German 1001 Nights Kampfgruppe
Encyclopedia
Kampfgruppe 1001 Nights was a German
Kampfgruppe
formed on the Oder
front during the final German offensive of the Second World War, taking part in the failed attack on Genschmar on 27 March 1945. During the attack, it was all but annihilated losing twenty-five of its forty-three panzerjäger
s and being reduced to fifty men. The formation is most notable for its unusual title, referring to the medieval Persian book of 1001 Nights
, a collection of tales and fables.
drive on Berlin.
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
s 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. The crewmen were some of the best-trained and most-experienced tank destroyer crews left in the Wehrmacht
. General Theodor Busse
, Ninth Army's commander, decided to form these veteran troops into a kampfgruppe which could be used as a mobile fire-brigade
to halt enemy breakthroughs.
Veteran panzer
leader Gustav-Adolf Blancbois
was placed in command. Unusually, the kampfgruppe was not named after its commander, instead receiving the peculiar title Kampfgruppe 1001 Nights. The reason for this is unknown. Soon after its formation, a motorcycle
company and several anti-tank guns, armoured cars and a depleted company of StuG III assault gun
s from the 27th SS Volunteer Division Langemarck
were added to the kampfgruppe. The kampfgruppe's strength was about 500 infantry and forty-three serviceable armoured vehicles.
The kampfgruppe was divided into three combat formations, named Suleika, Harem and Sultan.
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. The attack was repulsed, and the kampfgruppe suffered heavy losses. Despite this, many of the Hetzers were repaired, and the arrival of a company from the 600th SS Parachute Battalion rebuilt the kampfgruppe's strength.
On 16 April the battle of Seelow Heights began as the Red Army
assaulted the German defensive lines on the Oder. The kampfgruppe was sent with the 25th Panzergrenadier Division
and 111th StuG-Lehr Brigade to support the 606th Infantry Division near the town of Wriezen
. In the ensuing battle, it inflicted heavy losses on the attacking Soviet 47th Army and 9th Guards Tank Corps. After severe fighting the Germans were eventually driven back, with the kampfgruppe being reduced to only eighteen functioning armoured vehicles and fifty men.
The kampfgruppe was eventually dissolved near Müncheberg
during the withdrawal to Berlin. Its remnants were encircled and destroyed in the Halbe pocket
; few of its men survived the war. One exception was Blancbois himself, who, along with a small number of his men, escaped to the west and surrendered to the Americans
on the Elbe
.
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
formed on the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
front during the final German offensive of the Second World War, taking part in the failed attack on Genschmar on 27 March 1945. During the attack, it was all but annihilated losing twenty-five of its forty-three panzerjäger
Panzerjäger
Panzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
s and being reduced to fifty men. The formation is most notable for its unusual title, referring to the medieval Persian book of 1001 Nights
The Book of One Thousand and One Nights
One Thousand and One Nights is a collection of Middle Eastern and South Asian stories and folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age...
, a collection of tales and fables.
History
During the later parts of the war, the task of guarding the V-2 launch sites was seen as vital. To perform this task, the best and most experienced soldiers were 'gleaned' from the German panzer divisions. However, by March 1945, the V-2s were all but gone, and every available combat soldier was needed to halt the Red ArmyRed Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
drive on Berlin.
Three companies of V-2 guards arrived at the German Ninth Army
German Ninth Army
The 9th Army was a World War II field army.The 9th Army was activated on May 15, 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz in command.-1940:The 9th Army first saw service along the Siegfried Line when it was involved in the invasion of France...
HQ on the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
river in early March, 1945. Simultaneously, three companies of Hetzer
Hetzer
The Jagdpanzer 38 , later known as Hetzer , was a German light tank destroyer of the Second World War based on a modified Czechoslovakian Panzer 38 chassis. The project was inspired by the Romanian "Mareşal" tank destroyer.The name Hetzer was at the time not commonly used for this vehicle...
panzerjäger
Panzerjäger
Panzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
s from the 560th SS Tank Destroyer Battalion, which had been used for training purposes, were sent to join Army Group Vistula
Army Group Vistula
Army Group Vistula was an Army Group of the Wehrmacht, formed on January 24, 1945. It was put together from elements of Army Group A , Army Group Centre , and a variety of new or ad-hoc formations...
on the Oder front. The crewmen were some of the best-trained and most-experienced tank destroyer crews left in the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. General Theodor Busse
Theodor Busse
Ernst Hermann August Theodor Busse was a German officer during World War I and World War II.- Career :...
