Fels im Meer

Dzerhezinski Tractor Factory

On the 14th October 1942, a force under the name of “Gruppe Jaenecke” consisting of the 305.Inf.Div, 389.Inf.Div and 14.Pz.Div was formed. Their goal would be to clear the tractor factory of soviet forces, and penetrate as far as the Volga bank. The left wing of the attack would consist of the 305.Inf.Div with infanterie-Regiment.578 as it’s spear head. Both StuG.Abt.244 and 245 would be subordinated to it for the attack. The right flank of the attack would consist of the 14.Pz.Div with it’s panzer regiment as the spear head. For the attack Infanterie-Regiment.577 would be subordinated to the 14.Pz.Div, and would operate on the far right flank, of that division. One battery of Major Zielesch Stug.Abt.245 would be attached to IR.577. It would also be reinforced by elements Pz.Pi.Btl.13, Pz.Gren.Regt.103 and a Schwadron of tanks from the 24.Pz.Div under the command Oberleutnant Paul August Schulte.

Prior to the attack a massive artillery preparatory barrage took place, this lasted for 30 minutes and consisted of guns of all calibres. Stuka’s would also support the attack throughout the day. The jump of position for the assault was the higher technical school the path of IR.577’s assault would take them in the direction of the Volga, penetrating the rail line between the Brickworks and tractor factory. In the initial stages of the assault the groups would have to move through a large expanse of open terrain, which would take them into the destroyed remains of workers quarters which by this point where little more than rubble. Houses and bunkers were cleared with demolition charges and hand grenades. Despite the bitter resistance of General Zholudev’s 37th Guards Division. The southern half of the Tractor Factory was cleared in the early morning hours of the 15th October in the attack zone of the IR.577 and it’s subordinate units. However the going would be much tougher in the northern sections of the factory. There the rest of the 305.Inf.Div, and the spear head of the 14.Pz.Div would have a tough time clearing out the resilient Guardsmen men from the workers quarters and the mangled wreckage of the Tractor Factory’s main work halls. However by 09:30 the northern attack thrust also reacted the Volga, clearing the fuel instillation and river bank.

The operation was a resounding success the 37th Guards Division had been completely obliterated and the important industrial instillation was now in German hands. The cost was also high for the German forces, they would continue to escalate during the bitter fighting further north in the Barrikady Gun Factory and Krasny Oktyabr Steel Factory.