Saturday 16 April 2011

Wochenbild #2

"Artillerie Lehr 900" - Russia, Autumn 1941.
Lady and Gentlemen (I think there is just one female who reads this blog!) please enjoy the second in my Picture of the Week series.

Today's offering is unusual in that the unit is identified on the reverse of the photo.  The information pencilled states that these are men and vehicles from "Artillerie Lehr 900"  I assume that this refers to the Artillerie Abteilung 900 of Lehr-Brigade (Mot.) 900.  The Brigade was raised from instructors and students at the schools for Mobile Troops and Infantry at Wünsdorf & Döberitz respectively.

Apparently, this unit had a short but distinguished career on the Ostfront.  Entering the fray with HGM in July 1941 and serving through the first savage winter - eventually being disbanded in April 1942.

Of special interest is the variety of different trucks - none of which are coping too well with the dreadful Russian roads!  Even in what was considered an elite formation, standardisation was rarely (if ever) achieved by the Wehrmacht.

If the caption and my interpretation are correct this must be a fairly unusual photo as the subject is both esoteric and short-lived.

As always, any comments or corrections are most welcome.

2 comments:

  1. They were disbanded im mai 1942. (mind you...that is picking hairs eh? :-D)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lehr-Brigade_%28mot.%29_900
    Cheers
    paul

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  2. I put in a link to my source PB - similar info but the dissolution is given as April.

    I should have just said "Spring" :-)

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