SS Pz.Jg Abt 10 (Roestel) September - October 1944

[Kriegsberichter]

I am looking for information, OoB's, strenght of the SS Panzer Jäger Abteilung 10 (Roestel) for the months September and October 1944 ... Who can help me out...

[Martin Block]

During August 1944 Stab, Stabskp., 1. and 2./SS-Pz.Jg.Abt. 10 were still based in Mielau in East Prussia where they were being trained and equipped with Jagdpz. IV L/48. 21 of these vehicles were delivered to the unit on 22.8.1944.
It seems that a 3. Kp. (7,5 cm Pak mot.Z.) was never formed.

On 23.8.1944 OKH ordered transfer of SS-Pz.Jg.Abt. 10 to the area of Ob. West beginning 30.8.1944. With a little delay 3 trains loaded with Stab, Stabskp., 1. and 2./SS-Pz.Jg.Abt. 10 left Danzig on 8.9.1944 and were unloaded in Aachen on 11.9.1944. On the evening of that same day the Abteilung was subordinated to the LXXXI. A.K., and at first attached to the 9. Pz.Div.. It remained active in the LXXXI. A.K. area at least until the late evening of 19.9.1944 when still 14 Jagdpz. IV were reported as combat ready. The total strength is not given.

When exactly the Abteilung finally joined the 10. SS-Pz.Div. is not known to me but as you can see it was definitely not present with the division at the beginning of Operation Marked Garden despite claims in post war literature.

Martin Block

[Kriegsberichter]

Thanks Martin,

Can it not be that they were equiped with StuG III ... There is a photo of a StuG III near Valkenswaard (After The Battle Then and Now: Market Garden) stating it did belong to Roestel's unit...

The Gliederung of Kampfgruppe Walther made up by Friedrich Sixt for the American Historical Division in 1954 mentioned that at 18.9.44 SS Pz.Jg Abt 10 had 10 StuG and 11 unbewegliche Pak.

10 StuG seems to me as one Kompanie and the Pak making up a second...

Problem is that the account, made up after the war, seems not to accurate on some things so have my doubts... Maybe was the 3rd Coy not reformed but did they still have enough (old) Pak...

Peter

[Martin Block]

No Peter, despite all claims made in various publications the SS-Pz.Jg.Abt. 10 was definitely not present on 17.9.1944 as records of the Ob. West and the LXXXI. A.K. clearly show. It seems that no one ever cared to check for the truth. In some early post war publication - I can't tell who was first - it was claimed that the SS-Pz.Jg.Abt. 10 was in the area - and that was simply accepted without ever trying to verify this. Later authors then copied that without questioning.

I can't tell who exactly manned the a/t and/or Flak guns in Major Kerutt's defensive line on the road to Eindhoven, but definitely not the 3./SS-Pz.Jg.Abt. 10 because it simply did not even exist at that time! The StuG III encountered on the road to Eindhoven belonged the Schwere Heeres-Pz.Jg.Abt. 559 which was active along the Albert Canal from Geel to Neerpelt since 6./7.9.1944. It had sent several StuG III of the 2. and/or 3. Kp. of to reinforce the lines of Major Kerutt just before the start of Operation Market Garden. The unit lost at least 1 StuG III south of Valkenswaard on 17.9.1944 as is related by the CO of the 3. Kp. in the battalion history. During the night of 17./18.9.1944 the battalion doctor with his Sd.Kfz. 251/8 ran into the Irish Guards in Valkenswaard and was captured. On 18.9.1944 another StuG III was hit in the tracks near Aalst and had to be abandoned. The next day the unit was pulled out of the line for a couple of days because it had hardly any operational tanks left.
Maybe SS-Pz.Jg.Abt. 10 arrived a couple of days later, I can't tell, but never before 20.9.1944 at the earliest since the night before it was still with LXXXI. A.K. near Aachen.

Martin Block

[Bernd R]

As an aspect touched and if it is also about the Stugs with Btl. Kerutt

I can't tell who exactly manned the a/t and/or Flak guns in Major Kerutt's defensive line on the road to Eindhoven, but definitely not the 3./SS-Pz.Jg.Abt. 10 because it simply did not even exist at that time! The StuG III encountered on the road to Eindhoven belonged the Schwere Heeres-Pz.Jg.Abt. 559 which was active along the Albert Canal from Geel to Neerpelt since 6./7.9.1944. [...]

it might be interesting to look here also :
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... &sk=t&sd=a

Bernd

[Kriegsberichter]

I must say I have held open the posibility that the StuG encountered on the 17th by XXX Corps did indeed belong to 559 instead of Roestel, but by puting the question on the forum I was wondering what info might came up...

I have some records mentioning 559 in the days prior to Market-Garden, but for the period 12-17th September I have no documents saying that (part) of 559 was under command KG Walther...

10.9.44:- 85 ID reported to 1 Fsj Armee that they had 6 Jagdpanther and 8 StuG of 559 under command.

Korpsbefehl (LXXXVIII AK) mentioned on 11-9:- ...... Die brücke von Broeseind ist von Feind enommen...
Auftrag an 85 ID:- Gegenangriff gegen Brückenkopf Meulenbergist fortsuzetsen. ... Brücke bei Broeseind an Strase Hechtel - Valkenswaard ist sofort duch angriff von Süden wieder in eigene hand zu brngen....

