Hitler, Donitz, and the Baltic Sea (49 page)

  
36
.
 
“MOK Ost 06745,” 30 Oct. 1944, RM 7/163, 262; 9.Sich.Div., “Versorgung Sworbe,” RM 67/v. 150, 183–84. Admiral Böhmer was killed by partisans near Windau on 1 Oct.; Blanc took over as commander of the 9th Escort Division on 10 Oct.

  
37
.
 
Adm.Östl.Ostsee, “5272/44 F I,” 1 Nov. 1944, T-312/634/8262564; 1/Skl, “Winter-bevorratung Sworbe,” 3 Nov. 1944, RM 7/163, 262–63.

  
38
.
 
AOK 16, “Bevorratung Sworbe Stand 17.11.44,” T-312/640/8268841.

  
39
.
 
For example, on 20 Nov. Blanc held seven minesweepers and patrol boats, seventeen artillery barges, forty-five cutters, five motor torpedo boats, and six motor minesweepers ready for action off Sworbe; HGr Nord, KTB, 20 Nov. 1944, RH 19 III/333, 58.

  
40
.
 
HGr Nord, KTB, 30 Sept., and 7 Oct. 1944, RH 19 III/319, 259–60, RH 19 III/330, 134; MOK Ost, “Weisung für Einsatz 2. Kampfgruppe zur Unterstützung Heeresgruppe Nord,” 5 Oct. 1944, RM 7/162, 65–66; “1/Skl I Nord 31886/44,” 22 Oct. 1944, RM 7/163, 345.

  
41
.
 
Assmann,
Deutsche Seestrategie,
203–204. The 2nd Task Force supported German troops on Sworbe on 24 Oct. and again from 20 to 24 Nov. The warships
Admiral Scheer, Lützow,
and
Prinz Eugen,
as well as numerous destroyers and torpedo boats, took part in this action; Rohwer and Hümmelchen,
Chronology of the War at Sea,
2: 455, 470. The battleship
Tirpitz
had been sunk in Norway on 12 Nov. by British aircraft, and the heavy cruiser
Admiral Hipper
was not fully operational.

  
42
.
 
HGr Nord, KTB, 30 Sept., 12, and 21 Oct. 1944, RH 19 III/319, 262; RH 19 III/330, 236–37, RH 19 III/331, 80; MOK Ostsee, “Rückblick auf die wesentlichsten Ereignisse und Aufgaben im Bereich MOK Ost im Kriegsjahr 1944,” 17 Mar. 1945, RM 7/90, 425.

  
43
.
 
Rohwer, “Der Minenkrieg im Finnischen Meerbusen, Juni–August 1941,” 16–19;
Lagevorträge,
287; Salewski,
Seekriegsleitung,
1: 418–23; Rohwer, “Der Minenkrieg im Finnischen Meerbusen, September–November 1941,” 96–97.

  
44
.
 
Gr Nord, “Nr. 03546/42,” 18 Apr. 1942, RM 7/159, 163–65.

  
45
.
 
The net barrier consisted of two rows of steel netting fifty meters apart; Forstmann, “Seekrieg im Finnenbusen und der östlichen Ostsee von 1942 bis zum 8. Mai 1945,” N 539/v.15, 6.

  
46
.
 
Skl KTB, 7 and 12 Sept. 1943, 138–39, 249.

  
47
.
 
9.Sich.Div., KTB, 22 July 1944, RM 67/v.148, 200; MOK Ost, “421/44,” 25 Apr. 1944, RM 31/M 523; MOK Ostsee, “Kurzer Rückblick auf Juli 1944,” 19 Aug. 1944, RM 7/90, 327.

  
48
.
 
Skl, “Fortführung Kampfes in Süd- und Mittelfinnland,” 11 July 1944, RM 7/162, 663–64; Skl KTB, 14 July 1944, 306.

  
49
.
 
Skl KTB, 31 July 1944, 698; OKW, “Operative und taktische Fragen der Seekriegführung in östlicher Ostsee und im Nordmeer,” 14 Aug. 1944, RW 4/v.614; Skl KTB, 1–2 Aug. 1944, 2, 28–29.

  
50
.
 
At the beginning of Aug. only twelve vessels were operational, compared to thirty-seven a month earlier; 9.Sich.Div., KTB, 1 Aug. 1944, RM 67/v.149.

  
51
.
 
Skl KTB, 22 Sept. 1944, 618; Skl, “Sperrplannung Rigabusen,” 29 Sept. 1944, RM 7/162, 103.

  
52
.
 
Skl KTB, 7 Oct. 1944, 164.

  
53
.
 
Ibid., 169.

  
54
.
 
Ibid., 8 and 10 Oct. 1944, 200, 241–42.

  
55
.
 
