Tanks of WW2

Uhhh... Thanks?

heh heh...

I'll digest that a bit more after work!

Restayn also has some numbers for operational Tigers in some of the companies- I'll see if he has anything to add to our discussion.

What sources are you using? Methinks I'll have to expand my shoping list if you are using something in English!

Kai, that's some interesting stuff on the King Tiger... that webpage looks pretty nice! I'll see if Forty (Tanks of WW2) has anything to add- I think he goes into some deatil on the production improvements in the Tiger II.

I still wonder though... Simple physics- I would imagine that the sheer weight of the tanks, and the ground pressure exerted, would HAVE to play hell on the transmission. That much pressure and strain on the gearbox? Hmmm....
I wonder- the stats on "% operational"... I wonder what other factors would have effected this...

 

Whew ! just digest it slowly if possible. Still hit and miss. the info is from Wolfgang Schneider's monster volume Tigers in combat 2.
the gent you mentioned also worked with Wolfgang on his volumes and is just a slightly different representation of the same background histories. He has a few other pics and some art work besides. I want to say that Jean did the artwork for the W.Schneider volumes 1 and 2. the second volume where I have been quoting covers in the W-SS komapnies and battalions in vivid detail but so does Jean's two volumes on the Ost and West fronts.

February 12, 1945 SS Schwere Pz Abt. 501 detrainment at Raab with 19 Königstigers.
Assault on Parisky canal with the Soviet pak front destroyed, and plenty of mud....2-17-45
2-18-45 a bridgehead is established.
2-19-45 southward flank is continued in direction of Parkany which is captured in the evening, several Soviet tanks knocked out.
2-24-45 Soviet pak front is pierced, Kemend is captured and the reamins of the briedgehead is eliminated.
2-25-45 transfer into area of Komorn and to Veszprem with 4 Tiger 2's
3-4-45 relief attack starts towards Budapest
3-6-45 Spring Awakening begins slowly due to soaked ground.
3-7/8-45 advance continues
3-9-45 advance stuck in front of Soviet pak front near Janos MJR turned assault towards the heights of Simontornya.
3-11-45 8 Tiger 2's operational
3-11/14-45 skirmishes at the bridgehead established beyond the river Sio.
3-16-45 Soviet offensive between Lake Balaton and Lake Velencese
3-17-45 9 Tiger 2's available
3-18-45 I. Ss Panzerkorps ordered transfered into area north of Varpalota and join armeegruppe Balck. During the night, the march into the area east of Inota is started 9 Tigers operational
3-19-45 the assembly area is reached in dribbles several Tigers have to be blown up because recovery vehicles are lacking......

more to come

E

 

3-20-45 Defensive fighting along the Stuhlweissenburg-Veszprem road, 1 Tiger around Varpalota knocks out 15 Soviet tanks.
Obersturmführer due to being worn down by illness is releived of his command. An air-raid develops and in the documents it is mentioned that he is killed in action by shrapnel. in reality he shoots himself. Sturmbannführere Heinz Kling takes over command.
3-21-45 1 Tiger hauptsturmführer Brinschein is in action on the Usku-Hajmasker road and with 2 Panthers knocks out 17 Soviet tanks.
3-22-45 heavy battles near Veszprem, where it is finally abandoned.
3-24-45 2 Tigers of 1st company and 2nd company in action in the area around marko, several Soviet tanks knocked out. Kompanie führer of 1st companie is RK Staudegger.
3-25-28-45 more battles and retreat around Felsüsog and the N. Losz is crossed, march through Sopron on the 29th.
3-30-45 during the retreat many tanks are blown up and the excess crews turned to infantry.
April 1-4th 1945 in action with Soviet T-34's.
3-30-45 2 Tigers are left without fuel or ammo and two days later the entire crews are captured. The Soviets shoot the crews and refuse anyone to bury them.
April 3rd to 15th 1945 Retreat to Wiener Neustadt through Traisental into the region of Lilienfeld. the remnants of the battalion are integrated as II Abteilung SS-Panzerregiment 1. Crews without tanks are employed as infantry in the area of Wilhelmsburg.
April 5 1945 5 tanks go to Schwere Panzerabteilung 509.

finish the rest of the story tomorrow !

