#128
Post
by Gregory Deych » 08 Apr 2007, 21:08
Additional information from after action reports of 1st tank corps:
According to the battle order of the 5th Tank Army HQ (# 0012 on 30/11/1942), 1st tank corps was ordered:
- On 1/12/42 at 8.00 cross river Chir around Svirisovsky and striking towards elevation 161 capture Sysonkin
- Continue towards Verhne-Aksenovskij, and deploy outposts facing west around Sovkhox 78.
To implement this order, the 1st tank corps commander created a group consisting of:
-From 44th motor-rifle brigade - combined motor rifle battalion, artillery battalion, AAA battalion, mortar battalion
-From 89th and 117th tank brigades - all tanks in running order:
KV-1: 1
T-34 : 1
T-60 : 5
T-70: 1
-354th and 355th guards mortar battalions of the 75th guards mortar regiment
-33 anti-tank destroyer regiment
-Two 37mm batteries from the 247th AAA (battalion?)
By morning the group was assembled around Svirodonsky, except for the units from the 44th motor-rifle brigade.
44th motor rifle brigade was not relieved by the 258th rifle division in time and continued to defend it's section of the line.
Due to absence of infantry the assault was postponed. The enemy air force, in groups of 10 to 15, was continually bombing the area around Sviridovsky where the units were located.
Neighbors to the right - around Surovikino 119th rifle division, to the left - 3rd cavalry corps.
On the 2/12/1942 the battle group the 1st tank corps created to implement the order of the 5th Army HQ (#0012) went into action.
By 11.30 on 2/12/1942 two crossings across Chir around Sviridovsky were created, and by 13.00 tanks the infantry crossed to the south bank, sending patrols ahead of the main grouping.
Reconnaissance patrol #1 sent towards Golovsky reported that 5 km. south-east of Surovikino it came under machine gun fire from the height 107.2.
Reconnaissance patrol #2 sent towards height 161 reported that it came under mortar fire from Sysojkin.
Reconnaissance patrol #3 sent towards height 156 reported that the enemy left height 156 towards south-west.
Untill 16.00 the battle group of the 1st tank corps did not move, due to the fact that the enemy air force had superiority in the air and 15-30 planes continually bombed the battle group, pinning it down.
By 16.00 the battle group of the 1st tank corps went on the offensive. By morning of the 3/12/1942 it captured the enemy's first line of defense around height 161. No further progress took place, since it encountered a strong anti-tank defense region on the reverse slopes of heights 161 and 156.0.
According to the verbal order of the commander of the 5th Tank Army, the tank brigades retreated to the rear to reorganize and prepare for future fighting, according to the 5th Army HQ order #14/OP VPU.
89th tank brigade around Shirkov
117th tank brigade around Markinskij
159th tank brigade around Burackij - in 5th Tank Army commander's reserve
44th motor rifle brigade - one combined battalion defending the southern slopes of the height 161.
307th guards mortar battalion around Markinskij
Current strength:
89th tank brigade: T-34: 6, T-60: 6, anti-tank guns: 2, active strength (bayonets): 90 men
117th tank brigade: T-34: 16, T-70: 1, active strength: 80 men
159th tank brigade: T-34: 12, T-70: 4, anti-tank guns: 2
307th guards mortar battalion: 5 M-8 MRLs
According to 5th Army order #14/OP VPU on 3/12/1942, on the 6/12/1942 the units of the 1st tank corps were tasked with the following:
On the morning of the 7/12/1942 together with the 333rd rifle division break through the enemy's defences around height 129 and height 155 and to strike the enemy in the flank and rear, coming out around Kustovsky, Nizhne-Chirskaya. There, together with the units of the 3rd Cavalry Corps, capture Blizhnepodgorskij, NizheneChirskaya.
For this operation, the 216th tank brigade was subordinated to the 1st tank corps.
By morning of the 7/12, the 1st tank corps together with the attached 216th tank brigade, 33rd anti-tank destroyer regiment, 75th guards mortar regiment were ready to move out.
