FACTS ABOUT OPERATION SÜDWIND

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF OPERATION

Next day on 18th February 1945 the attack of Axis Forces continued by the employment of Battle Group Staubwasser on the right flank Tank Corps “Feldherrnhalle” which attacked the village of Bátorové Kesy. The heavy tanks of the Tank Group “Feldherrnhalle” after breaking of Soviet anti-tank position supported by tanks in the northeast from the village of Nová Vieska continued toward Hill 129 however their advance was delayed by minefields. At the same time the 1st SS Tank Division “LAH” also attacked in its operational area and by fall of a midnight advanced as far as the village of Mužla. 46th Infantry Division attacked in the eastern direction and reached the line northerly from the village of Libad. Also 211th Volks Grenadier Division continued in the attack but it had to take the defense position to stop a few Soviet counterattacks. 12th SS Tank Division had to also stop the Soviet counterattack in the force of the one infantry battalion supported by two T-34 tanks and several anti-tank guns. The German Headquarters deduced that Soviets want to build the new main defense position at the line Bruty – ¼ubá – and the north riverbank of Danube River. Considering this situation 8th German Army appointed following tasks:
• 1st SS Tank Division had to get the position behind the Soviet defense position between villages of Belá and Mužla,
• forces of 46th Infantry Division had to attack in the east direction to capture the heights in the east from the village of ¼ubá and westward from the village of Kamenín,
• 211th VGD had to hold its position in the area near the village of Bruty to wait for Soviet counterattacks.

On 19th February 1945 the situation of Soviet Forces in the south sector of the Soviet bridgehead was disastrous. At early in the morning Battle Group Staubwasser captured villages of Búè and Bátorové Kesy and cleaned up this area of the rest of Soviet forces. 44th RGD HuD was attacking toward south from the village of Gbelce as for Danube River to clean up this area from the Soviet forces. 46th Infantry Division after the successful attack carried out at early in the morning seized the heights in the southwest from the village of ¼ubá and reached Hron River. The Tank Group (Peiper) of 1st SS Tank Division “LAH” continued its attack toward the town of Štúrovo. During this attack the tank battle became between Waffen SS tank forces and Soviet tanks. At the top of the German attacking forces were advancing 7 pieces of Pz V Panther tanks which were a subject of flank attack carried out by some T-34 Soviet tanks. The terrain was sopping and mostly the German tanks moved very hardly. The one German tank was immediately destroyed but other two German tanks reached the railway station of Štúrovo where found the cover. In the railway station was destroyed the one of the two covered German tanks. The second German tank bypassed the burning German tank and from distance of 50 meters hit the T-34 Soviet tank which was destroyed. Shortly the railway station was reached by German heavy tanks Tiger B and a few Panthers tanks and destroyed another two T-34 Soviet tanks. The last Soviet T-34 tank fell back and hid behind the premises of the railway station. In this period of time the German attack had a serious strength. The heavy tank units of the Tank Group of 12th SS Tank Division together with Battle Group Hupe began to capture the town of Štúrovo supported by Battle Group established from 711th Infantry Division.

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