German OOB in East Prussia January 1945

[Vladimir]

Please help with German OOB before Russian offensive 13 January 1945 in East Prussia.

I mean 3rd panzer Army, 2nd and 4th Armyes, troops of Army Group Center in East Prussia.

Or at least number and strength German Divisions in East Prussia.

Thanks in advance.

[jo]

hi vladimir

i have got some details about königsberg.
east prussia was the wehrkreis I and it`s last commander was General d. Inf. Lasch. he was also the commander of königsberg.

commander of the fortifications in east prussia was Generalmajor (later Generalleutnant) Mikosch.

some units round königsberg:

1. ostpr. Infanteriedivision
co. Generalmajor Schittnig until 2. march
Generalleutnant von Thadden

5. Panzerdivision
co. Generalmajor Lippert until march
Generallutnant Hoffmann-Schönborn (wounded)
Oberst Herzog

Sturmpionierbrigade 627
co. Oberstlt. Herzog (not the same as the co of the 5.PD)

69. Infanteriedivision
co. Oberst Grimme until 9. february
Oberst Völker

367. Infanteriedivision
co. Generalleutnant Haehnle

548. Volksgrenadierdivision
co. Generalmajor Sudau

61. ostpr. Infanteriedivision
co. Generalleutnant Sperl

561. Ostpr. Volksgrenadierdivision
co. Generalmajo Gorn until march
Oberst Becker

Kampfgruppe Schuberth
formerly Kampfgruppe Hannibal
co. Generalmajor Schuberth

Division z.b.V. Mikosch
co. Generalleutnant Mikosch

hope that my info will help you a little bit.
greetings jo

[donwhite]

Hi Vladimir,
I'm also interested in the German Oob for this area & time. Strangely enough I have a more complete picture of what the Soviets had at this moment in time courtesy of 'Boevoy Sostav Sovetskoi Armii' and I've yet to come across an equivalent imformative source for the Germans short of buying lots of microfilm from Bundesarchiv.

Here is some divisional Level information with a little of the support Units I've been able to identify and all their uncertainties. Most of this is sourced from the 'Last Battles:East Prussia' Wargame with additional snippets from various books & websites including this one. Except for the 'GD' & 'HG' Pz Korps I have practically nothing on the smaller units that may have been present with the other korps or at Army level. I've tentatively identified some StuG, PzJ & Arty units that could have been present somewhere within the Armygroup but its mainly guesswork so I've left them out (Hoping someone more knowledgeable will fill in the gaps!)

Army Group Center
Reserves: 'GD' PzG Div, 18th PzG Div (Reforming), 10th Rdfhrjag Bde, 23rd Inf Div (Refitting/reorganizing ?), 15th SS & 83rd Inf Div's (well to the rear), HQ's VII Pz Korps (no troops attached initially?), HQ's 'GD' Pz Korps with 1st 'HG' Fj-Pz Div & 'Brandenberg' PzG Div, Korps Fusilier Regt 'GD'., Korps Arty Regt.'GD' (Partially formed?), Korps s.Pz.Abt.'GD' (technically detached from the 'GD' Div but nver actually joined the parent Korps)

3rd Pz Army
Reserve: 5th Pz Div, s.Pz.Abt.505, Flak.Regt.136 (Insterburg)

XXVIII Corps with 58th & 96th Inf Div's + z.b.V.607 (HQ only ?)

XXVI Corps with 56th & 286th Inf Div's, 548th, 551st & 561st VG Div's

IX Corps with 1st & 69th Inf Div's, 349th & 549th VG Div's

4th Army
Reserve: 102nd Pz Bde(?), z.b.V.605(HQ only? at Lotzen), Flak.Bde.16 (at the Wolfschanze),Flak.Regt.16 (Goldap), Flak. Regt's.87, 116 & 125

'HG' Fj-Pz Korps with 2nd 'HG' PzG Div, 61st Inf Div, F-Pz Korps Flak Regt.'HG', F-Pz Korps PzJ.Abt. 'HG' (Detached from 1st 'HG' Div), F-Pz Korps Pi.Btl 'HG', Sturm Btl F-Pz Korps 'HG'

XXXXI Pz Korps with 28th Jag Div, 21st, 50th, 170th & 367th Inf Div's

VI Korps with 131st Inf Div, 541st & 558th VG Div's, Gruppe 'Hannibal' (Formed from a Police unit?)

