The battle for Memel

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Lord Gort
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The battle for Memel

#1

Post by Lord Gort » 04 May 2002, 18:03

I have just read an account about the fall of Memel and was wondering if anyone has anyother famous last stand battles that were fought with such Heroism form the German side, Berlin features prominetly but were their other Baltic ports that held out?

Jan-Hendrik
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#2

Post by Jan-Hendrik » 04 Jun 2006, 14:14

Pillau , Danzig , Hela , Kolberg , Swinemünde , just for ports at the Baltic . Or Thorn , Graudenz , Königsberg , Schneidemühl , Posen , Breslau , Küstrin .....

Jan-Hendrik


Igorn
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#3

Post by Igorn » 04 Jun 2006, 14:27

Jan-Hendrik wrote:Pillau , Danzig , Hela , Kolberg , Swinemünde , just for ports at the Baltic . Or Thorn , Graudenz , Königsberg , Schneidemühl , Posen , Breslau , Küstrin .....

Jan-Hendrik
.... but the outcome of all these ''heroic" battles was the same: victory for the Soviet Army and defeats of German garrisons in all above "fortresses". :wink:


Best Regards from Russia,

Michate
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#4

Post by Michate » 04 Jun 2006, 17:47

Memel was actually evacuated without a fight as the garrison was urgently needed to strengthen the defense in the Samland after the Soviet breakthrough in the Gumbinnen area.

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#5

Post by pavle » 04 Jun 2006, 20:42

Michatwa are you seriuos ? without a last fight?
were the 58/95 I.D. evacuated on time, before the soviets could capture the port? if so then the kriegsmarine would had
had a major role in fending of the soviet attacks, because without the 58/95 I.D. there is no garrisson anymore!!!!

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#6

Post by Jan-Hendrik » 04 Jun 2006, 21:09

Yes , he IS right :wink:

XVIII.AK left Memel on the evening of 27th January 1945 , they went over the Nehrung to Cranz , reformed there and broke through soviet troops . If you are patient enough I will write an article about Memel in 1944/45 in German language :wink:

Remarkable is also the involvement of the Kriegsmarine , for details take a look here :

http://forum.panzer-archiv.de/viewtopic ... 7309#97309

Jan-Hendrik

Mark V.
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#7

Post by Mark V. » 04 Jun 2006, 22:54

Here's another map from Horst Scheibert: Die Gespenster Division.
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Jan-Hendrik
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#8

Post by Jan-Hendrik » 04 Jun 2006, 23:02

Ah , material for my aticle 8-)

Don't get me wrong , dear Mark , I have Scheibert , too , but my scanner denies its service at the moment and the Maps in v.Manteuffels divisional history , well , they are the minuspoint of his book :wink:

Jan-Hendrik

Mark V.
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#9

Post by Mark V. » 04 Jun 2006, 23:30

Jan-Hendrik wrote:Maps in v.Manteuffels divisional history , well , they are the minuspoint of his book :wink:
Yes, a very BIG minuspoint :( .

pavle
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#10

Post by pavle » 04 Jun 2006, 23:46

Great maps Marko! :D

Do you know the exact date of the map (somewhere around beginning of november44, or december)
Jan Hendrik i will patiently await your article!

p.s. i hope you can find something about an alledged break-out attempt somewhere around november-december...
the supposed attack was directed southward and should had established contact with absschnitt west 286 I.D.
The attack followed the shoreline soutward and was supported by a handfull of tanks (propably remainder 7th panzer, or GD armour) and the kriegsmarine propably Prinz Eugen gave fire support..

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Prit
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#11

Post by Prit » 05 Jun 2006, 07:13

The operation to break out of Memel was part of an overall plan codenamed 'Geier', which was to start with a link-up between Army Group North and Memel. Although several divisions - 4th, 12th and 14th Panzer Divisions and 11th, 87th, and 126th Infantry Divisions - began to assemble for the breakout along the coast to Memel, plans were disrupted by the onset of the First Battle of Courland.

The breakout from Memel towards Prussia was intended to run southeast towards Tilsit. Without the support of the Army Group North divisions, this was a non-starter, and the withdrawal of 5th Panzer Division and Panzer Division HG from the Tilsit bridgehead effectively brought all planning to an end. The plan was therefore effectively shelved by the end of October.

Although Sajer describes an abortive breakout from Memel, I have not been able to find any other source that corroborates this. I suspect that the attack Sajer describes is more likely to have been a local counter-attack to recover positions lost to the Red Army.

Prit

pavle
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#12

Post by pavle » 05 Jun 2006, 11:06

Pritt 8-) Wonderfull info you have there!

Do you have the info from a book, i would surely be interested..

All the best,

Pavle...

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Prit
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#13

Post by Prit » 05 Jun 2006, 15:55

Pavle

The episode is described in Y-Rothenburg, by von Egloffstein, Hegen and Huber, who quote the OKH KTB and AG North KTB for 15/10/44 as their primary reference, and Festung Memel by Ebeling as a secondary reference.

Mark V.
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#14

Post by Mark V. » 06 Jun 2006, 17:26

Hi pavle,

The map is supposed to show the front line movements from 15th October 1944 onwards.

Jan-Hendrik
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#15

Post by Jan-Hendrik » 26 Jun 2006, 11:10

An excellent operational overview about the fights in the bridgehead Memel and the transfer of its Garrison to the Samland gives Rudolf Kabath in "Die Rolle der Seebrückenköpfe beim Kampf um Ostpreußen 1944-1945" , printed in Hans Meier-Welckers "Die Abwehrkämpfe am Nordflügel der Ostfront 1944-1945".

Jan-Hendrik

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