Staraya Russa - Lake Ilmen...The Axis offensive

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Koen[B]
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Staraya Russa - Lake Ilmen...The Axis offensive

#1

Post by Koen[B] » 19 Jan 2006, 17:36

Hey to you all,

stumbled on your GREAT forum by accident trying to collect data/info/txt/pics concerning the Axis offensive in the area of Staraya Russa (Russia)

I'm building the battle to play in the Combat Mission: Operation Barbarossa game. We are creating a collection of Battles called 'RedBeard 1189'

We have a specific forum for the designers and playtesters http://com2.runboard.com/bredbeard1189

Until now it's been difficult to find useful stuff on that specific town and surrounding area.

Therefore ALL INFO IS WELCOME, it doesn't matter how small!!!

Especially an overview map of the area from that decade and a detailed list of the units fighting eachother.

I do know the contents of Army Group North but I would like the specific list for the battle of Staraya Russa, including German & Russian groups.

LET YOURSELFS GO!!

thx in advance

Koen
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Koen[B]
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#2

Post by Koen[B] » 20 Jan 2006, 13:19

The info I got on 'Feldgrau' is the following:

arrival German Forces on 05/08/41

X A.K. (Aok16) consisting of:
126 Inf Div(422,424,426regiment)(Laux) attacking Staraya Russa
30 Inf Div(6,26,46regiment)(von Tippelkirsch)
290 Inf Div(501,502,503regiment)(von Wrede)

1st into town III batallion of 426 Inf Regiment on 07/08/41

opposed by Russian
183 Rifle Division
180 "
254 "
237 "
1st Tank Brigade

all a part of 22nd Rifle Corps

Can someone confirm and/or give me more info about these units?

Koen
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#3

Post by Koen[B] » 23 Jan 2006, 19:36

If there is someone who can help(?) :?

this is the briefing about Armeegruppe Nord and the attack on Staraya Russa.

******************************************************************************************************

The Battle for Staraya Russa was part of the attack of ArmeeGruppe Nord towards Leningrad.
After battling for the line between Pskov-Ostrov the Germans went for the control of Lake Ilmen. Therefore they needed the control over Novgorod, northwest of Lake Ilmen, and Staraya Russa, south of Lake Ilmen. They captured Staraya Russa on august 9th 1941. 3 Days later the Russian 34th Army counterattacked the Lake Ilmen area but were stopped and thrown back by a combined German force who were called in to support X Korps. After these fightings Staraya Russa stayed under German control until february 18th 1944.

Staraya Russa was a historical city, Staraya means 'old', and once one of the major cities of Russia.
After the Germans left there was nothing left of its greatness.

Barbarossa:
directive 21: 18/12/40 codeword: 'Dortmund'
B-day, Y-hour: 22/06/41, 0315hr

*Armee Gruppe Nord 'von Leeb'
**16e Armee 'Ernst Busch' (8 infantry divisions)
**18e Armee 'von Küchler'
**Panzergruppe 4 'Erich Hoepner' (3 Panzerdivisions, 3 motorized infantrydivisions & 2 Infantrydivisions)
*41e Panzerkorps 'Georg Reinhardt'
*56e Panzerkorps 'Erich von Manstein'
**Luftlotte 1 'Alfred Keller'
**reserve: 3 infantry divisions

objectives:
Düna river (300km)-Velikaya river (550km)-Estland-Letland-Litua-Marinebases-Kronshtadt-Leningrad

*Russians:
**Special Baltic Military District, later 'Northwestern Front' (from 22/06/41)
**8th Army 'P.P. Sobenninov'
*backup: 12th Mechanized Korps 'Kurkin' (750 old tanks)
**11th Army 'V.I. Morozov'
*backup: 3rd Mechanized Korps 'Kurkin' (110 KV-1, KV-2 & T-34's combined with 550 old tanks)
**reserve: 27th Army 'Berzarin'

#STARAYA RUSSA#:

*German Forces
08/07/41: Pskov captured

12/07/41: 4th Panzergruppe under command from 'Hoepner' rests at east of Pskov waiting for infanterie. Infantry consists of
"30th 'Briesen'-Infanterie Division" under command from 'von Tippelkirch' with 6,26 & 46 regiment.
"126th 'Rheinisch Westfälisch'-Infanterie Division" under command from 'Laux' with 422,424 & 426 regiment.
"290 'Schwert'-Infanterie Division" under command from 'von Wrede' with 501,502 & 503 regiment.
They were all part from the 16e Armee.

22/07/41: spearheads 4th Panzergruppe reach Lake Ilmen

31/07/41: Armee Nord reaches Lake Ilmen.

01/08/41: first contact

02/08/41: recon assisted by arty

03/08/41: opening battle by artillery (1/2hr), IR426 attacks added by sturmtroops, pioneers and flamethrowers. They enter Peretjorki at 0530. IR422 enters Wolkowizy at 0600.
1400: IR426 enters woods east of Lunyschino and continue towards Bubnowschtina.
30 Idiv attacks.
Frontline from Jewanowo through Kakiljowa to the forest south of Barsunicha.
Aufklärungsbattalion operates alone at west bank of Lake Ilmen, encounters enemy east of Borissowo.

