Infanterie Division 52 in Russia.

[tigre]

Hello to all people ; the story follows...............................

23 July 1941 (morning).

On July 23 1941, at 06:00 hours IR 205 reported: Chomitschi Sapoliskije at 4:30 hours free of enemy. Kostjaschowo and the high ground west of it occupied by the enemy.

At 08:00 hours Sapolje weakly manned, Chomitschi Sapoliskije free.

At 10:15 hours radio message from the 31 ID (issued at 09:30 hs) the division was defending along the line Oserany - Rudnizkij Less - Tupik - Nischnaja Toschtschiza - Wiljachowka - Pokrowskij. Blocking position between the railroad line and the Druth river. RV Point Oserany. It was passed to the AA 152. From IR 163: attacks movements on the enemy side were observed in the morning north of Sapolje. Shelled by one light and one Heavy Artillery group.

At 11:00 hours Divisional Commander orientated ARKO 27 on the 31 ID situation.

At 11:45 hours from IR 181: enemy occupied the swampy ground eastwards Nowosellje; could not reach yet the high ground 2 kilometers eastward of Nowosellje. Halted there due to fire from several MGs and Mortars.

At 12:50 hours from ARKO 27: our artillery unleashed strong barrages on Blisnezy, in support of patrols of IR 181 towards satrenki. Support of possible attack was discussed.

Source: "Luchas, Victorias y Derrotas" Lothar Rendulic. Círculo Militar. Buenos Aires.
http://www.rogachev.de
Hinze's "Bug - Moskwa - Berezina"

It follows. Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all people ; the story follows...............................

23 July 1941 (afternoon and night).

At 13:20 hours, radio message from AA 152 (issued at 12:30 hs) returned cavalry patrols reported that the ground east of Rumok, Malaja Konopliza, Nowaja and the woods nearby were occupied, because of it they could not reconnoiter that area.

At 14:00 hours from IR 181: hostile harassing fire over the regimental sector.

At 15:00 hours from IR 163: the enemy fortified the height west of Sapolje. Enemy columns heading to Sapolje on the Druth east bank were shelled with artillery and mortars.

At 17:00 hours from IR 181: enemy artillery fire on the II. Battalion mainly over sabolotje, followed at 17:15 hours by an attack in company strenght. The attack was rejected at 18:20 hours due to infantry fire and artillery barrages.

At 18:20 hours the Divisional Commander discussed the Division’s aim with the Ia. Purpouse: the Division was to attack on Jul 24 1941 in order to throw the enemy back across the Dniepr river with the luftwaffe support.

At 18:40 hours Div. Commander to Pi. Corps Leader as additional task: was to block from Oserany to Mankij. Aim: to spare Divisional forces. (Oserany should be the future left limit of the Corps).

At 19:15 hours Div. Commander to LIII AK’s CoS: Purpouse and development (24 or 25 Jul 1941); around 05:00 hours: artillery fire; 06:00 hours aerial attack, simultaneously the infantry was to jump off. II./ IR 315 should be ready. The aim should be temporarily newly established owing to: the broad Divisional sector, the doubtful aerial attack and the OoB of the unit for that operation was not inconvenient.

At 19:25 hours radio message of the 31 ID ( issued at 18:50 hs): advanced element “Blocking force Hurten” at 17:20 hours in Rudnizkij Less. Advance hindered due to destroyed bridges and poor roads. No enemy contact. Please, set the RV point eastwards Oserany.

At 19:30 hours Div. Commander - CoS LIII AK: two prisoners from the 117 SD were taken. They seemed as little educated; that division was deployed in a broad sector. The wish was to drove back the enemy across the Druth river. Perhaps on Jul 25; unbeliving.

At 20:00 hours oral order by wire to all units: Mission without change. Intense patrol actions.

20:10 hours AA 152 radioed: Malaja Konopliza - Nowaja Konopliza and Woods southeastwards free of enemy. Malaja Konopliza - Rumok noise of caterpillars. Wireless message to AA 152: blocking detachment of 31 ID in the afternoon at Rudnizkij Less. Liaison should be establish. Own blocking position Myk - Oserany.

At 20:30 hours from IR 205: on Jul 24 at 20:00 hours patrols action to Kostjaschowo, Sapolje and eastwards. No artillery fire there. ARKO 27 was informed.

At 21:00 hours arrived the Corps order for the defense on 24 Jul 1941. Divisional task without changes.

At 21:08 hours from LIII AK leader of T-152 should be attend on Jul 24 1941 at 09:00 hours at Titowka.

At 21:30 hours from IR 181 enemy attack from Sabolotje, seemed reconnaissance in force; it reached own MLR but was rejected at 22:00 hours.

From IR 205 except artillery fire the day was quiet.

The struggle reached its peak on the day fourteen, even a withdrawal up to the Beresina was allowed but the divisional commander rejected that solution and the unit endured. On the morning of the day fifteen the enemy command threw its reserve attacking in 5 or 6 waves putting all the eggs in one basket. During that night nobody could sleep even for a while but next morning as the sun rose no one enemy could be seen on the field, the struggle was over and the 52 ID had held its line.

Source: "Luchas, Victorias y Derrotas" Lothar Rendulic. Círculo Militar. Buenos Aires.
http://www.rogachev.de
Hinze's "Bug - Moskwa - Berezina"

It follows. Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows.............................

Advance across the Dniepr.

