| QUOTE (ANDREAS @ April 10, 2009 09:51 pm) | New informations over the german Panzer/Panzergrenadier Divisions present in august 1944 on the Moldova front.
A good informed ex-classmate of mine living for years in Germany send me some interesting informations reguarding the 10th Panzergrenadier Division present in the front region west from Iasi city, south from the river Bahlui, in mid august 1944.
His source is the book written in 1963 by general August Schmidt, the former commander of this division. In this book he describes in detail the battles of this big german unit on the eastern front, and also on the moldavian front in august 1944. So the new informations are:
-the german mechanised division /that's what Panzergrenadier means/ was very strong and complete in mid august with 3 tanks Pz.IIIM and 43 sp guns StuG.IIIG, 110 armd. halftracks and a strong artillery. The division commander was general August Schmidt, an very experienced officer, and his troops over 12.000 strong.
-the division was encircled from the first days due to romanian divisions -any idea which? -leaving their front with little resistence. He manage to avoid destruction with high losses and retreat towards Husi. More heavy fighting with the soviet units weaken the division who, without enough fuel for the machines had to abandon some battle ready armd vehicles and sp guns. On 24 august the colomns marched trough the Vutcani village where they meet soviet armour but manage to cross. But the shortage of fuel was the worst ennemy, and again many vehicles had to be destroyed
In 25 august the hope had returned since remnants of the 13. Panzer Division were in the Leova area, over the Pruth river. But the total encirclement of the Division was finished and the only order the commander could give was -abandon all the heavy materiel and destroy it and try, in small units, to escape. Some 2500 soldiers were able to cross the ennemy lines and after several tentatives they cross the Sireth river in the Condrea -Suraia east of Focsani in 27 august. The march trough Baragan towards Bulgaria was the only posibility since the Buzau area was closed by ennemy units. Remnants of the division pass Baragan with numerous clashes with romanian army and reserve units and could not cross Danube in Bulgaria. They abandon all the remaining motorised and armoured vehicles and also the light and medium guns in Varasti area, west from Calarasi, in 30 august, and tried to cross the Danube in Bulgaria with little succes. Most of them were captured by romanian troops and few crossed into Bulgaria.
If you know something ref. 13.Panzer Division or K.G. 20.Panzer Division please reply. |
Hy, Andreas, the informations abaut the presence of the elements of SS Totenkoph division I found in diferent surses. In the book ,,Tancuri in flacari ", the aothor Ion S Dumitru tells the story about his encountrd with element of this divizion. Despite his sometime exagerations in book, he knew very well the divizion, he c,ant make a confusion whith ather german unit. In the book ,,Pumnul de Fier " the author allso recolect that afther 23.08.1944 he tried to save the live of anWaffen ss soilder. Hear on the site you can find the story of a veteran how was there on the front in that period and he allso recolects that he tied to escape the russ captivity and on the road he encontrd an Waffen SS - unterofficier and togeder make their escape. All those informations are from eyewittneses how where there on the front at that time it c,ant be a coincidence. Not allways oficial document present the hole picture and in the haos of the war some data and informations are lost. I found that on many subjects. |
Of course if we believe the story?!?