The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

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tigre
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

Annihilating the MLR.

The Reserve Battalion 250.

The luck of the Reserve Battalion 250º was not going to be less terrible. It was deployed cutting the highway of Leningrad-Moscow and was evident that the Soviets would try to release that route. This one was the unique sector where the Spanish lines were something more than a tenuous line of infantry, since Captain Miranda, Commanding Officer of the Battalion, had put in forward edge the 2ª/Res. 250 (Ulzurrun) and the 3ª/Res. 250 (Oroquieta), maintaining the 1ª/Res. 250 (Auba) like maneuvering force and the 4ª/Res. 250 (Anda) in positions to the rear to furnish support with its heavy weapons of infantry.

After the demolishing action of its artillery, the 72ª Soviet Rifle Division, whereas one of its Regiments fixed the IIIº/262 of captain García Calvo to its positions, went on to the offensive against the Reserve Battalion 250º with the mass of its force and with tank support. The attack was repulsed with serious own losses, but successfully, by the 3ª/Res. 250 of Oroquieta.

However, in the neighboring sector, the Russians broke through the line of the 2ª/Res. 250 of Ulzurrun in spite of its brave defense (Ulzurrun was wounded from the beginning of the combat). This Company fell back towards the Ishora, but the Commanding Officer of the Battalion, Miranda, led himself a counterattack carried out by the 1ª/Res. 250 and the rest of the 2ª/Res. 250. The action was settled with a bloody drain for the Spaniards. Miranda and Ulzurrun fell during its development, while Auba was wounded. Actually, the front of the Reserve battalion 250º was broken and only the 3ª/Res. 250 (reinforced by one of the Platoons of the 1ª/Res. 250) remained in its positions.

Like in both previous cases, the reserves located in the rear of the sector tried to seal the breach. The 1º/Expl. 250 of the Lieutenant Rey launched a counterattack with such aim, but suffering to many losses, among them the lieutenant himself who was seriously wounded (Lieutenant Gavilán took command, until Captain Ortega, commander of the unit could reincorporate to his command post) and the death in combat of the lieutenant García Estepa. Finally the Squadron had to fall back towards the great meander of the Ishora.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
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Deployment of the Reserve Battalion 250.
Deployment of the Reserve Battalion 250.
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

Annihilating the MLR.

The Reserve Battalion 250.

The breakthrough in the front of the Reserve Batalion 250º and the failure of the Spanish counterattack, allowed the enemy to send its vanguards towards the Ishora. The most favorable points to cross it were in the great meander where the Factory of Paper was placed and in Stararia-Mysa and Sansonovka, two villages located one against another on either banks of the river.

The enemy attack was not limited to the sector of the Factory of Paper, where it was trying to take the IIIº/262 by its rear, but also it was intense more to the south, in Sansonovka, where was located the CP of the Leader of the Subsector, Araujo, who also sent to the battle his last reserve: the Assault Platoon of the regiment, which was fitted in the 15ª/262, that was sent against the enemy forces which advanced still further to the south, towards Podolovo. The sacrifice of this unit reflected in the death in combat of its leader, Lieutenant Rico, could not stop the offensive either . The rest of the 15ª/262 of Captain Ortíz, on the other hand, had to engage fully to contain the enemy before the village of Sansonovka.

It seemed that in this sector the Spanish front had been crushed. Nevertheless, with incredible obstinacy, Oroquieta remained in his positions in the forward edge. This epic defense continued until the night fell. His sacrifice had not been sterile. On one hand they had restrained the enemy advance much more time of the imaginable; besides, they had blocked the advance of the enemy whom tried to cross the Ishora.

By comparison, the IIIº/262 escaped relatively undamaged.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

Post by sebastian »

its been hard battles for the spanish volunteers,keep it coming tigre!
Saludos
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

Annihilating the MLR.

The Reserve Battalion 250.

A bastion in the highway.

In the zone of contact between the Reserve battalion 250º and the IIº/262 was organized one zone more fortified than the rest, well-known as " The Bastión", manned by the men of the 8ª/262 of Arozarena and some antitank elements. On February 08 it had been deployed, connecting with "The Bastión", the 3ª/Zapad. 250 of Captain Aramburu (in fact, two of its Platoons). Surprisingly, during the bombing of day 10, as much the positions of Arozarena as those of Aramburu received less punishment than those of their neighbors. On the other hand, the heroic sacrifice of the forward edge caused that the Soviets arrived before those spanish positions already worn away.

