The Axis forces 2

by Massimiliano Afiero

  Roughly a quarter of Narwa was on leave during this battle, leaving 650 men present. Nearly half of them would become casualties by the 21st. Narwa had three 50mm antitank guns, and three 76.2mm former-Soviet antitank guns. These took a terrible toll of the attacking tanks, while Estonian infantrymen used hollow charges to knock out several more. The worst fighting was on July 21, when Narwa began to run out of antitank and machinegun ammunition. Georg Eberhardt was killed in action on this day, which infuriated his exhausted men, and spurred their continued will to resist. Another Soviet attack on Hill 186.9 might have successfully broken through, but the Red Army formations were temporarily out of tanks, after losing almost 100 on the hill and at Andrejevka. Juchem’s adjutant, Heinz-Wolf Kölzig, personally knocked out two Soviet tanks that broke into Andrejevka on July 19. He did this by single-handedly operating a captured Soviet 76.2mm Ratsch-Bumm that was near the II./Germania headquarters (Narwa’s ex-Soviet guns had been issued when the battalion arrived at the front, while the gun Kölzig used was captured on the 18th or 19th). Other tanks that got through the frontline positions of the Estonians and of Juchem’s men were destroyed by the few long-barreled Panzer IVs of 3./SS-Panzer Abteilung 5, which were led by Helmut Bauer. The rest of the battalion, withPanzer IIIs and Sturmgeschütze, fought in small groups all over the battlefield, aiding the defense where they could. The main Soviet attacks ended after July 21. Fighting continued, but the Soviet breakthrough to Barvenkovo had been denied. Wiking was battered, and needed over a week of rest to recover.

  Albert “Pak” Müller poses with his parents while on leave, after receiving his Knight’s Cross.

  As suggested above, dispersing and wearing down the German armored forces was the true goal of Soviet operations in the second half of July, 1943. This was achieved in this Donets battle, and it was even more successful to the south, on the Mius River, where the rest of the XXIV.Panzerkorps fought alongside the SS-Panzerkorps). The Soviet bridgehead there was destroyed, but the Heer and Waffen-SS Panzer Divisions that accomplished this suffered even more heavily than did Wiking, after most had incurred serious losses at Kursk. When these divisions, and Wiking, rushed to the key Belgorod-Kharkov area during August 1943, they were too weak to do more than delay the main Soviet offensive there. New Soviet offensives on the Donets and the Mius were then able to overrun the German infantry divisions left to defend those sectors. The Germans were soon retreating to the Dnieper River, and the initiative had passed to the Red Army for the remainder of the war. Wiking’s commanders used the lull after July 21 to recommend their subordinates for high decorations. Germania commander Jürgen Wagner was awarded the Knight’s Cross already on July 24. Walter Schmidt, Albert Müller, and Georg Eberhardt all were awarded the Knight’s Cross soon after, on August 4. Hans Juchem, Günther Sitter, and Helmut Bauer had to wait a bit longer, but had their Knight’s Crosses approved on September 12. By that time, Juchem had become the second winner of the Close Combat Clasp in Gold in the entire German military, with his medal dated August 10.

  Walter Schmidt seen circa May, 1944, after the Cherkassy fighting. He has removed the decorations from his pockets and his Knight’s Cross, won for his battalion’s defense of Savodskoye, has been slung unusually low. Schmidt won the Oakleaves to his Knight’s Cross on May 14, 1944. This photo was likely taken in such a way that a press agency could add in the Oakleaves, above the Knight’s Cross, and possibly other decorations, for an article announcing the high award. He hadn’t been flown to Hitler’s headquarters yet, for the customary personal presentation of the Oakleaves.

  He was killed in action three days later, and never knew of his Knight’s Cross. Other men had their roles in the July, 1943, fighting recognized later, with subsequent battles also being part of their award criteria. Izyum provided one incident among several for numerous German Cross in Gold recommendations. In particular, Heinz-Wolf Kölzig won the award on December 7, 1944, with most of the cited combats occurring that year. Hans Dorr’s Oakleaves to the Knight’s Cross, awarded on November 13, 1943, reflected numerous combats from 1942 and 1943, with one of them being his actions outside Ssrednij. The battle Wiking waged along the Donets, during late July, 1943, deserves to be better-known.

