Our Regiment in France (1940) - Story of a German Army Infantry Regiment

In the spring and early summer of 1940, German forces launched a rapid and decisive campaign across Western Europe that would come to be known as the Battle of France. While the broader outcomes of this campaign are well documented, firsthand accounts from individual units provide a more granular view of how these operations unfolded on the ground.

The following text is a translated primary source titled “Unter Regiment in Frankreich” (“Our Regiment in France”), recounting the experiences of what appears to be a German Army motorised regiment during the campaign. The details of the regiment are disclosed, perhaps for op-sec purposes. Originally published as part of a regimental newsletter after the campaign, it traces the unit’s movements from the crossing into France, through engagements at La Fère and the Somme, to coastal operations near Calais, and finally the rapid advance south toward the Rhône.

Like many contemporary German military accounts, the document reflects the tone and perspective of its origin: it emphasizes speed, coordination, and success, while offering limited insight into casualties or setbacks. As such, it should be read not only as a record of events, but also as an example of how the German Army documented and interpreted its own operations during the early stages of the war.

Despite this, the text remains a valuable historical source. It provides detailed insight into unit-level movement, tactical priorities, and the tempo of operations during the 1940 campaign, helping to illustrate how the rapid advance was experienced by soldiers in the field.

This article is published for historical and research purposes only. In no way is it intended to glorify the war nor the belligerents.

For campaign and merit awards, such as those issued during the France campaign, visit our German Medals and Awards collection.

Unter Regiment in Frankreich

La Fère - 19 May 1940, 20:00 hrs

Anyone who thought the victory over Poland was the result of extraordinary good fortune now knows, after the swift victory in the West:

We were the champions!

And we learned even more; the success was even greater, but the losses were lower. And once again, the regiment played a decisive role.

Thus, we enter the final phase of the war, the victory over England, with the utmost confidence.

Sir,

Colonel and Regimental Commander.

Our Regiment in France.

La Fère.

May 19, 1940, 8:00 PM.

The regiment has orders to take La Fère. La Fere, the former fortress at the confluence of the Oise and Serre rivers.

Light twilight. The motorcycle rifle platoon and the Brux Company (1st Company), as the regiment's vanguard, are fired upon from within the town while advancing towards Danizy, near La Fère. The company dismounts instantly and launches an attack.

This is nothing new to our soldiers; in Poland, each had ample opportunity to prove themselves against the enemy. This is clearly evident here. As if in a peacetime exercise, the company proceeds with a well-defined attack. The main street is initially avoided, and enemy machine guns intended to cover it are quickly removed. A roadblock at the town entrance is cleared, and infantry guns and anti-tank guns race forward along the street.

The regimental and battalion commanders are both already at the front, assessing the situation on the ground. Soon, Krauthoff's Battalion (1st Battalion) is fully deployed. Progress is good.

Crouching behind the gun shields of their cannons, the tank destroyers fight their way forward along the road, engaging identified targets in the front line with the infantry.

Muffled detonations in La Fère; the French have littered the town with mines.

Onward, no stopping! We must capture the Oise Canal bridges before it gets completely dark.

We succeed!

Together with Polster's Battalion (2nd Battalion), a bridgehead is now established. At 11:30 p.m., the regiment reports to the division that the town and the bridges are firmly in its grasp.

During the night, French aircraft drop bombs on the town and especially on the bridges.

This was the first engagement our regiment had to fight in France, having lost many of its best men at Kock during the final days of the Polish campaign. But since those last days in Poland, the regiment has pursued a path with no other goal than to build upon the experiences of the Polish campaign and mold its soldiers into combatants capable of handling any conceivable situation in France.

It would go beyond the scope of this report to speak of the endless, meticulous work that the regiment underwent during that winter while stationed in the Westerwald. Bitter cold and deep snow, thaws and storms—they were just what our soldiers needed to become what they were when they entered France in May.

Thus, the alarm order of May 10th found the regiment well prepared.

In long, arduous marches, day and night, the regiment rolled through Luxembourg and Belgium, crossed the Belgian-French border northwest of Sedan, and after a brief defensive stand north of the French training area of Sissonne, came into tangible combat contact with the enemy for the first time at La Fère.

Somme.

The regiment was given no opportunity to rest on its laurels from La Fère. At dawn, it was withdrawn and, with great difficulty, disengaged from the enemy.