When no longer they waited for more resistance they met head on with the 8ª/262 and the 3ª/Zapad. 250, which disturbed them totally. The first frontal attack against this Spanish group was registered in the morning around 10:00 hours. This discontinuous attack allowed that captain Campos, with the rest of his 7ª/262 and some elements of the 6ª/262 and 5ª/262 reached the positions of Arozarena and Aramburu. Shortly after, the position was also surrounded indeed by the south and all contact with the rest of the Blue Division was lost. But as the Bastion had resisted, the enemy was forced, actually, to turn aside from one of his main axes of advance.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

Post by sebastian »

pics
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source u!nknown:member of a spanish polizei unit
source u!nknown:member of a spanish polizei unit
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source unkown;general Emilio Esteban-Infantes
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

Post by tigre »

Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

Annihilating the MLR.

The Reserve Battalion 250.

A bastion in the highway.

When the night fell (that is to say, around 15:30 hours) a handful of soldiers from Oroquieta arrived at the position; they informed on the extreme situation in which his unit was. As soon as it grew dark it was tried to connect with the surrounded 3ª/Res. 250, from the positions of Aramburu but without success.

Finally, around 22:00 hours, the three captains present there, Aramburu, Arozarena and Campos, held a meeting and decided that the assigned mission could be given as fulfilled, so the moment had arrived for saving the men trying to reach the own lines. At 00:40 hours of the day 11 and the luck accompanied to this group of almost 200 Spanish soldiers (rest of the Companies 5ª, 7ª and 8ª of the 262, 3ª/Reser. 250 and 3ª/Zapad. 250). The spaniards had taken advantage of dark and the fact that the Russians had not consolidated their positions yet, in order to withdraw towards Sablino; after marching aside Krasny Bor, they could reach their own lines at 06:30 hours of the day 11.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

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Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

The Soviets begin to pay for their errors.

After beating off the forward edge, the battle of Krasny Bor entered in its second phase, with two “fronts”, so to speak. One front was to be established along the Ishora. Another was, the new line which the spaniards tried to establish in the town of Krasny Bor and the nearby villages due southeast.

The Soviet attack already was lost its tempo. The bloody assault carried out against the first line had been the first reason for the delay. The Soviets had taken little advantage to their armored vehicles. Their tanks, even the lightest, had not problems with the Spaniards anti-tanks, whose shots did not affect to them. Only Cantalapiedra (with his 3ª/Antitanq. 250) could put out of action five of them, shooting at almost to point-blank, in the acess to Krasny VOR along the highway Leningrad-Moscow. The antitank guns "borrowed" by the 2ª Brigade SS and manned by personnel of the Legion SS Norway, was not so lucky, because the pieces were surrounded by the hostile infantry before being able to fight itself against the cars. The Norwegian officer who led this Antitank Platoon, "SS Untersturmführer" Lundemo fell in the battle.

Spontaneously, between the 11:00 and the 12:00 hours, the officers whom had had their CP in Krasny Bor began to organize an unexpected line of containment. But the decisive action would be the one accomplished by two other officers, the Majors Reinlein (CO of Iº/Art. 250) and Bellod (CO of Combat engineers 250º), who organized improvised battle groups that sent themselves to a desperate counterattack in order to expel the enemy infantry from Krasny Bor. The Russian were disturbed and withdrew themselves some hundreds of meters towards the north to reorganize its force.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

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Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

The Soviets begin to pay for their errors.

At 09:50 hours for the first time, Sagrado did a request to Esteban-Infantes; the former asked for reinforcements urgently. He was answered that he should maintain the calm and did not use all his reserves. At 10:25 hours Sagrado repeat his urgent request of reinforcements to the divisional command, to which it was answered that a German Regiment advanced towards Krasny Bor in order to help him. At 10:35 hours Esteban-Infantes ordered to Sagrado that he tried to recover his forward edge whatever be the cost.

Reinlein and Bellod were very effective and organized, so well that they could, given the circumstances, a new improvised line. However, the Soviet pressure, given its absolute numerical superiority, was exhausting, but the men of Reinlein and Bellod with their desperated action, denied which the Soviets as much longed for: the total and effective control on the town of Krasny Bor.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
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Situation from 11:00 till 13:00 hours.
Situation from 11:00 till 13:00 hours.
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

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Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

The German artillery.

