Wehrpass fo Obergfr. Steinebach 11. Panzer ‘Gespenster’ division

Wehrpass of Obergefreiter Steinebach serving in several infantry units in the beginning of the war and 1943 was transferred to the 11. Panzer ‘Gespenster’ Division serving in the Werkstatt of Panzer Regiment 15. This unit fought in Russia in the region of Kirowograd and Tscherkassy. After heavy losses the entire division was pulled out of the front line and sent to the south of France to regroup. When the Allies invaded the south of France in August 1944, the division was sent to the Rhone valley and fought a delaying action towards Besancon and Belfort. Seeing some short action in Lorraine at the battle of Arracourt. The Division was sent to the Saar-Moselle triangle to hold off the US Third Army. in February 1945 the US 94th ID opened the attack from the Moselle river to take Saarburg. After penetrating the Westwall at Tettingen-Butzdorf, the 11th Panzerdivision was ordered to counterattack. Throwing the Americans back to the Orscholz line, a few days later they had to withdraw under heavy enemy pressure. By the end of February 1945 the unit took positions on the east bank of the Saar river opposite Ockfen. By March the division fought at Remagen and in the Ruhr pocket. Obergefreiter Steinebach was awarded with the Ostmedaille and later with the Kriegsverdienstkreuz II Klasse on 20 April 1945.