Regiment.
From II Expecting enemy attack. Under running artillery bombardment. Conditions for wounded unbearable.
From II 1000 KLESSIN fortress boundaries: From crossroads at western exit SE 300m, NE 250m, N 300m, W 150m, S 150m. Please pass on to Luftwaffe.
From II 1111 To Regiment: Prepare barrage all round.
From II Is barrage ready?
To II Barrage is ready.
From II 1148 MARS, GUSTAV, ILONA, one salvo.
From II 1200 Bombardment of own positions by Russians.
From II 1203 Query: Has salvo been fired on MARS, ILONA, GUSTAV?
From II 1209 One salvo on DROSSEL.
From II 1217 Prepare barrage all round once more.
From II Enemy attack. Fire barrages on GUSTAV, TONI, RABE, MARS and keep firing.
From II Barrage on GUSTAV urgent.
From II Barrage on GUSTAV urgent. Keep on firing, and DROSSEL.
From II Enemy attack. Barrages on DROSSEL, GUSTAV and SPERBER.
From II Fire again on GUSTAV urgent. Enemy attacking!
From 7 Coy Enemy attack on KLESSIN clearly visible. Barrage on hollow!
To 7 Coy Where exactly is enemy attack? Give exact areas.
From II Fire rockets 600m further to north.
From II Fire on GUSTAV again.
From II 1247 Enemy is attacking from directions of 49.7, 56.2 and 16.8, from north and northwest.
From II Request concentrated fire on GUSTAV. One running barrage on RITTERSPORN 2.
To 7 Coy The enemy attacking KLESSIN is most urgently to be forced to ground with machine guns.
From 7 Coy Enemy attack from WUHDEN toward west swung round on KLESSIN and from the dip in front of our own Sector on KLESSIN.
To II Do you have lamps for a night supply air drop?
From II 1344 To 13 Company: 2 salvoes on MARS.
From II 1347 Situation re-established, cleared up. Casualties from enemy artillery fire expected.
To II 1350 Query: Have all attacks been beaten back?
From II 1355 Prepare for further all round fire.
To II 1419 How was the last rocket barrage?
From II 1435 To 2nd Battalion/Armoured Artillery Regiment ‘Kurmark’:
One salvo on GUSTAV immediately.
From II Query: Is the barrage ready? Command TONI 100m up, otherwise in own trenches.
To II 1448 Barrage ready.
From II 1448 …and thrown out again in a counterattack. The enemy was being driven on by commissars. Current statements from prisoners. We are expecting further enemy attacks.
Casualties not yet reviewed.
Conditions for wounded very, very bad.
Cover hardly possible. Reserves fully committed.
Urgently request fighter aircraft support.
To II What is situation?
From II 1540 Relief today urgently necessary. The enemy is occupying the eastern part of the SCHLOSS and is constantly reinforcing. Forces for a counterattack not available. Please relieve urgently.
From II Barrage all round.
From II Continual barrage all round urgent.
To 7 Coy Force the enemy now attacking southern KLESSIN to the ground with all your weapons.
From II Barrage all round urgent.
From II Where is the barrage?
To II Where is the main enemy point of attack?
From II East and south of SCHLOSS.
From II 1630 Heavy losses. We are fighting to the last man.
To II 1643 Hold on. Decision applied for.
From II One battery on GUSTAV. Own artillery firing too short.
From II To 2nd Battalion/Armoured Artillery Regiment ‘Kurmark’: one salvo on SPERBER.
From II One salvo on GUSTAV.
From II 1711 Situation difficult. We must fear the worst this evening.
From II To 2nd Battalion/Armoured Artillery Regiment ‘Kurmark’: one salvo on GUSTAV.
From II To 2nd Battalion/Armoured Artillery Regiment ‘Kurmark’: Harassing fire on SPERBER, GUSTAV and RITTERSPORN 2.
From II Where is the harassing fire on areas GUSTAV, SPERBER and RITTERSPORN 2?
To II Harassing fire being fired constantly. Report where and how strong enemy penetration.
From II Enemy has penetrated SCHLOSS and southern part of village with one company.
From II Where is the harassing fire?
To II 1754 Artillery report that they are firing constantly. What is the situation?
From II 1800 Prepare all round barrage.
To II 1805 Barrage ready.
From II Request constant harassing fire all round.
To II 1821 Own artillery doing everything possible.
From II 1825 Wounded can no longer be provided shelter in the position. Considerable collapse of trenches. We are using the last of our strength. Enemy preparing to attack.
To II Tell Lieutenant Schone of concern that all the divisional Radio codes, including the most important, be destroyed in radio station HOPP. Report immediately if code blown. Corporal Hopp is already aware.
From II 2000 Fire barrage!
From II 2001 Request last orders.
To II 2036 Is there an enemy attack?
From II No!
From II Mortar fire landing on own positions.
From II 2055 Heavy artillery harassing fire on position.
To II 2104 Decision whether KLESSIN garrison is to continue fighting has been passed by Division to Army Group.
From II 2101 To Regiment: Old command post blown up.
To II 2126 Through a direct hit or demolition?
From II Several direct hits. Burnt, then exploded.
From II One salvo on all blocking areas.
To II 2206 KLESSIN can be assured that the Regiment is doing everything possible.
The garrison’s fighting strength fell dramatically through losses in dead and wounded, and both tanks were knocked out by direct hits during the course of the day. That evening Second Lieutenant Greib of the Bicycle Platoon knocked out a Stalin tank with a Panzerfaust at point-blank range. However, the situation demanded constant artillery support, which did not stop the Soviets getting a foothold in the eastern corner of the Schloss that evening that proved of considerable tactical value to them.
Although the situation in Klessin was now desperate, both the Corps and Army commanders regarded Hitler’s orders as sacrosanct, so Colonel Langkeit apparently decided to bypass them and appeal direct to Colonel General Gotthardt Heinrici at Army Group. Meanwhile decorations and promotions were used as morale-boosters. Years later Schone was to comment that they had never lost confidence in their regimental and divisional commanders in this situation.