Ibid., 13–14 Oct. 1944, 307, 333–34, 338–39; Skl, “KB-Zustand der Schiffe des Ausbildungsverbandes,” 17 Oct. 1944, RM 7/163, 6.

  
56
.
 
Skl KTB, 7, 9 and 12 Oct. 1944, 164, 224, 287.

  
57
.
 
MOK Ost, “Sicherung Nachschub Heeresgruppe Nord,” 22 Nov. 1944, RM 7/163, 199; Skl KTB, 20–23 Nov. 1944, 443, 453, 466, 486, 505–506, 524; Adm. östl. Ostsee, “Lageübersicht 1. bis 30. Nov. 1944,” 3 Dec. 1944, RM 7/163, 156.

  
58
.
 
MOK Ostsee, “Lagebetrachtung für den Monat November 1944,” 13 Dec. 1944, RM 7/90, 390–91; Adm. östl. Ostsee, “Lageübersicht 1. bis 30. Nov. 1944,” 3 Dec. 1944, RM 7/163, 157.

  
59
.
 
Skl KTB, 23 Nov. 1944, 514; Skl, “3602/44,” 26 Nov. 1944, RM 7/163, 182–83.

  
60
.
 
MOK Ostsee, “Rückblick auf die wesentlichsten Ereignisse und Aufgaben im Bereich MOK Ost im Kriegsjahr 1944,” 17 Mar. 1945, RM 7/90, 428.

  
61
.
 
Skl KTB, 12 Dec. 1944, 291–92; 1/Skl “Besprechungsniederschrift betreffend Verlust Z 35 und Z 36 vom 21.12.1944,” RM 7/163, 72–80.

  
62
.
 
Whitley,
Destroyer!
268–79.

  
63
.
 
GVK,
4: 412; Achkasov and Pavlovich,
Soviet Naval Operations,
141–42.

  
64
.
 
HGr Nord, KTB, 10 Oct. 1944, RH 19 III/330, 212, 215.

  
65
.
 
After the war Natzmer claimed that Schörner had refused to evacuate the peninsula and gave credit for saving the troops on Sworbe to Army Group North’s staff; Natzmer, “Festung Kurland,” 54.

  
66
.
 
2/Skl, “Stand der U-Boote am 1. Oktober 1944,” 6 Oct. 1944, RM 87/44, 9–10; 2/Skl, “Stand der U-Boote am 1. September 1944,” 11 Sept. 1944, RM 87/43, 6–7; 2/Skl, “Stand der U-Boote am 1. November 1944,” 7 Nov. 1944, RM 87/45, 6-7; 2/Skl, “Stand der U-Boote am 1. Dezember 1944,” 11 Dec. 1944, RM 87/46, 7–8.

  
67
.
 
Burchardi, “Operationen in der östlichen Ostsee,” N 539/v. 15, 19.

  
68
.
 
AOK 16, “Bevorratung Sworbe,” 2 Nov. 1944, T-312/641/8270436–38.

  
69
.
 
HGr Nord, KTB, 30 Sept. 1944, RH 19 III/319, 256–57, 267.

Chapter 5: Army Group Courland

    
1
.
 
Werth,
Russia at War,
760; Keegan,
Second World War,
510; Erickson,
Road to Berlin,
422.

    
2
.
 
For dates of the Courland battles, this book generally follows AOK 18, “Hauptdaten Ostfeldzug,” RH 20-18/928.

    
3
.
 
Der Ob der HGr Nord, “Nr. 150/45,” 4 Jan. 1945, T-311/134/7179641.

    
4
.
 
Skl KTB, 11 Mar. 1945, 154.

    
5
.
 
HGr Nord, KTB, 23 and 26 Nov., 22 Dec. 1944, RH 19 III/333, 136, 140, 177, RH 19 III/335, 22.

    
6
.
 
Germans casualties were as follows: in the first Courland battle, 21,292; in the second Courland battle, 13,677; in the third, 27,144; in the fourth, 13,315; in the fifth (15 Feb.–14 Mar.), 25,406; and in the sixth, 17,037—for a total of 117,871. HGr Nord, KTB, 31 Dec. 1944, RH 19 III/335, 185; “Tagesmeldung H.Gr. Kurland vom 4.2.45,” T-78/308/6259758; HGr Kurland, “Nr. 35/45,” 17 Mar. 1945, T-78/339/6295136; HGr Kurland, “Nr. 4058/45,” 6 Apr. 1945, RH 2/335, 185.

    
7
.
 
The army group suffered approximately 154,108 casualties up to 20 Apr. 1945; AOK 18, “Tägliche Verlustmeldungen v. 6.10.1944–31.12.1944,” RH 20-18/1173; AOK 16, “Tägliche Verlustmeldung Stand vom 16 Oktober 1944,” T-312/639/8267182; AOK 16, “Tägliche Verlustmeldung Stand vom 31.12.44,” T-312/639/8267096; Jung,
Ardennen-Offensive,
286, 289.