  Günther Sitter has just received his Knight’s Cross, circa the second half of September, 1943.

  The division was pushed to the limit in the fighting. Its own counterattack failed, but it then successfully withstood three days of heavy Soviet assaults, which were well-supported by armor, artillery, and air power. Not for the first time, nor for the last, Wiking had scored a local victory in a campaign the Germans lost.

  Bibliography

  Jurs, August, et al. Estonian Freedom Fighters in World War Two. Canada: The Voitleja Relief Foundation Book Committee, n.d.

  Klapdor, Ewald. Viking Panzers: The German 5th SS Tank Regiment in the East in World War II. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole, 2011.

  Regimentskameradschaft des ehemaligen SS-Panzergrenadier Regiments Nr. 10 “Westland.” Panzer-Grenadier der Panzerdivision “Wiking” im Bild. 2d ed. Osnabrück: Munin, 1987.

  Strassner, Peter. European Volunteers. Winnipeg: Fedorowicz, 1988.

  Trang, Charles. Wiking Volume 3. Bayeux: Editions Heimdal, 2016.

  Yerger, Mark C. with Ignacio Arrondo. German Cross in Gold Holders of the SS and Police, Volume 7. San Jose: Bender, 2014.

  Yerger, Mark C. with Ignacio Arrondo. German Cross in Gold Holders of the SS and Police, Volume 8. San Jose: Bender, 2015.

  SS-Unterscharführer Max Rudolf Pesarra

  by John B. Köser

  Max was born on the 16th February 1923 in Heidig. He joined the Hitlerjugend at fourteen on the 30.4.1937 and remained a member until 5.5.1941. After his schooling, Max work as a clerk for the forestry commission and volunteered for the Waffen-SS in January 1941. He was accepted and on 5th May 1941 was posted to “Totenkopf” being sent to SS-KaserneNürnberg to be trained as a telephone operator in 1./SS-Nachr.-E-Abt.Nürnberg(1). After one month’s training, Max was transferred on 5.6.1941 to Nachrichten Stab II./SS-TK.Inf.Rgt.1.

  SS-Uscha. Max Rudolf Pesarra.

  Max spent the next 13 months with this unit, which was attached, with the rest of the Division, to General Erich Hoepner’s Forth Panzer Group under command ofGeneralfeldmarschall Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb’s Army Group North. Leeb’s force was tasked with advancing on Leningrad and formed the northern wing of Operation Barbarossa, but would have to wait in reserve during the initial phase of the invasion. Initially stationed at the Div. Staff staging area at Taplau. It was not until the 24th of June 1941 that the division would be used to mop up any enemy stragglers in the forest around Jurbarkas in Lithuania.

  Summer 1941: advance into Russia.

  Completing this by late afternoon on the 26th, SS-Totenkopf-Division received orders to advance to Deguciai but by this time the Russians had recovered from their initial paralysis and began to offer strong resistance. On the 28th June, SS-Totenkopf-Inf.Rgt 1 repeatedly engaged wandering isolated groups of Russian soldiers, who fought to the death rather than surrender to the SS troops.

  Summer 1941: SS-Totenkopf-Division in Kraslava.

  Their actions could not be understood by the Waffen-SS troops and SS-Standartenführer Max Simon concluded that these groups of Russian soldiers must be armed “bandits” and consequently the majority of Russian stragglers were shot. The next day, the regiment was sent over the main vehicle bridge at Dünaberg to reinforce the division and was employed offensively, along the Dunskaja-Izvalta road to prepare for the later employment of the division in that direction. Fighting against weak enemy resistance the regiment reached the line Zidina-Lipinski later the same day at 17:30 hours.

  Max Pesarra in 1941, Eastern Front.

  However the enemy was employed with stronger forces in the forests on both sides of the Zindina, Kraslawa and Lipinski roads and resistance intensified but by the 2nd July 1941 the division had captured Kraslava with the regiment eliminating or causing
the enemy, two soviet infantry regiments along with tanks and artillery to retreat from the city. Continuing its advance into Russia the soldiers of the division had little time for rest and the fought hard for every small advance against a determined Soviet force.

  1941: interrogation of Russian peasant.

