71st Infantry Division

SUBSCRIBE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN2UQVe6Xaqz5rLFaWq8-mw?sub_confirmation=1 Open a free account and see example exclusive footage Military1945.com Our author Heinz hand wrote this war diary while serving as a non-commissioned officer in the 71st Infantry Division which was nicknamed the lucky division. He served in Regiment 194. The diary is made up of 74 pages and includes that nice photograph of his beautiful wife. In this new multi-part series we’ll go through each day of his entries. In today’s video, part 1 in the series we’ll cover the days in Heinz’s diary during the lead up to the invasion. We’ll use situational maps to see how his unit fit into the larger context of Barbarossa and as usual I’ll mix in rare film footage to glue it all together. At the end of the video we’ll do some foreshadowing as I show some sensational private footage from Stalingrad which is where the 71st was wiped out. Friday, 20.6.1941 For the last few days the regiment’s staff has been garrisoned in a newly built castle in Poland that hasn’t yet been completely finished. The Russian border is approximately 10 km away. Nearby is a town mostly populated by women and senior citizens. It’s beautiful here and the views extend for miles; mostly of tall corn fields and immense forested areas. We spend a considerable amount of time today like the days before planting telephone poles along the forrest paths towards the border and then mounting communications cables. The weather is beautiful and in the evening musicians show up and play dance music. Lying around int he grass we relax, everything calm and peaceful. Saturday, 21.6.1941 This morning the company chief gathered us together and read an official proclamation.We really are going against Russia! With all the preparations that that we’ve been making it isn’t a surprise but nobody really wanted to believe. Each of us deep in thought contemplates the significants. The day is spent organizing our weapons and equipment, packing, and receiving munitions. At 1700 hours we are again called together. Myself, along with a number of other communications specialists, are to be transferred to the 2nd Btl, in order to put communications with Regiment in order. That evening I bid farewell to the other signal men with whom I’ve been for the last year. Will I ever see them all again healthy? This is the original German High Command war atlas for Operation Barbarossa, the campaign against the Soviet Union. We are looking at June 21, the day before the campaign began. A number of viewers have asked to get a better view of these situational maps so this time we’ll start up at Army Group north and pan down slowly to Army Group South. This beautiful collection has a total of 121 full sized situational maps like this one that I integrate into all the M45 videos I can. Our author Heinz was in the 71st ID which was lead by General of the Infantry Alexander von Hartmann was in Army Group South and part of the 17th Army, in the 4th Army Corps. Directly on its right flank is the 1st Mountain division. Not too far to the north west can be seen the positioning of part of the SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler and the SS Wiking division. The first important objective for the army group was Lemberg. But of course this information and this overview was far above Heinz’s pay grade. Along the roads that we spent days improving we move to the east. By the time that our small signal team reaches the destination, night has fallen. I try to get a few hours sleep under a large tree but a relentless swarm of flies makes that all but impossible. What will the next few days bring? On a macro level, this is what the German high command was up to. By mid June the three regiments of the 71. ID were situated in their jump-off positions in the forested area between Futory and Cieszanow. The divisional HQ was here in Dubrowka. On the night of June 21/22 the division was moved forward right up the border with Russia and the field HQ up to Niemstow. In the surprise attack of June 22 the division was to advance along a narrow front of about only one KM. Infantry Regiment 194, the regiment that Heinz was serving in would make up the divisions right flank and primary thrust with the objective of taking Lubascow, about 3 KM inside of Russian territory. But it was the night of June 21/22 that Heinz had been ordered to the 2. Btl to help set up communications for the Regiment. On the day of the attack, June 22nd, the IR 194 took up the important right flank of the division's attack from the forest to the north east of Futory with a width of about 1km with the taking of the town of Lubaczow as their objective. This fantastic footage taken around Stalingrad has a tun time of 6:38 seconds. The entire clip, including some scenes that can’t be shown here, is now available for Patreon Channel members on the website Military1945.com. Open a free account there and see some example exclusive footage. Thanks for watching.

