Welikji Lucki encirclement

[tigre]

Hello to all ; little more..............

The GR 277 and the encirclement of Welikije-Luki - winter 1942/43.

The last two weeks.

Two days later the last German antitank gun in Welikije-Luki was out of action. The situation was desperate but the fight did not stop. All Germany had the eyes put in the soldiers of Welikije-Luki.

Around 1 kilometre of length and about 100 ms of width had the Eastern sector that continued its resistence. In this close space it struck without mercy the enemy artillery. In deeply dug holes and with hand grenades the line of defense resisted in all-round positions organized for perimeter defense and in the individual nests. The Main line of Resistence was held yet. The battle was not diminished in its hardness.

The commander asked for by radio the Iron Cross for all the soldiers of Welikije Luki. On the following day the request was approved.

In the Eastern sector of the fight, the last strongpoints resist against the tanks, flame thrower and the fresh troops of infantry. Without name, the men of uniform in rags, the snow’s jacket done shreds, the Officers and grenadiers are standing up together in the life and the death.

Source: Geschichte der 83. Infanterie-division, 1939-1945 Escrito por Reinhard Tiemann

Cheers. Raúl M .

[ReinhardH]

Thank you so much for all of the detailed information, tigre!
luka, my father got his initiation to the Russian front at Welikije Luki as part of the reinforced GJR138. He served with the 3.Gebirgsdivision in Russia until he was transferred out sometime during Nov/Dec 1943.

[tigre]

Hello ReinhardH ; you're welcome and thanks for joining here . May be you and luka could shed some light on the GJR 138. Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; little more..............

The GR 277 and the encirclement of Welikije-Luki - winter 1942/43.

The last two weeks.

The enemy asked for the surrender once again, as much here as in the Citadel. Once again, he received only a quiet rejection. Until 14 January the radio operator of the regiment maintains communication with the outside. Its last phrase is like the last spark of a SOS of a Boat that was shipwrecking: “The Russians try to blow up the CP of the Regiment”.

On January 16, the Commander with his Staff and all his men were taken prisioners.

In the citadel everybody, until the last man without exception, was assigned to the all-round defense against the hard attacks. The enemy suspected his chances. The Commissars pushed the riflemen to the assault. Their superiors demanded messages of successes, numbers and results. In a sector a rupture even took place. Then came the radial message from the Whöler Group: “Order for Major Tribukait. The defenders of the citadel must break through the encirclement by their own means and to fall back towards the west until reaching the German lines”.

Source: Geschichte der 83. Infanterie-division, 1939-1945 Escrito por Reinhard Tiemann

Cheers. Raúl M .

[luka]

Thank you so much for all of the detailed information, tigre!
luka, my father got his initiation to the Russian front at Welikije Luki as part of the reinforced GJR138. He served with the 3.Gebirgsdivision in Russia until he was transferred out sometime during Nov/Dec 1943.

Reinhard probably your and my father met during that battle. They was under very strong soviet pressure and my father company was decimated, only few men was able to survive the battle. I have some hundreds of photographs of his war campaigns and maybe in one there is your father.
My father started with Norway (Trodenheim, Narvik), then Murmansk, Leningrad/Ladoga, Velikie Luki, Voroshilovgrad, Nikopol, Melitopol (Russia campaign) then injuried went back to austria and then sent to balkans and later to Normandy in a different regiment (I was not able to find wich one) where his war finished taken prisoner by americans.
Are you from Austria or Germany?

[luka]

Hello ReinhardH ; you're welcome and thanks for joining here . May be you and luka could shed some light on the GJR 138. Cheers. Raúl M .

Raul I have a lot of informations but based on the tales my father did because he's dead.
I have some war photographs.

[tigre]

Hello luka ; feel free to add that information (tales) here if you wish............. Cheers. Raúl M .

[ReinhardH]

luka I'm from the Grazer Bergland in Austria. So where are you from? From what dad told me everyone in the 3.Gebirgsdivision at that time was from Kärnten and/or Steiermark. Very possible my father met your father in passing at least along the way! Your father must have been a bit older and I would say was very lucky to have survived the Narvik, Murmansk, Leningrad campaigns ... dad wasn't drafted until the winter of '41-'42, was 'initiated' to Russia with GJR138 at Velikije Luki, then to the south with the unit as part of the army group that was intended to break open the Russian ring around Stalingrad, then nothing but retreat ... Woroschilowgrad, Nikopol, Melitopol .. at least they helped spring the Caucasus army group from another Soviet trap at the northeast of the Black Sea eh? With the 5th company (Schwere Kompanie) of his battalion he was the leader of an 8cm mortar crew and because of his toolmaker backround also served as company field armorer.

[ReinhardH]

Of this group of recruits very few survived Velikije Luki. Dad told me that only about 2 or three of these guys survived the war, and he is one of them.

