East Prussia january 1945

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Art
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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#121

Post by Art » 31 May 2019, 14:19

Casualties of the 2 Belorussian Front by day:

14.1.45 - 1011 men killed, 4292 wounded
15.1.45 - 2113 killed, 9428 wounded
16.1.45 - 1535 killed, 7610 wounded
17.1.45 - 1220 killed, 4624 wounded, 146 missing
18.1.45 - 1053 killed, 4164 wounded
14-18.1.45 (cumulative) - 6764 killed, 30 0089 wounded, 169 missing
19.1.45 - 995 killed, 3290 wounded
20.1.45 - 714 killed, 2258 wounded
14-20.1.45 (cumulative) - 8473 killed, 35 637 wounded, 169 missing
21.1.45 - 633 killed, 2193 wounded
22.1.45 - 534 killed, 1701 wounded
24.1.45 - 418 killed, 1319 wounded
25.1.45 - 443 killed, 1665 wounded
26.1.45 - 764 killed, 2209 wounded
27.1.45 - 436 killed, 2571 wounded
28.1.45 - 866 killed, 3498 wounded
29.1.45 - 806 killed, 2207 wounded
31.1.45 - 569 killed, 1746 wounded

(from the 2 BF's war diary)
Those numbers should be viewed as minimal, as they were preliminary, incomplete and omitted some of the units.

For records of casualties of the 3 Belorussian Front see:
viewtopic.php?p=2108139#p2108139

Michael71
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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#122

Post by Michael71 » 31 May 2019, 23:10

I know a book on the southern section Neidenburg-Willenberg-Ortelsburg

The book by Edelfried Baginski:

1945 -When Ortelsburg was lost. Is writen in german language . 1945 -Als Ortelsburg verloren ging"
Little bit about Army situations and little bit about the ciylian and Volkssturm.

These map is from the book:

Image


Art
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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#123

Post by Art » 01 Jun 2019, 19:05

Casualties of the 49 Army/2 Belorussian Front:
1-10 January 45: 65 men killed, 177 wounded, 813 sick, 18 non-battle, total 1073 men
11-20 January 45: 636 killed, 17 missing, 2199 wounded, 581 sick, 21 non-battle, total 3454 men
21-31 January 45: 1587 killed, 9 missing, 4290 wounded, 84 sick, 10 non-battle, total 5984 men

Divisional strength on 10/20/30 January 45:
385 Rifle Division 5961/-/5482
238 Rifle Division 6049/-/4760
139 Rifle Division 6032/-/5482
42 Rifle Division 5967/5295/5282
199 Rifle Division 6007/5635/4441
380 Rifle Division 5990/4965/4221
51 Rifle Division 6785/6637/6270
208 Rifle Division 6677/5952/4480
216 Rifle Division 6927/6724/6619

As of 10 January there were 67 399 men in combat units (rifle and artillery) plus 1458 in the 11 Engineer Brigade, 3516 in the 185 Army Replacement Regiment, and 871 in seven penal companies. Total strength (including service and supply units) as of 1 January - 83 570 men.

Total 544 POWs and various equipment captured during January 1945
From the Army's war diary

Art
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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#124

Post by Art » 02 Jun 2019, 09:38

Casualties of the 3 Army/2 Belorussian Front:

1-10 January 1945 - 38 killed, 142 wounded, 866 sick, 1046 men total
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=131296644

10-20 January 1945 - 1898 killed, 8142 wounded, 436 sick, 21 missing, 10 497 men total
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=131296647

20-31 January 1045 - 1904 killed, 6759 wounded, 252 sick, 214 missing, 9129 men total. Also 6 SU-76, 1 SU-85, 1 SU-152 destroyed, 5 SU-76, 4 SU-85, 3 IS-2, 1 SU-152, 5 KV damaged
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=131296650

Art
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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#125

Post by Art » 02 Jun 2019, 10:45

Casualties of the 3 Army/2 Belorussian Front in January 1945:
3830 men killed, 14 943 wounded, 2333 sick, 235 missing, 21 341 men total. Also 45 tanks and SP guns destroyed, 45 damaged, 11 damaged by mines.

