First battle for Kharkov

German campaigns and battles 1919-1945.

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Re: First battle for Kharkov

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; after a while, the 57 ID point of view aout this battle..............

The 57 ID at Kharkov – October 1941.

1. Approaching the target. From Poltava to Kharkov - Oct 1941.

After the great encirclement of Kiev was finished, to the end of September 1941, the 17 AOK proceeded its advance on Poltava - Krasnograd - Donetz with its LII, IV and XI Armeekorps. A few days later (8 days) did the same the 6 AOK heading to Merefa and Kharkov with its XVII, VIII, XXIX and LV Armeekorps.

The conquest of Kharkov was the goal of the LV AK which was moving ahead from Poltava. The Army Corps’ Commanding Officer (General Vierow) issued the following order to the 57 ID (IR 179, IR 199 and IR 217):

To storm Kharkov and break through the city’s south half towards its eastern edge, then to occuppy and defend it facing southwards.

A short order but it means to grasp a city of around 600 to 800.000 inhabitants (at that time) which would be defended with tenacity by the enemy.

Firstly the division was to seize its departure’s positions and that would take place between the 20 and 23 Oct 1941.

The 57 ID’s advance guard, under Major Ballerstedt, should seize a bridgehead on the Udy river at Guki, which was located west of Kharkov. In a bold and quick operation, the before mentioned element, took intact the main bridge on the Udy river north of Guki on Oct 20 1941 at 16:00 hours. That very night the bridgehead was reinforced by the I./ IR 199, the 1./ Pz Jäg Abt. 157 and a battery of AR 157. The foothold gained was enlarged during Oct 21 1941.

On Oct 22 1941, the soviets tried to crush the bridgehead again but without success. They had tried to get across the Udy river thru the bridge before, coming from Nowa Bavaria to Rischow, but were compeled to withdraw leaving 5 out of 6 tanks on the ground.

That day (22 October) The Division Commander met the Regiment’s Commanders in order to discuss the objectives and the approaching axis. To avoid casualties the attack would be cerried out by bounds supported by assault guns and the heavy weapons. The first objective would be the railroad running north-south within the city.

Fuentes: http://www.57id.de/index.php/Bericht_%C ... on_Charkow
After the Battle 112 - The Four Battles for Kharkov.

More follows. Cheers. RAúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: First battle for Kharkov

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; a little more..............

The 57 ID at Kharkov – October 1941 (2º part).

On Oct 23 1941, the Division knew that in Charkow was deployed the 216 SD with its CP located in the city’s north-east quarter with well established positions along the western edge and within the wooded land of Grigorowka. Three hostile batteries were firing from the city’s center.

The 57 ID was organized as follows:

IR 217 with its I. and III. Battalions; the I./ IR 217 went across the Udy river during the night of 22/23 Oct 1941 and was deployed astride the road leading to Charkow and the III./ IR 217 was deployed to its rear on the right.

IR 199 with its I. and III. Battalions; the I./ IR 199 north of the main road and the III./ IR 199 within the woods west of Solotyi-Jar.

Each regiment had been reinforced with one assault gun battery (Sturmgeschütz), one engineer company and one antiaircraft gun in order to fight its way to the city, fight against tanks and breach the mine fields. The artillery was to furnish fire support to both frontline regiments and in spite of the mud and rain the AR 157 could bring ahead its heavy group also.

To the right was deployed the 100 Le.ID, which should seize Nowo Bavaria then proceed towards the Udy river with strong combat patrols. To the left was the 101 Le.ID which should seize the city’s north part. The boundary with the latter ran along the main road heading to the city from the west, then the city’s centre and finally along the railroad heading east. During the fight the 57 ID has neither contact nor informations with regards to its neighbors, around Oct 24 the 57 ID got the news that the 101 Le.ID was fighting in the northern sector of Charkow.

Fuentes: http://www.57id.de/index.php/Bericht_%C ... on_Charkow
After the Battle 112 - The Four Battles for Kharkov.

More follows. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Buried tanks were employed there as bulwarks.<br />Taken from an expired auction of eBay.
Buried tanks were employed there as bulwarks.
Taken from an expired auction of eBay.
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Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: First battle for Kharkov

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; a little more (3º part)..............

