The Axis forces 2

by Massimiliano Afiero

  Waffen-SS riflemen returning enemy fire.

  When the fire began to become more intense, the volunteers halted, seeking shelter where they could. SS-Ustuf. Breymann had to intervene personally to convince his men to resume the attack. The advance of 3.Zug on the left side of the road proceeded more quickly because it was not hampered by Soviet artillery fire.

  Soviet artillery on the Leningrad front, January 1942.

  Once they had arrived on the outskirts of Koptsy the riflemen of the first platoon threw themselves against the enemy positions; the Soviets quickly opened fire with all of their weapons, inflicting numerous losses. Uscha. Sohelleder was among the first to fall to the enemy fire, but this did not stop the Flemish assault.

  A German assault group with an MG-34, January 1942.

  The assault forces led by Uscha. Ritzau and Sauer of the third platoon worked strenuously to to try to distract the enemy fire directed against the first platoon of SS-Ustuf. Vieweger and the second platoon under Ustuf. Tollenaere. The action was successful and the two platoons were able to resume the assault against the Soviet trench line. Opening the way, hurling a number of hand grenades, the Flemings managed to get the upper hand.

  A destroyed Soviet KV-1 and German soldiers, January 1942.

  In the furious close-quarters combat that followed, the Soviets were thrown from their positions and forced to fall back towards the center of the village. Meanwhile north of Koptsy a Wehrmacht reconnaissance unit had seized the main road, eliminating any possibility of escape by the Soviets. After having eliminated the last pockets of resistance, the village fell into Flemish hands. Several Soviet units deployed further to the east began to hit the village with fire from rocket launcher batteries.

  A German defensive position on the Leningrad front, January 1942.

  At dawn on 20 January, after having hit the village with their artillery, the Soviets attacked Koptsy in force, quickly making their way into the center of the village. The Flemings reacted quickly, unleashing furious hand-to-hand combat; around the command post of the 2nd Company, which was in an old partially destroyed house; the fiercest fighting took place in a veritable tangle of men compressed into a few square meters of space. Ustuf. Reimond Tollenaere came out of the house like a devil, armed with a light machine gun firing rapid bursts which he used to cut down all of the Soviet soldiers he encountered.

  Ustuf. Reimond Tollenaere.

  Thanks to the supporting fire from the heavy weapons of Ustuf. De Wilde, the Soviets were finally forced to withdraw after suffering heavy casualties. SS-Ustuf. Vieweger received orders to lead a patrol along the Koptsy-Zapolye road to follow the enemy’s movements. Once the situation had stabilized, the Flemings were able to work on consolidating their positions and strengthening their defensive posture. Breymann, having in the meantime been promoted to the rank of SS-Obersturmführer, set up his command post close to that of the 4th Company in Zapolye on the eastern bank of the Volchov River; the two Flemish companies thus found themselves defending along a five kilometer front that ran from the western suburbs of Koptsy to Nowaya Bystritsa to the east of the Volchov River.

  An MG-34 firing against the enemy, February 1942.

  On 21 January, the first supplies arrived from the army depot at Podbjerjezhje. The next day, 22 January, Ustuf. Tollenaere and de Wilde made an inspection tour of the Flemish positions; during the inspection, Soviet artillery heavily shelled the entire front and Ustuf. Reimond Tollenaere was killed as a result of an exploding shell.

  SS-Obersturmführer Helmut Breymann.

  Gruppe Debes

  On 30 January 1942 the elements of the Legion that were still in Latvia reached Kampfgruppe Breymann at Podbjerjezhje. Only a few minor units such as the repair platoon remained at Sabile. The Flandern, the SS-Flak-Abt ‘Ost’, and the SS-Begleit-Bataillon ‘RFSS’ were thus left to form the Gruppe Debes, under command of SS-Obf. Lothar Debes. On 1 February 1942, SS-Ostubaf. Lippert reported to Debes at Lyublyady to receive orders; the Flemings were subordinated to Infanterie-Regiment 424 of the 126.Infanterie-Division, commanded by Oberst Harry Hoppe. The units of the legion established defensive positions between Koptsy, Zwemtitsy, Zapolje, Andrjuchinowo, Twutitsy and Krutik, where they were engaged in heavy combat. The second and fourth companies subsequently passed under control of the Inf.Rgt 422 commanded by Oberst von der Golz. The Flandern command post was set up at Andrikhnovo along with most of the 3rd Company. On 4 February, the second and fourth companies, after having been heavily engaged in defensive combat and having sustained heavy casualties, were transferred to Podbjerjezhje for a short period of rest.

