Battle of Nikolaiewka, January 1943

[ML59]

In many Italian memoirs books and also in official communique of the period it is cited a so-called Battle of Nikolaiewka. According to the Italian sources, by the end of January 1943 the remnants of the Italian Alpini Corps, together with some elements of German and Hungarian units, fought off a, supposedly, strong soviet blocking force that was aimed in stopping the huge number of stragglers, about 60.000, many of them unarmed, that were marching West to join the newly established Axis front. In many Italian books this battle has been described as an episode of subhuman endurance and heroism, with the alpini, led by fearless officers and generals, pistol or sword in hand, shouting battle cry like "alpini avanti!" or the like. I'm not usually too impressed by rhetoric and propaganda, so I'd like to know if there are soviet reports or description of this battle, which forces where involved, which was the final toll of the operation.

Thank you

[Dann Falk]

Greetings,

Are you talking about accounts from these two books:

The Italian Alpine Corps in the Stalingrad Campaign 1942-1943 Sacrifice on the Steppe by Hope Hamilton

Few Returned by Eugenio Corti

If these are your sources, it might help someone find the correct battle info from the Soviet side.

Hope this helps,

Dann

[Art]

which forces where involved

Some elements of 3 Tank Army, I guess. 3 TA claimed not less than 73 thousand POWs taken in January 43 (D. Shein)
I've got an impression, when I read about the event earlier, that it was a chaotic battle with swarms of Italian, German and Hungarian troops heading to the west here and there.

[ML59]

Greetings,

Are you talking about accounts from these two books:

The Italian Alpine Corps in the Stalingrad Campaign 1942-1943 Sacrifice on the Steppe by Hope Hamilton

Few Returned by Eugenio Corti

If these are your sources, it might help someone find the correct battle info from the Soviet side.

Hope this helps,

Dann

Hi Dann,

the battle has been described in several books:

"Il sergente nella neve" by Mario Rigoni Stern
"Centomila gavette di ghiaccio" by Giulio Tedeschi
"Tutti i vivi all'assalto" by Alfio Caruso

Those are not scholar works but historical novels, not necessarily to be fully trusted.

[ML59]

which forces where involved

Some elements of 3 Tank Army, I guess. 3 TA claimed not less than 73 thousand POWs taken in January 43 (D. Shein)
I've got an impression, when I read about the event earlier, that it was a chaotic battle with swarms of Italian, German and Hungarian troops heading to the west here and there.

It was a very chaotic situation, indeed. For this reason it's very difficult to find reliable reports about it. My impression is that, scrubbing away the debris of the propaganda, what is left is a series of very confused skirmishes between tens of thousands of stragglers and few soviet blocking detachments.

[GregSingh]

There seemed to be several places called Nikolajewka on the way of retreating Italian Alpine Corps in January 1943.

One just north of Rossosh on the major rail line, not shown on Italian map below, but Soviet map shows substantial enemy forces eliminated north of it.
Another interesting one is further west, also on another rail line. Again Soviet map shows enemy forces being encircled and eliminated there.
There are at least two more of both maps.

Here is an Italian map showing AC retreat.

Italian Alpine Corps withdrawal - Jan 1943

And Soviet map of Ostrogozhsk–Rossosh Operation - Italian map covers central part of Soviet map.

Ostrogozhsk–Rossosh operation - Jan 1943

[Art]

There seemed to be several places called Nikolajewka on the way of retreating Italian Alpine Corps in January 1943.