Divisional strength on 5.1/1.2.45:

5 Rifle Division - 6232/5221
129 Rifle Division - 6851/5628
169 Rifle Division - 6791/4816
120 Guards Rifle Division - 6675/4397
269 Rifle Division - 6323/4330
283 Rifle Division - 6065/4235
250 Rifle Division - 6195/4107
290 Rifle Division - 6013/4223
328 Rifle Division - 6602/4363
Total 75 241/62 427 men in combat units on 5.1.45/1.2.45

No replacements received during January, the Army's replacement regiment sends 1160 men to combat units in the second half of Jan45.

Total 1077 POWs and various equipment captured during January 45.

From the 3 Army's war diary:
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=2600025

Art
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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#126

Post by Art » 03 Jun 2019, 22:21

Casualties of the 48 Army/2 Belorussian Front in January 1945:
3177 men killed, 10599 wounded, 427 missing and captured, 1767 sick, 244 non-battle losses, total 16214 men.
2486 (alternative number - 3056 in another place) POWs and many various weapons and equipment including more than 1000 motor vehicles and about 10000 bicycles were claimed during the same month.

From the 48 A's war diary:
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=151200140

Art
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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#127

Post by Art » 03 Jun 2019, 22:58

2 Shock Army/2 Belorussian Front.

Casualties:
1-10 January 45 - 40 men killed, 93 wounded, 807 others, total 940 men
11-20 January 45 - 1840 killed, 7138 wounded, 404 others, total 9382 men
21-31 January 45 - 1825 killed, 5401 wounded, 793 others, total 8009 men
Total January 45 - 3837 killed, 13306 wounded, 1958 others, total 19901 men
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=153906880

Casualties by days and divisions:
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=153906879
with cumulative totals 2704 killed, 9302 wounded and 344 others (12 360 men total) for the period 14-31 January 45

Claims - about 1600 POWs, many weapons, vehicles and other equipment:
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=153906885

Divisional strength 10/25/31 January 45
142 Rifle Division 6985/4769/4752
281 Rifle Division 7013/6430/6362
381 Rifle Division 7072/5056/5163
46 Rifle Division 7066/5282/4420
90 Rifle Division 7057/5457/5426
372 Rifle Division 7118/6216/5359
86 Rifle Division 7043/6943/6835
321 Rifle Division 7087/7031/6153
326 Rifle Division 7068/7036/6317

Total personnel in combat units:
99 592 on 10.01.45, 124 005 (incl. 8 Guards Tank Corps and 8 Mechanized Corps) on 25.1.45, 105 935 (incl.8 Mechanized Corps) on 31.1.45

Total personnel:
113 202 on 10.1.45, 119 938 on 31.1.45

From the 2 SA's war diary, January 1945
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=110073129

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donwhite
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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#128

Post by donwhite » 04 Jun 2019, 01:45

Great Links and very informative. Thanks for posting.

Cheers

Art
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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#129

Post by Art » 06 Jun 2019, 10:58

65 Army/2 Belorussian Front:
Casualties from 14 to 31 January 45 - 2630 men killed, 11 633 wounded
Claims: 833 POWs, more than 400 guns and mortars, many other weapons, transport and equipment
From 65 Army's war diary
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=150902208

Art
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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#130

Post by Art » 07 Jun 2019, 18:14

Casualties of the 70 Army/2 Belorussian Front 1-31 January 1945 (including 1 Guards Tank Corps, I guess):
2712 killed, 27 missing, 11 897 wounded, total 14 036 battle casualties.

Divisional strength 14.1/1.2.45
71 Rifle Division - 6128/5930
136 Rifle Division - 6036/4634
162 Rifle Division - 6329/5094
1 Rifle Division - 5961/4267
38 Guards Rifle Division - 6031/4564
165 Rifle Division - 6119/3780
76 Guards Rifle Division 6241/4976
160 Rifle Division - 6356/5085
200 Rifle Division - 7279/5053

Claims 14-31.1.45: 1600 POWs, 91 guns, 50 mortars, about 200 vehicles etc.

