[烛光生存狂]-Gross党卫军装甲旅

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SS-Panzerbrigade Gross

by Miha Grcar

During the summer offensive in 1944 the Soviet units managed to take Mitau(米涛) and Tuckum(杜肯), which put the Kurland in danger. In order to keep the way to Riga(里加) open the SS Armored Training and Replacement Regiment (located at Dondangen, Latvia) and SS Panzer Troop Training Regiment Seelager (located at SS Troop Training Ground Windau (Ventspils), Latvia) were quickly put together to push the Soviets out of Mitau. Because the training area Seelager of the units had to be abandoned, the regiments and SS-Panzer- Aufklärungs-Ausbildungs-Abteilungen 1 & 2 were put together to form the SS-Panzer-Brigade Gross.

The Brigade began forming on 8 August 1944 under the command of SS-Sturmbannführer and Knight’s Cross holder Martin Gross. The forming lasted three days and when it was finished the unit had two infantry battalions (SS-Infanterie-Battalion 2 later became known as Einheit Runge and formed a part of Gruppe Sasse), a mixed panzer battalion with two companies (with cca. 10-15 Panzer III & IV), a reconnaissance battalion, a StuG battalion (with 12 StuG III), a provisional pioneer company and a Flak company (with units from the Luftwaffe and SS-Flak-Battalion 54).

It saw action immediately after it was formed. On 8 August 1944 it counter-attacked the advancing Soviets and got involved into hard fighting with a Soviet Cavalry Corps around Libau (Latvia). The attempt to recapture Tuckum had failed. On 15 August the Brigade received reinforcements to its panzer battalion, when a company of 7 Tigers which arrived from Schwere SS-Panzer Abteilung 103 and two artillery batteries from the 19. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettisches Nr. 2). By the 19 August the unit counted some 2500 men. On that day the Brigade became a part of Panzer-Division Strachwitz, where it received 5 additional panzer IV. It went into action against the Soviet 51st Army the next day; cleared Mitau and enabled the continuation of the German sea evacuation by clearing the coastline to Reval. The unit streght on the 22 August, as given by the 18. Armee, indicates that the Brigade had 720 men, 3 Panthers, 5 Panzer III & IV, 3 T-34 Beutepanzer and 20 SPW. On 28 August the Strachwitz division was transferred to Joesuu and through Bulduri to Estonia. Unitil the first week of September they stayed at Lake Peipus. When the Division’s commander Strachwitz was wounded the division received a new commander and became known as Panzer-Division Lauchert. By 12 September the Brigade’s panzer battalion counted one Panzer III (L42), 7 Panzer III (L60), 1 Panzer IV (L24), 1 Panzer IV (L43), 3 Panthers, 1 StuG (L48) and 17 SPW. It no longer had the SS-Infanterie-Battalion 2 and its Aufklärungs-Abteilung counted only 8 Panzerspähwagen. They were detached from the division in mid-September and went from Dorbet back to Latvia. Because of the constant engegement with Soviet forces the strenght fell to 300 men, 2 StuG, one T-34 Beutepanzer, 3 Panzer III, 2 Panzer IV and 4 SPW (as reported on 20 September). Being pushed back to Lithuania the SS-Brigade became a part of the 3. Panzer-Armee. It reached Memel in October and were ordered to pull out due to their heavy losses on 16 November. They were sent to the training area Sennelager (Steinhagen, Westphalia) because they were required for the training of front replacements (this included 6 officers and 165 men and NCOs).

The survivors were sent to the training area Windau in Prussia and through Danzig to Sennelager. There the Brigade was broken up and its men sent to the 1. SS-Panzer-Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, 2. SS-Panzer-Division Das Reich, 9. SS-Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen and 12. SS-Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend, which were a part of the 6. Panzer-Armee. The disbanding of Gross was disguised as the forming of a new panzer regiment: SS-Panzer-Regiment 26 Reichsmarschall.

Commanders

SS-Obersturmbannführer Martin Gross (8 Aug 1944 - ? Nov 1944)

Area of operations

Eastern Front, northern sector (Aug 1944 - Nov 1944)

Subordination

18. Armee (Aug 1944 - Sep 1944)

3. Pz. Armee (Sep 1944 - Nov 1944)

Manpower strength

19 Aug 1944 2.500

22 Aug 1944 720

20 Sep 1944 300

Holders of high awards

Holders of the German Cross

Order of battle (15 Aug 1944)

Brigade-Stab

Feldgendarmerie Trupp

Versorgungskompanie

Werkstattkompanie

SS-Infanterie-Bataillon 1

4x Kompanie

SS-Infanterie-Bataillon 2

Kradmeldestaffel

4x Kompanie

SS-Panzer-Abteilung "Gross"

3x Kompanie

Schwere Panzer Kompanie

SS-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 1

Artillerie-Batterie x2

SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung "Gross"

Kradschutzen-Kompanie

Panzer-Späh.-Kompanie

RAD/Kettenrad-Kompanie

Flak-Kompanie

4x Zug

Pionier-Kompanie

Pionierzug (mot.)