On Aug 12, 1941 the divisional commander received the order stating that the march was to be resumed on Aug 16 in the framework of the offensive that would throw back the enemy across the Dniepr in front of Rogatschev. The big bridge leading to Rogatschev across the Druth river, was destroyed during the July’s fights, as well the bridge connecting the city with the Dniepr’s eastern bank. The russian had replaced both with ponton’s bridges. The attack was to be developed crossing two rivers and through the city. Launch the attack to the south of the city for crossing only one river (the Dniepr) was not possible bacause the eastern bank was very swampy there and both river banks were trackless. The preparations were finished without catch the enemy attention. The division organized one motorized combat group with antitanks, engineers and the recce company’s part. It was to advance fast and seize the bridges as soon as the breakthrough had been accomplished. One Stuka’s squadron was to support our attack, the assault’s hour was set at 06:00 AM.

The others german’s forces deep echeloned to the south started the offensive on Aug 15, one day before that the 52 ID, in that way the task before Rogatschev should be easy for us.

On Aug 16 1941 at dawn, the Divisional Commander went to the advanced PC located close to the regimental PC that was to attack as division’s main effort immediately to the south of the motor way heading to Rogatschev. A thick fog covered the zone and although it was summer, the weather was cool. As the sun raised over the horizont the fog lifted, all was quiet yet and only isolated shots could be heard.

At 06:00 hours appeared the stuka’s squadron roaring from the sky and dropped its bombs over the assigned targets. After a short artillery and heavy weapons barrage the riflemen jumped off breaking into the hostile positions. The motorized combat group raced towards its objectives and could seize both bridges intacts, one russian squad which tried to blast the bridge over the Dniepr was wiped out with machine gun’s fire. The Divisional Commander moved on immediately behind, followed the motorized group’s tracks in order to avoid the danger of mines and reached the Druth’s western bank, Rogatschev was located across the river in a plateau; there, the shore’s slope was steep, falling down 20 meters up to the river. Then the divisional staff car got across the river past over the pontoon bridge. The beatiful city of Rogatschev was burning, the inhabitants had fled. General Rendulic surveyed the landscape from the city’s southern edge where both rivers joined. Towards the east, where the soviets had retreated, stretched a huge wooded land, to the west the steep slope cut the sights, to the south ran the full-flowing Dniepr with its swampy eastern lowlands.

From Rogatschev, the motorway led towards the east; from one fork located in the wood a road led towards the southeast. The divisional reconnaissance detachment (AA 52) was to follow the latest one. The enemy deployed 15 kilometers south of us, was holding yet its positions on the Dniepr and was trying to establish a rear guard position to the north as well. That very night the 52 ID took up readiness positions in order to attack the enemy blocking position on Aug 17 at dawn, however the enemy’s mass withdrew in the middle of the dark. The strong russian rear guards gave up after short fire fights.

The division resumed its march again and reached the railway which from Slobin led to the east, where at noon the stop order was received. In one road we could see 15 russian heavy batteries ready to march, the guns and its prime movers were intact. The division took 15.000 POWs, especially in the woods east of the Dniepr, 40 cannons, 100 trucks and more than 1000 horses. Also we caught the colours of the soviet 343 Rifle Regiment in that combats, which was signed by Marshall Timoshenko.

Source: "Luchas, Victorias y Derrotas" Lothar Rendulic. Círculo Militar. Buenos Aires.
http://www.rogachev.de
Hinze's "Bug - Moskwa - Berezina"

It follows. Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; here goes the end of it.............................

Following dirty roads towards the Desna river - Beginning of the October’s struggle.

After some resting days, around 22 Aug 1941, the Division resumed its march eastwards. To the south of us the giant cauldron of Kiew was in progress within it approximately 600.000 soviet soldiers would be taken as prisoners. We had not hostile troops in our front.

The march proceeded several days throughout an endless, open and fertile land; it was a farming soil but the harvest already had been collected.

The 52 ID crossed the Shosh river in the Tschetschersk. The river was around 50 meters wide with steep slopes. It had been raining the day before so the river crossing was very difficult. The engineers had built a war bridge whose exit ramp set in the opposite bank should be negotiate with extra horse teams or prime movers.

Shortly before the village of Chotinsk the advance guard had set a big poster with the number 1.000 painted on it. This amount awoke pleasure and pride in the men.

Shortly afterward the Division entered into a large wooded land, the Units lasted almost one day long to get thru it and when finally the 52 ID left the wood it was on the broad bank of the Desna river the third of the russian rivers.

Source: "Luchas, Victorias y Derrotas" Lothar Rendulic. Círculo Militar. Buenos Aires.
http://www.rogachev.de
Hinze's "Bug - Moskwa - Berezina"

It's all folks. Cheers. Raúl M .

[RobertH]

Hello,

Rendulic also describes his experience on the Attack and Defense at Rogachev in July 1941 in FMS D-080a The Command Decision.

Do you have this study?

Regards,

Robert

[tigre]

Hello Robert ; thanks for joining. Sadly nope just the Rendulic's book mentioned as source. Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a question.....................

Crossing at Rogatschev 1941.

Source: http://www.karty.by/2017/01/30/rogachev ... ckij-plan/

Anyone have details about it? Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; a complement....................

Crossing at Rogatschev 1941.

Source: http://chestmundira.ucoz.ru/forum/22-632-4

Cheers. Raúl M .