Feldherrnalle survivors of the minsk ocket

[Eduard]

Just a few days ago I was able to read in Munoz book about this unit that although most of the division was captured after failed attemps to break out of the Minsk pocket, including their commander, a group of tanks (6) and some SPW's were able to break of the encirclement and reach the german lines in Prussia.

The group was lead by a Hauptman and consisted of several hundred men.

I guess the officer would be given a good medal for this exploit...

It would be very interesting to know the journey they did...

Thanks

Eduard

[veiss]

Very interesting. Russian sources claim that nobody managed to escape after a failed attempt to breakthroug. What's the name of the book?

[Eduard]

The book is

Feldherrnhalle: Forgotten Elite - The Panzerkorps Feldherrnhalle and Antecedent Formations, Eastern and Other Fronts, 1942-43 (Stahlhelm)"
Alfonso Escuadra Sanchez;

I will ask my friend for more details


Eduard

[Eduard]

I quote what the book says about this.

The FHH division with the others in the pocket tried to open a way to the west. The division commander Steinkeller was captured on the 9th of July. …. and the same happenned to other groups....


"
Only one small formation led by hauptmann Adof Lepach manager to open a way an fight its way reaching Ebenrode East Prusia.
A few hundred grenadiers, 6 tanks, 16 armoured vehicles and a 12 vehicles full of wounded was all that remained …."


Lepach was sent to the training camp and afterwards to staff courses.


I'm surprissed that Erich Oberwörmann the Panzer Abt. commander is not mentioned and afterwards became the 106 FHH brigade commander

Eduard

[Jan-Hendrik]

This is confirmed by Erich Kleins's unit history of ArtRgt.160(mot)/PzArtRgt. FHH on page 38

The Group of Lepach reached Ebenrode on 10th July while other parts were captured by RA in the area of Minsk-Pekalino on 9th July.

Jan-Hendrik

[Eduard]

Well it's amazing a group formed by tanks and other vehicles was able to reach the german lines. How they managed to obtain fuel, etc...

This remembers me also of Rettemeier, the commander of 5 pz abt. that also escaped from the pocket apparently with some of his men and vehicles ... I've never found anything that comfirm this except that He was not captured...

Eduard

[Jan-Hendrik]

You find much on this, including personal accounts, in

Geschichte der 25. Division
Erwin Boehm, Kameradenhilfswerk 25 e.V., 1983, 305 pages

From PzAbt. 5 just 2 ZugKrWg and a bunch of men managed to escape belonging to a group basing on PGR 119.

Much help came from the counterattacks by 12.Panzerdivision



Jan-Hendrik

[Reb]

posting to get the updates.

Interesting gentlemen - thanks.
Reb

[Jan-Hendrik]

Here is the situation map from Rolf Hinze's "Ostfrontdrama 144":

http://i9.tinypic.com/66nc4kg.jpg

At this moment I am crying that my beloved history of IR /PGR 5 is without the external map set

They were much involved in those counterattacks to open corridors for the backfighting groups.

Jan-Hendrik

[veiss]

It looks really strange. The Feldherrnhalle's attempt to breakthrough out of the pocket in Pekalin area was at night 6-7 July. Some small groups managed to cross the Minsk-Mogilew highway but as morning came strong Russian reinforcemnts arrived and secured the area.
By that date Geman lines were already about 100 km to the West and the area was full of Russian units assigned to track, isolate and capture all German units moving to the West. The teriitory was permanently monitored from the air and pilots reported about all movements of the enemy. Special army groups together with the partizans have been clearing off forests where German units were trying to find shelter at the daytime.
Counterstrikes by 12 Pz.Div, to my mind, didn't have any influence on Feldherrnhalle's fate because it was a few days earlier and in another area (aiming to halt the advance of 1st Guard Tank Corps along the Bobruisk-Minsk highway)