3.ϟϟ-Panzerdivision „Totenkopf“ and Second Battle of Târgu Frumos

Panzergrenadier-Division Großdeutschland

Totenkopf Reconnaissance Battalion

Leichter Panzerspähwagen of the Totenkopf

In the Second Battle of Târgu Frumos, elements of the 3.SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf, together with elements of the elite Panzergrenadier-Division Großdeutschland and 24.Panzer-Division, managed to halt an armoured assault by the Soviet Red Army. The German-Romanian forces had successfully defended against limited attacks throughout the month of April 1944. Despite initial successes of the Soviet attack on May 2 1944, a series of counter-attacks managed to halt the Soviet offensive. The assault was carried out by approximately 500 Soviet tanks. The battle reduced Soviet tank strength to a point where a continued attack into Romania was not possible. In the three days of fighting, the Wehrmacht claimed the destruction of over 350 Soviet tanks. Despite German claims that the Soviet attack was a full-fledged offensive, it appears that the battle of Târgu Frumos was a relatively small-scale operation in the context of 1944's fighting on the Eastern Front. The battle of Târgu Frumos has been used as a case study in officer tactical education in the United States Army and other armies, teaching how a mobile defense can defeat an armoured spearhead. Credit: military historian David M. Glantz, Wikipedia inter alia. Top image: MG 42 machine gun team of the Großdeutschland. The Großdeutschland Division fought alongside the Leibstandarte SS, Das Reich and Totenkopf on the eastern front between 1941 and 1944. By April 25 1945, the division ceased to exist, having been completely destroyed in the battles around former East Prussian Pillau. Many died of starvation, disease or exhaustion in Soviet labor camps. Photo by Kriegsberichter Pfeiffer. Credit: Matthias Ruf. Commons: Bundesarchiv. Bottom images: SS-Panzergrenadiers of a Totenkopf armoured recon battalion with their Leichter Panzerspähwagen, a light four-wheel drive armoured car. These soldiers have never been positively identified. The photographs were taken before the Battles of Târgu Frumos. Source: collection of David Williams. Fair use.

4 comments:

Jesper5/3/21
What an amazing website! My wife’s grandfather was at Targu Frumos at the same time. He is still with us and turns 100 in August. Thank you for keeping history alive.
Sean Oliver17/6/23
When Totenkopf was in Romania from March, April and up through May 5, 1944 the division did not have any functioning AFVs at all, including halftracks or scout cars. They were all lost in the mud along with most of its motorized transport during the previous 2 months retreat from southern Ukraine during the raputitsa (the infamous muddy season immediately after winter snows melt, making vehicle movement almost impossible except on hard roads). They did however receive replacements and a small but welcome number of trucks/wheeled transport for their supply echelon (more important than tanks) during April and May, and only a couple very weak PzGren battalions from TK fought at Targu Frumos on foot. The Panthers for TK 'delivered' in April were not sent to the division in Romania. Since they were the first Panthers TK received, the I./SS-Pz.Rgt.3 crews required training on them, and so the tanks and crews were all sent to a Panzer training area in Germany or France, not to the front, which was typical for all Panzer units.. These Panthers certainly did not appear at the front until some time in June - July. The only armor TK might've had at Targu Frumos May 2-5 were 2-3 StuG-IIIs donated from StuG Abt 325 and possibly 2 Tigers loaned from Grossdeutschland's inventory of 10, but German archival records and sources are vague and conflicting on this. On May 2, GD had about 60 tanks total, a mix of 15 Panthers, 20 Pz IVs, ten Tigers and 20 StuG IIIs, and GDs two Inf Regts took serious casualties, and were nearly destroyed by the Red Army attack. It was 24.Pz.Div which saved the day and prevented the Soviet 2nd GTA from taking Targu Frumos. An interesting and touch-and-go battle for both sides. Just thought you'd like to know.