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30/31 January night 1945, the Russian 1st Guard Tank Brigade was not so worried about KG Langkeit on the road from Reppen through Neuendorf to Neu-Bischofsee (1). Its objective was the Oder and occupied a bridgehead there to cuff off the retreat of the Germans still east of Frankfurt/Oder. The Russian tanks had bypassed Reppen and reached the hills north of the road in Neu-Bischofsee. The Russian infantry advanced in the wooded terrain south of the road. They had cut the road between Neu-Bischofsee to Kunersdorf and made considerable losses to both refugee and KG Langkeit columns on the road.
31 January 1945, southwest of Neu-Bischofsee, Oberst Langkeit and Major Hudel with the bulk of vehicles and few tanks tried desperately to break through the Russian blockade on the road between Neu-Bischofsee to Kunersdorf. At the same time, Reppen, the second battalion of Panzergrenadier-Regiment still held their position and endured the fire from the Russian tanks, artillery and mortars. The Russain sent out tanks and infantry to seize Reppen but the second battalion of Panzergrenadier-Regiment beaten them off with the support of concentrated fire from 88-mm guns (2). |
It happened here: KG Langkeit tried to breakthrough from Neu-Bischofsee to Kunersdorf.
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31 January night 1945, Reppen, orders came for the second battalion of Panzergrenadier-Regment to withdraw. They were ordered to destroying its vehicles and heavy weapons and fight their way through the road to Neu-Bischofsee because Oberst Langkeit and Ia Major Spaeter seriously considered the entire KG Langkeit made their way on foot through the forests to Frankfurt/Oder due to untenable situation from all sides along the road from Neu-Bischofsee to Reppen by the Russians and was about to on the edge of collapse. The remaining armor patrol car was sent out through the Reppen forest to scout roads to Frankfurt/Oder.
31 January/1 February night 1945, south of Neuendorf, the artillery battalion under Captain Buboltz provided fire support for the withdraw from Reppen and also support the breakout effort toward Kunersdorf. |
It happened here: second battalion of Panzergrenadier-Regiment withdrew from Reppen to Neu-Bischofsee by foot.
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Reference:
1. Le Tissier, Tony. Zhukov at the Oder, p37. Westport, Connecticut, London: Praeger Publishing, 1996.
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