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The Battle of Urizk 21-22 April 1942 by Bjørn Østring |
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“Den norske Legion” (Frw. Legion Norwegen) was a small unit consisting of about 1000 Norwegian volunteers that had a strong desire to defend their neighbors in Finland against the Russian invasion as well as building up a new Norwegian army. Instead of fighting on Finnish soil, they found themselves in Leningrad as a small SS unit defending Germany; a country that had invaded Norway only two years before. The fighting tactics of the Russians, and the reality of the Eastern Front would become evident to these well trained Norwegians at the battle of Urizk where both sides suffered tremendous casualties. This is the story, as told by one of the officers that fought and survived the battle.
Already the week before the attack, we started seeing the first defectors coming across the front line. We also noticed that the enemy aimed their artillery very differently than they previously had been. Very seldom more than 2 or 3 rounds against a given target, and the rounds were fired more often and with much more precision than before.
During daytime, we also noticed significantly more activity in the open area between us and the city of Leningrad. And during the night new sounds we never heard before came out of the darkness. Of course, the sun and warmer weather could be the reason for some of this. But the number of defectors increased, and they seemed much better fed and were obviously newly sent to the front. Their main reason for defecting was obvious, - the ever present desire to survive! This was evident. An attack was eminent, and their thoughts must have been: “If I cross over, the mines will still be there and I will also be shot at. If we don’t succeed with the attack, I will also have to withdraw over the same field. Then Special Forces will be in place to assassinate the withdrawing troops and I will be shot regardless!”
And then they came, one or two at the time. They especially used the low ditches, which gave their own people a poor view of their escape across to our side. We started calling this ditch “The Defectors Ditch”. It appeared that the Russian soldiers were thinking the same way that we did, believing that only the Germans would win at the end. |
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The previous winter, with temperatures below -30C (-22F) had been terrible. The positions that we inherited from the attack unit of “Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler”, were established in a rush just after the cold weather started and after LAH was commanded out of the conquered parts of the city. An order from Der Führer said that Hitler would not take responsibility for the civilians of the city throughout the winter. The bunkers were virtually snow caves since the ground was frozen solid and was impossible to dig into. One of my units had it so low under the “ceiling” of their bunker that our biggest soldier could not turn around at night as his hip was too wide! The soot from our improvised cod oil lamps made us look like Africans, but with white skin around the eyes where the back of our hand sometimes would wipe the moisture away.
After living under these conditions, it was heavenly to get to our new positions at Urizk, with a bunker we actually could stand up in and feel safe at the same time as it had an apparently thick roof. But as the spring progressed and the snow melted, we quickly realized that it was only some boards with snow on top, and that the walls rapidly crumbled because they were made with dirt mixed with ice and snow. And further, everything that melted filled the trenches with genuine wet Russian mud. Our positions were at the top of a small hill, and thus had some drainage. But from one kilometer with wet trenches flowed a continuous stream of muddy water. The result of this was that we were wet at all times. Often when going out to our positions, we had to wade with water up to our waist, and then for 3 to 5 hours stand guard being soaking wet. And then walk back to our bunker through the same water which often had a thin layer of ice that we had to break through. To rest, we had to climb a tall bank made to keep the water out. But after a while we could not keep all the water out, and sleeping during the day had to be done only on the tallest bunk bed as well as on boards fastened to the ceiling. We never took our boots off, because our feet were blistered and swollen and we would never be able to put them back on.
Under these “drowned cat” conditions we wished the winter welcome just to “bind the water together”. Interestingly enough, nobody became sick during these weeks. But we still had many men wounded or killed. It was very tempting to run along top of the trench and stay dry. With the closest snipers only 30 meters (100 ft) away, this became the end for many of our men. |
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During mid April, the conditions got somewhat better, which enabled us to improve many of our positions while the sun started to dry everything up. The guard duties were changed and everyone – even the officers – was able to get some sleep almost every night. But as soon as an attack was eminent, we were all working every minute. And between each flare, we were like “working ants” that took cover and froze once another flare erupted above us in the sky.
For machine gun and single soldier positions, new spring enforcements were built into the current trenches, while “Spanish Riders” were moved forward to strengthen the sparse barbed wire fences. This job was extremely dangerous, as the Bolsheviks and we were working on our various projects almost shoulder to shoulder, just meters apart.