The attack – 23 Oct 1941.

At 12:00 hours sharp, the artillery opened up on the ground’s targets, the barracks and the Party building. The fire support was accurate. After a hard fight the infantry took the positions before the wooded land’s fringe. Shortly afterwards both regiments proceeded towards the city; the resistence stiffened more and more.

In front of the IR 217, the resistence was located within the barracks and in front of the IR 199 coming from the Party building and the apartments’ building located behind of it. A deep antitank ditch prevented the crossing of the assault guns but the engineers soon cleared a path and the support went ahead with the infantry.

After seizing the barracks and the flat’s building, the frontline battalions moved into the city; it became a fortress properly. On every street, corner or square was a barricade and well emplaced defensive positions which covered the streets; minefields and antitank ditches hindered the assault guns’ movements.

Organized as combat teams, as before in Tscherkassy and Poltawa, the riflemen proceeded ahead; first the engineers searching for mines, close behind two grenadiers, then a machine gun, then the infantry, followed by the assault guns and the heavy machine guns.

Some inhabitants also took part in the fight, firing from windows and flat roofs. Two light armored vehicles and a medium tank were destroyed by the assault guns.

Fuentes: http://www.57id.de/index.php/Bericht_%C ... on_Charkow
After the Battle 112 - The Four Battles for Kharkov.
http://www.russlandfeldzug.de/dieostfront3.htm

More follows. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
One Stug (assault gun) engaged in the fight within the city – Charkow Oct 1941.
One Stug (assault gun) engaged in the fight within the city – Charkow Oct 1941.
Stug en Charkow.jpg (19.09 KiB) Viewed 4712 times
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Re: First battle for Kharkov

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Hello to all :D; a little more (4º part)..............

The attack – 23 Oct 1941.

The I./ IR 217, which was moving south of the main street took fire from Grigorowka; so the III./ IR 217 was sent and took positions there. Both battalions reached its objectives and by nightfall on Oct 23 1941, were deployed as follows:

III./ IR 217 at the end of Seminarskaja Uliza street.
I./ IR 217 in the seminary and the western fringe of Karpowski’s Gardens.

As the IR 199, its I. Battalion had reached the prison’s crossroad; there even took fire from tanks located near bridge 213 but held the ground gained and established liaison with the IR 217. The III. Battalion was deployed to the left and rear, north of the main street. The Regiments shifted its CP into the city.

The 57 ID knew nothing about the objectives reached by the neighbour unit to the left (101 Le. ID). With regards to the right unit (100 Le. ID) it was known that it had taken Nowo Bavaria so far. This very day the division’s booty was: 200 POWs, 3 tanks destroyed and 2 guns captured.

Taken into account the advance accomplished on Oct 23, it was expected the fight for Charkow would be over next day. Therefore it was ordered that both regiments were to reach the city’s southeastern edge for Oct 24; as intermediate objectives were assigned the following:

IR 217, the bridges over the Lopany river and Station 53.
IR 199, the bridges over the Lopany river and the bridges over the Charkow river.

The IR 217 would be reinforced with the II./ IR 179 in order to secure its open flank. The operation was to be resumed from 08:00 hours onwards. Two streets were to be taken and cleaned; this fact would help the division’s movement thru the city.

Fuentes: http://www.57id.de/index.php/Bericht_%C ... on_Charkow
After the Battle 112 - The Four Battles for Kharkov.
http://www.russlandfeldzug.de/dieostfront3.htm

More follows. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Troops of the 57 ID passing through one barricade which blocked Sverdlov Street (Kriegsberichter Reindl).
Troops of the 57 ID passing through one barricade which blocked Sverdlov Street (Kriegsberichter Reindl).
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Re: First battle for Kharkov

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; a little more (5º part)..............

The attack – 24 Oct 1941.

Next day the IR 217’s actions developed as follows:

The III./ IR 217 had as Objectives the bridge 185 over the Lopany river, the inverted triangle south of the railway station and the city’s slaughterhouse.

