Krasny Bor Battle

[tigre]

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The Soviets begin to pay for their errors.

At 09:50 hours for the first time, Sagrado did a request to Esteban-Infantes; the former asked for reinforcements urgently. He was answered that he should maintain the calm and did not use all his reserves. At 10:25 hours Sagrado repeat his urgent request of reinforcements to the divisional command, to which it was answered that a German Regiment advanced towards Krasny Bor in order to help him. At 10:35 hours Esteban-Infantes ordered to Sagrado that he tried to recover his forward edge whatever be the cost.

Reinlein and Bellod were very effective and organized, so well as they could, given the circumstances, a new improvised line. However, the Soviet pressure, given its absolute numerical superiority, was exhausting, but the men of Reinlein and Bellod with their desperated action, denied which the Soviets as much longed for: the total and effective control on the town of Krasny Bor.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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The German artillery.

The "Arko 138" , that is to say, the Commando of Artillery of the Lº Army Corps, once was clear that it was Krasny Bor and not another one the sector of rupture, effectively directed the fire against the Soviet attackers, causing serious losses among them.

The units of heavy artillery deployed around Leningrad were diverse. For example the 814. Schwere Artilleríe Regiment (Heavy artillery regiment), with two Groups, each with 4 howitzers of 240 mm and the Schwere Artillerie Abteilung (Group of Heavy Artillery) 624º, the 641º (mixed units, equipped each with three mortar of 210 and four of 305) and the 815º (with six pieces of 305).

Also were there, and is necessary to emphasize them very especially, the troops of the Eisenbahn Artillerie Regiment z.b.V. (Railway Artillery regiment for special tasks) 679º, a unit that comprised the Eisenbahn Batterie (Railway Batteries) 693ª and 696ª (with railway howitzers of 400 mm taken to the French), and 686ª, this one equipped with the most effective Eisenbahn Kanone of 28 cm.

Although the colossuses between the colossuses of that one panoply were four French howitzers of 520 mm on railway assembly, that could shoot projectiles of up to 1,600 kgs and which also were used in the sector by the Germans.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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At the Advanced CP.

So soon it was confirmed that the Soviet main strike was triggered against Krasny Bor, as already we saw, General Esteban-Infantes had moved to the Advanced CP established in Raykolovo, to try to direct the battle from there. Around 12:00 hours (peculiarly, the same hour in that Simoniak informed to Sviridov that he had taken the effective control of Krasny Bor, according to the Historical record of the Soviet 55º Army) the situation, as it was seen from the Divisional CP was the following one:

•The Iº/262 and the Company of Skiers 250º had been beaten and overwhelmed.
• The IIº/262 had been crushed and only “the Bastión" had resisted yet;.
• The Reserve battalion 250º had sustained serious losses and had been beaten also. It was known that Oroquieta resisted.
• The IIIº/262 had suffered enough with the artillery fire, but it had not faced an strong infantry assault as the three before mentioned Battalions, hence it stayed in his positions, although with its right flank threatened.
• The Anti-tank battalion 250º had lost practically all their material in the unequal fights against the Soviet tanks.
• The Companies of the Engineers Battalion 250º had not been able to contain the rupture, although Aramburu, with his 3ª Company, had stayed firmly next to "the Bastión".
• The squadrons of the Reconnaissance Detachment 250º had been bled in the counterattacks, without managing to seal the breaches.
• The Group Iº/ AR 250 and the batteries which had been attached to it had lost, practically, all its pieces and its ammunition was on the verge of running out.

The Spanish general, practically, did not have reserves. The Iº/263 (Comandante/Maj Blanco Linares), it had begun to move its two Companies which had in Federovskoye towards the Ishora since 08:00 hours, while it started up towards the sector the other two Companies of the Battalion. The reserves of the neighbor 269º Regiment, given the lack of motorised vehicles, arrived slowly and in addition we cannot forget that it was the IIº/269 (Capitán Merry), a unit which just finished its reorganization and was incomplete.

The general ordered to make use of the Battalion of Repatriation which was in the rear ready to return to Spain. But the Battalion had not weapons. Neither there were means of transport to bring it fast from Vyarlevo. Fearing that he himself could be a casualty at any time, General Esteban-Infantes ordered Colonel Carlos Rubio, Commander of the 269º Regiment who had came to Raykolovo, to be ready to assume the command of the division.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[division azul]

Tigre,,

im following the 250 in parallel lines now

Cheers Sebastian

[tigre]

Glad to find you here too . Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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The German reaction.

