Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 190, June 1941

[CNE503]

Hello,

Am I right assuming that this assault guns battalion had 22 StuG III on June 22nd or July 2th, 1941?
I suppose that it was organized with three 7-gun batteries, plus one assault gun for the battalion commander.

Thank you for your insight.
Regards,
CNE503

[Jeff Leach]

Yes.

there are a number of after-action reports of this battalion

Sturmgeschütze-Battalion 190 1
After-Action Report of 2./190th Assault Gun Battalion during its employment on the 7th July 1941 2
Activity Report of 2./190th Assault Gun Battalion on the 10th and 11th July 1941 3
Account about the vehicle accident of 3./190th Assault Gun Battalion during the crossing of the Prut River at Stefăneşti 4
After-Action Report of 3./190th Assault Gun Battalion for 1st – 10th July 1941 5
After-Action Report of the 3./190th Assault Gun Battalion for the 18th July 1941 8
After-Action Report of the 2./190th Assualt Gun Battalion for the 18th July 1941 10
After-Action Report of the 2./190th Assualt Gun Battalion for the 17th July 1941 11
After-Action Report of the 3./190th Assualt Gun Battalion for the 17th July 1941 12
After-Action Report of the 2./190th Assualt Gun Battalion for the 20th July 1941 13
After-Action Report of the 3./190th Assualt Gun Battalion for the 19th and 20th July 1941 15
After-Action Report 1./190th Assualt Gun Battalion, Employment with the 46th Infantry Division’s Advance Detachment, 9th – 13th August 1941 17

I translated them all into English (the number after the date is the page number).

There is also a history of Sturmgeschütz Abteilung 190.

[CNE503]

Jeff,

Thank you very much for that.
I'm interested in these unit history and after action reports (especially if there are translated into English, my English being so much better than my German). Where can I get them?

Regards,
CNE503

[CNE503]

Jeff,

Do you know the numbers of assault guns in the 2./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 190 at the start of the operations on the Eastern Front (July 2nd, 1941 for this battery)?
I don't know whether it was a six-gun or a seven-gun battery.

Thank you for any help provided.
Regards,
CNE503

[Jeff Leach]

They were 7-Sturmgeschütz batteries. The 2./batterie should have had seven vehicles on 02.07.1941. The battalion only lost one or two vehicles in the first weeks of the war. One received a direct hit from a 15 cm shell and another was dropped in the Prut River. By 20.09.41 the battalion had lost 8 vehicles.

[CNE503]

Jeff,

That's pretty excellent, thank you very much.
Do you know when and where the two Sturmgeschütze were lost? Stefanesti on July 2nd and Mogilev-Podolski on July 7th?
Other question: do you know the name of the Batterieführer?

Regards,
CNE503

[Jeff Leach]

No Stugs were lost at Mogilev-Podolski. I think there were only three vehicles there and they gave supporting fire to the Brandenburgers from the south side of the Dniester River. One vehicle was preparing to cross the bridge when the Soviets blew it up.

I think the commder of the 2./ was Senior Lieutnant (Oblt) Näther

I don't know which battery(batteries) lost vehicles. Oh, It was the 3./ battery that lost a Stug in the Prut River.

Here is a translation of the Combat Report about the attack

After-Action Report of 2./190th Assault Gun Battalion during its employment on the 7th July 1941 (Revised 04 November 2015)

After an earlier briefing on its deployment, the battery was split up during the evening of 6 July and traveled to the assembly area of the company-sized advanced detachment. The 3rd Platoon under Senior Lieutenant Nottebrock was deployed on the right and the 2nd Platoon, which was to support the attack on the bridge by Assault Company “Brandenburg”, under Lieutenant Röver was deployed in the middle. One assault gun under Staff Sergeant Steinwach was providing security on the left flank and another vehicle under command of the battery chef stayed provisionally at the command post of the advanced detachment.

At 01:45 in the morning of the 7th July, the advanced detachment formed up to take the bridge at Mogilev-Podol’skiy by a surprise attack. Upon reaching the area around Otach’-Tyrg the attack proceeded forward without much resistance. The right company under Captain (Cav.) von Rochow with the assault platoon was to penetrate into the town of Otach’-Tyrg at 04:00. The assault platoon fought in Otach’-Tyrg as well as combated heavy weapons on the opposite shore of the river.

The 2nd Platoon, with Assault Company “Brandenburg”, had orders to support the attack on the bridge over the Dniester River by all means and all the while advancing towards the bridge. By 03:30 the assault platoon had reached the south bank of the river but the 2nd Platoon’s commander decided it was impossible to advance further without proper reconnaissance. Shortly before the platoon was to cross the bridge, it was blown up. After that, the platoon supported the infantrymen crossing the partially destroyed bridge and it had visible success while providing supporting fire.

Staff Sergeant Steinwach’s vehicle on the left flank was withdrawn when the assault company reached the steeply sloped bank of the river. Thereafter the acting battery commander, the 1st Platoon’s commander, used both the vehicles in the attack sector of the 2nd Platoon, helping to combat the enemy position on the heights on the opposite side of the river, especially those close to the right or left of the bridge. The use of assault guns seems very effective based on their own observation and the reports of the assault company.

It proved impossible to get more troops over the river because of the enemy’s heavy small arms fire and the partially destroyed bridge. The tasks of the assault guns became mainly defensive during the day. Despite coming under very strong enemy fire, during which two assault guns received several direct hits, the vehicle has proved itself to be excellent. They destroyed an enemy artillery piece, two antitank guns, two concrete bunkers, and three machine gun nests, in the immediate vicinity of the river.

NARA T314 R481 Fr0466 - 0467



"

[CNE503]

Thank you very much, Jeff.
I will explore Näther's file to find out whether he was the one (apparently, he temporarily headed the battalion in September 1941 and was later Batterieführer for the 3./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 190).

Regards,
CNE503

[CNE503]

Hello Jeff,

Apparently, Reinhard Naether was heading the 3./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 190, not the 2., in July 1941.
I have no hint about who was the CO this latter battery.

Regards,
CNE503

[Jeff Leach]

Oblt Nottebrock is another possibility but I think he became commander later.

[CNE503]

According to Haupt's report, Leutnant Nottebrock was heading the third platoon (3. Zug) of the 2./Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 190 at this time. Leutnant Roever was commanding the second one, and I'm not sure for the first one (maybe Wachtmeister Steinwachs?).
CNE503

[CNE503]

According to a report dated July 4th, 1941, 0745, Stab and a battery of Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 190 were subordinated to Korps-Vorausabteilung "Lindemann".
That may explain why Haupt, CO of the battalion, wrote the after action report.

Regards,
CNE503

[CNE503]

Another question about this assault gun unit: what type of StuG III did it used at the start of "Barbarossa"? Most probably Ausf. B or C, but has anyone a clue about the standard combat vehicle of Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 190 in late June or early July 1941?

Thank you!
Regards,
CNE503