The I./ IR 217 had as its objectives the bridge 287 over the Lopany river, railway bridge south of the station and the southeastern railroad station.

At 08:05 hours the regiments’ spearhead resumed the attack led by Major Schmid; the railroad’s causeway that ran in a south – north axis along the river Lopany’s western bank was soon reached. The III. Battalion got across over its assigned bridge then pressed ahead; the I. Battalion could not do the same because its bridge was well defended and ready to be blown with explosives charges, besides several machineguns and two tanks were covering it. After seraching for a while the unit found a little passage located some 400 meters far to the south.

Taking advantage of the morning fog a platoon of cyclist (Pi. Zug) and the 7./ IR 217 could get across however the assault guns (Stug) and the heavy weapons remained on the west bank (own bank). The soviet infantry deployed nearby in the buildings and the reinforcements brought there by trucks could not react in time. The surprised enemy was rejected with heavy casualties, even some russian riders moving to the front crossed the german line without realice where they were in fact being taken prisoners.

At 08:35 hours the battalion had reached the railroad bridge located to south of the station. When the unit proceeded its advance towards the station the resistance stiffened nevertheless the battalion reached that objective by 09:00 hours. The russian launched strong assaults from the south which were supported by tanks against the battalion’s elements deployed near the Regiment’s CP south of the station so heavy fights at close distance ensued within the industrial sector still occupied by the enemy and the houses around it.

The Division’s Commanding Officer was worried by the I. Battalion due to those attacks threatened its rear area therefore the IR 179, located at Guki, was alarmed. However, around 12:00 hours a report stated that the situation along the IR 217’s front had been cleared and there was no need of reinforcements. Meanwhile, the III. Battalion, which could not get across by its assigned bridge, had reached the intact bridge located far to the south (which was defended).

At 12:05 hours the I. Battalion reached the high ground located south of the Regiment’s CP and shortly afterwards were there the assault guns also, therefore a defensive position could be established. At 11:40 hours, the II./ IR 179 had occupied the ground on either side of the city slaughterhouse. In between the II./ AR 157 were also brought towards the ground around the station so it could support the I./ IR 217.

Fuentes: http://www.57id.de/index.php/Bericht_%C ... on_Charkow
After the Battle 112 - The Four Battles for Kharkov.
http://www.russlandfeldzug.de/dieostfront3.htm

More follows. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Troops belonging to the 57 ID getting across the broken viaduct.
Troops belonging to the 57 ID getting across the broken viaduct.
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Re: First battle for Kharkov

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; a little more (6º part)..............

The attack – 24 Oct 1941. 6º part.

The actions in the IR 199’s sector were as follows: the I. Battalion (reinforced with heavy weapons, assault guns and engineers) should win the bridges on the Lopany river; at 08:00 hours after a fast attack the battalion could seize the half destroyed access leading to bridge 213 and then proceeded up to the bridge 210, which was reached at 09:10 hours; there the resistance stiffened. The soviets opened up on the bridge, even with cannons and tanks, so the unit could not push further. Later, another attempt for gaining ground towards the destroyed bridge 209 failed also.

The city’s main bridge, the Nº 210, was intact so the russian tried to blast it several times but the battalion could avoid that action. In the afternoon, the resistance yielded and the I. Battalion could establish a bridgehead on the city’s center. Only that day the engineers troops removed from the bridge 400 kilograms of explosive.

The III. Battalion was to surpass the I. Battalion thru the bridge 210 and then should press towards the city’s center. However when the I./ IR 199 could not seize that bridge (Nº 210), the Regiment’s Commanding Officer, Oberstleutnant Deboi ordered that a reconnaissance was to be carried out to the south along the Lopany river. As a consecuence the bridge Nº 208 was located intact so the unit commander directed the III. Battalion to get across there in order to push from the south. The battalion found that the bridges 189 and 190 were blown up like the 192 and 193 and the far river bank was well manned by the red troops.

Now the battalion’s Commander tried to seize the center coming from the east, taking in the meantime the bridge Nº 194, but around 15:00 hours it blew into the sky. Finally the Battalion could block all the bridges leading to the center clearing up the south bank of the Lopany river in the process.

