ϟϟ-Panzergrenadier-Division „Wiking“ pulled back from Caucasus

Combat fatigue Waffen-SS Volunteer

SS Grenadiers in foxholes as the mercury plunged to -30C

The encirclement of the 6.Armee at Stalingrad meant that the Caucasus was relegated to a secondary theatre, and when the attempt to relieve Stalingrad failed in the face of further Soviet advances, the entire Caucasian position itself began to come under threat. It was not possible to rule out a second, even greater catastrophe after the loss of the 6.Armee at Stalingrad. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking was ordered to fall back to bolster the retreating 4.Panzer-Armee. On December 30 1942 part of Wiking's SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment Westland was brought to Zimovniki area by train in order to organize a defensive line. The SS-Panzergrenadiers caused the Soviet mass attacks, which took place two to three times daily, to collapse directly in front of the main battle line. The thermometer showed minus 30 °C on New Year's Eve 1943. The Westland held Zimovniki for seven days, fully aware that surrender to the Soviet Red Army meant summary execution at best and brutal interrogation and torture to death at worst. In a series of strongpoints the Wiking battlegroups operated near the far southern flank of 4.Panzer-Armee. Top clip: Die Deutsche Wochenschau. Fair use. Bottom image: Waffen-SS Grenadiers waiting in their foxholes for the onslaught. The photo was taken on January 16 1943 during the Soviet winter counter-offensive. Credit: Julius Jääskeläinen. Commons: Bundesarchiv.