 

Damn... please do!
I got the idea that Restayn is pretty good on Tigers. And yes, he probably did do the art for Tigers in Combat (Grr... another one I need!)- at least in Tiger I on the Eastern Front, Restayn did a bunch of the color illustrations himself. Makes some sense- his books are mainly photographic studies. Tho they do have some basic background and numbers.

Unfortunately, Restayn only covers Tiger Is, so his info does not go up to Spring Awakening. Nothing to add there...

As far as sources go, do you know anything about Tim Ripley, SS Steel Storm- Waffen-SS Panzer Battles on the Eastern Front 1943-1945, MBI, 0-7603-0937-X?
He has a whole chapter on Spring Awakening... think I already mentioned a little bit. I'll pull that together tomorrow afternoon/evening.

 

C :

Please give any info out of Tim's book that is relevant to the subject. I only have heard of his book by title and nothing more. there have been so many Tiger 1 and W-SS books come out the last year that the book shelves are being inundated with so many and it is confusing and almsot time-wasting to try and pick through all of them for new materials.

I do not have much in the way of precise details on the 2nd or 9th SS panzer's for the those late war Hungarian missions and I thought the 101/501 SS Panzer might be of use since they seemed to have made the largest headway against Soviet armor and Pak. As can be seen from the tiger 1 to Königstiger reformation it was a little confusing for all three kompanies to the heavy tank battalions and then to have cadre from two divisions at a time to form the battalions then into the I. and II. Korps themselves.

be back

E

 

Very true on the wealth of new books...
I'll post Ripley's info tonight- tho Kai already posted some from his work. He seems pretty good. A bit biased towards the SS men, but nowhere near the tone of someone like Williamson. I think Ripley is worthwhile, but should be read with a grain of salt.

Damn right also on how confusing some of these units are. I'm still figuring it all out!

 

Thanx Erich,

Gotta read that a couple of times through...


Here´s some Budapest 1945 pics





http://www.idg.hu/expo/lanc/romok_2.html

 

back at it here.

4-11-45 Kampfgruppe Peiper is mad up of the remnants of the 501 SS heavy abt. and the rest of Pz regt.1. The gruppe is ordered to protect Taisental valley near Wilhelmsburg from the Soviet assaults from the direction of St. Polten and from assaults into the flank oif the korps in the Golsental along the line hainfled-wilhelmsburg.
4-15-45 counterattack by kampfgruppe Kling Tiger 2's, in the Traisntal, St. Georgen is captured
4-16-45 Soviet assault from the recaptured St. Georgen at Wilhelmsburg is repelled, 2 Shermans are knocked out. A further assault from the direction of Ochsendburg is too beaten off with 2 more Soviet tanks knocked out.
4-17-45 kampfgruppe Kiling wipes out the enemy troops that had infiltrated Wilhelmsburg and 11 Soviet tanks are knocked out
4-18-45 The Soviets outflank Wilhelmsburg on oth sides and the encircled Kling gruppe breaks out and assembles near Rotheau. STaudeggers Tiger 2 breaks through a bridge and has to be abandoned.
4-21-45 Eschenau is recaptured.
4-19/23-45 fighitng as infantry on hill 621 near Plambach
24-26th of the month action near Klein Zell
4-27-45 Infantry skirmishes near Klein Zell, Kalte kuchl, kirchberg
4-29-45 The remnants assemble in the area of Scheibss, St. Antopn and Neubruck
May 2, 1945 40 troops are sent to the Niebungen works at St. Valentin with the mission of making 6 jagdtigers operational
5-5-45 2 jagdtigers march along the Linz-St. Polten road
5-7-45 both jagdtigers reach the divisional command post at Scheibss and with some Pz IV's are ordered to engage the enemy in the direction of Enns. In the night Waidhofen on the Ybbs is reached.
5-8-45 The tanks are called back to cover the retreat from the soviets. when crossing a bridge, one of the jagdtigers has one of it's tracks break off, pulling it off the raod. the other tanks take up positions at the edge of Waldhofen in order to control Weyer markt
5-9-45 The jagdtiger is placed right in the middle of the narrow street, the tanks are blown up so that the street is barricaded for any Soviet tank. disengagement movements across the river Enns near Losenstein. Surrender to the US army in the region of Steyr......

