General der Panzertruppe Hermann Breith (Kommandierender General III. Panzerkorps) in a picture taken on 27 April 1944 by Walter Frentz, during Schwerter award ceremony with Hitler at the Berghof in Obersalzberg, Bavaria. Breith formally received the Schwerter to the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes with Eichenlaub on 21 February 1944 for his outstanding leadership during the relief operation and breakout from the Cherkassy Pocket in early 1944 on the Eastern Front. In January 1944, Soviet forces had encircled approximately 60,000 German troops of Gruppe Stemmermann in the Korsun-Cherkassy area, and Breith's corps, comprising several Heer divisions and one Waffen-SS division, was tasked with the critical relief effort under extremely difficult winter conditions and against fierce Soviet resistance. Demonstrating exceptional bravery and skillful command, Breith personally intervened at the hotspots of the fighting from the foremost lines, repeatedly breaking through one enemy position after another while drawing the bulk of Soviet forces toward his advancing Korps, thereby forcing open a corridor that enabled the encircled Kampfgruppe Stemmermann to execute a successful breakout westward despite heavy losses and adverse terrain. His corps' determined advance to a point just west of the pocket not only prevented the total annihilation of the trapped units but also inflicted significant damage on the opposing Red Army formations, showcasing Breith's tactical acumen in coordinating armored assaults, infantry support, and artillery under relentless pressure, actions that were pivotal in salvaging a desperate situation for Heeresgruppe Süd and earning him the 48th award of the Swords.
Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2156427&hilit=hermann+breith#p2156427
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28682/Breith-Hermann.htm
https://www.walter-frentz-collection.de/fotoarchiv/personenarchiv-a-z/personen-a-b/#&gid=1&pid=69
No comments:
Post a Comment