  Flemish volunteers during an official ceremony, February 1942.

  On 10 February 1942, units of Flandern were again cited in the German war bulletin:”…During defensive operations against massive enemy attacks the 25th Motorized Infantry Division of the Wurttemberg and the SS Flemish Legion distinguished themselves particularly”. From 13 January to 19 February 1942, the 126.Inf.Division and units attached to it repulsed fully 109 enemy attacks launched by 28 regiments belonging to about a dozen different Soviet divisions. On 14 February, the last of the units arrived from Latvia: the 1st Company of SS-Ostuf. Nussbaum, with a strength of 2 officers, 13 NCOs, and 117 men was assigned to a defensive position between the villages of Bolshoye and Zamozhye.

  A group of Flemish volunteers, February 1942.

  At the same time the 2nd and 3rd companies were transferred to the Zwemtitsy sector, about three kilometers northwest of Koptsy. The next day, 15 February, the Flemish units were engaged in beating back fresh enemy attacks. Support from Stukas was necessary to stem the massive attacks, especially those that were being supported by armored forces. On 16 February, the command post of the SS-Begleit –Bataillon ‘RF-SS’ suffered direct hits from the Soviet artillery and most of its officers, among them the battalion commander, SS-Stubaf. Grimme, were killed. SS-Stubaf. Lippert thus assumed command of the SS-Begleit –Bataillon ‘RF-SS’ as well as of the Flandern Legion.

  Flemish volunteers manning a mortar, February 1942.

  During that period the Legion was reinforced by the following units:

  - 9.Kp. Genesenungs-Rgt.647

  - 2.Kp. Landesschützen –Rgt.232

  - Kradsch.-Zug/ SS-Begleit –Bataillon ‘RF-SS’

  - Nachr.-Staffel/ SS-Begleit –Bataillon ‘RF-SS’

  - Flak-Zug/Regiment ‘Hoppe’

  A soviet machine gun in German service.

  The companies of the Legion were repositioned to the left of the Wjeshki-Zwemtitsy road, northwest of Andrjuchinowo. Effective strength had fallen to 12 officers, 41 NCOs, and 335 soldiers, for a total of 388 men. Despite the fact that the units were exhausted, they had to remain on the front line and had to launch a counterattack in the Zyemptitsy sector.

  Flemish volunteers of 3.Kompanie/Flandern, March 1942.

  The conquest of Zyemptitsy

  Beginning on 2 March 1942, the Flemish units were engaged along the Vyeshki-Zyemptitsy road in a counterattack to halt a Soviet penetration. Two assault groups had prepared for the action. The first group, commanded by SS-Ostuf. Nussbaum, consisted of the 1st Company with several machine guns and mortars from the 4th Company. The second group, under the command of SS-Ustuf. Eckenbrecher, consisted of the 3rd Company and other heavy weapons from the 4th Company. The remainder of the 4th Company was held in reserve while the 5th Anti-Tank Company took up positions behind the two groups.

  A member of Nordwest.

  The 37 mm guns of the RFSS reserve battalion were about 400 meters to the rear. After preparatory artillery fire the Flemings went on the attack. Leading the attack were the squads commanded by Oberscharführer Fritsch and Jensen of the 1st Company. Unfortunately Fritsch’s squad and Ostuf. Nussbaum ended up in a minefield and the detonation of several mines resulted in several dead and wounded.

  The crew of an infantry support gun belonging to Flandern.

