SS Troops in modern day Czech Republic

[Military]

Does anyone know if the SS Troops did fight in the area of lower Bavaria or on today's modern day Czech Republic?

Some fighting documented locations would be great.


Thanks guys.

[Military]

could someone help please ...

[Napalm]

A lot surrendered in that part of the world...

[Military]

could you be a bit more specific as the Czech republic is a large country that covers a large area...

or perhaps areas of heavy fighting?

[stoneagegixer]

Does anyone know if the SS Troops did fight in the area of lower Bavaria or on today's modern day Czech Republic?

Some fighting documented locations would be great.


Thanks guys.

This is perhaps the last battle of the war as well as in the Czech Republic. Notice the date too.

The Battle of Slivice (named after village Slivice) was the last large World War II battle in the area of Czech lands. During May 11/12 1945 German troops (frantically trying to surrender to the nearby Americans) defended themselves against the partisans and the Soviet Army. The Germans eventually capitulated during early hours of May 12. About 6000 men were captured by the Soviet troops.
On May 7, 1945 all German forces were ordered to surrender staying in their positions. Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner, the commander of the Army Group Centre deployed in Bohemia, however, ordered his units to force their way westwards and to surrender to American forces which reached the agreed demarcation line in the western Bohemia and stopped there. Since the Soviet Army was still days away from the demarcation line only the partisans had tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to stop the Germans who responded with reprisals against the local population. On several occasions Vlasov's army units (also trying to reach the Americans) skirmished with the Germans.
On May 9 1945 a large formation of German troops reached the area between villages Milín, Slivice (now administrative part of Milín) and Čimelice, near the demarcation line. Among them were parts of the Kampfgruppe Wallenstein <SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-0>[1]</SUP> and the infantry regiment Der Führer (SS Division Das Reich); the formation was commanded by SS-Gruppenführer and General-Lieutnant of the Waffen-SS Karl Friedrich von Pückler-Burghauss. The soldiers were accompanied by fleeing German civilians and administrators. Because the road toward the Americans was blocked by the local resistence von Pückler-Burghauss ordered to establish defensive lines here. Since May 9 the Americans closed the line and returned any surrendering soldiers to the Soviet side.
On May 11 partisan groups led by Soviet officer Yevgeniy Antonovich Olesenski <SUP class=reference id=cite_ref-1>[2]</SUP> attempted to storm the Germans and were decimated. In the afternoon of this day, finally, the Soviet army units arrived and attacked the Germans.
The attack started with artillery and rocket bombardment. The Soviet bombardment was supported by 4th tank division of the XII Corps (U.S. Third Army). Later, troops from 1st, 2nd and 4th Ukrainian Front attacked German positions. During the night the defense collapsed and around 3AM General von Pückler-Burghauss signed the capitulation. The American negotiators refused to take the General and his family; fearing revenge from the Russians he shot his wife, daughter and his deputy and then himself. About 6000 soldiers and large number of vehicles were captured.
In 1970 a memorial to the battle, designed by Václav Hilský, was unveiled in Slivice. Since 2001 Czech military history clubs, the Museum in Příbram and the Army of the Czech Republic organize reenactments of the battle here.


My grandmother told me that fighting was still ongoing well into the summer. As late as end of August she remembers fighting occuring in the forests (individual groups trying to make it to Germany)
If you're looking into large scale battles near Germany, nothing really happened because the Americans partially split Czech Rep, and the germans tried to make it over to their lines. Once the Germans got there, they surrendered so no large scale battles occured near the border.
A little off topic, growing we were always taught that Prague was liberated by the Russians, but in reality it was "liberted" by Vlasov's Army who thought they could escape punishment by turning on the Germans in the end. Vlasov's troops fought it out with the SS in and around the city. When the Russians neared, they tried to escape to the Americans but were turned over to the reds. Most of the prague garrison and administrative staff surrendered near the town of Rokycany, west of Prague....
Hopefully this might give you some info.

Lubos

[walkuren]

Very nice information.

I was a few weeks ago in Cesky Krumlov in the lower Bavaria,Czech Republic.
That was very nice because the germans took it in 1938 and de americans
liberated it in 1945.So I had a tour in the midevil city and the guide gives a
lot of nice info about the war.You could even see the execution place of the
germans and later the americans also used it.

So if you ever go to the lower Bavaria in Czech Republic,let me know and i can give you some nice tips where to go and where to look.


Cheers Ty

[stoneagegixer]

Very nice information.

I was a few weeks ago in Cesky Krumlov in the lower Bavaria,Czech Republic.
That was very nice because the germans took it in 1938 and de americans
liberated it in 1945.So I had a tour in the midevil city and the guide gives a
lot of nice info about the war.You could even see the execution place of the
germans and later the americans also used it.

