What division of the SS smashed the Red Army in 1941 near Rostov

History 01/01/20 What SS division defeated the Red Army in 1941 near Rostov

the Rostov offensive operation of 1941 deserves to be remembered. This is the first strategic offensive of the great Patriotic war, which ended with success. Against the background of other lesions of a lot about it wrote in the Soviet times and even cited many figures. Most of which remain in popular science literature so far.

about the Soviet units and formations in the offensive near Rostov is written in great detail, but on the troops of the Wehrmacht mentioned in passing and vaguely. Especially unclear about the outcome of the operation, that is, the losses of the German forces.

According to the Soviet data, the maximum number of losses in men, the Germans were up to 30,000 people. Losses of armored vehicles, 150 tanks, there is a more refined figure: 154 tanks and 8 armored cars.

the most Interesting thing is the phrase from the TASS report about the victory at Rostov: “…completely destroyed the group of General Kleist, consisting of 14 and 16 Panzer divisions, 60th motorized division and the SS division “Viking””. In the same statement mentions that the Wehrmacht lost “over 5 thousand dead”. An even greater number of defeated German troops mentioned in the book I. Bagramyan “thus began the war”: “…found a tomb in the vast expanses of the steppes of the Donetsk and on the outskirts of the mouth of the don the fascist 14 and 16 Panzer, 60th motorized division and the SS division “Viking”. In addition, defeated 13th Panzer division, the SS division “Adolf Hitler”, and 76, 94 and 97th infantry divisions.” In this book, the battle for Rostov described extremely pretentious, as can be seen from the above quotation.

it is Unclear what is meant by the words “defeated” and “defeated”, and especially “found a grave”. Clear universal language no, but it usually means that if some part or the connection is destroyed, it means full the loss of combat capability. After the defeat of the part withdrawn from the front for rest and replenishment. You can understand that “found a grave” — it means destroyed, especially in the same book that’s derived meaning. But destroyed, then that part or connection no longer exists. For example, the red Army was in the 41st destroyed many divisions. Then instead formed a new who were given the rooms destroyed, and in reference books about them indicated “2nd formation” or “3rd”. Similarly did in the Wehrmacht, forming a new division with the numbers lost at Stalingrad connections. What happened with the German divisions at Rostov?

to get started is to make one clarification. No motorized SS division “Adolf Hitler” in 1941, did not exist. This military unit was called “the Leibstandarte SS “Adolf Hitler” (“Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler”). “Standard” always means corresponding to the regiment in the Wehrmacht it was so, but in the 41st year of the Leibstandarte correctly as a team.

If you look at the guide B. Muller-Hillebrand “Land army of Germany” or the most complete reference book in Russian, “the German Armed forces, 1939-1945” (by K. Shishkin), the composition of the Leibstandarte in 1941 were as follows: four infantry, reconnaissance, combat engineers and heavy weapons battalions, an artillery regiment, self-propelled artillery and anti-aircraft battalion. The use of armored vehicles in it 7 assault guns, 9 self-propelled anti-tank launchers, and 8 armored cars. The number of personnel on June 22, 1941 – 10796 people. People like very much, but counted the security battalion, which was part of the Leibstandarte, but I was in Berlin, more than a thousand people. In addition, the Leibstandarte rear of the SS division, I wouldn’t say the combat strength. So what part of this is the brigade, which was a lot of artillery and vehicles, but there were very few armored vehicles and tanks was not at all.

Itabout the Leibstandarte and took Rostov, so the stories about the destruction of the approaches to the city two dozen German tanks (out of fifty) are greatly exaggerated, as the tanks in the brigade was not at all. The phrase from the articles of our time: “the Offensive power of the best SS Panzer divisions stormed the don capital, has been undermined by” looks weird, as in 41-m to year there was no SS Panzer division and 1st Panzer army had only one division of the SS “Viking”, which Rostov did not come.

in Front of the Southern front, carried out operation near Rostov, was tasked to surround the connection of the 1st Panzer army penetrated far towards the mouth of the don. The situation for the Germans formed a threat. In Rostov was the Leibstandarte, along the shore of the sea of Azov from Taganrog to Rostov moved 13th Panzer division. North of Rostov there were 14-I and 16 Panzer divisions. And finally the 60-km section of the front (once at the site of the offensive of the 37th army) covered the SS division “Viking”. In the second tier was the 60th motorized division. After the start of the Soviet offensive, the command of the 1st Panzer army and army group “South” began to pull infantry units, including the Slovak division, in order not to surround the movable division. In the bloody battle, the Germans suffered heavy losses. In the course of the battle on Rostov direction, the Wehrmacht lost about one hundred and fifty tanks, assault guns, armored cars and armored personnel carriers.

the 1st Panzer army withdrew to the line of the Mius river. Surrounded by no one came, the fighting capacity of the division is not lost, as all continued to fight and managed to stop the advance of the troops of the southern front to Taganrog, not getting replenishment as manpower and equipment. So to talk about the defeat, and especially the destruction of at least some of the compounds of the Wehrmacht in the Rostov offensive operations impossible.

Russian Seven

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