The experience of the first Eastern Campaign forced the SS Main Operations Directorate to become concerned about protecting the headquarters of the SS divisions. Therefore, in 1942, an order was given to form a special security company at each divisional headquarters. This company soon became known as the Divisional Escort Company (sometimes referred to as the Divisional Assault Company). It was armed with two light machine guns, four heavy machine guns, two 80 mm mortars, three 20 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, two 75 mm light infantry guns, and three 37 mm anti-tank guns.

On June 26, 1942, the SS Main Operations Directorate ordered the formation of utility battalions in all SS divisions. This battalion was subordinate to the division quartermaster (position IVa) and combined the food supply service, field mail and various small units and economic units. Also in the summer of 1942, it was reorganized medical service divisions. Now the sanitary battalion (under the command of the divisional doctor) consisted of a field hospital, two sanitary companies and three ambulance platoons.

Werner Ostendorff greets soldiers of the SS Kampfgruppe Reich at the end of the first Eastern Campaign

In June, units of the SS battle group "Reich" arrived in the division, which were still remaining on the Eastern Front in the Rzhev area. Now the division was finally fully assembled. All ranks of the battle group received two weeks leave to travel home.

At the beginning of July, Das Reich began to be transferred to the north of France, where it was to become the reserve of the 7th Army of Oberst General Friedrich Dollmann. Just before departure, the SS regiment "Der Fuhrer", which was to perform in the first echelon, received a complete set vehicles: The 1st and 2nd battalions were equipped with 3-ton Opel Blitz trucks, and the 3rd (armored) battalion with 3-ton Hanomag armored personnel carriers; Thanks to this, the regiment became fully motorized. In its organization it was now similar to the 2nd SS Panzergrenadier Regiment, whose 3rd battalion was also equipped with Hanomagi. In addition, the soldiers of the SS regiment "Der Fuhrer" received excellent equipment. It should be noted here that the distribution of vehicles and weapons took place in strict accordance with army instructions regarding the organization and equipment of panzergrenadier units. At the same time, in terms of the brands of equipment and weapons received, the regiment was no different from army units. Note that among other weapons that arrived, the unit received a new single machine gun - the MG-42, which replaced the more expensive and less reliable MG-34.

In Northern France, units of the division generously received ammunition and fuel, mainly thanks to the assistance of the chief of staff of the West Command, which made it possible to intensify the training of motorized units. The SS regiment "Der Fuhrer" was stationed north of Le Mans, in the Mayenne region.

Particular emphasis was placed on training recruits in conditions as close as possible to combat. Real ammunition was used in the exercises. At first, infantrymen and armored personnel carrier drivers were tested under machine gun and mortar fire. Then artillery was involved in the preparations, with the goal of maximizing the interaction between these branches of the military. So, when working out offensive actions The grenadiers moved literally along the edge of artillery fire. At this moment, the artillerymen realized all the responsibility so as not to hit their own, and the infantrymen acquired the skill of operating with direct artillery support.

Subsequently, the tanks that arrived in the division were included in the combat training of the infantry. Tanks passed over trenches and cells with grenadiers, who gained experience in dealing with formidable armored vehicles, experience that was so useful in the future.

As a result, in 1942, the third year of the war, the recruit training program reached a level comparable to the excellent level of pre-war training for SS reinforcement units. Only now real combat experience has been added to them modern warfare, available to instructors, officers, non-commissioned officers. Thus, the high combat traditions of the division were maintained, and the formation was ready for new difficult tasks.

Shooting training for recruits

An equally important concern of the division command was to establish enhanced nutrition for recruits. According to the recollections of contemporaries, most of the young recruits looked frail in appearance, which is why the new uniform simply hung on them. Therefore, additional rations were introduced for the soldiers. At the same time, in some units, in particular in the 3rd company of the anti-tank division, it was sometimes necessary to obtain meat for field kitchens in a not entirely “usual” way, bypassing the relevant orders. In any case, in field kitchens, soldiers in sufficient quantities received meat, ham and sausages. Needless to say, a remarkable achievement, considering the overall difficult situation with food in Germany and occupied Europe.

A division soldier with his pets in a short moment of rest

In August - September 1942, the bulk of the division's military personnel - veterans of heavy battles on the Eastern Front in the winter of 1941/42 - were awarded the medal "For the Winter Campaign in the East 1941–1942". It can be said that almost the entire old staff of Das Reich received special sign differences that made them stand out among the recruits.

