CHAPTER 1
Kursk
On 5 July 1943, both the Wehrmacht and their Waffen-SS counterparts stood poised ready to go into action, the pre-dawn light was shattered by a massive German bombardment. The artillery barrage was so intense that in no less than one hour German gunners had hurled more shells than they had used in both Poland and the Western campaigns put together. Despite this violent bombardment, Soviet artillery responded with equal ferocity that soon confirmed what all Germans feared: the attack was not a surprise. All over the front, Soviet artillery crews fired at known German artillery positions that caught the German gunners in the open.
Within hours of the artillery bombardment, three Waffen-SS divisions were engaged in the opening stages of the greatest armoured clash in history. The task of the SS. Panzer-Korps was to advance via Beresov and Sadeynoye, and breaking through the first defensive belt. Between Lutchki and Jakovlevo was the second line of Russian defensive positions, and when these were destroyed the advance would follow in a general northeastern direction. For this operation the l67. Infanterie-Division would form part of the SS Korps and would guard the left flank.
The 'Leibstandarte's' first attack went well, and their armour soon encircled enemy units that were destroyed with supporting grenadiers. The 9. Kompanie of the 'Leibstandarte's' 2.SS. Panzergrenadier-Regiment captured two hills west of Byelgorod and took five fortified positions with explosive charges. The soldiers of the 'Totenkopf' division too wasted no time and smashed onto a series of strong Soviet defence lines. At the same time the 'Das Reich' division made considerable progress, and infiltrated enemy lines in front of them.
By evening of the first day of the attack 'Totenkopf', with its new Tiger tanks leading the advance had reached the second Russian defensive belt and managed to capture the village of Yakhontovo and taken an important command post of the Soviet 69th Army. Both the 'Leibstandarte' and 'Das Reich' had done equally as well. With their Tigers and Panzer.IV's they had penetrated some 13 miles into the Russian defences.
By 7 July, the advance of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS seemed more promising than ever. German forces had managed to smash its way through more than 30 miles of Russian line, whilst in some areas they were equally successful despite enduring bitter fighting. German battle reports confirmed that given the amount of Soviet prisoners taken and the damage inflicted on their lines, it appeared that the Germans were poised on the edge of victory. However, they had not even yet encountered the main enemy positions. The fact that they had advanced at such speed had enabled the Russians to take full advantage of attacking the German flanks.
The initial phase of the Soviet defensive action at Kursk was often crude, messy and costly, but in a tactical and operational sense it achieved its objectives. During the days that followed the Red Army, despite continuing to incur huge losses in both men and weaponry, deprived the Germans of even tactical superiority. Against the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS they constantly strengthened their defences through reinforcement, skilfully deploying mobile armour and anti-tank reserves to compensate for the high losses. Within days the Russians had managed to ground down many of the Wehrmacht units, including those in the SS. Panzer-Korps, and threw its offensive timetable completely off schedule. It was here on the blood-soaked plains at Kursk that for the first time in the war the Red Army had savagely contested every foot of ground and was finally on an equal footing. Through sheer weight of Soviet strength and stubborn combat along an everextending front, the German mobile units were finally being forced to a standstill.
On 9 July, the SS. Panzer-Korps renewed their offensive against very strong enemy forces. In the vicious battle that ensued, the SS received a series of sustained attacks, but fanatically held their ground. Although they were in danger of being cut-off and encircled, they received orders to push forward and attack Soviet troops northeast of Beregovoy. During the advance, 'Das Reich' guarded the eastern flank of 'Totenkopf' and Leibstandarte. En route it became embroiled in thick bitter fighting in a huge tank battle in the hills around Prokhorovka on 12 July. Here the Soviet 5th Guard and 5th Guard Tank Armies clashed with the powerful armoured SS units consequently resulting in the climax of operation 'Zitadelle'. Throughout the attack the professionalism and technical ability of the SS was second to none. During the heavy fighting SS troops were often able to turn the balance even when the Russians had overwhelming superiority in numbers. In spite of the losses the units were imbued with optimism and continued to deliver to the enemy heavy blows.
