Description:

WARTIME PHOTOGRAPHS, MAPS, DOCUMENTS AND JOURNAL OF PIONIER FELDWEBEL ADOLF TIBURTIUS
An incredible, massive collection of over 1,675 photographs, along with dozens of maps (many field-used and annotated), documents, imprints, newspaper, letters, and fair copies of field orders, all compiled in two large notebooks by Feldwebel Adolf Tiburtius, who served from the start of the invasion of Poland, Sep. 1, 1939, until at least the end of December, 1944. His duty appears to have been almost entirely with Pionier Regt Stb. 700, staff assigned to heavy bridge construction and other engineering tasks. Initially the staff was deployed in Belgium and France, and in December 1940 it was sent to Romania. From March 1941 the staff was subordinated to the 12th Army and on February 28th, the staff and the subordinate battalions began building two bridges laid on Danube near Turnu Magurele (southeast of Craiova) and Giurgiu (south of Bucharest), so that on on March 2nd, the first large units of the Wehrmacht were able to move into Bulgaria. Later the unit was deployed in Russia and placed under the control of Army Group South on June 15, 1941. In 1942 these engineers served with Army Group A under the 1st Panzer Army in the Caucasus and in 1943 it was deployed under the XXXIX. Mountain Army Corps. From June 19, 1944, the staff was subordinated to the 8th Army and used in Slovakia. Tiburtius' journals begin with a 50pp. typed account of his military remembrances from the start of the war until Dec. 25, 1941, written in diary form. Tiburtius describes the advance through Belgium, passing Eben Emael, bridge construction in Antwerp, the surrender of Belgium and France, rest and relaxation traveling in France, transport to Romania, reconstruction of bridges to allow the Wehrmacht access to Bulgaria, repairing roads and bridges at the Greek front against fierce resistance, seeing Jewish forced laborers in Belgrade, transfer to the Russian Front under Kleist, an accidental firefight with an SS 'purification' patrol, Ukrainians killing Jews mercilessly, constant attacks by Russian bombers, bridging the Dnieper, building fortifications in Rostov, U.S. declaration of war, etc. Tiburtius' photographs run the gamut from individual and group social images to scenes of destruction and death. They include: scenes of bridge construction, pontoon bridges, a destroyed bridge at Arnhem, at the Albert Canal, and elsewhere, many temporary bridges erected by the engineers, smashed French and German armor, colonial French prisoners, inspection, transport to the Balkans, Sofia, Jundol Pass, Jakurnda, Nevrokop, Plovdiv, enemy bunkers, Kavalla, Salonika, Volos, Belgrade, Tarnopol, Tomakowka, Mariupol, Stalino, Pawlograd, the grim battlefield at Kharkov, destroyed Russian armor, Krassnodar, Crimea, Kertsch, a Stuka attack, waterway scenes, peasants, evacuation, and so on. Of the dozens of maps present, those of note include positions of German forces advancing into France, their route to Alexandria (Romania), approaches to a bridge in Nicopol (several), their route from Sofia to Plenen, their route to Plovdiv, Chalkis, field used maps of Chirowa, Rostov, Lugansk, Dnjepropetrowsk, etc., a captured map of Lichowka, and more. Also included is a variety of city and regional maps including Eindhoven, Dusseldorf, Paris, Bucharest, Pasardshik, Kiev, Lemberg, Tarnopol, Lugansk, Makejewka, Isjum, Kharkov, Odessa, etc. Many dozens of documents include a list of bridges repaired or replaced by the unit, orders, an organizational chart, promotion, train passes, and typed fair copies of messages from Adolf Hitler ('Dunkirk has fallen!'), von Brauchitsch, List, Meise, Kleist, von Rundstedt, and several front pages of the newspaper 'Panzer Voran' and dozens of clippings, a 23pp. set of 'Secret' orders and instructions filling-in officers on Russia, its people and government, staff and company newsletters, and a great deal more. Possibly the most complete Pionier soldier's archive obtainable, and rare as such - an incredible history.

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April 25, 2024 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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