Veterans of the 3rd Panzer Division - Armored Bears: Vol. 2, The German 3rd Panzer Division in World War II

English translation copyright 2013 by Battle Born Books and Consulting

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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN 978-0-8117-1171-5

The Library of Congress has catalogued the first volume as follows:

Geschichte der 3. Panzer-Division, Berlin-Brandenburg, 19351945. English

Armored Bears : the German 3rd Panzer Division in World War II. Vol. 1 / Veterans of the 3rd Panzer Division.

p. cm.

Originally published: Geschichte der 3. Panzer-Division, Berlin-Brandenburg, 19351945. 1967.

ISBN 978-0-8117-1170-8

eISBN 978-0-8117-4966-4

1. Germany. Heer. Panzer-Division, 3. 2. World War, 19391945Tank warfare. 3. World War, 19391945CampaignsEastern Front. 4. World War, 19391945Regimental historiesGermany. I. Traditionsverband der Ehemaligen Dritten Panzer-Division. II. Title. III. Title: German 3rd Panzer Division in World War II.

D757.563rd .G47 2012

940.541343dc23

CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1

From the Tim to the Donez: The Fighting for Kharkov in Spring 1942

On 3 March 1942, the 3. Panzer-Division received orders to move into the sector of the 6. Armee around Kharkov. It was directed for the division to be temporarily attached to the LI. Armee-Korps. Its future missions were still uncertain. The Soviet field armies had exploited the winter in the south, just as they had in the center of the front, to launch their offensive against Heeresgruppe Sd. The enemys plans were to drive the German divisions from the industrial area of the D was later awarded the Knights CrossS, along with theonez. In the process, they had succeeded in driving a wedge into the German front at Isjum. They had crossed the river along a frontage of ninety kilometers and had advanced to within twenty kilometers of Dnejpropetrowsk. The enemy salient, which extended far to the west, practically invited a continuation of the attack, which would then endanger the city of Kharkov.

During the last days of February, the division had dispatched a battle groupor Kampfgruppeunder the new commander of Schtzen-Regiment 394, Oberst Chales de Beaulieu, in the direction of Kharkov. At the time, de Beaulieus battle group was the only completely motorized formation of the division. It had been made so by detachments from other troop elements of the division. It consisted of the headquarters of Schtzen-Regiment 394, Bataillon Wellmann (consisting of ad hoc units formed from both of the divisions rifle regiments), Pionier-Bataillon 39, the III./Artillerie-Regiment 75, and the heavy infantry gun company of Schtzen-Regiment 394. In addition, there was a company of tanks, with about ten to twelve operational fighting vehicles.

The companies and batteries moved out from Kursk on 20 February. Their route led them through Obojan, Bjelgorod, and Mikojanowka. As a result of the continuing cold and the high snowdrifts, the march turned out to be more than difficult and was delayed accordingly. The battle group did not arrive in Kharkov until 4 March. After a few days of rest, Oberst de Beaulieus forces had to move into the area south of Tshugujew. The Soviets had broken through the positions of the 44. Infanterie-Division there and had to be pushed back by means of a counterattack. The riflemen, engineers, and cannoneers of the division attacked after a short preparation. It was possible for them to advance from Andrejewka to Schebelinka and eject the enemy forces there.

The main body of the division was still in the area around Kurskup to 120 kilometers apartand prepared for the movement. An advance party under the command of Oberst Westhoven was assembled. On 6 March, it started moving through heavy snowdrifts from its former quarters in the direction of Kharkov. Two days later, Generalmajor Breith had orders issued for the movement of the main body of the division.

The battle staff of the division moved the next day via Obojan and Bjelgorod to Kharkov. At Kharkov, Breith initially reported in to the commander in chief of Heeresgruppe Sd, Generalfeldmarschall von Bock. He then went on to report to the commander in chief of the 6. Armee, General der Panzertruppen Paulus, who had once been the commander of Aufklrungs-Abteilung 3 in Berlin-Stahnsdorf.

Paulus briefed Breith on the overall situation. The Soviets had been attacking the LI. Armee-Korps ever since 8 March with two to three infantry divisions and one armor division. They had penetrated into the corps front. For the time being, the 3. Panzer-Division was to remain a reserve of the field army. It could only be employed on express orders from the field-army group.

There was no pause for Kampfgruppe de Beaulieu, however. It received orders to return to Kharkov. It took an entire day to disengage the companies from the enemy. The units brought about 100 Russian prisoners back with them. That night, the orders of the battle group were changed, and it was reinserted into the lines of the 44 Freiherr von S1. Infanterie-Division in the LimanAndrejewka sector.

At this stage, the division could not be considered a full-fledged fighting force. Only some headquarters elements and combat formations had arrived in Kharkov. Major Frank was there with an advance party of the armored regiment. On 12 March, it was able to take receipt of the forty new Panzer IIIs that Leutnant Stigler and his detail had picked up in Worosha. The only intact tank company was already being employed outside of Kharkov under Hauptmann Markowski. At 0930 hours on 10 March, the division had radioed the regimental headquarters in Orel:

For employment south of Kharkov, Panzer-Regiment 6 sends 32 tank crews to Kharkov as soon as possible for new issued Panzer IIIs. They are to be picked up in Orel by transport aircraft of the headquarters of the 6. Armee. Oberst Munzel is to request expedited release of those crews from the Headquarters of the 2. Panzer-Armee. Commander of Panzer-Regiment 6 and his headquarters to move to Kharkov to the 3. Panzer-Division location. Ongoing missions in Orel to be supervised by Oberstleutnant Schmidt-Ott.

Oberst Munzel, who was still employed in infantry operations at Iwanowka, had to turn over his command to Hauptmann von Prittwitz. He returned to Orel and made arrangements for the return of the elements of his regiment that were still in outposts around the city. They started moving toward Kharkov on 10 March, in some cases in horse-drawn transport. All tanks and vehicles in need of repair were loaded on trains at Kursk, to be sent to Prague for repair.

On 11 March, the division received orders from the field army to assume command of the sector manned by the 294. Infanterie-Division. Fortunately, the commanding general of the XVII. Armee-Korps, General der Infanterie Hollidt, had discussed this possibility with Breith, so that the division headquarters was familiar with the situation there. The headquarters was moved to Neprokriyaja on 12 March, where the command post of the Saxon infantry division of