    
8
.
 
Hitlers Lagebesprechungen,
679.

    
9
.
 
General der Artillerie im OKH, “Stärkevergleich der Artillerie an der West-u. Ostfront, Stand 10.1.1945,” RH 2/331b, 69–70.

  
10
.
 
Army Group North had an average divisional sector of 8.7 kilometers, compared to Army Group A’s 24.5 km and Army Group Center’s 16.6 km; HGr A, “Gegenüberstellungen
der eigenen Kräfte bei H.Gruppe A, Mitte und Nord, Stand 29.12.1944,” RH 19 VI/33, 20.

  
11
.
 
HGr Nord, KTB, 21 Dec. 44, RH 19 III/335, 13; HGr Kurland, “Nr. 723/45,” 19 Feb. 1945, RH 2/332, 200.

  
12
.
 
OKH, “Nr. 3305/45,” 19 Mar. 1945, RH 2/333, 178; OKH, “Nr. 3554/45,” 24 Mar. 1945, ibid., 59.

  
13
.
 
Vietinghoff to Guderian, 8 Feb. 1945, Nachlass Loch, N 186/16; Haupt,
Heeresgruppe Nord,
300.

  
14
.
 
Stab Gen.Insp.d.Pz.Tr., “Reisebericht zur Heeresgruppe Kurland vom 25.2. bis 6.3.1945,” RH 10/124, 138.

  
15
.
 
HGr Nord, KTB, 16 Nov. 1944, RH 19 III/333, 4; AOK 18, KTB, 2 Jan. 1945, RH 20-18/925, 4.

  
16
.
 
HGr Nord, KTB, 13 Nov. 1944, RH 19 III/332, 168; AOK 18, “Nr. 3950/44,” T-78/487/6472590.

  
17
.
 
32.Inf.Div., “Erfahrungen aus der 2. Abwehrschlacht in Kurland,” 6 Dec. 1944, T-312/634/8262443–53; HGr Nord, “Nr. 12574/44,” 13 Dec. 1944, T-312/635/826274; OKH, “Wichtige Frontaufklärungsmeldung und Gef.-Aussagen,” 11 Jan. 1945, T-78/307/6258985; HGr Kurland, “Nr. 42/45,” 28 Mar. 1945, T-78/339/6295071; Rendulic, “Nr. 38/45,” 23 Mar. 1945, T-78/339/6295094.

  
18
.
 
Correspondence between the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR and the Presidents of the USA and the Prime Ministers of Great Britain,
1: 261, 271–72; 2: 153; Stalin,
Great Patriotic War,
130.

  
19
.
 
Harriman and Able,
Special Envoy,
435;
GVK,
4: 409, 413;
Geschichte des zweiten Weltkrieges,
10: 144, 151–52.

  
20
.
 
German intelligence reached these conclusions by mid-Jan. 1945; OKH, “Feindliche Kampfführung gegen die H.Gr. Nord,” 17 Jan. 1945, T-78/487/6471681–84.

  
21
.
 
HGr Nord, “Bandenbekämpfung,” 22 Oct. 1944, T-312/634/8262088; Natzmer, “Festung Kurland,” 54.

  
22
.
 
HGr Nord, KTB, 13 Dec. 1944, RH 19 III/334, 106; AOK 16, “Bandenlage im Bereich 16. Armee, Stand 10.1.1945,” T-312/639/8267091.

  
23
.
 
HGr Nord, KTB, 11 and 13 Dec. 1944, RH 19 III/334, 86, 106.

  
24
.
 
OKH, “Übersicht über die Bandenlage in der Zeit vom 1.2.–28.2. 1945,” 6 Mar. 1945, T-78/562/402–04. For a report of an antipartisan operation during which two Jews were discovered hiding in a bunker, Der Einsatzbeauftragte für die SS-Jägerverbände Ostland, 15 Feb. 1945, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Latvian Central State Archive Records, 1941–1945, reel 9, fond R-82, opis I, folder 47.

  
25
.
 
Biddiscombe, “‘Freies Deutschland’ Guerrilla Warfare in East Prussia,” 60 (note 24).

  
26
.
 
Weinberg,
World at Arms,
1094 (note 85).

  
27
.
 
Haupt,
Kurland: Die vergessene Heeresgruppe,
75; Lederer, “Kurland,” IfZ, 5–6; Vietinghoff to Guderian, 8 Feb. 1945, N 186/16.

  
28
.
 
TBJG,
15: 337, 456; AOK 4, “Nr. 1350/45,” 2 Feb. 1945, T-312/260/7818576; Ziemke,
Stalingrad to Berlin,
432–33.