On August 12, 1942, together with the SS division "Leibstandarte", the SS division "Reich" became subordinate to the SS Panzer Corps. This corps began formation in June 1942 in Bergen-Belsen. We emphasize that almost the entire main leadership team for the corps headquarters was taken from the SS division “Das Reich”. Judge for yourself: the corps commander is Paul Hausser, the head of the operational department is Werner Ostendorff, the quartermaster is Hans Moser. Later the corps was redeployed to France. As Paul Hausser noted, at first the corps headquarters was entrusted with leading the training of airfield and tank divisions. It was considered the headquarters of the "Commander-in-Chief of the Reserves in the West" and was subordinate to Oberst-General Dollmann's 7th Army.

On October 1, 1942, units of the division took part in maneuvers in which the Allied landing was repelled. The SS regiment "Der Fuhrer" was advanced to the Saint-Lo area, and then operated for several days in the Villers-Bocage area. Looking ahead, we note that it was in this area two years later, in the summer of 1944, that the regiment operated during the Battle of Normandy.

In October 1942, the organizational staff of the SS divisions was revised. One of the main results of this was the formation of the SS division "Das Reich" an entire tank regiment, two-battalion composition, instead of a separate battalion. So on October 14, the order was given to deploy the tank battalion into a regiment. The main issue was the creation of the 2nd tank battalion. However, this was precisely where there were difficulties, since no additional personnel were allocated to form the battalion. Reluctantly, the SS leadership was forced to disband the Langemarck SS regiment, especially since it still did not reach its full strength. As a result, the 2nd Langemarck Battalion was transformed into the 2nd Tank Battalion. The commanders of the tank battalions remained the same as they were: 1st - Hans-Albin Reitzenstein, 2nd - Christian Tihsen. Interestingly, Tikhsen was immediately sent to commander courses tank units to the army tank school in Wünsdorf, from October 26 to November 11, after which he was immediately appointed to this post. The regiment commander was the most experienced SS Standartenführer Herbert-Ernst Wahl, a former army oberst who transferred to the SS troops on August 1, 1942 (and joined the organization itself, ticket No. 430 349). Previously, he commanded the 29th Tank Regiment of the 12th Panzer Division and in this post earned the German Cross in gold. The regimental headquarters consisted of former ranks of the SS regiment "Langemarck", SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans-Friedrich Molderings became the regiment's adjutant. The position of the regiment's doctor was occupied by the experienced SS Reserve Hauptsturmführer Dr. Otto Schmid, who had repeatedly distinguished himself in the battles of the 1941–1942 campaign.

According to the states, the tank battalion consisted of three companies, one medium and two light; in addition, the division also had a separate company of heavy Tiger tanks, which had serial number 8 (number 7 remained vacant). The headquarters of the tank regiment was formed according to KStN 1103 dated November 1, 1941 and had two command tanks, one Pz-IV and five Pz-II. Subordinate to the headquarters was a tank engineer company, commanded by SS-Obersturmführer Robert Eickhoff, and a repair company. In the latter, each platoon specialized in one or another type of tank, which contributed to more efficient operation of the unit. The repair company was headed by SS Hauptsturmführer Max Maertz.

Herbert-Ernst Wahl, commander of a tank regiment

A light tank company, according to KStN 1171 dated November 1, 1941, was to consist of a control platoon (two Pz-III tanks and five Pz-II tanks) and three platoons of five Pz-IIIs each. The average tank company (KStN 1175 dated November 1, 1941) consisted of a control platoon (two Pz-IV tanks, five Pz-II tanks) and three platoons of four Pz-IV tanks. Each battalion also had a headquarters company, a light tank column (half-track tractors) and an engineer platoon (separated from the regimental engineer company). Thus, according to staffing table the tank regiment was supposed to have 68 Pz-III, 28 Pz-IV, 30 Pz-II in two battalions.

Christian Tychsen

In addition to standard medium tanks, the tank regiments of the SS divisions were supposed to be equipped with new Tiger tanks, for which a separate heavy company was created. In Das Reich, such a company received the number 8 and was called the 8th (heavy) tank company. The order for its formation was given on November 15, 1942. In December 1942, armored vehicles (the first two Tigers) and personnel began arriving at the Fallingbostel training ground.

