A Wiking PzKpfw.III in the Malgobeck’s sector (Giorgio Bussano Collection).
Panzer ‘311’ of the 3.Kp./SS-Pz.Abt.5 in the Malgobeck’s sector.
The Battle for Kovel
It took him around six-months to be declared fit for duty and once he was, he remained in Germany and was sent to the newly raised II Battalion, withinWiking’s Panzer Regiment; they were being formed in Grafenwohr in the summer of 1943. He became the Commander of the 8.Kompanie and in November 1943, he was promoted to SS-Obersturmführer. As their training neared its end, in January 1944, they were equipped with Panther tanks.
A railway transport of Panther tanks for Nicolussi-Leck’s8.Kompanie.
Whilst he was in Germany, the Soviets advances had continued westwards and his previous location of the Caucausus has long been back under their control. This Soviet enemy pushed across the Dnjepr and almost destroyed Wiking (and other units) within the Tscherkassy Pocket. Four hundred miles to the northwest of there, they would surround the location of Kovel. Inside there was Wiking’s enigmatic commander, SS-Gruppenführer Herbert-Otto Gille.
SS-Gruf. Gille at work in his command post at Kovel.
He stood there with five-thousand German troops and civilians and any attempts up to that point to free them from their enemy encirclement, had failed. During the closing few days of March, SS-Obersturmführer Nicolussi-Leck arrived at the positions of the Wiking Division, who were outside the besieged city. In conference with the senior commanders, he was tasked with leading the push towards the encircled location. What unfolded next, has passed into legend and it was evidence of the character of this soldier. He started the push on the 27th of March and his initial force of seventeen Panthers met fierce resistance near Czerkasy.
When the Wiking went on the attack in the west of Kovel, the region was still covered with snow. In the photo, the advance of the Panthers along the Lublin-Kovel railway line (Trang).
The ground was not favourable to these forty-five ton metal beasts and five of them became stuck fast in the thick mud. Nicolussi-Leck used them to provide supporting fire to the remaining, advancing tanks; they were also advancing in snow flurries, which reduced visibility considerably. Three more Panthers fell victim to the enemy defensive fire. Pausing later in the afternoon, the stuck tanks were freed by recovery vehicles, which bolstered their attacking potency. That was reduced not long after, when the advance attempts resumed.
SS-Grenadiers and a Panther tank during the attack against Kovel.
Heavy fire and soft ground reduced the force to only eight tanks. They finally reached Czerkasy in the evening and took control of it. Nicolussi-Leck increased his strength during the night, with some of the immobilized tanks being freed and sent forward, but also from captured equipment; they were now only around six to seven miles from Kovel.
Wiking Panthers in Kovel area.
The main objective of Kovel was still to be reached and that advance started the next morning, the 30th of March. At the start of the push, a radio message was sent through, ordering him not to advance and abandon the attempt. Nicolussi-Leck told his radio operator to relay a reply that he had been unable to find him. By making this decision, Nicolussi-Leck was disobeying a direct order, but also instructing one of his men to do the same thing. His rationale for doing this was that he felt the trapped soldiers and civilians’ need was too great to ignore, he therefore pushed onwards towards Kovel with his nine remaining Panther tanks. As they moved forwards, two of the lead tanks hit mines and lost their tracks.
Operations in the Kovel sector, April 1944.
They were ordered to defend where they stood, as the commander carried on with the remaining seven Panthers. Those two tanks would be subjected to fierce enemy attacks throughout the 30th of March, as Nicolussi-Leck advanced eastwards. His advance continued and just outside of Kovel, they met further enemy resistance, which was dealt with.
SS-Obersturmführer Nicolussi-Leck.
At that point, he was asked to halt the advance by the accompanying Heer infantry, something he chose to ignore; he had a clear objective in his mind and nothing was stopping him! After clearing the above enemy resistance, he came across friendly troops for the first time and at that point, knew he had succeeded in breaking the ring around Kovel.
Panther 813 of the 8.Kp / SS-Pz.Abt. 5.
At just after 08:00 hours, he finally reached the command post of SS-Gruppenführer Herbert-Otto Gille. On the route to reach his Divisional Commander, Nicolussi-Leck and his Kompanie succeeded in knocking out 16 anti-tank guns, 2 anti-aircraft guns, 2 tanks, 40 anti-tank rifles, as well as quantities of mortars and other enemy weapons. Alongside this, none of the tanks that were immobilized during the advance, were total losses; the skills of the workshops returned them to full service soon after.
