Osprey, Men-at-Arms #401 The Waffen-SS (1) 1 to 5 Divisions (2003) OCR 8.12

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The Waffen-SS (1) 1. to S. Divisions

CONTENTS THE WAFFEN-SS STRUCTURE

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• l-lisLOrical background • Ranks and insignia

GORDON W1UlAMSON _ born In 1951 -..d

c:w-rently

--u 'or the Sc::ottish Land Register. He...-nt_ yea,.. wtttI the Miwt.y ~ TA and ha pubIw.d a number of t>ookII MMl ~

THE DIVISIONS: 1. SS-PANZER DIVISION LEIBSTANDARTE SS ADOLF HITLER • • • • •

on the 6eeor.uoM

of the Third AektI M\d ttlelr fK.lpMnta. He • the ....thor of a "'-"'Ib« of Wortd W.II

titIN fOI'"~.

Designations Commanders Principal clements Campaigns Special ins.ignia: collar palch - shoulder slmpscuffband - helmel insignia

2. SS-PANZER DIVISION DAS REICH • • • • •

STEPHEN ANDREW was bam

I" 1861 In Glaqow, wheN he, stili I..,.. and worltl. All e"tlrely HI'-tlught ar1l", he, worked I" ad"rtlsl",

and de,lgn

~Iea

be'ore

going freelarICel" 1993. Military hl.tory I. hi. p.nlo", a"d I" the palt few y..... he, he. establl,hed hlmHlf a. a .... peeted artl.t I" ttll. field. SInc:a 1ii7 he, has fIlllltnlt8'd _,..1 M..,..t. Ann.I tltI.. Il'ICludlng Ma"-at· Arma 305: ChIna.. CMI War Armle' '91'-49, and Hrt. . on the Genna" and ltall,"

22

Designations Commanders Principal clements Campaigns Special ins.ignia

4. SS-POLIZEI PANZERGRENADIER DIVISION • • • • •

14

Designations Commanders Principal clements Campaigns Special insignia

3. SS-PANZER DIVISION TOTENKOPF • • • • •

7

37

Designations Commanden; Principal elements Campaigns Special insignia

5. SS-PANZER DIVISION WIKING

40

• Dcsil:,TJlatiolls • Commanders • Pl;ncipal clements

• Campaigns • Special insignia

.nnlet or World War II.

THE PLATES

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INDEX

48

~ puIlIieIIed lrl GrM1 8rrtaIn II 2OD3 by 08Jn'I' PubIi.t1ong Ell.-. Court. C/IapeI eou.y. O>
Artist's Note

EtNlI:~.com

Aeadars may care to note that the original paInt~ from which the colour pial," In this t:looI< wenI prepared are ayallable lor private sale. AM ruproduclion copyright whatsoeYlIr is retained by the

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Publishers. All enqu,"" IhouId be Iddressed 10:

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THE WAFFEN-SS (1) 1. to 5. Divisions

olo. ~ .......... E/IqIlbls ohcUd

Stephllrl Andrew 81 ElIlSland. KlI1untikx:tl. Glasgow G66 2UA. SC:otland

The ~ regret lh8\ they can ental" ;mo no oomISpOOdence upon thls maner.

THE WAFFEN-SS STRUCTURE

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HERE is 1'0 SPACE in mese p.'lges for C"'en a simplified summar}' of the complex earl}' hislory of me Cennan K OAP (National Socialisl) mo\,emenl in lhe 19205 and 19305. For mc purposes of lhis texi il is sufficielll lO sa)' lhal the combal unils which had emerged by me outbreak of World War II from me O\'erall 55 political secmit}· organisation (me Schul:. StaJJdFl or 'prOlecuon squads') traced their origins to the earl)' 19205, .....hen a small bod}'gUard unil for Adolf Hiller was formed within the Nazi Part}'s mass uniformed organisation, the $A (Stllrnwbkilungnl or 'Brownshirts'),' In 1929lhe ,,:holc 55 numbered less than 300 men: by 1933 this figure had increased to some 30.000. Under the national command of Heinrich Himmler lhe 55. ",im three ball.a]ions of armed gendarmerie, prO\ided me kC)' personnel for me internal COlIp against the SA leadership carried Olll on 30Junc ]934. Thereafter the grO\\W in the size and influence of the SS in most areas of Gennan public life was massi\'e, complicated. and \irtuaJl}' unchallenged. NC"crmeless, al the Olllbreak of .....a r in 1939 lhe anned units of what were moslly then temled the 5S-''o"fiigllllgslnIPfJtt were SIill few and mi]ila.ril)' insignificant. The)' were regarded b}' the armed forces .....illl some suspicion, as a political gcndal1l1cric .....illl no true role lO play on lhe baltlefield. Earl)' comIx\! experience in the West, and pankularly in lhe firsl ),ear of lhe Russian campaign, changed that perception. leatling 10 a number of different cycles of expansion of what was now lIle WflJJtn-SS. By lale 1943 this baulc..'-proven ol'tr
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P~reMd:Ie,Ae9lment

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Del' F(J/lt'w. In thts photograph. taken In s.t. 1f43 or _rty 1944, Schllln "tilt the p .... Gothic acrIpl YfIrslon of the regimental cllf!'bllnd, {JoNf Ctulrital

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3

, Allbough itS di\"isions came under the lactic-.i1 command of the OberkOllunando der Wehmlacht in the fidd. the Waffcn..ss had its 0\'0" unique imemal (omm.mcl struclure. at the pirmacle of which sat Reichsfiihrer-5S. Ileinrich Himmler. Operduonal command of the enLire SS came uncler the auspices of the SS-Fllhnmgshauptanll. a new main office created in the sununcr of 1940 around the rime that the Waffen itself emerged [rom irs forenlllller. !.he SS-Verfugungs~uppe.

•

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Rank structure

The rank

SU"IlCLUI'C ,lOci

rank titles of the

WaJTen-5S

were

dir-eCl.l)' adapc.ed from those of the political Allgcllleine-5S.

Although the Allgemeine-SS method of displaying rd-l1k banding b}' single straps on the light shoulder only \\'as eventuall)' replaced by matched pairs o[SU':lpS in me Arm)' fashion: the old AJlgemeine-SS style of left-hand collar patches sho\\ing specific rank \\'as retained, ",il.h only minor changes. until ~Ia}' 1945, As well as the adoption of Annr-st)'le shoulder Straps, a further mO"e to emphasise the 'militarv' rather than 'politic-.tI· naUire of the WalTen-5S was marked \\'hen the original SS ranks equimlem to Ann}" generals were gi\'en a SuffLX indicating the equi\-alcm general's r.lIlk of the WafTen-SS, Thus, the oliginal rnnk of SS-Brigadcfrlhrer became in the Warren-55 SS-Bligadl'fiih11'r Iw,1 C.eneralmajor dn' WaJJtllSS. Generally speaking, in the A.rm)' and Waffen-s5 similar positions were held by soldiers with equivalem ranks. Thus a Haupunann (capL.'lln) commanding a company.sized wlit in the AnnY""ould ha\"e as his equi\-alem in a Waffen-SS unil an officer \\ith the r,mk of ssHaupLSlUrmfUhrer: and an Oberst (colonel) in the Ann}'. commanding a regiment, \\'ould ha\"e as his equi\'3Jent an ssSt.-mdanenfiihrer, llu:~: original SS ranks indiGllCd precisel}' the ire of the unit tffiu the soldier would command, .ruftixed b)' lhe lenn Flihrer or leader. thus SchOlfflhrer. SJurmfiihrer, Stunnbamnuhrer. Sta"dortfflfi1hrer. CnlP/NJlfUhrer. Ctc.

~

...

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•

•

...

...

..

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~ coUar and lett " ' - rank Ins." tor enlisted _ and NCOI. 1M former In prnaed """'tl. metal and aluminium lace. (Top row, left to right:)

ScttOtze/OIMtr$Chlibe, SW1mmann. Rott.ntGt\rer, Un~h8rfUhrer,

(s.cond rvw::} ScharfUhrar.

Obers<:hartilhrer, H3uptscharfUhrer, Stunnschartlihrer 1942·45. (Bottom rvw::J

Where regulation Waffen- S ilUignia ",'ere replaced or augmented b)' insignia unique to a particular unit or fonnation. these are reflected in the text that follo\oo'5; bUl in gencraL the rank SLrUCturc listed un Ihe panel helow \\~dS common tllroughout the Waffen-SS, It. should 'Ilso be noted that \\ithin lhe later-raiscd 'non-:'I"ordic' \'01unteer fOl1naUOllS, the milk pn:ru.:: 'SS-' was replaced by ·Wal1'en-'. Thus a French 55 \'oll.lllleer with the equh'alem rank to captain should technicall\' h3\'e been referred lO not as an 5S-HaupLSlumu"iihrer but as a U'a!Jm-lIrwplsfllrrnFuhm; In lhe case of tllC \"Mious foreign \'OluntL'Cr national Legions, the prefix 'Legions-' was used. thus ugionsHaupistunnfiihm Most oflhi~ nonsensical and unnet:es.sarycompliC".l.tion was due to Himmler's bizarre racial beliefs and the insislence lhat lhose 55 \'olullleers who were not considered raciaJl}' 'Aryan' should not be pcl11liul..'d lO use the 'SS' prefix. It "''as abo primarily for this reason lhat many foreign \"ohmlCer units \\'cre forced 10 adopt special unit coUtu· patches in place of the 55 nmes. German cadre staff in these unit~ \\'cre enthled to wenr the runcs Oll lhc left breast pocket to iJ,dicate their SUilliS as truc l11embers of tile 5S,

Oberschiitze pip, Sturm mann chft\m:ln, Rottenfilh..... chevrons,

An elrtfemely un_I and Irlternting photog~ showing an SS-Unte.-.tvnnfUhlwr undergoing tralnfnsl at an Atnl,

nt.bllshment. Whilst on a~hment, he wea,.. an Arm, bntut eagle on his SS unl1orm. Hla collar patch bea'" the nsnn and '1' of tha Deutseh/;lnd Standarte. {Gary Wood)

L.ft

colla. MInk Ins>&nla for

commisaioned ranks.. (Top, 1.1t to right:J UntefSturmtiihrer, Ober$turmf'iihrer, HauptatunnfUt\rer, Sturmbann~, (s.cond rvw:J Oberswl"lftbanntiihrer, Standartentiih . 0bertIlhrer; BrtgadefOh 19424510ruppenfOl'INf" to 1842. (Bottom row:J Obe",rupP"nfOh.... to 19421GruppenfGh,., 1942--4.5; ObergrupP"nfilh 1942--46; Obe,..tgruppenfOh 1942-45; f1.lchsfOh .......SS.

Rank Insignia

Junior NCO rdJlks, up to SS-Rouellruhrer, wore on lhe upper left 51«\'e Che\Tons manufucmred with aluminium or subdued grey silk braid (Tray) on a black, wool triangular base, The sle~'C mnk pip for SS-Olx:rschlltze (unlike the Waffen-$$ ranks & equivalents white metal collar patch pips) \\~d.S machineembroidered in siJ\'er-gre) thread on a black wool ~ circular patdl. ~ The basic nmic col1aT patch worn on the light 5S-Slunmom side consisted of a l'homboid-shaped piece of ss.utl~ bllckmm covered with black felt or badge''1thoutcorc! edgitlg, so the only absolute indic:uiOI1 of officer rank is the brr.lde indicau:d

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ShouI6et- stnps. (Top

lett to rlg/lt:J Schiitz./Oberschiitze, Untef'sc:ftarfilhrer, Scharfilhrer, OberscMrfilhrer, Haupbc:u,· fUhrer, Siurmscharfilhrer. (S4tcond roOlr.J Unt.rsturmtOhrer, ObersturmtOhrer, H8uptaturm. tOhrer, Sturmbanntohrer, Obersturmbenn1Qhrer lmedFc.l), Slandartentohre,/Oberfilhrer. (Bottom roOlr.} Brigadetohrer, Gruppentoh..r, Obergruppentoh , Oberstgruppentoh . t'I)W,

The SS national emblem. (Top, fett to rlght:) Machlne-_ en cap eagle and matching death ... tHtad, hand-embrol~ buliJon 5letwe .agle; m.chlne-_....n .Iumlnlum .1.......agl•• (Bottom:) One-pl.ee eagle and death ..·tHted for M1t-43 cap, m.chl~brold.~"'""

•

eagl.; machl...._ .......agl••

rayon

on the left·lulI1d pillCh. Collar patches for general ranks were lIsually executed all black "eh'et base rllillcriaJ. Waffen-5S shoulder straps followed the same basic foml as those of the Annr For lower ranks they were faced in black badge-cloth with either black or field-grey undersurfaces. The edge "'as piped in the appropl;ate H'ofJUlJarfH! (branch of scn;ce colour); and NC().grade Straps carried brdid inner edging - initially in alwninium wea\'e. but later in subdued grq' silk. Aluminium pips indicated specific NCO ranks. Officer candidates (enlisted ranks who had been earmarked for future officer training) carried the rank of S5-Junker. SS-Standanen· junker or SS-Standanenobeljunker. and wore the shoulder straps of SS-Ulllerscharfiihrcr. S5-Scharfiihrer and S5-Hauptseharfiihrer respeetivc!)'. ,,;th lhe addition of twO slides of aluminium braid for the first two. The appropriate NCO-rank collar patches were also \'I'Om - in the case of ssStandartenobeljunker. those of ss.HauplSCharfiihrer bllt \'lith officer's silver l\\ist cord edging. NCO candidates wore the shoulder SU
THE WAFFEN-SS DIVISIONS: 1. 55-PANZER DIVISION LEIBSTANDARTE SS ADOLF HITLER Designations 17 March 1933 8 Ma)'

10 Ma}' BJuly 3 September 8 NO"ember 13 April 1934 12 June 1939

15 July 1942 24 Nm'cmber 1942 22 October 1943

SS-Stabswache Berlin 5S-Sondel'kommando Berlin S$-Sonderkommando Zossen 5S-Sonderkonunando Juterbog Adolf Hitler Slandartc Leibstandartc Adolf Hitler Leibstandarte 55 Adolf Hitler Infalllerie Regiment (mOL) Leibsmndane 55 Adolf Hitler $S..OivUion (mot.) Leibslal1darte SS Adolf Hitler ss..Panzergrenadier Di,ision Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler I. S$-Panzer Oi\;sion Leibstand:lrte 55 Adolf Hitler

Commanders March 193~JuJy 1943 ss.cruppenfflhrcr Josef 'Sepp' Oieuich; Ju.ly 19'IJ-Aug 1944 S$-Brigadel'iihrer Theodor W'tseh; Aug 1944-Ftb 1945 BligadefUhrer Wilhelm Mahnke; Ftb-A1ay 1945 S$-Brigadefiihrer Otto Kumm

ss.

