KAMPFGRUPPE BARENFANGER

A WWII scenario for C-P Models By Stuart Pearson

Introduction
On the 19th of April 1945 the Red Army broke through the German front line on the Oder River. Shattered German units fled west attempting to escape the Russian colossus bearing down on them. The German leadership was determined to defend the threatened German capital city Berlin, despite a lack of men, arms and supplies. The cities military command ordered the remaining Berlin Volkssturm units, (home defence formation) and Hitler Youth units to build makeshift barricades and defend them with whatever weapons available, including foreign rifles without ammunition! This article has been written in response to the popularity of the battle amongst wargamer s, but avoids the actions of the so-called elite units involved in the battle. Instead it is based around the rag tag members of Battle Group Barenfanger using the popular WWII rapid-fire rules. Barenfanger was born on the 12th of January 1915. He joined the SA during April 1935 becoming and SA NCO, later the same year on the 1st of October 1935 he begun his obligatory RAD service with the 3/206 Battalion. In the RAD he received good fitness reports and rose to NCO rank. On the 16th of October 1936 he joined the Heer, (5th Company Infantry Regiment 67 Spandau-West). He became an officer cadet on the 1st of October 1937, (In a year he had obtained the rank of Sergeant). After taking part in the occupation of Austria in 1938 he spent some time with other Divisions till he finally transferred to the 1st Battalion/123rd Infantry Regiment, (50th Infantry Division) for the Polish campaign in 1939. Erich Barenfanger became a lieutenant of Reserves on the 26th of August 1939 and took command of the 9th Company/123rd Regiment. Barenfanger s unit fought with the 4th Army during the campaign. During the preparations for the invasion of France between Kehl and Lahr in 1939-40 he

Erich Barenfanger

gained a reputation as a fanatical training organiser. The 50th Infantry Division fought with th the 6 Army during the French campaign, during which Barenfanger was wounded and hospitalised. After the campaign the Division returned secretly travelled to the Balkans to prepare for the invasion of Greece. Barenfanger spent time as commander of the 11th Company until becoming the adjutant of the III Battalion 123IR, (Major Helling). The 50th Infantry Division fought with th the 11 Army during the opening stages of the invasion of the USSR. Lieutenant Barenfanger was to enter the most dangerous battlefield of his career yet! Lt. Barenfanger took command of the 7th Company 123IR on the 24th of September 1941 and was mentioned in divisional orders two months later for bravery. He fought and was wounded again during the Crimean campaign, taking part in the battle for Sevastopol for which he earned the Knights Cross, which was awarded on the 7th of August 1942. Barenfanger had not cut his ties with the SA, during this time he was promoted SA-Major. As commander of the III Battalion/123IR he led his battalion in to the Caucasus campaign during 1942. Oberleutnant Barenfanger won the German cross in gold on the 13th of January 1943. During the winter reverses the Division retreated in to the Kuban bridgehead on the Black sea coastline with the 17th Army. On the 17th of May 1943 Captain Barenfanger was awarded the Oakleaves to his knights cross for leading his battalion during the summer campaign of 1942 and promoted Major. This was awarded personally by Adolf Hitler in Rastenburg; he then toured Hitler Youth camps in Germany for the propaganda ministry. Meanwhile his division retreated to the Crimea and there fought a desperate rear guard action with the 17th Army. Barenfanger was at this time under the command of the 98th Infantry Division The last men of the 50th Infantry Division went in to captivity at Sevastopol during 1944. Meanwhile Barenfanger had been making powerful friend in Germany, the Minster for propaganda held him up as model of what the perfect national socialist officer should be and had him give talks on the national radio!

Promotion came again on the 1st of January 1944, when he became an Oberstleutnant and general inspector of the Hitler Youth training camps full of 14-16 year olds. He toured HJ camps and other training facilities ensuring that the young solders were receiving the correct national socialist training. He held this post until ordered to command sector A in Berlin during spring 1945. During May 1942 his home town of Menden organised a hero s parade to mark his award of the Oakleaves to his knights cross. On the 28th of October Barenfanger married Margot Rucker. On the 10th of February 1945 Barenfanger was given the task of recruiting a defence force for Berlin. His IA was Major Matschoss, (died during the fighting earning the knights cross and promotion posthumously).

