Obergefreiter Bruno Lappe - 131. Infanterie-Division
On June 22, 1941, the German Wehrmacht invaded the Soviet Union on a massive front with three Army Groups. Army Group Center, the strongest of the three, had the strategic objective of taking Moscow. Fighting raged throughout the summer months and a new offensive, with the goal of reaching Moscow before the onset of winter, was launched on October 2nd. Operation Typhoon, as it was called, was an attack by three panzer groups and three infantry armies.
Operation Typhoon's main attack was October 2, 1941, yet preliminary attacks began on September 30th, primarily on the right flank of Army Group Center. Guderian's 2. Panzerarmee, which had just switched directions following its diversionary operations against Kiev, began its push to the northeast in the direction of Tula. 2. Armee, on its immediate left, also began its push towards Moscow on the last day of September by pushing towards and across the River Dvna. Among the units in this area was 131. Infanterie-Divison, subordinate to General der Infanterie Gotthard Heinrici's XXXXIII Armeekorps. The division, which was initially formed in 1940 and had been fighting in the East since the first days of Barbarossa, was commanded by General der Artillerie Heinrich Meyer-Bürdorf. It saw immediate action during the first hours of operations as one of its NCOs, an Obergefreiter Lappe, went above and beyond the call of duty and was later decorated as a result.
Obergefreiter Lappe distinguished himself as a platoon messenger in delivering messages under enemy fire, especially in the defensive position at Dubnow on 30.09.1941
Lappe was decorated with the Iron Cross Second Class on October 14, 1941. His award was processed at Division headquarters and signed by his division commander. His Begründung was authorized by his Kompanie-Chef, Oberleutnant Hanns Naskau, who later won the German Cross in Gold.
131. Infanterie-Division continued to fight through the fall and winter during the Wehrmacht's ill-fated effort to knock the Soviet Union out of the war. On January 15, 1942, while his division was fighting before Moscow following the great Red Army counteroffensive, Lappe was wounded in action (or even stricken with severe frostbite). He was later treated in a Berlin military hospital where he received the Black Wound Badge on June 1st. He likely never saw action again due to his wounds.
Operation Typhoon's main attack was October 2, 1941, yet preliminary attacks began on September 30th, primarily on the right flank of Army Group Center. Guderian's 2. Panzerarmee, which had just switched directions following its diversionary operations against Kiev, began its push to the northeast in the direction of Tula. 2. Armee, on its immediate left, also began its push towards Moscow on the last day of September by pushing towards and across the River Dvna. Among the units in this area was 131. Infanterie-Divison, subordinate to General der Infanterie Gotthard Heinrici's XXXXIII Armeekorps. The division, which was initially formed in 1940 and had been fighting in the East since the first days of Barbarossa, was commanded by General der Artillerie Heinrich Meyer-Bürdorf. It saw immediate action during the first hours of operations as one of its NCOs, an Obergefreiter Lappe, went above and beyond the call of duty and was later decorated as a result.
Obergefreiter Lappe distinguished himself as a platoon messenger in delivering messages under enemy fire, especially in the defensive position at Dubnow on 30.09.1941
Lappe was decorated with the Iron Cross Second Class on October 14, 1941. His award was processed at Division headquarters and signed by his division commander. His Begründung was authorized by his Kompanie-Chef, Oberleutnant Hanns Naskau, who later won the German Cross in Gold.
131. Infanterie-Division continued to fight through the fall and winter during the Wehrmacht's ill-fated effort to knock the Soviet Union out of the war. On January 15, 1942, while his division was fighting before Moscow following the great Red Army counteroffensive, Lappe was wounded in action (or even stricken with severe frostbite). He was later treated in a Berlin military hospital where he received the Black Wound Badge on June 1st. He likely never saw action again due to his wounds.
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