PzGr Reg 64

[Abel Ravasz]

Hi,

I'm looking for a list of the regimental commanders of the PzGr Reg 64 (16. Pz Div) for the period October 42 - February 43. A brief bio of the commanders would be splendid.

Also, I'm looking for a list of the commanders of the PJ Abt 16 (16. Pz Div) in the same timeframe.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Best,

Abel

[jmark]

Hi Abel,

A list of regiment commanders of PGR64 for that period October 1942 to February 1943 is very short: there were only two!

Oberst Paul-Heinz Krumpen:
Born 12 February 1897 in Murlenbach. Promoted to Major 1 January 1937. He began the war as Major and Kommandeur of I./Inf.Rgt.79, which would later become PGR79, the sister regiment of PGR64. Promoted to Oberst 1 April 1942. Won the German Cross in Gold on 7 July 1942. Not sure of how long he commanded PGR64 but it was definitely all the way through 1942. He left Stalingrad for home leave on 19 October 1942. When he returned, Stalingrad was surrounded and he took command of elements of his regiment outside the pocket. He died in 1967 in Bad Pyrmont.

When Krumpen went on leave, Major Burgsdorff, Kdr. Pz.Jäg.Abt.16 (see below), took command of the Kampfgruppe formed from PGR64. I am not sure how long Burgsdorff commanded PGR64 for, but he survived Stalingrad, so he must have been flown out of the Kessel at some point.

Commanders of Panzerjäger-Abteilung 16 were as follows:
• Major Dr. jur. Curt Ludwig Ehrenreich von Burgsdorff (commander from 18 August 1942 until 19 October 1942, when he took command of PGR64)
• Hauptmann Gustav Jahnke (from 19 October 1942 until he was wounded on 10 January 1943. He was flown out on 20 January 1943)
• Hauptmann Robert Strack (from 10 January 1943 until end of battle. Strack was killed on 2 February 1943 in Stalingrad - the last day of fighting!)

Hope this info has helped.

Best wishes,
Jason Mark

[Abel Ravasz]

Hi Jason,

at last!!!

Your info is crucial!!!

As far as I know (or as my data shows), stab/PG Reg 64 and stab/PJ Abt 16 weren't encircled; they were separated from the rest of the division at Kalach. So, Burgsdorff wasn't flown out - he didn't even go in.

A KG Burgsdorff was formed from Gren Reg 580 (306. Inf Div) outside the Kessel, most probably based on the PG Reg 64 and PJ Abt 16 command staffs.

Do you have any data on the actions of any of these HQs outside of the Kessel? I know that your data is mostly about inside, but perhaps the good luck...

At an other forum, I recieved the info that Burgsdorff was in command of the PJ Abt 16 during the time. Is it possible that the two staffs were amalgamated outside of the Kessel, and Burgsdorff led this combined staff, while new staffs were formed inside: Do you find this theory possible?

Thanks for your enormous help,
Best,

Abel

[jmark]

Hi Abel,

Glad I could help.

My information states that Burgsdorff was the official Kommandeur of Pz.Jäg.Abt.16 until 1 February 1943 but that he was not actually with his unit in the Kessel. The Abteilungsführer Hptm. Jahnke and later Hptm. Strack led the unit in the Stalingrad pocket. I don't know whether the staff of Pz.Jg.Abt.16 was inside or outside the pocket, but I suspect it was inside.

I don't have confirmation that KG Burgsdorff was based on the staffs of PGR64 and Pz.Jg.Abt.16 but it definitely contained a large portion of Gr.Rgt.580. Can I ask if you've seen any information about the KG being based on those 16.PD units?

Burgsdorff won the Knight's Cross on 2 April 1943 as Führer Grenadier-Regiment 580. An excerpt from his Knight' Cross recommendation:
"Der Macht der Persönlichkeit des Major von Burgsdorff, Führer Grenadier-Regiment 580, und seiner an Selbstaufgabe grenzenden mitreissenden Tapferkeit und seinem selbständigen gefassten, taktisch richtigen Entschluss ist es zuzuschreiben, dass der operative Durchbruch des Gegners und damit das Zusammenbrechen der Bystraja-Stellung verhindert wurde."

There's also an Anmerkung: "Waffentat außerhalb des Kessels von Stalingrad im Raum nördlich Morosowskaja."

