In the latest Issue 184 of After the Battle, Tomasz Zgoda provides an excellent article on the two Oder bridgeheads: Schwedt and Zehden. In his description of the Zehden bridgehead he shows (pp.23-24) colour stills of StuH 42 and Stug III assault howitzers/guns and mentions that the stills came from film shot by Marine-Kreigsberichter Gerhard Garms. The film can be seen at: In the caption to the still on p.23, Tomasz mentions that the StuG IIIs came from Sturmgeschuetz-Brigade 210. The caption on p.24 mentions that this brigade was relieved by Sturm-Artillerie-Brigade 184. However, clearly visible in the film at 2.13-2.15, the commander of one of the vehicles (not sure if it is a StuH or StuG) is wearing a SS collar tab. Tomasz makes no mention of a Waffen-SS StuH or StuG unit involvement in the Zehden bridgehead so any ideas from which Waffen-SS unit the commander and vehicles might have come? Perhaps he was an individual reinforcement to one or other of the army assault gun units. In the article, he also mentions the involvement in the battle for the bridgehead of a SS-Hauptsturmfuehrer Karl Fucker. Not sure how he kept a straight face as he wrote that name! Best John
a bit necromancy, but: The StuH belonged to 4.Kp./SS-Panzer-Jäger-Abteilung 560 z.b.V., (Code name "Suleika"), part of Kampfgruppe "!001 Nacht" The unit suffered heavy losses in the Genschmar -Zehden area SS-Hauptsturmfuehrer Karl Fucker was commanding officer of SS-Fallschirm Bn 600, also attached to KG "1001 Nacht"
Thanks very much Olli. I had forgotten I had made that post! The clip of the StuH shows them manoeuvring in extremely open ground so I’m not surprised to hear that they took heavy loses. Where on earth did the name 1001 Nacht come from for a KG? Exotic. No need to answer before January 2023! Keep well.
If I find out by 2023, that would be a remarkable feat - after all, better people than me haven't been able to answer that question for decades. But I can serve with a picture of the guy with the surname so remarkable for English-speaking people:
JDKR/Olli, Any chance that a well read officer with a foreboding sense of humour came up with the "1001 Nacht" moniker? "1001 Nights" even then regarded largely as fable/fantasy, so perhaps given the situation on the ground and chance of victory, he felt it apt (and likely felt secure that 99% of the book burners wouldn't get it, or admit to getting it!) Kind regards, always, Jim.
Perhaps he who thought up the title got his nights and knights mixed up and it should have been ‘KG 1001 Ritter’.
