III.Panzerkorps October 19 to November 12 1942

Patrik Mineur as SS-Sturmmann

SS-Panzergrenadierregiment Germania

The nature of the difficult fighting against a vastly superior enemy at the foot of the Caucasus, under the Kasbek, which was glittering in snow and ice, is confirmed by figures supplied by the III.Panzerkorps. During the operations conducted from October 25 to November 12 1942, the three divisions attached to the corps, the 13.Panzer-Division, 2nd Rumanian Mounted Division and SS-Panzergrenadier-Divison Wiking, had made contact with 30 enemy formations. The corps took 16,000 prisoners, knocked out 188 tanks and four armored trains and captured 249 artillery pieces. The losses of the III.Panzerkorps consisted of 1,257 (63) killed, 273 (2) missing and 5,165 wounded during the operations conducted from October 19 to November 12 1942. Credit: Peter Straßner: European Volunteers. Left image: SS-Rottenführer Patrik Mineur from Haparanda in North Sweden volunteered for the Waffen-SS in 1942 and served with the Wiking Division in the Caucasus. Mineur was killed in action on October 13 1944 in Nieporęt north of Warsaw. His brother had died four years before in the Russo–Finnish Winter War while fighting in the Swedish Volunteer Corps. Public domain. Right image: an SS-Hauptscharführer and SS-Unterscharführer from SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment Germania proudly posing with their catch. Note the unregimental use of the Waffen-SS aluminum cap skull on the SS-Unterscharführer's M41 field cap. Public domain.