3rd Panzerarmee Februari 1945 OOB and account of the battle for Pomerania

HQ 3rd Panzerarmee
commander Erhard Raus

III SS panzercorps
General Karl Decker

23rd SS panzergrenadierdivision Nederland,  SS Standartenfuhrer Helmut Raithel.
27th SS panzergrenadierdivision Langemark, SS Standartenfuhrer Thomas Muller.
28th SS panzergrenadierdivision Wallonien, Brigadefuhrer Leon Degrelle.
All divisions weakened after conducting an unsuccesfull attack in Silezia.

X SS corps
Leutenant-general Guenther Krappe

163rd infantrydivision, major-general Karl Ruebel
402nd infantrydivision, leutnant-general Von Schleinitz.

Provisional corps Hoernlein
General of infantry Walther Hoernlein.

9th Parachute division, major-general Bruno Brauer.
Replacement units wehrkreis II (Stettin)

Provisional corps Von Tettau
Leutnant-general Hans von Tettau

Reserve division Baerwalde, commander unknown.
Formed from school units at Grossborn and Hammerstein training area
Reserve division Pomerania, commander unknown.
Division formed with volksgrenadier units and personell from all Wehrmacht units available.
Lacked bn commanders, AT units and signalling units.

Army control
5th jaeger division, genberal Friedrich Sixt.

Army group reserve
Panzerdivision Holstein, colonel Joachim Hesse.

Situation,

This force of 10 weakened divisions had to defend a 240 km wide front.
Every bn had to defens a 6km wide part of the front.
They  lacked vehicles, guns and tanks.
For example Raus wrote: "we had a platoon, 2 light machineguns and 1 AT and 1 artillerygun for every 2,5 km.
1 tank for every 4 km".
Opposing this army were the units of the 2nd Belorussian front with 15 riflecorps, 1 cavalry corps and 3 tankarmies with 8 mechanized corps.
Therefore Raus decided to defend in depth.
General Raus received orders to take over command from 11th SS panzerarmy.
Most of the units suffered heavy casualties in a failed attack even though Raus warned not to because of the pending Russian attack.
The Russians attacked two days after Raus took over command.
He had no opportunity to improve the defensive positions left by Steiner from 11th SS pzarmy.
Also Raus had no mobile reserve.
He reorganized 5th jaeger division ) this division had most offensive capability'and set up an in depth defense along the position the Russian spearheads would be expected.
All other units such as artillery and tanks available had to support the 5th Jaegerdivision.
In the rear area the men had created all kind of tank ditches and obstacles.
These were buit with the help of the local population, all bridges , crossroads and important positions were guarded by Volkssturmunits.
Mobile groups armed with Schrecks and panzerfaust with bikes and motorcycles could travel fast to endangered spots.
Local telephone network was manned by volunteers and acted as early warning, all lines lead to Raus HQ.

Course of the battle,

The Russians would attack in two spots, at the boundary of 2nd army and at Stargard.
From 20 to 22 february aggressive patrols were carried out , than on the 22nd these patrols stopped.
During the night reports came in the Russians broken through the lines of 33rd SS division Charlemagne and tanks were driving northwest towards Segers.
15 tanks showed up at Baldenberg 35 km to the rear of 3rd armys territory.
These were stopped at the AT barriers and knocked out by the reserve units.
The 23rd saw a new attack against Baldenberg with 40 tanks and strong infantryforces.
The garrison was overwhelmed quickley.
A counterattack by men from the Pomerania division and the panzerjeager units drove them back.
The Soviet commander tried to attack the next day and lost 16 tanks in the town but he managed to occupy most of the town and the station.
Through the gap at Stegers more and more Russian units poored into the rear of 3rd army cutting of the line with General Weiss 2nd army.
Pzdivision Holstein had to reestablish contact, however the attack failed.
This division could not be used in the defense of Stargard later.
March 1 saw a heavy Russian attack after a very heavy artillerybarrage.
After 2 days fighting 5th jeager couldnt hold the Russians anymore and Russian armor swarmed out and on march 3 they were 8km away from 3rd army HQ.
Strong infantry units followed close after the tanks and widened the gap day by day.
Neustettin was captured and Kolberg was in reach of the Russians.
Kolberg was anounced to be a fortress, a new commander colonel Fullriede took command.
He had to be briefed thoroughly, only to find the town wasnt defendable.
The city fell on march 18.

Pomerania was lost.
In the aftermath Raus had a meeting with Himmler.
Raus was very angry that the front in his sector was weakenend because troops were taken away to conduct a doomed offensive elsewhere.
The Russians took their chance immediately and attacked Pomerania.
However Himmler, not fit as frontline commander, gave Hitler the blame.



Source: Erhard Raus