Niklas Zetterling: The Korsun Pocket

It seems that 1,899 officers and men from the 389th Division, plus 33 HiWi, managed to break out from the pocket. 21 8Also 352 soliders who had returned from leave had assembled in Novo Ukrainka. 21 9Furthermore, considerable parts of the rear services of the division were outside the pocket when the pincers of 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Front met on 28 January. 22 0

This was an ad hoc formation. On 21 January it was ordered to form using the staff of 11. Pz.Rgt. (from 6. Pz.Div.) and two tank battalions: s.Pz.Abt. 503 (Tiger I) and II./Pz.Rgt. 23 (Panther). 22 1

The regiment was first committed in the offensive operations conducted by XXXXVI. Pz.Korps during the last week of January. The regiment performed very well and was credited with the destruction of 268 enemy tanks in one week. 22 2

On 31 January the regiment had 15 Panthers and 18 Tigers operational. 22 3Thereafter, in mud and slush, it moved to the assembly area for Operation Wanda and it seems that it had 11 Tigers and 14 Panthers combat ready when the operation began. 22 4

Of these only 8 Tigers and 8 Panthers had yet reached the front when the offensive began. 22 5

5 February: 22 612 Tiger, 4 Panther

6 February (early): 22 712 Tiger, 4 Panther

6 February (late): 22 811 Tiger, 3 Panther

7 February (early): 22 911 Tiger, 3 Panther

9 February (early): 23 011 Tiger, 15 Panther

10 February: 23 110 Tiger, 16 Panther

15 February (early): 23 26 Tiger, 8 Panther

During the operation the regiment lost seven Tigers and 23 Panthers. 23 3

It is notable that all the Tigers lost had been blown up by the Germans, as had seventeen of the Panthers. Also two Panthers were complete losses due to spontaneous engine room fires during the march. 23 4Thus, of the 30 tanks lost by the regiment, only four were lost due to Soviet fire.

It seems that all of them fell vicitm in one single engagement, near Dashchukovka on the morning of 12 February. 23 5

On 22 February the regiment had 34 Tigers in workshops. 23 6

Orders to form Kampfgruppe Haack were issued by 8th Army on 5 February. Major-General Haack actually commanded the “Artillerie-Division zur besondere Verwendung,” which in fact was only a staff. He was given the following units: 23 7

Elements from Nachr.Abt. 389 (389. Inf.Div.)

Feldgend.Trupp 72. Inf.Div.

Urlauber-Rgt. Baake

(which consisted of soldiers from 57., 72., 88., 389. Inf.Div., that had been on leave when the Korsun battle began).

Urlauber-Btl. Korps-Abt. B

(consisted of soldiers from Korps-Abt. B that had been on leave when the battle began).

Pz.Zerst.Btl. 472

II./Art.Rgt. 818

III./Art.Rgt. 818

III./Art.Rgt. 140

StuG.Abt. 228

(5 Stug on 5 February, see also the entry for this unit for further information)

Werfer-Rgt. 55

1 company from Pz.Jäg.Abt. 389

(from 389. Inf.Div., with three heavy AT guns)

Pi.Btl. 666

s.Str.Bau-Btl. 676

(except one company)

Various rear services from 389th Infantry Division

Alarm units formed from rear security units (approx. 450 men)

On 13 February the Kampfgruppe had 4 operational StuG III. 23 8The Kampfgruppe was dissolved after the battle.

Kampfgruppe Renz consisted of one infantry battalion, the I./Gren.Rgt. 168 and one artillery battalion, II./Art.Rgt. 182 from 82. Inf.Div.

This force was fighting against the Soviet units encircled near Tikhonovka. 23 9On 3 February the artillery battalion had nine 10.5 cm howitzers and was subordinated temporarily to 17. Pz.Div. 24 0

The regiment arrived in February to support the III Pz.Korps relief attempt. The I. Abt had eight 15 cm rocket launchers, while the II. and III. Abt. each had twelve 30 cm rocket launchers each on 3 February, when the regiment was subordinated to III. Pz.Korps. 24 1

This battalion was actually an organic part of 20. Pz.Gren.Div. and was equipped with assault guns. 24 2During the Korsun operation it fought separated from its parent division. It had received 42 StuG III in September and October 1943 (and probably 3 command veheicles). Otherwise it did not receive any assault guns before March 1944. 24 3On 23 January the battalion was with the 11. Pz.Div and had a ration strength of 516. 24 4

27 January: 24 51 StuG III

1 February: 8 operational StuG III and 10 in short term repair (up to three weeks). 24 6

See s.Pz.Rgt. Bäke

The battalion had recently arrived on the Eastern Front and had no previous combat experience. It seems to have been poorly trained and led. The commander, major Glässgen, was killed on the day the battalion made its combat debut and replaced by captain Wallroth from the Großdeutschland division, who arrived on 30 January. 24 7The latter did not last long as battalion commander either, as he fell to a rifle bullet on 3 February. Lieutenant Wartman assumed command, but on 12 February he too was wounded in his right wrist by shrapnel. Lieutenant Weidinger took over temporarily until major von Wagner arrived on 14 February to take command. 24 8

At first the battalion was attached to the Großdeutschland division, but it saw little action. On 26 January it reported 67 operational Panthers. 24 9It moved to XXXXVII. Pz.Korps on 27 January and went into action near Pisarovka and Tishkovka on 28 January. 25 0For most of the battle it was attached to 11. Pz.Div. In many of the reports for 11. Pz.Div., Panthers from I./26 are included.

21 January: 25 167 (including 2 command Panthers)

26 January: 25 267 (including 2 command Panthers)

28 January (06.00): 25 361 (including 2 command Panthers)

28 January (15.25): 25 435 (approximately)

29 January (morning): 25 517

31 January (probably evening): 25 630

1 February (morning): 25 732 (include 2 command Panthers), also 10 in short repair and 20 in long repair.

1 February (18.00): 25 821

3 February (17.00): 25 916 (include 2 command Panthers)

6 February (20.00): 26 013

7 February: 26 114

8 February: 26 214

9 February: 26 315

10 February (13.00): 26 417

10 February: 26 515 (include 0 command Panthers), also 13 in short repair and 33 in long repair.

11 February (12.00): 26 615

12 February (12.15): 26 710

13 February (evening): 26 86

14 February (evening): 26 96

15 February: 27 06

16 February: 27 15

17 February: 27 28

20 February: 27 32 (include 0 command Panthers), also 11 in short repair and 46 in long repair.

1 March: 27 46 (include 0 command Panthers), also 23 in short repair and 29 in long repair.

1 Panther lost on 6 January, which caught fire during train loading.

1 Panther lost on 27 January, due to fire in engine room during march.

10 Panther (one of them from the battalion staff) lost on 28 January. Of these, four were destroyed by enemy fire, five were damaged by enemy fire but could not be recovered, the fate of the last one is unclear.

2 Panther lost on 29 February, one destroyed by enemy fire (but recovered and sent to Germany by train, but the vehicle was nevertheless classified as written off), one slid down a sharp slope during darkness and could not be recovered.