American Hangman: MSgt. John C. Woods, The United States Army’s Notorious Executioner in World War II and Nürnberg

On September 3, 1945, Master Sergeant John C. Woods was released from attachment to the 2913th DTC and assigned to the Headquarters CHANOR Base Section, a new organization that had been created on July 1, 1945 by combining the Normandy and Channel Base Sections.  (American Hangman, MSgt. John C. Woods: The United States Army’s Notorious Executioner in World War II and Nürnberg)

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Photograph reported to be of the 51st Werfer Regiment at Stalingrad

North of Stalingrad, on September 3, 1942, the XIV Panzer Corps and its divisions were heavily engaged.  The 51st Werfer Regiment was assigned to support the corps.  The corps suffered the following officer casualties: four killed in action; nine wounded in action.

The 3rd Infantry Division (Motorized) defended in sector, from the Tartar Hill-Hill 111.1-Hill 129.6-Hill 131.2.  Heavy fighting occurred at Hill 139.7, Kuz’michi and the Konnaia Balka against the 116th Rifle Division, the 84th Rifle Division, the 39th Guards Rifle Division, the 315th Rifle Division, the 64th Rifle Division and the 120th Rifle Division.  The division lost one officer and 74 NCOs/enlisted killed in action; four officers and 174 NCOs/enlisted were wounded in action; 14 men were reported missing in action.  To the east was the 16th Panzer Division; to the west was the 60th Infantry Division (Motorized.)

The 16th Panzer Division defended in sector, from Hill 139.7 to the Volga and from the Volga southwest to Hill 145.1, north of Orlovka against the 99th Rifle Division and the 213th Rifle Division.  In the northern sector, to the west was the 3rd Infantry Division (Motorized).  In the southern sector, to the west was the 60th Infantry Division (Motorized.)

The 60th Infantry Division (Motorized) defended in the corps’ narrow sector to the Volga, from south of Kotluban’ Station near Borodkin to Kuz’michi against the 24th Rifle Division and the 207th Rifle Division.  Along the division’s northern sector, to the west was the 76th Infantry Division; to the east was the 3rd Infantry Division (Motorized.)  Along the division’s southern sector to the east was the 16th Panzer Division.  (Stalingrad: The Death of the German Sixth Army on the Volga, 1942-1943)