So if you ever go to the lower Bavaria in Czech Republic,let me know and i can give you some nice tips where to go and where to look.


Cheers Ty

Thanks Ty,
I'll give you a shout. We might be visiting relatives next year in Czech so I hope to be doing a lot of touring and digging. Better keep that quiet from my wife.
BTW Cesky Krumlov is only about 35 km from my birthplace...

Lubos

[walkuren]

let me know

Hi Lubos ,


Let me know when you go and i can send you some maps and other info about that area.I also have info and maps from Vissie brod,lipno,kaplice and some others.These are the tourist maps so you only see some nice things.

Hear you when you are ready for it

Cheers Ty

[Military]

very interesting.

I'd like to hear from others perhaps any other locations that battles might have taken place in czech?

Ive been to Cesky Kumalov...love the castle and its surroundings. I will also remember the antique shop selling all the german medals.

[walkuren]

Hi military ,

I also saw some antigue shops but the prices where very high.And i think that every buckle that they had there was a fake for sure.The famous Czech fakes.I was in a shop and the i saw 10-15 ss buckles.Officier and nco.When i picked one up to look the seller rushes to me but it was to late for him.I already saw the price label marked with "made in Czech".He try's to tell a other story but i had him.

Did you also see the bears?
Nice place Cesky Krumlov

Cheers Ty

[Military]

didnt see the bears at all...

[candy]

Hi,
My wife is from Czech hence I spend quite some time in Czech and am also interested in the end of WW2 in the Czech area.
Generally spoken there were not a lot of battles in today’s Czech, rather in today’s Slovakia and especially Hungary/Austria. When you look at a map where German troops surrendered on May 9th you see that most of today’s Czech Republic was still in German hands (despite fights with partisans, of course). There was also a german corridor down to Austria, about east of Linz and west of Vienna (St. Pölten), and large parts of southern Austria (Kärnten, Steiermark, Burgenland) and today’s Slovenia, as well as part of Tirol and northern Italy. There were also not a lot of SS Troops involved in Czech with some exceptions, for example the regiment “Der Führer” in and close to Prague in May 1945.

[candy]

Going back in time to the beginning of the year 1945, the 1st Ukrainian Front and the 4th Ukrainian Front were fighting in Schlesien and through today’s southern Poland towards Berlin. Krakau (Krakow), Kattowitz (Kattowice) and Gleiwitz (Gliwice) were taken in January. Towards April they advanced towards Mährisch-Ostrau (Ostrava, CZ) taken 30.4. and Brünn (Brno, CZ), taken 26.4. Heavy fighting was further north (17th German army) at the “Festung Breslau” (Wroclaw, PL). Commander of Breslau was General Hermann Niehoff, from 9th March until 6th May they didn’t surrender and the 269th Infantry Division fought from house to house. Niehoff remained a prisoner of war in Russia until 1955.

In Czech the HG Mitte under Fieldmarshall Schörner was stationed. In the north was the 17th Army, further south the 1st Panzer Army and then the 8th Army. Towards Slovakia/Hungary/Vienna the 6th SS Pz Army under Sepp Dietrich. From the north the 1st Ukrainian Front advanced towards Dresden/Prag and to Königgrätz (Hradec Kralove). There was some fighting around Prag, and north of Prag near Semily (Semily), in Königgrätz (Hradec Kralove), near Podebrady (Podebrady) and near Pardubitz (Pardubice) with troops of the 17th Army. From east, the 4th Ukrainian Front and the 2nd Ukrainian front advanced through today’s Slovakia towards Mährisch-Ostrau (Ostrava), Olmütz (Olomouc) and Brünn (Brno). One must know that between Slovakia and Czech lies the mountains of Beskydy, thus the terrain was not very advantageous for the Russians, so they tried to enter Czech through Mährisch-Ostrau (Ostrava). The demarcation line between the US troops and the Russian troops was from Chemnitz to Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary) to Pilsen (Plzen) to Budweis (Ceske Budejowice). Most of the fighting was in Mährisch-Ostrau (Ostrava), Brünn (Brno), Prerau (Prerov) and Olmütz (Olomouc). On the German side the Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Brandenburg” (under the Fallschirm-Pz-Korps “Hermann Göring”) was moved to Olmütz (Olomouc), together with the 401st Jäger-Division. The 16th Panzer-Division was also moved into the Area of Brünn (Brno), but had to move back to Mährisch-Ostrau (Ostrava). Troppau (Opava) was occupied in April against the 17th Panzer-Division together with the 16th Panzer-Division.