Principal elements (1944) SS-Panzergrcnadier Regiment I; SS-Panzergrcnadier RegimeIH 2; 55-Panzer Regiment I; S5-AniJlcrie Regiment I: SS-Panzeljager Ableilung I; 55-Flak Abteihmg I; S5-Sturmgeschluz Abteilung 1; SS-Panzcr.:l.Ufllanmgs Ablcilung I; S5-Panzcl' Pionier BataillOIl 1 Campaigns

1lle Leibslandarte traced its OI;gins to tlle bodygu..rd known as the SS-Stabs....·dche Berlin, fonned in March 1933 to pl'Otcct Hitler. Its official designation \\'as changed several times before, in November 1933, becoming lhe Leibsla"darle Adolf Hiller ('Adolf Hitler Lifeguard Regiment'). Unlike mosl otller units. which I'ecnlited in a specific home region, !.he regiment look ils personnel from throughout Gennany; onl), the best physicaJ candidates were accepted for this hjgh-profile uniL Special insignia - the 55 nlllcs collar patch mtllcr tllan tile unil number wom b}' A1lgemeine-SS units. tlle distinctivc Cllffi)and bearing Hitler's signature, and white leather dress belLS and aCCOllU'emelllS worn on parade - set the lLibsttmdlll1e apan from all OtllCrs. 111e unit provided honour guards 011 man)' state occ:uions, as well as pro\;ding scnuies for Hitler's new Reichskanzlei in Berlin. 1l1cir home "'as the fomler ImperiaJ Pruxsian cadet barracks at Berlin-Lichtcrfdde. Their impeccable appearance and precision drill camed them !.he somewhat derogalOry nickname of the 'Asphalt Soldiers' - good for parades, but unpfO\'en on the field of battle.

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"

Reorganised into a motorised regimenl in late 1934, the /..eibstandarle look part in t.he reoccupation of the Rhineland, the Anschluss with Austria, and the occupation of the Sudercnland and Czechoslovakia. In September \939 the Leibslandarte was put to the ultimate teSt wben ir went into battle for lhe first time during the invasion of Poland, for which il was altachcd to the AmlY's Panzerdivision Kempf. In aclion at Lodz, Warsaw and Modlin, the regiment fought \\'ell, but sust.ained over 400 casualties fending off determined auacks by Polish cavalry and infantry, which sometimes came to hand-to-hand combat.

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The West and Greece, 1940-41 In March 1940 an artillery battalion was added in

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An SS-UnterscharfOhrer from the shoulder .traps have the embroidered 'LAW cypher, and the machln.embroidered p.attem of cutfband Is worn. Note the NCO.' sllve.... grey 1tesse braid edging to his collar and shouldtil' atraps. this combat veleran wears the ribbons for the Iron era" and 1..;~t8ndarte. His

East Front 1941142 medal. as well as the Clos.e Combat Clasp.

the first of lllallY moves to increase the strength and military effectiveness of Hitler's own 'personal' regiment, a unit of ,...hich be was intensely proud. During the campaign in the West the Uihstandflrte acquitted itself well. It crossed the Yssel river ncar Zutphen, covering Ol'er 46 miles (75km) in a single day. and perfonuing with a level of enthusiasm for ballJe tl1at \\"dS to become its trademark, The LSSAH lOok part in the encirclement and seizure or Amsterdam, the unit's s.ltisfaction over this sllccessful action being somewhat dampened when Lltlb\"afJe General Kurt Student \'o"dS ShOl and wounded by Leihstondflrle soldiers who mistook him for one of the enemy. (Troops of the division are also believed to have murdered some 80 British prisoners at WonnhouL on 28 May.) In recognition of its perfonmlllcc the LSSt\H was given the honOllr of having the ·FlihrersL,ndarte'. Hitler's personal banner, as its regimental flag. In April 194] the LeibJlflndarle excelled itself in the invasion of Greece, a high point being tJu~ daring capture of the KlicH and Klissufa passes by Kurt Meyer's reconnaissance troops. In difficult terrain, Merer's troops had become pinned dm':n; he used the simple expedient of throwing hand grenades at the feet of his own men, giving them no option bUl to leap Oul from their cover and storm forward~. Russia, 1941-42

,, ,, , ,,, , ,,

•

It was, however, with the invasion of the Soviet Union inJttly 1941 that thc Leibstondarte was to be put to its greatest Lest; now a brigade JUSt under 11,000 strong, it formed pan of l-IeeresgTuppe Slid. After advancing thl'ough Cherson it caplllred Taganrog, and in NOllember, ROSLOV, where it took over 10,000 prisoners, Hcre, SS-Hauptsturmfilhrer Heinrich Springer earned the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his dal;ng seizure of the vital bridge over the River Don. As the end of tllC year drew near, however. the impetus of the advance faltered and Soviet resistance grew. Counter-allacks pUI the uihsfandarlF in danger, bUl Hitler refused to countenance a general withdrawal. Nevertheless, the 55 was forced back out of Rosto\', and into

a number of grim winter defensive engagements in the area of the Donetz Basin as the Soviets COlinter-atL1Cked in considerable strength. The Leihstandarle had greatly enhanced itJl reputation as a fir:H..d'L~s combat unit. drawing praise from Ann}' generals who had formerl}' regarded the WaiTen--5S with some disdain. The commander of m Panzcrkorps is recorded as saying of the LS5.-1H. This tndy is an elite unit.' This reputation was not achieved WitJl0Ul cost, ho\\'ever: morc than 5,200 of the brigade's soldiers had become casualties. InJllne 1942 the Leibstandarte\\~a.<;pulled from its dcfensi\'C positions along the MillS liver and moved to France, where it was greatly reinforced and re-formed as a mechanised or Panzergrenadier di\1sion. The new division SPClll some months forming up :md training before moving to occupation duties in the southern (Vichy) part of France - occupied by German)' in rctaliation for the sUIl'ender of the French Anny in NonJl Africa La the A.nglo-A.merican landings in Novcmber. DUl;ng this period Lhe Lcjbslundarle was given its own det:lchment of the new PzKpfw V1 Tiger heavy tanks. Kharkov and KurSk, 1943 In early 1943 the Leibsumdarl/!was l'ltsbed back to

the Eastern Front as Stalingrad fell and the whole milimry situation deteriorated. It fonned pan ofl SS-Panzerkorps under Paul Hausser. tasked with preventing the city of KharkO\' [rom falling to the Red Army, OuuHlmbered se\"en to one, I·husser refused to sacrifice his new corps JUSt to satisfy another of Hitler's 'no-witlldra\\"J.I' orders, and on 15 February the city was abandoned. The capture of Kharkov had left tile enemy exhausted, however, while the Germans began to rcgroup. The German counter-attack was launched on 23 Febnl,lI)', and after three weeks of bitter fighting the S0l1ets were once again thrown out of the city; O\'er 20,000 enemy troops were killed or wounded and o\'er 600 So\;et mnks destroyed. The ferocity of tile fighting had cost Ll1e L'iSAH about 4,500 killed: the fomler Red Square in the cenrre of Kharko\'was renamed 'PlalZ der Lcibstandartc' in honour of tile division. Battlefield casualties had LO be made up by a draft of former Lufl\\".llfe soldiers, much to tl1e in;bltion of the divisional commander, 'Sepp' Dieu;ch. Just as many of his best officers and NCOs ,,"ere being transfelTed to f0l111 Lhe cadre for the ncw ]2,SS-Panzer Division Hillerjugelld. Dieuich was prepaling to hand over command to nleodol" 'Teddi' Wisch, as he himself took o\'er from Hausser as corps commander, Shortly thereafter the Leih5falldarte took part in the summer oIJensive at Kursk, where it formed the spearpoint of 4, Panzerarmee. The di,~sion fielded 100 tanks, 12 of which were the impressive new Tigers. Launching its attack on 5 July. the LSSAH made good initial progress, rcaching the second line of enemy defcnces by tllC cady e\"ening of the

S5-Sturmbannfuhrer Hugo Kraas, commander of IISS·PanzergrenltCller Regiment 2, pin' a decoration to ttle breast of fellow KnIght's Cross wInner S5-Hauptsturmtilhrer Hans Becker, chief of 2 Company of Kraas' battalion. Both received ttle Knight's emss on ttle same day. (JOll8f Chantal

9

ss-Unt..-.cNrfUh..... B-.rtmann Willltmg the 'LAH' allp-on

ahouldw atnp cypheno. Although he Is an lnfanbymain .... we.,. an entittlfd gl'1K\e pe.k~ cap with b1aek piping, bol'1"OWlfd from 8 Mend In the Plo~ for the port,..lt photograph - luch caps

we,. private pun:h... lteml. On

such

~11on. It

w.. eomtnon

to welllr the tunic eollll' opened

over III Ihlrt and necktie. (Erwin Bartman")

10

first day. TIle SS troops were involved in biller hand-to-hand fighting as L11C}' cleared the enemy trenches. By 11 July the division had reached the Rh'er Psel, the lasl m~or obstacle before Kursk itself. 011 the 12th !.he tanks ofl-he 55 fOlluations clashed "ith Soviet OlJ1nOUr in a major action near Prokhon)vka. It was the first of sc\"cr.u engagcmCllls around this litLle Russian lown which buill up over a numbe.. of clap; into me biggest annoured battle in his lOry. Over 300 Gennan and 400 So\;et tanks WCfe deslro\'cd \\;thout either side gaining any decisi\c advantage; the ballie for the Kursk salienl was still in the balance. Howe\·er. nC\'o of the A.Ilied landings in Sicih' caused Hitler to cancel the offensive. The lLibstll1ldnrU \
TIlOusands of new u'oops had l'efreshed the WOITI-ollt shell of !.his premier division by june 1944, and as the AJlicd invasion troops began landing in Normandy it was vil·tuaUy at full strength once agAin. Hmvcvcr, Hiuer's insistence that the Normandy landings were: onl)' a feint resulted in the Leibstandm1P being held in reserve for fulJy 23 days after D-Day, 6 june. Al!.hough some elements ,,'elll into action earlier, the division as a whole ""'dS om cOl1uuiucd 10 I)."lltle until6july, Inserted illlo the front lines around C"len, the L$S.-\H fought in man)' desperate defensh'e balues :'Igainsl o\'erwhelming odds, in conditions of complele enemy dominance of lhe air, and onen \\ilhill reach of de\11stating AJlied naval gunfire support. It took p<"ln in the attempted counler-ofTensh'e on A\Tanches, bUI ....~.as repulsed, losing large numbers of tanks to Btitish T)phoon aircraft. By the end of August it had just managed to escape endrdemelll in lhe Falaise Pockel, bUl had lost all its ranks and aniller)' and suffered O\'er 5,000 casualties. The di\ision ....'as then wi!.hdrawn to Gennany for refilting; once ag-d.in. Ull'

replaccmcl1LS received I,'ere no longer of the quality of the lroops wilh which il began the \\~dr. TIle following rnOlllhs were spent in a frenz)' of activit),. 111 Deccmbn 194-1 the dh~sion was sep.'1r.ned into Kampfgmppen (lemporary batue btfOUps). KlIlllpfgl1l/J/H! Pf'i/N'1' had Ihe heavy (King Tiger) L."l.nk battalion, a mixc..·d battalion of PzKpn,' IVs and Pl.Kpn" V Panthers, \\ilh one baltalion of PanLergrenadierlt :'Illd artillery' suppon: !\(lmpfgnlptN &mdig had the rt.'S1 of SS-Panzergrenadier Regimelll 2: !\amPfgrufr/N HanMTI consisled of SS-Pml£ergrenadier Regiment I plus anti-tank and aniJIe'1 support; and KampfgnlP/J' K",tu[ had the reconnaissance battalion ",i!.h arollel')' and pionccr suppon. 'lleir mission was to pia\'
ss-

ss-obenturmbllnnfiih,... Richard SdlU!ze, • veteran of the L.II»~ who atso ..nred for • period as an SS adluunt 0" Htuer's staff, and w•• the commander of the' otftcer t,.I"lng school .t Bad T6b: In the- I.t••tages of the W.r. H.... h. w..... the neld-grey v....lon of the specl.1 uniform for armoured v.hlcl. e ... ws, occ.slonally also worn by P/lIU:.rgre"adl..... HIll M1943 fI.ld cap ha. a typical mhdure of lnsl9nla: a wov.n Army eagle .nd • m.tal SS cleath"-head. Oeconltlon. and awards Include both 9m•• of the Iron Cro..., the Clou Combat Cl.sp, the tnf.ntry .......utt Badp .nd the Wound Badge In sltver.

11

Hungary and Austria, 1945

In Febnl3'1' 1945 the division moved to Hungary to take pan in Operation 'Fnihlingwrwachsen', whose objecti\·cs were bOlh lO recaprure Budapest and retake the vital Hungarian oiUields. Here lhe lLibstandarle would operate as pan of 6th SS-Panzcr Army under its old divisional commander, 'Sepp' Dietrich. The spring thaw had LUmed me fOOds east of Lake Balaton into a sea of mud, and off-road !.he marsh)' terrain \\'as C\"ell \\'orse. A preliminaI)' artillery bombardment follo",'ed by a dela)' in

A lieutenant deconted wtttI the Knight" Croaa, SS-Ober·

stunnNlhrer Oeoflil Ka"-,k of the

Laibet.ndarte weill.. ." office.... "eld blou.. cart from eo...... "eld-9rey wool. HI. ai_va ••SI'. I. actually the lnalllnia from the SS venllon of the Panzer btlret or sehu~Qtz•. Aa "".. often Ihe cap, no 'LAM' monograms are wom on the shoulder atrapa.

Th. Panzer Battle Sadie Is the bronze model awarded to Panz.'lII...nadl....

