Combat Report I.R.401, 5th July 1941

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Jeff Leach
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Combat Report I.R.401, 5th July 1941

#1

Post by Jeff Leach » 16 Jul 2017, 14:41

A brief report on the course of taking the height 166

The lead elements of the 401st Infantry Regiment’s marching column reached the road fork southwest of Staraya Chelachovka at 16:00. The regiment immediately began advancing on Height 166 which was occupied by strong enemy forces, some of which were in close formation (at least a battalion in strength). The regiment’s lead battalion deployed and developed the attack with the direct-fire support from two platoons of the 13./ company, against targets that were located about halfway up the height. The III./240th Artillery Regiment arrived around 16:45. It took only 12 minutes for the battalion to deploy and start engaging identified targets on Heights 166 and 176.

While the lead battalion was advancing up the height, there were still strong enemy forces in the hamlet of GOLACU on the left flank. These troops started forming up for a counterattack but there were no German forces in the area to defend against the attack. The Soviet attack was broken up by the 13./ and 14./ companies firing directly on the village. The village was captured and cleared out by and ad hoc group of rear area troops rounded up by Lieutenant Naß, who was wounded during the operation. Both the height and the village were firmly in German hands by 19:00.

With the arrival of a Romanian regiment on the left flank of Height 166, the regiment’s lead battalion was assembled and withdrawn to the north edge of Staraya Chelachovka.

At least two Soviet companies had been destroyed in the attack. The troops had taken 70 prisoners and another 200 Soviets had been killed. The collection of captured material couldn’t be complete because it became dark but six heavy machine guns, two mortars and 60-70 rifles had been collected.

The Soviets fight stubbornly and underhandedly. One case was especially barbaric, when Soviet soldiers fired from cover on wounded German soldiers. They were so eager to kill the wounded German soldiers that they even managed to shoot some of their own attacking soldiers in the back.

401st Infantry Regiment (170th Infantry Division) 5th July 1941 (T3125 R1517 Fr0155)

The Soviet forces should be elements of the 591st Rifle Regiment of the 176th Rifle Division or elements of the 30th (Mountain) Rifle Division. Both were pretty battered by this time.

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tigre
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Re: Combat Report I.R.401, 5th July 1941

#2

Post by tigre » 16 Jul 2017, 19:27

Thanks Jeff :wink:. Cheers. Raúl M 8-).


teg
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Re: Combat Report I.R.401, 5th July 1941

#3

Post by teg » 31 Jul 2017, 08:22

What were German casualties in this battle?

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Jeff Leach
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Re: Combat Report I.R.401, 5th July 1941

#4

Post by Jeff Leach » 31 Jul 2017, 08:48

I haven't seen any casualty reports (they are not all that common in the records of the 170. Infanterie-Division). These types attacks and counterattacks were common during the German XXX.A.K. advance from the Prut River. Most of them ended badly for the Soviets but there were some successes. A Soviet tank company (Probably 22nd Tank Regiment, 11th Tank Division) routed the German I.R.326 on 2nd July, inflicting several 100 casualties on it. The regiment had to disband a battalion on the 3rd July two bring the other two battalions up to strength. The Soviet 90th Rifle Regiment (95th Rifle Division) launched a counterattack on the left flank of the 170. Infanterie-Division around the time of the above report, which was pretty punishing to the Germans.

All this information comes from the primary sources, I will post more information if I come across it. There are several more combat reports from around this time from the 170. and 198. Infanterie-Divisione and the 1./190. Sturmgechütz Abteilung.

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Jeff Leach
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Re: Combat Report I.R.401, 5th July 1941

#5

Post by Jeff Leach » 09 Aug 2017, 09:32

teg wrote:What were German casualties in this battle?
A report of the 7th July 1941 from the 391st Infantry Regiment (170th Infantry Division) says

Regimental losses
Total to 07.07.1941: 25 KIA, 65 WIA, 14 MIA
Losses 06.06.1941: 3 KIA, 7 MIA


The losses in the 401st Infantry Regiments were probably similar. At least, I have not seen any documents that suggest any one of the division's infantry regiments have suffered higher casualties than the others. That said the records of the 170th Infantry Division are quite extensive but not in order, so giving a more definite answer will mean reading through several hundred pages of mainly handwritten document.

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