04/08/41: 0900:Nagowo, 10 km NW of S.R. falls. AM: Russian heavytank counter-attack on Nagowo which is repelled. Enemy resistance with arty and airplanes.
IR46 from ID30 perform flankattack at Bakotschino and succeed.

05/08/41: 1400:IR426 reaches Kretscha stream, IR422 enters forests east of Makowka stream.

06/08/41: 0900:attack starts:German infantry from 3rd batallion from 426 Infantry Regiment enter Staraya Russa. Battalion reaches Polistj by afternoon.
IR422 reach Datscha Doktora by evening. Left flank: 1st Bt. Advances towards the Regiment & Aufkl.Abt. fights in front of Balogisha.

07/08/41: aerial attack VIII Fliegerkorps, IR426 crosses the Polistj, IR422 clears the left bank.

08/08/41: Aufkl Bt still fights and captures Medwedna and Kretschewo (left flank).

08-09/08/41: heavy fighting during night at right bank after russian counterattack with artysupport

09/08/41: 0800: IR426 reaches Mednikowa. By evening the Germans captured the hill of Anischina, 4km east of S.R.

Staraya Russa is now under German control (until 18/02/44).

12/08/41: Russian counterattack by 34th Army against 10th Corps at South-East of lake Ilmen, North-East of Staraya Russa.

13/08/41: 10th Corps retreats.

16/08/41: 56th Panzerkorps???(founded 03/42), 3rd Infanterie Motorized division ‘Jahn’ and 3rd SS Panzer-“Totenkopf” division ‘Keppler’, all from 4th Panzergruppe, rush towards 10th Corps and defeat the Russian 34th Army.

17/08/41: Novgorod near Lake Ilmen falls under German control.

*Russian forces at Staraya Russa:

180-183-254-237 Rifle Divisions
1st Tank Brigade

all under XXII (22nd) Rifle Corps
**************************************************************************************************

I have doubts concerning 56th Panzerkorps.

All help is welcome.

Koen 8)
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Lit.
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Wolchow und Ilmensee

#4

Post by Lit. » 25 Jan 2006, 12:43

Litauische Schutzmannschaft–F–Bataillon Nr.10 - the 10(256)th battalion from April 1943 to September 1944, had also been staying in Russia, the Novgorod and Pskov regions. ", but I still don't know within what German unit this Lithuanian battalion was there.

http://www.genocid.lt/Leidyba/10/arunas.htm

"Litauische Schutzmannschaft–F–Bataillon Nr.10":

http://www.angelfire.com/de/Cerskus/eng ... lion1.html

Here is more links with some info and pictures about this part of the Eastern Front:

http://www.ggholiday.com/bg/history/Sta ... istory.htm

http://www.beobachtungsabteilung.derkes ... ussia.html

http://www.gebirgsjaeger.4mg.com/photosrapbook.htm

http://home.arcor.de/engelhardt.peter/foto2eng.html

http://www.ravnenie-na-pobedu.ru/region ... /ilmen.htm

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... gory=45670

http://www.bwbs.de/bwbs_biografie/index ... =2&id=1143

http://cgi.ebay.de/5-X-Der-LANDSER-von- ... otohosting

Spanish Division Azul at Wolchow and Ilmensee:
http://www.libreriagarmar.com/hm/division_azul.html
http://www.fundaciondivisionazul.org/pa ... afico.html
http://www.fundaciondivisionazul.org/index2.html
http://www.balagan.org.uk/war/1939/blue_div_org.htm
Last edited by Lit. on 25 Jan 2006, 16:29, edited 3 times in total.
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Koen[B]
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#5

Post by Koen[B] » 25 Jan 2006, 13:18

Thanks for the links, found some nice pictures...just a shame that it's all dated after the Staraya Russa battles.

Koen 8)
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Lodieu Didier
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#6

Post by Lodieu Didier » 10 Feb 2006, 00:53

Lit, I want to thankgiven you to present us this magnificent pictures of this battle on the Wolkow. Personnly, I write about the Divsion Meindl which was engaged south of Staraja Russa until Cholm. 1942 - My book will be published for the 1st June of this year. For the while I have about 90 pictures on the subject. If you have a key to find some others pictures I'll be appreciate it. The pictures of the Jäger are difficult to find.
Thanks again. I passed an good moment.
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Lit.
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#7

Post by Lit. » 16 Mar 2007, 20:34

Huge (289 pictures) photo gallery (1941-1942), most about Wolchow front (in 1942):

http://www.gundlachphoto.narod.ru/index.htm
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Lodieu Didier
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#8

Post by Lodieu Didier » 17 Mar 2007, 01:12

Hello Lit.,

A big thanks for this incredible pictures from the 291. I.D. For the while I am writing the second part of the Division Meindl. The first band had been published.
You can check my website and write me directly if you want.
Bests regards
D/ L.
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Andreas
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#9

Post by Andreas » 17 Mar 2007, 10:52

You have to be a bit careful with the captions though, some of them are wrong, and some of them are probably not from the early 42 period they appear in.

All the best

Andreas
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Lit.
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#10

Post by Lit. » 23 Aug 2007, 16:58

Interesting pictures (3 pages) from one Latvian drivers' album (The 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian)) in Wolchow front 1943-1944.

http://sammler.ru/index.php?showtopic=22524&st=0
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