[luka]

luka I'm from the Grazer Bergland in Austria. So where are you from? From what dad told me everyone in the 3.Gebirgsdivision at that time was from Kärnten and/or Steiermark. Very possible my father met your father in passing at least along the way! Your father must have been a bit older and I would say was very lucky to have survived the Narvik, Murmansk, Leningrad campaigns ... dad wasn't drafted until the winter of '41-'42, was 'initiated' to Russia with GJR138 at Velikije Luki, then to the south with the unit as part of the army group that was intended to break open the Russian ring around Stalingrad, then nothing but retreat ... Woroschilowgrad, Nikopol, Melitopol .. at least they helped spring the Caucasus army group from another Soviet trap at the northeast of the Black Sea eh? With the 5th company (Schwere Kompanie) of his battalion he was the leader of an 8cm mortar crew and because of his toolmaker backround also served as company field armorer.

Reinhard,

My father was from Bozen (Italy) sudtirol, at that time the sudtirol was assigned to the administration of Austria/Germany under an agree between Mussolini and Hilter. This agree was called in italian "Opzione" that is translated option. This because sudtirol was an area previously austrian. My granfather was austrian so he decided to retake austrian citizenship and so my father was assigned to austrian army and exactly the 138th gebirgsjager that was an unit previously in the austrian army (alpenjager). I live in Trento about 120 Km south the brenner border with Austria. My father company was formed for the most of young people (he was 19 y.o.) and all unmarried. For this reason his unit was a special action unit sent in the hottest fight areas.
Most of his camrade did non came back home. Reading your information I am sure now that our father met each other because the places of war are the same.
I know that the survivors of the 138 th do meetings every year in Austria and my father took part at two of them; unfortunately in the last time due to his illness it was not possible for him to met camrades.
Regarding Velikie Luki he told me that his company suffered very much russian offensive and very few of them survived to this battle. In this battle as of his company survived very few people he was awarded with the iron cross. Every time he talked about Russia he was remembering the bitter cold and the battle conditions. He told me many times the panic of the first meeting with the Katiusha (Stalin organ). He told that this weapon fortunately was not precise but for them to see the night sky filled of rockets and lights for the first time was something very impressive.
But the worse time of the war he remembered was the time spent in the Ladoga area and the Murmansk siege. About there was very difficult to take from him detailed informations as he was more happy to tell about the human side of the war instead the fightings and battles.
I will do some JPG photo as I have some in pdf and the forum doesn't accept this format and in the meantime I try to send you by personal message some of these

Luka

[tigre]

Hello to all ; thanks ReinhardH for that picture and the story on it, thanks for your complement luka . little more..............

The GR 277 and the encirclement of Welikije-Luki - winter 1942/43.

The last two weeks.

The wedge of the attack carried out by the 331 ID had pressed in the direction of the city along the highway of Nowossokolniki to Welikije Luki having reached the height of Melenka. Here a group of 100 men arrived before the German lines after a ghostly march. Three Russian positions had been broken and one antitank front annihilated. Seven Russians were caught and two slightly wounded came along with the column.

In another successful rupture, the Leutnant Tietjen and the Feldw. Kolle had guided 18 men hurt from the citadel and after a risky march of 4 hours they reached the own lines. Here the Uffz. Deckmann and the Obergefr. Andersen had behaved in shining form, unfortunately shortly before their goal they were caught by a sudden burst of artillery and were killed, several others were hurt.

Source: Geschichte der 83. Infanterie-division, 1939-1945 Escrito por Reinhard Tiemann

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; thanks ReinhardH for that picture and the story on it, thanks for your complement luka . little more..............

The GR 277 and the encirclement of Welikije-Luki - winter 1942/43.

The last two weeks.

Out of the 16 men, who left to the southwest of the hangars, and successfully broke through columns of hostile tanks and infantry, only the Obergefr. Karl Beik (14. /277 GR.) and letón reached the German lines. It was not known anything else of the destiny run by the rest of the groups of comrades.

The report of the Wehrmacht said: The soldiers of the citadel of Welikije-Luki with the aid of the attacking battle group managed to break towards the German lines by its own means.

On January 26 of 1946 in the Place Lenin of Welikije-Luki were hanged the following ex- - combatant Germans:

Gen. Lt. van Rappard ex- CO of GR. 277
Obstlt. Frhr. Bon Sass last CO of GR. 277
Major Sonnewald Commander of Welikije-Luki
Hptm. Kulenkamp Leader of the 1. Sturm-Kp. GR. 277
Reichsbahn - Sonderführer (special leader of the railroads) Hahn Reichsbahn ( worker of the railroads) Ausbess.
Obergefreiter Gorsch 5. /GR 277 returned after 25 years of captivity.

Source: Geschichte der 83. Infanterie-division, 1939-1945 Escrito por Reinhard Tiemann

It's all folks. Cheers. Raúl M .

[Denis T.]

2luca, ReinhardH,
I seek materials about this encirclement, because I live here (in a "Brandenburg line") now. It's my history also, even if it's German point of view. I want to write a story, based on these events; and I'll be happy to read memoirs of Wehrmacht soldiers, yours fathers. What they felt in battles there? It's interesting to get a learn their afraids, joys, hopes, sadnesses... I want to know history without soviet propaganda, I just want to know the truth.
And I'll be glad, if you help me.