The "Arko 138" , that is to say, the Commando of Artillery of the Lº Army Corps, once was clear that it was Krasny Bor and not another one the sector of rupture, effectively directed the fire against the Soviet attackers, causing serious losses among them.

The units of heavy artillery deployed around Leningrad were diverse. For example the 814. Schwere Artilleríe Regiment (Heavy artillery regiment), with two Groups, each with 4 howitzers of 240 mm and the Schwere Artillerie Abteilung (Group of Heavy Artillery) 624º, the 641º (mixed units, equipped each with three mortar of 210 and four of 305) and the 815º (with six pieces of 305).

Also were there, and is necessary to emphasize them very especially, the troops of the Eisenbahn Artillerie Regiment z.b.V. (Railway Artillery regiment for special tasks) 679º, a unit that comprised the Eisenbahn Batterie (Railway Batteries) 693ª and 696ª (with railway howitzers of 400 mm taken to the French), and 686ª, this one equipped with the most effective Eisenbahn Kanone of 28 cm.

Although the colossuses between the colossuses of that one panoply were four French howitzers of 520 mm on railway assembly, that could shoot projectiles of up to 1,600 kgs and which also were used in the sector by the Germans.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

Post by sebastian »

again information i probably would never come by if it was not for you tigre :D
thanks again

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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

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You're welcome Seb. Cheers. Raúl M 8).
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

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Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

At the Advanced CP.

So soon it was confirmed that the Soviet main strike was triggered against Krasny Bor, as already we saw, General Esteban-Infantes had moved to the Advanced CP established in Raykolovo, to try to direct the battle from there. Around 12:00 hours (peculiarly, the same hour in that Simoniak informed to Sviridov that he had taken the effective control of Krasny Bor, according to the Historical record of the Soviet 55º Army) the situation, as it was seen from the Divisional CP was the following one:

•The Iº/262 and the Company of Skiers 250º had been beaten and overwhelmed.
• The IIº/262 had been crushed and only “the Bastión" had resisted yet;.
• The Reserve battalion 250º had sustained serious losses and had been beaten also. It was known that Oroquieta resisted.
• The IIIº/262 had suffered enough with the artillery fire, but it had not faced an strong infantry assault as the three before mentioned Battalions, hence it stayed in his positions, although with its right flank threatened.
• The Anti-tank battalion 250º had lost practically all their material in the unequal fights against the Soviet tanks.
• The Companies of the Engineers Battalion 250º had not been able to contain the rupture, although Aramburu, with his 3ª Company, had stayed firmly next to "the Bastión".
• The squadrons of the Reconnaissance Detachment 250º had been bled in the counterattacks, without managing to seal the breaches.
• The Group Iº/ AR 250 and the batteries which had been attached to it had lost, practically, all its pieces and its ammunition was on the verge of run out.

The Spanish general, practically, did not have reserves. The Iº/263 (Comandante/Maj Blanco Linares), it had begun to move its two Companies which had in Federovskoye towards the Ishora since 08:00 hours, while it started up towards the sector the other two Companies of the Battalion. The reserves of the neighbor 269º Regiment, given the lack of motorised vehicles, arrived slowly and in addition we cannot forget that it was the IIº/269 (Capitán Merry), a unit which just finished its reorganization and was incomplete.

The general ordered to make use of the Battalion of Repatriation which was in the rear ready to return to Spain. But the Battalion had not weapons. Neither there were means of transport to bring it fast from Vyarlevo. Fearing that he himself could be a casualty at any time, General Esteban-Infantes ordered Colonel Carlos Rubio, Commander of the 269º Regiment who had came to Raykolovo, to be ready to assume the command of the division.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
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The Soviet 45 Guards Div entered in the fight - 13:00 till 16:00 hours.
The Soviet 45 Guards Div entered in the fight - 13:00 till 16:00 hours.
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

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Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

The German reaction.

The first German reaction, as already told, was of its artillerymen. Around 11:00 hours the Command of the 18º AOK had no doubts: the danger was in Krasny Bor. On the other hand, Kleffel, CO of the Lº AK, had to be pending not only of the Spaniards, but also of the neighboring unit, as well under attack, the 4ª Division SS and he should evaluate whether this initial attack were going to be followed or not by other actions on the line front.

