On 10 February 1945 the division arrived at the front as the situation became ever more critical. It was committed to a German counter-offensive codenamed Unternehmen “Sonnenwende” on 16 February as part of III SS-Panzerkorps, and for a month saw heavy combat around Stargard and Furstenwalde, before being pulled back across the Oder into Stettin for a brief respite. It then joined Heeresgruppe “Weichsel” as part of the Army Group Reserve.
At the end of March the divisional commander Gen Heinz Harmel, was recalled from the front for hospital treatment in Berlin. Around this time Frundsberg was ordered to move to Dresden area, but while still en route was diverted back to the front to counter a Soviet breakthrough on the Oder front.
In mid-April Frundsberg was encircled by Soviet forces near Spremberg. The division was fragmented, but despite its perilous position, orders were received from the Fuhrerhauptquartier for Frundsberg to close the gap in the German lines by immediately attacking. Harmel realized that carrying out these orders would be suicidal; he decided instead to break out the encirclement and move towards German forces massed to the south of Berlin. The break-out was achieved, but only at the cost of further fragmentation of the remnants of the division. Some did manage to reform and take up defensive positions north-west of Dresden. Harmel’s refusal to obey the insane order to attack at Spremberg led to his being ordered to report to Geneeralfeldmarschall Schorner, a fanatical Nazi, who relieved Harmel of his command. (In the circumstances this was a light punishment – at this stage in the war others had been executed for lesser “crimes”)
Under 4. Panzerarmee of Army Group Centre, the remnants of the division were led by SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Franz Roestel in the last few vain fights against the advancing Russians, but to no avail. They fell back to the Elbe, crossing near Dresden and heading south. After claiming a few Soviet T-34 tanks on 7 May the last few Panzers of the Frundsberg Division were destroyed by their own crews to avoid their capture to be used against them. The Frundsberg Division moved west to avoid capture by the Soviets, Some Frundsbergers managed to reach the relative safety of US Captors, the rest surrendered to the Red army at Teplitz-Schonau."(Gordon 37-42)
The 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg earned the reputation as one of the best units of that Germany could muster during the Second World War. Thirteen Frundsbergers were awarded the Knights Cross, including Heinz Harmel. Old comrades to this day still meet regularly, and Heinz Harmel acted as a fatherly figure to each man of his unit to ensure their welfare until his death in 2000