The first German reaction, as already told, was of its artillerymen. Around 11:00 hours the Command of the 18º AOK had no doubts: the danger was in Krasny Bor. On the other hand, Kleffel, CO of the Lº AK, had to be pending not only of the Spaniards, but also of the neighboring unit, as well under attack, the 4ª Division SS and he should evaluate whether this initial attack were going to be followed or not by other actions on the line front.

Also the Headquarters of the L AK ended up concluding that the "schwerpunkt" (main point of effort) of the Russian offensive was located in the Spanish sector, and at 11:30 General Kleffel was in the CP of Esteban-Infantes, to try to respond to the Spanish urgent requests for help in the form of infantry troops.

It is necessary to say that Kleffel and Lindemann calculated the danger of the Soviet offensive against Krasny Bor with more exactitude than Esteban-Infantes, reason why from even before the attack took place, they tried to prepare reserves.

Already on Feb 09, the German GR 390 and to the I./ AR 215, both units of the 215 Infantry division which were marching towards Mga, got the order to halt in Ulianovka and then to occupy positions in Sablino, about 10 km. due south of Krasny Bor. The GR 390 had in Sablino only two of its three Battalions and altogether its manpower comprised 667 officers, NCOs and soldiers. As complement it was decided to reinforce the unit with the School of Combat engineers of the 18 AOK (Bataillon 18 Armee Pionier Schule) which, under orders of Hauptmann Stegemann, had another 333 men. Also it was hoped to be able to count on a Battery of the 226º battalion of Assault Guns, (Sturmgeschütz Abteilung 226) to restrain the enemy cars.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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The German reaction.

The GR 390 (Oberst Heckel) and the artillery unit which furnished fire support to it, the Iº/ AR 215, reinforced by the Battalion of students of the pioneers' school of the 18º AOK, received the orden to advance from Sablino towards Krasny Bor as soon as the Soviet assault had been launched. As we see, Oberst Heckel did not act with resolution and daring indeed. The 18º AOK also ordered to move towards the sector, its very poor armored means, a handful of Tiger tanks of the 502º Heavy Armored Detachment (Schw Pz Abt), plus its mechanized antitank means, the Marders of the 563º Group of Tank destroyers.

Soon it was seen also that seal the gap which had left in the front the Blue Division and 4ª SS Division due to the Soviet attack no longer was a task for a unique Regiment, the before mentioned GR 390, hence other two regiments moving from or towards Mga, the GR 316 and the GR 374, would have to be gotten off the railroad.

In addition, to reinforce to the very weak 4ª SS Division, it was ordered to move towards its lines to the "Regimentsgruppe 366, of the 227 ID. General Hellmuth Reymann, who accompanied his GR 316 towards Mga, got the order to constitute immediately, with the Headquarters of his 212 ID, a Kampfgruppe (Battle Group) division with the Regiments 390º, 316º and 374º, in order to close the breach opened between the Blue Division and 4ª SS Division. Throughout the day 10 the final luck of the battle in Krasny Bor was doubtful, reason why the Army Group North alarmed the 24 ID, deployed along the Wolchow at those moments, concretely in Chudovo, so that it was prepared to march towards Krasny Bor.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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The German reaction.

Colonel Sagrado, was informed about the presence of the 390º Regiment in Sablino. From that moment onwards his greater preoccupation was to contact with Oberst Heckel, in order he could approach, as quickly as possible, in his support; but the the Spanish impression was that Heckel did not want to advance.

But Heckel sinned of excess of prudence, for desperation of Colonel Sagrado, who left his men in Krasny Bor in order to try to force the Germans to advance more quickly. The judgments that have been formulated on both colonels, as much on Sagrado as on Heckel, have been very hard. On the former it was told that he really left his men. On the latter, that his delay contributed to enlarge the breach between the lines of the Blue Division and 4ª SS Division. Perhaps seen the subject with perspective, both would be really scapegoats. In any case, as much Sagrado as Heckel in the end lost the command of their respective Regiments shortly after finishing the battle and it is necessary to admit that they did not lack reasons for it.

Meanwhile, Esteban-Infantes was trying to save the saveable thing, that is to say, to avoid that his Blue Division was surrounded. Since 16:30 hours, by order of the Army Corps, the sector of Krasny Bor - from the Leningrad-Moscow railroad to the Ishora- no longer was his responsability, but of General Reymann.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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The sector of the Ishora:

The Soviet vanguards were in position of crossing the Ishora in the sector of the great meander, where the Factory of Paper was located and in the zone of Staraia Mysa and Sansonovka, and even threatened the Spanish PC in Raykolovo. In the most northern zone, where it was deployed the IIIº/262, the enemy infantry attack against its lines, was moderate and in fact and in the end the forces which tried that ended up moving towards the East, to infiltrate by the breach open in the Reserve Battalion 250º and to try to attack it by the flank and the rear. But that demanded to cross the Ishora by the Factory of Paper and around mid-morning of day 10, the Soviets already had reached that point.