Soldiers of 131.Inf.Div. and a Panther of Wiking, April 1944.
Panther ‘823’ marching along the railway line, April 1944.
His advance and decisions made along the way, which included ignoring orders, resulted in the opening of an enemy encirclement surrounding Kovel. He thereby removed another potential disaster for the Germans, at a time when they were under extreme pressure from the enemy. His accomplishments did not go unnoticed and the very next day, his Battalion Commander, Johannes Muhlenkamp, penned a recommendation for the award of the Knight’s Cross to Karl Nicolussi-Leck; that short recommendation read as follows: ‘…SS-Ostuf. Nicolussi-Leck has, on the 29.3.1944, as the leader of the 8./SS-Panzer-RegimentWiking, penetrated into Czerkasy with his Panther Kompanie, and under the most difficult of ground conditions. This was despite established and strong enemy positions occupying 8 Km West of Kovel, which destroyed numerous vehicles. On the 30.3.1944, Nicolussi-Leck made the decision to advance at 04:15 hours from Czerkasy, along the road and then the railway line from Maciejow to Kovel. During fighting against enemy tanks, Kovel was reached with 7 Panthers. He has thus brought a decisive reinforcement to the position of Kovel and on the same day, shot up 17 enemy tanks in Kovel.’
SS-Obersturmführer Nicolussi-Leck.
To this was added the thoughts of SS-Standartenführer Richter on the 2nd April: ‘…This recommendation is warmly agreed with. SS-Obersturmführer Nicolussi-Leck has, through his surprise advance with 7 Panthers, done under his own initiative, broken into Kovel. He thereby significantly strengthened the position of Kovel. He has distinguished himself through his exemplary, personal bravery.’
SS-Ostuf. Nicolussi-Leck in his turret.
SS-Gruppenfuhrer Gille added his thoughts on the 3rd of April: ‘Through the successful, independent and bold advance of SS-Obersturmführer Nicolussi-Leck, the strength of Fortress Kovel, who had been trapped for 3-weeks, was decisively reinforced. I especially agree with this proposal for the brave SS-Leader.’
SS-Ostuf. Nicolussi-Leck.
This request was approved on the 9th of April 1944. Nicolussi-Leck was very unassuming in his reaction to this award then, plus in the conversations I had with him after the war. He was focused on his task and nothing was going to stop him. He done his job, despite this being against orders, as his desire to rescue the trapped and wounded Germans in Kovel was too important – something he was prepared to sacrifice himself for, both in action and in career. He mentioned to me that his actual award arrived as part of the supply drops into the city and Gille presented it to him personally. I am not aware of any photos of this event, as the force inside was small and no photographers were on hand!
Nicolussi-Leck in his turret.
In the intervening days since he managed to get inside to Kovel, the situation for the soldiers there was far from over. The enemy managed to once again close the ring around this location, with Nicolussi-Leck’s tanks providing a much-needed strengthening role for Gille and the other defenders there. The Germans were busy moving further troops towards this location and fighting continued inside and outside the encirclement, in the opening days of April 1944. For four days, Nicolussi-Leck and his small group
of Panthers became part of the trapped troops and civilians inside Kovel. They were continuously attacked by the Soviets and losses mounted to his tank squad. In the evening of the 4th of April, Muhlenkamp led the remaining Wiking tanks into Kovel and therefore, decisively broke the enemy hold there; larger Heer forces moved into Kovel too. Together, they focused on enlarging the areas under their control and clearing out enemy strongpoints that had arisen within the confines of the city itself. They remained there until the 8th of May, when the Panzer Regiment was withdrawn from the city of Kovel and placed as armoured reserve for the LVI Pz.Korps, west of Kovel. They remained there as the major Soviet offensive opened on the 22nd of June 1944. The enemy hit Army Group Centre with a superiority in strength of five-to-one. Part of these moves by the enemy, arrived north and south of Kovel around the 7th of July.
Wiking’s Panther marching, Summer 1944.
