Battle for Schlossberg 1945 and two KCs

[Petrus]

Here is the story about two knights crosses for the same battle, the battle for Schlossberg in Eastern Prussia in january 1945.

I collect the 1.ID and was very lucky to obtain these nice documents for two very brave soldiers from the division. Late 1944 the german OKW moved the East Prussian 1.ID back to Prussia to defend its home land. Many of the soldiers from the 1.ID was born and raised in Eastern Prussia and the OKW hoped that these soldiers would fight even more ferocious on their home soil.
This is the story how to brave soldiers won their Knights crosses.

The XXVI Korps (General Matzky, with 69.ID, 1.ID, 349VGD, 549VGD) which the 1.ID was subordinated defended the eastern front of East Prussia. The XXVI Korps was in its turn subordinated to the 3rd Panzer Armee (General Raus). See map.
More exactly the 1.ID (with its regiments GR1, GR43, Füs.Rgt.22, AR1, I/AR37 and subordinated the Sturmgeschutzbrigade 277 and Werfer-Regiment 82) was to defend the HKL in an area around Schlossberg, a line between east of Scharen to the east of Schatzhagen.

Neighbouring divisions was to the right (south) 349.V.G.D. and to the left (north) the 69.ID. Even though the 1.ID had recieved new soldiers in november 1944 the companies in average still counted only about 80 to 90 men. Intense defensive measures had been taken with two prepared lines of defense. The tactic was to defend the area deep with only few soldiers in the front line and batallions in the rear to be able to counter attack when (not if!) the russians broke the line of defence.

The village of Schlossberg in the middle of the divisions area was in itself a good defense ”fortress”. The divisions defence you can see in the map:

[Petrus]

To the right the II/GR 43 (Hauptmann Pfeiffer) and III/GR 43 (Hauptmann Nehring). The 1/GR 43 (Hauptmann Landwehr) as regimental reserve in Laschen.

In Schlossberg the main defense II/Füs.Rgt.22 (Hauptmann Singer). To the left I/GR1 (Major Weissenberg), III/GR1 (Major Weiss) and as regimental reserve to the rear in the area of Zweilinden the II/GR1 (Major Jöres).

As divisional reserves the I/FR22 (Hauptmann Malotka) in the area of Hainort and III/FR22 (Hauptmann Stelter) in the area of Klein Hensken. The divisions reccon batallion, Füsilier Bataillon 1 was Korps Reserve.

As can be seen in the picture of Schlossberg before the war the area of defense was very flat.

Also pictures of the commanding generals,Raus, Matzky and Schittnig (awarding the KC to Oberfeldwebel Held late 1944)

[Petrus]

Just to get the feel how the stuation was for the German defenders i post these rare photos from the estate of Oberfeldwebel Held. The exact position of these pictures are not known but most probably show the defense of Eastern Prussia.

[Petrus]

First day of battle, 13.1.1945, 07:00:
the Soviet assault began. In total the Soviet forces had gathered in total over 1100 artillery pieces against the 1.ID that smashed the german lines in a depth of 1800 meters and over the whole line of the divisions defence. The Soviet tactic was to attack to the south of Schlossberg north of Scharen with infantry, panzers and assault guns. The Soviets wanted to pierce through the german lines, turn north to Blumenfeld and then attack further to the street between Schlossberg and Hensken. In doin so the soviets hoped to trap the defenders in Schlossberg and to prevent further german reinforcements.

The attack against the lines of GR43 was stopped in about the 2nd line of defense. Now the soviets ordered their second line of attack with new rested troops. Blumenfeld was lost.

Against the attackers in Blumenfeld the 1.ID ordered a counter attack with the divisions reserves (I. and III/Füs.Rgt.22) and some Sturmgeschutz under the leadership of the regimental commander Oberst Trautmann (bild!).
The III/FR22 made good progress and managed to link up to the left with the defenders of Schlossberg (II/FR22). The I/FR22 ran into difficulties with stiff soviet defense but eventually managed to reach and take back the second line of defense. Parts of the village of Blumenthal was still in soviet hands.

In the center of Schlossberg the II/FR22 fought hard against a frontal attack by soviet forces. Foggy weather helped the attackers and the soviet troops managed to slip in the eastern part of town. The second line of defence was held and the batallions line was still intact.

The 6/FR22 made a counter attack against the soviets and took back the small railway station. The artillery observer of the 8/FR22 ordered fire on his own position as it was close to beeing overrun. The 7/FR22 with its brave CO Oberleutnant Koesling held the Brickyard against overwhelming soviet forces. (Bild!) Koesling was born in Schlossberg and so he for true defended his own city and his famillys home just a couple of hundred meter further back!

The Brickyard turned out to be of outmost defensive value for the defenders of Schlossberg. The 7/FR22 held the Brickyard as a bridgehead and defended every meter with MGs and Sturmgewehre but was by passed by soviet troops both to the left and right. This crises was managed by Hauptmann Singer who made a counter attack with the batallion reserves.

