Fallen in Krakow 1943

[Tommy Karstensen]

Hi

I'm searching for info on this individual:

Johann Spörl - died 25. of october 1943, i've only got this from the cross on his grave.
Infanterie Regiment 21
4. MG (machine gun) Komp.


Can someone help me to find out more about him, how he died, etc.

Kind regards
Tommy

[jacq]

Hi Tommy,

Nachname: Spörl
Vorname: Johann
Dienstgrad: Schütze
Geburtsdatum: 24.11.1923
Geburtsort: Althütte
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 25.10.1943
Todes-/Vermisstenort: Krakow (=Krakau) Res.Laz.V

That's what i've found.

Kind regards,
jacq

[Tommy Karstensen]

Both of you, thank you.

Jacq - where did you find it?

[jacq]

Hi Tommy,

i looked up 'Johann Spörl' on this site: http://www.volksbund.de/volksbund/volksbund-en.html (click on: Gräbersuche online (grave search online))

On this site there are currently approx. 4.600.000 entries of soldiers registered who died during WW I and II or are missed.

Kind regards,
jacq

[Svenja]

Hallo Tommy

He died in a "Reserve-Lazarett" (Military Hospital) so it is possible that he had
been wounded somewhere else (I think on the eastern front). It is also possible
that he had been in other Lazaretts before he was transported to Krakau Lazarett.

You could try to find out where the Infanterie Regiment 21 with the
4. MG Kompanie had been in the weeks or months before.

Or you could ask at the WASt if they have some documents about your
Johann Spörl of Althütten. You should ask for the "Militärischer Werdegang"
but the answer will take about a year. http://www.dd-wast.javabase.de/


Wenn er im Reserve-Lazarett gestorben ist, hat er sich seine Verwundung
vermutlich anderswo zugezogen. Es wäre auch möglich, dass er in mehreren
anderen Lazaretten war, bevor er nach Krakau verlegt worden ist.

Man müsste also herausfinden, wo sich das Infanterie Regiment 21 mit
der 4. MG Kompanie in den Wochen oder Monaten davor aufgehalten hat.

Du könntest auch bei der WASt anfragen, ob sie Dokumente zu deinem
Johann Spörl von Althütten haben. Du solltest dort nach dem militärischen
Werdegang fragen, die Antwort wird jedoch etwa ein Jahr dauern.

Gruss
Svenja

[WinterLue]

21. Infantrie-Regiment was a part from the 17. Infantrie-Division

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/17th_Infantry_Division_%28Wehrmacht%29

http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Infanteriedivisionen/17ID.htm

[jacq]

Hi everbody,

no guarantee for correctness, i'm no military expert!

the Infanterie-Regiment 21 was renamed on October 15th 1942 to Granadier-Regiment 21 which was part of the 17. Infanterie-Division.
From May 1943 to September 1943 they fought as part of the 6. Armee at the river Mius near Taganrog (South Russia) until they retreated to Nikopol (Ukraine).
Here you can see the enemy contact at Nikopol (October 25th 1943) where the Red Army captured the city (here).
During this fight I guess Johann Spörl got wounded.

How it went on: From April to August 1944 they retreated from Nikopol to Kischinew (Moldavia), Jassy (Romania) to Warka (Poland) (here).
January 1945 the division broke up and the rest retreated to Germany.


Oh man, i'm tired, this research took me so long!

Kind regards,
jacq

[Tommy Karstensen]

Wow - -that was alot of information, thank you all. I really appriciate the time you've spended helping me.

I've got alot to read now :-)

Jacq - What a work you've done, so detailed. I hope it didnt ruin all of your nights sleep.

Have a nice day.

Kind regards
Tommy

[jacq]

Hi Tommy,

no problem, you're welcome.

Maybe you should also try to submit a request about Johann Spörl at the WAST like Svenja mentioned and see if they have further information. This will take about 1 year passing by.

Kind regards,
jacq