Also the Headquarters of the L AK ended up concluding that the "schwerpunkt" (main point of effort) of the Russian offensive was located in the Spanish sector, and at 11:30 General Kleffel was in the CP of Esteban-Infantes, to try to respond to the Spanish urgent requests for help in the form of infantry troops.

It is necessary to say that Kleffel and Lindemann calculated the danger of the Soviet offensive against Krasny Bor with more exactitude than Esteban-Infantes, reason why from even before the attack took place, they tried to prepare reserves.

Already on Feb 09, the German GR 390 and to the I./ AR 215, both units of the 215 Infantry division which were marching towards Mga, got the order to halt in Ulianovka and then to occupy positions in Sablino, about 10 km. due south of Krasny Bor. The GR 390 had in Sablino only two of its three Battalions and altogether its manpower comprised 667 officers, NCOs and soldiers. As complement it was decided to reinforce the unit with the School of Combat engineers of the 18 AOK (Bataillon 18 Armee Pionier Schule) which, under orders of Hauptmann Stegemann, had another 333 men. Also it was hoped to be able to count on a Battery of the 226º battalion of Assault Guns, (Sturmgeschütz Abteilung 226) to restrain the enemy cars.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

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Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

The German reaction.

The GR 390 (Oberst Heckel) and the artillery unit which furnished fire support to it, the Iº/ AR 215, reinforced by the Battalion of students of the pioneers' school of the 18º AOK, received the orden to advance from Sablino towards Krasny Bor as soon as the Soviet assault had been launched. As we see, Oberst Heckel did not act with resolution and daring indeed. The 18º AOK also ordered to move towards the sector, its very poor armored means, a handful of Tiger tanks of the 502º Heavy Armored Detachment (Schw Pz Abt), plus its mechanized antitank means, the Marders of the 563º Group of Tank destroyers.

Soon it was seen also that seal the gap which had left in the front the Blue Division and 4ª SS Division due to the Soviet attack no longer was a task for a unique Regiment, the before mentioned GR 390, hence other two regiments moving from or towards Mga, the GR 316 and the GR 374, would have to be gotten off the railroad.

In addition, to reinforce to the very weak 4ª SS Division, it was ordered to move towards its lines to the "Regimentsgruppe 366, of the 227 ID. General Hellmuth Reymann, who accompanied his GR 316 towards Mga, got the order to constitute immediately, with the Headquarters of his 212 ID, a Kampfgruppe (Battle Group) division with the Regiments 390º, 316º and 374º, in order to close the breach opened between the Blue Division and 4ª SS Division. Throughout the day 10 the final luck of the battle in Krasny Bor was doubtful, reason why the Army Group North alarmed the 24 ID, deployed along the Wolchow at those moments, concretely in Chudovo, so that it was prepared to march towards Krasny Bor.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
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Last combats on Feb 10 1943.
Last combats on Feb 10 1943.
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Re: The 250 ID - Krasny Bor 1943.

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Hello to all :D; more follows.......................

The German reaction.

Colonel Sagrado, was informed about the presence of the 390º Regiment in Sablino. From that moment onwards his greater preoccupation was to contact with Oberst Heckel, in order he could approach, as quickly as possible, in his support; but the the Spanish impression was that Heckel did not want to advance.

But Heckel sinned of excess of prudence, for desperation of Colonel Sagrado, who left his men in Krasny Bor in order to try to force the Germans to advance more quickly. The judgments that have been formulated on both colonels, as much on Sagrado as on Heckel, have been very hard. On the former it was told that he really left his men. On the latter, that his delay contributed to enlarge the breach between the lines of the Blue Division and 4ª SS Division. Perhaps seen the subject with perspective, both would be really scapegoats. In any case, as much Sagrado as Heckel in the end lost the command of their respective Regiments shortly after finishing the battle and it is necessary to admit that they did not lack reasons for it.

Meanwhile, Esteban-Infantes was trying to save the saveable thing, that is to say, to avoid that his Blue Division was surrounded. Since 16:30 hours, by order of the Army Corps, the sector of Krasny Bor - from the Leningrad-Moscow railroad to the Ishora- no longer was his responsability, but of General Reymann.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M 8).
Attachments
Global situation around Krasny Bor as Feb 12 1943.
Global situation around Krasny Bor as Feb 12 1943.
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Serás lo que debas ser o no serás nada. General José de San Martín.
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