To the north the GR1 was also involved in heavy defensive battles. Both batallions did several successfull counter attacks and managed as well to hold their second line of defense.
After the first day of the battle the Germans held their second line of defense against a overwhelming soviet forces who had suffered big losses, for example the Soviets lost 25 tanks and assault guns.

The defense had its cost on the Germans as they did not possess the reserves and manpower as the soviets. That would make the second day of the battle all the more difficult for the Germans defenders.

Photos of Hauptmann Singer and Oberleutnant Koesling and a scan of a doc for wound badge in Füsilier Fritz Ivens of 6/FR22. Ivens was wounded on the first day of the battle for Schlossberg, maybe even in the counter attack made by his company against the smaller railway station to the east of Schlossberg.

[Petrus]

The first Knights cross for the battle of Schlossberg/Blumenthal:

On the 13.1.45 at 18:00 the divisional reserve I/FR22 and III/FR22 made a coordinated attack against the Soviets in Blumenthal south of Schlossberg. The goal with the attack was to take back Blumenthal and restore the second line of defense as well as to restore connection to the II/FR22 fighting in the center of Schlossberg. The III/FR22 came forward well and connected to the II/FR22 at Ebenroder strasse in Schlossberg were the Stab of the II/22 was placed. (se picture)

Due to the fog and the battle confusion the CO of I/FR22 had its companies attack under compass directions. Two assault guns follow but are practically blind. The soviets defend themselfs in the ruins of Blumenthal and have even brought in artillery pieces for defense against German armour.

The 3/FR22 wins in counter attack and close combat the second line of defense north west of Blumenthal. The 2/FR22 is lost in battle confusion and fog and passes Blumenthal to the west. The company CO turns his company and attacks frontal with great losses of life. A second attempt also fails with losses of life.

Now comes the time for the CO of the 1/FR22, the 20 year old Leutnant Waldemar Demand. At 18:00 Leutnant Demand attacks with his company frontally against Blumenthal. The attack is a big success, they break trough the soviet lines in fierce close combat and establish themself in the city center. After further attack Leutnant Demand is as well able to restore the second line of defense to the east of Blumenthal.
For this action and for the further defense of Blumenthal later that night Leutnant Waldemar Demand recieves the Knights cross.

Picture of Ebenroder strasse before the war (stab II/FR22) and pictures of Demand and his KC VB.

[Petrus]

Second day of the battle, 14.1.1945:
The soviets brought in two new divisions (221 and 124 S.D.) in the south and central part of Schlossberg and the fighting around Blumenthal intensified. The I/FR22 did several counter attacks and was able to hold the second line. Also could GR43 hold the lines south of Blumenthal with the help of a counter attack with Assault guns against the soviet 124 I.D. its soldiers fled the battle. The CO of III/GR43 Hauptmann Nehring was killed in action during these hard defensive battles.

Inside Schlossberg the II/FR22 had lost over 100 men killed or wounded diring the first 24 hours of battle. Even worse was it for the GR43 which had taken the biggest brunt of the fighting so far. The main focus for the Soviets was now the city center of Schlossberg.

The second knights cross for the battle of Schlossberg:

04:00 the soviets attacked again, this time without artillery. The 7/FR22, only 30 men strong, defended itself heroic in the Brickyard but had to retreat after a couple of hours of fierce fighting. At 10:00 the soviets attacked again in force against the front sector of Schlossberg. Hauptmann Singer did a counter attack with all available soldiers, even clercs and cooks, and took back the Brickyard which was reoccupied by 7/FR22 under Oberleutnant Koesling.

After a short while the 7/22 is surrounded by the Soviets once again and Oblt Koesling has to retreat to the village school, the Oberschule (Friedrich Wilhelm School) (see pictures) where the company again is surrounded. Now the company has only 16 men fighting. One of these soldiers has his home just hundreds of meters away. As has Oblt Koesling who now defends his old school building!

Believe it or not but now Oblt Koesling, after five years of war, finds himself defending his childhood school. His own words:

”In the tower there were still a flag hanging. The school building itself was damaged but not beyond possibility of repair. I even went in the room of the old Headmaster, something that would have been impossible back in the days. My school so damaged and now i was going to fight and maybe die there. I positioned my men in the cellar where we could defend ourselfs well with our Sturmgewehre against the Soviets that kept on coming over the school yard.

In our back though, in the Bohlandsstrasse, (see bild) the soviets had managed to infiltrate and was sitting strong. That ment we were surrounded once again and this time it looked impossible to get out alive. We sat in a trap!
During the afternoon we could suddenly hear german machine gun fire west of the school. We realised that it was a German shock trupp (Stosstrupp) coming to free us. The Stosstrupp managed to clear some of the houses in the Bohlandstrasse and one man came running over the street to the school. I saw that it is one of my platoon commanders, Oberfeldwebel Thiel! It is my own men from my own company that on their own initiative want to get us out.

I stood waving and shouting to Oberfeldwebel Thiel in the door to the teachers room….then when he is just 5 meters away from me he is hit by a burst of fire from a soviet machine gun and killed outright.

Its impossible to come over the school yard due to the soviets sitting in positions and i must back in protection of the building.
I decide to retreat to the upper floors of the school and defend us to the last bullet. The school started soon to burn and we could now also hear the sound of tanks. I believed this was it.