E

 

Wow... that's an impressive account. Gonna have to print that one!
A quick question... after this entry-
"April 5 1945 5 tanks go to Schwere Panzerabteilung 509.",
I don't see any more reference to how many Tigers SS Schwere Pz Abt. 501 still had operational. When Staudegger's Tiger 2 went through the bridge, was that the last of the Tigers? Were the Jagdtigers "aquired" due to the lack of any more heavy armor?
(Don't mean to be a pain... that account is really fascinating!)

From Ripley...(who is nowhere near as detailed as Erich's account!)
For one thing, Ripley also talks about the previous SS operation attempting to relieve Budapest- operation Konrad. By Christmas Day 1944, Budapest was surrounded. Hitler ordered IV SS Panzer corps moved from Poland to Komorno on the Danube River to head the rescue effort with the Totenkopf and Wiking divisions, commanded by Obergruppenfuhrer Herbert Gille. "Operation Konrad got underway with a night attack on New Year's Day, which initially caught the Soviet XXXI Rifle Corps by suprise. The Waffen-SS Panthers and Panzer IVs crashed through the unprepared russians and drove eastwards for almost 48km, knocking out 200 enemy tanks as they did so." Totenkopf ran into strong Soviet resistance, and joined Wiking's push southeastwards towards Budapest. Soviet resistance blocked the southern route, and an attempt by the Wiking's Westland Panzergrenadier Regiment to pass enemy lines over the Vertes Mountains was also blocked.
On 12 January 1945, the SS troops pulled back, convincing the Soviets that they had called off the attack. Six days later, Gille's troops opened up a new southern front, attacking the Soviet CXXXV Rifle Corps, who, without tanks, were decimated by the germans. The Germans were able to advance 32km in the first day. Ripley makes mention of the Totenkopf's PanzerJager Regiment "was instrumental in breaking up several counterattacks by the Soviet XVII Tank and CXXXIII Rifle Corps. Its new PanzerJager IV self propelled antitank guns were particularly effective." "The winter frost meant the ground was still hard, so Gille's handful of Panzers were able to race forward across country." BY January 20, German armor was on the banks of the Danube, and the Soviets were panicking. In spite of some russian tank reinforcements, the battle seemed to be turning in the favor of the Germans.
Three days later, 12 Soviet infantry divisions joined the tank corps in the counterattack against the Germans. "The SS troops held their ground, but Hitler now ordered IV SS Panzer Corps to fall back so it could regroup and join a major operation he was planning to defeat the entire Soviet Army Group in Hungary. Ignoring pleas from his generals that now was the time to order a break-out frm Budapest, Hitler refused to consider the idea. Budapest would be relieved by the Sixth S Panzer Army. Therefore, there was no need for a break-out."

I'll post Ripley on Spring Awakening soon...

 

C:

thanks for the additional postings on Totenkopf and Wiking. Interesting that even in the last months that some of these German divisions could still add a punch into the Soviet lines.

As far as I am aware the 501st SS lost all it's Königstigers, the last as mentioned , a transfer to the Heer Abteilung and the almost lucky finding of the heavy Jagdtiger. Still very unproven in combat you can feel the strangulation of the SS Abteilung until it was nothing but infantry an act it was not really capable of performing.

I am trying to warm up my WW 2 Enthusiast article covering the last W-SS battles from Hungary through Austria. the article was written by a Mr. Kane and published in 1975, so some of the materials will be repeated and frnakly it may just be an overall view with not intense detail.

E

 

Guys, are you doing a study here?

I have Vincx and Schotanius Dutch volume on Wiking. Vincx was a member of the Div. and fought also in the battles for Budapest etc. He wrote a 4 volume book on Dutch volunteers in the W-SS and a 7 vol. series on the Flemisch...