12

launching lhc advance onl)' served to forev.-.nn lhe enero)'. On lhe momingofthe ;mack, 6 March. no artillery bombardmelH was pro\ided; and in a lOain attempt to maintain an e1emelll of surprise. some troops were dropped off as much as II miles (l8km) from lhe stan point oflheirattack, I~.l.\ing them alre-ddy exhausted b)' the time they got lhere. f.Libslolidartes tanks began to bog dO"'l1 almost immediatel)', some sinking as deep as lhe llIrret ring. Despite all these difficulties the men of the di\ision attacked ",ilh their CUStomary aggression. but progress "''as painfully slow: only two miles (3km) were covered on the first day. B)' II March lhe SS had taken lhe toWJU of Simomomra and Azord and were holding off detennined counterattacks. A.lthough exhausted. the)' prcsscd on and crossed the Sio Canal: and despite the slow mO\'ement of most of lhe Gennan force. the LSSAH reconnaissance battalion under Joachim Peiper actuall)' penetrated 45 miles (72km) illlo enem)' tcmlOry, almost two-thirds of the wa}' to Budapest. Any hope lhat the bulk of the German force could fight its "'~d.}' forward to support him \\~.l.S dashed by a massh'e Soviet coulller-atL.l,ck; allhough the Gennans held fast, their 1·!tmg;lnan allies disintegrated on their flank. The 55 uoops II'ere pulled back to regroup around Stllhlwcissenburg on the main route LO Vienna. Fortunately for the LeibSlflndflru, the same appalling conditions that had hampered the Gennan advance now slowed the Red Arm}'. allowing the rcmnanl5 of lhe division to make a relati\'ely orderly retreat covered by successful rearguard actions. The failure of the offensil'e, and false rumours from senior Anny commanders that the 55 m>ops had shol\'cd a lack of delcnnination, enraged Hitler. Accusing the Waffcn-$S troops of cowardice, he ordered them to remO\'e tlleir distinctive unit cuffbands as a punishment. Despite apocryphal tales of Dietrich and his officers sending back their cuflbands to Hitler in a chamber pot. tile trmh is that Dietrich simply refused to pass on lhe order. (Though such an order would ha\'e been taken as a great insult, these units had in fact already been ordered to remove lheir cuflbands as a security measure to pre'..enl So\iet intelligence identifying the units opposing them.)

During late ~'!arch 1945 isolated Kampfgmppcn from tile division were still fightillg deterntined rearguard actions while slowly retreating towards Wiener NeuSladt. By lhe beginning of April the LribSlrmdaru had been reduced to two small combat groups holding tile line between that cit)' and Vienna, where they successfu.l.ly held off sevenll pO"'erflll attacks before disengaging. By now the entire division numbered less tlmn 1.600 officers and men and just 16 tanks - less than tCD per cent of its normal strength, Gmdually forced back through Austria in the dosing weeks of lhc war. by mid-April its remnants were in the area around Mariazell. When lhc war ended on 8 May, tl105e who had sunived illuncdial.c1)' headcd west to surrender to US forces and a\'oid tile fate of less fortunate Waffen-5S troops \\'ho ,,'ere captured by the \'engeful Red .-\ml)'. Thc l.Libstfllldorle had evolved from parade troops u'eated "ith some scorn by the anned forces, to one of the mosl highl}' I'cgardcd combat fonnations GemlaJl)' possessed. G"'en its reputation for holding fast in even tile most dire straits, it W'd.S said of it lhat '[\,el"}' unjt \\'aIlLS 1..0 ha\'e lhe Leibstalldorkb)' its side. Its self-discipline. eagerness and cnlhusiasm, unshakable calm in crisis situations and sheer toughness are examples to lIS all.' Despite we tarnishing of lhe reputations of many Waffen.s5 units by atrocities, there can be no doubt that in tenns of sheer combat effectil'eness the Leibstmldarte SS .4..doIf Hitkrwas one of the besl Gennan fomlations of the \'0'3.1". A total of 52 soldiers from this division were deconted ",ith the Knighl's Cross. Special Insignia ('Allar paUli SS runes, 193H5. The I..SSAH",as lhe first unit to wear the mnes alonc. "ilh no UJlit number or otller additional insignia. Slioultkr slraps 1935-39, large. flowing. curved monogram of intemlined Icttcrs 'L\H'. 1939--45, smaller, angular l"Crsion of the abol'e, TIu:se cyphers \\"Cre machine-embroidered into the datil for cnlisted r
It Mleetioft of cuftbands wom by the U
13

L.e~

(Top,

ahoI.lkSef" ,tnlps.

/
potnted..r>d version In f1eld-grey wtlh 18",e monogram; unplped pointed-end vera'on In black wtttl I;orv- monogram; rouncMd-end ¥ef$iOn piped wlth bIKk/$i1Yet' twlat wlth a.rve monogram; wtWt.-p1ped. polnted-end ftfsion wlth _ I I monogram.. (Bottom:' Whlt..plped, -.mded....-d ~Ion wlth smell monogram;

sc\'cll-5trand melallic thread edging. the inscliplion machin~mbroider(.-d in sih'cr-grcy Lhread for enlisted ranks. and hand-cmhroidCl'cd in aluminium "ire for ofTiccn;: the thickness of the aluminium wire \.uied cOl1siderdbly. (2) A machine-woven band with the inscription wo\"en ill aluminium thread inlCgrally \,~th the baml, gcnerall)' refclTcd to as !.he 'llat-wire' type. (3) From 19-13. !.he tiLle was machine-\,'o\'cn in pale gn.")' artificial silk on a black rayon band for all ranks. by the finn of BeYo ofWuppertal. References 10 machine--embroidered titles being for enlisted ranks and hand-embroidered or flat-wire woven cxamples being for officers are an ovcr-simplification. It was far from uncommon for Neos or even junior rankers 10 wear wireembroidered titles aud for oflicel"s to \\'ear machine-embroidercd \'ersions, especially in me field. TIle dh;sional commander, 'Sepp' Dietrich, ""ore a special \'ersion of the cufiband "';th the lenering executed in gold ",;re. In fan this was a standard hase band ",;th gold wire sewn over the tOp of the original aluminium wire edbring. Helmet insignia In late 1933 helmcts worn by tht, l.nJJst(/1/(/{lrt;> had decals added. On the right side was a black shield with white edging and while runes, and on me left a tricolour shield "';Ih black/white/red bands. These were worn until earl}' 1935, when black runes on a silver shield replaced the original version. In Augusl 1935 the LSSAHadopted the standard combination of black nines on a sih'er shield combiJled \\;th a red shield bearing a white disc with a black swastika, as \\'orn throughout the 55.

wer1lme et,..p with monogram on removeble elide; NCO .tnlP with smell embroidered monogram; and NCO snp wlth white metlll

monogram. (All courtesy 0' Gary Wood collection,

Designations 10 September 1939 10 October 1939 I. April 1940 21 December 1940 May 1942 9 November 1942 22 October 1943

Panzerverband Ostpreussen SS-Verfiigungs Di\;sion (mOL) $S-Di\~sion Deutschland $S-Di,,;sion (mot.) FWch S5-Division (1lI0l.) OtiS l?Pidl SS-Panzergrcnadier Division Das Reich 2. SS-Panzer Di\;sion Das Reich

Commanders Oct 1939-Oct 194/ SS-Obergruppenffi.h~rPaul Hausser, Oct-Dec /941 SS-Obcrgruppellfiihrer Wilhdm Binrich; Dtc 1941-Apr 1942 5S-Obcrgnlppenfiihrer Matthias Kleinheisterkamp; Apr 1942-Feb 1943 5S-Obergruppenfllhrer Georg Keppler: Feb-March 1943 SS-Brig-ddefllhrer Herbert-El1lst Vahl: March 1943 5S-OberfUhrer Kurt Brasack; March-Oct 1943 SS-Obcrgruppenffihrer Walter Krflger: Oct 1943-JlI.ly 1944 SS-Oberffihrer Heinz Lammerding:]uly 1944 5S-Slandartenfiihrer Christian TY5Chen; JUIJ-OcI /944 SS-Brigadefiihrer Ono Baum; Ocl

,. .

2. 55-PANZER DIVISION DAS REICH

---_._---

.........

~

1944-Jan 19-15 S~berfijhrer I-fdnz Lammcrding: Jll" 1945 S5StandartenfUhrer Karl Kreutz: Jan-March /945 SS-Gnlppenfllhrer Werner OSlendor£f: March-llpr 1945 S5-SlandarlenfUhrer Rudolf Lehmann: Apr-.Hay 1945 5S-Sldndartenffihrer Karl Kreutz

Principal elements (1944) S5-Panzergrenadier Rcgirnenl 3 lJtlltschlalld; SS-Panzel'grenadicl' Regiment 4 lXr Fiilll1!T; SS-Panzer Regiment 2; SS-Pam.cljager Abteilullg 2: S5-Sturmgeschuu Abtcilung 2: ss.Panzcr Anilleric Regiment 2: SS-nak Ablcilung 2: SS-Panzer AufkHirullgs AbleHung 2: $S-Panzcr Pionier R:naillon 2. Campaigns

TIllS di\ision olibrinalcd from the combining of the existing ss-vr Regimcl1Is lklltschlrmd, CenlUmia and VI'" Hihrl'Twilh the ~appers and signallers of the SS-PionierstUl1nh;lI1n and lhe SS-NachrichtenSlunnbann. The $&VT or ss.l~fijgtmgJll1lppe was created in ~1:lrch 1935 from pre...;ous unilS of$S-Politische Bel'eitsehaften. and the first of me $S-VT regiments (designated S1.1.ndanen at mat time). DeuLvhlnnd. was fonned in Munich in September of thal )'car. One rear laler a second rebrimcnt, (mnanifl, was founded in HambUl'g; and following the Anschlu.ss \'>'ith Austria a third. On' Fiik,"f'T. was created in Vienna. The various SS-VT uniL'~. with the exception of Dt:r Filhrer, which was ~till forming. sen'cd during the Polish campaign under Ann)' command. The Dn.dKhland regimem \\'as allached to the Anny's Panzer Di\ision Kempf, part of Hecr(:sgnlppe .-\ slTiking south into Poland £rom East Prussia, whilsi Gnlnama was allOC'.ued to Heeresgnlppc B in me south. Dnllschland acquined itself well during attacks on me Polish defensi\'e positions of the 1o.'!lav
... .-ty pra-war photoslraph of e rnembef of SS-S~rte

Der FOhtw. Note tM b1.cloJsllVet' twfst piping to ooIler end

u..

,I\ould'" 'lJ"1lp$, i1nd the numeral '3' ,head of the Nn" on his light colin patch. (JoNf Chcllitll)

The West and Yugoslavia, 1940-41

The new fomlation auacked through Holland 10 link up with pardtroopers who had dropped at Rotterdam. AJthough the various ss..vr ullits had been formed into a division, during this initial Sl3ge of me

15

COllar ~t~,," wom wfttlln the $$. v.rtOfIunpdmsion, f_runner of 0.. R.1cII; all ha¥e bladrJllfoHr twI.t coni ~Ing. (Top;J 5S-Plonlwstulmbann, 5S-Standarta Der FOhrw; (Bottom:, 5S-HflChrkht_ sturmbann, 5S-Stwldarte ~ . (Col_ Ntehft: courtesy Gary Wood coUectlon)

Members of the SS alenal. ~ttaJlon; not. the .arty ss-vr .tyle hid eap'. Un60tr matlnlfl· eatlon • lightnIng bolt ('Blitz, I. vI.lble right 01 tIM ruMS on the ~ollar

'SS·N.chrlcht.n,tunnNnn'. Note th.1 _ unHk. Army troop, - the)' we.r coll.r patch•• on the greatco.at. (Jo..' Ch.rlta)

i

•

I • •

:

Ntch. The cuff title ..

,.

Wts/feldzugindividual units were once ag-.un allocaLCd to support \-ariOllS Anny units. It was the Da Fiihrer Regiment thm led the invasion force, stol111ing across the River Yssel despite the DLIlch ha\ing blown the bridge, establishing a bridgehead and capturing the to\'>'11 of Westervoort. The regimelll advanced more than 60 miles (IOOkm) in JUSt one day. Other units f.tccd much tougher resistance, bm al!.hough suITeling serious casualties !.he)' still succeeded in overcoming enemy fonifications protecting the r-.leuse..\\'aal Canal. fH:r Fii.hTl':fcontinued to impress with its first
under SS-I-Iallplslunnfllhrer Fritz Klingenberg. mounted a patrol illlo Belgrade and, fen)ing ulcir mOLOrcyclcs m'er lhe Danube in a commandeered motor boat, drove light illlo the celllre of the Yugoslav capitol!' AJong \,~th tile Gelman military altache in the cit)', K1ingcnberg bluffed tile mayor uHO surrendering by claiming to be the commander of a huge military force a\,-aiting his orders just outside the city. ready to call in an air bombardment before launching an attack. Caplain Klingenberg \\<15 re....'arded tw Hitler \\ith the Knight's Cross for this audacious achie,·emellt. Russia, 1941-42

On 22June 19-1ltl1e Reich Dhision fonned pan of Heeresgruppe ~Iitle. under Gcneralfeldmarschall \'on Bock. during Ihe ill\
SS·HauptstunnfUhrer Karl Ullrich, wearing the collar patch and cuffband of thfJ SS·Pionier· ,tunnbllnn - _ Plat. D3. Ullrich

went on to serv. with distinction In the Toten/ropf DJvlllon. (Josef Ch.rita)

17

the enemy attacks Anall)' began to case. Il ....'aS then allowed sollle much needed rest before, in June, being .....ithdrav.·n from the front and returned to Cemlanr for rebuilding as a Panzergrcnadier division. From August 1942 ulltillate January 1943 the division was posted to France on occupation duties, and took part in the occupation of Vichy France that winter.

Felix StellWf". tat... commend..- of the Wltfnsf OlvlsJon, _ here ..

an 5S-0berf0h,.... an... the _etd of the KnJght's Cross durlng the Westf-'dzug, on 15 August 1MO.

At this tlme he wu comll'lal'ldetof S$-lnfanterie--Reglment (mot.J OeubchIvrd; note the pre-wer Ityfe Oothi<: sertpt eufftitie.

{Josef CharfUl)

18

The Eastern Front, 1943 In January' 1943 the ne"'I)' retitled Das Rn€h Dhision returned to the Eastern Front, .....here it .....as thrown into hea\')' fighting in the defence of Kharkov. Haus.scr·s withdrawal from the city (see above under LSSAFfJ enraged Hitler; but just one week later the 55 dhisions Das Rrich. lLimtandartl! and Tolenlropf smashed their v.'
~o\'ember. fi)' the end of 1943 Das Reich had once more been reduced 1.0 Kampfgruppe stams. Elements of the division ,,'ere withdrawn to France for resl and refilling: and b)' late April 1944 the last units had arrived from the EaSlern Front.