SUBSCRIBE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN2UQVe6Xaqz5rLFaWq8-mw?sub_confirmation=1 Open a free account and see example exclusive footage Military1945.com In part 2 we are embedded with our author Heinze’s unit as they cross the Soviet border and engage the enemy for the first time. Heinze would go on to earn the Iron Cross second class and would be awarded the Wound Badge. As we showed the entire front for June 21 in part 1 of this series, here we’ll show the positioning of all 3 Army Groups for June 22, the day that Barbarossa kicked off. The 71st ID spent the Winter of 1940/41 training at the Königsbrück facility in Saxony, Germany. In March of 1941 it was moved to the Gouvernement region of occupied Poland which is where the 194. IR, Heinz’s regiment, was incorporated. There the division secured a length of 25 KM between the Russian and German zones of interest defined in the Molotov-Ribbentrop non-aggressions pact. For the following three months, during extensive training exercises, the division became accustomed to operating with the harsh road and weather conditions specific to the East. It wouldn’t be until May that the division’s leadership would be informed about the coming campaign against the Soviet Union. For the next month the division reconnoitered the border area, improved the roads leading up to it, and set up communications networks the task which Heinz was primarily involved with. In the background the leadership was also quietly preparing the orders of attack for each of the divisions 3 IRs. Sunday, 22.6.41 At 3.00 we wake up and begin to march In single file through the woods. The only sounds come from the sticks breaking beneath our boots and the soft metal on metal clinking of our weapons and equipment. Arriving to a staked border marker we begin to traverse along a barbed wire dividing fence. Eventually we reach an opening where one of our pioneers has cut through the barbed wire and we’re able to wriggle through. Heavy underbrush blocks the way and forces us to scamper forwards all fours. We reach a clearing which opens up to a panoramic view of a rural, somewhat hilly landscape. Behind that we see a town that a train is currently departing from. On the horizon the sun is beginning to rise; it’s a peaceful scene without a single person in sight. Along with the usual equipment, rifle, gas mask ammunition etc, strapped to my back is a 50lb radio-set. It’s a cumbersome load. The ground is wet and soft and our boots sink into the mud with every step which makes moving forwards all the more difficult. We pass an excavated line of trenches that’s filled with stagnant water. Our attention suddenly turns a large group of Russian soldiers who appear walking towards us with their arms in the air; not a shot’s been fired. They’re wearing dirty, olive colored uniforms and some have their feet wrapped in layers of tattered rags. When they see that we are no threat, they smile and pass us moving on towards the border to surrender. For them the war is already over; for us it is only just beginning. We make our way over the trenches and through hedges. Climbing over the numerous obstacles is difficult under my heavy load. Since the radioman needs to keep up with the commander I do the best I can. Suddenly loud sounds of combat ring out and we take cover in a corn field. In the distance we see that the gun fire is coming out of a farm house which is then immediately fired on by a German anti-tank gun. The house’s straw roof catches fire. Slowly advancing through the tall corn stocks we are unable to actually see the enemy. Tentatively we peek down a path that has been cut through the corn field and see a Russian soldier about 50m away. We jump back hoping to avoid being seen. Evidently spotted, a few seconds later heavy gunfire rings out and cuts through the corn stalks around us. About 5 m from me our messenger falls to the ground, shot dead. He was probably about 18 years old. Judging by the direction of the gunfire all around us we realize that we’ve advanced farther than we should have. As we try to carefully make our way back, friendly fire opens up on us from behind. The commander uses a signal flare to identify us as friendlies and that gunfire stops. We get to an embankment, crouched down and protected I’m finally able to rest. The firefight, now in front of us, dies down as the Russians begin to pull out. We retrace our steps moving forwards and reach the outskirts of the town. Individual terrified civilians begin to come out walking towards in a daze. In the corn field, on the ground, lies an old man trying to help to his wife who has been shot in the back. Bleeding profusely and no longer moving there is nothing that can be done for her. A medic tends to the old man.

