2nd East Prussian Offensive - Jan 45

[Beejay]

Hello Eastern Front Gurus,

I am trying to identify the units involved in a specific small battle during the Second East Prussian Offensive in Jan 1945.

I have references to heavy destruction in the small town of Gilgenburg, Osterode, Ostpreussen (modern Gmina Dobrowno, Poland). Google map ref: http://g.co/maps/wxuuw

Gilgenburg was in the pathway of the 2nd Belorussian Front as it attacked northwards towards Elbing - this attack ultimately lead to the large parts of German 2nd Army being trapped in the Heiligenbeil Pocket. An outline of the operational-level manoeuvre is shown at: http://www.onwar.com/maps/wwii/eastfron ... ssia45.htm

Gilgenburg is located southwest of Allenstein which is likely to have placed it in the direct path of the main axis of the Front advance. I have found refs to the memorial at Tannenburg (about 10km NE of Gilgenburg) being captured on 20 Jan 45. Allenstein (Olsztyn) was secured by the 3rd Guards Cavalry Corps on 21 (or 22) Jan - 3 Guards Cav may have had a flank security role between the 2nd and 3rd Belorussian Fronts. 5th Guards Tank Army (which may have been the main effort for the 2nd Belorussian Front) reached the Vistula lagoon NE of Elbing on 23-24 Jan 45. 2nd Shock Army appears to have been advancing on the left of 5th Guards Tank Army and reached the Marienburg (Malbork) area a day or so later.

My educated guess is that elements of either the 5th Guards Tank or 2nd Shock Armies advanced from the south through Gilgenburg on or about the 20-21 Jan 45. I have found little information on likely defenders except that this appears to have been within the area of responsibility of the German 2nd Army(?).

Pavel Rotmistrov's The Steel Guards may contain some useful info on this advance - but my Russian language skills are non-existant. Can anyone enlighten me on the details or participants of this relatively minor battle? Or suggest possible references?

Thanks, Brett

[John W. Howard]

Hi Brett:
Here is a link to help you get started: http://www.lexikonderwehrmacht.de/ You know the date and the names of the various German armies involved from your maps and the approximate dates concerned, so look up the Armies and find the Corps assigned to them, and look up the Corps to find the divisions assigned to them. If you have any trouble let us know. Best wishes.

[John W. Howard]

Here is a quick look at Corps assigned to the various armies involved around the 1st of January 1945:

II Armee:
XXVII AK
Generalkommando Hela
XXVIII AK
VII PzK
XVIII Gebirgsjgr. Korps
Stellvertretendes Generalkommando XX AK

IV Armee:
Lv Ak
XXXXI PzK
VI Ak
Kavellerie Korps
Fallschirmjäger PzK Hermann Göring
5th PzD
1 Fallschirmjäger PzD Hermann Göring

III Pz Armee:
XXVI AK
IX Ak
XXXX PzK
XXVIII AK

[Beejay]

John,
Thank you - Lexikon is a great site!
I have narrowed down a couple of contenders for the defence; possibly Grenadier-Regiment 530 (from 299. Infanterie-Division) or
Grenadier-Regiment 19 (from 7. Infanterie-Division). Both divsions belonged to XXIII Armeekorps at the time. It is also quite possible that an adhoc kampfgruppe was used after the collapse of the main defensive line along the Narew River.

Now I need to track down some info on the Russians. Would anyone with a copy of Rotmistrov's history of the 5th Guards Tank Army (The Steel Guards) have time to check the book for the period 18-22 Jan 45 to see if there is any reference to advancing through Gilgenburg?

Thanks again John,
Brett