No one yet knew where it was headed. The stated objective was Pèronne, located on the Somme River to the northeast. The regiment was repeatedly rerouted to avoid road congestion and delays, and around noon received the final order to establish a defensive position west of Pèronne on the Somme, facing south. Commanders and reconnaissance units rushed ahead! The mission placed a heavy responsibility on the regiment, as the sector to be secured was 20 kilometers wide! An artillery detachment and the corps engineer battalion are attached to the regiment.

The battalions are deployed to their assigned sectors and prepare for defense. Artillery is taken up positions, and engineers are preparing the Somme bridges for demolition. Combat outposts are advanced far beyond the Somme to prevent any approaching enemy from seeing our positions. Our reconnaissance patrols are out day and night, motorized and probing deep into enemy territory.

May 22, 1940. Commanders' meeting at the regiment.

The regimental commander once again explains in detail the regiment's intentions in the current situation. He emphasizes that it must be expected that the enemy will launch a relief attack in our sector to relieve pressure on his armies encircled in Flanders and Artois. Two things are crucial:

1. The construction of a strong defensive position, capable of withstanding even the most fierce attack, from which combat-ready outposts are advanced to commanding positions far ahead, and

2. Continuous reconnaissance that leaves no doubt whatsoever about the enemy's strength and intentions.

That same night and the following day, clear reports of the enemy were received. Initially, a small detachment of a reconnaissance unit probed our outposts, later reinforcing its forces and even launching attacks, which, however, were completely repulsed in the regiment's sector. Against our right-hand neighbor, our sister regiment, however, the enemy's attacks were more successful; the outposts could not withstand the assaults, and for over a day the sounds of battle echoed over to us.

That same night and the following day, clear reports of the enemy were received. By shortening our main line of battle, we are able to hold our sector with two battalions and make Battalion Krauthoff (1st Battalion) available to the neighboring unit as a reserve.

These events coincide with the relief of the regiment by a foot infantry division, which we, as we already have new orders, bring up with our motorized vehicles. While leaving our heavy weapons in their old positions, only rifle companies had initially been brought up for the relief. The regiment then moves into the area north of Amiens.

On May 26th, the last elements of the regiment arrive there. As early as 4:00 PM on the 27th, the regiment is alerted and, as part of the division's right march group, "Colonel Herr's March Group," initially marches northwards. The elements belonging to the "March Group Herr" – which is the bulk of the division – are informed of the departure time and assembly point via radio and telephone, and just one hour after receiving the alarm order, the first elements of the regiment roll towards an unknown destination.

Calais.

During the night, the front of the marching group reached its designated destination and rested under air cover on both sides of the march route.

The regimental commander was ordered to the division. The First General Staff Officer worked by the light of a kerosene lamp over a map, which primarily showed a feature we, as Central German infantry, had not yet encountered: the depiction of the sea with its depth contours, sandbanks, buoys, and light towers.

The order the regiment received was brief and made our hearts beat faster: the regiment would assume coastal defense on both sides of Calais in the sector from Gravelines to Cap Gris-Nez, a sector 30 kilometers wide.

Immediately, the troops reassembled and reached the French Channel coast in the early morning hours.

The city center of Calais bore witness to the devastation wrought by the Stuka attacks of the past few days; it was completely destroyed. The port facilities have also suffered heavy damage. The regiment takes the first British prisoners.

Immediately, the coastal batteries abandoned by the French are occupied by our infantrymen, who quickly engage them and actually manage to keep British destroyers and motor torpedo boats at a respectable distance from the coast.

In the evening, English radio announces that the German troops have succeeded in deploying heavy and very heavy coastal guns in a very short time. This development has likely thwarted any plans for a relief offensive for Dunkirk.

Meanwhile, work is proceeding diligently in the regiment's sector. Our reconnaissance patrols are positioned at strategic points along the coast, on elevations in the dunes, at Cape Gris- and Blane-Nez, and at the coastal forts in Calais, and the regiment's eyes are constantly scanning the area.

The spyglass scans the silvery horizon for enemy ships. The sector is so wide that the mission cannot be carried out with certainty if all units are deployed in the front line. Therefore, the regimental commander must decide to maintain only "eyes" on the coast, while keeping combat-ready motorized units behind the battalion sectors. These units, upon receiving an alarm message, can repel an enemy advance or attack against the coast day and night along pre-scouted routes.

