Published in
„Siegrunen“ Magazine – Volume V, Number 4, Whole Number 28,
January 1982
After completing a successful, if costly, defensive
battle in the German-held Kurland Pocket of Western Latvia, the European
volunteers of the III. SS Panzer Corps were shipped back to Germany at the end
of January 1945. There was no time available to place the Corps’ units into
reserve for reformation; they would have to be reinforced en route to the
front. III. SS Corps was slated to become part of the new Army Group „Weichsel”
(Vistula), which was forming to contain the northern spearhead of the Soviet
Marshall Zhukov’s enormous assault force in the Pomeranian sector of Eastern
Germany. There was only one word for the military situation: desperate. The SS
soldiers would be put to their greatest test in the days and weeks ahead.
At
this time, Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner relinquished command of the III. SS
Corps to the Army General Unrein to take charge of the new 11th Panzer Army.
Coming out of Kur-land with the 11th and 23rd SS Divisions, were the 32nd
Pomeranian Infantry Division, the 215th Infantry Division and parts of the 11th
East Prussian Infantry Division and the 14th Panzer Division. 125 wounded,
married men with families from other units, also came along.
On the night of 28 January 1945, the remnants of III.
SS Corps were pulled out of the frontlines near Preekuln in Latvia and
travelled by way of Sutsas to the port of Libua (Lipaja). As the SS troops
left, the lines behind them were shortened and tightened up for the remaining
defenders. More than 2½ months earlier the SS Panzer Detachment 11 „Hermann
von Salza”/Dvision „Nordland” had been evacuated from Kurland on 10 and 11
November 1944 after having lost all of its tanks in action. The detachment was
reorganized around Landeck to the south of Danzig, but all efforts to obtain
new tanks had been in vain. So shortly before the end of the year, „HsV” was
sent to the SS camp at Grafenwoehr, Bavaria for reequipping. By the end of
January 1945, reassembled and with new tanks, Detachment „HvS” began the
journey east to join III. SS Panzer Corps in Pomerania.
On
31 January 1945, the other units of the Corps began loading onto transport
ships in the harbor of Libau. The transportation officers tried to speed things
up as much as possible and in the process caused some added difficulties. For
instance, two trucks from SS Regiment 24 „Danmark” that had been improperly
parked for embarkation rolled off the dock and into the boat basin where they
were completely irretrievable.
The
sea voyage to the German port of Stettin was not un-eventful; there were
run-ins with enemy submarines and refugees and escapees from sunken vessels
were continually being picked up. One troop ship, the „Moira,” was lost with
all hands and took with it a number of soldiers from 23rd SS Division „Nederland.”
It had been torpedoed by a submarine. An advance „commando” from III. SS Corps,
led by 11th SS Divisional Adjutant, Sturmbannführer Bergfeld and the Corps
Quartermaster, Oberstumbannführer Sporn, had been sent to Stettin in
mid-January 1945 to make arrangements for the arrival of the Corps’ units.
The
Pomeranian sector was in disastrous shape with the massive forces of the 1st
and 2nd White Russian „Fronts” hammering away at disorganized and deteriorating
half-strength German divisions. The commander of Army Group „Weichsel” was the
Reichsführer-SS Himmler, whose actual military command experience was
non-existent. He has been accused by many historians of hastening the collapse
of the Pomeranian Front by a few weeks, but it is doubtful whether the best
military minds in Germany could have done any better! Two newly reorganized SS
Volunteer Divisions, the 15th Latvian and the 33rd „Charlemagne” (France No.
1), had brought into the sector near Konitz and were immediately heavily
engaged. The 33rd Waffen-Grenadier Regiment from 15th SS Latvian Division soon
distinguished itself by driving forward to the Netze River and linking-up with
the cutoff German garrison in Bromberg.
The
various replacement units of III. SS Panzer Corps had been gathered at the
Hammerstein troop training grounds in Pomerania to await the arrival of their
parent formations. These units included the following: SS Officer Training
Group „Scheibe,” SS NCO Training Battalion „Haemel” and the re-formed 48th
Dutch SS Regiment „General Seyffardt.” Due to the deteriorating military
situation they had to be combined into Battle-group „Scheibe” and were attached
to the emergency ad hoc Corps „Tettau.” Joining them was the SS Antitank
(assault gun) Detachment 11/“Nordland,” which had been undergoing training and
reequipping at Neuhammer-Queis. In the course of January 1945 all of the above
elements were thrown into action against the northern flank of the 1st White
Russian Front around Arnswalde and Pyritz.