Barenfanger would only obey orders direct from Hitler s bunker.

Kampfgruppe Barenfanger
The forces allocated to Major Barenfanger for the defense of the Frankfurter Alle sector were meager to say the least. He had his Anti-Tank battalion with its handful of Volkssturm infantry from the Berlin party district. He also received re- enforcement s from the Waffen SS Battalion Mrugalla. His unit was bolstered with the addition of men from the Muncheberg Division, but this was still inadequate compared to the approaching Russian 3rd Shock Army. The highly motivated Volkssturm lack heavy weapons, and is very low on ammunition for the foreign rifles they are forced to employ.

The Battlefield Scenario The Battle Begins

On the 20th of April a mixed Army and Volkssturm anti-tank unit fought off a Red Army Tank spearhead attacking the rear of the retreating Muncheberg Division. Lt. Colonel Erich Barenfanger commanded this anti-tank unit blocking the way west in to the city, (in the southern Berlin suburb of Mahlsdorf). His successful destruction of many Red Army tanks brought him to the attention of Germany s leader Adolf Hitler. On the same day that Adolf Hitler took personal command of the Berlin defences, he appointed Lt. Colonel Barenfanger as his deputy and transferred his unit to Berlin sector A in the Horst Wessel district of the city. With the arrival of the LVI Panzer Corps in the city and the appointment of a new overall commander of the Berlin defence Barenfanger assumed command of Sector A in the west of the city, (the city had been divided up into defence zones covering the city). The Muncheberg Panzer Division commanded by Major General Mummert also took up positions in sectors A and B. It soon become apparent that Barenfanger resented Mummert s command over his troops and this was the cause of some friction between the two men. The Gauleiter of Berlin Dr J. Goebbels resolved the differences between the two warring officers, arranging a promotion to Major General for Barenfanger on the 26th of April. At the same rank and with one of Germany s highest bravery awards, (the Knights cross with oak leaves) the 30-year-old The scenario is centered on the defense of a building at the West End of the Grosse Frankfurter Strasse around the Schillingstrasse U-Bahn, (underground station).

German Forces
It is the 28th of April 1945 and you command a small sub unit of Battle Group Barenfanger, Battalion Steeg has orders to hold the ruined building at all costs. Visibility is poor due to the Artillery bombardment, smoke and dust covering the battlefield. Your position stands only 1Km from Hitler s bunker on the north side of the famous Alexander Platz. Your unit is lead by a fanatical General. He expects every man to fall for the Fuhrer than let any Russians pass by and capture the city centre.

Red Army Forces

The Red Army s 26th Guards Rifle Corp and 7th Rifle Corp are gathering their forces for the final push into the city centre, all that stands in its way are the Berlin home guard volunteers. Koniev and Zhukov the Two Army Fronts commanders assaulting the Oder line are locked in competition to capture the Reichstag building. Losses are unimportant so long as men of their respective Armies capture the Reichstag! Your main combat unit the 608th Rifle Regiment under the command of Major Kopsike will lead the 146th Rifle Divisions attack. This unit has a solid core of experienced fighters from central Asia and must capture a 5storey building held by the German s north of

the main road into the Alexander Platz. They must take the building barring the 7th Corps drive west in to the heart of the city, clear a path through the enemy and ensure that Marshall Zhukov will become the conqueror of Berlin.