•

'

I

4. •

nodi

IV. II lit to t

.ekil.mpfe in dar

t be! fiew

The Western Front, 1944 .LIl .9.41 Schlacl:t 1m RlUIDe oetw. During this period the division's troops .....ere lie" sometimes used ag-dinst French partisans. 2.10. - 4.10.41 Brutalized by)'ears of combat in the E..... l. they were Durc~br~h dureh die Deaain no mood lO take casualties from the maquisards, !1a-Stellung 8.10. - 13.10.41 and reprisals for German dealhs and the • Vor8~o8 tiber Gaha+sk destruction of \'ehicles .....ere oflen brutal. When 14.10.- 26.1C~4· the Allies landed in Nonnand}'on 6June 1944 the Dux ~~~oa duroh die ~08­ kauar Sehutzstellung di\uion was ordered to mO\'e to lhe frolllline from • 27.10~ - 16.1~.41 its positions near Bordeaux..;)Jong the wa)' it was Abwehrkfmpie .estl. Moskau de!a)'Cd b)' frequent acts ofsabotage and subjected 17.11. - 4.12 41 Ei!1~ahoe von Istra una SS to harassing attacks. and responded furious!)', lnetecllnogorek executing 99 o\ilians in Tulle in retaliation for the 5.12. 21.12.41 deaths of some 010 Gemla.n soldiers. The capmre Abwshrsoalacht by the Resistance ofSS-Stunnbannfiihrer Helmuth 22.12. - 3l.~2.4l Abw'ehrktlJJl¢e Kampfe. CO of the l)n- Flihrr:r Regiment'S 3rd und "'010ko1 4',StellungBattalion, was the OSlensible excuse for the 1.1.42.l.bwchrkl:imp ~ :l.."n deT destruction on 10 June of the peaceful \illage of 21.2.42 I1ntente1r del" J .. _________ 2:._.!r!~£ Oradouf-5ur4;lane near Limoges, and the murder of more than 640 ci\ilian men, women and 22.2.lngr1ffek~pfe children, by 3J'd Company of the regiment's lsI zwischen Bahn Rahew!!~~~!~ Q!!Q~2_S:._Q~!~! _ Battalion led b)' SS-Haupl.'itumlfuhrcr Kahn and the battalion commander, 5S-Srurmbannfithrer 15.".lbwehrkiitlipfe 1m 'IolgaJ~ ~T bQ6~_!!!~!!2~_~!~~~ __ OttO Dickmann.' 5 4~ endung 1111 Be1l:l8. tOn reaching lhe invasion from, Das Reich, stiU !~7~!~_J_1! S!6!~!~! _ awailing the arri\'le action., followed The dh-ision suffered badl), in the fighting againsl US forces around Sl by e .pell on OCt:upetlon du1les LO. In mid·August substantial numbers of German troops were caught in In F... ne. before retuml"9 to the Falaise Pockct, but Das Reich v.~as one of the units that broke through the Ea.t. the Canadian and Polish encirclement to prm>ide their trapped

·,I·

,

Z

,

~!:.t~-:~;~~~;i~;~g-------

2 ~ K..-.pIe _ ..-...:lily- ~ DulInal _ "'""'-' gn 10..li.ow.It . . . . _ !rom ~ _ . noll GoInnMy. 0ldIns -lot tneIr ~ 1ft IN ~ Tlooo.-Ang senttras _ _ - . _ I f t _ _0IriI0ry. _10 ~ ~ 1ft AIsa:>t~

1~""'"

,.

comrades \\'ith an escape rOllte. Das Reidl was subscqucnl1y withdrawn from lbe line for rebuilding. though many of the replacements were draflees from the Wehnnacht and a far cry from tlle quality of lhe division's oliginallroops. DfJS I?l!ich ....'as nC>1[ commiued to action during the ill-fated Ardennes offensive. Like orner German units it suffered from lack of fuel and ammunition and the need 10 move hea\1' armOllr along Iota II" unsuitable roads, The di,'ision captured key objectives at Manha)' and Cr.andlllesniJ. but its success ,,-as shon-li"ed and both towns were losl [0 American counterauack$, !)anzer ace Ernst Barl••mann raised his already impressh'c score, ho....·c'·er, adding 15 more Shermans to his \;ctory tall}' (though nine of these ....· ere simpl\' abandoned b)' their crev.'S at the approach of his lone Panther), In early January 1945 Dos /Vich was sent into resern~. Hungary, Austria and Czechoslovakia, 1945

M-., fntm ~ Ratl~nt In

OemYn'-

tr1lnslt on the

Eastem Front; *OldIe",

I'1lrtlty

enjoyed the comfort 01 pIIsse~r coach••, aenerally

being tr1lnsported In rr.'ght cars, Most of the. . soldleno we.r the economy wartlme v.....on of the field blouse wIth fleld..,...)' (:ollar. Note the M18.2 camouflaged

field cap wom by the Unterlilhre, AnwJr1er at left, hi, candidate at.tua being Identified by the aUllar brlld bar on hr. ahoulder

,trap•. (Jos.' Charllll)

20

Still nOI ret b.'lek up to full strength, the di,ision was lhro....'l into the lasl desperate attack in the East: Operation 'Spring Awakening', the thrust inlO Hungary in March 1945 in an attempt to sa\'e th.u country's \;lal oil fields. As described abo\'e under LSS.J\H, the attack stalled almost immediately in the deep mud of the spring thaw, and was halted b}' Soviet counter-altacks v.;thin JUSt ten days. Dos RLich was forced Onto the retreat,. and by April was defending ';tal bridges o\'er the Danube in Vielllla. House-lO-house fighting followed as the Red Arm}' pressed into the suburbs ohhe Ausman capital. and by 9 April Dos Reich units were concentrated around lhe Florisdorfer blidge. O\'er the next few days the remnants of the division withdrew towards Dresden, the few remaining tanks prO\iding l'earguard cover: on reaching that city, with fuel and alllllllUlition all but exhausted, lhe Panzers were destroyed. While elements of Deutschland succeeded in sUlTendering to US forces, part of the regiment was still in action around Prague, and most of lhis force were IOSl in action ag-.linst Red AlTny units and Czech panisans while tlying to fight their way westwards. Vcr Fij/m:r spent the last da}'S of the war in a mission to rescue Ccnnan civilians from Prague. Forcing his way imo lhe dty, lhe regimenL.'l1 commander, Duo Weidinger, gathered together a disparate group of ci\i.lians, female alL',;ilialic.~ and .....ounded soldiers. and led them out again lO the relath'e safcl)' of US capthity at Rokiqany in Bohemia. Most of those who went into US capti'ity sunived, bUl those who fell into SO\iet or Czech hands moslly dit..-d - either shot Out of hand, or perishing during long rears in So\iet labour canlps, A tot.-U of 72 soldiers from this di,;sion were decorated with the Knight's Cross, the largesl number of such awards 10 any 55 formation.

Special Insignia Colinr palcllt5

S5-Standartc Di!ul$cMmui: 55 runes and nUllleral 'I' SS-Standartc GemulIIi(l: 55 I'lIlles and numeral '2' 5S-Standane Der Fiihm: 55 runes and nwneral '3' ll1CSC collar palches from the S5-Vr ....'crc slill in usc as late as 1942 in some cases, although officially replaced by the basic 55 runes patch ,lisa worn b)' all other uniLS of the dhision. SIwuitier straps 5S-Srandane lHlltS('humti: TI1C original S5-Vr Standarte wore a Gothic lener 'D' on the shoulder strap, machine-embroidered in silvcr-grey for enlisted ranks, in while metal for NCOs and bronze for officers. In 1939 this cypher \\~.lS replaced b)' a Latin Icuer 'D'. tandarte Gmnan;a: Originally a Gothic leuer 'C'. replaced in 1939 b~ a Latin equi\'aleoL landane lNr F11hrr:r. TIle original SS-Vf Standane wore a C)-pher v.im intelTh;ned, sl}'lised, Oll"\'ed letters 'OF', replaced in 19391l}' Lalin leltcrs. These C)phcl'5 were ordered discontinued in 1943 bm sporadic use of them continucd lhroughout the ....'3.1'. Culfba mh Divisional troops (those \\ithoul a r~gimemal cuffband) \\'ol'e a band wim the titlc 'Oas Reich'. Introduced in Seplember 19-12. this \\'as manufuClured in machine embroidcn', hand-embroidercd bullion. and flaH.,;re woven fonns; and from L943 also in lhe anificial silk BcVo woven formaL Wartime photographs indicate the existence of a ''arianl in Gothic SCripl characters, but these are ,'cry rarc, and b}' far me m.yoril}' were in Larin script.

S5-Brigadetutww Heirq:

L8mmenling (lettt eommander of the on R~ DMslon, in c:_ _ tlon with _ of \'Us

..-glmental commander$,

ss-

Obet'sblnnbalntltuh.... Chrtstian

l\'chsen. l\'chsen, who was

killed

in Ktion In Notm8ndy on 28 July 1144, _an the black .~red c:rew unffonn with ol'l'k;er's silver <:olt.r plplng, and the dMslonat c:utfband. seer P1atlt G1, (JoN' Charttal

1Vgi/1U!"lllal: '/kutsch/and' Produced during the S5-Vr period

in GOlhic script, in machine-embroidcl'ed, hand-embroidered and flat-wire wo,"en forms, In December 1939 thc litle changed to Latin scripl, and in lhis form was produccd in machineembroidered, hand-embroidercd .md flal-wire WO\'cn forms but nOl, apparcntly, in BeVo wm'en foml. 'Genmmia' First produced in Gothic script, in machinc-cmbl'oiclered. hand-embroidcred and flat-wire wovcn fonus. In December 1939 the title changed lO Latin script: lhis new form was manufactured in machil1('''-Clllbroiticred, handembroidcred, flat-wire \\'o\'en and. from 1943, in artificial silk BcVo \,'O\'en fonnats, 'Der Fiihrtr' First produced in Ct:lthic script, in machine-embroidered, hand-cmbl'oidcred and flat-\..i re woven fonns. In December 1939 Latin script was illll'oduced, and tile new style was made in machine-embroidercd, hand-embroidcred, f1:u-\\;re woven and IkVo WO\'el1 fonns. The latter was unique among 55 cuff litles in featuring doublc quot.ltion mal'ks around the title - see the photograph on page 22,

2'

'Langnlllm:k' This regiment fonned part of the division from April 1942 unul its name was bestowed on t.he 27th SS-Frciwilligen Grenadier Division in May 1943. The cufTlitie was manufactured in machineembroidered. hand-embroidered and Oat-wire woven formats, all in basic Latin scripl.

3. 55-PANZER DIVISION TOTENKOPF Designations 16 October 1939 SS-Totenkopf Division 9 November 1942 SS-Panzergrcnadier Di'ision Totellkopf 22 November 1943 3. $S-Panzcr Division Totenkopf Commanders N(JlJ 1939-July 1941 SS-Obcrgruppenfiihrcr Theodor Eide; July J 941 SS-Obergruppcnfi"lhrer ~htrhias Kleinheisterkamp; Jul)'-StfJt 1941 SS-OberbTJ"llppenfUhrer Georg Keppler; Sept 1941-Feb 1943 SS-Obergruppenfi"lhrer Theodor Eide; Feb-AIJr 1943 SS-ObergruppenfUhrer Hermann Priess; AIJr 1943 SS-Brigadefi"i1uer Heim Lammerding; May-Ocl 1943 SS-Gruppenfuhrer ~bx Simon; Oct 1943-June 1944 55Obergruppenfiihrer l-Iel1llann Priess; JUIlt! 1944-Ma)' 1945 SS-Brigadefiihrer Helmulh Beckcr Principal elements (1944) A selection of the marry cuftband variants wom within the DB. Reich Division. (Top to bottom:) Machine-woven in aluminium wire; BeVo-woven In rayon; Gothic ser1pt machineembroidered, and latin ...ripl aluminium wire-woven Deutschland; Gothic aluminium wire-wollen, and latIn machine-

embroidered Germanla; Gothic

alumInium wire-woYen, and BeVo-woven latin script ~Der Fahrer"; machine-embroldered La"f/Omarck.

22

SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 5 Thule; SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 6 Tlu:odm' Eicke; 55-Panzer Regimcnt 3; SS-PanzcJjager AbteiJung 3; SSSmnngeschutz Abteilung 3; SS-Panzcr Anillerie Regimelll 3; 5S-Flak Abteilung 3; SS-Panzer AulkHinll1gs Abteilung 3; SS-Pan1.er Pionier B,uailJon 3. The llnit SS-Heimwehr Dmuigwas also incorporated into lhe TotellhopfDivi5ion at lhe start of the war. Campaigns

The Ti>tenkopf Division had its origins in the highly unsavoury units fornled to guard the concent.ration camps, the SS-TotenJlOlifstandllrien ('55 Dealh's-Head Regiments'), after control of the camps passed from lhe SA to the 55 in 1934. Head oflhe Concent.ration Camps Inspectorate was the equally unsavOUI1' TIlcodor Eicke. Regiments were raised and located at several camps: 5tandarte I 0berlJ0.)'e'm at Dachau, Slandane II Br(mdenburgat Oranienburg, Slandarte III Thiin'llgenal Buchenwald, and St."mdane rv Ostmark al Mauthausell. The various SS-7otrnkopfelements were collectively termed the SS- TotenJwp.fverbiillde or SS-TV. The SS-Totenkopfverbiinde were considcred inferior to the SSVerfii.glmgstnlppe. Service in lhc lauer counted tOwards an individual's liability for military service, whereas the fanner did not. Eicke had great ambitions for his Totenkopftroops, however; he grdduallyweeded om me pooresl elements and improved lheir military capabilities, although their low priorilY as basically imemal security personnel condemned them to second-rate equipment and obsolele or captured weapons. On the outbreak of ....' aI 5tandarlcn Obmayern, Thiiringen and Brandenburg were sent into Poland to subjugate any resistance. This generally consisted of assisting the notorious SD Einsatzgruppen in

rounding up Jews and other 'undesirables' behind the Iincs. In the area around Bydgoslcl, clements of Bramkllbwgalone executed 800 'suspect' Poles m·er jusl two days. The appalling behaviour of Totenkopfunits in Poland provoked vociferous complaints by lhe Army, all of which were bmshed aside. In November 1939 Hitler finally aUlhOlised combining the various Totellkopfregiments to fonn a third 55 division. Problems with discipline were still rife, despite Eicke's brutal response to disobedience or insubordination. Training continued during the first monlhs of 1940, although the new SS- TotenkopfDivision wa.~ desper.l.lely short of vehicles and heavy equipment - so much so thal Eicke had to beg, borrow and literally sleal the nccessaJy means lO bring his units lip to srrength. The division was fmally assigned to 2nd Army for the impending campaign in tlle Wesl.

