70 years ago today, on 22 June 1941......

[Panzer Rob]

...Leutnant Wilhelm Schumacher was killed in action on the opening day of Operation Barbarossa.

I've shared this here before but thought that today would be an appropriate day to post it in its own thread. This little group consists of Schumacher's Wehrpass and EKII Urkunde which is a nice early pattern with the Gothic lettering and hand signed by Generalmajor Ernst Hammer (Knight’s Cross on 20 Dec. 1941) divisional commander of the 75 Infanterie Division.

Schumacher began his pre-war Wehrmacht service in the 15.Komp of Infanterie-Regiment 4 which lasted from 01 September 1936 through 12 October 1937, when he was released from duty. Called up again for active duty service in 1939, Schumacher served in the 13.(Infanterie-Geschütz) kompanie/I.R.202 of the 75.I.D. from 29 August 1939 through 30 January 1940. On 31 January 1940, Schumacher was transferred to I.R.222 (75.I.D.) and in May of that year took part in Operation Fall Gelb, for which he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class on 27 June 1940. On 01 December 1940, Schumacher was promoted to Leutnant.

From the end of the campaign in the west through the summer of 1941 Schumacher was on occupational duties in France, and in early June his Division was transferred to Poland in preparations for the invasion of the Soviet Union. Shortly thereafter, on 22 June 1941, as part of the German 6.Armee, Heeresgruppe Süd, Leutnant Schumacher (now an Oberleutnant) - along with the rest of his Regiment - entered the Soviet Union west of Ukraine and took part in fierce combat against the Soviet 5th, 6th and 26th armies. It was on this day, 22.June 1941, that Schumacher was killed in action - the opening day of Operation Barbarossa.

Page 32 of his Wehrpass shows an interesting entry, "Kampf gegen U.d.S.S.R." while page 34 contains an entry that documents Schumacher's death, "In kampf gegen Rusland gefallen. 13./I.R.222." The WP was closed out on 22.December, 1941.

The grouping includes some other paperwork, along with a letter of condolence and the original envelope used to mail these articles to Schumacher’s family. It came to me through a friend directly from the family and to my knowledge never been in another collection.

Rob.

[Panzer Rob]

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