Historical Notes
The battle for Berlin is very well documented and I have avoided writing a scenario about the more well known actions that took place during the battle. The article is based on actual events that took place during the Battle for Berlin during April 1945 in Barenfanger s Sector A. Steeg Battalion is of course fictional, but most other details are historically correct, providing the framework for an interesting and slightly different kind of street fighting table top re creation. The Russian attack took place on the 28th of April, the Barenfanger Group held on for almost Two days before it was battered out of its positions, escaping north through sewers and cellars of the wrecked city. The remnants of the fighting group joined with the 9th Parachute Division setting up HQ in a theatre on the SchiffbauerDamm. For a short while the breach in the Alexander Platz front line was filled with the fragments of the 11th Waffen SS Division Nordland , men that were soon put to flight. Battered but determined to fight on Barenfanger s small force gradually fought its way north across the PrenzlauerBerg fighting with the Berlin Wacht Regiment, (Army guard formation). His dwindling force continued the retreat north, finally joining the battered defenders of the Humboldthain FLAK tower. Despite the overwhelming superiority of the Red Army in this sector who engaged the tower with direct fire from their tanks and artillery, he fought off numerous Russian attacks, (supported by the FlaK towers long reaching 128mm multiple -Flak guns). The Red Armies tank guns and artillery had little or no effect on the towers thick concrete walls. The tower s mixed group of defenders held up the 3rd Shock Army s advance west and provided a slender route for any would be an escapee from Hitler s bunker. On the 2nd of May 1945 Major General Barenfanger ordered a parade outside the Humboldthain FLAK tower, under unfurled national flags and announced to the weary survivors the surrender of the city by Berlin s commander General Weidling. To the miscellaneous group of Volkssturm, Hitler Youth, Luftwaffe, Army and Waffen SS troops he announced his intention to fight on rather than surrender! Realizing the futility of his statement he later that day

Target: the Reichstag!

Marshall Zhukov s armies stand poised to capture the Nazi capital and destroy its fanatical leadership. Every unit in the 3rd Shock Army has proved its reliability and bravery during Operation Berlin and despite the high casualties it has sustained it remains a very experienced fighting formation. Two major formations are well placed to attack the German positions on the Alexander Platz, the 7th Rifle Corp is pushing south toward the famous intersection and the 26th Guards Corp is advancing west along the shattered Grosse Frankfurter Strasse eventually linking up with the 7th Rifle Corp. If the 7th Rifle Corp can capture the Alexander Platz from the north then the Barenfanger Group would be cut off from its neighbor the 9th Parachute Division, once surrounded it would be easily destroyed by follow up units.

German Forces Red Army forces Terrain

I will deal with the terrain first. I prefer a dark cloth to cover at least a 4Ft x 4Ft area, and to this you can lay your terrain over it. I recommend the Hovels battlefield range and the Shellhole Scenics range of ruined buildings. Scenic effects have a number of buildings suitable for the main combat area. You want lots of obstructions such as shell holes wrecked vehicles and reduced barricades, the more the better.

Winning Conditions
The German commander must hold the 5-storey building for 15 moves or hold more floors/rooms in the building than the Russian player. The Russian commander must take the building floor by floor. If the German force remains in possession of the building after 15 moves then victory will be won with whoever hold the most floors in the building, (points should be allocated for each room if it is unclear who holds an entire floor in the building).

committed suicide with his wife, allowing the last survivors of his command to surrender. Major Barenfanger s final stand around the immense structure of the Flak Tower epitomized the battle for Berlin. His men s resistance in Sector A acted as a breakwater against the flood of Victorious Red Army infantry has caught the imagination of many WWII wargamer s and has inevitably shaped our view of this hopeless battle.

Conclusion
The Battle for Berlin is one of the most popular WWII wargames periods. Much attention has been given to the famous Army and Waffen SS units and their defense of the German parliament, (the Reichstag), but this isn t the fullest picture of the battle and the sacrifices its rag-tag defenders put up against overwhelming odds. The desperate stand of his far from elite, motley collection of Army, Waffen SS, Volkssturm and Hitler Youth troops was typical of the hard fought battle and their bitter fight was in no small part due to the charismatic leadership of this Nazi General.

