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Original German WWII ID dogtag - 13./J.R.8 (Battle of Stalingrad) (3. I.D.)
Original German WWII ID dogtag - 13./J.R.8 (Battle of Stalingrad) (3. I.D.)

Original German WWII ID dogtag - 13./J.R.8 (Battle of Stalingrad) (3. I.D.)

$ 31.67

Availability: 100 in stock
  • Conflict: WW II (1939-45)
  • Original/Reproduction: Original
  • Condition: See attached photos. Note the "DEUTSCHES REICHSHEER" inscription on the back - it means that the dogtag was issued quite early, probably as early as 1934.
  • Theme: Militaria
  • All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted

    Description

    This dogtag was found near the former
    "Pitomnik" airfiled
    , about 19 km to the west from Stalingrad.
    https://www.google.com/maps/place/48°44'33.0"N+44°15'00.0"E
    Battle of Stalingrad
    was one of the major battles of the WWII. The goal of Wermacht was to capture the city and block the transport routes of the river Volga and then proceed further deep into the Soviet territory. However the 6th Army, which was tasked with capturing the city failed to wipe out the Soviet forces completely and got stuck in Stalingrad. The Red Army seized this opportunity and encircled the 6th Army in the city, eventually forcing it to surrender.
    This victory of the Soviet forces marked the turning point in the war - Wermacht lost
    over 300 000 men
    in Stalingrad and Manstein's
    Army Group South was forced to rapidly retreat
    in the following months.
    13./J.R.8
    stands for
    13. / Infanterie-Regiment 8
    (
    13th Company of the 8th Infantry Regiment
    ).
    http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Infanterieregimenter/IR8.htm
    8th (Prussian) Infantry Regiment
    was one of the first regiments of the
    Reichswehr
    - new german army, created after the german defeat in the 1st World War. The regiment was based in
    Frankfurt an der Oder
    (
    Wehrkreis III
    ). The regiment was assigned to the
    3rd Division of the Reichswehr
    (later expanded and renamed as
    3rd Infantry Division
    after Reichswehr was reformed into Wermacht).
    http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Infanteriedivisionen/3ID.htm
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_Infantry_Division_(Wehrmacht)
    3rd Infantry Division
    was established in 1934 by the expansion of the
    3rd Division of the
    Reichswehr
    .
    Being one of the first divisions of the new german army, this unit actively participated in the Western campaign of the 1939-1940, taking part in the invasion of Poland and the invasion of France.
    In October, 1940 the division was upgraded to the "motorized" status, meaning that it was outfitted for rapid offensive operations.
    In summer 1941, the 3rd Infantry Division took part in
    Operation Barbarossa
    , first operating under the
    Army Group North
    . Soon it was relocated to the
    Army Group Center
    to aid with the
    offensive at Moscow
    . In 1942 it was relocated again, this time to the
    Army Group South
    . Eventually the division reached
    Stalingrad
    , where it met its ultimate demise.
    Insignia of the 3rd Infantry Division (Source: Lexicon-der-wermacht.de)