A company of Latvian volunteers helped us out during this time. Their eagerness to work was great, but their hate towards the Russians so enormous that it scared us. They were not as Norwegian individuals with independent responsibilities, but did everything as a group. Always with a leader being responsible. From this point onward, this was the way we pictured our enemy as well, and learned these nights who we should go after first when the attack eventually would come. |
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A company of Latvian volunteers helped us out during this time. Their eagerness to work was great, but their hate towards the Russians so enormous that it scared us. They were not as Norwegian individuals with independent responsibilities, but did everything as a group. Always with a leader being responsible. From this point onward, this was the way we pictured our enemy as well, and learned these nights who we should go after first when the attack eventually would come.
1st Company’s commander, Olav Lindvig from Gudbrandsdalen, was wounded by a mine. According to the troop and platoon commander’s requests, our German Company advisor, Hauptscharführer Dieter Radbruch was to take over after Lindvig. Radbruch was educated in England and was eventually recognized as “Norwegian”. To the right on the front defended by the Company (seen from the enemy) was the troop commanded by Lieutenant Ole Hjalmar Jacobsen of Vestfold. In the middle was the troop of Per Wang of Oslo, who had a theology education. My troop was on the left side, and with a small open area to 2nd Company headed by Karsten Sveen of Biri. The closest troop to me on this side was headed by Lieutenant Sophus Kahrs from Bergen.
It should be noted that the use of “Wehrmacht ranks” was another protest against being hijacked to serve as a SS unit. We continued this for a while, but it became increasingly difficult to maintain and eventually we changed to using the official SS ranks among ourselves. |
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The positions of our Company had an angular shape, where the right leg was defended by the two other troops. The terrain between them and the Russian barracks about 200 meters in front was relatively flat. The point of the angle was at the “Rote Ruine” (The “Red Ruin”, and my “leg” of the angle was in the hill with the road between Oranienbaum (Kronstad) and Leningrad about 250 meters to our front. This road was running parallel to our frontline and going through the swampy lowlands stretching into town. “Ivan’s” trenches followed “Uferstraße’s” other side. From my vantage point, at the point of the angel, I had one trench stretching straight forward towards the enemy positions. From this position we had a backward view straight into the area of “Rote Ruine.“ In this area Sergeant Henrik Skaar-Pedersen of Egersund and his platoon had their bunker, which was one of many that we maintained. He was so exposed to the enemy in this position that we twice noticed enemy footprints on the roof of the bunker. At the end of the trench we had a machine gun position manned by Arnold Schee from Oslo. Just before this machine gun nest, a separate trench was dug northward on our side parallel to “Uferstraße". Every night we placed a listing post here. There was also a period when Ivan controlled this trench during daytime. Because the trench going to Schee’s machine gun nest was pointing straight towards the enemy, we had it covered with snow throughout the winter. But now during the spring and summer, it was just covered with boards and twigs, etc, which gave us some sort of secure feeling.
The second in command of my troop, Naval Cadet Arne-Wilhelm Nilsen from Østfold, was a very capable leader and soldier. He had a good sense of humor and was always calm. The three platoon leaders were engineering student Einar Gill Fasting jr of Hamar, world traveler Per Bradley from Bergen who also had an exceptionally beautiful voice and had held church concerts throughout Norway, and Hans Skaar-Pedersen from Egersund who used to study at Kotpus. The mortar platoon was headed by Olaf Hidle, a farmer from Stokke in Vestfold. All of them were top notch soldiers and all very proud to be a part of our troop as well as being Norwegian soldiers. We were the very first recruits to show up at Bjølsen School and subsequently formed the first platoon in the first troop in the first Company in the first Battalion to be set up! This became Viken Battalion of Den norske Legion (later Freiw. Leg. Norwegen). We all knew each others strengths and weaknesses, but seen from the Germans point of view we were probably no parade soldiers. We all had volunteered and were of the opinion that everyone in the Battalion did an effort to stop the communists to take over Europe. We were also past the stage where we were afraid of becoming casualties of the war. For us this was not the “Fields of Honor”, but only bitter reality. Everyone was either going to be lucky or unlucky and were thinking that oneself was somewhat protected as we had not been in very dangerous situations earlier. What we feared most was to loose an arm or a leg, or become blind. But when the battle rolled on at its worst, we were all thinking “and you have volunteered for this?” |