The West, 1940 On the opening of the offensive on 10 May, to Eicke's disguSl. JOU'I/hopf \vas held in reserve, only being committed to action one week laler. It. advanced lhJ'Ough southern Holland, Belgium and into France where, in action north-easl of Cambrai, the division took m·cr 16,000 enemy prisoners. Its dubious reputation was worsened by the execution of capmred French Moroccan troops, considered raciaJl}' 'inferior'.

L.£FT SS·Sturmmann from the pre-war 5S-Totenkopfstandarte 1 ObertlByem. Note the black/silver twist piplr'1g to the collar and collar patchea, and the single right shoulder atrap In the same colourll. The death"head collar patch Is the vertical

."... RIGHT An SS·UnterM:har«lhrer fTom the Tohmkopl DIvision.

Note the rearward-facing ve~lon of the horl:l:ontal death's·head patch. This NCO Is a combat veteran a. evidenced by the ribbon of the Iron Cross 2nd Cia. . in hi" buttonhole.

23

r Subsequenl1}' 'IOtmJt0p/\\F,J5 ordered

10

reinforce the Gennan units Lhat

had punched lllrough 10 I.h~ (0"'151. CUlling off the British Expcditionan'

A group Of liltenkopf NCOtI .-.In In their barTllCk room; their

8ccommod.tlon Is rather '~rUn, but lnc:!lx:!" 8 radio. (GIllY Wood)

Force from the main body of lhe French ann}' 10 me south. ln rael a major Anglo-French force, inlcnl on breaking OUl of lbe cncirdemelll. smashed right into the di\-ision. The- Liglll :Ulli-uml: \\'eapons a\'aillible 10 Toff.nkotif\\·cre no match for lhe Allied tanks, and the 55 troops suffered signific:ml casualties. Eicke'~ men had (Q reson to using hea"y llrrillery pieces filing ;u the ('l1elll)' tanks o\'er open sights, ,mel only the timely arrh..11 of Sluka di\,e-bombt'l1i s..'wcd the da)~ the division had come perilously dose lO panic. The ToimJr.opJv,,:1S then tasked \,;Ih ad\'aIlcing to lhe La Bassee Canal and seeking QUi a suilable crossing point for the main bod\' of the Gcmlan advance. Eickc ignored his orders and pushed all across the canal abrainsL stiff resislance. AL this poilll HiLlcr's notorious 'halt order' was i~ued and Eickc was obliged to gh-e lip his hard-won bridgehead and \\ilhrlra\\' his Lmops. His dear disobedience of specific orders resuhed in a furiou$ reprimand from General Iloepncr, who accused him ofheing a 'butcher' who showed disregard for the livcs of his mcn. JUSI two days later Lhe ad\w.lIlce resumed, and licke h.,d LO recapture the area he hadjusL relinquished, taking hea\)' casualties in doing-so. His division faced f\lnher stiff resistance at BeLhllne ami La Paradis, "'here the British defenders IffiIde lhe 55 pay de-d.r1y for c'.cry' }
PRE-WAR BlACK SERVICE UNIFORMS ,: SS-Schiitt., t.~r.ndarllll 55 Adolf Hil1flr, 1934

2, SS-Oblllf$eharfUhre., 5S-Standart. Ofwfschland, 1934 3: SS_Hauplslurrnl(lhrer, SS-Tolenkoplstandartlll Oberba~, '936

Russia, 1941-42: Leningrad and Demjansk

For the ill\
(ctmlirllU'ri on pa~ ))j

•

A

TRAINING. 1934-37 1: ss..Schlitze, 1~ 2:

ss-oo.rscnarfillvW. SS-S-'n
3; SS-Unt.,.turmfiitlref,

bfl»t4ndart, SS Adolf HitJer, 1937

B

THE LEIBSTANDAATE AT WAR 1: S5-SchOtz., 1940 2: 5S-SchOtt., P.~ersplhzug.1940 3: SS-Sctt.rfilhref, ss.Stunngnchlitz Abteilung 1, '943

SS-TOTENKOPF DMSION, 1940-43 1: S5-OberscharfUhntr, Feldgendilrmerie, 1940 2: SS-StunnbannfQhrer of Infantry, tale 1941 3: S5-Sturmmann of Infantry, 1942

4: S5-AottenfOhrer, SS-PanzergreNldlar Regt 6, lata 1943

3

SS-VERFOGUNGS DIVISION, 1940 1: SS-Unlerscharfiil\ret". SS-$tandarte OeutsehlatKJ 2; SS-SchflU:e,

SS-Standart. German;' 3: S$-H.uptatOrmfiitvw. SS-~tum'lbann

D

2 2

• E

PaUZEI DIVISION, 194Q....44 ,: ss.Obene~. of artillery, 1~ 2: SS-8rigadeffihl1or, 11142-44 3: S5-Rottanfiihrer, Greece, 1943

ARMOURED PERSONNEL

'942_

1: S$-Hauptsbll'TnfClh...-, 5S-Panzer Regiment 2 2: 5S-HauptscharlUtw.r, SS-Panzlll' Regiment 5 3: SS-UnterschartUhrw,

...

SS-Pal'lur Regiment 1,

,

• : SS-Sturmmann, SS-PanzllH'

Regiment 3

3

F

• Q

r WINTER UNIFORMS, 1943--45 1: SS·Unt.,..turmfUh,er, 5. SS-Panzel'" Division 'Wiklng'

2: 55·SchUtze, 3. SS-Pame,grenadJe.r Division 'TQt~kopr

3: SS-Sturmmann

3

H

,

attached to IV Panzcrgrllppe. It advanced in the second wave lhl'Ough Lithuania and Lan;ia, mopping up resistance; and ...."as involved in heavy combat against the defences of the Stalin Line. where Eicke \\'as wounded when his field car went over a mine. TotenkopJ met unexpcCledly fiel'ce resistance and suffered significant casualties. Despite this hea\! fighting. ho",,'c\,cr, the di\'ision's officer losses in o\'er a month of lighting \,'ere 82, as opposed to 300 in JUSt len da}'S in Fmnce. It had also L.1.kcn a greater number of pllsoncrs in this short period that it had in the whole of the WestfeJdzug. Clearly Totrnkopfhad learned some lessons from iu earlier mislakes. During August th(: division was invoh'ed in '-er)' hea,)' fighting on the approaches to Leningrad, and particularly along the Lliga defence line. The Sm'iet :Hlh Arm)' was annihilated, but ToUnlwpf ~uffered o,'er 4,000 casualties. In latc Sepu~mber the division bore the bnmt of a massive Smiet coumer-auad: at Llishno. where its forces were thinly spread over a 15-mile front; the attacks were c\'cllLuall)' repulsed, lea\;ng Totl'tlJwpfbauered but \;CtOriOllS. During these actions SS-Swrmmanll Fritz Christen earned himself one of the most richly desen'ed Knight'S Crosses to be a....oarded to a soldier of the WafTen-S . Christen's anti-tank unit was decimated by enemy attacks, and he manned his gun alone for thre(: full days after the rest of his crew were killed. When relieftH>Ops an;\'ed tll<'1' found Christen alone, surrounded b)' about a hundred enemy c0'l)ses and 13 destro)'ed Sm;et tanks, Chiistcil received his award personally from Hitlcr, a r,u'c honour for such a junior rank. As the steam began 10 run out of the C.ennan advance the division, now severel)' wcakened, was obliged to dig in and by the end of 1941 ",'as fully on the defensive. During this peliod mallY of its troops were involved in anti-partisan oper.llions during which no quaner' \V'.,tS givcn or cxpected. Gradual combat aurition had now reduced Tote/lkop! to around 50 pCI' cent strcIlgtl1, In January 1942 To/mhO/if came under attack whell the Soviets laullched a mqjor coul1ter-ofTensh'e that smashed its way through the Army units on the di\~sion's flanks, There followed one of tllC great hattles of the Eastern Front, with which the di\ision .....ould thereafter alwa),s be connected, Totenhopfbecame encircled with a number of Ann)' units around tile town of Demjansk; greatly outnumbered. tile Gel'man units held 011 tcnaciously. The Illuch-",'cakcllcd TO/n1kojJf was divided into tWO Kampfgruppen and, after Himmler's personal intcrvention, was reinforced b)' air ....ilh JUSt 400 replacements; this assistance was as much for ps)'chological as physical efIecL By late t\larch 19-12 dh;sional casllahj(:S stood at juSt under 13,000, and II of its members had been award(:d the Knight'S Cross for gallanrry.

All SS-RottentOt".,... from SS-Helmwelw OtInzJg, Thls home def...c. unit wore the death ..~ac1 collar patch, and served wtth the Totenkopl Division during the Polish umpaign, It was sublequentl)l abllOrbed into tIM dlvl.lon" Totenkopf Infanterle Regiment 3. (Josef Charltal

33

In April 1942 a Gcnnan attack forced a narrow relief corridor through to me besieged troops in the Demjansk PockeL The nomlal establishment of a full strength infant!)' division ....-as arOllnd 17,000 men; the total combined strength of the six divisions men al Demjansk.. under overall command ofss.0bergruppenfUhrer Eicke. stood at juSt 14,000. Although the encirclement had been broken, the ferocity of the fighting was unabated. and br August Totnl/fiJPFs dhisional strength was down to JUSt o\'er 2.700 men. In November 1942 lhe di,ision was withdrawn and transferred to France for rest and refiuing. During this period it was upgraded to Lhe stmus of a Panzcrgrenadicr dhi.sioll. Ru •• la, 1943: Kursk and the Donetz B •• ln

34

7iJlell}wp!relumed to the Ea~lcm Front at the stan of 1943, in time rojoin the newly fonned I SS-Panzcrkorps. and in FebmalY was invoh"ed in a ferocious baltle alongside Vas Reid, in which the Soviet 6th Army was annihilated. On 26 February the moralc of me di\ision look a st.lious blow when Theodor Eicke was killed; me spouer plane in which he was t.rnveUing was shot dO'o'm by concent.rated small anns fire from nearby So\iet troops. ss..Panzergrenadier Regiment 6 ....'as givcn Lhe commcmordtivc honour title Thtodcr EicIrL Divisional morale was soon imprO\-ed when in ~'larch Lhe "IOk1lltopf look pan in Lhe \iCtOriOliS recdpture of Rharko'o' and Lhe annihilation of Lhe Seniet 25th Guards Rifle Di\ision. Totenlwpfs nexi major engagemem was in July 1943 ...., hen it ....' as thro....'" into the offensive at Kursk. Pan of a massive army of almost one million troops and just under 3,000 tanks. Lhe dhision prmided righl flank cO\'er In 4. Panzerdrnlce. TotI:nkOfJf made good initial progress, advancing some 12 miles (20km) inlO the southern pan of the salient and smashing the So\iet 52nd Guards Dhision; and b)' the end of Lhe se<:ond day the dhision had pcneu-ated some 20 milcs (32km) into enemy terri LOry. B}' 12 Jul), thc German speal"1lead had reached Prokhorovka, where they ran inLO huge SO\iet armoured forces T()tenkopf a10nc faced the equivalent offoUT full enelH)' divisions. and I't'"dS forced omo the defensivc, As the greatest tank b'lltle in history raged around them, TO/Ellkopf look Ilea\')' punishmcm but achieved lhcir primary objecti,"c ofsccuring the right nank oflhe allack. By lhe lime the o£lensive was discontinucd lhe di\ision had lost almost half its almour lind had suffered horrendous casualties. It had originaU), been intended Ihat all the divisions fonning I ss.. Panzerkorps should be trdnsfcrred to ital)", but a So\iet attack in the Oonen Basin saw Dos RLit:h and TotmJwpfforced back into the line, only Leibstandar"U being mO\'ed briefly to Italy. Totenkopfimmediatel)' mo\'ed south to the area around Staiino.....'here after hea\y fighting the SO\iel attack was halted. A ne $o\iet offensive was launched almost immediatelyaround Kursk, hO ·e\·er. and the di\ision .....as rushed nonh....':3.rds. Thro....'l into the line on the approaches to Kharkov, the held on for a full week under immense pressure before il .....as dccided that the city could not be saved. NC"enheless, TotnUwpJ and Dos Reich launched

TwO SS·Oberuharfilhrer from the Totenkopf Division. As both wear 'mirror Image' vertically set death"'Mada "olli.r pat"Ms, rank Is only Indluted b, their s.hol,lldar strap', "". NCO at right alao waara the double sl.ave ring. of 'Der $pI. . .', the c:.om~n, serveant rMjo..... appolnbnflnt, Alao of Interest Is his 'old ~ ftfIld Ita peak cootet'ed with ftfIld-grey doth and worn without a "hlnatrap-

".p'.

c:om~,.. the ~tion M'rVica

Rp of hOI comrade. (paul 'TUrner)

........-- .... 0PP0SIT1' """"-

Ullric:h photographed here as c:ommander of SS--Panzer.. grenadier Regiment IS 7Jleodw Eic:ke. Nole the mac:hine ",oven "ufIband bearing £ic:kfI.. name.