Nicolussi-Leck and his men fought once again there. A huge enemy armoured force of an estimated 400 tanks flowed past the positions of the Wikingpanzers. They waited for the opportune moment, then opened fire. In less than one hour, over 100 enemy tanks were destroyed, with many more limping back eastwards in the relative cover of the forests nearby. The reports from Muhlenkamp were initially met with disbelief, until they were verified by a visual count of the destroyed vehicles. That blunting of the enemy attempts in this area, allowed a little respite, but for the Wiking panzer men, they were withdrawn around 175 miles north into Poland, around the Bialystok area. He continued to lead his 8.Kompanie through the battles of summer 1944, mainly around Warsaw, where they inflicted more losses on the Soviet armour, but this was not enough to reverse the tide of the war.
Nicolussi-Leck in his Panther ‘801’.
Nicolussi-Leck was wounded again in early-October, which resulted in another temporary removal from the front. He returned in December and just prior to that, had been given command of the II.Battalion, SS-Panzer Regiment 5, in mid-November 1944; bear in mind that he was still only holding the rank of SS-Obersturmführer!
Nicolussi-Leck and his Panther ‘800’ (Mooney).
SS-Ostuf. Nicolussi-Leck talking with SS-Hstuf.Fritz Hannes, Summer 1944 (Charles Trang).
On the Hungarian front
At the end of December, Wiking were ordered over 550 miles southwest towards Hungary, to help relieve the trapped troops there. They arrived west of the city and engaged enemy troops almost immediately. Within four days, they had fought to within 20 miles of Budapest, but lacked the overall strength to get any further within the enemy ring around the Hungarian capital. In the middle of the second week, they were moved 25 miles north to Estergom, to begin another relief attempt on the besieged city. Nicolussi-Leck led his Battalion as part of that overall attack and within two days, they had got within a dozen miles of Budapest. At that stage, they were moved again, this time 75 miles southwest to Veszprem, near Lake Balaton! Their next attempt was to reach Budapest from the south and that got underway during the third week of that month. That advance took them around 60 miles east to Adony on the Danube River, less than 40 miles from the centre of Budapest. These various attempts came to nothing for Wiking and they lost many good men along the way. The enemy strength was growing and they launched a major offensive at the end of January, which resulted in Wiking having to move westwards, whilst in contact with the hotly pursuing enemy! They reached an area 25 miles west of Adony, where they found temporary respite. For Karl Nicolussi-Leck, he was about to engage in another ‘legendary’ mission! A promotion to SS-Hauptsturmführer for him, took place back on on the 30th of January 1945. This Wiking Battalion commander was tasked with travelling northwards into Germany, with the mission to collect new tanks, urgently needed to replace the Wiking losses suffered in the recent heavy fighting.
The German Cross in Gold
He began that journey in March, which was the same month that he was awarded the German Cross in Gold. The recommendation for that was written bySS-Ostubaf. Fritz Darges on the 7th of January and was approved on the 10th of March; awarded for the following:
SS-Obersturmführer Nicolussi-Leck.
‘…SS-Obersturmführer Nicolussi-Leck has been a leader of the panzer-arm of the I./SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 on the 1.3.1942 as a Platoon leader, and since 1.4.43 as a commander of a Panther Kompanie. His great inner enthusiasm for the panzer-arm and his innate momentum, coupled with a selfless willingness to act, has led him to great achievements with his Panther Kompanie. In all crises, he has especially preserved himself through the selfless use of his own person and prudent leadership of theKompanie. Nicolussi-Leck is a holder of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to him on 15.4.44.
1.) On the 07.07.1944, Nicolussi-Leck’s Kompanie was deployed in a counterattack against the town of Kruhel and the hill west of it. Due to the Russian occupation of Kruhel and the elevated terrain, the infantry Division operating to the north, near Smydin, was endangered. Nicolussi-Leck’s Kompanie ran into a strong front of anti-tank guns that had been established southwest of Kruhel and initially got tied down in a firefight. Swinging out to the north, he was able to attack the flank of the anti-tank gun front in an agile push, while simultaneously tying it down from the front. At the same moment, the opponent attacked Nicolussi-Leck’s Kompanie with seven T-34s. Acting on his own decision and with relentless personal effort, while personally leading the way for the Kompanie, he attacked the enemy tanks and knocked out six. With lightening-quick action, the anti-tank guns were destroyed in the process. After this, the opponent ceased his attacks into our retreat area movements. The infantry forces operating in the Smydin area could disengage as ordered and without a flank threat.