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The night before the 21st April we heard the Russian panzers crawling outside. During the briefing I had with the Company Commander that morning, I received orders to bring with me other soldiers also with Pioneer training and get out on a “gesträckte Ladungen” over Uferstraße in order to damage any panzers that may attack us on a road leading to our area. Straight behind us was a building we called “The Dairy”, and our 14th Kp positioned nearby with a anti panzer cannon now had to change their direction of fire. I had earlier gotten hold of explosives and fuses, which now came to good use. It was also agreed that as soon as the attack would start, we would place all our soldiers as close to the enemy as possible. This was deemed to be the safest under the prevailing circumstances. I crawled over to 2nd Company’s positions and agreed with Sophus Kahrs how his machine gun and his men could enforce the area in front of us as we were going to move forward. During our talks, an intense bombardment started, which were to last several hours. I had to go back at some time, but this was very complicated as grenades were exploding everywhere around us. I thought at that time that whatever I would do, it would be very dangerous. I was forced to take chances that morning that I normally would not allow any of my men to take. |
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It got quiet just before darkness, and Radbruch gave orders to move forward as previously planned. While we moved towards the enemy, Arne Nilsen was supposed to take over the responsibility in our position. It took us a long time to pull all the explosives behind us without the enemy noticing. But we did put the explosive floats and some teller mines in place. We were so close that if we would have spoken Russian we would have understood what they talked about. The enemy trenches were heavily manned. But they seemed nervous, and it was evident that the soldiers were fresh conscripts straight out of training.
Just before we reached our own positions and trenches, I heard someone carefully yelling for me. It was my assistant, Erik Bratlien from Nannestad, who had been asked by the Company commander to immediately get hold of me so I could be reached on the field telephone. I yelled back at him “place all people in their positions as agreed”. Just as I climbed back into the trench, a bombardment started that was so intense that I have a hard time describing it. It has later been estimated that over 10,000 grenades were launched at the small area covered by 1st and 2nd Company alone. This must have been correct. It was so strong that our bunker shook so violently in the explosions that it actually was pushed lower into the terrain. And all this while I was lying down at the entrance with the phone to my ear. We had established the password “Kochlöffel” that night, and we were “Drei” (three) connected on the same phone line. Per Wang came on and informed us that the first enemy soldiers were already crawling towards “Rote Ruine” and that his assistant Per Olav Fredriksen from Fredrikstad was to take over the phone in his place. He disappeared outside, and only a couple of minutes later Fredriksen yelled “Wang has fallen!” Soon thereafter the phone line took a direct hit, and the connection was broken. My second in command, Nilsen, had the responsibility for “Uferstraße” and held it against the enemy, supported by the fire from Kp 2. This all happened while I was crawling towards “Rote Ruine” in order to take over the command there. At this point I was not even sure if it already had been taken over by the enemy. I had the feeling that everything was moving around me. The noise was intense, and the shockwaves from the explosions continuously threw me out of balance. To try to take cover has no effect, and there was no safe place to find. |
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All of a sudden everything became completely quiet and I believed at that time that I was the only survivor. I could not believe that anyone else could have survived such a bombardment. Our trenches and positions were all completely gone. Where the troop’s only, somewhat withdrawn, machine gun position should have been there was only some splintered wood left. As a miracle, from this pile of rubble, I suddenly heard Fasting’s voice “All OK!” I then had to attempt to take control of the trench leading down to “Uferstraße”, because the machine gun nest there was of great importance. The enemy now had a perfect view into the trench, and the enemy now fired shots directly into it from down below. The trench was now completely exposed with no cover at all. I suddenly became aware of shots being fired straight up the trench, and took cover in a spare manhole we had dug earlier. Here I became completely covered by dirt from the next two rounds which luckily did not hit me. I had with me two German “office soldiers”, Bauer and Wieland, as they had requested battlefront experience. I had positioned them down here with cases of hand grenades. I had placed them here originally because they could from this position view directly into “Rote Ruine” from behind, which now was infested by the Russian soldiers which had orders to keep attacking forward only. From our point of view, all we could see was a forest of bayonets, which the two German soldiers now were busy throwing hand grenades down into. Throughout this, Schee and his machine gun remained intact and functional.