with a simplified Volkssturm rank system worn on the collar. Berlin s Volkssturm were the last levy raised for the battle, (previous better armed and dressed units were committed earlier to the fighting on the River Oder). Very little in the way of military uniforms and weapons were left for them to utilise, but a contemporary photograph I have seen depicts a group of Volkssturm in the area wearing Army greatcoats with the thinner three coloured armband, (the photo includes a woman in the group). Hitler Youth The Berlin Hitler Youth were called to the front to serve with the Volkssturm; they had long been prepared for this eventuality and had been well trained and armed by the Waffen SS and Army instructors assigned to them. During the early stages of the battle for the city they returned home in the evenings and were not supplied with food; heavy fighting soon prevented this. The typical Berlin Hitler Youth wore a battledress style tunic and trousers either in the Field Grey or Field Blue, attached to it was the swastika armband and triangle shaped district badge on the top left arm. Over the swastika armband was the Volkssturm armband. Headgear consisted of a Black M33 HJ cap with the diamond cap badge or M40 style helmet. Red piping on the shoulder straps and a stylised HJ hunting knife finished the Berlin HJ uniform. The Hitler Youth movement had a core of older NCO s and Officers who wore tunic and trousers in Field Grey or Olive brown with HJ insignia, worn with a peaked cap. The HJ had a unique standing in the German military hierarchy and were often equipped with the whole range of weapons, webbing and equipment available to the German Army. Both they and the Volkssturm used the ubiquitous Panzerfaust and Panzershreck antitank rocket systems. Red Army Rifleman The Red Army infantryman during the battle for Berlin was very different to that that had started the war in 1941. I have settled for a typical 1945 Red Army rifleman rather than detailing the full range of Red Army equipment and uniform. By the spring of 1945 the Red Army soldier was short of almost all pieces of authorised military uniform, shortages in helmets and webbing had reduced the soldier to carrying almost all of his

Uniform Notes
I will keep this section as brief as possible and concentrate on the Volkssturm, Hitler Youth and Red Army soldier s uniforms. If you would like information on the Waffen SS and Wehrmacht I have provided a good list of available books in the biography. Volkssturm Organised and controlled by the Nazi leadership the Volkssturm in Berlin were called to their units on the eve of the battle, they wore a multitude of military, civilian and commercial uniforms depending on their job or military status. All were issued a broad White/Yellow armband with the legend printed on them: Deutscher Volkssturm Wehrmacht in Black letters written on it or thinner Red bordered Black armband with the same wording and a national eagle. These armbands were worn on the left arm and were found in a plethora of styles and colours. All were designed to provide the wearer with some protection under the Geneva Convention accords if captured; usually the wearer was shot as a spy by the Red Army. The German Army M36 style field Grey uniform was issued to some volunteers

field kit in his rolled up waterproof poncho across his shoulder. Top to bottom I will describe the typical rifleman; he wore the dark Olive Green M1940 helmet, pilotka side cap or ushanka fur cap. Basic uniform was the 1943 style gymastiorka khaki tunic and khaki coloured sharovari trousers, (dark Blue for officers and NCOs). Black leather calf length boots or ankle boots with puttees were worn on the feet. Officers also wore the stylish kitel tunic and large crown peak cap. During bad weather the field brown Greatcoat and telogreika padded jacket were also worn along with an Olive Green waterproof poncho, either worn over the uniform or wrapped around the body with the greatcoat, ammunition, rations and personal kit safely inside. Red Army service device and military rank was displayed on broad shoulder straps, using red stripe and stars to denote rank. Arm of service colour was Red for rifle units. Specialist engineer and scout units also wore a one-piece camouflage overall, (many types existed in drab colours) Sometimes worn with metal chest armour for protection. With greater emphases on sub machine guns the usual close quarter weapon used in Berlin was the PPsh 41and PPsh 43 along side capture German weapons. The Moisin Nagant M1891 rifle was also issued widely along side other weapons including the DP-LMG and DTLMG for sub unit support. For further information on this exhaustive topic please look in the biography section of this article.

C-P Models COPYRIGHT2005 No part of this document may be reproduced for profit or re-published without the express permission in writing by the author!

Miniature Availability
I am a big supporter of the popular 20mm figure scale and recommend either SHQ Miniatures or Battlefield Miniatures, both of which supply suitable Volkssturm figures.

Biography
Berlin then and now Le Tissier Das Ende Zwischen Oder und Elbe - W. Tieke Deutscher Volkssturm Seidler Generalmajor E. Barenfanger Stickling/Leukefeld German soldiers of WWII - J. De Lagarde Pour L Eurpoe R. Forbes Red Swarm C. C. Sharp The fall of Berlin Read and Fisher The road to Berlin Erickson Wehrmacht Auxiliary Forces - Osprey MAA 254 Zhukov at the Oder Le Tissier