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78th Sturm Divison on 22nd June 1944


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-195th infantry regiment

-215th infantry regiment

-14th infantry regiment

-178th artillery regiment

-178th reconnaissance battalion

-178th anti-tank battalion

-178th engineer battalion

-178th signal battalion

-178th field replacement battalion

-178th divisional supply troops

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The OOB of battle I have to date for 1st June 1944 is:

78th Sturm Division:

Sturm Regts 14, 195 and 215:

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Sturmregiment:

2 Sturm battalions (Kompanies 1-4 and 5-8)

1st Kompanie (Sturm) 309 men, 2 HMG, 22 LMG, 6 x 75mm PAK, 2 x 82mm mortars

2nd and 3rd Kompanie as above

4th Kompanie (Support) ???? mortars, ????HMG

9th Kompanie (Schwere) ????

10th Kompanie (Pionere) ?????

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Aufkl Kompanie 178 ???????

Fusilier Battalion 260 ???????

Artillery Regt 178

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3 Abt each 3 battery of four guns??????

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PzJg Abt 178 (2 Kompanie PzJgIV)

Pioniere Bn 178 (2 Kompanie Pionier)

Flak Abt 178 ??????????????

Nebelwerfer Abt 178 ?????????????

Feldersctz Bn 178 ????????????????

Schwere Flak Abt 293 (2 battery 88mm plus 20mm Flak)?????????

StuG Abt 189 (31 StuGIIIG) 27 available on 22/6/44

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attached units:

Sturm Bn (AOK4)

Pionere Bn 752 (AOK Reserve)

Pz Auf Abt 125 (25th Pz Gr Div)

Grenadier Regt 480 (260 Inf Div)

III/Sich Bn (286 Security Division)

after 22nd June, the 78th Sturm was virtually destroyed in the inital attack and the following retreat so that it was then re-organised and absorbed several other shattered formations. This OOB pre-dates the attack and seems to be the OOB used from late 1943 onwards.

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A member of the Axis History Forum has sent me the offical OOB for 78th Sturm Division dated 1st June 1944:

78th Sturm Division:

Sturm Regts 14, 195 and 215:

---------------------------------------------------------------

Sturmregiment:

2 Sturm battalions (Kompanies 1-4 and 5-8)

1st Kompanie (Sturm) 309 men, 2 HMG, 6 LMG, 2 x 82mm mortars

2nd and 3rd Kompanie as above

4th Kompanie (Support) 7 x 82mm mortars, 9 x HMG 4 x 20mm Flak

13th Kompanie (Schwere) 2 x150 Infantry Gun 4 x 75 IG

14th Kompanie (PzJg) 9 x 75mm PAK

15th Kompanie (Pionere) 2 x HMG 9 x LMG 6 smoke generators

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Artillery Regt 178

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3 Abt each 3 batteries of four 105mm howitzers and

1 Abt of 3 battery of four 155mm howitzers

(36 105mm and 12 155mm)

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PzJg Abt 178 (2 Kompanie each 9 x Marder II and 2 x 88mm AT guns)

Pioniere Bn 178 (2 Kompanie Pionier, each 1 HMG 6 LMG 1 x 82mm mortar)

Brk Sturm Bn 78 (1-3 Kompanie 2 HMG, 11 LMG, 2 x 82mm and 2 x 50mm mortar)(4th Kompanie 2 HMG, 8 LMG 4 x120mm moratr and 2 x 20mm AA)

Schwere Granat Werfer Bn 5 (motor) 2 batteries each 12 x 120mm mortar

Flak Abt 178 2 schwere batteries each 8 x 88mm Flak and 3 x 20mm Flak and 1 medium battery of 11 x 20mm flak

StuG Abt 189 (31 StuGIIIG) 27 available on 22/6/44

Felders Bn 178 (replacement Bn)

Nebelwerfer Abt 178 (not on organisation chart 1/6/44)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

attached units:

Schwere Flak Abt 293 (2 battery 88mm plus 20mm Flak)

Sturm Bn (AOK4)

Pionere Bn 752 (AOK Reserve)

Pz Auf Abt 125 (25th Pz Gr Div)

Grenadier Regt 480 (260 Inf Div)

Fusilier Battalion 260 (260 Inf Div)

III/Sich Bn (286 Security Division)

This is a great unit with some really exotic OOB in 1943 but by 1944 it was becoming more like a standard infantry division albeit a strong and well equipped one.

