Published in „Siegrunen“ Magazine – Volume XI, Number 1, Whole Number 63,
Spring 1997
An Eyewitness Report by SS-Hstuf. F.W.
Translated by Gustav Jürgens
ABOVE: Estonian Waffen-SS sword and „ E “ collarpatch. This was generally not well liked since it resembled a „ slash mark “ across the „ E “ from a distance, similar to typical European traffic signs. (Tammiksaar Collection, courtesy of Erik Rundkvist).
A fter heavy fighting in the east, the 20th Estonian SS Division was to be reformed at the military training grounds in Neuhammer at the beginning of 1945. During this reorganization, units of the 20th SS Division were caught up in heavy fighting when the Russians suddenly crossed the Oder River at Borkenhaim on 21 January 1945. The Estonian volunteers were instrumental in stabilizing that section of the front.
The division finally finished its reformation in Lammsdorf, Upper Silesia under the command of SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen- SS Franz Augsberger. The 45th and 46th Waffen-Grenadier Regiments der SS under the respective commands of Waffen-Obersturmbannführer der SS Alfons Rebane and Waffen-Sturmbannführer der SS Paul Maitla, were composed solely of Estonians. The signals battalion, artillery regiment, maintenance company and other support element were made up of mixed Estonian and German personnel while the engineer battalion, anti-tank detachment and a subordinated panzer-grenadier battalion were all German in composition.
ABOVE: The Estonian volunteer, Waffen-Unterscharführer der SS Ants Teder. (Courtesy of Erik Rundkvist).
Once refit, the 20th SS Division was put into the northern flank of the Upper Silesian Front from the right bank of the Glazer Neisse River to Falkenberg/Dambrau. The left-wing of the division was held by an attached panzer-grenadier battalion under the command of an Army Hauptmann (Captain); then came the 45th and 46th Waffen-Grenadier Regiments under the Estonian officers Rebane and Maitla. After a heavy artillery barrage, the Russians launched an attack on a broad front on 15 March 1945. They managed to penetrate the defensive lines in the area of the Grenadier Btl. 486 (Army) and 46th WGRdSS (Maitla). Without waiting for orders from the division headquarters, Waffen-Ostubaf. Rebane stopped the enemy penetration with a counterattack. Waffen- Stubaf. Maitla then received instructions from the division to counterattack with his regiment as well, which he did successfully. Only the counterattack initiated by the Grenadier Btl. 486 failed.
Close to the breakthrough area, a reserve regiment, (Rgt. „ Schlesien”, which was set up in Neisse), was brought during the night. Early on the following morning (16 March), the Soviets launched a successful attack from Grotkau. This assault, carried out on the right bank of the Neisse River, had been directed against the positions of Bti. 486 and the neighbouring Rgt. „ Schlesien “ . The Russian attack force was misdirected and missed Bd. 486 but did strike the Rgt. „ Schlesien “ , completely destroying it.
At 08:00, I arrived at Rossdorf-Jatzdorf, an area that was supposed to be 8 kilometers behind the main line of resistance, and met Oberleutnant Schumann, leading the 10 men that remained of his 5th Company of the Rgt. „ Schlesien “ . According to him, they were all that remained of the regiment. The Russian spearhead that could already be seen, was lead by T-34 tanks against the three „Wespen“ ( „ Wasp “ ) self-propelled guns that were attempting to make a front. I immediately informed (20th SS) divisional commander Augsberger about the situation and was ordered to use all available forces in an attempt to defend the town and hold it. The Soviet spearhead however, had turned off the northern road towards the west. Then it went along the left bank of the Neisse River towards the town of Neisse. To the best of my knowledge, there were no German troops in this area at this time.
The following night I moved under orders southward about 30 kilometres to Korndorf, after first relinquishing the command of a two- company combat group in Jatzdorf to another SS officer. As soon as I entered Korndorf, I was named the (town) combat commander by a Major of the 56th Panzerkorps. This officer had made a reconnaissance drive and discovered that the neighbouring town, 3 kilometres away, was occupied by the Russians. During that drive, his driver was killed and he had been wounded. This officer then drove directly to General Koch-Erpach to inform him about the new frontline situation.
