systematically destroyed the 300th’s troops in their path.
At about 0900 hours a Volkssturm man of 7 Company who had been captured in the previous day’s fighting appeared with a Soviet demand for the garrison to surrender by 1400 hours. This demand. signed ‘The High Command of the Red Army’, was set out in proper German and promised, should they surrender, immediate attention to the wounded and immediate release to their homes once the war was over. It was ignored and the Volkssturm man rearmed and put back into the line, only to be killed later on. The radio log continues:
From II 1545 Request immediate recce along road to here whether trenches are free of enemy. Green flares if trenches free of enemy, otherwise red.
From II 1615 From 6 and Assault Companies. Trenches reoccupied by enemy. One to one and a half companies. An energetic attack with supporting fire could still regain these trenches today. Reserves close by. After break-in, strong protection to right and left.
To II 1656 Immediate radio silence except for urgent matters.
To II Request strengths of Boge elements there.
From II 1800 To Commanding Officer 300: Strength of 2nd Battalion 300:
HQ 2/3/10, 5 Company 1/2/7, 6 Company 0/1/7, Engineers 0/0/4, Storm Company 0/0/4, 2 Company 1/4/4.
From II 1948 Request running harassing fire on SPERBER during the night.
To II 2025 Where is your strength and casualty report?
To II 2055 We are trying again. Time 2300 hours.
From II To Regiment: Fighting strength 5 officers, 56 officer cadets, 17 senior NCOs, 110 other ranks, plus 2 tank crews.
Casualties: 3 other ranks wounded, 1 officer cadet dead.
Total wounded 64.
Air supply tomorrow necessary with batteries, food, flares, Verey cartridges, machine gun ammunition and hand grenades.
The 300th launched a second attack at 2330 hours with its greatly diminished resources, but this again was stalled by Soviet artillery fire with heavy loss. Attempts at relief involving some heavy fighting resumed on the 21st, as these extracts from the radio log show:
From II 0832 To Armoured Artillery Regiment ‘Kurmark’: from Forward Observer, 2nd Battery. Possibility exists that codes have been blown. Use new codes.
From II What is the situation?
To II New countermeasures being prepared.
From II 0935 To Commanding Officer 300:
1) Enemy is digging in from direction of WUHDEN in a second trench running from the shot-up Panther to here from the direction of the main road. Thus there is a danger that this trench will eventually lead to the track and form a second continuous trench between you and us.
2) Fire direction is being tried via tank, as own set is u/s.
2) Request permission to fire upon identified heavy weapons.
The ODER is clearly visible.
From II 0946 For establishment of new fire direction it will be necessary for the command tank to drive to the firing position of the 2nd Battalion, Armoured Artillery Regiment ‘Kurmark’.
From II 1026 To 13 Company: Prepare for orders to fire.
To II 1037 Give short basis for commendation of Sergeant Hennecke.
To II 1055 Fire direction will be conducted via tank. From 1130 hours reciprocal callsign is ROTHKELCHEN.
From II 1132 To Regiment: Sergeant Hennecke has as Forward Observer in heavy fighting under the heaviest artillery fire so outstandingly conducted himself, that a considerable part of successful defence is attributable to him.
From II 1218 To Regiment: Request urgent running harassing fire on SPERBER, EMIL, DROSSEL by all available artillery resources.
To II Still no orders from Corps.
There followed recommendations for the award of the Iron Cross First Class for six officer cadets, and Second Class for a further 38 officer cadets, 26 other ranks and eight Volkssturm men, the promotion of Second Lieutenant Heinrich to lieutenant and Gunner Brandenburg to bombardier for his outstanding conduct as a radio operator under the heaviest enemy fire.
All the while Colonel Willy Langkeit, the ‘Kurmark’ divisional commander, was doing his utmost to get permission from the XIth SS Panzer Corps commander, the fanatical Nazi SS-General Matthias Kleinheisterkamp, to give permission for the garrison to break out, but so far without success.
The log continues:
From II Where is resupply?
To Commanding Officer 300: Request further harassing fire during the whole night on DROSSEL, SPERBER, GUSTAV.
Query: Where is 6 Company? Conditions for wounded bad.
From II 1910 Strength of Grenadier Regiment 300 and Engineer Regiment 309: 4/11/30, plus 1/9 wounded.
From II To Commanding Officer 300:
Some enemy barrages from heavy mortars, otherwise quiet.
From II Artillery working well. Request once more urgent artillery action during night on GUSTAV, DROSSEL and EMIL. Greetings please from 6, 7 and 8 Companies. The fire has not gone out yet.
From II 2118 To Regiment:
Fighting strength: 5 officers, 55 officer cadets, 17 senior NCOs, 107 other ranks, plus 2 tank crews.
Wounded: 1 officer cadet, 3 other ranks.
Wounded of 2nd Battalion/1242 in KLESSIN 54.
Request supply of following: flares, batteries, machine gun ammunition, Verey cartridges, replacement machine gun, food.
There was a second successful supply drop by the Luftwaffe that night with thirteen containers recovered.
The whole of 22 March Klessin lay under heavy bombardment from artillery, mortars, anti-tank guns and heavy machine gun fire. The situation had become almost untenable, as the radio log records:
From II 0500 Barrages on GUSTAV and TONI.
From II 0510 Barrages up 100m and 100m more to left.
From II To 13 Company: Once TONI fired, one barrage on MARS, where enemy forming up.
From II Order to 13 Company cancelled.
To II 0555 Has enemy broken in?
From II 0618 What is the situation on the left?
From II 0621 Russians broke in 2 Company at 0500 hours. 7 Russians in trench left behind a machine gun when thrown out again. 1 dead and 2 wounded in this. 2nd Battalion/Armoured Artillery Regiment ‘Kurmark’ fired well-laid bombardments during the night. Situation restored.
Waiting urgently for food, Verey cartridges, hand grenades and machine gun ammunition.
From II 0920 Request one salvo harassing fire on RITTERSPORN, from where sound of tanks.
From II 1003 Enemy bombardment with heavy mortars. Situation for wounded bad.
From II To 13 Company: Request harassing fire on MARS and ILONA from 11 to 1300 hours. Timing from
