Kocevje 9-12 december 1943 battle info request

[Karstwehr]

Hi all I'm new to this forum and this is my first post.
I am a 35 years old italian modeller and I would like to recreate a scene of the battle for Kocevje (Slovenija)involving the 162 turk. ID and the 13 Verst.Pol.Pz.Kp., I already have the fantastic Stefano di Giusto OZAK book.
I plan to build a L6/40 tank in the main street of the town and sone troops around.
I would lke to have any kind of information regarding that happening so I thank you in advance for the informations you could give.
Cheers
Alessandro Jug

[Mark V.]

Alessandro, see this: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=96170

[Karstwehr]

Hvala /thank you Mark, I already found those web sites, thank you anyway indeed.
So the relief forces was composed by the 303.IR from 162.Turkistan ID...I could make a mistake but permit me to disagree.
I see in several pictures of the Di Giusto book that some PzKpfW IV ausf F1 and L6/40 from the 13 Verst.Pol.Pz.Kp. were part of the relief forces, and some are with Polizei Einheiten on board (you can see the Polizei eagle on their M43 field cap and the distinctive Bergmann Mp).
Are there other pictures of this action?
Cheers
Alessandro Jug

[Mark V.]

So the relief forces was composed by the 303.IR from 162.Turkistan ID...I could make a mistake but permit me to disagree.
I see in several pictures of the Di Giusto book that some PzKpfW IV ausf F1 and L6/40 from the 13 Verst.Pol.Pz.Kp. were part of the relief forces, and some are with Polizei Einheiten on board (you can see the Polizei eagle on their M43 field cap and the distinctive Bergmann Mp).

Yes, that's correct. The relief forces were organized in two groups:
- reinforced battalion from SS-Pol.Rgt.19 (apparently III./SS-Pol.Rgt.19) with 13.(verst.)Pol.Pz.Kp. and two Slovensko domobranstvo companies (27. & 28.) advanced towards Kocevje on the main road from Ljubljana and
- reinforced Inf.Rgt.314 which advanced towards Kocevje along a side-road from Postojna;

While the mixed police-domobran group encountered heavy resistance the 162.Inf.Div.'s group outflanked the partisan defenses and easily broke-through to the beleaguered garrison.

I'm not entirely sure but I think Stefano has all the pictures taken during this operation.

lp
Marko

[Karstwehr]

Hvala lepa/thank you again Marko!
cheers
Alessandro

[Karstwehr]

Hi all
Here is the result of my research......

A 1/35 model of the L6/40








I hope you like it!
Cheers
Alessandro

[Ivan Ž.]

The relief forces were organized in two groups:
- reinforced battalion from SS-Pol.Rgt.19 (apparently III./SS-Pol.Rgt.19) [...]

Hello, Marko

Have you found out whether it was the III./SS-Pol.Rgt.19 for sure? (And who commanded it - was it Sernau, or someone else?)

Chreers,
Ivan