Germany – Third Reich: The Russian 1941 Winter Counterattack Iron Cross 2nd Class, Retreat from Voronezh Iron Cross 1st Class and Retreat from Rome Silver Wound Badge group of award certificates and other documents to Leutnant Richard Sievers, who served

Germany – Third Reich: The Russian 1941 Winter Counterattack Iron Cross 2nd Class, Retreat from Voronezh Iron Cross 1st Class and Retreat from Rome Silver Wound Badge group of award certificates and other documents to Leutnant Richard Sievers, who served in an unidentified unit in the 290thInfantry Division; 13thInfantry Field Gun Company, 694thInfantry/Grenadier Regiment of the 340thInfantry Division, then 2ndCompany, 696thGrenadier Regiment, 340thInfantry Division and finally 13thInfantry Field Gun Company, 1060thGrenadier Regiment, 92ndand 362ndInfantry Division, who saw two years of active service on the Eastern Front before moving to Italy where was wounded for the final time in July 1944.

An interesting document group consisting of 5 award certificates, 7 documents and 6 photos belonging to a former Junior Infantry Field Gun officer in the German Army, who saw service in France, Russia and Italy.

Award Certificates:

1. The Iron Cross 2ndClass awarded in the field on 13thDecember 1941 as an Unteroffiizer. Signed by Freiherr von Wrede as Generalleutnant and General Officer Commanding 290thInfantry Division.
   
   Freiherr von Wrede was awarded the Knights Cross on 26.12.1941 as Generalleutnant and General Officer Commanding 290th Infantry Division and the German Cross in Gold on 22.2.1942 as Generalleutnant and General Officer Commanding 290th Infantry Division
2. The Black Wound Badge awarded by Regimental HQ on 2ndOctober 1942 for a wound received on 4thSeptember 1942 as a Leutnant, 13thInfantry Field Gun Battalion, 694thInfantry Regiment. Signed by a Major and Acting Commanding Officer.
3. The Iron Cross 1stClass awarded by Divisional HQ on 5thMarch 1943 as a Leutnant, 694thGrenadier Regiment. Signed by Prinner as Oberst and General officer Commanding 377thInfantry Division.
   
   Prinner was awarded the Knights Cross on 11.1.1945 as Generalleutnant and Senior Artillery Commander 311 and the German Cross in Gold as Oberst and Commanding Officer 81st Artillery Regiment. (97th Light Infantry Division)
4. The Infantry Assault Badge in Silver awarded in the field on 12thMarch 1943 as a Leutnant, 2/696thGrenadier Regiment. Signed by Pagels as Oberst and Commanding Officer.
   
   Pagels was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 10.8.1943 as Oberst and Commanding Officer 696th Grenadier Regiment (340th Infantry Division) and the Honour Roll Clasp of the German Army on 17.2.1944 as Oberst and Commanding Officer 337th Grenadier Regiment (208th Infantry Division)
5. The Wound Badge in Silver awarded on 3rdAugust 1944 for three wounds received on 4.9.1942, 5.9.1943 and 18.7.1944 as a Leutnant, 13th(Infantry Field Gun) Battalion, 1060thGrenadier Regiment. Signed by an Oberstabsarzt and Chief Doctor War Hospital (motorised) 3/561
   
   War Hospital 561 was formed as a Battalion on 26.8.1939 in the Armeepaket M = Munster with 2 serious and 2 minor-cases War Hospitals. Under Command: 5th Army Lower Rhine (up to 13.10.1939) and then Italy between 1944-45. Replacement unit: 6 Iserlohn, WK VI.

Documents:

1. Flensburg, 30.9.1937. This is a certificate of a Good Conduct with the Discharge from the Army which was issued to Gefreiter Richard Sievers (born in Hamburg on 3rdMay 1914) who had been in 10/26 Infantry Regiment from 28.10.1935 to 30.9.1937. His conduct was rated as being Very Good and the document was signed by von Papen as his Company Commander.
2. RHQ, 29.9.1942. An official letter from RHQ 694thInfantry Regiment to its 13thCompany informing it that Leutnant d. Res Sievers (Platoon Commander 13/694thInfantry Regiment) has been awarded the Ostmedaille. The medal ribbon was enclosed and the medal itself and award certificate would be forwarded at a later date.
3. RHQ, 696thGrenaider Regiment, 28thMay 1943. This is a War Leave Certificate issued to Leutnant Richard Sievers covering his home leave in Hamburg for the period 30thMay 1943 to 21stJune 1943. It is well used with numerous unit/formation stamps on it.
4. A fascinating undated (possibly 1941-42) single side A4 size page with a Russian Pass encouraging German soldiers to desert to the Red Army and stating that individuals would be well treated. There is a piece of contemporary map indicating the positions of his unidentified unit (290thInfantry Division) to the south-east of Lake Ilmen (North Russia). Was this before or after the formation of the Demyansk Pocket?
5. A fascinating and rare undated 2 sided A4 document which has been produced by Richard Sievers. It recounts the period between 27thJanuary and 18thFebruary 1943 when his Regiment/Company was forced to undertake a fighting withdrawal from its position to the north of Smelyansk (located to the north of Voronezh) to the Oboyan Area (south-east of Kursk). The route is outlined in diagrammatic form with place names and dates with red arrows indicating the Russian thrusts and the near encirclement on a number of occasions of Richard Sievers unit. He has typed dates and events/actions which took place during this arduous and difficult withdrawal under pressure. He has attached a piece of contemporary map which marks the position of Siever’s Regiment to the north Semlyansk with numbered points marked which are obviously potential registered targets for his field guns to engage if required.
6. Two Colourful Christmas Greeting Bulletins from the General Officer Commanding 101stJager Division to families of soldiers in this Divisions. Details as follows:
   
   a) Christmas 1943 – Sent on behalf of Generalleutnant Vogel as the Divisional Commander
   b) Christmas 1944 – Sent on behalf of Generalmajor Dr. Assman as the Divisonal Commander.

Photographs:

There are 6 fascinating photographs taken in very cold conditions:

1. Two photos of a column of men and horses on the march in very cold snowy conditions (one shows 4 men standing together during a pause – Sievers can be seen as the second from the left
2. A Russian T34 Tank which is stuck in a stream
3. The Command element of 13th(Infantry Field Gun) Company – an officer (Richard Sievers between two warrant officers)
4. A single photo of Sievers – you can see his decorations at the time of this photo – they are the EK2, Ostmedaille, and Black Wound Badge
5. A single photo of an Infantry Field Gun in an open position with its gun crew.

Richard Sievers was born in Hamburg on 3rdMay 1914 and had already served in 26thInfantry Regiment in 1935-37 before being released to the Reserves. He was probably recalled for active service on the outbreak of WW2. Sadly his first unit within 290thInfantry Division was unknown, but with this Division he would have served as part of Army Group North on its drive towards Leningrad, Sievers was awarded the Iron Cross 2ndClass on 13thDecember 1941 for an act of gallantry during the early days of the Russian winter counter attacks that sought to halt and push back the German Army.

At some point during 1942 Sievers was commissioned as a Leutnant and posted as a Platoon Commander in 694thInfantry Regiment. This division moved east from France in May and arrived in the Kiev area in July before moving to the front in the Voronezh area. This sector of the front saw particularly heavy fighting for several months, and it was during this period that Sievers was wounded for the first time and awarded the Black Wound Badge for 2ndOctober 1942. The unit was involved in the same area right through until the end of January 1943 when it was forced into a fighting retreat back towards Kursk and then to the west of Kursk, this retreat is covered in details in one of the documents, including maps of the path of the retreat.

During the later stages of the retreat from Voronezh Sievers was awarded the Iron Cross 1stClass whilst serving as a Company Commander with his Grenadier Regiment. In the days that followed we can see that he had transferred to 696thGrenadier Regiment, another unit within the same division, as his Infantry Assault Badge in Silver was awarded to him by this unit. Continuing to serve with this unit, he would have seen action in the retreat to the Dnieper in the Kiev area, where he was wounded for a second time on 5thSeptember 1943.

Upon his recovery from the second wound, it would appear Sievers served in Italy with the 1060thGrenadier Regiment, serving in the retreat from Rome, up through Tuscany, via Siena and finally onto Florence. During this retreat Sievers was wounded for the third and final time on 18thJuly 1944. It is unclear as to Sievers further service, it could have been that he was posted to a Replacement unit, or subsequently saw no further front line service.

An interesting set of certificates and documents to an individual who saw service on several fronts during World War 2.