Re: "Panther" in "Zitadelle"
Posted: Sat May 21, 2016 5:04 am
Hello to all ; the story follows...................................
The course of the battle - July 09, 1943. Actions.
At 0010 on 9 July the div received orders to commence its attack to capture the N part of Werchopenje by 0400. However the div did not jump off until 0530. According to a radio message the Panther Reg did not plan to jump off until 0800. The Pz Regt, supported by assault guns, jumped off from the MTS and advanced toward the N part of Werchopenje, but the attack made little progress because of heavy flanking fire from the W. At 0720 tanks of the Panther Reg were still in their assembly areas.
By 0840 the Panther Reg had finally attacked and penetrated into the N part of Werchopenje, and the Recon Bn and Assault Gun Bn had reached the road from Werchopenje to 242.1 on the highway. The Panther Reg was ordered to immediately move all its tanks not already committed in Werchopenje to Hill 260.8. At 0910 it was reported that the Panthers moving toward 260.8 were making little progress through the open terrain W of the road because of strong Soviet tank forces.
After a bit of regrouping GD got its attack going by 0930 with both the Pz Regt and the Panther Reg moving briskly toward 260.8. The leading panzers reached Hill 260.8 about 1000, with the infantry following. The continuing attack met with dug-in tanks S of Nowosselowka and strong Soviet counterattacks from the NW and NE hit the advancing Panther Reg at the same time.
By 1300 the GD Pz Regt, advancing now at a good pace, had broken Soviet resistance at Nowosselowka and captured the town, destroying many Soviet tanks. The Regt continued to advance N and at 1400 reached the road fork 3 km N of Nowosselowka, and was scouting toward 232.8. At 1450 the Corps ordered GD to turn off immediately to the SW toward the road fork at 258.5, with objective of Dolgij and the hills N of it, in order to block retreating Soviet forces. At 1545 the Pz Regt reached 244.8, N of Hf at the road fork. At 1600 the Panther Reg was ordered to advance via Nowosselowka S of Kalinowka toward Hill 258.5.
Obst: Large minefield 1 km S of 237.6. Thick minefield in front of 234.8. "Well-constructed" emplacements in the W part of Beresowka. Bunkers on the S edge of Beresowka.
Sources: http://www.panther1944.de/index.php/de/ ... uppenteile
Panzer Tactics – German Small-Units Armor Tactics in WWII.
U.S. War Department "Handbook On German Military Forces" (Mar'45) TM-E 30-451
Kursk – The German View
MINE AND COUNTERMINE OPERATIONS IN THE BATTLE OF KURSK. Mr. Andrew Remson and Ms. Debbie Anderson.
Scorched Earth-Hitler’s War on Russia. Vol 2.
http://www.military-info.de/wk2/wk2.htm
A MEASURE OF THE REAL-WORLD VALUE OF MIXED MINE SYSTEMS. Dupuy Institute
http://planetarmor.com/forums/showthrea ... 859&page=2
KOSAVE
Cheers. Raúl M .
The course of the battle - July 09, 1943. Actions.
At 0010 on 9 July the div received orders to commence its attack to capture the N part of Werchopenje by 0400. However the div did not jump off until 0530. According to a radio message the Panther Reg did not plan to jump off until 0800. The Pz Regt, supported by assault guns, jumped off from the MTS and advanced toward the N part of Werchopenje, but the attack made little progress because of heavy flanking fire from the W. At 0720 tanks of the Panther Reg were still in their assembly areas.
By 0840 the Panther Reg had finally attacked and penetrated into the N part of Werchopenje, and the Recon Bn and Assault Gun Bn had reached the road from Werchopenje to 242.1 on the highway. The Panther Reg was ordered to immediately move all its tanks not already committed in Werchopenje to Hill 260.8. At 0910 it was reported that the Panthers moving toward 260.8 were making little progress through the open terrain W of the road because of strong Soviet tank forces.
After a bit of regrouping GD got its attack going by 0930 with both the Pz Regt and the Panther Reg moving briskly toward 260.8. The leading panzers reached Hill 260.8 about 1000, with the infantry following. The continuing attack met with dug-in tanks S of Nowosselowka and strong Soviet counterattacks from the NW and NE hit the advancing Panther Reg at the same time.
By 1300 the GD Pz Regt, advancing now at a good pace, had broken Soviet resistance at Nowosselowka and captured the town, destroying many Soviet tanks. The Regt continued to advance N and at 1400 reached the road fork 3 km N of Nowosselowka, and was scouting toward 232.8. At 1450 the Corps ordered GD to turn off immediately to the SW toward the road fork at 258.5, with objective of Dolgij and the hills N of it, in order to block retreating Soviet forces. At 1545 the Pz Regt reached 244.8, N of Hf at the road fork. At 1600 the Panther Reg was ordered to advance via Nowosselowka S of Kalinowka toward Hill 258.5.
Obst: Large minefield 1 km S of 237.6. Thick minefield in front of 234.8. "Well-constructed" emplacements in the W part of Beresowka. Bunkers on the S edge of Beresowka.
Sources: http://www.panther1944.de/index.php/de/ ... uppenteile
Panzer Tactics – German Small-Units Armor Tactics in WWII.
U.S. War Department "Handbook On German Military Forces" (Mar'45) TM-E 30-451
Kursk – The German View
MINE AND COUNTERMINE OPERATIONS IN THE BATTLE OF KURSK. Mr. Andrew Remson and Ms. Debbie Anderson.
Scorched Earth-Hitler’s War on Russia. Vol 2.
http://www.military-info.de/wk2/wk2.htm
A MEASURE OF THE REAL-WORLD VALUE OF MIXED MINE SYSTEMS. Dupuy Institute
http://planetarmor.com/forums/showthrea ... 859&page=2
KOSAVE
Cheers. Raúl M .