From the description here the village in question must be the northern Nikolayevka.
See also another Soviet map:
http://militera.lib.ru/h/sb_vi_9/s19.gif

[Art]

How things are described in a war diary of the 48 Guards Rifle Division (omitting irrelevant parts):

From the morning of 26 January 1943 the enemy launched an attack on 143 Guards Rifle Regiment and division's staff at Nikolayevka (north) with 8 thousand men supported by 9 tanks, artillery and a battery of six-barrel rocket launcher...The garrison of Nikolayevka - 143 Guards Rifle Regiment, division staff and divisional special units were repulsing one attack after another. Artillery was set to fire over open sites. By the end of the day by a cost of heavy casualties the enemy managed to force his way through the northern part of Nikolayevka-Livenka and reached the road to Uspenkoye.
(Simultaneously 138 Guards Rifle Regiment and divisional ski battalion were in action against another group at Nikitovka (about 12 km south-east of Nikolayevka).
Casualties of the division during 26 January: 145 men killed and wounded, 6 76-mm guns, 4 45-mm guns, 11 automobiles.
By 24.00 138 Guards Rifle Regiment at Nikitovka, 143 GRR - Faschevatoye (6 km north-west of Nikolayevka), 146 GRR - about 10 km north of Nikolayevka.
Plan for the next day: 146 GRR will envelop the group at Uspenskoye from the north, 143 GRR from the south, and the ski battalion from the west. 138 GRR is to clear Nikolayevka.
27 January
After a bitter battle the remains of enemy forces retreated from Nikitovka, Nikolayevka, Livenka toward Uspenska.
As a result of the battle at Nikolyavka-Livenka the enemy lost 3000 men killed and 1000 as prisoners, of them 300 men were killed when three heavy shells hit a house where prisoners were held. 2 tanks and 3 guns knocked out, 2 airplanes shot down at Nikolayevka and 1 at Faschevatoye.
By 6.00 [28 Janaury?] 146 GRR took Livenka, Nikolayevka and Uspenka, as a result of battle against the column retreating through Uspenka 1000 men were killed, 2000 men, 200 horses and 10 wagons were captured as well as 1 self-propelled gun and 1 tank. The regiment continues the mop-up.
143 GRR is gathered at Faschevatoye and is getting in order and preparing to set out to a new area.
138 GRR - on march from Nikolayevka to the south.
Ammunition and fuel are absent.

As one can understand from all this on 26 January the Italian column dislodged the 143 Regiment from Nikolaevka and cleared a way through the village, but was partly trashed in the next two days north-west of it by the 146 Regiment.

[Art]

Also a situation report by a commander of 48 GRD artillery (synopsys)

On 26 January the enemy attacked Nikolayevka-Livenka with 8000 men, 5 tanks, 105-mm guns, 3 6-barrell rocket launchers. 2 Transport airplanes were dropping ammunition and rations.
As a result of the battle that continued until the night out forces had abandoned Livenka and retreated to the north-west.
Artillery that took part in the battle included 1 battalion/98 Guards Artillery Regiment - 7 guns, 2 battalion/206 Howitzer Regiment - 3 guns, 53 Guards AT Battalion - 6 guns, 67 Guards AA battery - 2 guns, guns and mortars of the 143 Guards Rifle Regiment.
Artillery was set to fire over open sites (except 2 howitzers from the 206 Regiment) and engaged enemy infantry, tanks and airplanes. About 2000 casualties were inflicted, 2 tanks and 4 machine guns knocked, 1 Henckel-126 and 1 Ju-52 airplane and also a glider were shot down.
Batteries continued fire to the last round, personnel took part in infantry action.
Own losses:
98 Guards Artillery Regiment - 3 guns, 3 automobiles, 11 men killed, 40 wounded and 20 missing.
206 Howitzer Regiment - 1 gun knocked out, fate of others is unknown.
53 Guards AT Battalion - 1 gun knocked out, 4 damaged but repairable, 3 men killed, 19 wounded
67 Guards AA Battery - 7 men wounded
Divisional HQ battery - 2 men killed, 5 wounded.

https://pamyat-naroda.ru/dou/?docID=153115867
So the counting of 145 casualties on 26 January (see above) is probably incomplete.

[GregSingh]

Thanks Art for your help!

[Art]

As additional information: there are 95 men buried at a military cemetery at the place of events (Livenka village), of them about 60 were killed or died on 26-27 January. Which gives a minimal estimate of casualties.