Running
from west to east, the Pomerania defensive front looked like this: between the
Oder River and Lake Madu was the Corps „Hoernlein” containing the 4th SS Police
Division (which had been brought up from the Balkans); further east around
Stargard was the 37th Panzer Crops containing the 10th SS Panzer Division „Frundsberg”
with a 4,000 man segment of the Belgian 28th SS Division „Wallonien” near
Stettin; in the city of Arnswalde were 3,000 men belonging to „Nebelwerfer”
(smoke and rocket mortar) reserve and training units — they were totally
surrounded by the enemy. III. SS Panzer Corps was to move into the area north
of Arnswalde. East of Arnswalde was the Paratroop Regiment 25 and the 402nd
Infantry Division, while still farther to the east the X. SS Army Corps and the
Korps „Tettau” took up positions in mid-February facing the Soviet right flank.
Behind the Russian lines were many cutoff pockets of German resistance. Between
the Weichsel and Oder Rivers were all kinds of fragments and splinters from
partially destroyed German divisions that were hastily formed into
battle-groups, but they were unable to withstand the intense pressure being
applied by the communists.
On
3 February 1945, the newly reformed anti-tank/assault gun detachment (battalion
size) of SS Division „Nordland” began fighting a „holding” action alongside an
Army infantry division near Hassendorf. The new SS Heavy Tank Detachment 503
led by Sturmbannführer Fritz Hertzig reached the front lines near Arnswlade on
4 February. This was the armored component of III. SS Panzer Corps that had
long been authorized but only recently assembled; it had missed all the action
on the Narva and Kurland Fronts. It was joined on 5 February by SS. Escort
Battalion „Gross” that had been serving as a bodyguard unit of RF-SS Himmler.
Elsewhere,
the „Nordland” panzer unit, „Herman von Salza,” which had been temporarily
upgraded to SS Panzer Regiment 11 (it had been hoped to add another tank
battalion to the original „HvS” detachment, but due to the emergency at the
front, this element was never fully formed), had been dispatched by rail from
Grafenwoehr to Stettin in the last days of January 1945. Ostubaf. Kausch, led „HvS”
with its contingent of 30 assault guns and Panzer V „Panther” tanks to readiness
positions to the north of Arnswalde.
Here
„HvS” was joined by SS Escort Btl. „Gross” to form a combined unit task force,
Kampfgruppe „Kausch.” On the morning of 6 February, KGr. „Kausch” went into
battle. 15 assault guns from „HvS” along with accompanying grenadiers from Btl.
„Gross” drove back the spearhead of the Soviet attack force north of Arnswalde.
To the east the communists managed to seize the towns of Petznick,
Schlagenthin, Pammin and Stolzenfelde. Because of this new threat, KGr. „Kausch”
was rushed to Reetz, northeast of Arnswalde, during the evening of 6 February.
At Nantikow near Reetz, part of the SS Assault Gun Detachment 11 (now
designated Kampfgruppe „Schulz-Streek”) had been cutoff and was entering into
its second day of heavy fighting. In positions to the south of Reetz was
another part of this unit.
Also
on the morning of 6 February, 2 regiments from the still forming 28th SS
Division „Wallonien,” were sent out from Stargard to take up defensive
positions on a line running from Schneidersfelde to Kremzow to Repplin. The
Walloons linked- up to the east with a combat-ready regiment from the 27th SS
Division „Langemarck,” composed of Flemish volunteers. The „Langemarck”
battle-group consisted of I. Btl./SS Regiment 66 under Stubaf. Oehms
(headquartered in Zadelow), II. Btl./SS Regiment 67 under Hstuf. Rehman
(headquartered in Zachan, with SS Anti-tank Detachment 27 under Hstuf.
Wangemann held in reserve near Stargard. The total strength of this force was
2,000 men and the overall commander was Ostubaf. Schellong. The rest of the „Langemarck”
Division (some 10-13,000) men was still undergoing training on the Luneburg
Heath in northwestern Germany.