OPPOSITE SS·Obentunnfiihrer Erwin Mfllflrdra.., "ommander of the SturmtflsehGtz Battene of SS--Artlllerie Regiment 3. AI well a. the p","war Oberbayem skull "um.-nd, M waan a ~Ir of Yflftical d. .th"'M.cI c:ollar pat",,", but Inste.cl of a 'mllT'Ol" fmage' both skulls face ..It as vMtw.cl. lnt_tlngly, anothet-u.knowro ph
localised counter-auacks to cover the ....ithd1"3.\\':3.1 of Gcnnan forces from the area. Throughom August and September 1943 the dhision, along ....ith Das Iwh and the Anny's elite Grossdeut.schlolld Oi\ision. were used as 'fire brigades', mshed from crisis point to crisis point. The arrhtnce near Kri\'oi-Rog 10 a hall. lllis ....'as a \ira! communications, transport and supply ce:nrre for Ihe \\'ehnnacht and its loss ....· ould ha\'e been catastrophic. In Nm'embcr the dhision ....' as funher upgraded to the Starns of a Panzer division, though it ....~dS stiU relati\"el)' ....·eak. NC\'enheless. during Lhcst battles Lhc SO\iets lost O\'er 300 tanks and 5.000 prisoners. Renc....'ed SO\iet assaults sa..... ToJmkopf once again thrown into thc breach, and on 18 Nm'ember the dhisiol1 beg-dn a threeda)' battle during which they destroyed almost 250 more tanks. After a few days of quiet yct another So\iet assault ....'aS launched and once again held" Despite losses of 20 to 25 per cent of its strength in tllesc battles, TOI£llkopf once again blunted a further So\iet attack in thc area in December 1943, before being moved LO Kirovogmd. Acting once again in concert with GmtSdeUf$cMalld, tllC dhision .....as in\'oh'ed in many fiercely fought actions between Kiromgrad and the River Bug, co\-cring the \'.itlldra.....aJ of other Gennan forces. 1944: the collapse of Army Group Centre

In March 1944 ToJnlkoPf was mo\"ed once again, this time to Balta. where it pro\ided rearguard cover for the withdra.....al of Heeresgruppe B into Romania. Further defensh'e actions in Romania saw thc dhision's strength being .....o rn do\,;n; but in May it recci\'ed se\-eral thousand reinforcementS transferred in from 16. ss..P;mzergrenadier Di\ision ReichsJUhm-SS, and in June, after a brief rest and refit. the di\ision ....
Once again. the SS di\isions held the line and the So\ict offensi\'c gradually ran out of irnpelUS. After a brief respite, on 1 Januar), 1945 Totenltopf

35

callan;, but in May 1940 the left-hand insignia were replaced by the standard rank patches. Cuffbmul.5 A divisional band with the title 'Totenkopf in L:uin script \\'as introduced in 1942, and manufactured in machine-cmbroidercd. flat-wire woven and BeVo woven forms,

Tofenkopf

Regiment(ll: 'Thule' SS-Panzergrenadier Regimcnt 5 wore this title in Latin script.

Totenkopf

was throwll into action, once again with Wiking, in an abortive attempt to break the enemy encirclement of Budapest. Fierce reislance halted the 55 divisions after ten days; a renewed attack a week lawr initially made far bener progress, but enemy resistance stiffened once again. Evcmually .......... ., nJl'u . lll~or counter-attacks pushed the SS troops back to the forest of Bakony Ilcar Lake Balatoll, where they dug in. ........ ~u "n-.~ _ u • .,,__ .... March 1945 saw To/ellkQP! take part in Opemtioll 'FruhlingsenlJadwm', the last major ABOVE LEFT Selection of Gcnmm offcllsi,'c all the Eastcm Front in which Leibstandmu. Das Reich, c:uffbands worn In the Totenkopf 'lolenkofifand Hohmstallfc7I attempted La advance their hea,,)' arnlOW' over Division, (Top to bottom:) hopelessly inappropriate tcnain. Mt.er ad\~lncing around 18 miles P~warc:uffbandfor~ (30km) the division ground to a halt, and the enraged Hitler caBed ofr Totenkopfstandarte Oberbay.un; the offensive. Eoem)' counter-attacks soon drO\'e the weakened Totenlwfif machine-woven aluminium thread, mac:hil1e-embroidered, back to the very gates of Vienna. Through late March and into April the and DeVe-wovel1 ..ayol1 versions di\'ision fended o[f$oviet probing auacks, but no longer had the strength of the 'Totenkopf' cuffb
Theodor Eicke ~

Thule

or right. The bottom row shows (lett) lin officer's handembroidered aluminium wire patch, (centre) a 'mirTOr Image' pair, and (right) a machlne-wovel1 aluminium wire version,

3.

Special Insignia

Colun Im/ches TIll"Ougholll the IvaI' the dhision's units wore the death's-head as their collar patch emblem. $el'eral variants exist, with the death's-head placed either vertically or hOlizonl4tlly, the latter being introduced around May 1940. Initially, identical milTor image death's-heads were wom on bOlh

An SS-Unterscharfilhrer from the Polizei Olvision, Note the Police cap and the Army-style Utzen collar patches. Only the visible wingtip of his SS sleeve eagle at bottom right Indicates hi. membershIp of the dIvIsion,

flat-woven in aluminium wire, ''I7u()(lor Eiche' SS-Panzergrenarucr Regiment 6 wore this title in Latin script, produced only in BeVo fomlat; it was wm'en in silver-grey on black for enlisted ranks, and also in white on black, presumably for officer ranks. Tn addition to these regulation items, a number of bands from the prc,·ious Totenkopfttandflrll'lJ \\'crc ,,'am within tlle division, the most prominem being that from S5-Totenkopfstandarte Oberl)(J)'cnl, This plain black band witll woven sih'er thread edges bore a small death's-hcad emblem m
4. SS-POLIZEI PANZERGRENADIER DIVISION DcsignatiollS Polizei Division I Octobcr 1939 10 Febmary 1942 SS-Polizei Dh'ision September 1943 4. SS-Polizci Panzergrenadier Division Commanders 5et)/ 1940 GeneralleUUlant Konmd Hitschler;

Sept-Nov 1940 SS-Cl'uppenfl"lhrer Karl PfefferWildenbruch; Nml 194V-Allg 194/ S5-Gruppenfllhrer Arthur Ml"L!YCTStedt; Aug-Dec 1941 SSObergmppenflihl'er 'ValLer Kriiger; Dec 1941-Apr 1943 Generd.1oberst Alfred WUllnenberg; Aj),.-jUllll 1943 5S-Bligadefllhrer Flitz Freitag;julle-Allg 1943 SS-l3ligadcfiihrer Fritz Schmedes; AlIg-Oct 1943 So> I~rig'"
37

Principal elements (1944) SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment i; SS-Palll-ergrenadicr Rcgimenl 8: SS-Panzerjager Abteilung 4: S5-SlUl'mgcschlitz Ablcilung 4; SS-Artillerie Regimem 4; ss-nak j\blcilung 4; 5S-Panzer Aufklanmgs Abteilung 4; 5S-Pionier Bat."lillon 4 Campaigns

The I~olizei Division \\~dS formed in October 1939 b)' drafting approximatel)' 15,000 members of I.he Ordnungspolizci and attaching Army artillery and signals units_ It underwelll illlcnsh"~ training near the Black Forest until the spring of 1940; and during this period some clements of the dhision perfomled occupation duties in Poland. \\11ile all German police forces came under the authority of the SS, me fonnation \\'as nm considered to be on a par with true armed 55 di\"isions. and I.his \\
A m.mber of tn. dlvl.lon In the I,tt.r p,rt of the w.,. AU 0' the In.l,nl, now wom .re reguletlon SS pett.m. H. w.,~ tn. BeVo m-.chlne-wo"'.n 'SS·PoIlz.l· DIvision' cumltl.: the Iron Crou ribbon ,nd bl-.ck Wound Badge Indleat. thet he he. Hen combllt ..rvlce. (St.",. Brindley) RIGHT Thl. member of the

ss-

Pol"''' DIvlalon I. 'n Nil troplCIII Is_ hid d..... In e pele ~ tM eololJr siml"r to tn,t of Luftwen. tro~1 dress; not., howeYw. the IUlian '$8"-r!8IU1' styl. of the )Kk.-t _ _ PI... n. Full In.l9nlll ere _m heN, including collar pIItchn end cuffband; It wn more common on tropkel tunks to _ only the ......,. Mgt. end snould« straps dl~. (Stew Brindley)

bolsler its strengt.h. This Kampfgruppe remained in constant action on the [asl.em Front until May 1944. when il was finally disbanded.

Russia, 1941-43

38

Anotnef' NCO fTom the Pollnl Division; Ont:4l ageln the only 55 Ins$gn;" ",Isibl. . . the dl.t1ncttwl a1_ Mgt., The Pol~ pettem hid ClIp I. worn,

On 27 June 1941 !.he Polizei Ohision joined !.he Gemlilll forces massing for the im'aSion of me Smiel. Union, becoming pan of the rcscn'e of Heeresgruppe Nord. It wellt into action around Luga, losing o\'er 2,000 dead and wounded in bloody fighting lhl'ough difficult terrnin of dense (orests and mosquito-plagued s....'amps. By August !.he division, along with a number of Anny divisions, had finall)' managed to complete an encirclement of !.he SO\iet forces at Luga: lhe town was capnlred al. the cost of significam casuall.ies. the divisional commander SS-GruppenfUhrer Arthur Mlilverstedl being one of those killcd in anion. In January 1942 the dhision MlS deployed along the Wolchow ri\"er, and the follo\\ing month it was officially made part of the Waffen-5S, changing its Polizei insignia for regulation Waffcn-SS insignia thereafter. Between January and March the SS-Polizci Oi\isiol1 saw fie.rce fighting thal resulted in the defeat of lhe Soviet 2nd Shock Ann),. Thc remainder of 1942 \...-as spent on the Lenillbrrdd fronl. The division was beginning to gain a reputation for ,·cliability, though it had by no means ach.ie\·ed clil.e StatllS; but combat aurition saw the fonnation's strength stcad.il}' whittlcd down. In January 1943 I.he di\;sion came under So\iet attacks around the soul.h of Lake Ladog-a.; the encJ1l)' e\'cntually broke through I.he Gennan defence lines in Febn13ry. and forced the SS troops 10 retreat westwards to new dcfence positions at Kolpino. These .....ere successfully held, but losses. had bcen scvere; at I.his point elements of the di\ision .....ere \\;l.hdrd\lll to Silesia as the nucleus for a rc--fOnlled Panzcrgrenadier di\ision. while I.he remainder were fomlcd illl.o a smaller Kampfgruppe. Dllring I.he following month I.he DUI.c.h H)lunteers of the Frei....illigen Legion Nied~rlande were assigned 10

The Balkans and the Eastern Front, 1943-45

In May 1943 !.he SS-Polizci Panzergrenadier Dhision was sent to I.he Memben of the Polq" DiYlsion durinll tn. 111040 CIImpeign In F...ne.; much of tn" division.. transport ...m.lrMtd horse d ...wn until It we. upg ...ded to e Pilrq:.fIlrenedl.r dlvl.lon. Th. SS-Oberseh.rlOhr.r .t right w•• ~ the .1. .",. ring. of 'Der Spl•••'.

Balkans. \.;here elements lOok part in anti-partisan operations in non.hem Greece during I.he summcr and autumn of lhat year. Troops from !.he division were recorded b}' \\;tnesses from I.he Geheime Feld Polizei to have been im'olved in au"ocities against chilians in me K1issura region during !.his period. The division remained in Greece until July/August 1944, before going back imo the line to face the advancing Red Almy. The division joined other German units reinforcing the soulhern seClOr' of I.he from around Belgrade, Yugoslavia. It once a~il1 suffered heavy losses. and by September 1944 was down to around half its strength. Thc division was pushed back into Slovakia in.lanllary 1945, from where it wa<; lr.UlsfCITed north into Pomerania and then on to Oam-ig. During I.hcre final defensi\·e battles it did successfully hold back the Red Anny al. Turnu Se\'erin, thus allowing I.he Army's 1. Gebirgs Division to escape destruction. Caught in I.he encirclement of Danz.ig. I.he division was fonunal.e to be e\'acuated by sea 1.0 S\\incmUnde. After a brief period of rest near Steuin. the remnanlS of the di\ision foughl. their wa}' over I.he Elbc 10 sun·endcr to US forces at Wiuenberg-Lenzen.

3.

Cuffbands of the Pollul OMslon, (Top to bottom:) The flrst pattern with machine-woven Police emblem; mllchlne-woven aluminium wire; ma<:hlneembroidered, BeVa machinewoven rayon.

The 5S-Polizei Di\'ision was never an elite force: but from its origins as, effectively. a second-rate rescrve unil, it malUred illlO a reasonably effectivc fighting di\ision. A tOtal of 19 soldiers of the Policc Division were decorated with the Knight's Cross.

Commanders Dec I94O-May 1943 S5-0bcrgmppen-fUhrer FelLx Sterner; May 1943-Aug 1944 SS-ObergmppenfUhrer Herbert Gille: Aug 1944 S$-Obertllhrer Dr Eduard Deisenhofer; Aug-Oct 1944 SS-StandarLenfuhrer Johannes Muhlenkamp; (kt I944-Ma)' 1945SS-Obcl-fllhrer Karl Ullrich.

Special insignia

BELOW Hert>ert Otto Gille hi seen here as an SS-GruppenfUhrer llnd commander of 5. SS-Paozet' Division Willing. Of partkYllIr Interest is the Gothic sc:ript yenllon of the divisional cuffband, long believed to be unique to Gille. but In fact worn by a few other Individuals of various ranks, (Josef Ct\arb)

Gollar ptlfches Prior to 1942 lhc Polizei Di\ision uscd Anu}'-style Lilum collar patches in silver-grey artificial silk on a Police green backing with light green 'lighlS' down the centre of each bar of thc lace. General officers also .....ore Ann}' pattel1l collar insignia, but executed in gold wire all a green rather than Army red backing. In 1942 these Police insignia were replaced by the standard 5S JUnes and rank insignia. In that year special collar insignia for gcneral officers within the Polil:ei were introduced, based on those worn by generals of the SS but with the varying combinations of oakleavcs and pips embroidered in gold wire 011 green, .-ather man sil\'eron black. It is belie\'ed, howe\'er, that the use of such insignia \\~thin this di\ision \....as minimat and mat general oHicers predominantly wore standard 55 insignia.

Sholllder straps and sleeve eag'e.~ The:: shoulder straps and left slceve eagle used were of the regulation 55 pattern, with the exception of genera.! officers, whose straps were OIiginally workcd onto a green base, bUI later changed to the pale grey underlay of S5 generals. Cllffbands A cuflband is reponed to have becn made and issued in limited lltllllbers in the slandard so-<:aJled 'RZM pattern', with thc motif of the Polizei eagle contained within a wreath of oakleaves. From 1942 the title 'SS-Polizei-Division' was manufactured in lhree sryles: machincembroidered in sih'cr-gre)' thread, machine-wO\'en in flat aluminium wire. and machine-wo\'en in BcVo formal. All of these patterns were \\ide1y llsed within tlle ditision. DIII!'r insignia It was common in the early part of the war for Polizei pauel11 headgcar to be worn, or 55 headgcar with Polizei pancl11 insignia. This included the use of tlte steel helmet with PoJizei rathcr than SS decal insignia.

5. 55-PANZER DIVISION WIKING

40

Gille photographed when an SS-Oberfiihrer and commllnder of the artillery regiment of the Wlklng DIvIsion. Note the unusual use of paired runic collar patches; this combination Is only rarely seen in wartime photos. (Josef Charita)

Designations ? I Dccembel- ]940 20 Dccember 1940 9 NO\"cmber 1942 FebJUary 1944

Nordischc Division Nr, 5 5S-Dhision Cern/mlin (mot.) 5s.Di\'isioll Wikillg SS-Panzergrcnadier Division Wikillg 5. SS-Panzer Di\ision Wiking

This photo shows Gille with an SS-UntersturmfOhrer of the dMslonal staff, and proYldes a ;ood comparison between Gille's Gothic Krlpt cl1fftl.nd .nd the re;ul.r latin script yerslon wom by the lieutenant. Note the neec:e-lined pllrtla wom by the officer behind them - see Plate H2. (Josef Charit.).

