Kampfgruppe 1001 Nights
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Kampfgruppe 1001 Nights (
History
Kampfgruppe 1001 Nights was formed from the guards at the
Three companies of V-2 guards arrived at the German Ninth Army HQ on the Oder river in early March, 1945. Simultaneously, three companies of Hetzer panzerjäger from the 560th SS Tank Destroyer Battalion, which had been used for training purposes, were sent to join Army Group Vistula on the Oder front. General Theodor Busse, Ninth Army's commander, decided to form these troops into a Kampfgruppe which could be used as a mobile reserve.
Major
The Kampfgruppe was divided into three combat formations, named Suleika, Harem and Sultan. Suleika was commanded by Sturmbannführer Wost and later by Haupsturmführer Markowz with a staff, a supply company, three Jagdpanzer-Kompanien with 14 Hetzer each and a fourth with Sturmgeschütze and back up recovery tanks.
On 27 March, the Kampfgruppe was ordered into action near the town of Genschmar, in an attempt to reduce the Red Army's bridgehead over the Oder, which it failed to do.
On 16 April, the battle of Seelow Heights began as the Red Army attacked the German defensive lines on the Oder. The Kampfgruppe was sent with the 25th Panzergrenadier Division and the 111th StuG-Lehr Brigade to support the 606th Infantry Division near the town of Wriezen. The Germans were driven back, with the Kampfgruppe reduced to 18 functioning armoured vehicles and 50 men.
The Kampfgruppe was dissolved near
Commander
- Oberstleutnant Gustav-Adolf Blancbois
Order of battle
- Kampfgruppe HQ
- Element Suleika - 560th SS Tank Destroyer Battalion (SS-Sturmbannführer Wöst)
- 3 x companies of Hetzer panzerjägers
- company of Sturmgeschütze
- company from 600th SS Parachute Battalion
- Element Harem - Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung Speer
- Motorcycle company
- Sd.Kfz. 231company
- Anti-Tankplatoon
- Element Sultan - Marschregiment 2
- 3 x Schutzen-Kompanie
References
- ISBN 978-0-9655683-1-9.
- ISBN 978-1-61200-907-0.
- ISBN 978-1-906033-12-5.