The
German battle-lines soon began to stabilize along the Inha River. On 7
February, the cutoff section of SS Kampfgruppe „Schulz-Streek” at Nantikow was
liberated in a bitter fight. In the process the commander, Stubaf.
Schulz-Streek was wounded. He was sent to a Stargard hospital but was back at
the front in two days with his arm in a cast. In the meantime, the first parts
of the III. SS Panzer Corps contingents from Kurland began deploying in
Pomerania. 23rd SS Division „Neder- and” reached the Gollnow area where it
received a large batch of new Dutch replacements, while 11th SS Division „Nordland”
was initially sent to Massow.
But
the enemy drive to the north was continuing. On 8 February, elements of III. SS
Corps joined Generalmajor Remer’s „Führer Escort” Division in blocking
positions northeast of Reetz. SS Flak Detachment 11 was sent to Jakobshangen
while II. Btl./SS Rgt. 23 „Norge” was sent straight off the ship to the town of
Altenwedell. It was joined by the regimental staff of SS Rgt. 49 „De Ruyter’VDivision
„Nederland” near Ravenstein. Since the regiment’s 3 battalions (a new one had
just been formed from Dutch SS war correspondents), were still being
reassembled, the „De Ruyter” staff was left without any of its own troops. It
was however ordered to take charge of various detached elements to form a new
battle-group. What resulted was a force consisting of II./SS „Norge,” some Army
bicycle and anti-tank companies and a police unit, under the command of the „De
Ruyter” CO, Ostubaf. Lohmann and his staff. Kampfgruppe „Lohmann” was then
subordinated to the „Führer Escort” Division.
9
February saw difficult, intense fighting take place to the northeast of Reetz.
The town of Gross-Silber was retaken by the „Führer Escort” Division at 1500
hours, but it was lost again to the enemy later in the evening. The regrouping
of the III. SS Corps troops continued. At Kienschlag in Bohemia the 16th
Company/SS Rgt. 24 „Danmark” (combat engineers), completed its reformation and
was rushed to Pomerania to be placed in regimental reserve. It consisted of 1
officer, 9 NCO’s and 60 men. The Dutch SS Regiment „De Ruyter” was also
reforming at Kienschlag with a temporary staff under Ostubaf. Klotz. It would
soon join the „Nederland” Division. Also joining „Nederland” was the greater
part of the „new” SS Rgt. 48 „General Seyffardt” which had been largely
destroyed on the Narva Front in July 1944. Led by Ostubaf. Scheibe, it had been
in action independently in Pomerania since December 1944, when its rebuilding
process in Austria reached its completion. Some parts of Regiment „GS” had
become trapped in German Army enclaves along the Baltic coast.
To
the south of Stargard another crisis developed. The Soviets were attempting a
full-scale assault on the lightly held defensive lines of the 28th SS Division „Wallonien.”
The „Wallonien” units were positioned like this: I./SS Rgt. 69 around Repplin,
II./SS Rgt. 69 between Kolin and Strebelow and I./SS Rgt. 70 between
Schoeneberg and Arnswalde (only about 4 km away from the latter entrapped
town). II./SS Rgt. 70 along with part of SS Artillery Regiment 28 was in
divisional reserve. The fighting reached its crescendo at Repplin, where I. /SS
69 steadfastly blocked and repelled the main thrust of the communist attack.
After being solidly rebuffed here, the Reds withdrew a short distance to
rebuild their strength. It looked ominous; another such effort might succeed in
breaking through to Stargard. The „Wallonien” HQ received new orders from III.
SS Panzer Corps: attack to the south and disrupt the enemy’s plans.
Ostubaf. Paul Albert (Peter) Kausch, commander of the SS Panzer
Detachment/Regiment 11 „Hermann von Salza.”
Ostubaf. Hanns-Heinrich Lohmann, commander of the SS Panzer Grenadier
Regiment -19 „De Ruyter” / 23rd SS Division „Nederland.”
Belgian volunteers from the 28th SS Division „Wallonien.” Photo provided
courtesy of Kenneth Nieman.
At daybreak on 9 February 1945, Ostubaf. Leon
Degrelle personally led the assault drive of his Belgian volunteer division.
