4 JANUARY - 19 FEBRUARY 1943
Published in „Siegrunen“ Magazine - Volume 8, Number
2, Whole Number 44, 1987
After leaving SS Brigade „Schuldt,“
SS-Kampfgruppe „Dietrich“ („LSSAH“ and SS Polizei Div.), was assigned to the
Army KGr. „Unrein,“ led by Oberst Unrein (CO of Panzergrenadier Rgt. 4), on 4
January 1943. In addition to Pz.Gr.Rgt.4, the battle-group contained
ll./Pz.Rgt. 11 under Major Dr. Baeke. KGr. „Unrein“ was deployed in the
Verchne-Obljvskiy sector. Upon its arrival in this area, SS-KGr. „Dietrich“ was
forced to launch a counterattack, with the support of tanks from KGr. „Unrein,“
just to regain and occupy its assigned positions.
In the course of 6 January,
SS-KGr. „D“ was withdrawn from the front under the cover of artillery fire and
was then ordered to Kovytkin, from which point it was to take up defensive
blocking positions in the Alexejev area. At 1830 hrs., the process of loading
the SS troops and their equipment into vehicles began prior to their transfer
to Alexejev. Four trucks were available to transport the „Leibstandarte“
personnel, while two more were at the disposal of the battalion staff and 2nd
Co./SS- Pol.Inf.Rgt.I. The men of 3rd Co./SS-Pol.lnf.Rgt.l were to make their
way to Lugovoj, some 12 km away, by riding on top of tanks and in armored scout
cars. In addition, the battle-group’s recent fatalities were to be transported
to Kovytin for interment.
When the „LSSAH“ troops
reached Alexejev they were deployed in front of the town along the Stalingrad
railroad line, in positions which were only 250 km due west of Stalingrad. They
were later joined by the men of the SS-Polizei Div. companies. On the SS
battalion left was the Army Anti-tank Detachment 518. SS-KGr. „Dietrich“ was
subordinated to Pz.Gr.Rgt. 114 under Oberst Zollenkopf on 7 January, and three
Army self-propelled guns were attached to the SS command. Towards evening on
the 7th, some Russian raiding parties broke into the northern part of Alexejev
but were subsequently thrown out in a rapid counterattack and left 20 of their
dead behind. To the southwest, Army Det. „Hollidt“ had begun pulling back to
the west of Morosoff so it was only a matter of time before the Alexejev
positions had to go.
On 9 January 1943, SS-KGr. „Dietrich“
sent out assault troops to probe the enemy lines. Afterwards the Reds responded
in kind with a vigorous attack on the battlegroup’s positions early in the
morning of 10 January. The fighting continued until noon when the communists
broke off their assault. On 11 January, SS-KGr. „Dietrich“ was pulled out of
Alexejev and was ordered to proceed as rapidly as possible through Tazinskaja
and Masslof to Krassny Gornjak, 6 km to the west of Masslof. The Reds were
making a concerted effort to break into the rear of the German forces before
Rostov in this general area.
The front on both sides of
Krassny Gornjak was held by the hard-pressed Pz.Gr.Rgt.7, and SS-KGr. „Dietrich“
was instructed to reinforce it. Upon arriving, the SS troops were flung into
violent fighting, and hard close combat raged around the town throughout 12
January and into the early morning of the 13th. The pressure was then taken off
somewhat by a relief attack launched towards Masslof by 7th Pz. Division.
Although this operation ultimately proved indecisive, it helped stabilize the
shaky front, and the men of SS-KGr. „D“ were able to enjoy a calm day on 14
January. On the 15th and 16th the hard close-in combat resumed and in the midst
of it the SS battle-group was ordered to relocate to a spot about 8 km south of
Karpovo-Obryvskiy.
Stubaf. Dietrich (left) with officers from his
battle-group.
On 17 January, SS-KGr. „D“
travelled through Forchstadt to Olchovskiy where it was attached to 6th Pz.Div.
and given a new assignment. The battle-group was ordered to put scout troops
into operation in order to maintain contact with neighboring units and to keep
track of any enemy movement across the Donez, particularly at night. SS-KGr. „D’s“
other mission was to prepare random „breakwater“ defenses in case of enemy
breakthroughs in the sector facing west and southwest from Ravine #5 and the
village of Kossovyj to the open fields between the railroad line and the Donez
River. To the right of the SS battle-group was Group „Franke,“ which consisted
of poorly armed combat troops and assorted soldiers who had been grouped
together indiscriminately after returning from home leaves, while on the left
was the Rgt. „Huenersdorff.“
SS-KGr. „Dietrich“ stayed
in place on the western edge of Olchovskij until 3 February. In that time there
was only one day of heavy fighting or close combat, and that was 27 January.
