A small skit inspired by a beautiful diorama made by Roger Hurkmans.
It represents elements of the I/Btl. SS "Norge" inserted in the SS "Wiking" Division.
History
In March 1944, after the hard defensive fighting during Orianenbaum's retreat towards Narwa, the two battalions of the "Norge" and "Danmark" regiments of the SS "Nordland" Division, had suffered such heavy losses that they were almost ineffective. The two battalions were then reorganized and trained in Graz. Among their new commanders was SS Hauptsturmführer Fritz Vogt, designated commander of the I.Btl/SS "Norge". Despite the many volunteers of different nationalities, the number of Norwegians remained low at no more than 700 in the entire "Den Norske Legion".
During Operation Konrad, the I.Btl/SS. Pz.Gren.Rgt 23 "Norge" was included in the 5. SS. Pz.Div. Wiking, under the command of Obersturmbannführer Fritz Darges, at the head of the Armoured Regiment. These were the task of taking the city of Bicske, an important crossroads between Budapest and Vienna.
The mission immediately proved almost impossible due to the massive presence of Russians who had created a strong defensive line. Darges' unit then settled within the Hegyikastely estate, which dates back to 1840 and has been used by the Swiss embassy in Budapest as an evacuation center for its personnel since the summer of 1944.
From the beginning, the Germans found themselves surrounded by the Russians, with only one narrow corridor available for the transport of supplies, ammunition and evacuation of the wounded. The unit had 17 Panthers, 10 Pcs IV Ausf. J and 4 StuG IV. Under the command of SS Sturmbannführer Vogt, the I.Btl/Norge had a strength of about 450-500 men.
These units defended, in those first days of January 1945, the Hegyikastely estate to almost the last man, suffering numerous bombings by Soviet artillery and aviation for over a week and suffering very heavy losses. On the first day of fighting alone, the "Norge" lost 150 men; in a few days all the companies complained of the loss of 40-50% of the staff. Darges and Vogt decided, after a few days, to try to force the encirclement of the Russians with a counterattack, in the hope of being supported by other units of Wiking (the SS. Pz.Gren.Rgt 9 "Germania" and the SS. Pz.Gren.Rgt 10). The attempt failed, forcing the Germans to lock themselves inside the estate again and defend themselves from the numerous Russian attacks, which followed one another for the next few days with very hard hand-to-hand combat and deadly bombings.
After more than a week, aware that they would not come out alive, the German commanders, primarily Darges and Vogt, decided again to try to break the siege and rejoin the friendly lines.
On the night of 12 January, the few survivors managed to exfiltrate and reach the command of Wiking. The I./Btl. "Norge" now had less than 100 men.
After the battle, an SS Kriegsberichter (a war correspondent) wrote an article for "Das Schwarze Korps" entitled "Das Fort der Unbezwingbar", "The Fort of the Indomitable".
Pictures:
- photo 1: Officers from SS.Pz.Rgt. 5 (Wiking) and I/Norge posing in front of the main building at Hegyikastely (Hungary)
- photo 2: I.SS.Pz.Gren.Rgt. 23 "Norge"
- photo 3: Obersturmbannfuhrer Fritz DARGES
- photo 4: Hauptsturmfuhrer Fritz VOGT
- photo 5: Hegyikastely estate (Hungary)
It represents elements of the I/Btl. SS "Norge" inserted in the SS "Wiking" Division.
History
In March 1944, after the hard defensive fighting during Orianenbaum's retreat towards Narwa, the two battalions of the "Norge" and "Danmark" regiments of the SS "Nordland" Division, had suffered such heavy losses that they were almost ineffective. The two battalions were then reorganized and trained in Graz. Among their new commanders was SS Hauptsturmführer Fritz Vogt, designated commander of the I.Btl/SS "Norge". Despite the many volunteers of different nationalities, the number of Norwegians remained low at no more than 700 in the entire "Den Norske Legion".
During Operation Konrad, the I.Btl/SS. Pz.Gren.Rgt 23 "Norge" was included in the 5. SS. Pz.Div. Wiking, under the command of Obersturmbannführer Fritz Darges, at the head of the Armoured Regiment. These were the task of taking the city of Bicske, an important crossroads between Budapest and Vienna.
The mission immediately proved almost impossible due to the massive presence of Russians who had created a strong defensive line. Darges' unit then settled within the Hegyikastely estate, which dates back to 1840 and has been used by the Swiss embassy in Budapest as an evacuation center for its personnel since the summer of 1944.
From the beginning, the Germans found themselves surrounded by the Russians, with only one narrow corridor available for the transport of supplies, ammunition and evacuation of the wounded. The unit had 17 Panthers, 10 Pcs IV Ausf. J and 4 StuG IV. Under the command of SS Sturmbannführer Vogt, the I.Btl/Norge had a strength of about 450-500 men.
These units defended, in those first days of January 1945, the Hegyikastely estate to almost the last man, suffering numerous bombings by Soviet artillery and aviation for over a week and suffering very heavy losses. On the first day of fighting alone, the "Norge" lost 150 men; in a few days all the companies complained of the loss of 40-50% of the staff. Darges and Vogt decided, after a few days, to try to force the encirclement of the Russians with a counterattack, in the hope of being supported by other units of Wiking (the SS. Pz.Gren.Rgt 9 "Germania" and the SS. Pz.Gren.Rgt 10). The attempt failed, forcing the Germans to lock themselves inside the estate again and defend themselves from the numerous Russian attacks, which followed one another for the next few days with very hard hand-to-hand combat and deadly bombings.
After more than a week, aware that they would not come out alive, the German commanders, primarily Darges and Vogt, decided again to try to break the siege and rejoin the friendly lines.
On the night of 12 January, the few survivors managed to exfiltrate and reach the command of Wiking. The I./Btl. "Norge" now had less than 100 men.
After the battle, an SS Kriegsberichter (a war correspondent) wrote an article for "Das Schwarze Korps" entitled "Das Fort der Unbezwingbar", "The Fort of the Indomitable".
Pictures:
- photo 1: Officers from SS.Pz.Rgt. 5 (Wiking) and I/Norge posing in front of the main building at Hegyikastely (Hungary)
- photo 2: I.SS.Pz.Gren.Rgt. 23 "Norge"
- photo 3: Obersturmbannfuhrer Fritz DARGES
- photo 4: Hauptsturmfuhrer Fritz VOGT
- photo 5: Hegyikastely estate (Hungary)