To this end, the telephone and radio network is being expanded in an exemplary manner.

However, beyond these purely military activities, the regiment faces many more tasks. A local command post is being established in Calais, and vast quantities of captured goods must be secured and transported. In the city, where nightly gunfire repeatedly causes unrest, decisive measures are taken to restore order; it is initially closed to all visitors and returning soldiers.

The sentry stands alone in the twilight on the chalk cliffs of Cape Blanc-Nez, peering through his binoculars at the English coast. He recognizes Dover with its radio towers and, like shadows, the English ships anchored off the harbor. With pride, he assumes the defense of the fatherland here on the banks of the Channel, gazing at the English coast.

At night, English planes fly their course, attempting to complete the work of devastation with bombs. His own losses are light.

However, the good times in Calais last only four days. On the night of June 2nd, 1940, the regiment moves into the area south of Urras.

We don't know it, but we sense that something huge is imminent: the Battle of the Somme. On June 5th, the regiment advances even further south and takes up quarters north of Amiens. The major offensive to the south begins.

Summer Battle - Breakthrough towards Paris.

June 7, 1940, 10:30 a.m.

Divisional order! The regiment is subordinated to an infantry division tasked with attacking from a bridgehead established south of Amiens. Around 1:00 p.m., elements of the division captured Dammartin and are now preparing to attack the heights to the southeast. The enemy, reinforced by artillery, is putting up fierce resistance from these heights, which completely dominate the terrain.

Despite the extremely difficult road conditions, the regiment marches in one column with its lead battalion to Dammartin, dismounts there, and immediately engages in the battle with great success. In a very short time, with a vigorous attack, it has reached the terrain far beyond the previous front line of the infantry division. But then the 1st Battalion (Krauthoff) found itself entirely on its own, and the attack became extremely difficult as all the companies were constantly flanked by the enemy. However, through repeated attacks and thanks to the comradely support of the attached pioneer company, which protected the flank by attacking, the battalion managed to capture the high ground on both sides of Rouvrel.

Meanwhile, the commanding general had halted the elements of the regiment within his reach, as well as its artillery, and appeared at the regimental command post late in the afternoon of the 27th. He rescinded the order for the subordination and halted the attack of the regiment (which had so far only been deployed with Krauthoff's battalion). The regiment was ordered to assemble at his command. The attack, already underway, was reluctantly called off.

The night brings some artillery fire raids; the regiment rests off the main road.

After another deployment elsewhere, the regiment receives the long-awaited order to overtake.

Although the motorized infantryman is accustomed to speed, although he too is always pushed to his absolute limits, and every driver gives his all day and night, although the troops know nothing but the ruthless, total commitment of each individual, although even the leadership knows no sleep, no rest, the order "Overtaking Pursuit" acts like a mysterious spark, leaping from the highest commander to the last man and spurring him on to even greater achievements. The demands placed on the regiment in recent weeks have been considerable; they are nothing compared to what now lies ahead. But every man knows that we, as motorized infantry, are now about to be deployed in the position where we can fully utilize our greatest strengths: our speed and our momentum.

On June 8, 1940, at approximately 4:00 PM, the regiment began its southward pursuit in the direction of Paris. Attached to it were the reconnaissance detachment, a primary anti-tank detachment, the 1st Battalion of our sister regiment, a tank destroyer company, and an engineer company. The Polster Battalion (2nd Battalion) was temporarily detached from the regiment.

During the night of June 9, the regiment was briefly deployed for security duties but resumed its advance in the early morning hours, leaving the Krauthoff Battalion (1st Battalion) in its original security sector. The enemy was already outflanked by three troops, and the reconnaissance detachment secured our left flank with patrols to prevent any surprises.

The "Herr Detachment" advanced as far as St. Just and received orders there to secure the flank of a Panzer division. The town of St. Just, 70 kilometers north of Paris, was occupied by the enemy; it was captured in the first assault and cleared of enemy forces. During the following night, the enemy attempted to break through our lines with combat-ready units. They were repelled with heavy losses or captured.

Our reconnaissance patrols remain constantly on the enemy's side, reporting enemy gatherings in the woods and villages southeast of our sector. The battalions clear the wooded areas (3rd part) with the aid of flamethrowers. The enemy puts up a tenacious resistance; we suffer losses, and two officers are wounded. These skirmishes have not yet completely subsided when the divisional order arrives to transfer the regiment to the area south of Péronne.

