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At the conclusion of episode one in this series, Scotseni’s Shvet Bridge head has just begun to come under ferocious Soviet assault.

The Soviet assault on Kernigburg was between a unit of T34 tanks of the 49th Guards Tank Brigade and a company of paratroopers from the 600th SS Parachute Battalion.

The initial clash took place at the village of Bernikov, 2 km east of the town of Kernigburg.

The SS paratroopers managed to fend off the first Soviet assault, but the Soviets brought considerable pressure to bear.

The same time, a unit of Soviet Lind lease Sherman tanks with a 219th tank brigade coming from the south of the town attacked.

The Hanborg Forkdorm Battalion made up of very tough dockers managed to stop this attack.

Of the seven Shermans that broke into Kernigburg, the Hamburg battalion knocked out five using panza.

Overall, the two Soviet tank brigades lost 10 tanks between them during the day’s fighting on the 4th of February, 1945.

The Germans were badly outnumbered and illequipped to fend off two Soviet tank brigades.

The order was given to withdraw behind the Kernixburg town walls, but by 0500 on the 5th of February, the units abandoned the town, withdrawing to the trench line behind the settlement, and the Soviets captured the town and violently murdered and abused its unfortunate citizens, particularly women and girls.

The Red Army kept up the pressure, trying to push forward to seize a bridge over the order, but SS paratroopers stopped them at the town of Grav, part of the prepared defenses of the Schvet bridge head.

The SS stalked and ambushed Soviet tanks with pansousts and battled the accompanying Red Army infantry.

However, the Soviet pressure was irresistible and the order was given to retire from Grabf to the inner defense line on the east bank of the order.

At one point, some Shermans of the 219th tank brigade broke through close to the order bridges, but were pushed back, losing a tank in the process to an anti-tank gun.

Scotsani wanted the positions recaptured to push the Soviets away from the bridge head’s outer perimeter.

Fortunately, strong forces existed for such a counterattack.

The stougfour assault guns of the 210th Assault Gun Brigade supported by the 54th Parachute Panza Hunter Battalion equipped with anti-tank guns.

The 7th of February, the counterattack was aimed at Graof and consisted of the assault gun unit, the anti-tank unit, and two battalions of infantry.

The German attack steamrololled both Soviet tank brigades, pushing them out of grav.

The Germans then divided their forces into two kmph group or assault groups, each with support.

One comf grouper went southeast and recaptured the crossroads outside Kernigburg, while the second hit Hansburg, pushing the Soviet 37th mechanized brigade out of it.

Shortly after the recapture of Graov, Reich’s marshal Herman Guring drove to Schvet with his staff.

Scotsi was informed at his command post and he went back to collect Guring and his party and took them on a tour of the bridge heads defenses.

Arriving at Nida Krennic, Guring inspected knocked out Soviet tanks that were strewn about.

Guring made a point of congratulating the anti-tank gun crews and distributing presents of cigarettes and brandy which was wellreceived.

He next visited the command post of SS Famega Battalion 600 until leaving for Karanhal his estate outside Berlin when night had fallen.

Scotsani decided to enlarge the bridge head.

The 9th of February, his SS paratroopers captured the foresters lodge at the Tongaz, a nearby lake.

Fresh German reinforcements also arrived.

An alarm battalion of 767 men and also a smaller 486 strong infantry battalion.

Both of these units were incorporated into the defenses of Schvet.

The Soviets resumed their offensive on the 10th of February.

The major part of the assault fell on the 600th SS Famega Battalion along the Graov Kernigburg road.

Its number three company was reduced to only 30 men by the end of the day.

Such was the fierce fighting.

Hansberg was simultaneously assaulted by the 37th mechanized brigade supported by SU22 assault guns and fell the next day on the 11th of February.

The Soviets tried now to drive in the bridge heads flanks on the 13th of February.

The northern end, a weak Luftvafa company was pushed back, while in the south, Soviet infantries supported by 10 T34 tanks captured the hamlet of Raun.

Scotsania was also alarmed to learn that his two assault gun batteries were ordered out to other sectors of the front, which would deprive him of any tank support.

Himmler was also growing very concerned about his prize bridge head.

Scotsi was ordered to report to him at his headquarters cenamed Burkenvald in woods at Burkhine outside Prenlau 50 km north of Berlin.

After an initial angry exchange of words, Himmler cooled down and the two men had dinner together.

He secured a promise from the Reichkes Furer to send another assault gun unit as soon as possible to the bridge head.

In fact, not all parts of the assault gun brigade had left Shvet and its first battery was ordered by Himler to remain at the town.

Himmler was now on the verge of launching a large-scale country offensive in Pomerania called, like the one in Alzas he had commanded, Sonen vendor, or winter solstice.

Everything now hinged on this last roll of the dice.

a last chance to stop the Soviet drive in Berlin.

It was of vital importance to Himmler’s plan that the Schvet bridge head be held.

Tune in next time to see if Himmler’s plan was successful and if Scotseni managed to hold firm at Schvet and for how much longer.

Many thanks for watching.

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