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What about the Russian attackers. In short the 78th Sturm had four battalions in the front line

(river): 78th Sturm Bn, 2/195th, (Orscha Road,) 1/195th, 1/215th which was hit by entire 11 Guards Army plus 71st Rifle Corps from 31st Army that is 36 Rifle Regt (about the same strength as a German Sturm Battalion) or odds of about 9 to 1. The attackers had about 200 plus tanks/SP guns as part of the assault. The German defenders held this attack in the HKL line for about 2 days before they were outflanked by the 11th Guards Rifle Division which had infiltrated the line through woods and peat bogs to the north. The Germans then pulled back to their rear lines.

Russian forces:

22nd June (Glantz)

3rd Belorussian Front

11th Guards Army

8 Guards Rifle Corps

5 Guards Rifle Division

26 Guards Rifle Division

83 Guards Rifle Division

16 Guards Rifle Corps

1 Guards Rifle Division

11 Guards Rifle Division

31 Guards Rifle Division

36 Guards Rifle Corps

16 Guards Rifle Division

18 Guards Rifle Division

84 Guards Rifle Division

152 Fortified Region

149 Gun Artillery Brigade

117 High-power Howitzer Artillery Brigade

523 Corps Artillery Regiment 8 x 122mm G plus 8 x 152mm GH

1093 Corps Artillery Regiment 8 x 122mm G plus 8 x 152mm GH

1165 Corps Artillery Regiment 8 x 122mm G plus 8 x 152mm GH

1 Guards Antitank Artillery Brigade 48 x 76mm plus 24 x 57mm

551 Tank Destroyer Regiment 20 x 76mm

226 Special-power Artillery Battalion

245 Special-power Artillery Battalion

316 Special-power Artillery Battalion

402 Heavy Gun Artillery*Division

406 Heavy Gun Artillery*Division

545 Mortar Regiment

11 Guards Mortar Brigade (7 Guards Mortar Division) M30

24 Guards Mortar Brigade (7 Guards Mortar Division) M30

42 Guards Mortar Regiment M13

67 Guards Mortar Regiment M13

317 Guards Mortar Regiment M13

34 Antiaircraft Artillery Division 16 x 85mm plus 72 x 37mm plus 52 x HMG

48 Antiaircraft Artillery Division 16 x 85mm plus 72 x 37mm plus 52 x HMG

1379 Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment

1383 Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment

1389 Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment

1395 Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment

231 Guards Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment

1277 Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment

1278 Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment

2011 Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment

1280 Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment

2 Guards Tank Corps

4 Guards Tank Brigade

25 Guards Tank Brigade

26 Guards Tank Brigade

4 Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade

401 Guards SU Regiment

1500 Guards SU Regiment

273 Mortar Regiment

79 Motorcycle Battalion

28 Guards Mortar Battalion

1695 Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment

120 Tank Brigade

35 Separate Guards Tank Regiment*

63 Separate Guards Tank Regiment

148 Separate Tank Regiment

517 Separate Tank Regiment (flame and minesweeping)

345 Heavy Guards SU Regiment

348 Heavy Guards SU Regiment

1435*Heavy*SU Regiment

2 Guards Assault Engineer-Sapper Brigade

66 Engineer-Sapper Brigade

517 Flamethower Regiment

13th Separate FT Bn

185th Separate Knapsack FT Co

186th Separate Knapsack FT Co

31st Army

71st RC

88th RD

192nd RD

331st RD

213rd TB 213 тбр,

926th SAUR 926, 927, 959, 1445 сап 21

927th SAUR 21

959th SAUR 21

1445th SAUR 21

52nd Armoured Train 52 одн брп

140th Gun Artillery Bde 140 пабр, 24 x152mm GunHow and 12 x 122mm guns

43rd AT Artillery Bde 43 иптабр, 20 x 57mm and 40 x 76mm guns

83rd Guards Howitzer Regt 83 гв. гап, 24 x 152mm how

570th Corps Artillery Regt 570 кпап 16 x 122mm guns

392nd Corps Artillery Regt 392 кпап 16 x 122mm guns

529th AT Regt 529 иптап 20 x 76mm guns

549th Mortar Regt 549 минп 36 x 120mm M

74th Guards Rocket Regt 74 гв. Мп 24 x M13

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