The other side of the barbed wire, as well as the open area between me and “Rote Ruine” seemed like some sort of “moving carpet” consisting of wounded and killed Russian soldiers. The air was filled with screams, and it was impossible to distinguish any particular orders or commands given by anyone. Throughout this, our closest MG was continuously giving out accurate spurts of fire aimed at the advancing enemy. This MG was the most important of our defense system. But then I suddenly noticed a changed in its rate of fire. It was clearly experiencing a jam! The closest soldier was sent after Saxlund’s MG, while I ran into the jammed MG’s position. Here, the shooter already had taken the gun apart and was cleaning it out just as if it was a relaxing practice shooting at the range! I now blessed the hard SS training we had received, which caused us to act somewhat automatic in pressing situations such as this. Jacob Kynningsrud from Østfold had now crawled up on the bunker roof where was handed hand-grenades from Stener Ulven of Valdres. He removed the pins from the grenades as they were given to Jacob, who in turn would coolly throw them directly at the enemy where he deemed the danger of enemy penetration was highest. The third MG’er of the team was using his K98 rifle and firing without stop. But very soon thereafter the MG was again operational. We had to order Kynningsrud back down to man it as he felt he was doing more damage to the enemy by throwing hand-grenades at them and that Ulven could replace him in case he was hit.
I made a quick visit to Per Wang’s bunker, while he was still alive. He seemed very proud when I told him that his men were fighting bravely and holding their positions. 2 days before he had been behind the frontlines where he had managed to get hold of 2 eggs. Our bunker received one of them against my promise to him that I would read him his last rites when he would fall in the attack. He “knew” he was not going to survive, and I granted his wish.
Immediately afterwards, while making an inspection of Per’s troop, I passed another Norwegian soldier sitting across one of his fallen commerades filling machinegun belts at the only dry spot he could find – the back of his friend. He did so with his tears flowing down his cheeks.
Per’s second in command, William Andersen from Moss, who previously had the full responsibility for the right flank of the troop now took over full command. Radbruch was moved forward and 4 from his staff stayed behind to enforce our area. Per Wang was transported past us and behind the lines.
There were no more Russian cheers to hear when I again moved forward through the trenches, only horrible screams from the enemy. Hidle constantly fired mortar rounds over my head, which flew in low trajectory before hitting jointly with the rounds from 14th Company’s anti panzer gun positioned at “The Dairy”. And now even heavier artillery could be heard as Arnfinn Vik’s artillery unit covered the enemy area. With surgical accuracy only yards away from us they protected “Rote Ruine” as well as the area immediately behind where our men were taking cover. The effect of this bombardment must have been enormous, and we could clearly see the endless streams of Russian soldiers withdrawing before they were met with the machinegun fire from their own “Political Officers”. These officers, greatly feared by Russian officers as well as foot soldiers, held the power to slaughter their own troops in the case of a withdrawal. The poor enemy became completely wiped out. |
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When I reached Schees machine gun position, I met my assistant ,Erik Bratlien, who was wading through water to his waist in a trench we no longer used after the spring had submerged it. With several packs of cigarettes in his mouth and one hand and half a bottle of Cognac in the other he blurted out “Sir, shouldn’t our reserves be used before they get a direct hit?” I decided to hand out shots of alcohol to everyone, including those who were prohibited from drinking. Schee, who was manning the MG, put a cigarette in his mouth just as two Russians popped up just in front of him. He knew that they would throw hand-grenades at him unless he could shoot faster. As he burned off a series of rounds at them he yelled “Sir, can you give me a light please?” It wasn’t just the training that created good soldiers. Being Norwegian was equally as important.
Looking forward over the front it looked extremely dangerous. There were so many Russian soldiers hanging over the barbed wire fence that you could literally have walked across it. But there were no further enemy attacks, only the medics which we were trying to help the best way we could. The Russian artillery eventually started firing again, but hit way behind us. We were sure they believed they had exterminated us and that we were now withdrawing. Even if we were exhausted, we found our shovels and started to improve our positions.
A heavy set Russian officer was hanging dead over the barbed wire fence with a map/document case around his neck. We needed this case for our intelligence and agreed to drag him in once darkness set in. But after a short while Wang’s assistant, Per Olaf Fredriksen, handed it to me. He had crawled out there himself and cut it loose from the body. The documents were immediately sent backwards to the headquarters.