You guys interested in what he has to say?

And while I am at it; have any of you ever heard of Schwere Abteilung 500? I know about a Ausbildung und Ersatz Batt. 500 and a Werfer Batt. 500. Any ideas what this unit could be?

[ 21. February 2003, 01:47 AM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]

 

Stevin,

you should know better...We are interested for sure so start sending data...




SS-Hauptsturmführer Rudolf von Ribbentrop
On 20 December he was wounded for the fifth time with a shell fragment in his mouth. He was awarded the Wound Badge in Gold, and shortly there after given command of I./Pnz.Regt 12. He commanded this Abeitlung until the Divisions surender to the American's on 8 May.

http://home.att.net/~SSPzHJ/VRibbentrop.html

Actually in one of those books I read on Hungary 1945 it says that Rudolf and his men were due to the few number of tanks turned into infantry men March-April 1945...

 

Why Stevin, it seems we are!! Heh... This thread is getting really impressive. I'm already planning (unless anyone objects) on putting together and cleaning up all the accounts in this thread into one document. Definetely want a printout of this whole account for my files!
So if you can, I know I would love to get some more info. Ripley is not too detailed on operation Konrad, and it sounds like Vincx could add some good info on Wiking's participation.

Schwere Abteilung 500... hmmm... haven't heard of that one. As far as I know (which is certainly not too far!), the 501st was the "lowest number" Heavy Panzer battalion.
Anyone else?

E- thanks for the additions. The "finding" of the Jagdtigers is an interesting one. I was thinking about that though, and it dosen't really suprise me. By this time, the germans were fighting mainly in "german" territory, either in germany or one of the close satellite nations (like Hungary). Thus, these would be areas where german factories and depots would not be too far away. It actually dosen't suprise me that the 501st/101st was able to "scrounge" up some vehicles.

And "strangulation" is a very appropriate term for the conditions the germans faced by this point in the war. Again, not suprising that the Panzer troopers were steadily forced into an infantry role. True, units could ocasionally acquire a vehicle here and there, but there was no consistent supply of reinforcements available. Not enough tanks were still existant in germany, factories, depots, or otherwise, to equip any large number of major formations.

I'll finish off Ripley tonight... and see of I can find some more sources.

 

Kai, Crazy, Stevin and anyone else, please post as much as you want from January 45 through war's end for the ops in Hungary to Austria/Germany. Personally I have not found one thread of this lenght concerning late war missions of the Heer and W-SS panzer units, so please continue.....

again I will keep the hands soft and warm to type up some many pages and Crazy if you are so able to edit all of this and put into some sort of order I would love a copy for the files. We might as well contiue piling on the source materials until the event of someone with more first hand accounts can add further. Anyone have the Munin verlag late war volumes on 1,2,3 or 5th SS and the 12th or any Heer units please add info as you can !

rough day today so this maybe my only post.....

cheers und biers !

E

 

OK, give me some time to translate and type this all up. I have several (munin) Bildbander from different div's. Will see if I can find some of interest in there too...

 

only post for me today as I am heading out the door for a nice 50 mile plus bike ride......

chatted with Ian at JJF pubs on Friday and he told me that the plan is to have the Georg Maier's book Drama between Budapest and Vienna translated by years end......

all for now. Stevin post anything and everything !

E

 

Some HQ info by Gen Walter Warlimont " Inside Hitler´s headquarters 1939-1945 "

...on 16th January signs of panic snap decisions soon to be proved impractical;" The Fuhrer demands crash action to move two armoured and two Infantry divisions rapidly from Libau ( Courland )."

The same day Hitler ordered that sixth SS Panzer Army , the first formation he had allowed to be withdrawn from the Ardennes for rest, should be thrown into Hungary to protect the vital oil area. A few weeks before Hitler given a direct order behind Guderian´s back for the immediate move of an SS Panzer Corps from the Centre of the Eastern Front to Hungary. Guderian now lost temper.

In his evidence after the war Keitel lifted the veil from these events, admitting that Hitler considered the protection of Vienna and Austria as of vital importance and that he would rather see Berlin fall than lose the Hungarian oil area and Austria.