216th tank brigade, betweens ravines Golaya and Ostrov (around the top of the ravines) was attacking with one tank battalion towards southern slopes of height 129.0, Sar ,3km south-west of height 129.0, west slopes of height 153.3, south slopes of height 172.4, height 155.6, Sokhoz #39 (Sysojkin). The 2nd tank battalion was attacking on the north slopes of height 155.0, Pol. St., east slopes of height 159.3 and joining the 1st tank battalion afterwards. The task was - together with 333rd rifle division to break through the enemy's front and destroy it's forces around Pol. St. and capture Sokhoz #79 (Sysojkin).
After capturing Sokhoz #79, deploy a detachment consisting of a motor-rifle and tank battalions towards the northern part of Verh. Sovonovskij, thus covering the corps flanks from the south.
89th tank brigade, together with a battery from the 33rd anti-tank destroyer regiment and 307th separate guards mortar battalion took positions half a kilometer east of 216th tank brigade. It was tasked to attack the enemy towards height 155.0 along the south-western slopes of height 161, 156.0, 145.6, Pol. St., Kustovskij - destroy the enemy on height 155.0, south and west of height 161, 156.0, 145.6 and capture Kustovskij and Blizhnepodgorskij.
117th tank brigade with one battery of the 33rd anti-tank destroyer regiment and battalion of the 75th guards mortar regiment took positions half a kilometer east of 89th tank brigade. It was directed to attack behind 89th tank brigade, echeloning right, and develop the offensive towards western slopes of height 155.0, MTO, Pol. St, height 156.1, and Nizhne-Chirskaya. After capturing eastern slopes of height 142.6, deploy a blocking detachments towards the intersetion of three roads around Pol. St., 1 km north-east of height 126.3.
44th motor-rifle brigade is to attack behind the 89th tank brigade towards height 161, 156.0, 145.6, Kustovskij. It is to defend Blizhnepodgorskij after it's captured by 89th tank brigade.
At 8:30 on 7/12/1942, after a short artillery bombardment, the 1st tank corps went on the offensive, decisively breaking through the enemy's defenses. By 9:30 the corps has broken through and started carrying out it's tasks. 216th tank brigade approached Pol. St., 2.5 km. west of height 155.0, turned towards the south around height 160 and from there was sent by the corps commander toward it's assigned course. 89th tank brigade came out on the road from Survikino to Sysojkin, turned towards the south according to it's course and by 12:00 captured Sysokin after some fighting. Behind it came the 216th tank brigade, which took it's place around Sysojkin and went on the defensive on heights south of Sysojkin - facing south.
326th tank battalion of the 117th tank brigade went through Sokhoz #79 (Sysojkin) and went onwards to the south, coming out on the road near Pol. St, 1 km. north-east of height 126.3, where it encountered 16 medium and light enemy tanks. The enemy's tanks declined the engagement and went onwards towards the west. Battalion went into action against enemy's artillery, destroyed several guns after which it was returned to the main body of the brigade by the brigade commander's order.
The other battalion of the 117th tank brigade, together with the brigade commander turned towards the east and together with the 89th tank brigade attacked height 161, towards the north-east. There, having encountered a strong anti-tank defense region, it retreated to a hollow 3 km. south-west of height 161 where it spent the rest of the night reorganizing itself.
44th motor rifle brigade defended against 3 strong enemy attacks, up two 2 battalions in strength from height 161, up to company in strength from height 156.0.
159th tank brigade did not take part in the fighting, and by 23:00 arrived around Ostrovskij.
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During the day, the corps destroyed and captured: up to 1000 soldiers and officers, 50 guns of all calibers, warehouses with weapons and ammo, around 300 carts, 232 vehicles and other uncounted types of weapons, materiel and warehouses.
333rd rifle division captured height 122.0, and height 129.0. The units of 3rd Cavalry Corps continually defended against enemy counter-attacks from Dervenceva gully.
Enemy aviation continually bombarded the 1st tank corps in groups of 14 to 40 planes. Own air cover was not present.