, Ninth Army's commander, decided to form these veteran troops into a kampfgruppe which could be used as a mobile fire-brigade
Military reserve
A military reserve, tactical reserve, or strategic reserve is a group of military personnel or units which are initially not committed to a battle by their commander so that they are available to address unforeseen situations or exploit suddenly developing...
to halt enemy breakthroughs.
Veteran panzer
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
leader Gustav-Adolf Blancbois
Gustav-Adolf Blancbois
Gustav-Adolf Blancbois was a major in the Wehrmacht in World War II. He is most noted for his exploits on the Eastern Front in 1944 and 1945. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
was placed in command. Unusually, the kampfgruppe was not named after its commander, instead receiving the peculiar title Kampfgruppe 1001 Nights. The reason for this is unknown. Soon after its formation, a motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
company and several anti-tank guns, armoured cars and a depleted company of StuG III assault gun
Assault gun
An assault gun is a gun or howitzer mounted on a motor vehicle or armored chassis, designed for use in the direct fire role in support of infantry when attacking other infantry or fortified positions....
s from the 27th SS Volunteer Division Langemarck
6th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Langemarck
The 27th SS Volunteer Division Langemarck was a German Waffen-SS volunteer division comprising volunteers of Flemish background. It saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II....
were added to the kampfgruppe. The kampfgruppe's strength was about 500 infantry and forty-three serviceable armoured vehicles.
The kampfgruppe was divided into three combat formations, named Suleika, Harem and Sultan.
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. The attack was repulsed, and the kampfgruppe suffered heavy losses. Despite this, many of the Hetzers were repaired, and the arrival of a company from the 600th SS Parachute Battalion rebuilt the kampfgruppe's strength.
On 16 April the battle of Seelow Heights began as the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
assaulted the German defensive lines on the Oder. The kampfgruppe was sent with the 25th Panzergrenadier Division
25th Panzergrenadier Division
The 25th Panzergrenadier Division fought in the central sector of the Eastern front from June 1943 to July 1944. It was destroyed in the encirclement east of Minsk and reformed in October 1944. It then fought in France between October 1944 and January 1945 and in eastern Germany January to May 1945...
and 111th StuG-Lehr Brigade to support the 606th Infantry Division near the town of Wriezen
Wriezen
Wriezen is a town in the district Märkisch-Oderland, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 11 km southeast of Bad Freienwalde....
. In the ensuing battle, it inflicted heavy losses on the attacking Soviet 47th Army and 9th Guards Tank Corps. After severe fighting the Germans were eventually driven back, with the kampfgruppe being reduced to only eighteen functioning armoured vehicles and fifty men.
The kampfgruppe was eventually dissolved near Müncheberg
Müncheberg
Müncheberg is a small town in Märkisch-Oderland, Germany approximately half-way between Berlin and the border with Poland.-Geography:Prior to 2003 the area today covered by Müncheberg was organized as the so-called "Amt Müncheberg"...
during the withdrawal to Berlin. Its remnants were encircled and destroyed in the Halbe pocket
Battle of Halbe
The Battle of Halbe lasted from April 24 - May 1, 1945 was a battle in which the German Ninth Army, under the command of Colonel General Theodor Busse was destroyed as a fighting force by the Red Army during the Battle for Berlin....
; few of its men survived the war. One exception was Blancbois himself, who, along with a small number of his men, escaped to the west and surrendered to the Americans
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
on the Elbe
Elbe
The Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It rises in the Krkonoše Mountains of the northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Bohemia , then Germany and flowing into the North Sea at Cuxhaven, 110 km northwest of Hamburg...
.
Order of battle
- Kampfgruppe HQ
- Element Suleika - 560th SS Tank Destroyer Battalion (SS-Sturmbannführer Wöst)
- 3 x companies of HetzerHetzerThe Jagdpanzer 38 , later known as Hetzer , was a German light tank destroyer of the Second World War based on a modified Czechoslovakian Panzer 38 chassis. The project was inspired by the Romanian "Mareşal" tank destroyer.The name Hetzer was at the time not commonly used for this vehicle...
panzerjägerPanzerjägerPanzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
s - company of Sturmgeschütze
- Company from 600th SS Parachute Battalion
- 3 x companies of Hetzer
- Element Harem - Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung Speer
- Motorcycle company
- SdKfz 231 company
- Anti-Tank platoon
- Element Sultan - Marschregiment 2
- 3 x Schutzen-Kompanie