The History of the Galician Division of the Waffen SS: On the Eastern Front: April 1943 to July 1944 by Michael James Melnyk

Author:Michael James Melnyk [Melnyk, Michael James]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781781555286
Publisher: Fonthill Media
Published: 2017-05-16T04:00:00+00:00

Failure of the Counterattack by 1 and 8 Panzer Divisions.

At the same time, in conjunction with the attack by WGR 30, 1 Panzer Army ordered the whole of its mobile tactical reserve to strike at the Soviet spearhead. This force comprised of the veteran 1 and 8 Panzer Divisions, which the German command believed could halt the enemy breakthrough and restore contact with XIII AK.

As planned, the adept and skilful counterattack by General Major Werner Marcks’ 1 Panzer Division successfully penetrated the left flank of the 38 Army near Oliiv and temporarily drove back its leading combat formations 2–4 kms in several sectors.91

Further to the west however, only a small part of the 8 Panzer Division actually engaged the enemy in the region of Kruhiv before being forced into XIII AK’s area.92 Soviet air reconnaissance had revealed the concentration area of the approaching German armour and to counteract this threat and to prevent any further incursions into 38 Army’s flank, Marshal Konev reacted quickly and unleashed the 2 Air Army. Its commander Colonel General S. A. Krasovsky was ordered ‘to destroy the enemy tank grouping by large scale attacks from bombers and assault aircraft’.93 2 Air Army immediately delivered massed bombing and ground attacks against the panzer divisions located north and north east of Zborov. 1,848 sorties were completed during the afternoon of 15 July during which 17,200 bombs of different types were dropped and 1,700 rocket missiles and 83,000 conventional missiles were launched a total of 716 tons on the German armour concentrated in an area of only 7 square kilometres.94 As a result of this 1 Panzer Division sustained considerable losses in both tanks and personnel and was forced to disengage from the fighting to withdraw and reorganise. The brunt of the 8 Panzer Division fared far worse. The experienced commander of this Division General Major Werner Friebe, ignored his explicit instructions to advance on a carefully reconnoitred route through a wooded area and instead, to save time he moved his forces along the main road Zolochiv–Zborov road, which he had been expressly forbidden to do. Exposed to the onslaught of Soviet aircraft in transit on an open road, it suffered what were described as ‘devastating losses’.95 The attack was halted as long columns of tanks and lorries burst into flames before the remnants were forced to withdraw ending all hopes of closing the gap in the front at the first attempt.96

Following the combat on 14–15 July in the southern sector the Soviets had achieved a small but decisive breakthrough which the Front Commander Marshal Konev was determined to exploit. His strong armoured vanguards and mechanised units followed by the infantry pushed through the villages of Harbuziv, Perepelnyky, Iwaczow, Nushche and Trostianets Malyi,97 until they reached the main paved road at Pluhiv, from where they continued to energetically pursue their advance towards the town of Zolochiv.98 As they did so they formed a narrow corridor approximately 16 kms long and 6 kms wide between XIII AKs southern flank and the hastily restored defensive positions on the northern flank of XXXXVIII PzKs.

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