New entrance, Péronne, Troyes, Montbard.

That same night, the regiment, in whose sector a corps is now deployed, rolls back along a beautiful, wide French highway, roughly retracing the route it had fought for with hardship, danger, and constant enemy contact, in a smooth, peaceful march.

On June 13th, at 6:30 a.m., the regiment once again advanced from the area south of Péronne in a southeasterly direction to pursue and destroy the enemy. We passed through terrain where fierce fighting had taken place. Here, the enemy had put up the strongest resistance in the first days of the Battle of the Somme, but even here he had not been able to withstand the onslaught of our soldiers and the superiority of our weapons. The advance proceeded smoothly, first to La Fère, whose capture we were able to claim, and later on towards Laon, where the regiment was turned sharply south by corps order. The advance was unstoppable. At Château-Tierry, the Marne was crossed at night. Enemy aircraft dropped flares, but not a single bomb fell. A short rest in the morning, and then onward via Esternay, Pont-sur-Seine (Seine crossing) to west of Troyes. The regiment rested there during the night of June 14-15, 1940.

At dawn, it continued its advance with orders to capture the Seine Canal south of Troyes in order to Our reconnaissance patrols remain constantly on the enemy's side, reporting enemy gatherings in the woods and villages southeast of our sector. The battalions clear the wooded areas (3rd part) with the aid of flamethrowers. The enemy puts up a tenacious resistance; we suffer losses, and two officers are wounded. These skirmishes have not yet completely subsided when the divisional order arrives to transfer the regiment to the area south of Péronne.

to prevent a large portion of the French army from withdrawing to the southwest. The regiment, now fully deployed, continues its motorized advance.

We know that the enemy is holding Troyes and the area south of it with weak forces.

The regiment quickly gains control of the high ground west of the enemy's retreat routes. The French columns roll past us like a scene from a fairytale. On the right, Polster Battalion (2nd Battalion) attacks, and on the left, Busse Battalion (3rd Battalion). The riflemen have dismounted, infantry guns have moved forward, and soon Meisenheimer Battery (6th Battery) is also effectively supporting the attack. The enemy's resistance soon weakens. By 2:30 p.m., the regiment radios the division that it has captured its objective and establishes defensive positions with its leading elements along the Seine Canal. The Krauthoff Battalion (1st Battalion) protects the right, open flank.

Simultaneously with the order to continue the march, an alarm message arrives from the Krauthoff Battalion (1st Battalion). There, the enemy, with approximately two companies of Schwarzer, is attempting to encircle our southern wing; the 3rd Company (Büschleb) is in dire straits. It is night.

After a fierce defensive battle, the attack and breakthrough attempts are thwarted.

June 16, 1940. The march continues south. The objective is far off: the city of Montbard, about 80 kilometers south of Troyes. When we assemble in the morning, the motorcycle infantry platoon, which had been sent out earlier on security duty, encounters the enemy. No one believes it will be possible to reach the objective that day.

The regiment rolls along the roads of Champagne, covered in white chalk dust. Here in a village, there at the edge of a forest, enemy resistance flickers briefly. We have no time, we cannot, unfortunately, take any special care of you, you few who still have the courage and nerve to face a German motorized infantry regiment!

A few machine gun shots, two or three dull thuds from exploding hand grenades, and the resistance is eliminated! No one is talking about it anymore. Everyone just knows: "We have to get to Montbard today!"

Our motorcycle messengers can't escape the dust and the heat. Their eyes are red, their faces inflamed and peeled with white chalk dust.

Meanwhile, more and more Frenchmen are coming towards us. They've thrown away their weapons, and we pay them no attention.

There are major traffic jams 10 kilometers before Montbard.

Traffic jams? Yes indeed, because of the retreating French columns! First, they tried to escape us southwards, now they have to turn around and march north into captivity. The closer we get to Montbard, the emptier the road becomes again. A picture of peace. The farmers wave to us from their houses! Do they think we're English? We'll be arriving in Montbard any minute now. The motorcycle infantry platoon must have reached the outskirts of town by now.