The II./ IR 199, was fighting against strong resistence with its machineguns and by 15:00 hours could win ground north of the station pushing thru the Plechaniwskij’s quarter. Around 17:00 hours already had reached the railroad bridge located to the west of bridge 221. The III./ AR 157 which was furnishing fire support to IR 199 could reach the ground located south of the prison, while one battery went ahead with the II./ IR 199 during Oct 24.

Fuentes: http://www.57id.de/index.php/Bericht_%C ... on_Charkow
After the Battle 112 - The Four Battles for Kharkov.
http://www.russlandfeldzug.de/dieostfront3.htm

More follows. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Stug III supporting the infantry of the 57 ID at the eastern end of Sverdlov street, before them the bridge over the Lopany has been blown.
Stug III supporting the infantry of the 57 ID at the eastern end of Sverdlov street, before them the bridge over the Lopany has been blown.
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Re: First battle for Kharkov

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Hello to all :D; the last part.............................

The end.

On Oct 24 1941, around 1.000 POWs were taken, plus 7 tanks and 1 APC vehicle were destroyed. In the city a large part of the buildings and industries were either destroyed or burning. That very day in the afternoon the Division’s Commanding Officer could report that the mission had been accomplished and Charkow had been taken.

During Oct 25 1941, the center and the southern part of the city were mopped up while the Pi Btl 157 started to sweep the minefields within the urban area.

Most of the inhabitants were friendly and welcomed the german soldiers warmly in spite of some of them had taken part in the fight.

The city’s conquest had crowned 14 days of heavy fights against the enemy troops, even supported by tanks; the mud, the rain and the freeze. The 57 ID suffered 150 KIA during that period.

After that the Corps’ Commander issued the following order:

Commanding Officer LV AK – HQ Oct 25 1941.

Order Nº 17:

Soldiers!! Charkow, the third industrial city within the Soviet Union has been taken. A great achievement thanks to your bravery. From Poltava you’ve compeled the enemy to retreat steep by steep; you’ve endured the snow, the rain, the cold pushing ahead thru the mud. You’ve pressed the enemy without pause till achieve the victory.

Soldiers!, we are proud of you and later the history will tell us about your feat. I thank all of you.

General der Infanterie Vierow.

Fuentes: http://www.57id.de/index.php/Bericht_%C ... on_Charkow
After the Battle 112 - The Four Battles for Kharkov.
http://www.russlandfeldzug.de/dieostfront3.htm
http://www.bundesarchiv.de/bestaende_fi ... index.html

It's all folks. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Barricade which blocked the main road into the city from the west; ahead lies the bridge across the railway through Charkow.
Barricade which blocked the main road into the city from the west; ahead lies the bridge across the railway through Charkow.
Charkow 1941.gif (210.75 KiB) Viewed 4498 times
General der Infanterie Vierow, Comandante del LV AK.
General der Infanterie Vierow, Comandante del LV AK.
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Re: First battle for Kharkov

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; while sailing in the web I've stumbled with some pictures from a guy belonging to a German Division which fought at Charkow also. I think it was the 239 ID..............

Source: eBay auction (now expired).

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
We are marching in the burning sun through Bessarabia from Stephanesti to Jampul.
We are marching in the burning sun through Bessarabia from Stephanesti to Jampul.
image002.jpg (14.47 KiB) Viewed 4391 times
Here we got across the Dnjestr river.
Here we got across the Dnjestr river.
image004.jpg (26.16 KiB) Viewed 4394 times
The fall came and we are marching to Charkow in spite of heavy rains and the mud.
The fall came and we are marching to Charkow in spite of heavy rains and the mud.
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Re: First battle for Kharkov

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; the last lot.............Someone here has anything about the 239 ID during this struggle?

Source: eBay auction (now expired).

Cheers. Raúl M 8) .
Attachments
Yes, it's the war russian positions defeated before Charkow.......
Yes, it's the war russian positions defeated before Charkow.......
image008.jpg (33.89 KiB) Viewed 4343 times
Streetfighting in Charkow, the city is burning........
Streetfighting in Charkow, the city is burning........
image010.jpg (21.11 KiB) Viewed 4343 times
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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