5.ϟϟ-Panzerdivision „Wiking“ transferred out of Ukraine

Wikinger after the break-out from the Korsun–Cherkasy pocket

Pz.Kpfw. Panther n°823 of 5.SS-Pz.Div. Wiking

5.SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade Wallonien

After the 5.SS-Panzer-Division Wiking had escaped the Cherkassy pocket, its remaining forces were transferred out of Ukraine and assembled in Poland. On March 13 1944, the hopes of home leave after three years at the front were shattered. The entry on that date in the log read: Leave only for the Germanic volunteers and the wounded. Everything thus pointed toward commitment of the depleted division. According to the author Rupert Butler, only 632 Walloons survived out of the original 2,000 that began the siege of Korsun-Cherkassy under the command of Wiking. Their Belgian commander, SS-Hauptsturmführer Léon Degrelle returned to Brussels with the survivors to receive the largest mass welcome in Belgian history. Thousands of Belgians lined the streets and boulevards of the capital to cheer the returning volunteers of SS-Sturmbrigade Wallonien. On March 16 1944 the Soviets brought Wiking back into the battle again, although in the process of regrouping, the Wiking was sent to assist in the defence of Kovel in Eastern Poland. New weapons, above all heavy weapons, vehicles and manpower replacements had not yet arrived. SS-Gruppenführer Herbert Otto Gille led his men towards Kowel and began setting up a defensive perimeter, which was soon encircled by the Soviet Red Army. SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment Germania's transport train were fired on by the Soviets and the train halted. Germania immedeiately attacked the enemy forces in order to reopen the rail line and enable the transport to continue. In the meantime, the transport train of Westland also closed up. On March 29 1944 the 4.Panzer-Armee was pressing for speed and ordered an immediate attack with the forces available at the time. The first unit to arrive Kowel was Wiking's SS-Panzer-Regiment 5. Top image: Knight's Cross winner and Wiking veteran SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans Drexel pose in front of a captured Soviet 76.2mm ZIS-3 gun after the break-out from Korsun-Cherkassy. He had participated in the invasion of Poland and been involved in the campaign in the East since day one. Hans Drexel died aged 42 on April 12 1962 in Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg. Photo by SS-Kriegsberichter Alois Jarolim on March 9 1944. c. Bundesarchive. Middle image: Wiking Panther n°823 covers the progression of the panzergrenadiers in April 1944. c. Bundesarchive. Bottom image: Belgian SS-Hauptsturmführer Léon Degrelle with Leibstandarte SS commader Sepp Dietrich at a celebration parade held in Charleroi in Wallonia on April 1 1944 to mark the return of the Walloon volunteers after their break-out of the Soviet encirclement at Cherkassy in February of that year. Librairie Grandchamps-Fafouille. Fair use.