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1 February 1945, the first radio reports from armor patrol car made its way to Frankfurt/Oder and the KG prepared for foot march through the Reppen forests. The road between Neuendorf and Alt-Bischofsee (Stare Biskupice in Poland at present) also jammed after second battalion of Panzergenadier-Regment retreated from Reppen. Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel’s Ju 87 Stuka (1) finally appeared in the sky and brought some relief to the surrounded KG Langkeit. At the same time, before Kunersdorf, the previously unsuccessful breakthrough resumed again and artillery battalion went into position just north of Neu-Bischofsee. |
Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel |
1 February 1945, west of Kunersforf, Leutnant Erich Wittor (2) commanded an armor patrol squadron of SdKfz 250/251 belonged to the KG Langkeit marched from Frankfurt/Oder to take Kunersdorf and tried to contact with KG Langkeit. When they arrived the Russians had occupied the eastern part of the village and they could not throw them out of the village but only prevented the Russians advance further (3). |
Leutnant Erich Wittor
It happened here: Leutnant Erich Wittor's armor patrol squadron marched from Neu-Bischofsee to Kunersdorf.
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1 February evening 1945, northeast of Kundersdorf, the KG Langkeit was still surrounded in all sides by Russians. Oberst Langkeit decided to call all of his commanders together for a conference in a wooden shed. After brief and hopeless report from Ia Major Spaeter and numerous discussions they finally reached the conclusion to force a way to Kunersdorf near midnight. Oberst Langkeit gave the breakout order. 2 February early morning 1945, Major Hudel’s few remaining tanks led the way to breakout. However, the attempt also failed, again.
According to Spaeter et. al. “Sometime on the evening of 2 February the Kampfgruppe commander, Oberst Langkeit, decided to call all of his commanders together for a conference.” (4) but the description is not entirely correct. It should happened on the evening of 1 February 1945. |
Reference:
3. Le Tissier, Tony. With Our Backs to Berlin, p2. Phoenix Mill: Sutton Publishing, 2001.
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