SS Kampfgruppe "1001 Nacht"

[FBB]

i want to konw any info about this odd unit (it seems like a paratroop unit)

[charlie don't surf]

James Lucas mentions it in 'Battle Group' as Kampfgruppe "thousand and one nights". It was a mixed battalion formed around the 560 jagdpanzer battalion.

regards

[Commissar D, the Evil]

Hi Guys, there is actully a fair amount of information on "the best Named Kampfgruppe in WWII", particularly in Munoz' "Forgotten Legions" and LeTisser's Zhulov at the Oder". This odd little unit played an important role in the Seelowe Heights battles and it's main striking force was a rather large number of Hetzers, as SS Jagdpanzer Abt. 560 formed the basis of it. Other components included Panzeraufklarungs Abt. Speer (!) and a company from SS Parachute Battalion 600.
John Nelson is the leading authority on this unit to my knowledge and has actually been in comunication with some of its veterans.

Best Regards, David

[charlie don't surf]

Interesting, thanks for sharing the information!

regards

[FBB]

thanks for your reply, but why the german gave such a mythic name to denominate this unit

[Commissar D, the Evil]

I have no idea FBB, but the unit was strange. It's commander was a Major Blancbois, who was Wehrmacht, not SS. If memory serves, he won the KC with either the 20th Panzer or 5th Panzer during the Soviet Operation "Bagration" in 1944. By the way, one part of the unit was code-named "Harem" and another "Suleika". This is all from memory. "1001 Nights" covered the retreat of the German Army when all was lost and the Russian Oder offensive broke through to Berlin in April 1945. I believe it was destroyed at this point, although some survivors made it to the Elbe to surrender to American forces. Best Regards, David

[charlie don't surf]

http://forum.panzerlexikon.de/viewtopic ... rfsch+tzen

This is in german but I'm sure you'll figure out some of it.

regards