3rd Battle of Kharkov Pt 2 - 5. SS Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking - LAAH - Steiner - PzD Das Reich

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Episode 98

This nice winter footage is from mid February of 1943 and shows Leibstandarte tank formations and grenadiers operating during the 3rd Battle of Kharkov. This clip is from the German newsreel series Descheg Monatsschau. This is my second video covering that battle using an original German combat report which includes translated captured Soviet documents as a framework. If you haven’t seen the first video I suggest you go back and take a look.

The report has 4 pages, the first page describes the involvement of the 5. SS PzD Wiking, the 7th PzD and the 11. PzD in an encirclement and then pocket elimination maneuver.

To Group Commander Leutnant General Comrade Popow and Commander of the Southwestern Front General of the Army Comrade Batutin

During the last 8 days, the 4th Guard Panzer Corps has managed to hold off the continual attacks of a far superior enemy. Everyone in the Corps, myself included, understands that we are out here alone and must rely upon ourselves to accomplish this important task, and therefor must fight to the end. The heroes of our tank formations have been willing
to sacrifice for the good of our cause, for the Red Army, determined to hold out until the arrival of the rest of the Army Group.

1943 had not started well for the Germans. After the fall of Stallingrad on Feb. 2, the Soviets surged forward with Operation Star against Army Group South. The operation, which included 4 tank corps and intended to capture the cities of Kharkov, Kursk and Belgograd, was lead by General-Leutenant Markian Popov. On February 16, Manstein pulled out of Kharkov, on the 19th the Soviets moved into that city and advanced to within 30 miles of Zaporizhia which is where Army Group South and Luftflotte or Air Fleet 4 were based.

Today, the 18.2.1943, combat operations involving our severely understrength Corps has continued. Under considerable pressure from a heavy flanking attack, the 10th Tank Corps held.

As the war progressed it was much less common to see prominent swastika flags being carried, or dropped over vehicles, like this clip from the first video on this battle. The practice, intended to avoid friendly fire accidents was largely stopped because from late 1942 on the Luftwaffe rarely enjoyed air superiority.

An important reason the German Wehrmacht was successful during the 3rd Battle of Kharkov was that the ground troops received much more air support than usual. Air Fleet 4, or Luftflotte 4, was operating with Army Group South and was under the command of Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen. During the battle he had managed to increase the number of sorties from a daily average of 350 in January to around 1000 throughout February. On the 22 it even reached a high of 1500 sorties. Also, just as the ground forces had been focused to attack together to gain local numerical superiority, air power was marshaled in the same way. Less targets were attacked but with much higher intensity and the results were devastating.

The enemy, having brought forward considerable reinforcements,
focused its pressure at one location but also simultaneously attacked along the broad front. In this way they managed to break through our defensive lines. Our tanks continued fighting in small groups until dusk. Only after the arrival of the first elements of the 10th Tank Corps did I give permission to the staff, which had no capacity all to defend itself, to beging to withdraw.

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I assume, that the Guard-Soldiers, that have honorably sacrificed their lives, have fulfilled their duty to the High Command.

I ask for permission for the rest of the Corps to be allowed to move out of the area around Motjaschewo-Dobropolje, and to the area Welikoje Pole, Malo-Wassiljewka, Kompany.

Since I have no way to communicate the condition of the Corps to Comrade Batutin, I ask that you personally report that information to him.

The next video in the series will be uploaded in a few days. I suggest that you subscribe to the channel and hit the bell icon so that you’re informed when that has been done. Thanks for watching.