Krasny Bor Battle

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows.......................

Another Spanish bolt: East and South of Krasny Bor.

The enemy came to the southern edge of the population, where it was located the evacuation station. The wounded Captain Andújar, took over the less serious injured to repel the attack. But the enemy was advancing with the support of a monstrous KV-1. A simple sapper, Antonio Ponte Anido, seeing that the giant was going to slaughter their comrades, and the "Molotov cocktails" did nothing against it, like the other more sophisticated means such as magnetic charges that had been glued to its thick armor , rushed to the combat vehicle with two anti-tank mines, which he placed before its chains. The explosion finally stopped the tank, but also swept away the life of the heroic soldier.

Around 19:30, Bellod and Reinlein had decided to send the Assault Platoon available in the HQ of the 250th Anti-Tank Battalion to liaise with the encircled men. It was not possible. Without the urgent arrival of the German 390th Regiment, nothing could save those brave. Reinlein finally received the order to abandon the sector, which was the responsibility of the Germans since 16:30. But as the Germans did not appear, he refused to leave the area without waiting for the men of Aramburu and Arozarena. Around 20:00 the German artillery shortened its shots. Finally, at 24:00, Reinlein and La Cruz decided to obey the order of Esteban-Infantes which stated to leave the area and withdraw towards the positions where the German 390th Regiment remained static. However, in the southernmost part of Krasny Bor they found face to face with the German battery located there (the 2nd of the Coastal Group 289 º - HKAA 289) and its leader implored them to help him to protect these pieces. La Cruz insisted in accomplishing the orders, so he followed the march, but Reinlein, Captain De Andrés and a handful of Spanish gunners returned to take up their weapons to protect those barrels.

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

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows.......................

The wrath of the Russian generals.

It had finished the day 10th, and the Soviet commands were blazing. Nothing had gone according to the plan.

The 72nd Rifle Division had not cleared the Leningrad-Moscow highway because after breaking the front had not been able to cross the Ishora, either by the Paper factory nor Staraia Mysa.

The 43rd Rifle Division had opened the flank of the 4th SS Division after breaking the front of the I°/ 262, but so slowly allowing the Germans to articulate new defenses.

The 63rd Guards Division had bled itself in breaking the front of the I°/ 262 and was also involved in numerous skirmishes against the tenacious spanish soldiers.

On the 45th Guards Division, its only regiment in action, the 129th, along with the 250th Brigade, still were fighting to stay in Popovka. The 222nd Armored Brigade, as well the 123rd Motorized and the 35th of skiers also under Krasnov’s orders, had progressed to the east, but slowly and chaotically and his Commander had lost all control over these units which had been added.

So the furious general Govorov, Commander of the Front, ordered his withering dismissal and was relieved by General Liubovtsev, then 2nd in Command of the 55th Army.

Within hours, Russian commanders had gone from euphoria to anger just contained. Whether Govorov, Commander of the Front, and Sviridov, Commander of the 55th Army reproached his subordinates the dismal level of coordination shown the units so far, which had not taken advantage of the waste of firepower that had been used. What was clear was that the deadlines set for "Operation North Star" began to be of problematic compliance.

It was the fear of criticism they would receive from Moscow, and further the explosions of Zhukov’s anger, that fueling the anger of Govorov and Sviridov against their subordinates. But the anger had also another source. Govorov and Sviridov simply never imagined that the Blue Division were to resist as it was resisting, the Soviet propaganda presented the division as a mixture of mercenaries and adventurers and their ranks were filled "with criminals especially released from jails" (sic).

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

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows.......................

A river of blood: Ishora subsector.

The terrible attrition suffered by the Soviets on the 10th meant that, in the days which following, the 72nd Division - now the only which was attacking the Spanish - was unable to launch much more than limited attacks, with one or two battalions on each occasion. The fighting throughout the day on February 11 was characterized not only by the hardness, but also by some confusion. In the area of the Paper factory, the remnants of the 1 / Recce 250, gunners of the 7th / Art 250 under Muñoz Aceras and the 8th / Art 250, under Castro and the tank-hunters of the 14th / 262 of Gonzalez del Yerro were defending with tooth and nails.

In the morning there was a Spanish attempt to storm Staraia Mysa, which was rejected. The role of the day corresponded to the 1. / 263 of Captain Urbano, who performed a new try around noon, supported by the Assault Platoon of the 262 º. But inevitably, the losses of the 1./ 263 and the Assault Platoon of the 262 º were atrocious and the Soviets counterattacked one more time with mass, regained Staraia Mysa again. In the evening the Spanish units almost annihilated were relieved by other forces, no less battered: the remnants of the 5. / 269, and the 2. and 3. / 263, ie, units that had launched the counterattack last night and barely had managed to retreat to the Paper Factory.

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

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows.......................

A river of blood: Ishora subsector.

The center of resistance "North" was put under the command of Captain Garcia Calvo, who had been so effectively commanding the III º / 262. He had the men of the companies 13th / 262 and 14th / 262 which fortunately had few casualties on the 10th, the 1st / 269, arrived as reinforcement, and a joint company formed by the Assault’s Platoon of the 269 th Regiment, a Platoon of the 7th / 269 and a Platoon of Sappers.

