Description
Wehrpass to Schützen Karl Mitterlehner
Born into a catholic family in Steyr in 1919, he was working as a farm worker and never married.
Sworn an Oath on October 1940 with a replacement Infantry unit.
Mitterlehner joined his frontline unit on the 4.12.1940
Infanterie Regiment 133 (45 Infanterie Division)
Battle of Franc: crossed the Seine and then marched to the Loire southeast of Nevers. After the end of the French campaign, the division was relocated to Belgium as an occupying force. At the end of May 1941, the division was relocated to eastern Poland, west of Brest-Litovsk. From June 22, 1941, the division took part in the Russian campaign. The division’s first objective was to take the Brest-Litovsk fortress. It took a week, however, before the fortress finally fell. The division suffered 482 dead and 1,000 wounded in these battles alone. After the end of the fighting for Brest-Litovsk, the division began the advance through the Pripjet marshland and then via Pinsk, Davidgrodek, the Pitsch to the Mosyr-Schlobin railway line. From here the division pushed past Chernigov to the east and then took part in the Kessel Battle in Kiev. The division advanced across the Dessna to Jagotin. During the attack on Moscow, the division pushed from the area southeast of Malo-Arkhangelsk, south of Livny, to Jelez. After the start of the Russian winter offensive, the division had to withdraw through the Sossna and the Trudy section to the Kursk area, suffering heavy losses.
Killed in Action
A letter sent to his Father informing him of the death of their son;
‘120KM south of Orel (…) on the train line near Swoboda on the 22 of December 1941….your son was killed’
Another note returned his personal items from his bag…
The Iron Cross Certificate sent to his father, was signed by General Maximilian von Weichs (Knights Cross with Oak Leaves).
A nice example of a Brest Fortress Wehrpass.
