Festungs Infanterie Bataillon-1409

Discussion in 'Axis Units' started by Ronny, Sep 9, 2020.

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  1. Ronny

    Ronny Junior Member

    All info welcome about this German unit. The were active in my backyard in the Netherlands from November 1944 til May 1945.
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2021
  2. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

  3. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

    Towards the end of the war, Wehrmacht units often existed only as combat groups, which in turn consisted of combat groups and so on and so forth...and their naming and/or composition was subject to an almost breathtaking fluctuation
    I would advise you, out of painful experience, to identify the Allied units in your region and then obtain their Intels ;-)

    Found the following about Kampfgruppe Fuchs mentioned in the link at my first answer:
    Approximately regimental strong with two battalions led by an air force colonel, destroyed in February 1945 as part of the Kampfgruppe Chill (former 85th Infantry Division)
    Sources:
    Hitler's Paratrooper

    https://repository.ubn.ru.nl/bitstream/handle/2066/98661/98661.pdf?sequence=1 (page 39)

    Also:
    FIB 1409.jpg

    Good luck with your further research
     
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  4. Ronny

    Ronny Junior Member

    Thank you very much!! Will look into the links you gave me!
     
  5. hucks216

    hucks216 Member

    Very little information on Lexikon except that it mentions it was formed in Wehrkreis XVII and they were Heerestruppen.
    Lexikon der Wehrmacht
     
  6. hucks216

    hucks216 Member

    They get a brief mention at this link in the section title Oosterbeek which helps to shed some light on who they were attached to:

    Operatie Market Garden - TracesOfWar.nl

    Voor de Duitsers veranderde er niet veel. Walter Harzer verplaatste de opmars aan de zuidrand naar de Benedendorpseweg in een poging de Britten bij Oosterbeek af te sluiten van de over van de Nederrijn. Het lukte de Britten de hieruit resulterende aanvallen vooralsnog af te slaan. In Oosterbeek vonden de gevechten nu van huis tot huis plaats waarbij het Pionier-Lehr-Bataillon de opmars ondersteunde met vlammenwerpers.[98] De opbouw en opmars van Britse troepen stelde Von Tettau echter voor dilemma’s. Hij besloot een nieuwe verdedigingslinie op te bouwen om aanvallen via de Betuwe in de rug te kunnen weerstaan. Deze linie liep van Ochten naar de Nederrijn en sloot aan op de Grebbestellung ten noorden van de rivier. Hij positioneerde in de Betuwe het Fliegerhorst-Bataillon 2 (Major Liebisch) met 4. Kompanie (Major Thiel) bij Herveld en Kompanie Schwarzäcker bij Dodewaard. Op de noordoever liet hij hierop 10. Schiff-Stamm-Abteilung (Zaubzer) en Festungs(MG)-Bataillon 30 aansluiten van de Grebbe tot Heveadorp. Von Tettau wilde hiermee voorkomen dat Britse troepen verderop de Nederrijn zouden oversteken en zijn troepen bij Oosterbeek in de rug zouden aanvallen. Zijn angst was ingegeven door de Britse activiteiten in de Betuwe bij Lakemond, Randwijk, Lexkesveer, Driel, Dodewaard en Opheusden.[99] Von Tettau verplaatste diverse troepen in de West-Betuwe om deze dreiging te weerstaan. Het Sicherungs-Regiment 26 (Oberleutnant Hänisch) trok naar Lienden en kreeg versterking van Festungs-Infanterie-Bataillon 1409, Fliegerhorst-Bataillon 2 en Festungs(MG)-Bataillon 29 (Hauptmann Vock). Kampfgruppe Knoche werd overgeplaatst naar de noordelijke oever van de Nederrijn en geplaatst bij Fliegerhorst-Bataillon 3 (Major Merkens). Deze nieuwe Kampfgruppe werd versterkt met Kampfgruppe Schenning (Oberst Schenning, II. Bataillon, Sicherheits-Infanterie-Regiment 26) en Festungs(MG)-Bataillon 30. De 1. Kompanie, SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 10 kon nu worden vrijgemaakt bij de Rijnbrug en kwam de troepen rond Oosterbeek versterken.
     
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  7. Ronny

    Ronny Junior Member

    Thanks!!

    Yup found that info also. But nearly nothing to be found for spring 1945.




    Yup
     
  8. steelers708

    steelers708 Junior Member

    As far as I can tell it from October 1944 it was under the command of the Divisionsstab z.b.V. 331. The Divisionsstab z.b.V. 331 itself was all that was left of the 331.Infanterie division when it was dissolved in September 1944, the majority of the division was absorbed by the 346.Infanterie division with the rest going to the 712.Infanterie division.

    Divisionsstab z.b.V. 331 was deployed first at AOK 15, later at AOK 25 on the Dutch north-west coast on the island of Old-Bayerländ. All of the security forces deployed for coastal protection in the area Hoek van Holland (excl.) - Maasbrücke west of Dodrecht (incl.) . In November 1944 the staff was relocated to Alkmar (north of Amsterdam) and took over coastal protection from the island of Texel to the fortress Ijmuiden. For this purpose, all troops in this section, including the naval formations in Helder, were subordinate to it. At the end of February 1945 relocation to the area south of Rotterdam followed and it took over the security of the Maas section west of Dodrecht to the Utrecht - Herzogenbusch road with subordinate riflemen and marine coastal protection units as well as parts of the newly established 2.Marine Infantry Division. At the end of April / beginning of May 1945, especially in the southern part of the sector, there were local defensive battles against the Canadian I Corps.

    On March 22, 1945, the OKW ordered a large-scale deception measure. In the area of OB Netherlands, individual divisional headquarters were designated as corps headquarters and reinforced Grenadier Regiments as divisions. The division staff zbV 331 accordingly carried the designation "Korps Diestel".
     
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  9. mark23

    mark23 Member

    Fest.MG.Btl. 1409 was transfered to W.Bfh.Ndl. 20.8.44 and stationed as KVA-Reserve in Wassenaar. Transfered to Festung HvH a few days later on 24.8. with 683 man with no weapons or Pak's.

    Transfered from HvH to Kesteren on 24.9.44

    No info on Market Garden einsatz (Looking for the Tettau files!)

    I have 1409 at 19.11.44 to 00.01.45 at the Maas-Abschnitt and Brückenkopf Hedel.

    Sorry, nothing after that (it's my neighbours backyard :rolleyes:)
     
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  10. mark23

    mark23 Member

    From 3.11.44 a part of Kampfgruppe Fuchs at the Maas.
     
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  11. Ronny

    Ronny Junior Member

    Thanks!
     

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