On 17 january Warsaw was evacuated by the last four weak battalions defending it. This was done without Hitler´s knowledge and without an express order from him. When he heard of it he went into a paroxysm of rage, proving, according to Guderian´s account, that he at least realized that he himself was responsible for the rapid collapse of the eastern front.

The next few days Hitler devoted to studying the loss of Warsaw and to punishing the general Staff for what he regarded as its failure.

In spite of all Guderian´s protests Colonel von Bonin, the Chief of the Army Operations Section and two lieutenant-colonels on his staff were arrested and , with Guderian himself, subjected to days of interrogation by the notorius Chiefs of the SD, Kaltenbrunner and Muller. Bonin finally landed in a concentration camp in which he remained to the end of war.

 

First installment. I have tried to translate these writings as true as possible how Jan Vincx wrote them. I have changed some sentences to make reading easier. With all due respect, his writing style is not the easiest to follow.

Translated from: NEDERLANDSE VRIJWILLIGERS IN EUROPESE KRIJGSDIENST 1940 – 1945, Part IV by Jan Vincx and Victor Schotanius

First attempt to break the encirclement of Budapest

On December 24 1944, about 25.000 German and 45.000 Hungarian soldiers got encircled in the Budapest area. On January 1, 1945 –the day the Germans launched their first attempt to break the encirclement- Festung Budapest had a length of 21 Km North to South and about 18 Km East to West.

In the evening hours of December 24, units of the Panzer Rgt.5 “Wiking” that had recently been in combat north of Warschau, Poland, received notice to prepare and move.

On December 26, the troops are boarded on trains. Different convoys leave from the MODLIN-NASIELSK area. Route and destination are kept secret from the troops. The whole operation takes place in complete secrecy. After a 700 Km train ride through freezing weather, the unheated trains reach KOMORN (KOMAROM) on the Danube (70 Km Northwest of Budapest), in the last days of December.

The troops have a good time on New Years Eve 1945 in KOMORN. The troops start marching to TATA at 09.00 on January 1, 1945, after attending a concert on the market square.

The units of Panzer Division “Wiking” that were rushed to the area East of TATA preparing for the attack. To their right are units of 6 Panzer Division, KampfGruppe Pape and an Hungarian Kavallerie Division. On the left side is SS Panzer Division “Totenkopf”. The attack will start at 18.00, January 1, 1945.

The Commander of Regiment “Germania”, Ostubaf Dorr, acts as temporary Division Commander as the C-i-C has not arrived yet. Pz Rgt 5 “Wiking” gets ready to attack with 22 Panther tanks and 10 Mk IV tanks. The regiment consists of hardly two companies, barely 20% of full strength. Ustuf Jan Vincx is attached to II/SS Rgt. 5 as a forward artillery controller. Preparations for the attack are made in haste. The order for the armored units is: Attack via the road from TATA to the east, break through enemy positions and reach AGOSTYAN, 4 Km east of TATA. Then move in Southeasterly direction to BIESCKE and take the hills near that town.

To increase the element of surprise the attack will begin after dark and without the usual artillery barrage. Soon after the troops move out they are confronted by an heavily mined enemy position on the road. It takes till 23.00 before the infantry gets through this position and by 24.00 the mines are cleared. Only then Rgt. 5 can advance towards AGOSTYAN.

Heading his platoon at the spearhead of the Regiment is Ustuf Hinz. He is standing upright in his tank. Just before his tank reaches AGOSTYAN he is hit in the head from behind and is killed instantly. The attack is such a surprise for the Russians that they can’t prevent that many German soldiers who were captured here a week ago are liberated.

The attack, which continues at dawn over the heights south of AGOSTYAN, is held up due to intense enemy fire. Russian artillery even manages to directly destroy a tank from a well camouflaged position. Only when darkness sets in again, 5 Company of Rgt. 5, which is leading the attack now, manages to capture the road that runs in southeasterly direction from AGOSTYAN. Engineers, transported on the most forward tanks, clear the mines. Anti tank positions also have to be cleared. In the meantime, ever increasing numbers of enemy infantry attack from the woods on the steep slopes that are on both sides of the road. The tanks are confined to the road. They are useless in those woods.