But this maneuver was not successful either because antitank of 14ª/262 of Captain González del Yerro and the guns of the Batteries 7ª/Art. 250 (Captain Muñoz Aceras) and 8ª/Art. 250 (Captain Castro Sanmartín) routed the enemy with low shots, whereas the rest of the Squadron 1º/ Recce. 250, to which joined the commander of the unit, Captain Ortega, were defended with energy in the great meander of the Ishora.

More due south, in Staraia Mysa, the situation was not less dramatic. Staraia Mysa fell in enemy hands but the Soviets did not manage to cross the Ishora on day 10 either and Sansonovka stayed under Spanish control, although with great problems.

The most audacious elements of the vanguard of the 72ª Division, once broken the front of Reserve Battalion 250º, advanced until Staraia Mysa, therefore the 3ª/263 and elements of the 4ª/263 were sent with urgency to Podolovo, in the middle of the way between Raikolovo and Staraia Mysa to create a cover screen.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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The sector of the Ishora:

The enemy pressure was very hard and around 11:00 hours it was ordered to the bulk of the 3ª/263, now under Lieutenant Rosaleny (Captain Marzo, very ill, had remained back with a Platoon, as one small operational reserve), and to the 4ª/263 to improve its own positions by crossing to the other bank of the river. The assault to the hostil shore (in Russian hands) implied many losses and caused that the enemy redoubled his pressure, hence around 12:00 hours fell in combat Captain Castro Cardús and Lieutenant Martin took over the control of the 4ª/263.

General Esteban-Infantes designated a new Commander for that subsector. Coming from Vyarlevo, where he was leading the so called Battalion of Repatriation which was going to return to Spain, arrived Lieutenant Colonel Robles Pazos. Esteban-Infantes ordered to him to settle down some kind of line between the lshora and the Leningrad-Moscow highway.

As quickly as possible the rest of Iº/263 and the IIº/269 had been summoned. Therefore Major (Comandante) Blanco Linares, Commanding Officer of the Iº/263, received the order stating that he should progress from Podolovo, crossing the Ishora to its Eastern margin, in North direction.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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The sector of the Ishora:

The 2ª/263 would do it close to the river, and the 5ª/269 would advance next to the old antitank ditch which had been built by the Soviets in 1941. In center it would march the 3ª/263 and, marching behind them and in support, some elements of the 4ª/263 (machine guns).

When the Spaniards reached Staraia Mysa took place violent shocks, but in the end the Soviets were expelled from the village and the vanguard continued the advance. Nevertheless, when the Spanish vanguard progressing towards the north, the Red Army counterattacked on its flank and in a heavy combat expelled the Spaniards from Staraia Mysa.

In the meanwhile, the 2ª/263, the elements of the 3ª/263, the 4ª/263 and the 5ª/269 (this last one without never obtain a close contact with its companions), had followed its progression towards the North, although there were lost contact with Major (Comandante) Blanco Linares. Then they received a strong Soviet counterattacks by its flank, coming from the lines where had been deployed the 7ª/262. The dark, the lack of the Major Blanco Linares and the hardness of the enemy attack, finished to dislocate to the Spanish troops.

The counterattack failed, not only Staraia Mysa seemed lost, but the threat extended to the neighboring village of Sansonovka, where it was fought hard all night, with many losses. Nevertheless, all these losses ended up obtaining that the Soviets did not cross the lshora towards the W.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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An unexpected reinforcement: the Estonian soldiers.

The night had fallen and in Raykolovo, the Spanish Command looked for, with anxiety, more men to cover the breach stretched to Krasny Bor. But the great surprise for Robles was to see the arrival of Battalion which seemingly was German. Yes, their uniforms were German, but in fact they were volunteers of the 659º Estonian Battalion (Captain Mikumägi), that came to protect the 928º Battalion of Coastal Artillery of the Army (HKAA 928). Without thinking twice, Robles, although perfectly knew where were the German batteries, instead of sending the estonian in that direction, he "confiscated" those soldiers and sent them to occupy positions at Podolovo. On the following day arrived more Estonian soldiers, of the 658º Battalion, under orders of Captain Rebane, who assumed the command of all the Estonian troops in the sector. Not much after the Estonians also arrived at Podolovo, another unit of foreign volunteers, a flemish SS Company was deployed near the Spanish sector. For the flemish the name of Krasny Bor would be also ineffaceable in turn, although it would be several days later.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Another Spanish bolt: East and South of Krasny Bor.