The attack went forward with good success around both sides of Strebelow. In a
truly dashing effort with all units fully com-mitted, „Wallonien” recaptured
Heinrichstal and Karlsburg and took control of the Linden Hills. The Russians
counterattacked with tanks but to no avail. The Walloons had a tactical
advantage by holding the high ground. But the situation again became jittery
when a counterattack by 37th Panzer Corps along the Warnitz/Damnitz railroad
lines failed badly. The „Wallonien” was then forced to fall back to most of its
original jumping-off points to avoid encirclements, though one company was left
in place in the Linden Hills. Another Walloon company was sent towards Kruessow
which the communists had just occupied. On 10 February it valiantly tried to
retake Kruessow, but the enemy force was too strong and the Walloon SS attack
finally had to be broken off.
The
pressure on the trapped Arnswalde garrison continued to grow as the Soviets
captured Hohenwalde, Schulzendorf and Kaehnsfelde, further tightening their
ring around Arnswalde proper. Supplies were air dropped to the encircled
soldiers. Finally the Reds seized the Arnswalde railroad station and dispatched
a „surrender or else” ultimatum to the garrison commander, Generalmajor Voight.
Voight sent back his refusal in no uncertain terms! His soldiers would fight to
the death if need be.
For
the next few days, the focal point of the fighting was around Reetz where the
enemy spearheads were blocked off by troops from SS-KGr. „Lohmann,” SS-KGr. „Schaefer”
(com-posed of III. SS Corps engineers and engineers from the „Neder-land” and „Nordland”
Regiments under Ostubaf. Max Schaefer) and the newly reformed battalions of the
SS Regiment 49 „De Ruyter.”
SS grenadier prior to going into action
After
a few short days of rebuilding, the bulk of the „Nord-land” Division was
altered to be ready for action on 14 February 1945. Ogruf. Steiner, in his
capacity as commander of 11th Panzer Army, issued orders that a full-scale
counteroffensive was to begin that day with the aims of retaking the Arnswalde
sector, breaking through the whole Landsberg/Varthe front and destroying as
many of the Red divisions on Marshall Zhukov’s northern flank as possible.
In
cold rain the SS battalions moved into their attack positions. Due to the
inclemency of the weather and the slowness in getting the assault force into
position, the offensive operation did not begin until the morning of 16
February. The attack was to be coordinated on a line running from south of
Stargard to Reetz and to Kailies, by Ogruf. Steiner’s 11 Panzer Army. 37th
Panzer Corps, led by the 4th SS Police Panzergrenadier Division and the 10th SS
Panzer Division ‘‘Frundsberg,” led the assault on the west wing and rapidly
gained ground to the south. In the center of the lines, 11th SS Panzergrenadier
Division „Nord-land” drove towards the western perimeter of Arnswalde with 23rd
SS Panzergrenadier Division „Nederland” moving to the east of the town. In
close support of these divisions were the SS KGr. „Langemarck” and the 281st
Infantry Division. On the east wing, the „Führer Escort” Division led by
Generalmajor Remer and the „Führer Grenadier” Division led by Generalmajor
Maeder attacked towards Reetz with General von Schleinitz’ 402nd Infantry
Division and Generalmajor Sixt’s 5th Jaeger Division driving towards Kailies.
Farther to the east contact was maintained with the Temporary Divisions „Baerwalde”
and „Koeslin.”
On
the day prior to the attack (15 February), most of SS „Nordland” had to fight
its way to the designated jumping-off positions, which had been occupied by
Soviet advance troops. Under a light morning mist the companies of the Danish
II./SS Rgt. 24, passed through the security lines of SS „Langemarck” near
Zachan and built a bridgehead across the Inha River. The combat engineers had
to work through the night and into the morning of 16 February preparing a
bridge strong enough to accommodate heavy armored vehicles. By midday on the
16th the first „Danmark” armored personnel carriers rolled over the bridge and
the attack was on. II./“Danmark” spearheaded the effort supported by armor from
the „Führer Escort” Division and the „Herman von Salza” SS Panzer Detachment
along with assault guns from SS Anti-tank Detachment 11/“Nordland.”
II.
/SS 24 „Danmark” and II./SS 23 „Norge” made a simultaneous attack towards
Reichenbach but II./“Norge” ran into fierce communist resistance at Schlagenthin
and was unable to keep going. It was left to II./“Danmark” under the courageous
Danish Sturmbannführer Per Sorensen to make the final assault on Reichenbach.