SUBSCRIBE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN2UQVe6Xaqz5rLFaWq8-mw?sub_confirmation=1 Open a free account and see example exclusive footage on Military1945.com The 71st would eventually be the first German division to move into Stalingrad. That’s also where it was completely wiped out. But today we’ll start and then end on a macro level and see how the three infantry Regiments of the 71st, advanced on June 22, 1941. We’ll zoom in and follow Heinz’s personal experiences with the 194th during the rest of that fateful day. On the morning of June 22, 1941 at 3:15 hrs the 71st ID’s three regiments the 194th, the 191st and the 211th advanced together without artillery preparation over the German-Russian border. The enemy was taken completely by surprise allowing Regiment 194 with the 2nd and 3rd Btls to occupy the street between Future and Dachnow without a fight. In the town just to the east however fierce street fighting broke out and the divisions first casualties of the campaign were taken. IR 194 continued east and took the rail connection to the north west of Lubaczow including the rail bridge across the Solotwa river intact. By 6:45 hrs the southern entrance to Lubascow was in the regiments hands. We arrive to the city and there is nobody around. On a street corner we come across a baker’s cart loaded with freshly baked bread rolls that we hungrily devour. In the houses we see evidence of hasty departures. The drawers and wardrobes have been thrown open and most of the contents removed and carried away. Actually it’s a Polish city that was occupied by the Russians after the Polish campaign. Pictures of Stalin and all kinds of propaganda posters are hanging everywhere, pasted to the walls. The Regiment entered the city from three sides and met in the city square in front of the church. Russian artillery continues firing on the city and our commander is hit in the cheek by a piece of shrapnel causing us to all take cover in the houses. The General appears and yells at the officers encouraging them to continue on. Staying close to walls for protection we make our way past burning houses, snapped and dangling telephone lines and dead horses. We reach a bridge that the Russian artillery gunners have concentrated their fire on and in between two shots we run across. The quick advance continues on through various burning towns. In the meantime it’s already 1400 hrs and the day seems to be dragging on eternally. We pass through large corn fields and at various times come under enemy fire. It becomes evident that just a few snipers are able to hold up an entire company since we are really never sure how strong the enemy is. In late afternoon we come under heavy enemy fire, much of which is seen to be coming from the trees. You have to give it to these snipers, it must take a lot of courage to do what they do. Rarely do they survive an engagement. The Russians also hit us with mortar fire but the shells land 100 m short and after about a half hour delay we are able to continue on. Finally we hold up in a village, occupying houses and are able to wash ourselves. After 20 hours on our feet in the blazing heat we gladly collapse on benches and fall asleep. Tomorrow morning our unit is meant to take the second position in the continued advance. I only hope that we are not expected to move out quite as early. Throughout the day of June 22 IR 194 was forced to halt its advance and destroy nests of enemy resistance. The well fortified army base situated just outside Lubaczow put up stiff resistance and not until late afternoon after using heavy infantry support weapons was it finally overrun by the 2nd Company. As described by Heinz in his diary, the city of Lubaczow was occupied relatively quickly during the morning however the Soviet artillery continued pounding which resulted in Colonel Schmidt being badly injured. Major Gereke stepped in and took command. The divisional artillery was moved up and organized to the north of the city to counter the heavy enemy fire. Although effective, within the hour at almost the exact same location where Schmidt had been injured, the commander of Artillery Regiment 171 Colonel v. Rohr was fatally injured during another Soviet bombardment. When the attack began on the morning of the 22nd, IR 191 quickly moved into Dachnow and after heavy street fighting had control at 500 hrs. Leaving a detachment just to the north of the city for security, the regiment continued east and by 600 hrs had managed to cross the Solotwa river. In the forest area to the east IR 191 also did battle with snipers in trees. In the early morning IR 211 attacked the border fortress to the south west of Czeresnic. Defenders in the city put up little resistance but those in a castle just to the east, being led by a woman, put up a fight. Only after sustained concentrated flak fire were the defenders silenced. From the afternoon on IR 211 served to secure the northern flank of the 71. ID.