The center of resistance "Medium", under the direction of Captain Prudence Ortega
Gil, had the remnants of his squadron, the l º / Recce 250, the remnants of the companies which had counterattacked on the 10th (5th / 269 and 2nd and 3 rd / 263) as well as survivors of the Reserve Battalion 250. The total strength was about 350 men.

The center of resistance "South", commanded by Captain Gordon Merry, had also brought together some 350 fighters, among them, the remnants of the 15th / 262 and the 1 / 263, a Platoon of Sappers, the mortars of the 4th / 263 and a newly arrived Platoon of the 9th / 269 and the 9th/ 263. This unit would has the responsibility of making a new assault on Staraia Mysa on Feb 12, which failed, while the Soviets attacked in turn Podolovo, but were also rejected.

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

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows.......................

A river of blood: Ishora subsector.

The Spanish artillery in the area was relocated to new firing positions and the same day 12 it received as reinforcement the 13th / 269, the infantry cannon Company of the 269 Infantry Regiment. In Podolovo it was linked to the Estonians, who until the end of March were fellow-sufferers of the Spanish.

In addition to the aforementioned resistance centers on orders of the Commander of Sapper, Bellod, and counting among its leaders with Aramburu and Arozarena, it was created the so-called "Ishora’s Mobile Group”, composed primarily of elements of Sappers, prepared to intervene where were needed along the lines. Aramburu followed Bellod in its command shortly afterwards due to the latter illness.

On the 12th, on the other hand, began the reorganization of the I ° / 262, starting with Companies 1st and 2nd, while 3rd and 4th initiated its reconstitution the next day. Shortly afterwards the battalion would be sent also to Ishora.

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

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more follows.......................

A river of blood: Ishora subsector.

On the 13th finally returned to the Spanish lines the heroic group of gunners under Reinlein who had remained at the southern end of Krasny Bor fighting in the defense of a threatened German battery, and also did the same the gunners under Andrada, who after fighting tenaciously to defend their pieces ended up retreating to the east, with the men of the 4th SS Division.

The General Esteban-Infantes himself imposed Reinlein the Individual Military Medal next day. The same day, Sviridov did a sad balance of their attack. The tremendous mass of human and material forces that had put into play had pushed back the German-Spanish lines (Blue Division and 4th SS Division) over a width of 14 kilometers, but with only a depth of 4 to 5 kms. For such a modest boost his 55th Army had at least 10.000 casualties as it was estimated by his own staff.

On February 15 the Soviets launched again a strong attack on the Ishora in Sansonovka and the Paper factory, followed by another no less virulent on 24 March. Only allowed them to accumulate losses. And the last major action on the Spanish lines occurred on March 19, now against the III ° / 262, which had not moved an inch from their positions and, therefore, was still effectively blocking the road Leningrad-Moscow.

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

Cheers. Raúl M .

[tigre]

Hello to all ; the end.......................

The judgment of the Germans.

Immediately after the battle, the German high command in the Army Group "North" issued very tough judgments over the Spanish. It could be understand: they were totally under the impact of what happened at Stalingrad.

Seeing how the Soviets broke the Spanish line in Krasny Bor, so automatic, it was assumed that the Spanish, these "cousins of the Italians" had also "collapsed", opening a gap in Germany deployment. But then, as soon as more detailed information was available, this fleeting negative image over the Spanish disappeared. In the end, the resistance of the Spanish in Krasny Bor eventually became one of the elements on which was based the prestigious that the Blue Division still maintains today among the Germans soldiers.

The motivations were different. On the southern front, in the Don and Volga, had been deployed Italian, Hungarian and Romanian drafted soldiers . In the Army Group "North", however, all foreign troops present (Spanish, Dutch, Flemish, Belgians, Norwegians, Estonians, Latvians) were composed of volunteers who knew exactly why they had been Russia: its convictions about the anti-communism.

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

It's all folks. Cheers. Raúl M .

[jenofonte]

Thanks for the information, Tigre.

[tigre]

Hello jenofonte ; you're welcome. Cheers. Raúl M .

[Klaus Urgen]

Hi,
in one of the above-stated fragments devoted to battle for Krasny Bor, there is a mention of participation in it 226 Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung. Recently I filled up the collection Sterbebilder - card of the Gefreiter Stug.Abt., which died in fight for Krasny Bor 13.02.1943.
I have all bases to assume that it from 226 Sturmgeschutz-Abteilung, as other connections of assault guns at that moment there weren't.
Unfortunately, I can't find any information on participation of this battalion in fights from January to March, 1943. I ask to help or direct on the necessary search trace.
In advance many thanks!

[tigre]

Hello to all ; more.......................

With the Spanish volunteers east of St. Petersburg!

Sources: https://www.delcampe.net/de/sammlerobje ... 67027.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

Feliz Navidad - Feliz Natal - Frohe Weihnachten - Joyeux Noël - Merry Christmas - Wesołych Świąt!.