Tank battle 05./07.01.1944 at Kirowograd

[Gastolli]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and hope that one of our russian fellows is able to answer this specific question:

On 05.01.1944 some tanks from Pz.Rgt. 36 under Leutnant Kühn (4 Pz IV of 9. Kp.) and Leutnant Kummer (7 Stug) met approx. 45 sowjet tanks on the road Nowo-Alexandrowka - Nowgorodka, 3 km north-west of hill 187,9.

They were able to destroy 18 T34 and 6 T34 respectively (according to war diary Pz.Rgt. 36) and than went back to Adshamka (8 km North-East of Kirowograd).

On 07.01.1944 they attacked another sowjet tank unit which was nearing Kirowograd from the West, they met each other at Lelekovka Train-Station (line Kirowograd - Uman), first 2 Tanks were shot from the flank, the rest was hiding between the buildings of the Train-Station. Another 5 sowjet tanks were shot. Than the Germans attacked the Train-Station and another 6 tanks were shot for the loss of 1 Stug (Lt. Klein). One T34 was captured by Leutnant Kühn.

According to an tank veteran I have interviewed recently, the sowjet Commander of the tank brigade shot himself while leaving the last T34 (the tank which was captured).

Can anyone confirm this story and identify the sowjet units? And what is the russian view of this events? The name of this sowjet Commander?

Leutnant Kühn won the Knights-Cross for this actions.

Thanks in advance for your help and kind regards
Oliver

[amvas]

Hmm... Really hard to find out what it could be... This can cause a special study to be performed...
At least now I have no such forces to do this

However the story looks interesting enough and exact dates gives much chances to find out what had happened...

Regards
Alex

[Gastolli]

Hi Alex,

yes, it's really interesting and I also hope that someone might know from books or archival material (?) which sowjet tank unit was in that location.

At least my veteran will be interested

Let's wait what happens....

Oliver

[amvas]

I managed to find a brief description of that fights here
http://desantura.ru/communication/bl...ogs/9_vdd/334/

Looks that area was operative zone of the 9th Guards Airborne Division, which was reinforced with the 27th Tank Regiment.
Most likely that was the unit which met German tanks, but I'm not sure it contained more than 21 tanks...

In memoirs
http://vseok.org.ua/arhiv_kirovograd_1941_1945_2
very briefly Lelekovka fights are described
They says 28 German tanks were destroyed by heavy artillery and "Katyushas"

Regards
Alex

[ShAA]

Here's what I've googled:

The pilots of 820th ground attack air regiment acted courageously, air groups under command of Senior Lieutenant G.P. Alexandrov (637th ground attack air regiment) and captain G.T. Krasota (667th ground attack air regiment). Evaluating the actions of our ground attack airforce, the chief of staff of the 5th Guards Army Major-General N.I. Lyamin reported that in the area of Lelekovka 400 destroyed vehicles, 52 tanks and 50 self-propelled guns were found on January 10, 1944.

http://www.victory.mil.ru/lib/books/h/grylev_an/02.html

This and other sources point at heavy battles which took place on January 7-8, but it is said that the soviet troops took control of the roads around this place.

[amvas]

Here's what I've googled:



http://www.victory.mil.ru/lib/books/h/grylev_an/02.html

This and other sources point at heavy battles which took place on January 7-8, but it is said that the soviet troops took control of the roads around this place.

They write they were
7th and 8th Mechanised Corps to cross the road near Lelekovka

[amvas]

More detailed description of fights in Lelekovka area can be found here
http://7mehkorpus.odessa.ua/pogrebnoy/str18-33.html

" В районе Лелековки гитлеровцы яростно контратаковали подразделения 41-й гвардейской танковой и 63-й механизированной бригад. Особое мужество в этих боях проявили танкисты 1-го танкового батальона гвардии капитана М. П. Котловца 41-й гвардейской танковой бригады..."

so, we can resume in Lelekovka area on Jan. 7 we can observe the 41st Guards Tank Brigade and 63rd Mechanised Brigade of the 7th Mechanised corps

Battle scheme of the Kirowograd operation

[Gastolli]

Thank you everyone for your efforts so far!

[QUOTE=amvas;1526005]More detailed description of fights in Lelekovka area can be found here
http://7mehkorpus.odessa.ua/pogrebnoy/str18-33.html

I will try to understand what's written there (online translation), my first impression is that it is very patriotic

It is a very sad story that this sowjet tank Commander shot himself, as my tank veteran said that nowadays he would prefer to have a drink with his former enemys...

Oliver

[Gastolli]

Hello all,

after reading all the accounts mentioned in the posts above I'm also the opinion, that the parts of III./Pz.Rgt. 36 had a clash with elements from 41. Guards-Tank-Brigade and 16. mechanized Brigade, maybe especially with the 1st Bataillon of the 41. GTB...

As to the losses of III./Pz.Rgt. 36:

According to the war diary of this "Abteilung", from 05.01. to 08.01.1944 they lost (all men listed with names etc.):

05.01.44 = 1 dead, 3 wounded, 1 accident
06.01.44 = 1 dead, 4 wounded, 1 ill
07.01.44 = 4 wounded, 1 ill
08.01.44 = 1 ill
09.01.44 = 1 dead, 1 missing, 5 wounded, 1 ill
10.01.44 = 1 accident, 1 ill
11.01.44 = 2 ill

as for the tank inventory, following numbers are mentioned as "combat ready":

01.01.44 = 11 Pz IV lang, 10 Stug 7,5 lang
11.01.44 = 2 Pz IV lang, 3 Stug 7,5 lang
21.01.44 = 7 Pz IV lang, 5 Stug 7,5 lang

losses and breakdowns of tanks and assault guns, according to the text of the war diary (maybe incomplete in regard to mechanical breakdowns):

05.01.44 = 2 Pz IV, 1 Stug (damaged or breakdowns)
06.01.44 = 2 Stug (mechanical breakdowns)
07.01.44 = 1 Stug (knocked out)
08.01.44 = -
09.01.44 = 2 Pz IV, 2 Stug (mechanical breakdowns)
10.01.44 = -
11.01.44 = 1 Stug (knocked out - total loss), 1 Pz, 1 Stug (in Balka, recovered), 2 Stug (mechanical breakdowns)


Oliver

[Zaraath]

It is a very sad story that this sowjet tank Commander shot himself

He was probably saving the NKVD the trouble by doing it for them.

[Gastolli]

here's an chart describing that actions:



from: Haupt "Die Schlachten der Heeresgruppe Süd"

Oliver