SUBSCRIBE https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN2UQVe6Xaqz5rLFaWq8-mw?sub_confirmation=1 Open a free account and see example exclusive footage on Military1945.com In this video we’ll follow Heinz’s diary entries for June 23 the second day of Barbarossa as his unit continues advancing into the Ukraine as part of Army Group South. On this fateful day he would bear witness to an event which would turn out to be only a premonition of the horrors to come. In addition to his diary entries, I’ll use related rare film footage and situational maps to tie it all together. At the end of the video I’ll show footage from a close combat training film covering the use of hand grenades so stick around, it’s worth it. Here is the dedication that Heinz wrote in his diary. This diary I also wrote for my son. He should understand, that war is not something great and heroic, but rather is dirty and reprehensible. In the official war diary for the German High Command this is the entry for June 23, 1941 for Army Group South. June 23 confirmed the expected strength and grouping of the enemy in the border region. The ensuing combat was both intense and heroic. It has however been confirmed that enemy motorized units are being brought up from the Shitomir area traveling over Luck. On June 23, the Army Group succeeded in forcing tactical breakthroughs at multiple locations along the border area. Advancing on the 71st ID left flank was the 1st Gebirgsjäger or Mountain division. This elite Wehrmacht division was made up primarily of Bavarians and Austrians. Directly in front of the 71st was the powerful Soviet 1st Tank division. These two formations would collide on June 24th which will be covered in Part 5 of this series. Monday June 23, 1941 Being able to sleep in isn’t possible. At 300 hrs we are woken by a messenger and us two radiomen are told to go with him to 1st Battalion. Thank god that today it won’t be necessary for us to cary our heavy radios. They will be carried by an accompanying truck. We make good progress walking in small groups on quality roads. Today the weather is also beautiful and if we didn’t know better we’d think that we were on some kind of pleasant outing. In front of the first houses of each village stand women and children that give us milk, eggs and even schnapps. They are Ukrainians and they welcome us wholeheartedly. But soon enough we are in for an unpleasant surprise. Again at the entrance of a village, women are waiting with refreshments but as soon as we get to the village center we begin taking fire from many of the houses. By the time our machine guns are in position to counter the gunfire, we have already taken a number of casualties. We quickly manage to disarm 6 men that are dressed as civilians who were doing the shooting. The youngest is only 16-years old and the oldest about 70. Two of them plead for their lives and the others stare on resolutely. The group is brought to stand in front of a wall and they are summarily executed, by firing squad. We continue on and after a while again come under enemy fire, but this time it is coming from a large Soviet formation positioned in front of us. The staff occupies a farm house. As we enter bullets can be seen ricocheting off the front outer wall. The intensity of fire increases as the enemy begins using mortars and machine guns so we move back to a nearby ravine which offers better cover. In the ravine are already about 50 farmers with their cattle also taking cover. We dig in but still take considerable casualties. Using binoculars I am able to view the entire area well. At the foot of a forested area across from us I can see Russians moving in and out of view. Not until dusk does the firing and movement die down. From a well I fill my canteen and I’m so thirsty that I drink it down in one go. We sleep in a barn, in hay. On this map we can see the progress made by the three regiments of the 71st Infantry Division on June 22. And here we see their progress for the 23rd as they moved in for the assault on strategically important city Niemirow. And now, here is more of that close combat training film. When training for close combat with weapons the carefully controlled throw should be mastered for all combat situations. Every throw must be carefully aimed. To improve aim target circles are used. All preparations for the grenade throw should be done while remaining protected. Unscrew the grenade casing. Get ready to leap…go, double time! Lean far back, rotate your shoulders, and throw with your stronger arm powerfully. Then, take a few steps forwards to get closer to the enemy. And then protect yourself completely. When throwing while you are running the rifle and grenade are carried in the left hand. Each throw should be practiced with both the ball and stick grenades. The right hand clenches the stick. The release pin is held between the index and middle fingers and it’s pulled out.

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL and get access to exclusive film footage Patreon.com/Military1945 Open a free account and see example exclusive footage on Military1945.com On June 24, 1941 forward observers of the lightly armed divisional staff of the 71st ID situated just outside of the Polish city of Niemirow raised the alarm of approaching Soviet armor. At the end of this video we’ll see more from this training film which shows how lightly armed formations, for example staff, supply, or security units were expected to respond in such a situation. On this day Heinz, embedded with the divisional staff, would continue the forced march through territory recently abandoned by the enemy and see the death and destruction left by the mauled and desperate defenders. In addition to his diary entries I’ll use rare associated film clips tie the story together so stick around, it’s worth it. Unfortunately we are only able to sleep for 2 hours. By midnight we are already out and advancing up to another village. There, in a horse stall, I try to get a few more