2.) On the 23.07.1944, Nicolussi-Leck was ordered to attack and take the town of Czeremcha and Hill 181.2., north of it, employing his Kompanie without any infantry support. Securing against all sides, Nicolussi-Leck pushed towards Czeremcha through the difficult forest and swampy terrain. The enemy infantry withdrew to the north. Travelling at high speed, eight enemy tanks and assault guns pushed into Czeremcha from the east, before the town could be taken. In a series of fierce armoured duels, Nicolussi-Leck’s Kompanie destroyed two SU-85s, two T-43s and six T-34s. After all enemy tanks had been knocked out, Nicolussi-Leck pushed onto Kleszczele. Acting on his own decision and without prudent leadership, he established contact with the 4.Pz.Div. attacking from the north. Major groups of enemy forces were cut off and could be systematically destroyed in the subsequent battles.
Nicolussi-Leck in a Kubelwagen.
3.) On the 04.08.1944, in the area of Okuniew, the opponent managed to break the connection that had been established between ‘Wiking’ and the Warsaw bridgehead. The Kompanie, led by Nicolussi-Leck and some elements of an Armoured Personnel Carrier Battalion, were ordered to overcome the stubbornly resisting opponent and re-establish contact. At the first light of dawn on the 05.08.1944, Nicolussi-Leck pushed in the direction of Okuniew. Having the advantage of fog and rainy weather, Nicolussi-Leck was able to destroy an anti-tank gun front set up on the boundary of the forest near Michalow, from a short distance. In a dashing advance, he pushed into the enemy infantry to good effect. Nicolussi-Leck made it possible to free some of our elements that had been temporarily encircled in the area east of the bridgehead. In the process, three enemy tanks were captured while one T-43 and two self-propelled guns were knocked out.
4.) On the 13.10.1944, the Panzer-Aufklarungs Abteilung 5 and the I./SS-Panzer Regiment 5 were ordered, at 14:00 hours, to withdraw from the forest northwest of Nieporet, past the crossroads south of Zagrobi and, together with the I./Germania, occupy the railway embankment up to the cemetery northeast of K.-Wieliszew. Strong armour-supported enemy infantry forces had broken through towards Wieliszew, reaching the cemetery towards the northeast. Realising the danger to the entire divisional sector caused by this, SS-Obersturmführer Nicolussi-Leck regrouped and subsequently led them on a counterattack against the western boundary of the forest at K.-Wieliszew, by the
n, occupied by the Russians. In co-operation with our tanks, the opponent was forced back to the cemetery after a fierce struggle and a further breakthrough was prevented. SS-Obersturmführer Nicolussi-Leck is a model Panzer-leader. He is personally able to combine a dashing and tactical approach. He has mastered all the situations and led his Kompanie to great achievements. I consider Nicolussi-Leck to be particularly worthy of the German Cross in Gold.’
On the same document, was an additional endorsement from his Divisional Commander, SS-Standartenführer Karl Ullrich, who highlighted Nicolussi-Leck’s special bravery and capabilities; he too stated that he felt that he was especially worthy of this award. Around one week later, his former Divisional Commander and now commander of the IV.SS-Panzer Korps, (now SS-Obergruppenführer) Herbert Otto Gille, added his own endorsement to this recommendation, giving it his warmest approval; it was officially approved on the 10th of March 1945. With that added to his tunic, giving recognition of his further achievements over eight months earlier, Nicolussi-Leck’s focus was on his current orders, that of collecting the new tanks. They arrived in the first few days of April, initially in the Gutersloh area, and elements almost immediately ran into parts of the British 6th Airbourne Division. They had no vehicles at that stage, but soon acquired 13 armoured halftracks. They then made their way towards Hannover, where their arrival coincided with the arrival of strong American forces in the shape of the U.S. 84th Infantry Division and the 771st Armoured Battalion. The Wiking men took up defensive positions within the city of Hannover in agreement with the city Commandant and began to engage the enemy. They knocked out some of the enemy tanks by using Panzerfausts, one of the tanks falling victim to Nicolussi-Leck personally; an act like that would have normally earned him the single-handed tank destruction badge, but the ‘official channels’ were notably absent then!
The Axix Forces 3 Page 2