A tailored officer’s tunic for a battery commander in the rank of Oberleutnant of the 96th Artillery Regiment. Made as a private purchase and modified from a standard army Feldbluse for officer use. Large size – approximately 52–54. The tunic is in excellent condition, with all insignia period-applied. The breast eagle and shoulder boards are stitched through the lining in the manner intended by the tailor, with the reverse thread of the eagle and the bobbin thread on the lining matching the pocket stitching, which indicates an original application. The collar tabs are woven jacquard type, neatly machine-stitched. Overall, a highly authentic field tunic with a preserved wartime character.
History of the regiment
The 96th Artillery Regiment was formed on 1 August 1938 in Znaim (Wehrkreis XVII) from the former Light Artillery Regiment No. 1 of the Austrian Bundesheer. The regimental staff and I Division remained in Znaim, while II Division was stationed in Vienna-Kaiserebersdorf, with a planned transfer to Nikolsburg. From its formation, the regiment was subordinated to the 44th Infantry Division. During mobilization, the heavy division of Artillery Regiment 97 was attached. The regiment’s own III Division was created only after the outbreak of war, on 15 September 1939.
In February 1940 the staff of III Division and the 2nd Battery were transferred to form Artillery Regiment 297 of the 297th Infantry Division, later replaced. On 4 October 1940 the regimental staff, the staff of II Division and the 2nd, 5th, and 8th Batteries were used in the creation of Artillery Regiment 137 of the 137th Infantry Division, and subsequently replaced. In April 1942 the regiment succeeded in shooting down a Soviet aircraft near Werbowka. In the summer of 1942 its structure was altered – each division now fielded only two batteries, while two newly raised rocket batteries were added as the 7th and 8th Batteries. In January 1943 the regiment, together with the 44th Infantry Division, was destroyed at Stalingrad.
On 1 April 1943 the 96th Artillery Regiment was reformed in Belgium from the artillery divisions of the reinforced Grenadier Regiments 887 and 888. The new regiment again consisted of four divisions and was once more subordinated to the 44th Infantry Division. On 28 August 1944 its III Division was transferred to the 362nd Artillery Regiment of the 362nd Infantry Division but was later replaced. Replacement for the light batteries was provided by Artillery Ersatz-Abteilung 96.
Combat path of the 96th Artillery Regiment with the 44th Infantry Division
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1939
– September: XVII Army Corps, 14th Army, Army Group South – Krakow–Lviv
– December: OKH Reserve – Einbeck -
1940
– January: OKH Reserve, 6th Army, Army Group B – Einbeck
– May: XXXVIII Army Corps, 2nd Army, Army Group A – Northern France
– June: XXXX Army Corps, 7th Army, Army Group B – France
– July: XXXI Army Corps, 7th Army, Army Group B – France
– September: XXXI Army Corps, 7th Army, Army Group C – France
– November: VI Army Corps, 7th Army, Army Group D – France -
1941
– January: VI Army Corps, 7th Army, Army Group D – France
– March: LIX Army Corps, 7th Army, Army Group D – France
– April: XVII Army Corps, 17th Army, Army Group B – General Government
– May: XVII Army Corps, 6th Army, Army Group A – General Government
– June: XVII Army Corps, 6th Army, Army Group South – General Government
– July: XXIX Army Corps, 6th Army, Army Group South – Zhitomir
– August: LV Army Corps, 6th Army, Army Group South – Kiev
– September: XVII Army Corps, 6th Army, Army Group South – Kiev
– October: LI Army Corps, 6th Army, Army Group South – Kharkov
– November: LV Army Corps, 6th Army, Army Group South – Kharkov -
1942
– January: LI Army Corps, 6th Army, Army Group South – Kharkov
– July: LI Army Corps, 6th Army, Army Group B – Stalingrad
– September: XI Army Corps, 6th Army, Army Group B – Stalingrad
– December: VIII Army Corps, 6th Army, Army Group Don – Stalingrad -
1943
– January: VIII Army Corps, 6th Army, Army Group Don – Stalingrad