In the early morning hours of January 3, the armored spearhead reached VERTESTOLNA, 6 Km southeast of AGOSTYAN. This position is reached at the same time by II Battalion “Germania” under Hstuf Pleiner. A reconnaissance unit discovers a strongly manned and well fortified enemy anti tank position. It is placed where the main road from TATA to VERTESOLNA enters a wood. The guns cover that main road where the German tanks are supposed to come from.

It appears that this position cannot be dealt with by frontal attack. The necessary air support is lacking. Especially now when the enemy is deploying their own air support. Artillery is also of no use due to the condition of the ground.

Tanks drive through a ravine, then approach the position along the edge of the wood and attack the position from the flank. The enemy position, unable to turn its guns far enough, is destroyed. There are no losses on our side. The Russians lose 7 anti tank guns and several tanks.

Due to this action the armored spearhead and the following unit have to fight their way over a winding road through the woods. They have to engage and destroy several Russian tanks that are positioned away from each other at certain intervals. This terrain is completely unsuitable for offensive action with tanks. But there is no alternative. On the right side the woods are on a slope that runs up to 400 meters high and which allows no room for a pincer-movement. At the left side the slope is less steep but other factors prevent the tanks from using the terrain. At the same time neighboring units on both the right and left flank have difficulty keeping up. Because of this the flanks are unprotected. The divisional reserves are used to protect the flanks but this undermines the capacity for offensive action.

In the meantime the enemy forces are getting organized and they utilize the advantages of the terrain: While the Panzers are confined to the road, they hold the woods on the higher lying slopes beside the road. This gives the Russians a great opportunity. Both the division commander and the general are with the most forward armored columns and urge to push on.

The advance progresses slowly until the tank column reaches the end of the wood, a few hundred meter before the town of TARJAN. Shortly before the 1st platoon of the 5th Coy, lead by Ustuf Kerckhoff, reaches this more open terrain, the commander of the 2nd platoon, 5th Coy, Oscha Maenner, is killed. He drives his tank just behind that of Ostuf. Lichte, commander of 5th Coy and is shot to pieces by a Russian tank which has managed to get behind him unseen. This Russian tank is destroyed shortly after.

At 15.00 TARJAN is in German hands. On the south side of the town fighting lasts till darkness. At 17.00 the divisional combat HQ is already established in TARJAN, in an effort to push on the offensive with speed. The terrain, enemy fire and air support take a heavy toll. No sign of the Luftwaffe. Also the effectiveness of our own artillery is becoming less.

Due to the terrain and the fact that other units still haven’t made as much progress as “Wiking”, it is foreseeable that a second MALGOBEK-situation will arise. In order to prevent this, the commander of Rgt. 5, Otsubaf Darges, decides to change the march-route and move to the south in order to reach TATABANY, which lies just over the hills. This route also allows the tanks to operate on more suitable terrain, until they reach the main road north of BIECSKE again.

Kerckhoff’s platoon takes the point position. Tank after tank climb the steep slopes in the dark. Jokingly the tank crews claim the ‘Edelweissabscheiden der Gebirgstruppe”. Because of this movement, the tanks link up with Battalion “Norge” under command of Hstuf. Vogt, that managed to reach this position before.

Strong Russian formations in the back, dug in with anti tank guns and armored cars, are destroyed. Then TATABANYA is reached.

So far, the Hungarian population greets the Germans everywhere with joy. The liberated Hungarians tell the Germans terrible stories about Russian occupation.

In the night of 4 to 5 January, Rgt. 5 attacks from TATABANYA towards the southeast over rather easy terrain. At dawn the troops reach the road running from CSABDI to BIECSKE, 3 Km north of BIECSKE. They completely surprise a Russian supply column and destroy it. Shortly before the troops get on the road to BIECSKE, the commander of II/Pz Rgt 5, Htsuf. Fluegel get hit in his foot, close to the combat post of II/”Germania”. Hstuf. Pleiner leads his battalion to the same position.