Then we hear the crack of bullets! A messenger shouts: "The motorcycle infantry platoon has been hit in Montbard!" Major Busse, commander of the 3rd Battalion, drives forward to assess the situation, as he is tasked with clearing Montbard, and soon the battalion dismounts and advances toward Montbard. There, the brave motorcycle infantry platoon leader, Lieutenant Leusmann, and his men had been ambushed. He himself died a hero's death at the head of his platoon. His men immediately engaged the vastly superior enemy and held the position, suffering further losses of their own, until their mortally wounded lieutenant was brought to safety and Busse's battalion arrived.


Major Busse, commander of the 3rd Battalion, drives forward to assess the situation, as he is tasked with clearing Montbard. Shots are being fired and hand grenades thrown from every basement window, behind every vehicle, around every corner. The companies have to fight their way through, house by house.

And after a short time, we extracted 7 officers and 400 men—Whites, Blacks, and Annamites—from the city. After two hours, at 4:00 PM, Montbard was in our hands.

During the night, however, around 12:30 AM, the enemy attacked the position of Battalion Busse (3rd Battalion) with 9 tanks and infantry. The tanks managed to penetrate the city under cover of darkness after overcoming a roadblock and an anti-tank gun, whose crew had remained at the gun, firing until the last shell. However, the accompanying infantry was halted. After a long, hard fight, supported on our side by heavy anti-aircraft fire, the French attack collapsed.

To maintain order among the units and for better defensive positions, Battalion Busse was withdrawn behind the canal, and the canal bridges were closed. Over the next few days, the enemy gradually withdrew, and the advancing, reinforced 3rd Battalion regained control of Montbard. In the early morning hours, the regiment marched into the area northwest of Dijon, where it succeeded in taking thousands of prisoners and securing a vast amount of booty without a fight.

The advance continued into the area northwest of Châlon, and on June 21st, the regiment received orders to seize the Rhone crossings at Bellegarde (30 kilometers west of Geneva).

Deep into the night, we reached Nantua and, in the early morning hours of June 22nd, advanced against Bellegarde, initially with Busse's Battalion (3rd Battalion). Reconnaissance revealed that all the Rhone bridges were destroyed. The opposite bank of the Rhone was occupied by the enemy, as was the fort of Ecluse located there. The battalion made good progress at Bellegarde, but the attack stalled at the Rhone. The river valley is cut up to 60 meters deep; a crossing at this point would mean heavy losses. The Polster Battalion (2nd Battalion) is deployed at what appears to be a favorable position to the right of the Busse Battalion (3rd Battalion), and intensive reconnaissance is underway. However, after only a short time...

The results are in: A strong enemy on the opposite bank of the river is shelling with artillery and machine guns; the section of the river is extremely unsuitable for crossing. The engineers report the same result.

Company Brux (1st Company) had already been subordinated to the reconnaissance detachment the previous day and is engaged in fierce fighting for the Rhône bridge near Ruffieux. They manage to capture it intact, thus laying the groundwork for the later crossing of our sister regiment. Meanwhile, the regiment is withdrawn and, with its officers in the lead, ordered to Belley. After several reconnaissance missions, the regiment crosses the Rhône on June 23rd. The route of advance is in places under enemy artillery fire. The engineer battalion has already formed a bridgehead for the crossing.

The regiment's mission was to secure two crossings of the Guiers River and capture the mountain passes in order to later advance on Chambéry. It was assigned an armored battalion and elements of the reconnaissance battalion. The advance, constantly monitored by artillery, was successfully carried out by Battalion Krauthoff (1st Battalion) as the advance detachment to the west bank of the Guiers. From there, it reported enemy activity on the east bank. Battalion Polster (2nd Battalion) was deployed to the left of Battalion Krauthoff (1st Battalion), while the enemy fired sporadic artillery.

A platoon of the 7th Company (Henning Company), reinforced with tanks, advanced as far as St. Genix to capture the bridge. After a fierce battle, the enemy was driven back before reaching the bridge, but the bridge was blown up by the enemy at the last moment.

The regiment was then deployed to the left of Battalion Krauthoff (1st Battalion), while the enemy fired sporadic artillery fire.

A platoon of the 7th Company (Henning Company), reinforced by tanks, advanced as far as St. Genix to seize the bridge. The destruction of this bridge has temporarily halted further vehicle advances, and its reconstruction is not foreseeable at this time.

