As of 01 March 2018 www.wwiirc.org www.352-inf-div.org Page 2 of 46 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ........................................................ 3 Reenacting .......................................................... 4 Reenactor Guidelines ................................................ 6 Important Things to Keep In Mind ........................................ 6 Personal Goals .......................................................... 6 Requirements ............................................................ 6 Appearance .............................................................. 7 Safety .................................................................. 7 Vehicles ................................................................ 7 General Information ..................................................... 7 Casualty and POW Rules .............................................. 8 General Rules ........................................................... 8 Chain of Command .................................................... 9 Unit History ....................................................... 10 Division Composition ................................................... 10 Division Formation ..................................................... 13 The Atlantikwall ....................................................... 13 Battle in France ....................................................... 14 Battle in Holland ...................................................... 16 The 352nd Volksgrenadier-Division and the Ardennes Offensive ........... 16 Battle in Germany ...................................................... 17 Ranks and Insignia ................................................. 19 Military Courtesy .................................................. 22 Behavior towards Superiors ............................................. 22 Saluting ............................................................... 25 Basic German Commands .............................................. 27 The Gruppe in Combat ............................................... 30 Requirements ....................................................... 32 Uniform and Equipment .................................................. 32 Uniform and Equipment Tier Level Requirements .......................... 33 Awards, Decorations and Promotions ................................. 38 Medals, Badges, Ribbon Bars and Award Criteria ......................... 39 Awards and Decorations Summary Table ................................ 40 Miscellaneous Awards and Award Criteria ................................ 41 Award and Decoration Process ........................................... 41 Award Precedence and Method of Wear .................................... 41 Promotion Criteria ..................................................... 42 Songs .............................................................. 43 Documentation ...................................................... 46 Page 3 of 46 Introduction Willkommen! Thank you for your interest in joining the 352.Infanterie-Division. I'd like to welcome you to our unit and to reenacting! Reenacting is a great hobby that can be a lot of fun. It's totally up to you how much time and effort you'd like to put into it, but I can almost guarantee that if you like WWII, camping and soldering, then you are going to have a great time. But above all, we do this to honor the veterans - not only those from the U.S. Armed Forces, but all veterans who fight, sacrifice and die for their country. We represent the 1.Zug (Platoon), 5.Kompanie (Company), II. Bataillon (Battalion) of Grenadier Regiment 916 of the 352.Infanterie-Division. The 352.ID was a regular army infantry division of the German Wehrmacht during WWII. The Division is most known for their defense of Omaha Beach during D-Day. The 352.Infanterie-Division is a part of the WWII Reenacting Corps (wwiirc.org), which, in turn, is an official division of the WWII History Center (wwiihistorycenter.org), a non-profit organization. In order join our unit, each new Rekrut (recruit) must become a member of the Corps. Membership is $35 a year, due on June 1 each year. The money you pay to join goes to support the Museum, to help put on reenacting events, and to cover insurance costs. The 352.Infanterie-Division is the German portion of the WWII Reenacting Corps. The Mission of the Reenacting Corps is to fulfill the WWII History Center's Vision: "To remember a generation, to honor their sacrifices, and to educate future generations." Membership in the Corps means you are a volunteer for the museum. Supporting the Museum and its mission is our primary objective. The 352.ID, the Reenacting Corps and the WWII History Center do not, in any way, condone or support any political ideologies of any of the combatants of World War II. The 352.ID will not tolerate any members who wish to join to relive the Nazi ideology, past or present. Our reenactors exist to educate the public about the life of German soldiers serving in the German Army, which, for the most part, had nothing to do with the Holocaust or Nazism. Once you’ve become a member of the Museum, you will become a Rekrut. You have one year from your join date to obtain your uniform and required gear. Once you have all of your required items, you will be promoted to the rank of Grenadier (Private). From there, it is up to you. You can acquire more gear, or work on your knowledge and leadership skills to get promotions. The 352.ID is a unit that has strong member ties. Our goal is to help each other grow within the unit, to stay as authentic as possible and to bring others into the hobby, all while building unit camaraderie. Our first priority is to honor veterans – but to go along with that, we want to make sure that each person enjoys what they are doing and is having fun. Again, welcome to the 352.ID. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Unit Commander. Page 4 of 46 Reenacting World War II reenacting started in the 1970s, and is a relatively unfamiliar hobby to many people. One of the main purposes of reenacting is to educate the public about the history, heritage, memorabilia and traditions of combat soldiers of WWII. As a reenactor in the 352.ID at events, you will dress, act and think like a German soldier in 1944. There are four types of events we will participate in: training, public displays, public battles and tacticals. Training is put on about once a month by the WWII History Center. Its purpose is to teach reenactors basic tactics, German mannerisms, and to keep our unit active. You do not have to have all of your uniform/gear to participate in these events. The subject matter and material covered at each of these events varies, as determined by the Unit Commander. Public Displays are when we dress in full gear and display all of our equipment for the public. We typically have public displays at gun shows and military shows. You do not have to have all your gear to participate, but you can't wear a partial uniform to these events. On the other hand, if you have an alternate impression (e.g. – Fallshirmjager, Panzersoldaten, etc...) you can wear that to these events – the only requirement is that your display is complete and accurate. Public Battles are staged battles for public viewing. Usually, these battles are planned out, and we, as Germans, always lose. Usually, after the battle has ended, the public comes out onto the battlefield to talk to the reenactors. You have to have all your gear to participate in these events. Tactical Events are real-time events where either side can win. The Germans have their own camp, and the GIs have their own camp. Battles can happen anytime and anywhere (even in the middle of the night). These usually take place on large plots of land. You have to have all your gear to participate in these events. You are also encouraged, but not required, to either make up a persona of the soldier you are reenacting, or learn about the life of a real German soldier of WWII. Most people find that by taking on a persona, the hobby become more personal and meaningful. Page 5 of 46 The following excerpt is from an article by Edward Franzosa in Frontlines Magazine, written in back sometime in the 1980s about German reenacting. It offers three simple answers to the question, “Why are you reenacting a German soldier?” In past years there has been some claptrap about the motives of people who portray German soldiers. And, more regrettably, there also has been a revival of the false propaganda malarkey that questions the motives of the common man who fights for his country and the society he grew up in. No one has the right to judge the motives and emotions that cause a man to serve his country in military duty. Here are the facts as I see them: If his country is at war, a young man joins the military for three basic reasons: Duty and Patriotism Anyone with their head screwed on right feels a love for their own country and a duty towards protecting their homeland. It is much like your family-protect it first and ask questions later. Comrades When your friends are all going off to fight the enemies of your country, you want to do the same. In many cases a whole group of friends would enlist together on the basis that they could stay together and fight together. The US Army in WWII made special provisions for this. Many men grow up in families where military service is an expected duty of each young man; I know, for my family was of this kind. Adventure War is the most exciting