Kerckhoff’s panzer platoon leads 5th Coy of Pz Rgt. 5 through the estate HEGYIK, to the south of GSABDI. From there they turn towards BIECSKE. A few hundred meters down the road they receive heavy anti tank fire which knocks out the first two tanks. Kerckhoff and the commander of 5th Coy, Ostuf Lichte, escape the same fate by driving through the smoke and hiding behind a small elevation in the terrain. The remaining combat ready units of SS Panzer Regiment 5 “Wiking”, together with battalion “ Norge” dig in around the HEGYIK estate in porcupine-formation. In the next few days they are involved in heavy defensive action.

Enemy strength increases constantly. Wintry weather and snow restrict troop movement. Forward units of the “Totenkopf” division manage to reach the line MANY-ZSEMBEK en in doing so relieve the pressure on Wiking’s left flank. The flank on the right is completely exposed. The troops that should be there are nowhere to been seen.

Around BIECSKE enemy troops are forming strong defense lines. Still, on January 8, tank units, part of an attack carried out by both divisions manage to capture the cemetery of BIECSKE. Then, however, it becomes apparent that all offensive strength, needed to push through to Budapest, has been used. From now on the occupation and defense of the HEGYIK estate is first priority. The sovjets attack the estate constantly with artillery and tanks. The problem of reinforcements and logistics becomes more and more acute. Only during the night the wounded can be evacuated (carried out under command of Dr. Kalbskopf) and ammunitions can be brought in by truck.

Artillery forces the ‘guests’ to leave the second floor of the estate to the first and finally to the cellar. There is no opportunity to sleep. At night, Russian infantry attack in waves. They capture some houses nearby which are recaptured after heavy fighting. During one of these attacks the commander of I/Pz Rgt. 5, Hstuf Hein gets wounded in his calf by grenade splinters. He stands with Ostuf Lichte in a doorway at the back of the mansion, discussing the situation, when he gets hit. Ostuf Bauer takes over command.

With courage never seen before the grenadiers of Battalion “Norge” under Hstuf. Vogt defend their sector. Every infiltration attempt by the Russian is being repelled. With their war-cry ‘Norge!’, feared by the Russians, on their lips they counter-attack and push them back in intense man to man fighting. Till January 12 the men manage to keep these forward positions at the HEGYIK estate.

The first attempt to break through to BUDAPEST via BIECSKE has been given up. On January 12 they retreat from the HEGYIK estate. The majority of division “Wiking” is being pulled back on January 9th. They are moved to the vicinity of ESTERGOM (GRAN) to regroup, reorganize and get ready for another attempt. This time over the PILLIS mountain range towards BUDAPEST in the southeast.

The remaining panzer units who are moved back on the 12th from the vicinity of BIECSKE don’t understand why the attempt has been aborted. They were a mere 27 Km from BUDAPEST. They won’t participate in the second attempt. They pull back to RAAB (GYOR). From there they move by train to the area of VESPREM.

Generaloberst Guderian, since juli 1944 head of the general staff of the army, visits the HQ’s of generals Balck and Gille in those critical January-days. His impressions of the first attempt to break through to BUDAPEST are included in his book: ”Memories of an soldier”: “The probable cause of failure to succeed is probably due to the fact that the initial successes of January 1st weren’t followed up upon the next night, and we neglected to achieve a complete break through. We didn’t have the soldiers and officers we had in 1940. If we had, this operation would have been a success”.

This severe criticism of the men and officers isn’t correct and doesn’t seem fair. With only a quick look at the staff-maps at the HQ’s, Generaloberst Guderian could have seen that General Balck had chosen the wrong route over wrong terrain for this attack. Sending tanks over small roads, winding through woods in middle-high mountains in the middle of winter and against well organized enemy was against all prevailing rules with regards to tactical insight. With the attacking units of Division “Wiking” there were men and officers who knew the circumstances in 1940 from their own experience. They also knew that in 1940 tank formations weren’t sent into combat at 20% of their strength. Back then they also could count on efficient artillery support and adequate air support by the Luftwaffe, who were masters of the air then.

