Hermann Goring Division units, Holland, 1945

[braveheart562002]

Hermann Goring Division..units in Holland, especially Ijmuiden, 1945.

Anyone able to fill me in on Fortress Holland 1945 OOB of HGD units..especially any refence to and details about HGD troops, and especially combat pioneers, in or around Ijmuiden?

Also..were any of the following HGD formations in NW Holland in April and May 1945 ..were any engaged, still, in coastal defence and were any of them sent, via Den Helder, to help counter the 06 April - 20 May 1945 mutiny on the Dutch island of Texel of the Wehrmacht's 822 Georgia Infanterie Battalion?

Coastal Defense - Security duties

Battle Group Schlutius - (Unknown Unit Size)

Wossowski Battalion

Cherinow Battalion

Sommer Battalion

Since 1989 I have been trying to authenticate with Stab reports or veterans' memoirs the Texel local legend that at least one platoon of HGD pioneers from Ijmuiden participated in the fierce fighting on the island and that there was, indeed, a HGD unit in the Ijmuiden area / that that unit was sent to Texel in April 1945.

Anyone with access to HGD Holland war diaries, Intelligence and ops reports, OOB details is invited to put me out of my misery.

Best

Alan

[Tom Houlihan]

Alan, I'm not 110% positive, but I believe there was at least one Ersatz Bataillon from HG in that area. Let me see if I can't figure out who/where...

[Tom Houlihan]

Defending Arnhem © 2006

The Hermann Göring (HG) Training and Replacement Regiment was stationed in Holland and had the sole responsibility to feed trained replacements to its parent division - the Hermann Göring Parachute - Panzer Division. The HG Training and Replacement Regiment received a new commander on the 26th August 1944 as the Westfront was collapsing in France - Oberst Fritz Fullriede. Already a recipient of the Knights Cross from his time as a Kampfgruppe Commander in 5th Panzer Army in Africa he had seen action in Holland, France, Russia and Africa before taking command of this Regiment in August 1944.

The HG Training and Replacement Regiment was 12000 strong in August 1944 which was the equivalent size of a division. It has 3 battalions with specific training functions, a NCO Training Company as well as a number of Combat Groups (battalion size) who were responsible for coastal security. The Regiment and its functions according to Fullriede's post war report looked like this:

HG Training and Replacement Regiment - Strength 12000 men

I Battalion (1st - 5th Companies) - Responsible for training Infantry (Grenadier).

II Battalion (6th - 11th Companies) - Responsible for training Panzer, Panzer-Grenadier, Self-Propelled Artillery & Self-Propelled Anti-Tank Guns.

III Battalion (12th - 16th Batteries) - Responsible for training Flak and Artillery, Pioneer Company

29th NCO Training Company - Responsible for training NCOs.

Coastal Defense - Security duties

Battle Group Schlutius - (Unknown Unit Size)

Wossowski Battalion

Cherinow Battalion

Sommer Battalion

With the formation of the 1st Parachute Army under Generaloberst Student, the HG Training and Replacement Regiment came under its command on the 3rd of September. Unfortunately, and with protests from Oberst Fullriede, the unit did not fight as a Regiment but in piecemeal in various parts of Southern Holland.

As early as the 10th of September, elements of the Regiment were committed against the Allied advance in Southern Holland. However it was not until the true extend of the allied Parachute landings of 'Market Garden' was understood did the Regiment have to commit some of the Coastal Defence Battalions.

On orders of the Parachute Army HQ on the 18th September 1944, the Wossowski Battalion was withdrawn from Katwijk aan Zee on the coast and committed to Arnhem to combat against the British 1st Airborne Division. The battalion numbered around 600 men and was commanded by a Flak Officer Oberleutnant Artur Wossowski. The Battalion was serious lacking in transport and would make the journey to Arnhem on Bicycle. For fear of allied air attack the battalion initially moved by night but the urgency of the situation dictated they get to Arnhem as fast as possible.

The Battalion was placed under command of Kampfgruppe von Tettau and spend the night of the 19th on the Ede - Arnhem Road preparing for the next day's events. Ammunition and Weapons were prepared for the upcoming battle. The Wossowski Battalion was ordered on the 20th to clear a section of woods near Ginkel Heath which was suspected of holding enemy pockets of resistance. However they found nothing except the aftermath of the previous days battle. The battalion remounted their bicycles and moved along the Ede - Arnhem Road to Wolfheze.

By now Field Marshall Model has ordered all units fighting the 1st Airborne Division in the pocket at Oosterbeek to come under command of the 9th SS Panzer Division. The order of the next day was to concentrate all attacks on the pocket and eliminate the resistance as quickly as possible. The Wossowski Battalion was to be fed into the line and be part of the concentrated attacks of the 21st September 1944.

H Hour was set for 0800 on the 21st September 1944 and the Wossowski Battalion moved into position. It was clear the Battalion had no clear objectives but to find, engage and eliminate the enemy. During the form up one of the companies was hit in the flank by Machine Gun fire hitting the Grenadiers on their bicycles. This triggered the attack.

The Machine Gun fire came from B Company, 1st Borders who were defending the Westerbouwing Heights, a feature that overlooked the Driel Ferry. The whole Battalion attacked with support from Panzer Company 224. The 1st Borders opened up with everything they had inflicting very heavy causalities but the Wossowski Battalion still managed to overrun the forward position and the Westerbouwing Restaurant. The Battalion managed to drive the survivors from B Coy right off the hill. The 4 Renault tanks in support advanced after the Borders heading towards the crossroads further to the East. However 3 were knocked out in quick succession by PIATs which halted the German attack.

The Company Commander of B Coy, 1st Borders rallied what was left of his troops in a counter-attack against the heights. The Germans returned with heavy fire causing further causalities. The British Company commander was wounded and captured, his company Sergeant-Major was killed as well as 2 platoon commanders. The Airborne company ceased to exist as a fighting force and the heights were still in German Hands.

However the success of the German attack also came at a high price for the Wossowski Battalion. By the end of the day, the Battalion commander (Wossowski) and all bar one of the company commanders were killed. Half of the battalion was either killed, wounded or captured.

Howzat??

[dgfred]

Thanks for the info Tom .

[braveheart562002]

Boots and Saddles and thanks a lot for the information. If we have any specialists on board who can delve further into the individual unit histories / who can access the HGD OOB for 01 Jan 45 - 20 May 45 and track these units' movements in the first 5 months of 1945 I will be happy man. Reciprocal help assured at all times.

Al:->

[Dallas]

Great info, thanks.