Sorensen’s battalion moved forward with its 6th Company on the left and its 7th
Company on the right. 5th Company was in support-reserve with 8th Company
remaining in reserve and out of the battle. Good artillery support was provided
by II. Detachment/SS Artillery Rgt. 11 and by the SS Artillery Rgt. 54/“Nederland.”
The
advance into Reichenbach was a harrowing one for the Danish SS men; the town
had been set afire and the roads were choked with dead Russians, smashed
vehicles and dead horses. All over, women and children screamed to be rescued
and blistering small arms fire crackled lethally through the air. Stubaf.
Sorensen, as usual, personally led the foremost assault platoon and with great
bravery, quickly captured the south part of the town. 5th Company moved in to
lend support and its commander, Hstuf. Fendler was immediately wounded; he was
replaced by Hstuf. Seyb. Within a short time all of Reichenbach had been
secured and the regimental commander of „Danmark,” Ostubaf. Kruegel came up to
the front. Kruegel conferred with Sorensen and ordered him to seize the woods
and high ground around Reichenbach to which the enemy had retreated and then
hold fast.
At
1300 hours, the Danish SS troops pushed forward. 6th and 7th Companies were
able to report at 1345 hours that: ‘The attack goal has been attained; the
enemy resistance has been broken.” A short time later, 5th Company also reached
its objectives. The battalion and regimental command posts were hurriedly set
up in Reichenbach. Only a few inhabitants of the town were still alive — many
had been murdered by the Soviets. But the soldiers found barns still full of
cattle; and it was noted by one keen-eyed observer that the: „cows had
painfully swollen udders from being left unmilked.” Commissary troops from „Nordland’s”
Maintenance Battalion were called in to evacuate the livestock.
By
the afternoon of 16 February, the German spearheads were advancing to the south
in all sectors. But there were set-backs. The failure of SS Rgt. 23 „Norge” to
take Schlagenthin had caused SS Rgt. 24 „Danmark” to slow its advance. 37th
Panzer Corps (4th and 10th SS Divisions) had successfully driven to the south
point of Lake Madu with elements then turning to the east and entrapping a
large number of enemy troops between Lake Madu and Arnswalde. Towards evening
on the 16th, the 28th SS Division „Wallonien” received orders that it was to
leave its controlling positions in the Linden Hills on 17 February, to drive
forward and link-up with the German troops to the south from 37th Panzer Corps.
But
the Soviet defense suddenly grew stronger. Troops from 37th Panzer Corps were
unable to advance beyond the southeast point of Lake Madu. The lead attack
company from the „Wallonien” under Ustuf. Capelle, advanced out of the Linden
Hills, but could not make much progress and took heavy casual-ties.
At
the end of 16 February, after much violent fighting in the III. SS Panzer Corps
sector, many combat objectives still had not been reached. The companies of SS
KGr. „Langemarck” had attacked on Division „Nordland’s” west wing and had
captured Brallenthin by late afternoon but had been rebuffed at Petznick. After
being repelled several times, the soldiers of SS Rgt. 23 „Norge” finally took
Schlagenthin by storm, but their tardiness in achieving this accomplishment had
forced SS Rgt. 24 „Danmark” to stay in place in the high ground south of
Reichenbach for most of the afternoon and evening.
In
the sector of 23rd SS Division „Nederland” the SS Rgt. 49 „De Ruyter” had spent
much of 16 February battling futilely for possession of the town of Reetz. I.
Battalion/SS Rgt. 49, headquartered in Neuglueck, had attacked along both sides
of the Ravenstein-Reetz road with the support of the SS Anti-tank (assault gun)
Detachment 54 under Hstuf. Aigner. Intense, concentrated enemy fire was
encountered and despite superhuman efforts by the Dutch SS men, the advance was
firmly bogged down in the cemetery to the north of Reetz. In sheer desperation
one of the assault guns from SS AT Detachment 54 attacked madly from the west
in an effort to scatter the enemy and clear a route to the city. The end results
proved to be exactly the opposite. The assault gun was destroyed just outside
the Arnswalder Gate, and its remains effectively blocked the approach way for
the SS grenadiers!
Belgian volunteer from the 28th SS Division „Wallonien.” Photo provided
courtesy of Kenneth Nieman.
