Germany – Third Reich: A Series of Interesting Documents relating to the Knights Cross and German Cross in Gold winner Leutnant Alois Hubner, 1st Company, 125th Infantry Regiment, Army Troops; 1st Company, 125th Panzergrenadier Regiment, 164th Light Afrik

Germany – Third Reich: A Series of Interesting Documents relating to the Knights Cross and German Cross in Gold winner Leutnant Alois Hubner, 1^stCompany, 125^thInfantry Regiment, Army Troops; 1^stCompany, 125^thPanzergrenadier Regiment, 164^thLight Afrika Division; 1^stBattalion, 129^thPanzergrenadier Regiment, 15^thPanzergrenadier Division, then 1^stBattalion, 115^thPanzergrenadier Regiment, 15^thPanzergrenadier Division, he had won the German Cross in Gold in part for actions at the 2^ndBattle of El Alamein, before being awarded the Knights Cross for actions at Monte Camino in Italy towards the end of 1943, he was later killed in action in September 1944 in the retreat through France.

A fascinating and very rare small document group consisting of a very rare WW2 13 page handwritten Company Battle Report with a map diagram of the Company Position concerning events during the 2^ndBattle of El Alamein, a rare contemporary 6 page typed copy of the Battle Report, a listing of I/125^thInfantry Regiment’s action between February 1940 and the end of November 1942. 4 photos forming a panoramic view of an area of coastline in Crete and 3 post war copies of WW2 photos of Alois Hubner and Heinrich Born.

Documents:

1. Battle Report of 1^stCompany from 23.10 until 18.11.1942. This is a fascinating and very rare 13 page report which came with a detailed map diagram of the position of this Company in the northernmost part of the German El Alamein position between the road and the railway line to Alexandria. The report was handwritten and signed by Oberfeldwebel Alois Hubner and dated 22.11.1942. Hubner was a Platoon Commander in this Company. It is a detailed and fascinating day by day account of Hubner’s experiences as a Platoon Commander in the German front line during the 2^ndBattle of El Alamein. It begins with the following opening paragraph.
   
   ‘For weeks already we crouched in the trenches of the El Alamein position and waited. Everyone knew and sensed, something once again must happen, by either us or by the Tommy. It was recognised that the enemy had been making preparations for attack for quite some time, that day and night his motorised units were on the move in order to bring forward the necessary material, the engineers were a give away. We were all calm. Barbed wire entanglements, mine fields and excellent positions had been laid out and every individual knew the ground like his own trouser pocket.
   
   It then continues by describing the massive Artillery barrage which opened the battle on 23^rdOctober at 2050 hours and its effect on his sector of the front. The period 24-29/10 is covered with indications that the enemy had attacked II/125 on their right and not I/125 sector for the time being.
   
   There is then a detailed and very interesting account covering the days, 30.10, 31.10 and 1.11 – when the Battaloin along with Hubner’s Company are attacked and cut off by units of the 9^thAustralian Division along with tanks. It describes the measures taken to protect themselves in all round defence and in particular to its rear – names are mentioned. Oberleutnant Born (I Battalion Adjutant) is very much to the fore in organising the defence, even manning a knocked out English tank and engaging the enemy. Hubner directed anti-tankgun fire as well as manning a 2cm Flak gun without an aiming device which engaged a group of limbers towing anti-tank guns and preventing them from coming into position. He was also in charge of a small battle group with the task of forming a defensive line facing west. It is evident that the defence was successful with a number of enemy tanks destroyed. This Battalion and Company were eventually received by units of 21^stPanzer Division and 90^thLight Division on 1^stNovember.
   
   The report finishes with an account of the fighting withdrawal in stages from El-Alamein – 3 to 7.11.1941. Hubner’s Company was much involved with providing cover for his Battalion’s withdrawal under constant aerial attack – Fuka airfield, Mersa Mutrah, Fort Capuzzo and finally reaching the concentration area of his Regiment behind El Agheila on 18^thNovember. It is fortunate that Hubner had the time to write this excellent and detailed report so quickly whilst the events reported on were still fresh in his memory. It is most unusual to obtain such a good report written from the point of view of a warrant officer who actually fought in the front line and participated in the intense combat that took place in the 2^ndand decisive Battle of El Alamein.
2. Battle Report of the 1^stCompany from 23.10 until 18.11.1942. This is a 6 page contemporary typed copy of Alois Hubner’s handwritten report – this is also a rare document.
3. In the field, 1.12.1942 – A typed copy of an official listing of I Battalion, 125^thInfantry Regiment battles giving dates and details of the actions. The period covered is from the end of February 1940 until 31.10.1942 – The West Wall, the Vosges, The Balkans and finally North Africa. It was produced by the Planning Staff of I Battalion – the original was signed by Oberleutnant Born as the Battalion Adjutant at the time of the document was submitted to the Regiment – The 125^th.

Photographs:

1. A series of 4 good photos forming a panoramic view of a stretch of a coastline and the land to its rear which were an aid to the defence of Crete. The following place names and detail have been written in ink ‘Weg nach Pizidia, Wigles, Pandeleimon and Neses.’ Research indicates that the photos taken looking to the South, cover an area somewhere on the south coast of Crete.
   
   
2. A post war copy of a good WW2 photo of Alois Hubner as an Oberfeldwebel wearing his dress uniform and decorations – The German Cross in Gold, Iron Cross 1^stClass, Silver Infantry Assault Badge and the Black Wound Badge. The original photo was taken after he had been awarded the German Cross in Gold on 5^thDecember 1943 whilst on leave.
   
   
3. Two post war copies of very good photos of Hauptmann Heinrich Born in uniform wearing his Knights Cross of the Iron Cross and other decorations. He was awarded the Knights Cross on 14^thApril 1945 as an Oberleutnant and Officer Commanding 4/104^thPanzergrenadier Regiment in 15^thPanzergrenadier Division. These two photos must have been taken just prior to the end of WW2.

Alois Hubner was born on 19^thSeptember 1913, a career soldier, he would have enlisted before WW2. Hubner would have seen active service in the West during the winter of 1939-40, the France Campaign of 1940 (Vosges region), then in Greece, on the island of Crete as part of the occupation force in 1942, before moving to North Africa in 1942, in time to be involved in the 2^ndBattle of El Alamein. It is possible his award of the German Cross in Gold on 21^stJanuary 1943 was for an act of gallantry in the fighting at El Alamein and the resultant retreat. He clearly avoided the surrender and capture in North Africa, as it is known that Hubner fought in Italy after the invasion there.

Hubner was awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross on 5^thDecember 1943 most likely for an act of gallantry in the Monte Camino area just prior to this. He would have continued to fight in Italy until his unit was withdrawn in September and moved to the West where it was needed to plug the gaps caused by the rapid allied advance across France.

Hubner was killed in action near Luneville on 23^rdSeptember 1944 as a Leutnant in I/115^thPanzergrenadier Regiment, 15^thPanzergrenadier Division, at this point the Division was involved in fighting the 6^thUS Armoured and 79^thInfantry Divisions as they attempted to push northeast to the German border area.

Alongside Operation Torch, the allied landings in Morocco and Algeria on 8^thNovember 1942, the 2^ndBattle of El Alamein was the decisive moment in the campaign in North Africa turning the tide of the German advance, and resulting in a long pursuit across the desert to the eventual surrender of the Afrika Korps in Tunisia in May 1943. It also took place just weeks before the encirclement and subsequent destruction of the German 6^thArmy at Stalingrad, making November 1942 perhaps the key month in the turning of the war