Die Jagdpanther Kp Pz.Jag Abt 559 ist sofort durch 85 ID gegen die über den Maas-Schelde Kanal durchgebrochenen Feindpanzer anzusetzen; wenn diese zu schwach, sind Sturmgeschutze anzugliedern...

[Martin Block]

Well, my information comes from the memoirs of Oblt. Franz Kopka, Kp.Chef of the 3./559, who had just taken over temporary command after the CO of 559, Major Sattler, had been wounded on 7.9.1944. He watched the events of the 17.9.1944 from the battalion HQ located in Eersel west of Valkenswaard. The remaining operational StuG III of the 2. and 3. Kp. then were under the command of Oblt. Haile, Kp.Chef 2./559.

Martin Block

[Kriegsberichter]

Thanks Martin !Hope you can ad more info...... To pinpoint the question:- Did he confirm they did see action in the Valkenswaard area ????....

(off topic... have been staying last week in that area Valkenswaard- Eersel - Bladel - Reuver - and I can recommand the Greeck restaurant at Eerse l!!!, if it had been there in '44 then no further redrawall had taken place by Crete veterans... ) and Eersel would have been still German now...

[Martin Block]

Kopka does not give many details but at least he writes that the remaining elements of the 559 retreated through Valkenswaard during the night of 17./18.9.1944 towards Aalst. He states they passed through a burning part of the town where a "Zigarrenfabrik" was located. Does that make any sense to you? And - as already stated in my above post - the Sd.Kfz. 251/8 with Oberarzt Dr. Reichel on board that night literally crashed into a tank of the the HQ squadron of the 2nd Irish Guards parked on a street in the center of the town. No one was hurt but the crew was captured.
On the morning of 18.9.1944 at about 10 a.m. a StuG III was lost 'south of Aalst' to B Squadron 2nd Irish Guards.

(off topic ... checked Kopka's writings for any possible information about that Greek restaurant in Eerse but it apparently had not yet opened in September 1944 )

Martin Block

[Kriegsberichter]

Great info Martin ! There were more then one zigarrenfabriks.. so difficult to tell which it is... THANKS !

[Erwin L]

Hello Gents.

Interesting subject. The Sd.Kfz. 251/8 with Oberarzt Dr. Reichel was indeed captured in Valkenswaard. This halftrack can be seen on some pictures made on the market place. A local resistance group under command of Jan Rijnders used this halftrack after the liberation. In my opinion it was P559 who were active along the mainroad to Valkenswaard on 17 september 1944.

Valkenswaard had a lot of sigar companies that time but the biggest one was Willem II sigars and this one was along the main road.

regards Erwin

[Ron251]

Maybe SS-Pz.Jg.Abt. 10 arrived a couple of days later, I can't tell, but never before 20.9.1944 at the earliest since the night before it was still with LXXXI. A.K. near Aachen.

Martin Block

As far as my resources go (KTB LXXXI A.K.), the SS-Pz.Jg.Abt 10 was ordered to pull out early on the 21-9-44. It was supposed to report to the 176 I.D. at Effeld.
After that there is no more record of this unit untill the 30th.

[Erwin L]

Hello Ron.

Perhaps they messed up Valkenburg with Valkenswaard. I serious think that P559 was confused with ss-pz-jag-abt 10. P559 fought in several battles in the area. I'm not convinced that ss-pz-jag-abt 10 came out of nothing and took place in the battle on 17 september 1944 in Valkenswaard. Well they must been have noticed before

just my 2.5 cents

Erwin

[Kriegsberichter]

New info ! More questions

In a Fernschreiben HG B its mentioned that from Division Kampfgruppe 10 SS the le Pz.Jg IV (2 Kpn) was orered to move from 7 AOK to command Fallschirm AOK 1 for the defence/attack on the Maas-Schelde kanaal bridgehead. The rest of the 10th SS Panzer Division was to follow in the next days/week but the Allied landings came between. First troops to move south was Kampfgruppe Heinke (ordered 12.9) . Troops were to be reenforced every day from 9.SS and 10 SS souces.

Another fernschreiben of HG B to AOK 7 its was ordered that during the night of 12/13 Sept 'beide Kpn le. Pz.Jg (IV) 10 Pz Div were to move to the vicinity of Leende (Fallsch AOK 1). Leende is just east Valkenswaard !

Another Fernschreiben of 15.9 mentioned that a message was sent to a Funkstelle in Sittard that Le Pz.Jg Abt 10 SS Pz. Division was to move to Heerlen as Heeresgruppe Reserve and to get ready to react on a US breakthrough near Gulpen.

[Erwin L]

Hello Kriegsberichter

Well one thing is for sure that the only panzers which were taken out here (Valkenswaard) were Stugs and no panzer IV. The only unit, here in the neighbourhood equipted with stugs was Schw Pz Jag Abt 559. Like i said before i think the messed up Valkenburg with Valkenswaard. So in my opinion Roestel wasn't in Valkenswaard in September 1944.

regards Erwin