Principal clements (1944) SS-Panzergrenadier Rebriment 9 Omllania; SS-Panzcrgrenadier Regiment 10 We:stltl1ld; SS-Panzer Regiment 5; SS-PanzeIjager Abteilung 5; ssStullngeschlltz Abteilung 5; SS-Panze,' An.illerie Regiment 5; SS-F1ak Abteilung 5; S5-Panzcr Auiklanlllgs Abteilung 5: 5S-Panzer Pionier Balaillon 5. The following units also served \\~Lh the '\Viking Division at variolls datcs, but will be cO\'ered with their final parent lInits in fl..llure books in this series: SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment Nardltmd; Estnisches SSFrciwiJligcn Panzergrenadicr Balaillon Nnnlla; Finnisches Freiwilligen BataiJlon del' SS; SS-Sturmbrigade Wallollien; SS-Panzergrcnadier Regiment 23 Norge; S5-Panzergrenadier Regiment 24 Danmm'k.. Campaigns

The Wiking Dh~sion bad its origins in an order issued by Heinrich Himm1cr in September 1940 founding a division of 'Ccnnanic' \·oluntccrs from the Netherlands, Denmark and NOlW"dY and Belgian \Valloons. In order to pro\-ide an experienccd cadre for the new fonnation the Germallia Regiment was transferred from the Das Reich Division, backed by Volulllcer Regimcnts H~tland and NordwmL It was initially named SS-lnf~U1terie Division (moL) Gennania, but this inslantly caused confusion with the regimenl of the same name, and on 20 December the divisional title Wikingwas fonnall}' bestowed. Command of tllC new division was given to 55-0bergruppenfiihrcr Felix Steiner, a respected fonner Anny officer. In February 1941 the newly .-aiscd Finnish voluntecr unit Finllisches Freiwilligen Balaillon del' Waffen-5S \\'as attached to Wiking; and seveml weeks of intensive training followed at Hellberg before, in April 1941, the formation was declared ready for combat deployment. In mid-May the new dh~sion moved into westem Poland in preparation for its pan in the attack on Smiet Russia, for which it ....' as allocated to 111 Panzerkorps as pan of Heeresgruppe Sud. The Willing Di\~sion saw its first combat around Tamopo!. By AUgltsl 194 I it had reached Uman, where it participated in the massive encirclement which netted tlle Gennans over 100,000 prisoners. Operating with the Hermmlll Giin'ng Division, H/iking saw action at Korsun, and b}' 21 August \\'as across lhe River Dnieper. Transferred to XIV Panzerkorps, Wilfing advanced towards Okgablisk; but by the end of November it had beell halted by an enem}' counter-attack and forced onto the defensive on the Mius li\ter as tlle onset of winter stalled the German advance.

41

1942-43: to the Caucasus and back

I

In the New Year the division advanced from its positions along the Mius as the Genllan offensive began afresh. That summer it took pan in the deepest peneu-ations of the Russian campaign, the dlive on ROSlOV on the River Don and the attempt to secure the Caucasus oilfields. By the end of 1942 and the onset of another wimer Wiking had proven itself in combat well enough LO wan-ant upgrading to the status of Panzergrenadier division. It took up positions along Lhe Terek river, deep in the Caucasus. HoweveJ~ after the disaster at Stalingrad in January 1943 and the launch of the Soviet counter-offensive on the soulhenl front Wiking was pushed back towards Manych, and was involved in heavy defensive actions around lzym. In March 1943 a battalion of Estonian volunteers joined the division as SS-FreiwiUigen Panzergrenadier Bataillon NantJa. The division lost one of its older regiments in Mal' 1943 when Nordland was I'emoved to form the cadre for a new Panzergrenadier division of the same name. In October 1943 Wikingwas upgraded to the status of Panzer division, the first 'non-Gennan' formation to achieve this Slatus. In facl, though it did contain significant numbers of foreign 'Germanic' volunteers, the division still fielded a very large Gennan contingent. 1944-45: Cherkassy, Warsaw and Hungary

42

The Wiking Division ended 1943 in the Ukraine; and in January 1944 the division was encircled in the pocket at Cherkassy along with five other German divisions, faced by fully 35 So\;et divisions. The pocket was gradually compressed until it measured barely 38 square miles (100 square km); and eventually Hitler, somewhat unusually, was persuaded to allow a break-out attempt. It was Wiking, the only annoured di\;sion in the pocket and still well equipped, which led ti,e thnlst to the south_ Once the element of surprise had gone the Soviets launched powerful counter-attacks with hea"}' armour support. The onset of a snow-storm gave the Germans excellent cover and eventually ti,e break-out force reached ti,e last barrier to arety, a six-foot deep rivel" at Gniloi-Tilkitsch. \¥id1 no bridge and no ford, the Germans were forced to make a human chain to help non-swimmers across the fast-flowing liver. Many were swept away by the icy waters, but many more escaped to safety, thanks to the determination of both the Wikinger and the attached Walloon volunteers of Swrmbrigade Wallonien, who provided the rearguard. Of about 55,000 German troops trapped in ti,e pocket, 34,000 escaped. In March 1944 ti,e Wiking Di\;sion took part in ti,e advance through the Pripet Marshes towards Kowel, where it saw fierce combat dUling April. That month the dj\~sion lost its Estonian volunteers, who transferred en masse to the newly formed 20. WafTen-Grenadier Di\~sion

An SS-Oberstunnffihrer wears the Wildng cuffband on his black Panzer jacket. At left is SS-Standartenffihrer Johannes Muhlenkamp, commander of SS-Panzer Regiment 5. (Josef Charita)

This SS-OberstunnfUhrer from Wiking wears the aiguillettes of an adjutant with fonnal parade dress, complete with aluminium brocade belt and the S5 sword. His shoulder straps bear the divisional number '5'.

OPPOSITE Cuffbands worn within the Wiking Division. (Top to bottom:) Machine-woven aluminium 'fiat-Wire'; machlneembroidered; fBeVo-like' machine-woven rayon threadj BeVo-woven'~esUand~

machine-embroidered 'Nordland'.

del' 55. In June ]944 the di\~sion was withdrawn from the front for rest and refitting in Gelmany; but it was soon sent eastwards again, joining the German forces around Warsaw in August and helping to d"ive the Red Anny out of the City'S eastern suburbs. In December 1944 Wiking was sent south to attempt to break through to the encircled city of Budapest, but was thrown back by the Soviets and forced onto the defensive throughout January and Februal1' of 1945. March saw the di\~sion take pan in the ill-fated offensive around Lake Balaton in the atrocious mud of the spring thaw; and by the second half of the month Wiking was on the reu-eat as the Red Army launched yet another counter-attack. The division was dri\'en back into Austria, receiving a number of Hungarian troops to bolster its dwindling strength in mid-April. In May the remnants of the Wiking Division were forced to surrender to the Red AmlY in Czechoslovakia. A total of 54 soldiers from this division were decorated \I;th the Knight's Cross. Special insignia Collar palches Standard SS runes. '"Vi thin dlis division it was common, though unofficial practice for the collar patches as worn on the special uniform for aJmoured personnel to be edged \,;th WaffenfaJ'be coloured piping. A special collar patch for this division showing the prow of a Viking longship was proposed but apparently never brought into use. CuJJbands A divisional band \I;th the title 'Wiking' in Latin script was manufactured in flat-wire woven format, machine-embroidered in silver-grey thread, and machine-woven in a version termed by collectors as 'BeVolike' - resembling but not identical to the regular BeVo format. A variant was also produced in Gothic script; this was once believed to have been unique to the di\~sional commander, Herbert Otto Gille, but subsequent photographic e\~dence shows it won1 by various ranks within the di\~sion, albeit in limited numbers. Regimental: 'Germania' Older titles in Gothic script continued to be seen t.hroughout the war, though a newer form in Latin script became more prevelant. 1n 1943 a BeVo-woven arti.ficial silk variant was introduced. Westland' A Latin script title was produced in machine-embroidered, flat-wire woven and, from 1943, in BeVo woven fonnats. ~VortLland' A cufiband with Latin lettering was made in machineembroidered, flat-wire woven and. from 1943, in BeVo fonnalS.

43

THE PLATES

c:

THE LEIBSTANDARTE AT WAR

Cl: SS-Schutze, 1940 This infantry enlisted man serving with the LSSAH in Holland and France wears for field service an old 1937 fieId-gffl')' 55 tunic with slanted skR1 pockets, sUI displaying the collar cord. By this date most 01 these tunics had been modified with dark green collar facing, making them closer in appearance to the regulation Army M 1936 field blouse which was itself already in WIdespread issue to SS troops. The M1935 steel helmet and the nfIeman's belt equIpment 8Ie standard ISSUe, apart from the addition of SS decals. C2: SS-Schutze, Panzerspihzug, 1940

A: PRE-WAR BLACK SERVICE UNIFORMS

.1: 55·SChutze, Leibstandart. 55 Adolf Hitler, 1934 A private in pr&-war parade and gUiW dress. He wears the basic bIadI SBfVice uniform; ooth oolIar and coIaf patches W9Al edged with black and a1umirium twist cord lor aI enlisted ranks. and this was also used to make up the single shoulder strap. The 55 annband or Kampbinde differs from the standard Party amlband in havtng black edging. Unique features of the Leibstandarre uniform ate the nght-hand collar patch beaMg the 55 runes without any other identifying feature or number; and the cuffband bearing the title 'Adolf Hitler' in SUtterlin saipt. On panide, he wears a White leathef be/t, pouches, single cross-strap and bayonet frog. His helmet is the old M1916 style carried over from World W;u 1,

ThIS private of the regiment's armoured car reconnaissance troop wears an Amry issue black Panz8ft:JeJdeid, the special uniloml lor members of armoured vehicle CfBWS. Headgear Is the PanzerschutzrnDtze, a wool beret fftled over a packIed crash-helmet; the embroidered Insignia in white on black are of unique pattern. His jacket collar and shoulder straps are piped in the rose-pink branch colour of the Panzertruppe; the 'LAH' cyphers are machlne-embroidered in sllver-grey thread, Note that he still wears old pattern coJ(ar patches edged with black and aluminium twist cord. C3: SS-ScharfOhrer, SS-Sturmgeschutz Abtellung 1, 1943 This assaul1 gun commander wears the field-grey version of the special uniform for crews of armoured vehicles. issued to armoured units other than tanks. One unique feature 01 the Leibstandarte was that NCOs of this lM'lit were the ooIy ones authorised to wear l1aditionaJ NCO Tresse braid on the collar of this jacket. This fashion was later dropped, but rnay be seen in a number of wartime photographs. His shoulder straps are piped in the red of the artillery, and bear white metal regimental cyphers. His headgear is the Ml943 EinheitsfeldmCJtze or 'lI'IiversaJ field cap', WIth one--piece machine-woven Wlsignia... (Inset) The 'LAH' shoulder strap cypher in bronzed metal.

painted black; his weapon the Mauser Gawenr 98.

"2: SS·OberscharfLihrer, 55-Standsrt. Deutschland, 1934 He wears Ihe black service dress with Gothic script 'Deutschland' cuffband, and the Standane identifying number' l' alongside the runes OIl his right collar patch. His rank is Indicated by the two alloy pips on his left-hand collar patch. Headgear is the first version of the NCO pattern peaked 5efVice cap. In black with White piping and leathef chlnstrap; the badges are the Ml923 'chinless' death's-head and small SIZe M1929 eagle and swastika. Note the M1933 55 seMce dagger. worn with service and walking-out dress; and the Party membefYlip badge worn on his necktie. A3: SS·HauptsturmtOhrer, SS·Totenkopf. standsrte Oberbayern, 1936 This captain's offlcet-quaJity black service dress tunic /\as the coIar and ~ patches edged WIth silver- twist coro and the single right shoulder strap made of straight silver- coro. His right-hand patch bears a vertically placed death's-head. his left patch the standard SS insignia lor this rank. For walkJng-out dress he wears straight-legged trousers instead of breeches and kneeboots. His cap has offICer's double bullion chin cords; note that from 1936 the cap eagle became larger and the death's-head acquired a lower jaw. He carries the M1936 SS SeMce dagger with its new, elaborate chain suspension. His cuffband identifIeS the Upper Bavaria regimeol.

44

B: TRAINING, 1934-37 81: SS-SchOh:e, 1934 His headgear Is the Imperial-style field cap known as the Kmtschen, in black wi1h wtlite piping, worn with the first pattern small eagle and chinless skull. He wears the single-breasted herringbone !wi" (Dri"ich) fatigue jacket with matching trousers; these were produced in a number of shades from off-wtlile to 'cement grey'. The jacket has only skirt pockets and is worn without insignia. Undergoing weapons training with the Maus« Kar 98k. he wears ooIy belt order with black leather pouches. Officers and NCOs wore driltunics cut like their service unifoml. with aI insignia, and in conJUnction WIth black caps and breeches. 82: ss.Oberscharfiihrer, ss.Standarte GennsniB, 1936 The i'Istructing NCO wears the ss-vrs new 'eaIth-grey' (efdgrau) seMoe riorm. offiaalty inlrtlduced from November 1935, In its earty form. II stiI featlnS the single righi-hand

This young 5S-Um.r$CharlUhrer served with ~ F1.k AbtellurtSl of ~ 0.. Reich Divtsion, although no untt Insignia .re vlslble MnI. A vete...n of the IOBstem Front, he . . .,. the r1bbo". of the Iron Cross 2nd CI nd WInter 1141 E..t Front Medal, the Iron Cro.. 1st CI Genenll Aneutt Badge, Army FI.k B&dge .nd Wound B.dge In silver, shoulder strap of mixed black and aluminium cord In A1lgemein&-SS style; he no longer W6lmi the SS armband but has not yet had the eagle sleeve insignia added, His cap shows a common mixture of insignia, the oId-sl)'le small eagle but with the later full-chin skull. His Standarte number '2' is shown nex1to the runes on his right collar patch, and the regimental title Is displayed on his cuffband in Gothic script. 83: SS·Untersturmfuhrer, Leibstllndarte S5 Adolf Hitler, 1937 This second lieutenant wears the 8a11iest style of fieId..grey (fekigrav) unifoon, inlnXluced in that year, h is of a light shade. of the same cut as the earth.grey tunic, with slanted Iowet pockets. A hand-ernbroidered aluminium wire eagle and swastika naliooal emblem is now worn on the upper left sleeve. His rank is also now indicated by Army-st)'le matt aluminium braid shouIdef straps WIth bronzed 'lAH' regimental cyphers.