During the climax of the battle both the 'Totenkopf' and 'Leibstandarte' attacked, whilst 'Das Reich' remained on the defensive, repelling a number of armour and infantry attacks. Although Russian losses in both men and equipment far exceeded the German, their losses could be replaced. German losses, however, except where armour could be recovered, were total. Within less than a week of Zitadelle being unleashed both sides had lost several hundred tanks and thousands of troops. While the Red Army was able to repair and replace its losses, the SS divisions had to struggle on with what they had left at their disposal. Constantly, the soldiers were being slowly ground down in a battle of attrition. The Russians had committed no less than seven corps, with more than 850 tanks and SU-85 assault guns. Wave upon wave of Russian T-34 tanks poured a storm of fire onto the SS positions. When the Soviet tanks ran out of ammunition, the crews often physically rammed the German tanks. Dismounted tanks crews then set about destroying the Panzers on foot using all weapons at their disposal, including grenades and mines.
Heavy battles of attrition were fought along many parts of the front, but it was the elite Waffen-SS soldiers that were taking the brunt of the fighting. Everywhere enemy troops charged Wehrmacht and SS positions, turning these once mighty soldiers from attackers to desperate defenders. Whole German regiments had no sooner attacked and captured an important position, when it was repeatedly struck by waves of Russian tanks and mounted infantry and compelled to go over to the defensive.
By 13 July, the Germans were unable to make any further progress, and poor ground conditions were hampering its re-supply efforts. As a consequence Russian forces managed to drive back the 3.Panzer- Division in the area of the Rakovo-Kruglik road and recaptured hill 247, and the town of Berezovka. The following day, 'Totenkopf' was forced out of its bridgehead on the northern bank of the Psel River, while further east 'Das Reich' had made limited progress, capturing the town of Belenichino. The 'Grossdeutschland' Division was ordered to attack westwards, in order to recapture the ground lost by the 3.Panzer Division. Following another day of bitter fighting the division finally managed to link up with 3.Panzer at Berezovka, but it was unable to dislodge Russian forces from Hill 247.
On 15 July, 'Das Reich' made contact with the 7.Panzer-Division. However the Russian offensive to the north of the salient was now threatening the 9. Armee rear and it was forced to begin a planned withdrawal westwards to avoid encirclement. Following its withdrawal, almost all-offensive action around Prokhorovka ceased and German forces in the area went over to the defensive.
By 17 July, a further series of Russian offensives opened along the entire Eastern Front. The II.SS. Panzer-Korps and the 'Grossdeutschland' Division were withdrawn from 4. Panzer-Army, and the operation cancelled. By 23 July the 4. Panzer-Army had withdrawn to its start line.
Operation Zitadelle was a catastrophe for the German forces on the Eastern Front. Hitler had chosen an objective that was far too ambitious. The attack had also been continually delayed, allowing Russian forces additional time to prepare their defensive positions in the salient. Despite German efforts to batter their way through, they had neither the strength nor resources to do so. The cream of the German panzer force, so carefully concentrated prior to the operation, was exhausted and the Russian's had undeniably gained the initiative in the East. The campaign in Russia would now consist of a series of German withdrawals with the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS fanatically contesting every foot of the way.
Many German commanders openly blamed the second front in Italy for draining German forces on the Eastern Front, and believed that they failed when Kursk was within their grasp. However, it is true that the second front did drain vital resources from Russia, but it would not have markedly improved its chances even if the second front had not begun, especially against an enemy of unrivalled strength. The Soviets at Kursk had undoubtedly delivered the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS divisions a severe battering from which the German war effort was never to recover. The Germans had lost some thirty divisions, including seven Panzer divisions. According to official Soviet sources, as many as 49,822 German troops were killed or missing and had lost 1,614 tanks and self-propelled guns that were committed to action. As for the SS divisions, the 'Leibstandarte', 'Das Reich' and 'Totenkopf' had lost more than half its vehicles and taken massive casualties. Red Army troops, however, suffered much higher losses with some 177,847 being killed and injured. They also lost a staggering 2,586 tanks and self-propelled guns during the battle.
Operation 'Zitadelle' had finally ended the myth of the German invincibility and was the first time that the blitzkrieg concept had failed. The tide of victory in the East had finally been turned. But even as 'Zitadelle' was drawing to a bloody conclusion, the II.SS. Panzer-Korps was not there to see the end of the battle: the remnants of their exhausted and battered units had already been hurriedly ordered to pull out of the Kursk area to the relative calm and quiet of Kharkov to wait for new orders. Before the Leibstandarte departed for Italy it turned over all of its remaining armoured fighting vehicles to 'Das Reich'. Both 'Totenkopf' and 'Das Reich' were detached from the 'Leibstandarte' and redeployed in the Donetz Basin on 25 July 1943. As for the 'Leibstandarte', the division was withdrawn on 3 August. A strong, tough and reliable SS division had been needed in Italy to prevent the whole peninsula from falling into Allied hands. For the next three months the 'Leibstandarte' spent its duration as Occupation Forces engaging periodically in anti-partisan operations in northern Italy and in Slovenia.
