Researching SS-Panzer-Division Wiking in Isjum battles

[Toivo]

Hello,

I am working with Russian archive documents to establish participation of their units and losses. These battles were fought around Isjum in the second half of July 1943 and early August.
The first engagements took place near villages such as Sawodskoje, Ssrednij and Andrejewka SW of Isjum.
Later the fighting took place around Golaja Dolina.

So far I have come across some very interesting information. To my knowledge no western historians have been able to use these documents as they were classified until 2006/2007. These are documents from Central Archive of Russian Ministry of Defense.

Let me just say that for example claims by battalion Narwa regarding destroyed tanks seem to be quite true. Previously the large number of destroyed tanks gave ground to some doubts.
I have found combat reports of several units of corps, division and brigade level who describe their fight against Wiking and their losses.
Also several schemes/maps. In addition also specific lists of fallen Red Army soldiers with names.

I hope one day all this information might be available to you all in a book.

For this I need a fair level of detail from both sides and so far I have very little details from German side in my opinion.

I've checked what books are available to me but perhaps someone can help me by pointing out or providing some other, possibly more detailed accounts.

The books I have read and which contain some useful details:
The history of Battalion Narwa. Contains accounts of several combatants and maps.
Jean Mabire "SS Tank division Wiking". A few pages of good information mainly about Germania regiment's actions.
Ewald Klapdor "Viking Panzers". Some specifics.

A lot of books concerning Waffen SS or Wiking in general are TOO general or contain no useful specific details. But I must confess I have only read a couple others.
I have not had a pleasure of reading Rolf Michaelis book about Wiking for example.

I do know archive documents of Wiking combat records are unavailable or destroyed so I'm not asking for these.
I'm interested in memoirs. For example Mabire mentions a certain Hauptsturmführer who brought word to Dickeman of unsuccessful attempt to reach and aid bat. Narwa during the night. It is said he had a diary/journal. Any idea who it is and is it published somewhere?

Also Paul Hausser wrote his perspective of these battles in his memoirs.

If anyone has anything which might be of help to my research in their shelves please help me out.

Best regards,
Toivo

[BramvanS]

The following books might be interesting:

Peter Strassner, Europäische Freiwillige
George M. Nipe, Decision in the Ukraine

[BramvanS]

And there is the diary of the Dutch Ustuf Gerard Stroink (O.O. I./Germania) who writes about these battles near Isjum.

[pintere]

The following books might be interesting:

Peter Strassner, Europäische Freiwillige
George M. Nipe, Decision in the Ukraine

Strassner's book has a short chapter on Wiking's fighting around Isjum and Kharkov (about 15 pages), but it might be worth a try. He was a former member of the division, and there are a few personal accounts present in the chapter.

Nipe's book, unfortunately, is of little help. It covers the southern thrust during the battle of Kursk, the Mius river battles afterwards, and the western part of operation Rumyantsev. In short, the path of the 2nd & 3rd SS panzer divisions.

I look forward to hearing the results of your archival research, good luck!

[Toivo]

Thank you, both!
Strassner's book sounds interesting.
By the way with all these books unless someone is able to help with scans or photocopy, I relay on ordering these from some German University through my University. I'm studying and to say "on a budget" would be understatement

[BramvanS]

I will make some scans of the Strassner book and send these.

[Toivo]

Thank you! I have also sent something your way.

[pintere]

If you ever do the same sort of thing for other East front battles, I'd be very interested to see your results. I'd love to do some archival research with Russian documents, but when you live in Canada, for now it's difficult to say the least.

[Toivo]

Pintere, nothing is impossible. However, it already took dozens of hours to even find the units and then sort out available records for these few days in July and August for a few units. And I have not yet made any serious analysis on this data. Just picked through for additional information of units involved. Just got a bit better impression than before.
Now imagine the same for a larger scale, key battles!

[Charles Trang]

If you can read French, then you'll be interested by the volume 3 of my book on the Wiking division. It is far more detailed (3 to 4 times) than Strassner's book. My sources were the various KTB, Meldungen and Anlagen of the XXIV.Pz.Korps, XXXX.Pz.Korps, LVII.Pz.Korps and 1.Pz.Armee to which Wiking was attached during this period. Bernau's and Klapdor's books are also of great help, and "Pioniere Einheiten der 5.SS-Panzerdivision Wiking" as well. Maps of the battle for Sawodskoj and Ssrednij can be found in Sitter's and Schmidt's Personalakten. There are lots of accounts in the various Personalakten of the Wiking officers who were awarded the RK or the DKiG for their feats during those peculiar battles. There are also a few interesting veterans' testimonies in "Unser Wiking Ruf" (the magazine edited by the TruKa Wiking between 1996 and 2012).

[Toivo]

This sounds like the one I would need. I understand the third volume covers March of 1943 to the end of war and it will be available in a month?
If I could I'd buy it but perhaps it's possible in the future, if still available. Right now as a student on budget I have to consider between a new printer and boots for the winter.
I thank you for specific details on sources! I'm already trying to get records of XXXX.Pz.Korps with the help from a forum member.

[Charles Trang]

The book will be published in November or December. I am sorry its price is so high but Heimdal's products are of top quality as far as the layout is concerned.

[Toivo]

It's completely normal price. By the way someone who's interested in it asked if there are ever plans to publish it in English too?

[Charles Trang]

I think it won't be published in English since the translation costs are too high for a small editor like Heimdal (about 60 Euros for 1 page of text and there are about 270 pages of text in A4 size and written in size 10, just for volume 3, and I don't even mention the captions of the photos).

[Toivo]

Oh I see.

Regarding my request for books I have found several that I was looking for already in my University's library and I also got several german KTB's so considering all the books I have to read and essays to write I put this request of exchange on temporary hold.

I thank you all who helped me with their tips in the right direction!