ours sleep but the ground is freezing cold and my teeth chatter. By the time the morning fog has risen, we are up, out and better able to make sense of the area we’ve entered. Everywhere we see signs of the enemy’s hectic retreat with jackets, blankets, even weapons and ammunition strewn out all over. The amount of abandoned equipment leads us to believe that this was some kind of supply base. There are also dead bodies, most with asiatic feature, lying unceremoniously all over the compound. Suddenly there’s an air raid alarm and I dive for cover in a nearby bush. Three enemy planes flying at a low altitude roar just overhead and then quickly return and strafe our positions. When it’s clear and I look up I’m terrified to find myself face to face with a dead Soviet soldier. Behind asian features, the dead man’s eyes, frozen wide open, seem to stare right through me. It’s horrifying. Soon we are ordered to comb through a nearby forested area. The thick underbrush severely limits our vision and makes this unpleasant task highly dangerous. In the middle of a field we come upon a dazed and injured Soviet who’s been shot in the leg and doesn’t seem to even notice of us. With equanimity his attention is focused on plucking the pedals of a flower. Then we come across another suspicious looking individual. When searched we find that he’s carrying a uniform in his backpack. We continue on and after a few hours come to a spa area where we’re surprised to find brightly painted, well kept houses. Apparently the area had been used as the summer quarters for a Soviet unit as we can see all kinds of equipment and weaponry that was destroyed when the troops abandoned the area. I see an area that was used as a hospital with much of the equipment also destroyed. Our regiments staff moves into a large abandoned villa. In the evening we sit together in a park on wicker seats listening to the radio. All at once an alarm is sounded signaling that approaching enemy tanks have been spotted. The horses are immediately taken out of the way and tied up. Get the close combat weapons from the truck. Everything else to the barricade. The idea is to slow the tanks down at the barricade so that the infantry can engage them with the close combat weapons. Just before reaching Heinz’s position it turned away. But this is what might have happened had it continued. Well, like I said that didn’t happen. Actually they just went to bed, so back to Heinz’s diary. During the night a heavy firefight breaks out but we are simply too tired to respond. At 300 hrs myself and the other communications men are woken and instructed to repair a damaged communications line.

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL and get access to exclusive film footage Patreon.com/Military1945 As Heinz’s unit, part of Army Group South, continued its forced march into the Soviet Union. I’ll use rare associated film clips to bring his story to life and original situational maps to give you an overview of their section of the front. Wednesday, 25.6.1941 Early in the morning we are up and on the move again. The road is jam-packed with vehicles, soldiers and guns. The situation is absolutely chaotic. We travel on through Niemirow where a large tank battle took place. Along the way we pass burned out tanks, destroyed guns and dead horses. Civilians looters search through still burning houses looking for anything worth taking. In front of a house that burned down lies a dead woman and next to her is a young girl of about 4 years old that is crying uncontrollably. I give her a piece of cracker, the only food that I’m carrying, and she gobbles it down hungrily. Since the supply convoy has remained behind I have to walk back to retrieve the radio set. Unfortunately mine is the last truck in the convoy which means that I’m about an hour behind the rest of the staff. Hurrying back I eventually do manage to catch up when they stop for a short rest but the quick advance continues and I am forced to march on. After another 6 hours we get to nice creek where we finally stop for a rest. We’ll take a look at the situational map for June 25th 1941, the day that we’ve been following in Heinz’s entry. Army Group South’s first major objective was the taking of Lemberg which was the name of the city when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Ukrainian name for the city is Lviv. The enemy units that stood in the way of the 71st’s advance were the Soviet 34th tank division, the 41st infantry division and the 2nd motorized division. Everyone takes a bath and then gets a warm meal of bread, sausage, and coffee. Unfortunately in the evening tanks are spotted in the area and we have to move out quickly. We march until midnight and stop in a thick forrest where we set up camp for the night. It’s terribly cold. Thursday 26th June, 1941 At 3.00 we are up and on the move again. After a few hours marching we stop at the edge of a forested are. In front of us is a village occupied by the enemy that is under artillery fire and we can easily see the explosions. Suddenly a man who was part of a nocturnal recon team pops up in front of the village and begins running towards our position. He evidently had wandered in the wrong direction and fallen asleep in a field just in front of the enemy. Still somewhat dark we can make out the form of about 20 Soviet tanks that drive right past him and take up position behind the village evidently in preparation for an attack. Using the radio set I report the enemy formation and within a few minutes am told that the area will be hit by an additional artillery barrage at 13:30 hrs. At precisely 13:30 the first shells of the barrage streak above our heads and plaster the area. Within 10 minutes what remained of the village is quickly turned into a smoldering mess. A little later a German fighter is seen trailing a Soviet plane. Quickly the enemy plane begins billowing a long smoke trail and crashes to the ground. It’s a warm summer evening and we don’t go bed until it’s late.