Published in „Siegrunen“ Magazine - Vol. 8, No. 4, Whole Number 46,
January - June 1988
SS-Flak Abteilung 11
[Field Post Airs. 43 111 A-El
14. (.Flak) Company, SS-Panzer Regiment 23 “Norge”
[Field Post Nr. 33 7251
14. (Flak) Company, SS-Panzer
Grenadier Regiment 24 “Danmark”
[Field Post Air. 35 6371
Flak Platoon, SS-Artillery Regiment 11
[Field Post Air. 42 9731
COMMAND ROSTER
SS-Flak Abteilung 11
Commanders
Ostubaf. Walter Ploew
Stubaf. Emil Kurz
Adjutants
Ustuf. Adam Dietrichm
Ustuf. Georg Anweiler
Signals Officer
Hscha. Schneidemeier
Supply Officer
Ostuf. Heinz Schneider (also commanding officer of the Staff Battery)
Ordnance Officer Ostuf. Besch
Weapons Master
Ostuf. Fred Prescher
1st Battery
Ustuf. Leubem
Ustuf. Wirth
2nd Battery
Hstuf. Delfs
3rd Battery
Hstuf. Mende
4th Battery
Hstuf. Holzboog
14., “Norge”
Ostuf. Hoechstm
Ostuf. Petersen
Ustuf. Bruenestedt
SS-Stubaf. Walter Ploew, commanding officer, SS Flak Abteilung 11 “Nordland.”
SS-Flak Abteilung 11 was assembled on the SS Troop Training Grounds “Ayrs-North” in East Prussia on 1 December 1943. The detachment officers came largely from the SS Flak Training and Replacement Regiment in Munich, while the NCO’s and men came from other parts of the “Nordland” and “Wiking” Divisions. Numerous nationalities were represented in the ranks, including “Reich” Germans, Balkan ethnic- Germans, Dutchmen, Flemings, Norwegians and Swiss. Many of the ethnic-Germans had served as NCO ‘s in the Romanian Army and after some retraining, were accorded the equivalents of their old ranks. Some of the Dutch volunteers were Royal Dutch Army veterans who had seen action in assorted small colonial wars, and were thus considered combat experienced. About a third of the men in the “Norge” and “Danmark” Flak Batteries were Scandinavian volunteers. The regimental Flak units had been formed along with the “Nordland” Division in Grafenwoehr, Bavaria, in May 1943, and would be with “Nordland” from beginning to end.
At the end of February 1944, SS-Flak Abteilung 11 left East Prussia by rail to Join the rest of the “Nordland” Division at Narva, Estonia. While enroute the troop train derailed due to what was probably partisan sabotage, causing great damage and injury. Practically all of the Flak detachment’s weaponry and equipment were lost in the incident and most of the officers were injured as well. Several weeks would pass before the unit would be considered fit for duty again. In the meantime it was shipped by rail back to the Ayrs Camp “South” for refitting.
In mid-April 1944 the “Nordland” Flak troops started out for the front again, arriving at Narva in the latter part of the month. Fortunately this was the “slack” season for combat due to the heavy rains and resultant mud, so the Flak batteries had a chance to become acclimated to the frontline situation. Initially the batteries were based in villages around the town of Taps, being deployed in the protection of bridges and artillery firing positions.
In early May 1944, the “Nordland” Flak batteries (three 88 mm batteries, one 3.7 cm battery, and a mixed staff battery - each 88 battery also had attached platoons of 2 cm Flak), were deployed for air defense and ground support actions in the Narva bridgehead on the east bank of the Narva River. Among other things they were responsible for protecting the essential bridge and river crossings over the river between the twin fortresses of Hermannsburg and Ivangorod.
Towards the end of July 1944, Narva was abandoned for the Tannenberg defensive line about 30 km to the west. Hstuf. Holzboog’s 4. Battery, SS-Flak 11, was given the Job of covering the withdrawal of the heavy artillery and the rearguard elements of SS-Panzer Grenadier Regiment 49 “De Ruyter” from the neighboring “Nederland” Brigade. In the process of carrying out its mission, the battery was cut off by advance Red Army forces and had to fight its way back to the new main German lines via a circuitous route through the swamps and backwoods. Oftentimes the gun crews had to clear small Soviet elements out of the way with their infantry weapons so that the retreat could proceed. In the end, Holzboog’s battery reached safety after two arduous days of struggle.
“Nordland” commanding officer, Gruf. Fritz von Scholz, decorating Stubaf. Ploew with the Iron Cross, 2nd Class.
“Nordland” Flak on the Narva Front, early 1944.
“Nordland’s” Flak batteries were then used in both frontline ground defense and rear area air defense positions during the fierce battles for the Tannenberg line. In the intense fighting that ran over the next couple of weeks the gunners downed no fewer than 20 enemy aircraft, mostly fighter-bombers. The 4th Battery, which was utilized in the defense of the hard-pressed Grenadier and Orphanage Hills, took heavy losses in the fighting but also seriously hindered the advance of the foe and as a result received a special commendation from III. SS Panzer Corps (Germanic) commander, Ogruf. Steiner.
In the further retrograde combat that took place during the relocation from Estonia to Latvia, SS-Flak Abteilung 11 served with a battle-group from the East Prussian 21st Infantry Division. The unit’s actions during this time were acknowledged by the 21st Infantry Division’s commanding officer who personally awarded the German Cross in Gold to both Ostubaf. Ploew and Hstuf. Holzboog. The detachment rejoined the rest of the “Nordland” Division in the Doblen area of Latvia and played its role in helping man a “strong-point” defensive line which was in place until a permanent front could be established in Kurland. The detachment was used for air defense duties around the key Latvian port city of Liepaja (Libau), which served as the supply terminal for Army Group “Kurland.”