II./SS
Rgt. 49 left its positions to the north of Reetz in an effort to get the attack
moving. It approached the city from the Altenwedell area but could not break
the resistance of enemy defenders who clung to a row of fortified houses on the
outskirts of Reetz. The Russians counterattacked with tanks that were brought
across the Inha River. II./SS Rgt. 49 was then forced to break off its assault
to defend itself. To the northwest of Reetz, the armored elements of the „Führer
Escort” Division under Oberstleutnant Wolf had attacked the Soviet held town of
Klein-Silber. This action was slowed by heavy and effective enemy anti-tank
shelling. Still some progress was made. The Konraden railroad station was
reached and the division’s infantrymen took Steinberg and Kreuz before being
brought to a halt around Nantikow.
In
the general vicinity, 281st Infantry Division began its attack over the
Glambeck River and drove forward to Hill 116 and Hassendorf before coming to a
halt in the evening along Reich’s Highway 104. In the same battle area, SS-KGr.
„Schulz- Streek” (SS Anti-tank Detachment 11/“Nordland), reached Hill 107 to
the south of Hassendorf. In the late evening the enemy attempted a
counterattack to regain the lost ground, but „Nord- land’s” assault guns made
quick work of this effort by destroying 22 T-34 Soviet tanks and driving back
the accompanying infantrymen.
On
17 February, the undermanned and outgunned 37th Panzer Corps became hopelessly
bogged down along the southern shore of Lake Madu. In the Linden Hills, Ustuf.
Capelle’s company from SS „Wallonien” was fighting desperately for its life. On
all sides of the hills were T-34 and Stalin tanks. On the positive side, „Nordland”
was able to drive much closer to Arnswalde on 17 February and the SS Reg. 23 „Norge”
was able to push out from Schlagenthin and establish a „security line” from
Stolzenfelde to Marienweder.
SS
Rgt. 24 „Danmark” was given a number of objectives to attain on 17 February;
the most important of which were to eliminate the strong enemy forces holding
Bonin, Schoenwerder and Gut Marienfelde. Actually the capture of Gut
Marienfelde was transferred to I. Battalion/SS Rgt. 66/“Langemarck,” after III.
Battalion/“Danmark” secured the town of Bonin. With the help of armored scout
cars from the „Führer Escort” Division and 3 assault guns from the „Nordland”
Division, III./“Dan- mark” led by Stubaf. Ternedde successfully retook Bonin in
very difficult fighting. I./SS Rgt. 66 was not as lucky in its attack on Gut
Marienfelde. The Soviets were well dug-in and put up an especially bitter
resistance. One Flemish SS company got stuck in hard, costly fighting for a
sheep farm. The company commander was killed early on, and by the time the
company finally pulled back it had been reduced to 2 weak platoons.
Ostubaf.
Kruegel was so worried about the situation in Gut Marienfelde, which endangered
the flanks of his regiment „Danmark,” that in the late afternoon he ordered his
troops to attack it instead of Schoenwerder. As Stubaf. Sorensen prepared his
II/“Danmark” for action, a flare shot up into the sky from Gut Marienfelde; the
town was finally in the hands of the „Langemarck” soldiers! Now the attack on
Schoenwerder could proceed.
II./“Danmark”
again led the way, quickly overrunning the first enemy positions which were
poorly situated on flat, level ground some 380 yards away. Getting to the
secondary defenses was a little tougher; the SS grenadiers worked their way
forward by leaps and bounds — springing up and running from one patch of cover
to the next. 3 assault guns from Division „Nordland” came forward and began
blazing away at the nearby woods, where many enemy soldiers had taken refuge.
Within 15 minutes the first Russians came flying out of the forest and into the
hands of the Danes. 6th and 7th Companies were then able to make clean
penetrations and seized the main Soviet bunker line intact. Inside the dug-outs
were found great quantities of weapons (including machineguns), supplies and
tinned meat cans, much of which was marked „Made in USA.” The bunkers were
still warm as they had been insulated with animal pelts. Even laundry lines
were still strung up between them. Naturally the foodstuffs were well
appreciated and most of it providentially disappeared before the commissary
officers could come up to appropriate it!