It turned out that it was our own troops doing a counter attack with three assault guns to free us in the school and another troop trapped in the small railway station. We were able to climb on the assault guns with our wounded and retreat to the west of Schlossberg and the new HKL.
During this trip there were soviet tropps all over but they were to drunk and to occupied with looting that they left us alone. We thanked our CO of the II/FR22, Hauptmann Singer, for saving us.”

For this selfless heroic act, and for his part in the defence of the Brickyard, Oberfeldwebel Franz Thiel recieved a posthumous knights cross. Oberleutnant Koesling and Hauptmann Singer (no proof in Bundesarchive) recieved the Ehrenblattspange.

[Ludwig]

Great work, and very interesting indeed! That’s what makes collecting come alive, to know the background behind an achivement and a decoration. Without this background an EK or a RK is just ”Lametta”, IMO.
That’s also why I find documents more interesting than the decoration itself!

[kevin john]

Hi i love to read the accounts of actual battles very interesting Kevin.

[Petrus]

Thanks for reading! This story is actually the reason why i started collect the 1.ID. The thought of defending your homeland against overwhelming odds.
For me collecting is to find out more about what happened, therefore i try only to buy pieces with some kind of provinence. Many years ago the Thiel VB was for sale at Weitzes. I was to slow and it was sold. Tried to locate the buyer but no luck. Then suddenly the Thiel VB, after more then 15 years of waiting, was for sale at an auction. Very happy to have two VBs for the same battle.

Thiel was kia in Schlossberg and Demand were kia just two months later in the battle for Königsberg. Demand never recieved his Knights cross as it was approved one month after his death. They both have their final rest in the east. Info from "Gräbersuche online":

Waldemar Demand
Waldemar Demand ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte in Kaliningrad - Sammelfriedhof.
Endgrablage: Block 14 Reihe 1 Grab 1 - 1245
Name und die persönlichen Daten von Waldemar Demand sind auch im Gedenkbuch der Kriegsgräberstätte verzeichnet. Sie können gern einen Auszug bei uns bestellen.

Details zur Person:
Nachname: Demand Vorname: Waldemar Dienstgrad: Leutnant Geburtsdatum: 09.03.1924 Geburtsort: Hagenau Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 21.02.1945 Todes-/Vermisstenort: Raum Königsberg/Ostpr.

Franz Thiel
Franz Thiel ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte in Cernjachovsk.
Endgrablage: Block 1 Reihe 13 Grab 968
Name und die persönlichen Daten von Franz Thiel sind auch im Gedenkbuch der Kriegsgräberstätte verzeichnet. Sie können gern einen Auszug bei uns bestellen.

Details zur Person:
Nachname: Thiel Vorname: Franz Dienstgrad: Oberfeldwebel Geburtsdatum: 30.01.1908 Geburtsort: Ludwigsthal Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 14.01.1945 Todes-/Vermisstenort: Schlossberg

[InfanterieSammler]

Thanks for reading! This story is actually the reason why i started collect the 1.ID. The thought of defending your homeland against overwhelming odds.
For me collecting is to find out more about what happened, therefore i try only to buy pieces with some kind of provinence. Many years ago the Thiel VB was for sale at Weitzes. I was to slow and it was sold. Tried to locate the buyer but no luck. Then suddenly the Thiel VB, after more then 15 years of waiting, was for sale at an auction. Very happy to have two VBs for the same battle.

Petrus,

I really like this point - the story behind the items is what makes them interesting and historically important. Thank you for posting.

Isn't it funny how patience eventually pays off

Take Care,
John

[Lionel H.]

I was in touch with a very good Friend of Waldemar Demand, a german Cross in Gold bearer... Let me search through my doc...

I sale one Year ago a nice group from the 1.I.D. (1./G.R.1) with the "Grabenausweis", you probably know what I mean....

And I must have some original Photos from the Schlossberg battle....

I will follow that up and come back to your interesting Thread with this Stuff :-)

[enorepap]

Hallo Petrus

Great thread

Continue to keep the memory of these heroic deeds

Best regards

[Petrus]

Petrus,

I really like this point - the story behind the items is what makes them interesting and historically important. Thank you for posting.

Isn't it funny how patience eventually pays off

Take Care,
John

Thanks John, you and i have the same view on collecting. Its the story behind and the digging for info that makes it so interesting
Best
Petrus

[Petrus]

I was in touch with a very good Friend of Waldemar Demand, a german Cross in Gold bearer... Let me search through my doc...

I sale one Year ago a nice group from the 1.I.D. (1./G.R.1) with the "Grabenausweis", you probably know what I mean....

And I must have some original Photos from the Schlossberg battle....

I will follow that up and come back to your interesting Thread with this Stuff :-)

Hi Lionel, that sounds really interesting! All info on the Schlossberg battle and these brave men are of course of big value for me

Thanks in advance
Petrus

[Petrus]

And to add some more details. Enclosed is a picture of Oberst Trautmann, CO of FR22 during the battle. He also recieved the KC for Schlossberg.
And a wound badge document in silver with his signature.