On this sector were identified units from 295 Infantry division, 9th motorized division, 11th panzer division.
After the fighting on the 7/12, the 1st tank corps penetrated the enemy's defenses up to 10 km. in depth.
The army reserves (47th guards rifle division) were not sent into the breach. The corps was forced to fight from morning of the 8/12 by itself, deep inside enemy's defenses, having but a small quantity of infantry. The corps commander made a decision: by dawn of the 8th, continue to carry out his orders. 117th and 89th tank brigade attack from their jump-off area towards the southern slopes of unnamed height with horizontal 160, sothern slopes of height 161 - attacking towards the advancing units of the 44th motor rifle brigade and 159th tank brigade from the north. 159th tank brigade and 44th motor rifle brigade attack to the south, towards MTO. The task: together with 117th and 89th tank brigade capture Nizhne-Chirskaya. 216th tank brigade covers the corps from south and south-west during the destruction of the enemy on the southern slopes of heights 161, 160, and afterwards carries out it's original orders in concert with the general advance of the corps.
The enemy, taking advantage of the open flanks towards the west , came out by dawn around heights 129.0, 155.0, in strength of up to 50 tanks together with 2 battalions of infantry, thereby endangering the 1st tank corps rear and flanks. At the same time, it assaulted with tanks and infantry the 216th tank brigade around Sohkoz 79 (Sysojkin). Faced with the developing situation, the corps commander ordered:
216th tank brigade, leaving 1 tank battalion to to face south-west and south-east around Sovkhoz #79 (Sysojkin), with the rest of the brgiade attack the enemy to the north, towards heights 160.8 and 157.8.
117th and 89th tank brigade attack the enemy towards the north-west around heights 155.0, 157.8 with the general intent to destroy the enemy endangering the flanks and the rear of the 1st tank corps.
At the same time, 159th tank brigade with 44th motor rifle brigade assaults from around height 151 towards MTF with the task: destroy the enemy reserves approaching from the south-east, thereby protection the rear of the tank brigades fighting the enemy grouping around height 155.0, 157.8, 160.3.
During the day the units of the 1st tank corps were involved in heavy fighting with enemy's tanks, artillery and infantry. During the fighting,the enemy sustain the following losses:
89th tank brigade destroyed up to 200 soldiers and officers, 3 guns, 4 MGs, 5 wheeled vehicles.
The brigades losses were: destroyed: 3 T-34, 2 T-70, knocked out: 1 T-34, 17 men killed, 36 men wounded.
117th tank brigade destroyed up to 1000 soldiers and officers, up to a battalion of infantry dispersed. Captured: 21 guns, 36 light MGs, 1000 rifles and SMGs, 30 motorcyles, 5 kitchens, 106 carts with horses. During fighting with enemy tanks knocked out 8 enemy tanks, 5 tanks destroyed.
Brigade losses: destroyed: 2 T-34. Knocked out: 1 T-34, 4 T-70. Two T-34 tanks are stuck and in need of evacuation. 22 men killed, 46 wounded.
159th tank brigade destroyed up to two companies of enemy officer regiment (???), 9 anti-tank guns and 50 MGs (large caliber, heavy and light), 1enemy heavy tank, 3 enemy medium tanks.
Brigade losses: destroyed: 1 T-34, 4 T-70. Knocked out: 1 T-34, 5 T-70. 5 men killed, 13 wounded, 7 MIA.
44th motor rifle brigade destroyed 200 enemy soldiers and officers, knocked down 2 Me-110s. Captured: 30 rifles, 8 MGs. Brigade losses: 14 killed, 64 wounded.
10th separate reconnaissance battalion carried out reconnaissance for the corps during the day. It destroyed 30 soldiers and officers, 2 vehicles. Battalion losses: 4 killed, 8 wounded, 5 MIA. 1 APC missing together with it's crew. The enemy aviation attacked during the day in groups of up to 30 planes. To the right, 333rd rifle division continued to hold height 122.1, east slopes of height 129.0 and 1 km. to the east. To the right, 6th guards cavalry division continued to hold height 106.6.