Since the regiment's mission does not permit any further delays under any circumstances, the regiment is deploying the Schröder Company (10th Company), reinforced with tanks and heavy weapons, to attack the enemy's mountain positions, with orders to capture the Pass de la Crusille, whose possession is of great importance to us, to take.

The company is forced to take a detour via a bridge belonging to the Panzer Division to the right. The operation succeeds; by 12:30 a.m., the company radios that the pass has been taken! Rochefort, occupied by the enemy to our right, is captured by a surprise attack. The swastika flag is flying on the pass!

1:35 a.m.: Liberation!

Field service.

The war in France is over. The regiment spends another 12 sunny days on the edge of the Savoy Alps. 12 days of rest and recuperation until July 5th, when the order to march calls the regiment to other duties.

During the final days in France, the regimental commander issues the following daily order:

Regimental Daily Orders.

After coastal defense at Calais, the regiment, in forced marches during which the marching prowess of all units, especially the junior officers and drivers, proved its worth, traversed almost all of France from northwest to southeast in 24 days and fully lived up to the confidence I had placed in my regiment at eight engagements.

Deployed for an overtaking pursuit on June 7, 1940, the regiment, with its reinforced 1st Battalion, advanced with great momentum past the leading elements of a deployed infantry division and drove the enemy from the heights near Rouvrel.

On June 8, 1940, the battalions were already ready to attack again in the area southeast of Estrees and prevented the enemy from retreating.

On June 9 and 10, 1940, the enemy was prevented from withdrawing westward north of St. Just, and during the clearing of St. Just and the surrounding area, approximately 470 prisoners were taken. Battalion Krauthoff (1st Battalion) particularly distinguished itself in this action.

On June 15, 1940, we attacked south of Troyes by overtaking and repulsing the enemy across the Seine Canal. Another 1,600 prisoners were taken. Battalion Polster (2nd Battalion) played a key role in this success.

Around June 16, 1940, Battalion Busse (3rd Battalion) surrounded Montbard and, especially with Company Schröder (10th Company), successfully repelled an attack by enemy tanks.

After marches day and night, on June 22, 1940, Bellegarde was cleared by the Busse Battalion (3rd Battalion), while the Brux Company (1st Company) secured the Rhône bridge at Ruffieux from enemy destruction through a swift attack, thus preparing the way for elements of the division to later cross the river.

Finally, after crossing the Rhône at Groslee on June 24, 1940, the regiment launched a wide offensive against the Le Guiere River sector and opened the Crusille Pass for the further attack into the high mountains. Alongside the reinforced Schröder Company (10th Company), reconnaissance patrols from the 1st and 2nd Battalions captured over 330 prisoners from the enemy, including 5 officers, before the armistice took effect at 1:35 a.m. on June 25, 1940.

Finally, after crossing the Rhône at Groslee on June 24, 1940, the regiment advanced in a wide arc towards the Le Guiere River sector and opened the Crusille Pass for the further attack into the high mountains. The 13th Company (Klusemann, later von Wiecki) and the 14th Company (Eggert), usually distributed among the battalions, played a crucial role in this.

The regimental signals platoon (First Lieutenant Lankheit), through selfless service and sometimes under adverse conditions, contributed to ensuring reliable communication within the regiment and with its subordinate units.

A large part of the regiment's successes would not have been possible had the motorcycle rifle platoon (Commander Leusmann) not laid the groundwork through invaluable reconnaissance.

During the campaign in France, the anti-aircraft platoon continuously protected the regiment against enemy aircraft. It participated in ground combat near Montbard and shot down three enemy aircraft during the course of the campaign.

Since May 11, 1940, the regiment has captured 16,000 prisoners (including officers) from the enemy and seized numerous artillery pieces, tanks, weapons, and war materiel. It fought successfully in all types of terrain: on the coast, at river crossings, in forests, and in the mountains.

With deep gratitude, we remember our comrades who gave their lives and blood for the Fatherland.

Now France has also been conquered, and the regiment has played its full part in this success.

I am proud of the regiment's achievements and successes and thank all officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted men, as well as the subordinate units, for their unwavering commitment.

Let us now be ready to help us defeat even our last and most bitter enemy, England!

Signed, Sir.

Primary Source:

Reprinted from Newsletter No. 55 of the Association of Officers of the former Infantry Regiment Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau (1st Magdeburg) No. 26.

Translated using Google OCR.