Kampfgruppe Kassnitz - Grossdeutschland

[FaFn1R]

Hello my friends!
I'm not sure if I'm posting the topic in the right section. But I need help.

Someone might have documents, summaries, or notes.
Need any information about the Kampfgruppe Kassnitz -Grossdeutschland for the period November-December 1942.

Thanks in advance everyone!



P.S. This is not an empty interest. Combat logs and documents sometimes help a lot. We are conducting official archaeological excavations in those battlefields.

[hucks216]

Key:
1)Name: Usually the Kampfgruppe commander, but not always the case.
2)Parent unit of Kampfgruppe if applicable
3)Date of Formation (If Known)
4)Date of Dispersion (If Known)
5) OoB
6) TOE
7)Details of any action fought
8)Source of information


1. KG Kassnitz (Oberst Erich Kassnitz, c/o of Fus.Rgt.GD)
2. XXIII.AK
3. 26 November 1942
4. After 24 December (?)

5.
- Fus.Rgt.GD
- Kradschützen.Btl.GD
- StuG.Abt.GD
- I./Art.Rgt.GD
- 3./IV./Art.Rgt.GD
- 2./PzJäg.Abt.GD

6. 2446 men, 32 guns
7. Succesful defence at Belyi and unsuccesful counterattack at Luchesa valley during Soviet Operation Mars
8. HPS Rzhev'42 (Avanzini), Glantz: Zhukov's Greatest Defeat

(Taken from AHF: #34 - German Kampfgruppen of WW2 - Page 3 - Axis History Forum )

[hucks216]

From The History of Panzerkorps GD by Helmuth Spaeter:

'In order to assure the rapid reinforcement of the threatened front near Bely, the A.O.K.9 ordered the I.D. GD to send a battle group to the south. Included in the force was:

Fusilier Rgt. GD under Oberst Kassnitz (new Rgt. CO)
Assault Gun Btl. GD Recon. Btl. GD
3rd Battery/ Army Flak Abt. GD
2nd Company/Pz.Jäg.Abt. GD
I Btl./Art.Rgt. GD
2nd Medical Company
III Ambulance Platoon

Kampfgruppe Kassnitz, as the battle group was dubbed, left its quarters and moved by vehicle into the Bely area, where it was to be held as a mobile reserve. A large number of vehicles which were of little use in the muddy period and the winter were assembled and parked in the area northwest of Vyazma.
...
The reinforced Kampfgruppe Kassnitz, which was in readiness northeast of Bely, about 35 km south of Olenin, was expecting to see action with XXXXI Panzer Corps (General Harpe), under whose direct command it was. Reconnaissance in the northwest corner of Ninth Army's combat zone indicated that further units of the I.D. GD would most likely have to be sent there. It was already obvious that the danger existed of the division being frittered away in small groups.'

There are more details of the actions of KG Kassnitz in the above stated book from page 431 to 471.

[FaFn1R]

Thank you very much for the information!
But we also need combat records, maps, an action log. Perhaps even small notes.
Everything that can be said about the places of fighting and the dead soldiers.

[hucks216]

T 315 Rolls 2283 to 2289 at NARA are GD's War Diaries for that period and has orders, maps, interrogation reports, communication messages and so on. They are also available (except Roll 2286) on John Calvin's FTP server for free. Contact him at the email address at the link
WWII Aerial Photos and Maps

or via his profile page on AHF
Axis History Forum - Login

for any help needed to access his files.
You may well also need to access the war diaries for 9.Armee, XXXXI.Panzerkorps and 1.Panzer-Division for other details as KG Kassnitz operated under the command of those.