As
the attack group moved down the main road to Schoenwerder, 2 of the assault
guns fell victim to land mines and were disabled. Just outside of the town the
third AG fell victim to the same fate. The enemy resistance intensified and the
advance bogged down. Some „Nordland” armored cars tried to enter the town from
the east but one was knocked out by a lucky shot from an anti-tank gun and the
others pulled back. The Reds then sent a veritable rain of mortar shells onto
the companies of II./“Danmark,” keeping the Danish SS men pinned to the ground.
The regimental commander, Ostubaf. Krugel, now went up to the front to evaluate
the situation.
Once
again Kruegel conferred with Stubaf. Sorensen and new battle plans were drawn
up for II./“Danmark.” Ustuf. Madsen’s 7th Company was to make a wild dash for
the high ground and punch a hole through the Schoenwerder defenses; the other
companies would follow immediately behind to expand the penetration. But
darkness fell and the attack was postponed; it would succeed on the next day.
In the dusk, Stubaf. Sorensen threw out a security-picket line along the
Stargard-Arnswalde railroad line. A squad was sent out to make a link-up with
III./“Danmark” to the east. Along the battalion’s long west flank in bushy,
wooded terrain, „Danmark’s” 16th Combat Engineer Company was brought out of
reserve and deployed. They held the lines reaching over to the SS KGr. „Langemarck”
sector.
Elsewhere
on 17 February, the siege of Arnswalde was unexpectedly lifted at 1600 hours,
when 7 tanks from SS „Nordland” made a dare-devil drive through the last enemy
positions. Nearby, Flemish volunteers from SS „Langemarck” had fought a
day-long, vicious battle for Petznick, which at least had the effect of
preventing the Soviets from moving reinforcements to the Arnswalde area. In the
SS „Nederland” sector, I./SS Reg. 49 „DeR” had again started up its attack on
Reetz from the cemetery, but as before, it met with no success. The city was
too strongly defended and a frontal assault would not work.
Ostubaf.
Lohmann, once again in command of SS Rgt. 49, switched the attack to the high
ground southeast of Reetz where the bulk of the Soviet heavy weapons and
artillery pieces were located. This terrain had to be controlled if an attack
on Reetz was ever to succeed. II./SS Rgt. 49 was deployed farther to the north
and it could offer no assistance to its sister battalion; it had its hands full
just trying to hold on to the ground between Walkmeuhle and the Konraden
railroad station.
To
the east, battle-groups from the „Führer Escort” and „Führer Grenadier”
Divisions and the 281st Infantry Division struggled to keep the attack going in
the face of heavy losses and bitter resistance. An enemy tank attack at night
almost captured the divisional HQ of the „Führer Escort” Division, but it was
turned back at the last moment when an assault gun battalion made a last-ditch
intervention.
As
18 February dawned, the situation in the sector of 37th Panzer Corps turned
from bad to worse. Zhukov had thrown his „Guards” tank divisions into the
battle area in the villages around Stargard, and the units of 37th Panzer Corps
had been completely forced over to the defensive. In the Linden Hills, Ustuf.
Capelle’s Walloon volunteer company had become completely surrounded, and rather
than surrender, fought heroically to the death. The company had destroyed many
enemy tanks, and the badly wounded stayed where they fell firing their weapons
until their last breath. Those that could no longer function were put out of
their misery with a bullet to the head. The company command post held off the
swarming enemy hordes all day long, with the survivors fighting on with rifle
butts and service revolvers. Towards evening the command post finally fell;
Uatuf. Capelle went down bravely firing his pistol point blank at the enemy.
During the night 2 wounded Walloons from the company made it to the 28th SS
Divisional HQ with the story of this engagement. For his incredible heroism,
Ustuf. Capelle received mention in the Wehrmacht War Bulletin and was
posthumously nominated for the Knight’s Cross.
The
morning of 18 February was fairly quiet in the „Nord-land” sector, although
reconnaissance had picked up an enemy movement towards the Stargard-Arnswalde
railroad lines during the night. A Soviet raiding party had also slipped
through the lines near Gut Marienfeld and had ambushed a German supply convoy
on the Reichenbach road. Ostubaf. Schellong, com-manding SS-KGr. „Langemarck”
sent out a Flemish SS company to deal with the problem. In the area between Gut
Marienfelde and the lines of II./“Danmark,” the Flemings were able to wipe out
the enemy incursions.