The hard battle of breakthrough and the bloody and chaotic combats by the streets of Krasny Bor (in which the 63ª Guards Division suffered serious losses and exhausted its capacity of pressing) convinced the Soviets that the route through Mishkino-Nikolskoye was the one that now offered more possibilities, so after the breakthrough of the Spanish front, the Division which had remained so far in second echelon and therefore it had not suffered so many losses, the 45ª Guards Division of Krasnov, started up in that direction, the one foreseen for its use.

It was not going to be easy for Krasnov. The zone by that they had to cross, in the northern edge of Krasny Bor, had been bottled since long time by the enthusiastic resistance of the 3ª/262 (Huidobro and later Altura) and the 5ª/262 (Palacios). The German artillery, on the other hand, conscious of the enemy movement, crushed the men of Krasnov. The Commanders Reinlein and Bellod had taken over the defense of Krasny Bor. Bellod assured the control in the East sector. His "front" stretched from the location of the Battery 2ª/Art. 250 and towards the East until Stepanovka.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Another Spanish bolt: East and South of Krasny Bor.

The fight immediately focused on two key points: the area Stepanovka-Chernisovo and the station of Popovka: both opened the routes to the East, towards Nikolskoye. The Soviets fought to open the road which ran from Stepanovka and ended up dislodging the Spanish. Next the soviet met a battle group which was improvised on the march, led by the SS Obersturmbannführer Bock, of the artillery of the 4th SS Division, which unsuccessfully tried to contain the Russians between Stepanovka and Chernisovo, although ultimately delayed so much the Russian advance that Bock earned for it the Knight Cross. Upon reaching Chernisovo, the Russians overran the position of the Spanish 9th / Art 250, there was seriously injured captain Andrada.

With the same emphasis the Soviets pushed against Popovka, the small village whose station, a narrow gauge railway, was also vital for them. The Russian finally occupied it after a fierce defense. Krasnov eventually finding their way and his advanced elements reached Mishkino by the end of the day. But Krasnov had a narrow corridor which was pressed on his flank by Bellod (in Stepanovka) and Bock (in Porkusi), letting him only a narrow bottleneck to progress.

Around 18:30 Bellod by then a commander increasingly overwhelmed at last received a pleasant surprise: the arrival of the vanguard of the 374 German Infantry Regiment-of Oberst Paul Gerd von Below. This speed surprised when it was compared with the timid progress of Heckel’s 390th Infantry Regiment. But while the 390th had remained months in the trenches and neither Heckel nor his men were accustomed to a war of movement, the 374th Regiment was employed in a partisan fight, therefore it had become accustomed to rapid movements within wooded areas and also it had participated in the very fluid fighting north of Sinyavino.

Just landed in Sablino, it had marched hastily due north along the railway lines. Without many formalities Bellod handed over to the Germans the control of the area and marched with his men to Sablino, except for the survivors of the 2º/ Expl. 250 º, they were so exhausted that they preferred the risk a involvement in new clashes that the night march. They would leave to Sablino next day.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

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Another Spanish bolt: East and South of Krasny Bor.

Reinlein seemed to be determined that the Soviet 63rd Guards Division, which was exhausted, could not get some rest; the night came and the soviet division could not dominate effectively even the center of Krasny Bor. Luckily for Reinlein and his men, the stubborn resistance of Aramburu and Arozarena kept pretty busy the Soviets in the western sector of Krasny Bor, so, together with Comandante (Maj) La Cruz, Reinlein was able to organize a sufficient number of defensive cores to deny the enemy control of the area.

Reinlein got a fleeting contact with the divisional Advanced CP at 15:00 hours, from where he was informed that the 390th Regiment was in march to help them. Reinlein launched himself down the road until he could reach Oberst Heckel, finding him very unwilling to move, so he returned to Krasny Bor to continue managing their own "guerrilla warfare." His only joy was to see appear at last at 15:30 hours, the "Luftwaffe", which sent its squadrons of "Stukas" to crush the enemy's rear.

Sources: Morir en Rusia. La División Azul en Krasny Bor.
http://members.libreopinion.com/ch1492/ ... u_div.html

Cheers. Raúl M .