SS Charlemagne: The 33rd Waffen-Grenadier Division of the SS

After passing the night at Wendisch Pribbernow, the march continued on 8 March towards the northwest, but it was then reported that Kammin had been taken by the enemy. They then tried to reach the Baltic coast at the nearest point, passing the Rega near Treptow. The same day, seven men were wounded by a mine exploded by a vehicle on the Treptow–Greifenberg road. During the afternoon some fighting developed towards Gorke and Woedtke, the last village having been retaken from the Soviets, who had pillaged the place and committed numerous acts of violence. During the day the battalion complimented General Krukenberg on his fifty-seventh birthday. The last night before reaching the Baltic was spent at Zapplin.

The column continued on its way without incident all day on 9 March and arrived late at the little fishing port of Horst, where it rested. The forces of Generals Munzel and von Tettau, about 50,000 strong, half of which were civilians, combined to form a bridgehead there, but hopes of evacuation by sea proved unattainable, as all available shipping resources were already employed in the evacuation of Kolberg and other ports further east.

A report submitted by a Major Kropp to Army Group Weichsel on 9 March 1945 stated:

Von Tettau is at Horst in a bridgehead about 20 kilometres wide and 10 kilometres deep, delimited as follows: Putshow tile factory (inclusive) - Dresow (inclusive) - Karnitz, Klein Zapplin (inclusive) - Gumtow (inclusive) - Zedlin -Voigtshagen as far as Deep.

There are elements of the Division Holstein without vehicles from Horst to Gumtow inclusive; the Division Pommern as far as Voigtshagen inclusive; the 15th SS-Latvian Division as far as Deep.

There are about 50,000 people in the pocket, half of them civilians.

Two battalions and one battery of the 5th Light Division have arrived via Gulzow and are now near Stettin.

Armament available: 30 artillery pieces, several self-propelled 88mm anti-aircraft guns: no precise figure. No anti-tank guns, no tanks. The Holstein is entirely on foot.

Light enemy pressure in the von Tettau sector.

Von Tettau has established a bridgehead at Horst for evacuation by sea. Tonight he will regroup his forces to rejoin the lines in the area Dresow-Gross Justin. He will move along the coast, escorting the civilians without their baggage on the way.

Near Dievenow the road is quite bad and can easily be fired upon by the enemy.

There are no anti-tank defences in the area, neither static nor mobile.

There is only a five-ton bridge at Dievenow. A ferry will have to be established.

We have asked the navy’s support to ensure the evacuation of the women and children from Horst and Rewahl.

Something has to be done to ensure that the evacuation can be carried out effectively.

With the Russians closing in, the Charlemagne battalion left Horst during the afternoon to reach the seaside resort of Rewahl at about 1700 hours.

Accepting the impossibility of evacuation by sea, Lieutenant-General von Tettau opted for running the Soviet gauntlet westwards along the coast to Dievenow, where German troops from the Swinemünde area were in occupation. Von Tettau being a personal friend of SS-Colonel Zimmermann, the latter succeeded in persuading him to allow the Charlemagne to lead the breakout of the refugees, now numbering several thousand.