In
Arnswalde itself, violent fighting raged around the military barracks and the
railroad station. Division „Nordland” had been able to construct an emergency
corridor a little more than a mile wide, into the city. After achieving this
the first priority had been to evacuate the wounded soldiers and civilians. In
the evening on 18 February, General Unrein, commanding III. SS Panzer Corps,
went into Arnswalde for discussions with the garrison commander, Generalmajor
Voight. Assault guns from 1st Company/SS Anti-tank Detachment 11 were now added
to the city’s defenses.
The
battlefield situation in the SS „Nederland” sector remained essentially
unchanged. An enemy flank attack supported by bombers, was halted by the „Führer
Escort” and „Führer Grenadier” Divisions along with the SS Kampfgruppe „Schulz-Streek.”
This latter element, which held Hill 107 to the south of Hassendorf, continued
to distinguish itself by throwing back repeated enemy assaults and inflicting
heavy losses. In the course of the day, SS KGr. „Schultz-Streek” knocked out 17
communist tanks and a large number of self-propelled guns while capturing 3 of
the T-34s intact! It was an impressive feat and Stubaf. Schulz-Streek was
awarded the Knight’s Cross for his unit’s achievements.
On
19 February 1945, the last vestiges of 11th Panzer Army’s offensive came to an
end. The area from Reetz to Hassendorf was evacuated to the north. In the evening,
Brigadeführer Ziegler, commanding SS „Nordland,” spoke with Generalmajor Voight
in Arnswalde. The communists were pulling out all stops to try and reenvelop
the city and barely 2 miles to the northeast a strong enemy tank spearhead was
advancing unimpeded. It was intercepted by 3rd Platoon/1st Co./SS Antitank
Detachment 11, which promptly destroyed 4 of the Soviet tanks and sent the rest
packing.
On
19 and 20 February the enemy began very strong artillery supported attacks
against the positions of SS Regiments „Danmark” and „Norge.” „Danmark’s”
grenadiers has succeeded in taking most of Schoewerder, but parts of the town
were still being contested. Only with the help of massed heavy weapons fire
could the Danish SS Regiment continue to resist the foe. On 21 February, the
Soviets simply decided to eliminate Schoenwerder with their own artillery
barrage. The town was set ablaze, but the soldiers still hung on to their
lines; only the livestock were evacuated!
Ogruf.
Steiner finally came to the sad conclusion that the offensive had run its
course and on the afternoon of 21 February he gave orders to begin a general
withdrawal to 11th Panzer Army’s old positions across the Inha River. Steiner
could take some small solace in the fact that the Arnswalde garrison had at
least been liberated, but beyond that all the grand plans had come to naught.
There was now no longer any doubt that the Soviet forces were simply too
powerful to be confronted head-on in attack formation, even by the best
European forces left to the Reich. But the grim struggle had to continue to its
bitter conclusion — given the barbaric nature of the enemy, there was no
alternative!
The
Arnswalde units were withdrawn from the town in three marching groups at 1700,
1800 and 1900 hours on 21 February. There would be no panic and no precipitous
pull-out; it would be a methodical step-by-step retreat. An SS armored
battle-group under Ostubaf. Gross provided protection for the withdrawal. At
midnight, Generalmajor Voight reported in to General Unrein at III. SS Panzer
Corps HQ in Tornow with what remained of the Arnswalde garrison.
SS
Rgt. „Danmark” covered the south flank of the retreat and was the last unit to
withdraw. II. and III. Battalions finally left their positions around
Schoenwerder at 2300 hours. A small task force under Ustuf. Gordon stayed
behind to maintain the impression that the lines were still occupied. At 0300
hours on 22 February a flare was sent up by the regimental commander to recall
Gordon’s rearguard.
In
the dawn hours of the 22nd, Stubaf. Sorensen gave the orders to blow up the
last bridge over the Inha River. But just before the charges were detonated,
10th Company/SS Rgt. „Norge” turned up and was allowed to cross. Then the
bridge was sent flying into the air. The European SS volunteers now girded
themselves for the last grueling battles for the German Reich and for what they
believed to be European civilization as well. These last grim encounters will
be fully covered in up-coming issues of „Siegrunen.”
***
For
more information on the SS struggle in Pomerania see Wilhelm Tieke’s Tragödie um die Treue, the Flemish SS
veteran’s association’s Lamingen Aan Het
Oostfront, Volume 2, and Jos Schneider’s Their Honor was Loyalty!
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