Werferzug

Instandsetzungskompanie

Sources used

Antonio J. Munoz - Forgotten Legions: Obscure Combat Formations of the Waffen-SS

Reference material on this unit

Antonio J. Munoz - Forgotten Legions: Obscure Combat Formations of the Waffen-SS

In the summer of 1944 weak Soviet forces had advanced towards Mitau. They took Mitau and Tuckum and threatened the Kurland. To save contact with Riga, the SS-Panzer-Ausbildungs-und-Esatz-Regiment from Truppenübungsplatz Seelager in Windau are mobilized and manage to push back the Russians to Mitau.

Meanwhile Truppenübungsplatz Seelager has to be cleared and the SS-Panzer-Ausbildungs-und-Esatz-Regiment and the SS-Panzer- Aufklärungs-Ausbildungs-Abteilungen 1 and 2 are used to form SS-Panzer-Brigade Gross, under command of the commander of the SS-Panzer-Ausbildungs-und-Esatz-Regiment, Sturmbannführer and Ritterkreuz-träger Martin Groß (Frankfurt/Mainz, 15.04.1911 - Luer, 01.03.1984 / SS-No. 6 684).

Formation of SS-Panzer-Brigade "Gross" starts on 08.08.1944 and takes three days. Sturmbannführer Fritz Herzig (Wiener Neustadt, 18.07.1915 - 23.01.1954 / SS-No. 49 371) becomes Gross' adjutant. He already served with Groß as commander of III./SS-Pz.AuE.Rgt. The Brigade Stab (feldpostnummer 34 951 A) consists of a Feldgend.Trupp (34 951 B), a Versorgungskompanie (34 951 C) and a Werkstattkompanie 34 951 D). TKF is Obersturmführer Ernst Berghofer (SS-No.139 508).

SS-Infanterie-Battalion 1 is formed under Sturmbannführer Alfred Arnold (SS-No. 263 781). The OO is Obersturmführer Günther Lahr (SS-No. 346 147)

Stab (feldpostnummer 25 581 A)

- 1.Kompanie (25 581 B) - Obersturmführer Wilhelm Hüsing

- 2.Kompanie (25 581 C) -

- 3.Kompanie (25 581 D) - Obersturmführer Hans Bader (01.07.1917)

- 4.Kompanie (25 581 E) - Hauptsturmführer Ludwig Schäffler

SS-Infanterie-Battalion 2 is formed under command of Hauptsturmführer Walter Runge (SS-No. 45 582). His adjutant was Untersturmführer Max Dreher (SS-No. 18 787), the doctor was Hauptsturmführer Alexander Rees (Dr.Med.) (SS-No. 146 317)

Stab (46 794 A)

- 1.Kompanie (46 794 B) -

- 2.Kompanie (46 794 C) -

- 3.Kompanie (46 794 D) - Obersturmführer Stephan Stenglin

- 4.Kompanie (46 794 E) - Obersturmführer Hans Thoma (23.07.1914)

SS-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung "Gross" is formed with a Kradschutzen-Kompanie, a Pz.Späh.-Kompanie and a Rad/Kettenrad-Kompanie, under command of Hauptsturmführer Hans-Henning Heuer (Schlagenthin, 11.04.1916 - 06.08.1986 / SS-No. 309 439). His adjutant was Untersturmführer Wolfgang Eldh-Albietz

- 1.Kompanie (44 989 B) -

- 2.Kompanie (44 989 C) -

- 3.Kompanie (44 989 D) -

(note: a line was drawn through the 3.Kompanie)

Gem. SS-Panzer-Abteilung "Gross" is formed with two companies (10-15 Pz.III and Pz.IV, an other source says 23), commanded by Sturmbannführer Ernst Söhrens (SS-No. 61 709)

- Stab (feldpostnummer 26 871 A)

- 1.Kompanie (26 871 B) -

- 2.Kompanie (26 871 C) -

- 3.Kompanie (26 871 D) -

- 4.Kompanie (26 871 E) -

Other units in the Brigade were:

- 1. SS-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung (12 StuG III)

- A provisional Pionier-Kompanie with a Pionierzug (mot.) and a Werferzug.