During the day, somewhere between 300 and 500 troops arrived in town. I organized them into a combat group. In the evening I relinquished command of them to an Oberst von Mohr from 56th Panzerkorps. These soldiers had not been members of the 20th SS Division; I do not know what unit they belonged to, only that they had been fighting for the past three days. After passing them over to Oberst von Mohr, I went with my staff, as ordered, to Tillowitz and then to Friedland. The divisional staff of the 20th SS, which had been in Falkenberg, was now transferred to Friediand. It was here that I found out that the Russian assault wedge that had attacked the city of Neisse had linked up in Neustadt with another Russian unit advancing from Opel, thereby forming a pocket.
On 19 March, the order came to break out of the pocket, with division commander Augsberger setting the town of Ziegenhals as the goal to reach. Up to this point, the old defensive lines north of Falkenberg were still being held by the 45th and 46th Waffen-Grenadier Regiments. I was ordered by Brigfhr. Augsberger to use a spearhead from SS-Panzerjäger Abteilung 20 (SS-Anti-tank Detachment 20), to reach Ziegenhals and prepare everything there for the arrival of the division. Therefore I was one of the first members of the 20th Waffen-Grenadier Division der SS to enter Ziegenhals. I began immediately to set up a divisional staff headquarters and to direct the troops into position.
The first to arrive were men from the battle-weary Werkstaatkompanie (Repair and Maintenance Company). They were followed by soldiers from the Pionier Bataillon (Engineer Battalion), the Nachrichten Bataillon (Signals Battalion), Artillerie Regiment (Artillery Regiment), etc. Then came the remainder of the engineers that had been in Rossdorf, and finally the troops of the 45th and 46th Waffen-Grenadier der SS Regiments, who had the longest route to march.
ABOVE: Estonian Waffen-SS frontline soldiers. (Erik Rundkvist Archives).
During the breakout, the divisional staff under the command of Brigfhr. Augsberger had a brush with a Russian anti-tank unit which left Augsberger and his adjutant, Ostuf. Hinz, mortally wounded. Because of this, the arrival of the divisional staff in Ziegenhals was delayed. For three days therefore, I was the only German officer of the 20th Waffen- Grenadier Division der SS in Ziegenhals. The staff, or rather what was left of it, arrived on 22 March under the command of the 1 a, (first staff officers), Ostubaf. Mützelfeld. On that same day, a Major Schiller from a newly set up Army Corps was given command at Ziegenhals with orders to form new combat units out of the remnants of the three 56th Panzerkorps divisions that had been caught in the Tillowitz-Falkenberger pocket.
I reported to Major Schiller that the 20th WGDdSS was not out of commission or disorganized but had in fact been ordered to Ziegenhals by Brigfhr. Augsberger, where I had reassembled it. Major Schiller however, referred to a document which stated that the 20th SS Division had „ ceased to exist “ . At this point in the conference, the 1 a, Ostubaf. Mützelfeld entered and confirmed that such a document did exist. He then rushed right over to Army Corps HQ, so he said, to get the document corrected.
I personally received an order from Major Schiller to gather the 20th SS Division together and occupy a section of the front south of Ziegenhals in strong point fashion. Before I could carry out the order,
Mützelfeld returned with a new directive stating that the Estonian SS Division was no longer a „ routed “ unit but a corps reserve under direct Army Corps command.
We left Ziegenhals on the evening of 22 March 1945, and immediately received new heavy weapons and reinforcements. The latter included an Estonian engineer battalion that had been trained in Dresden and two police companies. 20th SS was now attached to the 8th Armee Korps and was given a defensive line to hold that stretched to Bolkenhaim, 30 kilometers to the south. Our new divisional commander was SS- Oberfiihrer Berthold Maack. The new main line of resistance was held until 8 May, when we received the order to retreat in stages to behind the Oder River.
Even during these times of retreat, there were no desertions among the Estonians. The only event that I remembered was the disappearance without a trace of two sentries. Whether they deserted or were taken prisoner by the enemy was never clearly established. During the retreat, which actually started on 7 May, the majority of the personnel of the division ended up as Russian POW's. The last time I saw these comrades was in a prison in Jidn.
The Estonian volunteers of the 20th Waffen-Grenadier Division der SS never lagged in combat because they knew what they were fighting for. They were fighting for the freedom of Europe and they took this motto seriously: Freedom or death!
ABOVE: Original Estonian Waffen-SS armshields in the national colours of blue-black-white. (Tammiksaar Collection, courtesy of Erik Rundkivst).