In April, the fighting in the area of Troppau (Opava) continued against the 1st Ski-Jäger-Division and the 17th Panzer-Division. Further the 4th Gebirgs-Division was fighting in this area as well. The 3rd Gebirgs-Division was stationed at Skotschau (Skoczow), between Teschen (Cesky Tesin) and Bielitz (Bielsko-Biala), about 10 km east of Mährisch-Ostrau (Ostrava). In late April due to the fight around Brünn (Brno) the 3rd Gebirgs-Division had to fight their way backwards to the West. They fought their way through Misteck (Frydek-Mistek), Freiberg (Pribor), Neu-Titschein (Novy Jicin), Mährisch-Weisskirchen (Hranice) to Olmütz (Olomouc). I know that area pretty well.

South of Olmütz (Olomouc) the 8th Panzer-Division and the 16th Panzer-Division had heavy tank fights. The last large tank battle of the 1st Panzer-Armee took place near Austerlitz (Slavkov u Brna), a historical place where Napoleon had his greatest victory back in 1805.
Even though the Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Feldherrnhalle” was moved to help, the germans couldn’t resist against the Russian much longer and Brünn (Brno) was lost. Only little later Mährisch-Ostrau (Ostrava) was lost as well. Most of the troops tried to reach the demarcation line to surrender to the Americans, only few of them managed it.

Everywhere in Czech the partisans started their fight, also in Prag. At that time (late April) part of the 2nd SS Division Das Reich was moved into Czech. The Regiment “Der Führer” was dispatched to Prag (among other smaller SS Troops, such as an Ersatzbatallion of the “Deutschland” Regiment) during the last days of WW2 and managed to help some germans to escape. There was some fights, against the Czech partisans but as well against some parts of the Wlassow-Army.
Most of the SS Troops however fought in Hungary/Slovakia and around Vienna against the 3rd Ukrainian and the 2nd Ukrainian Front. Large battles took place in Budapest, Plattensee (Balaton), along the river Raab towards Austria at the Neusiedlersee, Pressburg (Bratislava) and finally Vienna.

In this battles the following German Waffen-SS Troops were involved within the Heeresgruppe Süd: 13th SS Gebirgs-Division “Handschar” (Croatian No1), 16th SS Panzer-Grenadier-Division “Reichsführer SS”, the 6th Army with the IV. SS Panzer Korps containing the two Divisions 5th SS Panzer-Division “Wiking” and 14th SS Grenadier-Division (Ukrainian No1). Further the famous 6th SS Panzer Armee under Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich. The best Waffen-SS Divisions were fighting in this army, the 1st SS Panzer-Division “Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler”, the 2nd SS Panzer-Division “Das Reich” (including the Regiment “Der Führer”), the 9th SS Panzer-Division “Hohenstaufen” and the 12th SS Panzer-Division “Hitlerjugend”, famous for their fighting in the Normandy. It was the Elite.
They fought their way back to Vienna, where the 9ths SS Panzer-Division “Hohenstaufen”, the 3rd SS Panzer-Division “Totenkopf” and the 2nd SS Panzer-Division “Das Reich” desperately tried to save Vienna. The battle of Vienna was lost on the 13th April.

The remainders of the once famous Waffen SS Divisions tried to escape to the West, and because Stalin’s focus was on Berlin there were no more large operations in Austria from the Russian army. Some SS Troops were dispatched to the Heeresgruppe Mitte, mostly “Das Reich”, and thus transported to Czech and further on to Dresden. However most of the SS Divisions surrendered in Austria/South Bavaria to US Troops:

The 1st SS Panzer-Division “Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler” fought in Vienna Neustadt and St. Pölten, Austria. They surrendered in the Steyr area to the Americans.

The 2nd SS Panzer- Division “Das Reich” also withdrew to St. Pölten, where parts of it were moved to Czech and on to Dresden. They managed to surrender to the Americans as well. Part of the “Deutschland” Regiment however was stationed east of Prague, near today’s Airport Ruzyne. They tried to reach American lines as well and whilst most of them were killed by Russians or partisans, a few managed to reach the American lines at Pilsen (Plzen). The Regiment “Der Führer” was dispatched to Prague at the same time. It turned out to be a rescue mission and they have saved several hundred German, mostly women and children. They lead a convoy of 1000 vehicles out of Prague towards Pilsen, and about 15 km east of Pilsen they surrendered to the 2nd US Infantry Division, near the town of Rokycany. The convoy was led by Otto Weidinger, the commander of the Regiment “Der Führer”.
Rokycany is just 15-20 km west of Slivice, yet I’m not sure about the accuracy of the article in Wikipedia posted by Stoneagegixer. In his book “SS-Das Reich” Gregory L. Mattson did not mention Slivice or any fierce fighting at all. Instead he writes that the Regiment “Der Führer” surrendered in (or near) the town of Rokycany. But as the two towns are pretty close together it may well be the same event, yet the fierce fighting with combined US and Russian troops as well as partisans was nowhere else confirmed to my knowledge. I have to stop there one day to visit the Museum. For sure this was not the biggest battle in Czech, they occurred earlier much further to the east, as described above in the area of Mährisch-Ostrau (Ostrava), Olmütz (Olomouc) and Brünn (Brno), in Moravia.

