Estn. SS-Freiw-Pz.Gren.Btl. "Narwa"

[Konstantin]

Good afternoon, dear colleagues!
Let me quote: "...Battalion "Narwa" was loaded off the train at stations Lozovaja and Blinznjuk in Ukraine on 07.04.1943 and they continued with field training as in Heidelager, Poland. They had some conflicts with partisans who blasted one of their ammonition truck and killed one non-commissioned officer. Chief of Division himself was there watching the field trainings and he was very satisfied. In June 1943 the battalion was relocated to Jasnaja Gorka near Kramatorsk-Slavjansk."
I am very interested in the details of the host battalion "Narva" in Jasnaja Gorka, because in this city (Kramatorsk) I live. Perhaps someone has more extensive information?
More interested in the details of the famous battle near the village Andreevka from 19/07/1943 to 21/08/1943. It really battalion soldiers were killed One unit of 100 armored vehicles? I would be grateful for any information and pictures of these events.Andreevka - situated on the bank of the river Donets, is very close to me.
Thank you. Best regards. Кonstantin.

[Peeter]

Narwa was only in training in Jasnaja Gorka. Here you can see couple of pictures from this period (lots of informative text too, but unfortunately only in Estonian)
http://www.eestileegion.com/index.php?categoryid=117

Battle of Izjum, where they did destroy about 100 Soviet armored vechicles
http://www.eestileegion.com/index.php?categoryid=149

There were 650 men of Narwa in the battle of Izjum, they lost 69 estonians and 6 germans KIA, 250 men went to the next battle, most of others were wounded.

Battle of Hadnica
http://www.eestileegion.com/index.php?categoryid=152

[Peeter]

Konstantin, have you visited the Izjum battlefield, are the positions there still visible?
Is there anything left from the German/Estonian graveyard?

[Konstantin]

Konstantin, have you visited the Izjum battlefield, are the positions there still visible?
Is there anything left from the German/Estonian graveyard?

Dear Peeter, I sent you a private message.
This map indicated that Andreevka, near which the battalion "Narva" fought a battle with a 19/07 on 21/07/1943.





When I was in these places, it's not very far from me - about 80 km. They observed the trenches during the war, but about the cemetery, I do not know.I have no information about the location of this cemetery.
Best regards. Кonstantin.

[Konstantin]

Area Sawodskoje - Andreevka


Seversky Donets River here all this - the shore thickets very strong, especially the right bank. Wade through the thicket be very careful - you can fall off a cliff into the water. A lot of mosquitoes ...


Here on this field, closer to the edge of the forest, 19-21 July 1943 Estonian volunteer SS battalion "Narva" trying to keep the offensive units of the 1 st Guards Army. And destroyed, according to the literature, 74 Soviet tanks.


Photo from a slightly different angle


My brother and I have seen: it is a very protracted recovery from the Donets was quite difficult (but still under enemy fire) as for armored vehicles, and for personnel.


The road to Sawodskoje. Ibid, 19-21 July 1943 at the cost of the heroic efforts and the many victims, men the 1 st Guards Army managed to break through the defense of the 2 nd Battalion, Regiment SS "Westland", commanded by SS-Hauptsturmfiihrer Walter Schmidt.


The road from the river Donets at Andreevka. In her Estonian SS battalion "Narva" retreated through Andreevka on Barvenkovo.


For us Andreevka. The sun beats down mercilessly, the heat is incredible ...

[California]

nice photos to go with the information!
isnt this a very good place to search with metal detector?
considering you know the exact places of battle?

[Konstantin]

nice photos to go with the information!
isnt this a very good place to search with metal detector?
considering you know the exact places of battle?

I am not engaged in searches with the metal detector...

[Xavier]

walking the fields of past battles gives you a new perspective on the lives of those that went thru those places..
a couple years ago I walked about 45kms of the retreat route of santana's army in central mexico after he lost Texas..some of the wagon routes can still be seen with the clear eye, and we found several buttons and coins along the route, and managed to find and mark to the archeologists a roadside cemetary..
Xavier
Der Autodidakt

[George Lepre]

Hi Xavier -

Thanks for your great post. Many people go on battlefield tours, but to find a forgotten cemetery is just incredible. Slendid work!

A question: a former professor of mine does research on public health in Latin America, with Mexico being his area of expertise. Did the Mexican soldiers who are buried in the cemetery you found die of combat wounds or disease? (As you know, most soldiers who died during wars in the early 19th Century died of disease.) Is this cemetery near any large towns?

Best regards,

George

[Griffin brigade]

Very interesting Konstantin , great photos thanks for posting!!

[Konstantin]

Very interesting Konstantin , great photos thanks for posting!!

Thank you, dear Griffin brigade, for such a flattering comment on my humble work. Let me provide a few more photos. Though they are not relevant to the battalion "Narva", and are related to 46. Infantry Division. Taking over the positions of unit 5.SS Division "Viking" (and, in particular, the battalion "Narva")

Area Kamenka - Senicheno.







The commanding heights - the left bank of the Seversky Donets river "in full view". One can only imagine how difficult it dalos forcing the river units 8 th Guards Army in July 1943






The positions of the German 46 th Infantry Division on the right bank of the Donets. Well preserved artillery positions.


Supposedly, there was the one Panzernest. In the background you can see the chain mounds - moles. But in the foreground - the traces of the "masters" with metal detectors.


My brother, Andrew Abramenko trying to figure out the origin of these stones - natural or artificial?

[Griffin brigade]

Many thanks again Konstantin , please keep posting them , this is a Battlefield that many of us have read about but never seen,

regards

Paul

[Konstantin]

Many thanks again Konstantin , please keep posting them , this is a Battlefield that many of us have read about but never seen,

regards

Paul

Dear Paul, always good to know that this is someone else interested. Appears moral incentive to continue searching.

[George Lepre]

Great photos, Konstantin. Keep up the great field work!

George

[herring]

Hello Konstantin,

Why do you think, that there was located Panzernest?

regards
herring