On the Eastern Front, the fighting had intensified. The Russians were determined not to allow the Germans any respite and launched a massive attack, overrunning Feldmarschall von Manstein's positions on the River Mius. Both 'Totenkopf' and 'Das Reich' were rushed north to protect Manstein's left flank.
CHAPTER 2
Fighting Withdrawal
As the winter of 1943 approached, a feeling of despair and gloom gripped the German front lines. To many of the soldiers there was a dull conviction that the war was lost, and yet there was still no sight of its end. Being always outnumbered, perpetually short of fuel and ammunition, and having to constantly exert themselves and their machinery to the very limits of endurance had a profound effect on life at the front. During the later half of 1943 the equipment situation continued to deteriorate, especially in the Panzer units. The effect of starving the experienced and elite formations like the Waffen-SS was a constant concern for the tacticians. The SS did receive a high proportion of tanks, artillery and assault guns, but this was in stark contrast to the enormous volume of armaments being produced by the Russians. The SS were thus faced with a dangerous and worsening prospect, but unlike the normal German soldier many of these elite troops retained their fanatical determination on the battlefield. Against the growing Soviet 'menace' they still proved to be first class formations. Their new role as the so-called 'fire brigades', being shuttled from one danger spot to another to dampen down heavy Russian attacks, typified their position during late 1943. In total there were seven SS divisions that became Hitler's emergency 'fire brigade', and it was in October 1943 that these seven crack SS.Panzergrenadier Divisions – 'Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler', 'Das Reich', 'Totenkopf', 'Wiking', 'Hohenstaufen', 'Frundsberg', and 'Hitlerjugend' – were redesignated SS Panzer divisions.
The seven new divisions maintained and enhanced the military reputation of the Waffen-SS. As the Wehrmacht established defensive lines in the face of the advancing enemy, commanders looked at the aggressive and loyal striking force of the SS to be counted upon to snatch victory from defeat. It was for this reason that Hitler was forced to order the return of the 'Leibstandarte' from Italy. By November 1943, barely three months after departing, the division now completely rested, and re-equipped with the latest tanks and assault guns returned to its old fighting ground in the East.
The SS division arrived on the battlefield south of Kiev in early November 1943. It was to be the main attacking division in the 4. Panzer-Division and was to strike northwards towards Kiev, which had already fallen into enemy hands.
In other areas of the Eastern Front German units fought well with distinction to contain the Russians from marching across the western Ukraine. However, the unrelenting fighting had proven to be more costly. As the winter of 1943 reared its head during October, a feeling of further despair and gloom prevailed across the entire German Army. To the depressed soldiers that had to endure the third Russia winter a dull conviction gripped them that the war in the East was not lost – yet without any sight of its end. Both the German Army and Waffen-SS were still dug deep in to the heartlands of the Soviet Union. But unlike 1941 and 1942, they had lost the initiative. Slowly and defiantly the German soldier retreated back across a bleak and hostile landscape, always outnumbered, constantly low on fuel, ammunition and other desperate supplies. In three months following the defeat at Kursk Army Group South alone had only received some 32,000 replacements, although it suffered more than 130,000 casualties. The equipment situation too continued to decline, especially in Panzer units. The whole German Army in the East was thus faced with a dangerous and worsening prospect than ever before.
To make matters worse, an anti-partisan conflict added yet another dimension to the war in Russia. With word of the advancing Red Army, Ukrainian nationalist partisans, Polish underground groups and communist partisans began raiding German outposts, barracks, police stations, rail depots, supply dumps, ambushing convoys and trains. As the German troops withdrew they had to clear out the partisans before they became prey to the snipers and saboteurs. All this and continuous pressure from Hitler to defend every yard of land with their blood, made fighting even more inhumane. For the German Army and Waffen-SS the approaching winter passed like the summer and autumn, in a sequence of bitter bloodthirsty battles, which consequently sapped the will and energy of the German strength almost beyond repair.