And what had happened? We had been may be 50 men altogether from Per’s and my troop plus some Panzergrenadiers, defending the area that received the main attack, which was around “Rote Ruine.” But we only had 3 dead. From the Russian side they must have used over 1000 soldiers to storm us in the attack. Since the attacking forces were not the regular forces we had been looking at over the frontline for some time now, they were unable to break through our lines as they seemed completely unaware of our positions and any weaknesses our lines may have had. To push your own soldiers across the frontlines in this fashion and style that the Russians did should be considered a criminal act against their own troops. The fact that we had stockpiled ammo, and especially hand-grenades and mortar rounds, during the week before the attack, helped us tremendously.
It was relatively quiet for about 3 weeks before a smaller attack against us came along “Uferstraße” against the point where our 2nd Company positions crossed the road with a roadblock. The attack was efficiently fought back. During this counter attack we also destroyed several of their bunkers. When we afterwards searched these bunkers, we discovered a large quantity of American canned foods. This came as a real shock to me at that time. United States was actually helping communism!!!
After this counter attack, I was given a radio receiver. It should be mentioned that the battery in this receiver later during the war saved my life when a grenade exploded outside our bunker and the radio shielded my head and caught a good size piece of shrapnel in its battery.
Für besondere Tapferkeit vor dem Feinde habe ich heute im Namen des Führers und Obersten Befehlshabers der Wehrmacht verliehen:
Das Eiserne Kreutz 1. Klasse an: Leg. Sturmbannführer A. Qvist
Das Eiserne Kreutz 2. Klasse an: SS-Ostuf. Radbruch 1/Kp. Leg.-Ostur. Ingier Srab Leg. Ustuf. Braset 3/Kp. Leg. Hascha. Østring 1/Kp. Leg. Oscha. Nilsen A. 1/Kp. Leg.-Uscha. Bryhn 1/Kp. Leg. Schtz. Ulven 1/Kp. Leg. Schtz. Lüttichau 1/Kp. Leg. Schtz. Sörensen 1/Kp. Leg. Schtz. Nielsen H. 1/Kp. Leg. Schtz. Tönnesen 1/Kp. Leg. Sturm. Engen 1/Kp.
I.V. v. Böckmann General d. Infanterie
Arthur Qvist was our Battalion commander. Dieter Radbruch was the commander of 1st Company John Braseth was the commanding officer for 3rd Company. August Ingier was in charge of the Battalions medics. Halfdan Bryhn for 1st Company medics. Ulven and Nielsen was from Per Wang’s troop, while Fenrik Arne-Wilhelm Nilsen, Lütichau, Sørensen, Tønnesen and Engen was from my troop.
A few days later I was promoted to officer. This promotion was ordered by the high command after my efforts at Urizk and was solely given for my military accomplishments on the battlefield. I was at that time, and still am today, VERY proud of what happened those days at the Leningrad front. |
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The award ceremony of the Iron Crosses was to take place in conjunction with the visit of our Leader and Prime Minister Vidkun Quisling on Norway’s Constitution Day, 17th May. But it was decided that only Commander Qvist was to meet with him at that date, and that the award ceremony was to happen 5 days before. When I found out about Quislings exact time of arrival, I managed to (illegally and without the prior approval of Major Qvist) meet him in person and report to him 25 Norwegian volunteers directly from the trenches. I also managed to get a 20 minutes private conversation with Quisling, away from everyone else.
(Translators note: Østring was a close personal friend of Quisling even before the German invasion of Norway. The purpose of this conversation was the soldiers dissatisfaction with being deployed to the Leningrad front and being under German command. Qvist subsequently flew back to Norway together with Quisling before returning back to Leningrad as a much improved commander in the eyes of the troops).
Later, Quisling and I, together with Sverre P. Riisnæs (Minister of Justice) and Kriegs-berechter Oscar Bang visited the cemetery of Frw. Legion Norwegen at Krassnoe Seloe.
The battle of Urizk was one of many battles we as Norwegian volunteer soldiers and as a unit would have to fight against the Russians. Many of my fellow volunteers would assign for other SS units after the Norwegian Legion had been dismissed and dissolved, and would experience battles much more bloody, violent and intense on other fronts. But for me personally, it was the battle that stood out as the fiercest and most violent that I fought during World War II. And for some of my close friends as well as many of the Russian enemy soldiers, the battle of Urizk would be their last. They paid the ultimate price. |
