Bronze’ – although only on paper. In pictures after the war his commander Gerhard Schacht can be seen wearing the Luftwaffe version of the award.

On April 12, 1945 Hanitzsch received the Wound Badge in Silver for his third wound. This is also the final entry in his Soldbuch. At the time Hanitzsch had been promoted to Oberfeldwebel and was the commander of 4. Komp. / I. Batl. / FJ Rgt. 25 in April of 1945. This is listed in reports of FJR 25, but not in his Soldbuch.

For all of the combat he survived previously, Alfred Hanitzsch met his fate at the Battle of Seelow Heights. Alfred’s luck ran out when his 4th company was one of the most forward units near Seelow when the Soviets launched their massive assault. As the Soviets overwhelmed the town of Letschin, Pomerania – Hanitzsch was last seen near the town by Leutnant Albrecht Schulze, who was the commander of 8./II./ Fallschirmjäger Rgt. 25 at the time, but had previously been Alfred’s commander. One can imagine that Alfred was inhibited by his most recent combat wound, but stayed at the front with his men.

The Soviets described the battle for Letschin as particularly stubborn. The Germans that held the town put up a particularly stubborn fight. It was not until the Soviets overwhelmed the town with strong armored elements and infantry that it was taken at a high cost.

An unknown German soldier killed near Seelow Heights.

The Hanitzsch family

Like many others, his family had experienced a lot of loss during the war. His father owned a business in Dresden and was killed in the firebombing. Due to the constant combat at the front, I am not sure if Alfred ever learned of his father’s death.

A letter to Alfred’s mother regarding the fate of his father is included in the grouping:

Alfred’s brother, Helmut, would spend many years after the war looking for his brother. He did not know if he had been captured by the Soviets or killed. The Adjutant may have held on to Alfred’s Soldbuch at the time of the Soviet attack near Seelow Heights, because it was returned to the family after the war.

Alfred’s brother, Helmut, was wounded on June 12, 1944. His WBiB award certificate is included in the grouping:

It appears that Helmut spent at least a decade looking for his brother after the war, but Alfred Hanitzsch is still listed as “Missing in Action” to this day.

This is one of the most poignant groupings in my collection. The letters and documents in the group all tell a story of two brave brothers and a family shattered by total war - of heartaches and mysteries that time could not heal for the Hanitzsch family in this lifetime.