- A Flak-Kompanie with four platoons (from Luftwaffe-units and from SS-Flak-Battalion 54)

- An Instandsetzungskompanie under Obersturmführer Otto Tübcke (Berlin, 22.05.1903 / SS-No. 72 481)

The Brigade is immediately sent into combat on 08.08.1944 to counterattack Soviet advance and gets involved in heavy combat against an entire Soviet Calvary Corps, Libau (Latvia). Their attempt to take back Tuckum with an improvised armored train fails.

A schwere SS-Panzer-Kompanie (seven Tigers) from s.SS-Pz.Abt.103 is assigned to the Brigade on 15.08.1944. On this same date two Artillery Batteries from the 19.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lett. Nr.2) are assigned to the Brigade

By 19.08.1944, the Brigade has attained a personnel strength of 2,500 and is attached to a new and temporary Divisional Command: Panzer-Division Strachwitz, reinforced with five additional Pz.Kpfw.IV. One day later the entire formation went into action against the Soviet 51st Army units in and around Tuckum. They manage to clear Mitau and to secure the coastline to Reval, which means the evacuations from the Ostsee to the west can proceed.

Two days later, on 21.08.1944, AOK 18 reports a strength for SS-Panzer-Brigade Gross of 20 Panzer (all types), two SPW-Kompanien (30-40 SPW) and a schwere Kompanie on SPW.

For 22.08.1944, Panzer-Division Strachwitz reports the following strength for SS-Panzer-Brigade Gross: a personnel strength of 720, a mixed Panzer-Abteilung with three Panther, five Pz.III and Pz.IV, three T34 Beutepanzer and twenty SPW. The Brigades supply and repair facilities are mostly in the area east of Windau as is their 60-ton transport column.

On 28.08.1944 SS-Panzer-Brigade Gross is transferred to Joesuu. After the fighting in Latvia, the Division was transported from Bulduri (Riga) to Estonia, were they stayed at Lake Peipus until the first week of September.

In September, Brigade Gross was detached from Panzer-Division v. Strachwitz and dispatched from the Dorpat area back to Latvia, to counter another Soviet offensive.

The Gliederung of Panzer-Division Lauchert, dated 12.09.1944, details SS-Panzer-Brigade Gross

- A Brigade Stab with a Nachrichtenzug (signals platoon) and a MG-Zug.

- A mixed Panzer-Abteilung with two Panzer-Kompanien, including one Pz.III (L42), seven Pz.III (L60), one Pz.IV (L24), one Pz.IV (L43), three Panther, one StuG (L48) and one SPW-Kompanie with seventeen SPW),

- A Grenadier-Battalion

- An Aufklärungs-Abteilung with eight Panzerspähwagen

Panzer-Division von Lauchert reports the strength of SS-Panzer-Brigade Gross on 20.09.1944 as 300 personnel, two Sturmgeschütze, one T34 Beutepanzer, three Pz.III, two Pz.IV and four SPW. Constantly engaged with Russian forces in the Baltic area, the Brigade was pushed back to Lituania and finally retreated to Memel, were it arrived in early October. Due to heavy combat only fragments of the Brigade are left by this time, and for that reason it is pulled back to Truppenübungsplatz Sennelager in the Steinhagen-area (Westphalia).

An OKH teletype, dated 16.11.1944, tells us:

"SS-Führerhauptamt reports, Pz.AOK 3 has retained a Kampfgruppe from SS-Panzer-Brigade Gross with a strength of six officers, 165 NCOs and enlisted. The SS-Panzer-Brigade Gross was the alarm unit for the SS-Panzer-Ausbildungs-und-Esatz-Regiment in the Riga area. The Brigade was released, retention of the Kampfgruppe is illegal. The personnel are urgently needed by the SS-Panzer-Ausbildungs-und-Esatz-Regiment for the training of front replacements. Immediate pull-out and transport to Sennelager is requested." Heeresgruppe Mitte orders the immediate transport of the Kampfgruppe to Sennelager."

Other survivors of SS-Panzer-Brigade Gross gather at Truppenübungsplatz Windau (Prussia) and are transported to Danzig, to be moved on to Sennelager. There the Brigade is broken up and its sub-units were used as replacements for the 6.Panzer-Armee. Disbanding of the Brigade is disguised as the forming of the imaginary "SS-Panzer-Regiment 26 "Reichsmarschall"

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