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This picture was taken in April 1943 after the third battle of
Kharkov/Ukraine while the new commander of SS-Panzergrenadier Division "Das
Reich", SS-Obergruppenführer Walter Krüger, visited the Langemarck.
20 April 1942, Fallingbostel/Germany, the brand new
SS schnelle Schützen-Regiment "Langemarck" (SS fast rifle regiment
"Langemarck") was raised from remnant of the SS Infanterie-Regiment 4 with honored title "Langemarck" and subordinated to the SS-Reich Division
(mot) (1, 2). The remnant of the SS Infanterie-Regiment 4 provided the regimental headquarters and second battalion and the SS-Reich Kradschützen-Bataillon became the first battalion for the new regiment, respectively.
The
SS-Obersturmbannführer Hinrich Schuldt (aged 41) remained the regimental commander (3, 4).
His adjutant was SS-Hauptsturmführer Dieter Kesten (aged 28). The commander of
the first battalion was SS-Sturmbannführer Jacob Fick (aged 30) and his adjutant
was SS-Obersturmführer Hermann Buch (aged 22). The commander of the second battalion was SS-Hauptsturmführer Walter Harzer (aged30) and later
replaced by SS-Hauptsturmführer Christian Tychsen (aged 32). The battalion
adjutant was SS-Obersturmführer Hans Pavelka (aged 28). Most of the Flemish volunteers
in SS-Reich Division (mot.) were concentrated in this regiment.
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Regimental Commander:
SS-Obersturmbannführer Hinrich Schuldt |
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II. Bataillon Commander:
SS-Hauptsturmführer Christian Tychsen |
I. Bataillon Commander:
SS-Sturmbannführer Jacob Fick |
Each battalion
had one HQ company, three fast rifle companies, one machine gun company
and one heavy company. The fast rifle companies and machine gun company
were all equiped with VW-166 schwimmwagen to increase their cross-country
mobility. The new regiment received equipments and training during summer 1942 but soon a new order for reformation of the regiment came in October 1942.
14 October 1942, the staff of Langemarck regiment headquarters and second battalion was reformed into the staff and second battalion
of SS-Panzer Regiment 2, respectively (1, 2). 15 October 1942 the division was renamed
as SS-Division "Das Reich" (mot.). SS-Obersturmbannführer Hinrich Schuldt (aged 41) handed over the command to a veteran Panzer commanider SS-Standartenführer Herbert Ernst Vahl (aged 46) (5). 9 November 1942, the division was renamed
as SS-Panzergrenadier Division "Das Reich" to fit its combat
ability. SS-Hauptsturmführer Christian Tychsen remained command of the second battalion and took command of the SS-Panzer Regiment 2 in 1943. The fast rifle regiment
"Langemarck" had only one battalion after the second battalion
left the regiment but they distinguished themselves in the third battle of Kharkov/Ukraine
in the spring 1943.
Reference:
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