Heer Soldbuch to Kanonier Rüdolf Madler Werf. Rgt. 83 – Normandy, Ardennes

Heer Soldbuch to Kanonier Rüdolf Madler. His Erkennungsmarke read Stm./Wrf. Ers. Abtl. 2 #8911.

He was promoted from Kanonier to Gefreiter 1.3.45
The Soldbuch was filled in 14.9.1944 with Stm./Werf. Ers. Abt. 2. He served with 1./ Werfer Regiment 83. He was issued a number of interesting equipment and uniform items such as the Werferanzug which is a specialistic hbt uniform for the Werferabteilung and a Tarnnetz. He was issued a K98 marked BNZ 45 with the serial 5450.

I believe this Soldbuch is a replacement Soldbuch. As he was born 27.05.09, it is not logical that he wasn’t into service prior to September 1944. Additionally it has a marking on page 15 that he was in a Lazarett on 1.9.1944 which is 2 weeks prior to the Soldbuch being filled in. As his unit was retreating out of Normandy at the end of August it makes sense. He most probably lost his first Soldbuch in Normandy. He has no noted awards other medals and most probably survived the war. This is a nice Soldbuch for further research!

Unit history:

Werfer Regiment 83 was issued with 15 and 30cm Nebelwerfer launchers and additionally issued opel Maultier mounted Panzerwerfers. In may 1944 it was stationed in northern france between Beauvais and Grandvillers. On the 7th of June it was alarmed and marched over Paris towards Caen. It was attached to the 12th SS Panzerdivision Hitlerjugend. The regimental command post was set up at St. Gerain la Herbe which is where the Abbaye des Ardenne is located. It acted as a mobile artillery unit for the 12th SS during the attacks on the line of Verson-Epron. It paid a important part at the defence of Caen, notably at the Carpiquet airfield and Abbay des Ardenne. At the end of June it was pulled from the line and moved to the Orne. On te 25th of June it was taking positions in the Orne at Maltot and defended the infamous hill 112. On the 9th of July it retreated to another line at Fleury sur Orne – Troarn. As the front line developed closer to the positions along the 158 route national Caen-Falaise it was heavily carpet bombed by allied forces. On the 18th of August it retreated trough the Falaise pocket towards Rouen and Elbeuf. From 22-24 August it succeeded in retreating most of the Werfer and Panzerwerfer over the Seine and retreated to Germany. Mid september it was moved to Uelzen for reorganisation. It was sent to the western front on the 16th of November in Daun, Prüm Eifel. On the 15th of December the Regiment went into positions of the German / Belgian border. On the 16th of December it took part of the opening barrage of the Ardennes Offensive. It moved forward until St. Vith. between 26 and 27 December it was moved to Zweibrücken-Mittelbach. Starting January to the end of February it was in action at Saarbrücken. In march 1945 it was put into action at the Hunsrück. At the 20th of March it started the retreat trough Birkenfeld, Baumholder, Landstuhl and Speyer. Early april 1945 it no longer had Werfer or munitions and the regiment was used as a infantry unit defending Augsburg. At the end of April it moved towards München and Rosenheim and went into captivity in may 1945.