From the 70 Army's war diary
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=150902249

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I have questions
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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#131

Post by I have questions » 23 Jul 2019, 22:38

donwhite wrote:
20 May 2019, 07:24
A few inconsistencies are arising. After reading bit more of Hamilton's book, the only certainty is that StuG Brigade 'GD' possessed StuG's during this time frame raised. The actual quantity is not so definite. In detailing the move from Lübben to Litzmannstadt/Lodz, on p.102 Hamilton states "they immediately received their full complement of 18x Sturmgeschutz(?), loaded them onto trains with fuel and ammunition, then rolled East". On p.105 Hamilton quotes passages from unit member diaries and further describes the unit unloading at Litzmannstadt/Lodz with eighteen Sturmgeschutz, again described as a 'full complement'. There is no explanation on the noticeable discrepancy between the earlier quoted number of 35x Sturmgeschutz allocated (p.81) and these later figures. It also does not match with the prior linked post by Martin Block who describes 40x StuG's/StuH's being dispatched but never reaching the Brigade due to the Soviet advance and Kamen Nevenkin's "Fire Brigades" book which mentions the same figure (but he actually has the Brigade taking receipt of them!). Confusingly he also has the Brigade re-equipping at Mielau/Mlava (not Lübben) and entraining from there to Litzmannstadt/Lodz!

Cheers
in the book "panzers in defense of Festung Posen" the authors note that there were several Stug/StuH from the GD's Sturmgeschutz-Brigade involved in the battle. They arrived by train near Posen heading to their unit when due to the Russian advance were incorporated into the Armored Assault Reserve within the city. More if you are interested, but these are the most relevant bits

-Max

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donwhite
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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#132

Post by donwhite » 24 Jul 2019, 08:59

Many thanks. I have actually recently came across a copy of that book and it does provide an answer for part of the conundrum. It seems the 8x StuH identified in earlier posts as been dispatched to StuG.Bde 'GD' were all waylaid in Posen with the crews sent to pick them up and became part of the 'armoured reserve' (as described in the book) for the defence of Posen.

Cheers

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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#133

Post by I have questions » 24 Jul 2019, 19:38

donwhite wrote:
24 Jul 2019, 08:59
Many thanks. I have actually recently came across a copy of that book and it does provide an answer for part of the conundrum. It seems the 8x StuH identified in earlier posts as been dispatched to StuG.Bde 'GD' were all waylaid in Posen with the crews sent to pick them up and became part of the 'armoured reserve' (as described in the book) for the defence of Posen.

Cheers
that book has very good info. I had largely ignored Posen until I read that book. After skimming through it again I have found that eight Sturmhaubitze from the GD's Sturmgeschutz-Brigade and three Stugs from the 2nd-Battery (not sure if they were IIIs or IVs, though later in the book it is mentioned that there were at least two Stug IVs, likely two of the three were the Stug IVs mentioned). Obviously all of them were en-route to the GD in East Prussia, the train had left with the three Sturmgeschutz from Rößel on 16th January and around 10:00 - 12:00 the next day they reached Kutno. It was here they unloaded the guns and received orders to head west, the three Stugs + an Ammo/fuel truck and a Kubelwagon led by an Oberleutnant Hallman were to secure the evacuation of some rear-area officials. The guns were just east of Kutno when they were engaged by Soviet armor that night, they managed to repel the assault, however, they almost immediately disengaged from the area and made for Posen.
The rest of the story is basically just this unit getting to Posen. Along the way one Stug was lost due to an incident on the road where the vehicle got stuck. (Little note: it is mentioned in the same chapter that a man named Alfred Kriehn from one of the GD's gun crews came across the command post for the 2nd regiment "Brandenburg", though it isn't specified if this is an armored unit or not, looking back on earlier discussions on this thread I noticed some curiosity about this.)

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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#134

Post by Sgt Joch » 09 Aug 2019, 15:59

Hi, first time here. I have read this thread with great interest for a project I am working on. I have a very specific question for which I would appreciate any info.

On January 16, 1945, elements of the GD division counter-attacked elements of 3rd or maybe 48th Army (2nd Belorussian front) apparently in the area between Makow and Rosen, Poland. I am trying to find any info on what units were involved and exactly where the battle took place.

Art
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Re: East Prussia january 1945

#135

Post by Art » 09 Aug 2019, 21:35

I believe it was January 15 rather than 16. GD counterattacked several divisions of the Soviet 3 Army and pushed them back a couple of kilometers. Tactically it was a moderate success, operationally - more like a misfire because this strong reserve was used against a secondary Soviet attack. An archival document with a scheme is available here:
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=112113190

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