The 3rd SS Panzer-Division “Totenkopf” retreated to the north-east of Vienna and surrendered to the Americans. They were handed over to the Russians and only a few of them survived the years of imprisonment in Russia.

The 5th SS Panzer-Division “Wiking”was fighting in Hungary as well, mainly at Stuhlweissenburg, west of Budapest. They executed a fighting withdrawal through Slovakia and Czech and surrendered to the Americans on May 13th near Passau in Bavaria.

The 9th SS Panzer-Division “Hohenstaufen” surrendered near Amstetten in Austria to the US-troops.

The 12th SS Panzer-Division “Hitlerjugend” managed to retreat to the demarcation line near Enns, south-east of Linz, Austria, and surrendered to the Americans. 450 men and 1 tank were left, from one of the best Divisions of the Waffen-SS.


A good article about the liberation of Western Czech through the US Army can be found here:
http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com...ation1945.aspx


The above is by no means complete, but it gives a bit more details about the fights in today's Czech, Slovakia and Hungary.

marco

[Military]

Marco, many thanks for the PM and for the information above.
Its very detailed. Ive sent you a PM back.

Many thanks,
Mil

[John T]

This is perhaps the last battle of the war as well as in the Czech Republic. Notice the date too.

The Battle of Slivice (named after village Slivice) was the last large World War II battle in the area of Czech lands. During May 11/12 1945 German troops (frantically trying to surrender to the nearby Americans) defended themselves against the partisans and the Soviet Army. The Germans eventually capitulated during early hours of May 12. About 6000 men were captured by the Soviet troops.
On May 7, 1945 all German forces were ordered to surrender staying in their positions. Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner, the commander of the Army Group Centre deployed in Bohemia, however, ordered his units to force their way westwards and to surrender to American forces which reached the agreed demarcation line in the western Bohemia and stopped there. Since the Soviet Army was still days away from the demarcation line only the partisans had tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to stop the Germans who responded with reprisals against the local population. On several occasions Vlasov's army units (also trying to reach the Americans) skirmished with the Germans.
On May 9 1945 a large formation of German troops reached the area between villages Milín, Slivice (now administrative part of Milín) and Čimelice, near the demarcation line. Among them were parts of the Kampfgruppe Wallenstein <SUP id=cite_ref-0 class=reference>[1]</SUP> and the infantry regiment Der Führer (SS Division Das Reich); the formation was commanded by SS-Gruppenführer and General-Lieutnant of the Waffen-SS Karl Friedrich von Pückler-Burghauss. The soldiers were accompanied by fleeing German civilians and administrators. Because the road toward the Americans was blocked by the local resistence von Pückler-Burghauss ordered to establish defensive lines here. Since May 9 the Americans closed the line and returned any surrendering soldiers to the Soviet side.
On May 11 partisan groups led by Soviet officer Yevgeniy Antonovich Olesenski <SUP id=cite_ref-1 class=reference>[2]</SUP> attempted to storm the Germans and were decimated. In the afternoon of this day, finally, the Soviet army units arrived and attacked the Germans.
The attack started with artillery and rocket bombardment. The Soviet bombardment was supported by 4th tank division of the XII Corps (U.S. Third Army). Later, troops from 1st, 2nd and 4th Ukrainian Front attacked German positions. During the night the defense collapsed and around 3AM General von Pückler-Burghauss signed the capitulation. The American negotiators refused to take the General and his family; fearing revenge from the Russians he shot his wife, daughter and his deputy and then himself. About 6000 soldiers and large number of vehicles were captured.
In 1970 a memorial to the battle, designed by Václav Hilský, was unveiled in Slivice. Since 2001 Czech military history clubs, the Museum in Příbram and the Army of the Czech Republic organize reenactments of the battle here.


My grandmother told me that fighting was still ongoing well into the summer. As late as end of August she remembers fighting occuring in the forests (individual groups trying to make it to Germany)
If you're looking into large scale battles near Germany, nothing really happened because the Americans partially split Czech Rep, and the germans tried to make it over to their lines. Once the Germans got there, they surrendered so no large scale battles occured near the border.
A little off topic, growing we were always taught that Prague was liberated by the Russians, but in reality it was "liberted" by Vlasov's Army who thought they could escape punishment by turning on the Germans in the end. Vlasov's troops fought it out with the SS in and around the city. When the Russians neared, they tried to escape to the Americans but were turned over to the reds. Most of the prague garrison and administrative staff surrendered near the town of Rokycany, west of Prague....
Hopefully this might give you some info.

Lubos

Lubos:

Off topic but....

How did you get the hyperlinks in your post that all go to the same reference site?

Thanks,

John