Description
HEER SOLDBUCH – BEOBACHTUNGS ABTEILUNG (TBEW.) 57 – VISTULA, MEISSEN
Nice Soldbuch issued to Leutnant Ernst Paul SCHREIBER. He served in Beobachtung Abteilung (tbew.[partially motorized]) 57. His ID photo shows him wearing Feldgrau Sturmgeschütz tunic. Awards entered include KVK2 and EK2.
Beobachtungs-Abteilungen, or Observation Artillery Battalions, were the ears and eyes of the German artillery branch. They served largely as sound and light ranging units but also as general range finding and long range tactical observation units for artillery spotting. These units even used medium sized ballons in the role of artillery observation. After Decemeber of 1939, all of these units served as Heerestruppen. Most of these units were renamed as leicht Beobachtungs-Abteilung (mot.) at some point during the latter part of WWII. The arm of service color used by these units, like all other artillery units, was bright red.
In November 1940, BEOBACHTUNGS ABTEILUNG 57 relocated back to France, to the Yonne Valley. At the beginning of 1941, the unit was relocated to Belgium, to the area west of Chaleroi. On February 11, 1941, the unit was disbanded and divided among the Beob. Batteries (Pz.) 337, 338, and 339.
610 / 5,000
In March 1944, BEOBACHTUNGS ABTEILUNG 57 (tbew.) was established in Munich, in Military District VII. This detachment was also formed as an army unit by the Beob. Ers. Abt 7. At the end of May 1944, the unit was relocated east, to the area west of Lutsk. From June 1944, the unit was deployed to the Baranow Bridgehead, where it suffered some losses. In January 1945, the unit was deployed to the Vistula Bend, where it suffered heavy losses. Finally, from April 1945, the remnants of the unit were deployed to Meissen, in Military District IV, in the defense of the city.