  They finally captured Opochka by the 11th July 1941, after sixteen days of continuous combat, and managed a few short hours rest before continuing the push east. SS-Totenkopf-Division along with the rest of Army Group North continued its advance until it ground to a halt around Lake Ilmen in October 1941.

  Autumn 1941: advance into Russia.

  As the Russian winter set in the division was incapable of further advancement having endured, as Eicke claimed, near a 50% casualty rate since the beginning of the invasion. Eicke’s superiors denied his requests to remove the division from the front line, so they dug in and prepared to endured the Russian winter.

  Soldiers of SS-Totenkopf-Division in Russia, 1941.

  Award of EKII for these soldiers of Totenkopf.

  In the Demyansk pocket

  Throughout the winter the Russians prepared a massive counter attack against the weakened German forces being designed to sever the link between the German Demyansk positions, and the Staraya Russa railway that formed the lines of communication of the German 16th Army. However, owing to the very difficult wooded and swampy terrain, and heavy snow cover, the initial advance by the Russians was very modest against stubborn German opposition. Therefore, on 8 January 1942, a new offensive called the Rzhev–Vyazma Strategic Offensive Operation was begun, which slammed into SS-TK’s defences southeast of Lake Ilmen. At the same time the second phase of the northern pincer offensive began and by 20 May 1942, had successfully encircled the German 16th Army’s and parts of the X Army Corps. Trapped in the pocket along with the troops from SS-TK were the 12th, 30th, 32nd, 123rd and 290th infantry divisions as well as RAD, Police, Organization Todt and other auxiliary units, for a total of about 90,000 German troops and around 10,000 auxiliaries.

  Kirilowitschip (Max seated middle).

  Hermann Göring had assured Hitler that the encircled troops could be supplied from the air using Luftflotte 1 via the two viable airfields at Demyansk and Peski which were capable of receiving transport aircraft. From the middle of February 1942, the weather improved significantly, and while there was still considerable snow on the ground at this time, resupply operations were generally very successful due to inactivity of the Soviet airforce in the area. However the operation did use up all of Luftflotte 1’s transport capability, as well as elements of its bomber force. Over the winter and spring, the Northwestern Front launched a number of attacks on the “Ramushevo corridor” that formed the tenuous link between Demyansk and Staraya Russa but was unable to reduce the pocket.

  Machine gun position Demyansk, 1942.

  Things were going very badly for the Division and despite Eicke’s request, for SS-TK to be withdrawn from Russia, personally to Hitler during a conference at Rastenburg on the 13th July 1942. Hitler replied that SS-TK and the surrounded Divisions would have to dig in and hold until relieved by Lieutenant General Otto von Knobelsdorff’s tenth Army Corps sometime in August! Despite the nearly constant rain the Russians were preparing for a new offensive against the salient and the supply corridor and at 1.30pm July 17th the massive Russian offensive took place on all fronts of the Demjansk area, completely stunning the Germans. It was on the second day of this offensive that Max was wounded, 18th July 1942.

  EKII Damyansk 1942.

  Fortunately Max was immediately transferred to Res.Laz.Köthen and was treated here until 14.10.42. After being discharged from hospital Max had home leave from 14-10-42 until 28-10-42 then returned to the signals school at Nürnberg, arriving here on the 31-10-42.

  On leave 1942….

  Max served as RV.-Truppführer at the school until being posted to the Nachrichten School at Metz on the 25.6.1943. After nearly four months here Max was then posted to 2./SS-Nachr.Ausb u Ers Abt 2 at Unna, from the 22.10.1943 and stayed with the Abteilung until 10.7.1944. From here Max’s last posting was with SS-Nachr.Abt 501(2) based at KZ Außenlager Bunker “Fuchsbau” at Fürstenwalde, south east of Berlin. The Bunker complex was evacuated before being overrun by the Russians in the last weeks of the war and the Abteilung did not directly engage with the enemy. It is unknown if Max was a POW, but he survived the war and settled in Herten.

  On leave 1942….