LV Korps with 203rd Inf Div, 547th & 562nd VG Div's

2nd Army
Reserve: 7th Pz Div, StuG.Bde.190, s.Pz.Abt.507, Pioneer Bde.607(?), Flak.Regt's 21, 34 & 101

XX Korps with 14th, 102nd & 292nd Inf Div's

XXIII Korps with 5th Jag Div,7th, 129th & 299th Inf Div's

XXVII Korps with 35th 252nd Inf Div's, 542nd VG Div

Cheers

[WBW]

Hi Vladimir,
I'm also interested in the German Oob for this area & time. Strangely enough I have a more complete picture of what the Soviets had at this moment in time courtesy of 'Boevoy Sostav Sovetskoi Armii' and I've yet to come across an equivalent imformative source for the Germans short of buying lots of microfilm from Bundesarchiv.

Here is some divisional Level information with a little of the support Units I've been able to identify and all their uncertainties. Most of this is sourced from the 'Last Battles:East Prussia' Wargame with additional snippets from various books & websites including this one. Except for the 'GD' & 'HG' Pz Korps I have practically nothing on the smaller units that may have been present with the other korps or at Army level. I've tentatively identified some StuG, PzJ & Arty units that could have been present somewhere within the Armygroup but its mainly guesswork so I've left them out (Hoping someone more knowledgeable will fill in the gaps!)

Army Group Center
Reserves: 'GD' PzG Div, 18th PzG Div (Reforming), 10th Rdfhrjag Bde, 23rd Inf Div (Refitting/reorganizing ?), 15th SS & 83rd Inf Div's (well to the rear), HQ's VII Pz Korps (no troops attached initially?), HQ's 'GD' Pz Korps with 1st 'HG' Fj-Pz Div & 'Brandenberg' PzG Div, Korps Fusilier Regt 'GD'., Korps Arty Regt.'GD' (Partially formed?), Korps s.Pz.Abt.'GD' (technically detached from the 'GD' Div but nver actually joined the parent Korps)

3rd Pz Army
Reserve: 5th Pz Div, s.Pz.Abt.505, Flak.Regt.136 (Insterburg)

XXVIII Corps with 58th & 96th Inf Div's + z.b.V.607 (HQ only ?)

XXVI Corps with 56th & 286th Inf Div's, 548th, 551st & 561st VG Div's

IX Corps with 1st & 69th Inf Div's, 349th & 549th VG Div's

4th Army
Reserve: 102nd Pz Bde(?), z.b.V.605(HQ only? at Lotzen), Flak.Bde.16 (at the Wolfschanze),Flak.Regt.16 (Goldap), Flak. Regt's.87, 116 & 125

'HG' Fj-Pz Korps with 2nd 'HG' PzG Div, 61st Inf Div, F-Pz Korps Flak Regt.'HG', F-Pz Korps PzJ.Abt. 'HG' (Detached from 1st 'HG' Div), F-Pz Korps Pi.Btl 'HG', Sturm Btl F-Pz Korps 'HG'

XXXXI Pz Korps with 28th Jag Div, 21st, 50th, 170th & 367th Inf Div's

VI Korps with 131st Inf Div, 541st & 558th VG Div's, Gruppe 'Hannibal' (Formed from a Police unit?)

LV Korps with 203rd Inf Div, 547th & 562nd VG Div's

2nd Army
Reserve: 7th Pz Div, StuG.Bde.190, s.Pz.Abt.507, Pioneer Bde.607(?), Flak.Regt's 21, 34 & 101

XX Korps with 14th, 102nd & 292nd Inf Div's

XXIII Korps with 5th Jag Div,7th, 129th & 299th Inf Div's

XXVII Korps with 35th 252nd Inf Div's, 542nd VG Div

Cheers

Hello Don --

Some information regarding KG Hannibal.

"In December 1944 [SS Police Regiment 4] formed a battlegroup under Generalmajor der Polizei Heinrich Hannibal. . . . Remnants of Police Rifle Regiment 31 also helped to form KG Hannibal in the form of one police battalion (Einsatzgruppe Voigt), and one assault gun battalion of three batteries (Sturmgeschutz Abteilung "Hannibal")."

From pp. M3-M4 of Annex M (by Antonio Munoz), which was additional information included in an Axis Europa reprint of a document originally produced by the SHAEF Evaluation and Dissemination Section (G-2 Staff).