D: SS.YERFOGUNGS DIVISION, 1840 D1: SS·Unterscharfuhrer, SS-Standarte Deutschland This seasoned NCO /\as seen combat during the 1939 Polish campaign and, having been wounded In ac1ion, wears the black INound Badge on his left breast pocket and the ribbon of the Iron Cross 200 Class In his buttonhole. The old style pre-war collar patch wlth regimental number '1' is still being worn, and his shoulder straps bear a machine-embroidered Gothic '0'. Although a latin script version 01 the cuflband was introduced in 1939, this old Gothic style continued in use Ioog afterwards. His helmet features the first pattern camouflaged cover, As a squad leader he has added binoculars and a mapcase to his rifleman's equipment. D2: SS-Schutze, SS-Standarte Germania This rifleman typifies the appearance of soldiers from this unit during the westfeldzug. His helmet has been daubed with mud, a simple and effective alternative 10 the camouAn 5S-Rottenfll:hrer In M193a.~ fteld blouH wfth pIe.ted PBtch pockets, bvt witn a plain fteld-gr8Y coll8r. H" deco..lions 8nd _a!Us are tl'loe C~ Combet Cl8sp. Wound Ba6g4lln ........ 8nd Infantry .......utt BHee; he _ . , . tl'loe

mKhl_broldered Yef'Sion of tl'loe Wntland' cul'lb8nd. (Steft Brindley1

~lmental

"aged cover. note the left side decal peculiar to SS troops. The rolling up of the trouser legs over ralhef than tucked into the tnaId'ling boots may be seen on many photographs of the period. His right coftar patch bears the regimenfs '2' beside the runes; his shoulder stfaps display an embroidered Gothtc 'G', and he continues to wear the old-style Gothic scnpt regimental euffband. D3: SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer, SS-Pioniersturmbann ThIs 8l'IQlneef captain wears the typical M 1936 fiekj-gfey, green-eollared field blouse as used by his Nrrrt counterparts, as W9lI as an IVmy issue officer's fMlld belt. His unique coIar patch bears a crossed picK and shovel alongside the SS runes; and 00 m left sleeve is the cufftitIe '55PionIetsturmbann'. His headgear, an 'old-st)'Ie officer's field cap' (called by collectors a 'crush has an unstiflened crown and a pliable leather peak ralhef than the stiff fibre peak of the regulation service cap; It Is worn without chin cords but with the usual metal badges.

cap'

E: SS-TOTIiNKOPF DIVISION, 1840-43 El: SS·Dberscharfuhrer, Feldgendarmerie, 1940 This senior NCO of military police wears an Nmy Issue M1936 fteld blouse with NCO's aluminium TreSS8 trim to the green-faced collar. He wears the old 'mirror image' collar patches. so his rank Is only evident from his shoulder straps. piped in the orange Waffenfarbe of this branch, On his left sleeve is the fvrny Issue machine-woven 'Feldgendarmerie' euffband In silVer-grey on brown. His flllld cap is the old style ss-vr version widely worn before the new Waffen-SS pattern

E3: SS-Sturmmann of infantry, 1942 This soldier is the 'number one' of a machine gun crew and carries the excellent MG34, with the accompanying tool-box on his belt as well as his personal weapon, the P38 semiautomatic pistol. He wears the reversible camouflaged smock with matching helmet COVSf, both in the original 'plane tree' pattern, spnng/summer side outwards. E4: SS-RottenfOhrer, SS-Pan'tergrenadler Regiment 8, late 1943 this junior NCO wears the M1943 fIeld blouse with unpleated pockets and a ptain field-grey collar. He displays the ribbons of the Iron Cross 2nd Class and the Wmter 1941 East Front medal in his buttonhole. the Iron Cross 151 Class pinned to !'us left pocket above the Infantry Assault Badge, and on his upper left sleeve the shield awarded to those who took part In the battles of the Oemjansk Pocket.' His reglmeotal cutlband bears the name of hIS fom1er divisional commander, Theodof Eicke, and was Introduced after Eicke was kiIJed in action. HIS headdress is the early single-button version of the M 1943 field cap with two-piece insignia.

Two mualdans ff"OI'II ss-P.nnrgl'enad.... Regiment 10

WIostland; not. the ·._IIow$·....ts· .t the ~Id...... '" sltv« bnld on ~k. The lett INn _il~ the old SS-VT s~p, the otMr the new Wilffen-$S 'SdtHfr;Joen'. (Josef Charita)

F: POLIZEI DIVISION, 1840-44 F1: SS-OberschOtze of artillery, 1940 ThIS serlIOI" private of the divisional artillery shows the typical appearance of a Polizei DIVIsion soldier dunng tile Westfeldzug. He wears the standard Nmy issue M100s field blouse wrth the Utzen collar patches of the Police, and red-

~~-;:_~"";~:ped: artillefy shoulder strapS. lNefe it not for the SS eagle

- cut ~ke the Luftwatle's F/iegefmfJtze became available. The lield-grey is 01 a lighter shade than his Nmy tunlc; a death's-head button is worn on the front, and an SS eagle on black triangular backing on the left side. E2: SS-SturmbannfOhrer of infantry, late 1941 At lhis stage 01 the war the S8l'Vice cap - SChirmmiitre - was normally still piped in white for all branches: fOf field use he has removed the stiffening wire, The green collar of his regulation officer's M1936 Army style tunic bears a hand·embroldered bullion skull patch In horizontal lormat on the right side and his rank on the left. Uke many veterans of the pre-war Totenkopfverbande, this major has continued to wear his old Oberbayem regimental skull cuffband and the old Standarte numbe!' '1' on his shoulder straps; SS·Totenkopl Standarte 1 was later redesignated SS·PaOZ8f{lrenadler Reglmet11 5 'Thule',

An enlisted miln fTom lhe Totenlcopf Dlvisl_ _ ilring IlIreat_t ilnd peaked Mrvk:e

cap; not. the UN of collar patches • ...., on the IlIl'NtCOilt. H.

46

_~.

unusually, • chilliln

polka-dot Karl.

...

and swastika worn on the sleeve rather than the breast. he might pass as an Nmy soldier at first glance. Note that the use of the Police helmet decal in place 01 the SS version was common during this period_ F2: SS·Bri9adefOhrer, 1942-44 This general officer wears an urM.IsuaI mix of insignia. His regulation genertll's service cap has a black velvet band and WOVeri aluminium piping. The collar patches and shoulder strapS are the regulation Waffen-SS pattern for this rank, but his sleeve eagle is of the Army rather than the distinctive SS type, in gold wire on green. He displays the buttonhole ribbon of the 1914 Iron Cross 2nd Class; on his pocket. the silver decoration showing award of the 1st Class during WOOd War I, above the cross of a subsequent Work! War II award; the Knight's Cross hangs at his throat. His privately purchased breeches carry non-regUlation general officer's Lampassen stnpes In the pale grey of Wallen-SS general ranks. F3: SS-RoUenfiituer. Greece, 1943 The Polizei Divison was issued with tan tropical uniforms

during its spell of dUty In the Balkans. The tunic is the Italian 'Sahanana' style with a frontal yoke forming the flaps for the breast pockets. The extent of the use of insignia varied, but lull insignia are worn h8fe, including the divisional cuffband. Note that the cap insignia, sleeve eagle and rank chevrons are made in tan thread on black. while the collar patches and shoulder straps are standard Issue. The tropical field cap, unlike the Army v8fSioo, has no false side !taps.

G: ARMOURED PERSONNEL, 1842-44 G1: SS-HauptsturmfOhrer, 55· Panzer Regiment 2 This captain of the Das Reich 0ivisK>n's tank regiment wears a service cap piped in the regulation white of all branches; piping in difl8fWlt Waffenfarben was only approved betWeen May and November 1940 (though individuals continued to wear colour-piped caps thereafter). His regulation 55 pattern Panzerjacke differs from the Army style (see C2) in that the front flap is CUI vertica/Iy rather than angled; it also features a smaJJer collar, edged for officers with aJumnium piping. His left sIeeYe bears a woven a1urTllflium version of the 'Oas Reich' cuffband. His shoulder straps have a double ~ 01 Panzer rose-pink over black and bear gilt rank pips. G2: SS-HauptscharfOhrer, SS-Panur Regiment 5 ThIs senior NCO tank commander from the WIWng 0ivisK>n wears the SS pattern black Pat1zetjacJw, with a non-mguIation feature ofterl lound on jackets worn by this unit: the use of Panzer pink piping 10 the collar patches. He wears the black Panzer version of the Wallen-SS field cap, and has the machine-woven dMsionaJ cuffband on the lower left sleeve. G3: SS-UnterscharfOhrer, 55-Panzer Re9iment 1, 1944 The Waffen-SS pmcIuced its own camouflaged version 01 the Panzer uniform. cut In lightweight drill material and printed with the so-called 'pea pattern' camovflage colours: unlike the combat smocks it was not reversible. Generally the only Insignia worn with this uniform wertl the shoulder strapS, here seen with the removable slip-on 'tAH' cypher. To complete the outfit he wears the camouflaged SS field cap; although special subdued insignia were produced for this cap they were rarely worn. G4: SS-Sturmmann. SS·Panzer Re9iment 3 As well as the black, field-grey and camouflaged versions, a lightweight grey drill work dress version of the Panzer uniform was also produced. This was often worn alone in hot weather, but could also be worn over the black uniform to protect it from dirt and wear. The extent to which insignia were worn on this uniform varied, bUt this 55-Sturmmann from the Totenkopf Division's tank regiment wears a lull set. H: WINTER UNIFORMS, 1943-45 H1: SS-UntersturmfOhrer, 5. 55-Panzer Division

'Wiking' This second lleutet1ant 01 Panzergrenadiers wears the 55 reversible calTlOl.ll1agelwhite winter uniform with the white side outermost. and special winter fett boots. The winter cap lined with rabbit fur was widely worn in both the Army and Waffen-SS: this example t\as only the metal SS death'shead pinned to the front, but the eagle was occasionally worn also. To complete the outfit he also wears padded reversible winter mittens. A high-visibility cloth armband is buttoned to one sleeve showing the 'colour of the day' fOf quick recognition. He carries a slung MP 40 sub-machine

ss-obetschilrlUhf1lr Ernst Silrtr.milnn, wno as II Panther tank commander bec.iIme _ of the top Pan.zer 'aces' of the Waffen-SS. As _II a. In .Iumlnlum wlf1l·_en 0.'11 Reich cuffband, he can Just be - . , to _ r '2' (for SS-Pln.zet" Re1llrnent 21 on hi••hould.r .trap.

gun, with a spare magazine tucked in his belt; his light field equipment is limited to a mapcase, holstered P38. and behind his hlp a binocular case. H2: SS-SchOtze, 3. SS·Panzergrenadier Division 'Totenkopf' this machine gunner wears the fur- or fleece-lined field-grey parka. Particular to the Wallen·SS, this garment was of 'pullover' design with an integral fur-lined hood. and was provided with patch breast pockets and Slash skirt pockets. This private carries the extremely potent MG 42. and has the usual spares and tool box and holstered sidearm on his belt. He wears the M1943 field cap with two-piece Insignia. the death's-head worn at the front and the national emblem on the left side. The steel helmet at his feet Is the M1943 with nared-out rather than crimped-over rim; by this stage of the war only the right side n.mes decal was normally seen. H3: SS-Sturmmann Armed with the deadly 'PanztKSChr&ck' anti-tank rocke1 pr0jector, he wears the heavy winter surcoat of extended length, with enlarged collar and slash hand-warmer pockets. Despite its appearance this clumsy garment was not partieularty effective, being made of poor-quality material with a high shoddy content. It was as often as not worn without insignia. but photographs show that sleeve badges were occasionally applied.

47

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INDEX

CAMPAIGN (CAM)

llV'15J

Str.llrgle. 10Ktics and batlle rxperiences of opposing annie FigurQ in bold rdel' 10 ,lhulnuons. .".lIgcmdne.SS ~ "'nUlent~m. captucr of. 194<1 8.16 Anxhl_. the 8 Ar(lcnnc:s countcf'Offe,w,.." 19+t II. 20 ;um0UfC'd ""hick ~ C2-3. C.II. tl, 'Ci. -47.<111 atroo:lUO 8. 19. 2!0. 24. !OJ .\uwia 8.12-1'.20.36

Barkmann. SSObtrxharfiihrtr Em" 19. 20.47 Ikd<.cr. SS-HauplSlImuffihr"r H:uu 9 ~ltia

8.9,10,18.24.

n. 34.

collu pool<:bft A3, D2-3. 4. 4, 5, S, 5-6, ".IS. 16, 17, 21.!S. n. ~'7. st. 40.41. "'..... 45 cDmm:ond 1UUC:lurc .. conc",ntnUon carnpt 22 cuflband5 OS. 45. 'IS I. SS-I'~nz"r D;,;,;oo LkbJland(lru .'IS Adolf IIIlIn AI, 8, 12. U. 13-14, 44 2. 5S-l'anzn- Qi,Uion Diu RndI A2. ,.

........ 7

on~ T~

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39,40.40 5. SS-P~fi ImUion 'It...,

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40. 41.

Cz
decorations aod a"";1rm E4. 8. 9. II. U. 1'. 16.18. 20. S3. 36. 39. "3,

«, -15.-t6

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•

48

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The uniforms. equipment. history and organisation of the world's military forces. past and present.

The Waffen-SS (1) 1. to 5. Divisions Despite being disdained by the Gennan Army's professional

officer corps, the military branch of the Nazi 55 security organisation grew from an

initial strength of only a handful of battalions at the outbreak of war in 1939 to hundreds of thousands of

troops in dozens of divisions. The battlefield reputation of the premier armoured and

mechanised dIvisions would become second to none; lavishly equipped and regarded as utterly reliable, they were thrown into many desperate

battles on both Western and Eastern fronts, often achieving remarkable results. Illustrated with rare photographs, this is

the first of fow Men-at·Arms titles detailing the organisation, uniforms and insignia of the

Unnv.Jled detaJl

OSPREY PUBLISHING www.ospreypublishing.com

Phot~

Waffen SS.

ISBN 1-84176-589-9

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