10th Guards division, 28th October 1944

[Daniel L]

I am looking for after action reports, reports on combat losses and so forth of the Soviet 10th Guards division (?, possibly this is in reference to 10th Soviet guards army) in Kurland on the 28th October 1944.

Would be very thankful for any help on this matter!

[Art]

10 Guards Rifle Division wasn't anywhere close. Probably you need 10 Guards Army which was around the town of Auce in Latvia.

[Daniel L]

Yes, I think so too. Must be a mistake. Are there any combat reports available from them on from that date?

[Art]

In short 10 GA was attacking beginning from 27 October in the area between Auce and the Leilauces Lake taking the town of Auce on 28th. That was what is usually called the first battle of Kurland as far as I understand. The overall advance was 10-12 km in several days:



Full situation map of the 2 Baltic front with progress on 26-31 October:
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/documents/view/?id=101033926

Any interest to a specific episode?

[Daniel L]

I am looking for information about a Soviet attack in the area of the triangle Autz-Bene-Lielauce on the 28th October. It was ambushed by German forces and they did not succeed.

[Art]

I can't find any references to some distinctive events in military docs. In general Auce was occupied at night 27/28 October. Apart form that the army was attacking the German 2nd defense position meeting counterattacks with armor and achieved only a limited progress. About 150 prisoners belonging to 81, 215 and 329 Infantry an 12 Panzer Division and separate units were taken during the day, own losses were reported as 113 men killed and 652 wounded (mostly in 6 first-line divisions out of 9).

[Daniel L]

Thanks! Any losses of tanks and anti-tank guns reported?

[Art]

Any losses of... anti-tank guns reported?

No large losses apparently. From daily artillery sit.reports :
28.10 - 1 men killed, 10 wounded
29.10 - 7 killed, 32 wounded; 2 76-mm guns and 1 120-mm mortars lost
30.10 - 8 killed, 44 wounded; 3 76-mm guns lost.
And so on, and so forth.

[Daniel L]

How odd. Could it be that it was in fact a unit belonging to the neighbouring 42nd instead?

[Art]

I guess, it would be easier to answer if you define the exact place. From what I found there were 5 and 10 Tank Corps operating with the 10 Guards Army. There first was basically a weak battle groups composed of remaining armor. The second - a full-strength units with about 150 operational tanks and SP guns. The war diary of the 10 TC is lacking detailed and specific information about that period (end of October 44), and I didn't find other docs.