OK, I just checked the book "Geschichte der 16. Panzer-Division" and this is what is says on page 138:
"... KG v. Burgsdorff setzte dem russischen Vordringen nach Westen im Raume Tazinskaja-Morosowskaja erfolgreichen Widerstand entgegen. Waffen und Munition holten sich die Männer beim Russen oder bei den Luftwaffen-Felddivisionen. Sorge machte die Beschaffung von Feldküchen. Schon in den ersten Tagen kam die KG in ein hartes Gefecht bei Kamensk."

Further down the page, it says: "Am 23.12. übernahm der Rgt.Stab 64, der beim Stoß gegen die russischen Panzerkeile am 21.11. vom Gros abgeschnitten und nach Westen verschlagen worden war, unter Oberst Krumpen den Befehl über alle Trosse in Losnoy."

So, reading this, it seems the surviving elements of Rgt.Stab 64 were under the command of Krumpen, and were therefore not included in KG Burgsdorff. I'd speculate that Burgsdorff commanded PGR64 outside the Kessel only until Krumpen returned from leave. After that, he was probably given a new assignment, so it's entirely possible his KG Burgsdorff contained no elements of 16.PD apart from himself.

Best wishes,
Jason

[Abel Ravasz]

Hi Jason,

I don't know whether the staff of Pz.Jg.Abt.16 was inside or outside the pocket, but I suspect it was inside.

Let me quote a thread on this forum:

Does anybody have the History of the 16th PzDiv???

I'm looking for any info about units and Kampfgruppen of the 16th Panzer-Division from November 1942 till January/February 1943 OUTSIDE the pocket of Stalingrad.

Quote:
The planned bridgehead at Kallatsch couldn't be hold for much longer.
The vehicles couldn't cross the Don on the thin ice.
There was even a lack of petrol for the vehicles.
The 16.PzDiv lost some 700 vehicles.

Only one artillery-battalion of the PzArtRgt 16 got the way out of the beginning pocket, south east of Malitsch.


Has anybody additional infos????


MfG Michi

Stab/PzGR 64, Stab/PzJgAbt 16 and small parts of various units -
aprox 4000 men, some of them - Hiwi.

Hope this helps.

Kamen

From http://www.feldgrau.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=4403

I find Kamen's posts reliable and precise at all times. But this is my only source.

I don't have confirmation that KG Burgsdorff was based on the staffs of PGR64 and Pz.Jg.Abt.16 but it definitely contained a large portion of Gr.Rgt.580. Can I ask if you've seen any information about the KG being based on those 16.PD units?

No, this was only my weak theory. Seems to be unconfirmed.

OK, I just checked the book "Geschichte der 16. Panzer-Division" and this is what is says on page 138:
"... KG v. Burgsdorff setzte dem russischen Vordringen nach Westen im Raume Tazinskaja-Morosowskaja erfolgreichen Widerstand entgegen. Waffen und Munition holten sich die Männer beim Russen oder bei den Luftwaffen-Felddivisionen. Sorge machte die Beschaffung von Feldküchen. Schon in den ersten Tagen kam die KG in ein hartes Gefecht bei Kamensk."

Are there any dates about this combat engagement in the part of the text before Your quote? Any date in reference to KG Burgsdorff would be important.

Best,

Abel

[jmark]

Hi Abel,

I may have more information buried somewhere in my archives and library, but I can't find anything at the moment apart from the following:

22.12.1942 der Kampfgruppe des Generalleutnant Pfeiffer zugeteilt; Führer der 'Kampfgruppe von Burgsdorff' und Führer Regiment Burgsdorff (Eigenangabe) (laut Meldung vom Januar 1943; Kommandeur Grenadier-Regiment 580)
Source: "Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939-1945. Part III: Infanterie Br-Bu", Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück 1993.

Apart from that, I can't find anything else.

All the best,
Jason

[jmark]

Sorry, I forgot to answer a part of your question.

Are there any dates about this combat engagement in the part of the text before Your quote? Any date in reference to KG Burgsdorff would be important.

Nope, not a single mention of KG Burgsdorff before that. Sorry. The 16.PD history only has a page of text about the actions of 16.PD units outside the Stalingrad Kessel, and what I've already quoted is everything written about PGR64, Pz.Jg.Abt.16 and KG Burgsdorff.

If I come across anything, I'll certainly let you know.

Jason

[Abel Ravasz]

Hi Jason,

thanks for all the info and support.

Best,

Abel