ϟϟ-Panzergrenadier-Division „Wiking“ February 14 – 19 1943

SS-Panzergrenadierdivision Wiking

StuG III supporting infantry on the Eastern Front

The SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking was ordered to fall back to Ukraine south of Kharkov, recently abandoned by SS-Obergruppenführer Paul Hausser's SS-Panzerkorps, and now the scene of fierce fighting for its recapture. Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein threw the Wiking and the 11.Panzer-Division into action against the Soviet Mobile Group Popov, a powerful Soviet tank force, led by 3rd and 4th Tank Corps and supported by hundreds of ski troops. The Soviets were pushing south threatening to break through to the vital rail line. On February 14 1943 the enemy was attacked at Grischino by Wiking's SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment Germania, wich succeeded taking up defensive positions. While the Leibstandarte SS, Das Reich and Totenkopf were striking back at the Soviet spearheads south of Kharkov, on the right flank of the German front the Wiking was involved in a series of brutal skirmishes to hold back the enemy advance. Wiking had great difficulty dealing with the armour-heavy Soviet formation. The men of the division fought fanatically, suffering heavy losses, but was still able to take the offensive and defeat superior odds. Wiking's SS-Regiments were exhausted and understrength from the fighting in the Caucasus, and it's SS-Panzer Battalion lacked sufficient armour to counter the Soviet armoured force. Despite this, the division held off the Soviet assault, protecting the vital rail line and helping bring about the destruction of Soviet Mobile Group Popov. On February 19 1943, the majority of Markian Popov's force, especially its tanks, had been destroyed. Above and beyond that, the threat to the southern wing in this sector had been averted. After the recapture of Grischino volunteers of Wiking's SS-Regiment Nordland discovered around 600 corpses that been horribly mutilated and sexually assaulted in a barbaric fashion by the Soviets. Top image: a Wikinger in winter gear on the Eastern Front, date and location unclear. Bottom image: German Sturmgeschütz III assault guns. The swastika flags have been draped over the vehicles as an aid to air recognition. Credit: Régis Klimenko. c. Bundesarchiv.