  A cry quickly went out for medical personnel to the fron
t line to attend to the numerous dead and wounded. The advance of the other units also made little progress; subjected to a heavy crossfire from the enemy weapons, the Flemings were stalled for three hours. In an attempt to give fresh impetus to the attack, SS-Ostubaf. Lippert sent SS-Ustuf. Weingärtner with additional troops to the positions where the Flemish troops had been stopped by the enemy fire. At the same time, Uscha. Völki, commander of a heavy machine gun platoon of the Nussbaum Group’s 4th Company, reached the right flank of the Soviet positions and began to take them under fire with his heavy weapons.

  A Flemish volunteer defending a trench, march 1942.

  Thanks to the providential fire support the Flemings were able to push forward, occupying the most forward of the Soviet positions and several bunkers. While the Nussbaum Group had been stalled, the second assault group had managed to overwhelm the Soviet positions on the left; the Flemish engineers destroyed the remaining enemy bunkers that continued to resist with explosive charges. Further to the northwest a battalion of the Spanish Blue Division advanced to protect the exposed flank of Flandern. For the rest of the day the Flemings methodically combed the area to eliminate the last packets of enemy resistance. Towards nightfall all of the objectives had been reached but losses were heavy: the Legion had suffered the loss of two officers, nine NCOs, and 110 men including dead and wounded.

  A Flemish volunteer. Note the Legion sleeve patch and cuff title.

  Among the fallen was SS-Ostuf. Nussbaum; after being seriously wounded by an exploding mine; he died while being transported to a hospital. SS-Ustuf. Weingärtner had been quite seriously wounded by a piece of shrapnel from an exploding mine.

  The attack resumed the following day, 3 March 1942; SS-Untersturmführer Wieweger led the assault of what remained of the first and third companies and of a heavy machine gun platoon. The few survivors of the 2nd Company were assigned to another combat group under command of Oberscharführer Rüter. The Wieweger assault group had to cross a large snow-covered field under the covering fire of the heavy weapons of the 4th Company’s heavy machine gun platoon. Rüter’s men had to march along the right side of the field, parallel to it. Several Spanish units of the Blue Division also took part in the attack. Kampfgruppe Rüter was the first unit to advance upon the Soviet positions, engaging in hand-to-hand fighting and capturing four enemy bunkers. Before attacking the Soviet positions, Vieweger’s men took measures to establish contact with the Spanish battalion commanded by Major Roman.

  Spanish volunteers of the Division Azul, March 1942.

  After a short pause, to avoid the enemy’s artillery fire, Flemings and Spaniards attacked shoulder-to-shoulder. The Soviets did not waste any time and brought all of their weapons to bear against the mass of advancing enemy soldiers. After having advanced about three hundred meters, Vieweger’s men had to halt and take shelter from the fire of the Soviet machine guns and mortars, as did the Spaniards as well.

  A Flemish patrol advancing in enemy territory.

  Around nightfall the volunteers dug trenches and foxholes in the snow in order to gain some protection against the cold and the enemy fire. The next morning, the Flemings launched a fresh attack and were able to eliminate the enemy’s forward positions. During the assault, Flandern lost SS-Ustuf. De Wilde, commander of the 5th Company, and 19 men killed or wounded. On 5 March, a battalion of Inf.Rgt.422 relieved units of the Legion which were then transferred northwest of Zyemptitsy. During the transfer march, Soviet artillery harassed the withdrawing Flemings, claiming additional victims.

  Sturmmann Remi Bogaert.