Other than that, only scouting operations and occasional skirmishes took place.
During this period of time the battle-group received the services of the light
infantry gun platoon of 4th Co./VII./“LSSAH.“
On 24 January the HQ of 6th
Army in Stalingrad announced its intention to surrender as soon as feasible and
by 1 February all German resistance in that city had ceased. This meant that
massive new Red forces would be available for use against the German troops to
the west of Stalingrad. Preparations had to be made quickly in an effort to
stem the flood.
On 3 February, SS-KGr. „Dietrich“
was removed from the control of IIl./Inf.Rgt.l29/306th Inf.Div. and sent 15 km
to the west in the Lipoff-Ssasonoff sector, where it was attached to Oberst
Rodt’s 22nd Pz. Division. The battle-group had been reduced in size to two
companies, one „LSSAH“ and one „SS Polizei,“ and assorted staff troops. On the
4th it entered the lines, facing southwards, with the „LSSAH“ Co. holding
positions from Knoesel, If km north-northwest of Werch Sasonoff to the east
part of the town. The „Polizei“ Co. then took over as far as the Boganoff
Ravine. The lines could only be manned by strongpoints placed at strategic
intervals. A 2 cm Flak platoon under Lt. Bogainy was placed in support of the
battle-group positions. The right-hand neighbor of the SS troops was the Army
Rifle Bn. 24.
The next few days saw a
considerable amount of enemy movement and reconnaissance activities. A major
Russian penetration some 50 km to the northwest once again caused the German
front to contract and begin adjusting backwards. For one whole day, SS-KGr. „Dietrich“
was left on its own to defend an exposed angle where the front veered off
sharply from the east to the south, but no particular problems developed. In
the late afternoon of 9 February, the SS battle-group was relieved by II. and
III. Battalions of Inf.Rgt.581 and was transferred by trucks from the
divisional supply column to the area due east of Sverplovsk.
SS-KGr. „D“ now had 11
trucks and two motorcycles (one with a sidecar), at its disposal, but the
trucks had to be used for hauling supplies, munitions and field kitchens and
were thus not able to transport any troops. On 10 February it was rumored that
the battle-group would either be sent to join the 6th Pz.Div. or SS Bde. „Schuldt“
and on the next day a few trucks arrived from SS Bde. „Schuldt“ to transport
the SS battalion to Krassnodonsk. It was „Kapt’n“ Schuldt’s second attempt to
regain control of the battle-group before someone else latched on to it again.
But once again something came up. A new Soviet breakthrough to the south of
Voroschilovgrad caused SS-KGr. „Dietrich“ to be rushed to the south to join
22nd Pz.Div. in an attempt to block off any further Red advances. It was
subsequently posted along a line running from Volnuchino to Kruglik to Malaja
to Nikolajevka.
Stubaf. Dietrich presenting decorations to his
men.
On the 12th, SS troops had
to reconnoiter the area on foot (due to a heavy snow storm), and found it to be
still free of the foe. By 13 February, SS-KGr. „D“ had occupied its designated
line and had scouted the terrain to the southwest, west and northwest. While
the villages were found not to be enemy occupied, some enemy cavalry movement
to the west and northwest had been observed. On the 15th, 22nd Pz.Div. was
ordered to fall back on Voroschilova. While accompanying this division on its
withdrawal, SS-KGr. „D“ was ordered out of line to help Gebirgsjaeger Rgt. 114
clear out yet another enemy penetration near the Hills 220.5 and 199. With the
backing of three assault guns, the „LSSAH“ and „Polizei“ Companies were able to
restore the situation by the onset of dusk, following which they continued on
to Voroschilova. The next day was peaceful, but the SS men remained wary and on
the alert due to the uncertain military situation.
The 17th of February saw the battlegroup contain a small Red
breakthrough in the hills north of Voroschilova. During the evening hours,
SS-KGr. „D“ served as the rearguard for a general withdrawal from the area, but
no enemy pursuit was noticed. On the next day the battlegroup reached Petro
Krassnosselje and took its leave from the 22nd Pz. Division. After a long
absence, SS-Bn. „Dietrich“ was then ordered to rejoin the SS Brigade „Schuldt“
on 19 February 1943.
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