Kurt Knispel - Last Battle Location

[headwest]

Hi Everyone

I just watched a video on Kurt, and how his grave was discovered in 2013 etc. It mentions the area where his last battle occured and that his tank was immobilized and surrounded? that he was wounded and died soon after

I located the original grave in the churchyard and know where he is now buried

however is there detailed info on where his last battle occured? and exactly where he was hit? and how many soviet tanks etc were there?

Just wanted to learn more about this person and last battle.

thanks much

[Westphalia1812]

This video should help: https://youtu.be/oH5rNCGK5bc

[headwest]

Hi Pascal, Thats the one I watched lol

it was very interesting but from that I was trying to find out mroe info on the scene of the last battle, and specifically where Kurts tank was

thanks!

[Art]

Well, the simple answer is that Vrbovec was at a good distance from the front-line on 28.4. I guess, that was a location of a field hospital where wounded were evacuated. As for actions at Vlasatice on that day they are best described by the word "nothing". I strongly suspect that youtube narrative is, to put it softly, not fully reliable.

[Westphalia1812]

,,27 April-30 April: We continued to remain in
Socherl. It was quiet at the location of our south-
ern battle group. On the other hand, there were
several enemy attacks in front of us at Wostitz. We
were able to repulse them with the help of our
Tigers. In the course of that engagement we
knocked out six enemy tanks. The battle group
had to execute an unpleasant night operation to
eliminate an enemy penetration. For the most
part, the main line of resistance was held. The
nightly supply run ran smoothly. Unfortunately,
we lost two of our best tank commanders: Feld-
webel Knispel [ German Cross in Gold ] and Feld-
webel Skoda [ Iron Cross, First Class ] ." ( The Combat History of GERMAN TIGER TANK BATALION 503 IN WORLD WAR II, p.369)
I was only able to find that.

[Art]

I'm quite sure that engagements described didn't happen on either 28 or 29. It's probable that Knispel was mortally wounded by some random artillery round during a period of lull.

[Art]

Fragments of 7 Guards Army's situation maps 23-27, and 28-30 April 1945, Vlasatice area

Vlasatice 23-27.4.45.png (702.07 KiB) Viewed 3580 times

Vlasatice 28-30.4.45.png (590.8 KiB) Viewed 3580 times

Operating from the Soviet side was the 27 Guards Rifle Corps with 275, 72 Guards and 141 Rifle Divisions in the first line. On 26 April they attacked the German defense positions and entered a village of Pasohlavky, but otherwise had little progress. On the night 26/27 April German defenders counterattacked with tanks and recaptured Pasohlavky and some area near the village, Soviet attempts to counterattack were generally unsuccessful. The days of 28 and 29 April were for the most part uneventful. As you can see from the maps the front remained largely static during those days. According to the war diary of the 27 GRC it lost 141 men killed and 502 wounded on 26-29.04.45, also 3 machine guns, 3 45-mm and 4 76-mm guns. Own claims were 8 German tanks damaged and 6 burnt, 87 men were taken prisoners.

[Art]

Identity of "enemy tanks" turned out to be quite curios. I've seen few cases when such a weird assortment of armored vehicles, including very exotic, was employed in a limited area. So allied armored units at Valsovatice were:
- Soviet 27 Guards Tank Brigade - 1 IS-2, 10 T-34, 5 ISU-122, 1 SU-100, 1 SU-85, 2 SU-76 on 26.4.45
- attached tank company from the Romanian 2 Tank Regiment - 3 Pz.IV, 2 Pz.III, 4 R-35, 4 Pz-38(t), 4 R-1, 3 TAKAM
In an attack at Pasohlavky on 26.4. the 27 GTBr lost 1 T-34, and 1 ISU-122 as write-offs. Also several vehicles were damaged on 26-27 April, of them 2 T-34 were in need of factory repair. According to situation reports the brigade didn't have any combat activity on 28 and 29 April. Practically nothing. Romain armor, as it seems, didn't see much action.

[headwest]

Awesome info here! thank you

I am trying to understand the maps better. Thanks for all the help as I try and decipher all of this

[Art]

You can find Pasohlavky on google maps. The frontline in this sector was generally between Ivan and Pasohlavky.

Yet another Soviet map: position of tanks of the 27 Guards Tank Brigade on 26-28.4.45:

On 28 and 29 April these tanks were deployed near the Hill 222 east of Pasohlavky. The hill is also known as "Rimsky vrch", as I understand it was a location of an ancient Roman camp, it also can be found on google maps.

[headwest]

Thank you! So we think Kurt was on this hill then? when he was hit?

[Art]

Soviet/Romanian tanks and other troops were on this hill on 28.04.1945. Where Knispel was when he was wounded - I don't know, information posted here doesn't indicate the exact place. Probably in the same general area (Pasohlavky village).

[headwest]

Thanks Art

Yes I would really like to pinpoint where he was but it seems lost to time.

thanks for the help!

[headwest]

I found this article from PeKo Publishing

they investigated Kurts last battle and it is exactly where you said

it seems he was probably hit in the head with shrapnel, looking out of the commander cupola and his tank was not itself hit

he also was hit very close to hill 222 in the early morning of the 27th. they surmise he was peering out to see better in the dim light

https://www.facebook.com/PeKoPublishing ... 738242970/