Updated by

Dr.Chuang

on 25/07/2021

Created by

Dr.Chuang

on 18/07/2021

Panzer Lehr's Panzergrenadier

Totenkopf's Panzergrenadier

SS Langemarck

Göring's kradschützen

SS KG Peiper

Panzer-Brigade 107

Panther on the Oder

38(t) Recon Tank in Hungary/Czech

18 February 1945, Müscherin (Moskorzyn in Poland at present) and Dölitz (Dolice in Poland at present), instead of fleeing from the half surrounded pocket the Russian reacted with counter attack (possible from 6th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment, the reserve of 2nd Guards Tank Army). The I. Bataillon (Panther tank)/SS-Panzer Regiment 10 under the command of SS-Sturmbannführer Ernst Tetscha was subordinated to the 4. SS-Polizei-Panzergrenadier-Division to contain the situation after heavy fighting (1). SS-Sturmbannführer Ernst Tetscha was awarded Kight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his brave leadership of the battle group to hold the position (2).

18 February 1945, Sallentin (Żalęcino in Poland at present), the Russian also launched counter attack to retake the village (possible from 79th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment, the reserve of 12th Guards Tank Corps). The SS-Obersturmführer Franz Riedel, commander of the 7. Kompanie/II. Bataillon/SS-Panzer Regiment 10, was awarded Kight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his brave leadership even after heavy wound to hold the position (3). Further attack through Lübtwo (Lubiatowo in Poland at present) and Klemmen (Kłęby in Poland at present) to close the gap was no longer available under the tremendous pressure from the Russian reinforcements. The Operation Sonnenwende came to an end.

It happened here: Sallentin, Müscherin and Dölitz, the fighting area of the 10. SS-Panzerdivision "Frundsberg" and the 4. SS-Polizei-Panzergrenadier-Division

18 February 1945, Repplin (Rzeplino in Poland at present), SS-Obersturmbannführer Léon Degrelle (aged 39) proposed a posthumous Kight's Cross for SS-Obersturmführer Jacques Capelle (aged 31) (4). The war diary of Heersgruppe Weichsel also mentioned the fighting on Lindenberg on previous day: "On 16 February 1945 a battle group of the SS-Freiwilligen-Panzer-Grenadier-Division Wallonien assigned to cover the flank demonstrated extraordinary devotion to duty while carring out its mission. In 27 hours of close combat against a vastly superior foe, under the command of Obstuf. Capelle, it held to the last man with fanatical fighting spirit. Request the unit be named in the Wehrmacht communique." (5)

Reference:

1. Stenger, Dieter. Panzers East and West: The German 10th SS Panzer Division from the Eastern Front to Normandy, Chapter 8. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2017.

2. For more information about SS-Sturmbannführer Ernst Tetscha's citation on Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, please visit Tetsch, Ernst-Johann/TracesOfWar.

3. For more information about SS-Obersturmführer Franz Riedel's citation on Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, please visit Riedel, Franz/TracesOfWar.

4. Degrelle, Léon. Campaign in Russia: The Waffen SS on the Eastern Front, p290-1. Institute for Historical Review, 1985.

5. Urbanke, Axel. Endkempf: um das Reichsgebiet 1944/1945 Ostfront, p41. Bad Zwischenahn: Luftfahrtverlag- Start, 2017.

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