Therefor; this attempt to break through to BUDAPEST was carried out by brave, experienced men of steel, but they were not prepared properly.


Second attempt to break the siege of Budapest

On January 12, the tanks of Pz Rgt. 5 are being driven from TATABANYA and TATA to RAAB (GYOR) to the north. That same day also sees the end of the attempt to reach BUDAPEST from ESTERGOM (GRAN) that started on January 10.

Regiments “Germania” and “Westland”, which were part in this attack, completely surprise the enemy. The German field kitchens are already preparing food for the beleaguered troops in BUDAPEST. From the already liberated PILISCZENTKERESZT the men can see the towers of BUDAPEST, a mere 17 Km away. Then at 20.00 they receive the order to halt the advance, to the unbelief of the troops and despite the arguments of several field commanders who feel BUDAPEST is within reach. With Budapest in sight and determined to break the siege of their needy comrades, they are told to move back North the next day and give up a great opportunity. They don’t leave before enjoying the spa of DOBOGEKO and stare at the church towers of BUDAPEST one last time. Does it surprise anyone that some of the troops talk about treason out loud and that tens of thousands comrades will have to pay for this with their lives?


PS:I have also found a "rendering of events" of the Totenkopf division in these battles in WIE EIN FELS IN MEER. When I am done with Wiking (which will take me a while) I will start on the Totenkopf material on these battles.

[ 06. March 2003, 04:43 AM: Message edited by: Stevin Oudshoorn ]

 

Stevin :

Thanks much for your diligent work in translating from the Dutch for us into English......very much appreciated. Great materials ! I'll translate or I should say type in Steve Kanes article from back in the early 1980's next week when I return from business. Gone for 4 days.....

E

 

Ok, hopefully no one will find this tedious. As promised from moons ago, Steve Kane's article in 1975. Ops in Hungary and Austira. Last gasp of the Waffen SS

when one thinks of German military offensive ops during the last 6 months of the war, the famous Ardenne attack, inevitably comes to mind. Without question this was Nazi Germany's last major offensive effort, but it was by no means her only attack during the first 3 months of 1945, and while most of them were total failures, Hungary was the scene of two attacks that showed the Russians that the Third Reich was still capable of limited offensive action.
It is true that most of these offensives were doomed from the start. to Hitler, they represented actual chances for a much needed victory, but only the most fanatical of Nazi's shared his delusions. Other military men sometimes saw chances for local victories, but they all realized that such victories could have no effect on the war except the postponing of the inevitable: the defeat of nazi Germany.
The key, or so Hitler believed in achieving victory at this late stage of the war, was the use of his elite panzer divisions of the Waffen SS. Hitler had lost faith in the German Wehrmacht long ago, but he still clung to the belief that his picked SS troops would bring victoiry. this belief was to be shattered in the months to come.
Nevertheless, the story of German offensive ops in Hungary is mainly one of Ss effort. After Hitler finally conceded defeat in his Ardennes counter offensive he quickly shifted the four crack W-SS Panzer divisions that had participated in the attack to Hungary, despite the violent protests of Heinz Guderian, the German tank expert and head of OKH, the Army High Command, which was in charge of the Eastern Front. Earlier in 1945 two other Ss Panzer Divisions had been involved in a futile attempt on Budapest. Most importantly of all, however, was the effect of these SS Panzer Divisions had on the Western Allies, especially eisenhower. In April 45, as the American armies began racing into Germany, great fear existed in their minds over the possibility of a national Redoubt. German propaganda had blown this myth all out of proportion. The basic theory was that thousands of ide-hard Nazis would hold up in the mountainous regions of southern Germany and Austria. This national Redoubt area was supposedly a huge underground factory where weapons and supplies had been stored away previously to sustain prolonged German resistance. tied to all of this was the fact that in April of 45 no less that ten Waffen SS dvisions were in and around Austria and the national Redoubt area. eisenhower knew how fanatical a foe the Ss could be and he took no chances; troops were diverted from Berlin to enable others to seize the Redoubt area as rapidly as possible. The political repercussions of this action are still with us today......

typo errors all mine, more to come