During the critical Third Battle of Kurland in December 1944, SS-Flak Abteilung 11 lent support to the VI. Latvian SS Army Corps and the 19th Latvian SS Division by successfully blunting an enemy advance on Frauenberg. Despite taking high losses during this engagement, the detachment was able to destroy numerous enemy tanks and won a personal commendation from VI. SS Corps commanding general, Ogruf. Walter Krueger.
In early February 1945, SS-Flak Abteilung 11 was shipped from the port of Libau to Stettin, Germany, with the rest of the “Nordland” Division. Upon reaching Jakobshagen, the detachment was briefly overhauled and received a new commander, Stubaf. Emil Kurz, who had previously commanded SS-Flak Abteilung “B,” SS-Kommando “Obersalzburg. “ On 2 March 1945, SS-Flak Abteilung 11 Joined the 3. Company, SS Engineer Battalion 11, and part of II. Battalion, SS-Panzer Grenadier Regiment 49 “DeR” in driving off a strong Soviet armored attack near Jakobshagen. The “Nordland” Flak gunners disposed of ten of the attacking 20 enemy tanks.
Since it now proved impossible any longer to construct cohesive defensive lines in the face of superior enemy forces, what followed were a number of desperate holding actions. The Flak detachment joined the partially formed SS-Panzer Regiment 11 under Ostubaf. Kausch in defensive battles near Sassenburg and Rossow. On 7 March 1945, the detachment was heavily engaged along both sides of the Autobahn near Hinzendorf with the SS-Panzer Grenadier Regiment 23 “Norge.” The Flak gunners claimed several more enemy tank3 in this action, but towards midnight the town had to be abandoned to the Reds. The “Nordland” ‘88’ guns covered the subsequent withdrawal towards Augustwalde, accurately blasting the Soviet spearhead.
On the next day the Reds launched a cavalry attack on the “Nordland” positions which was easily shattered by the SS grenadiers supported by 14. (Flak) Company, SS Regiment 24 “Danmark.” No further protracted defensive effort was made until the “Nordland” troops reached Stettin on the Oder River. After a brief but violent stand at Hohenkrug, the divisional units retreated down Reich Highway 104 to the outskirts of Altdamm (south of Stettin), which were reached in the night of 14/15 March. Here a fortified bridgehead was constructed on the east bank of the Oder, and the SS-Flak Abteilung 11 troops were deployed in the portion of the frontlines running towards Gollnow as infantrymen. After several days of truly heroic effort the bridgehead had to be abandoned. In the night of 19/20 March, the “Nordland” Flak troops in conjunction with combat engineers from Regiment “Danmark,” served as a rearguard for the withdrawal of German forces from the Altdamm bridgehead to the west bank of the Oder.
Once behind the Oder River line, the badly depleted “Nordland” and “Nederland” Divisions began to rebuild and re-equip in an effort to get back to minimum combat strength. For a while, the enemy pressure abated and SS-Flak Abteilung 11 was reformed in the Schwedt-Angermuende area where it served as a reserve element of III. SS Panzer Corps (Germanic). On 15 April 1945, the “Nordland” Flak batteries were sent into combat against Soviet forces that were attempting to break out from the Wriezen bridgehead on the west bank of the Oder. They destroyed a number of tanks in difficult fighting.
The great Soviet “final offensive” began on 16 April, and the “Nordland” Division was forced slowly back towards Berlin. The Flak detachment held on to Straussberg on 17/18 April, where one of its ‘88’ batteries knocked out three Soviet tanks that were trying to take the airfield. The “Nordland” Division was then ordered to fall back into Berlin to defend the city. The Flak troops were deployed first at Karlshorst and then on 22 April at Adlershof where they repulsed a Soviet armored attack from the direction of Eichwalde. As ammunition ran out the big guns were “spiked” and the crews became infantrymen. The remnants of the detachment then fought in Neukoelln and on the Hasenheide before taking up the defense of the Tempelhof airfield.
On 30 April 1945, “Nordland” Flak gunners expended their last shells and destroyed one final tank at Tempelhof. The guns were then destroyed by hand grenades and the surviving 63 members of SS-Flak Abteilung 11 were formed into an infantry battle-group under Hstuf. Holzboog - These men joined in the general breakout attempt at the Weidendammer bridge in the night on 1/2 May 1945. Few, if any, got out of the city. The survivors were largely captured and shipped off to Siberia and only a handful were to return home from this captivity some ten years later.
THE: TALLY SHEET
In its year or so at the front, SS-Flak Abteilung 11 accounted for more than 30 enemy aircraft and an equal number of enemy tanks. It also helped to break up or drive off countless Soviet ground attacks. The Flak companies (Nr. 14) with the “Danmark” and “Norge” Regiments, unlike the divisional Flak detachment, had served with “Nordland” from the start at Grafenwoehr through its sojourns in Croatia (autumn 1943), at the Oranienbaum and Narva Fronts, and in Latvia and Pomerania. They were used extensively against Soviet tank forces, but also provided air defense. In the brutal fighting in Latvia alone, 14. Battery, “Norge,” shot down 14 Red aircraft but was nearly wiped out itself.
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