  During the same day, Ustuf. Rene van der Smissen, a native of Hansbeke, was killed in combat at Weschki. On 6 March, there were long-range engagements between the artillery and heavy weapons. The Soviet positions were about 250 meters from the Flemish positions. During the morning, elements of the Legion were once again assembled for a new offensive action. A new assault group was formed consisting of the second and third companies of Flandern and a German reserve company. An anti-tank gun from the 5th Company was in support. The first, fourth and fifth companies formed a second assault group that was deployed along the main road to Zyemptitsy. This group was soon after reinforced with part of the 2.Kompanie, some elements of Inf.Rgt.422, and two anti-tank guns. The new attack against Zyemptitsy began at eight o’clock in the morning, after half an hour of preliminary shelling by German artillery. Advancing under enemy fire, the Flemings pushed forward for about 200 meters until they were close to the enemy positions. Overhead the Stuka dive bombers supported the infantry attack by bombing the enemy trenches. Firing and throwing grenades, the Flemish volunteers and German soldiers leaped into the enemy positions, occupying them after bitter close-quarter combat. Around noontime, the first combat group managed to penetrate the southern part of Zyemptitsy and ten minutes later the second group entered the northern part of town. For several hours reconnaissance patrols combed through the area to eliminate the last pockets of Soviet resistance. Around 1700, the two Flemish combat groups sent a brief message to the Flandern headquarters: “…Zyemptitsy in our hands. Ivan Kaputt!”. Four hours later, II./Inf.Rgt.422 arrived to relieve the Flemish units from the position. The toll in losses for Flandern was however heavy: two NCOs and five legionnaires dead, Ustuf. Mojen, five NCOs and eleven legionnaires wounded, and three legionnaires lost (captured by the Soviets). On 8 March, at 2200, the Legion, whose effective strength had fallen to barely 108 men fit for duty, was pulled from the front line and placed in reserve under XXVII,Armee-Korps at Chichulino, near Novgorod.

  Bibliography

  M. Afiero, “The 27th Waffen SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Langemarck: an illustrated history“, Schiffer Publishing, Atglen 2016.

  M. Afiero, “27.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division ‘Langemarck’“, Associazione Culturale Ritterkreuz, Ottobre 2014.

  A. Brandt, “The Last Knight of Flanders“, Schiffer Publishing Ltd.

  R. Landwehr, “Lions of Flanders“, Shelf Book

  Felix Steiner and the European Volunteers

  by Johannes Scharf

  In March 1914 Felix Martin Julius Steiner, born on May 23, 1896 in Stallupönen (East Prussia), his father being a teacher, joined the 5th East Prussian Infantry Regiment “von Boyen” No. 41 in Tilsit. Having joined as a cadet he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant within less than a year of service after he had participated in the battles near Tannenberg, on the Masurian Lakes and in Lithuania. He had been severely wounded in autumn of the year he had joined but fortunately recovered very soon. On June 18, 1914, being a Lieutenant already as mentioned above, he received the Iron Cross 2nd Class and was transferred to a different unit where he was made company commander. After having fought with his men on the Courland front in 1916 and having participated in attacking and conquering Riga he was presented with the Iron Cross 1st Class. In the last part of the war he saw action in Belgium and France as well where he took part in the bloody matériel battles. It was there in fall 1918 where he received his promotion to 1st Lieutenant. Despite the fact that the war itself was over and his unit had been demobilized in Danzig the fighting wasn’t over yet for Steiner and a lot of men of his kind. He knew that the struggle in the East had to continue for the sake of his German compatriots who where now all of a sudden no longer living on German territory.

  SS-Standartenführer Steiner in 1936.

  So in January 1919 he was again found to be in the position of a company commander – but now he was leading a Free Corps unit in East Prussia. Incorporated into the Reichswehrin 1921 he then worked in different headquarters, participated in various inspection trips with the Generals’ headquarters and by 1932 had become the training leader at West Land Police inspectorate before leaving the Reichswehr again in 1933. After he had been promoted to Captain in December 1927 he retired from the Reichswehr having attained the rank ofMajor. Felix Steiner who had joined the SA and was transferred to the SS in April 1935 very soon began to develop new training techniques and especially tactics whic
h had nothing to do with the disastrous stationary warfare he and his men had seen in World War I. Together with Paul Hausser he laid the foundation of the SS-Verfügungstruppe which was the predecessor of the Waffen-SS. Whereas Paul Hausser was still somewhat clinging to the opinions of the old general staff Steiner was a completely new type of strategist, in many ways not unlike Heinz Guderian. In his concept for basic military training physical capability was very important and another focus lay on the soldiers’ and officers’ mutual trust.