Servus !
Years ago a German friend of mine who was in the Totenkopf Diviswion at Demjansk told me that at one point of the the battle the SS men were split up among the Heer troops as stiffeners to keep them from trying to surrender to the Russians. I specifically remember that he mentioned the 123 Infantry Division. Has anyone ever heard anything about this incident or anything similiar?
Thanks in advance for any info.
Demjansk
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Enrico Mölders
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Hello Helmut,
it's true that the forces of the 3. SS 'Totenkopf' were split but not in two as widly known but in thre parts. Two parts within the pocket one Kampfgruppe Eicke and one the smaller one under the command of remenants of the 130. mot Infantry Division ( not totaly sure about the 130. )
The third part was the 3. SS Aufklärungsabteilung which were under the comand of the X. Armee Korps outside the pocket.
bye Enrico
it's true that the forces of the 3. SS 'Totenkopf' were split but not in two as widly known but in thre parts. Two parts within the pocket one Kampfgruppe Eicke and one the smaller one under the command of remenants of the 130. mot Infantry Division ( not totaly sure about the 130. )
The third part was the 3. SS Aufklärungsabteilung which were under the comand of the X. Armee Korps outside the pocket.
bye Enrico
' ... zu bedauern die Nation die Helden benötigt ! ' Berthold Brecht
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MCO
If you know, did the Pioneer Battalion of the 3.SS 'Totenkopf' fight as a single body or was it split up between these three pockets?Enrico Mölders wrote:Hello Helmut,
it's true that the forces of the 3. SS 'Totenkopf' were split but not in two as widly known but in thre parts. Two parts within the pocket one Kampfgruppe Eicke and one the smaller one under the command of remenants of the 130. mot Infantry Division ( not totaly sure about the 130. )
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Enrico Mölders
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- Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2003 8:15 am
- Location: Deutschland
Hello,
as far as I know were the 3. SS Pionier Battalion also parts of the untis wich were outside the pocket but I have no clear references where exactly they fight.
All I know is, that Eicke mentioned that the remenants of Kampfgruppe Simon and the remenants of the Aufklärungs and Pionierbattalion were transported mid october 1942 to France for of totaly rebuilt of the Totenkopf Division because more than 80% of the Kampfverbände gone lost in the last 16 months of fierce fighting and a reinforce of those units were impossible.
bye Enrico
as far as I know were the 3. SS Pionier Battalion also parts of the untis wich were outside the pocket but I have no clear references where exactly they fight.
All I know is, that Eicke mentioned that the remenants of Kampfgruppe Simon and the remenants of the Aufklärungs and Pionierbattalion were transported mid october 1942 to France for of totaly rebuilt of the Totenkopf Division because more than 80% of the Kampfverbände gone lost in the last 16 months of fierce fighting and a reinforce of those units were impossible.
bye Enrico
Last edited by Enrico Mölders on Wed Apr 30, 2003 10:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
' ... zu bedauern die Nation die Helden benötigt ! ' Berthold Brecht
Servus,
I had known about the Division being split into 3 main parts ( 2 in the kessel and one outside) but my friend specifically mentioned that the SS men were split up as 1 SS man with 2 Wehrmacht men to either keep them from deserting either toward the enemy or falling back. My friend gave me some pretty reliable information in other regards but this is the only info he gave me that I have been unable to corroborate independently. I'm starting to think it was either very locally implemented or just a fabrication.
I had known about the Division being split into 3 main parts ( 2 in the kessel and one outside) but my friend specifically mentioned that the SS men were split up as 1 SS man with 2 Wehrmacht men to either keep them from deserting either toward the enemy or falling back. My friend gave me some pretty reliable information in other regards but this is the only info he gave me that I have been unable to corroborate independently. I'm starting to think it was either very locally implemented or just a fabrication.
Re: Demjansk
My Great great Uncle was with the Pioneer Battalion from its conception and was with it until they surrendered. (With the exception of when he was recovering from being wounded, then he was with SS-Totenkopf-Pioneer-Ersatz-Kompanie Dresden A/23) He was wounded on February 15, 1942 in the area of Iljinskaja-Niwa, I’m not sure if that is with in the pocket or outside the pocket. I have not been able to find any documents saying he was awarded Demjansk campaign shield, so I’m assuming it’s outside the pocket.