While it is not a requirement of the 3rd ID, several unit members have added a “Second Impression” to add to their participation in other events, principally Russian Front events.
We portray members of 5 Ko. IR 421, 125 ID (Heer) , which fought in the southern sector of the Eastern Front. Its membership is not restricted to (nor expected of) members of the 3rd ID, and is open to any other Allied re-enactor.
Any one interested in this impression may contact either Bruce Black (bblaxmail@yahoo.com) or Mike Houghtaling (mhoughtaling@sbcglobal.net).
Infanterie Regiment 421
Organized on October 15th, 1940 as a regiment in the 11th wave, at the Münsingen training area, from elements from the 56th ( 3/56 became 1/421) and 480th ( 3/480) infantry regiments, and assigned to the 125th Infantry Division.
On October 15th, 1942 the regiment was redesignated as a grenadier regiment. In December 1942 the 2nd Battalion was dissolved. On March 13,1944 the division was dissolved after the breakout from the Kuban bridgehead (Nikopol), consolidating with the 302 and the 258 divisions. The 419 regiment was disbanded and absorbed into both the 420 and 421 regiment, and designated Grenadier Division 125, and assigned
to the 302 division.
The 302 division is destroyed in August, 1944. The remaining forces join with 15th and 76th divisions
The 2nd Division (Sendai) was one of the Imperial Japanese Army's most elite divisions. All members were raised from the Miyagi Prefecture in Northern Honshu. The 29th Regiment was considered the most elite regiment of the division. After early success in Java, the division was decimated in the battle for Guadalcanal. After reforming in the Philippines in 1943, the division was sent to Rangoon in 1944. Finally they finished the war around Phnom Phen in Indo-China in 1945. The 2nd Division fought the U.S. Marines and Army as well as the Dutch, British Commonwealth and Russian forces defending much of the once vast Japanese Empire.