BTW, I visited the former E Prussia last year. Many military aspects of the countryside are still intact like old bunkers and anti-tank ditches. Could have spent months poking around out there!

Cheers

WBW

[donwhite]

Thanks for the additional data.
On a previous enquiry a respondent had alerted me to the existence of a StuG Abt. with the KG but I could only guess at its designation. Now it appears it was a unit I had never heard previously heard of or factored into the Army Group's armoured units. I'm assuming that it has not been re-christened from an existing numerical desiganted Stug unit? Alos from your sources is it apparent if the the KG was a 'brigade' sized entity etc?

Cheers

[WBW]

Thanks for the additional data.
On a previous enquiry a respondent had alerted me to the existence of a StuG Abt. with the KG but I could only guess at its designation. Now it appears it was a unit I had never heard previously heard of or factored into the Army Group's armoured units. I'm assuming that it has not been re-christened from an existing numerical desiganted Stug unit? Alos from your sources is it apparent if the the KG was a 'brigade' sized entity etc?

Cheers

Hello Don,

Frankly, I'm not sure about the StG unit mentioned either. Following is another description of the KG, this time from Tessin:

2 Police Regiments (4. and 31.)
Artillery Regiment 609 (Staff)
Heeres-Artillerie-Abteilungen 423*, 1061**, and 1063
Artillerie-Abteilung of Polizei-Regiment 2
1 Polizei-PaK-Abteilung
2 Polizei-Pionier companies
and mentions "further tactical subordinated units provided by the Korps" (in this case, VI. Armee Korps).

* Noted by Tessin as becoming II./Panzer-Artillerie- Regiment 124 in January 1945 with the Führer-Grenadier-Division.

** Noted by Tessin as being with 2. Armee, although Hannibal's group was with 4. Armee at this time (?)

No mention of StG units, but apparently now an entire artillery regiment. I'd say his KG qualifies for brigade status. However, there was apparently at some point a unit called "Polizei-Geschütz-Abteilung Hannibal" (again, per Tessin), and I would bet this is what is being referred to by other sources as the StG-Abteilung. This unit had FP Number 11960, if you can source on that information. The authorized weapon for Polizei-Geschütz units was the little 7.5cm infantry gun, hardly a Sturmgeschütz! But perhaps Hannibal's outfit picked up some StGs.

Sorry if this seems only to confuse things even more!

Cheers

WBW

[donwhite]

Not at all!
Thanks for the detailed response. Every little bit helps to fill in the bigger picture. That Arty unit mentioned as later forming part of an Arty Regt for Fuhrer Grenadier Division would confirm either the escape or evacuation of some of the 4th Army out of the pocket formed by the advancing Soviets in mid to late January (assuming it had not been transferred out pre-January offensive)

Cheers & thanks again.

[Kelvin]

Did Army Group Center destroyed in one blow in East Prussia after offensive begun on 13th Jan 1945

[Stephan H.]

Vladimir,

Not sure if you are familiar with Diecker/Grossmann's Der Kampf Um Ostpreussen: Der umfassende Dokumentarbericht but I scanned in several maps that contain the dispositions of both German and Russian forces at the starte of the battle as well as the German OB. You should be able to see the scans at [URL deleted by Admin per request, due to a possible security issue] I also try to insert them in here for you:

Another good source is Saft's Krieg im Osten. A good photo history is Schoen's Ostpreussen 1944/45 im Bild: Endkampf-Flucht-Vertreibung.

I hope this helps you out.

Cheers.

[Kelvin]

Hi Vladimir,
I'm also interested in the German Oob for this area & time. Strangely enough I have a more complete picture of what the Soviets had at this moment in time courtesy of 'Boevoy Sostav Sovetskoi Armii' and I've yet to come across an equivalent imformative source for the Germans short of buying lots of microfilm from Bundesarchiv.

Here is some divisional Level information with a little of the support Units I've been able to identify and all their uncertainties. Most of this is sourced from the 'Last Battles:East Prussia' Wargame with additional snippets from various books & websites including this one. Except for the 'GD' & 'HG' Pz Korps I have practically nothing on the smaller units that may have been present with the other korps or at Army level. I've tentatively identified some StuG, PzJ & Arty units that could have been present somewhere within the Armygroup but its mainly guesswork so I've left them out (Hoping someone more knowledgeable will fill in the gaps!)