  Notes

  (1) This unit was raised as SS-Totenkopf-Nachrichten-Ersatz-Abteilung in Nürnberg, Frankenstraße 100, at the end of 1939, to provide training for recruits for the Nachrichten-units of the Totenkopf-Division. With effect from March 15th 1941 its name changed to “SS-Nachrichten-Ersatz-Abteilung” and from October 15th 1942, it was renamed again and enlarged to “SS-Nachrichten-Ersatz-Regiment”. The staff of the regiment were disbanded nearly one year later and the different battalions formed the independent battalions SS-Nachrichten-Ausbildungs- und Ersatz-Abteilungen 1 to 4 with effect from November 15th 1943. The SS-Nachr.Ausb.u.Ers.Abt 1 stayed in Nürnberg, with parts in Eichstätt and other places, until April 1945.

  (2) SS-Nachrichten Abteilung 501 was set up in March 1944 and changed its name to SS-Führungs-Nachrichten-Regiment 500 in February 1945. Its main task was to act as a communications link from SS main office to its subordinate offices. The Regiment stayed mainly south east of Berlin and maintained radio links between the SS-FHA and various the various alarm and anti-tank units that had been established to protect the SS-FHA.

  The Italian SS Legion

  by Massimiliano Afiero

  The Waffen Miliz

  Right after he was freed from imprisonment on Gran Sasso (12 September 1943), Duce Benito Mussolini explicitly asked Hitler to form two divisions of Militia, to be under Waffen SS leadership, that were to be engaged in the struggle against the Allied forces on the Italian front. In them elements from Fascist Militia units and from army units that had distinguished themselves on the front during previous campaigns would be combined. Italian volunteers would wear the SS uniform with the insigna with fasces.

  The liberation of Mussolini from Gran Sasso.

  On the basis of Mussolini’s requests, starting as early as the middle of September, Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler ordered that all Italian soldiers eager to continue to fight on the side of Germany, either from the army or from the Militia, be gathered together in a single camp. On 24 September 1943, Himmler officially announced the birth of the Italian SS legion (Italienische Waffenverbände der SS), as a “Bestandteil” unit (affiliated) to the Waffen SS.

  Italian volunteers after 8 September 1943 (Signal).

  Its main function was to be that of overseeing the formation and training of the new Italian military formations, on the model of foreign Legions. On 2 October 1943, Himmler emitted a special order for the training of the units of Militia, in which Mussolini’s requests were partly granted. It was decided, however to form several battalions, to be used immediately in the fight against partisan brigades in northern Italy. After gaining experience and having destroyed the threat of the rebels, these battalions would then be transferred back to training camps to form the first regiments and later, after experience on the Italian front, the first Italian division was formed to be committed against the Allied forces. A second division was formed the following year. Furthermore Himmler established that the volunteers of Militia would continue to wear the Italian uniform, but with the shoulder tabs and ranks of the SS, using insignia with a red background, instead of the usual black.

  SS-Brigdf. Peter Hansen.

  These first Italian detachments were given the name of Waffen Miliz (Armed Militia), the combat unit of the Italian SS Legion. As the Headquarters for the grouping of volunteers the training camp of Münsingen in Württemberg, forty kilometres to the south of Stuttgart, was chosen. Simultaneously a massive propaganda campaign was started to promote the enrollment of the highest number of volunte
ers possible.

  Italian soldiers at Münsingen (Corbatti e Nava Collection).

  Bear in mind that in the same period some enlistments for the birth of a new army for the Repubblica Sociale Italiana were taking place. On 9 October 1943 at the Münsingen camp 13.362 men were already present and would shortly after rise to about 15.000.

  SS-Standartenführer Gustav Lombard.

  As for all German units in formation, an SS-Ausbildungsstab (a training unit) was created, placed under the command of SS-Brigadeführer Peter Hansen. Unable to take the position because he was convalescing, the Italian unit was led temporarily by SS-Standartenführer Lombard, from the SS Florian Geyer cavalry division. SS-Obersturmbannführer Johann Eugen Corrodi von Elfenau, one of the first Swiss volunteers of the Waffen SS, also from the Florian Geyer, was appointed as chief of staff of the Waffen Miliz. An Italian liaison staff (Verbindungsstab) was formed, comprising Italian officials, placed under the command of the Lieutenant Colonel De Paolis, with the duty to assist and coordinate the work of the SS-Ausbildungsstab. The combat unit of the SS Italian Legion, which included Italian volunteers already present at Münsingen was further strengthened with volunteer groups from Praga, Debica and from Greece. These groups weren’t redirected to Münsingen but were instead repatriated immediately after training.