Army Group Center
Reserves: 'GD' PzG Div, 18th PzG Div (Reforming), 10th Rdfhrjag Bde, 23rd Inf Div (Refitting/reorganizing ?), 15th SS & 83rd Inf Div's (well to the rear), HQ's VII Pz Korps (no troops attached initially?), HQ's 'GD' Pz Korps with 1st 'HG' Fj-Pz Div & 'Brandenberg' PzG Div, Korps Fusilier Regt 'GD'., Korps Arty Regt.'GD' (Partially formed?), Korps s.Pz.Abt.'GD' (technically detached from the 'GD' Div but nver actually joined the parent Korps)

3rd Pz Army
Reserve: 5th Pz Div, s.Pz.Abt.505, Flak.Regt.136 (Insterburg)

XXVIII Corps with 58th & 96th Inf Div's + z.b.V.607 (HQ only ?)

XXVI Corps with 56th & 286th Inf Div's, 548th, 551st & 561st VG Div's

IX Corps with 1st & 69th Inf Div's, 349th & 549th VG Div's

4th Army
Reserve: 102nd Pz Bde(?), z.b.V.605(HQ only? at Lotzen), Flak.Bde.16 (at the Wolfschanze),Flak.Regt.16 (Goldap), Flak. Regt's.87, 116 & 125

'HG' Fj-Pz Korps with 2nd 'HG' PzG Div, 61st Inf Div, F-Pz Korps Flak Regt.'HG', F-Pz Korps PzJ.Abt. 'HG' (Detached from 1st 'HG' Div), F-Pz Korps Pi.Btl 'HG', Sturm Btl F-Pz Korps 'HG'

XXXXI Pz Korps with 28th Jag Div, 21st, 50th, 170th & 367th Inf Div's

VI Korps with 131st Inf Div, 541st & 558th VG Div's, Gruppe 'Hannibal' (Formed from a Police unit?)

LV Korps with 203rd Inf Div, 547th & 562nd VG Div's

2nd Army
Reserve: 7th Pz Div, StuG.Bde.190, s.Pz.Abt.507, Pioneer Bde.607(?), Flak.Regt's 21, 34 & 101

XX Korps with 14th, 102nd & 292nd Inf Div's

XXIII Korps with 5th Jag Div,7th, 129th & 299th Inf Div's

XXVII Korps with 35th 252nd Inf Div's, 542nd VG Div

Cheers

From Axis history, 23 & 83. infanterie divisions and 15.SS Grenadier Division were under OKH reserve, not under Army Group Center.

[donwhite]

Hello Kelvin,

Its not quite that simple. According to the the Ost Lage map for 1st January 1945, 83.ID was a OKH reserve stationed in Thorn well behind the front. However the Ost Lage Map for 12th January 1945 immediately prior to the onset of the Soviet Offensive, shows the 83.ID as a Army Group reserve stationed south east of Johannisburg behind 4th Army's front (less one regiment which was still in Thorn and still designated under OKH control). So to 23.ID on the 1st January 1945 is designated "Schnelle Verb" -I'm not entirely familiar with this description but it is distinct from 'OKH' controlled units as described in the map key and appears to be similar to designated Army Level reserves. By 5th January 1945, 23.ID is described as a Army Group Reserve unit and is still described so on the 12th January. The 15ss.ID is not shown on the maps but I believe it was rebuilding in West Prussia so it would not have been under Army Group centre's control.

Cheers

[Kelvin]

Hello, Don, how are you ?

Thank for your detailed answer. BTW, when 32. and 227.infanterie division and 31.Volks-Grenadier Divisions were rushed to East Prussia, when did they actually arrived at the battlefield ?

[donwhite]

Hello Kelvin,

Check this wonderful online resource website:

http://www.wwii-photos-maps.com/home_page_019.htm

You can download Ost lage maps for nearly everyday for the whole of January 1945 (Due to my own personal download limits I have not yet accessed them all myself!). The northern sections contain the East Prussian areas. As a guide the 12th January Maps shows elements of the 31 VGD entrained between the coast and Thorn with other elements still embarking from Libau. 15th January still shows the transfer still in process. The 20th January shows the 32nd staring the embark etc. These maps should answer your question.

Cheers

[Kelvin]

Hello, Don, thank for your data.