In January 1943, the remaining eight heavy tanks arrived in the company. Tank crews underwent training at the training grounds of the Henschel and Wegmann factories in Kassel. SS-Hauptsturmführer Herbert Kühlmann was appointed the first company commander. It was planned to create a heavy tank company according to KStN 1176d dated August 15, 1942. In addition to the Tigers, the company's staff included 12 Pz-III tanks. Despite the staff planning, the final organization of the company was distinguished by its originality, if not uniqueness, especially in comparison with the “heavy” companies of other SS divisions. The organization of the 8th Tank Company was as follows: control (two Tigers), four heavy platoons of two Tigers and one Pz-III each, a light platoon of eight Pz-IIIs and a repair platoon. It is known that the Tigers from Das Reich were painted with a base color of gray, over which a camouflage pattern of yellow spots was applied; in preparation for winter battles, the vehicles received a white, “winter” color. The divisional emblem, the famous “Wolf Hook,” was applied to the front plate of the hull, next to the driver’s viewing slot. The numbers on the tank turret were painted with white paint; in Das Reich they were made up of the number 8 and a two-digit number, which showed the number of the platoon and tank: from 811 to 814 for the first platoon, from 821 to 824 for the second and from 831 to 834 for the third. Sometimes “his name” was also written on the side of the tank. For example, tank No. 812 (commander - Heinrich Warnick) of the 8th heavy company of the SS division "Das Reich" "carried the name" "TiKi". It is believed that this is an acronym from the names of the girlfriends of the crew members, although its exact decoding is unknown (there are two options - Teresa - Katrin and Teresa - Christine). Looking ahead, we note that this “Tika” accounted for three Soviet tanks that were knocked out during the battle for Kharkov.

The commander of the 1st battalion was SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans Opificius, the 2nd - SS-Hauptsturmführer Sylvester Stadler, the 3rd - SS-Sturmbannführer Fritz Horn. If the first two battalion commanders were veterans of the first Eastern campaign, then Horn was a former instructor from the cadet school. SS Hauptsturmführer Friedrich Holzer remained the regiment's adjutant. Unfortunately, a third of company and platoon commanders had no combat experience.

SS Regiment "Deutschland" carried out combat training under the leadership of his former commander, SS Obersturmbannführer Heinz Harmel. Like the SS regiment Der Führer, it consisted of three battalions and four support companies. They were armed and equipped in the same way as the battalions of the SS Regiment Der Führer, except that the 3rd Battalion of the SS Regiment Deutschland was the same as the 1st and 2nd Battalions. The anti-tank weapons of the “heavy” companies in each battalion were also slightly different - they had three 50-mm anti-tank guns and two anti-tank rifles. Also, each “heavy” company had one sapper platoon, which the SS regiment “Der Fuhrer” could not boast of, but they completely lacked mortars (four 75-mm 1eIG field guns were, however, in place). The battalion commanders were: 1st - SS Sturmbannführer Fritz Echrath, 2nd - SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans Bissinger, 3rd - SS-Hauptsturmführer Günter Wisliceny. Just before the division was sent to the front, in January 1943, Fritz Echrath completed the regimental commander course at the Army Tank School in Wünsdorf. It is important to remember that, unlike the SS regiment "Der Fuhrer", the SS regiment "Deutschland" was not equipped with armored personnel carriers at all - on the march the regiment moved in vehicles, and in battle - on foot.

Hans Bissinger and Heinz Harmel

While in France, an incident occurred in the SS Deutschland regiment that reached the very top of the SS leadership. It all started when Heinz Harmel signed a permit for one of his men to marry a French prostitute. From this news, Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler, who cared about the purity of the SS families, became furious and even, as they say, wanted to demote Harmel and send him to a disciplinary battalion. Harmel was saved only by the direct intercession of Paul Hausser.

Artillery Regiment consisted of four divisions. The regiment commander was SS Reserve Standartenführer Kurt Brassack. Division commanders: 1st - SS-Hauptsturmführer Heinz Lorenz, 2nd - SS-Sturmbannführer Oscar Drexler, 3rd - SS-Hauptsturmführer Friedrich Eichberger, 4th - SS-Sturmbannführer Karl Kreuz. Division 4 was tough. Each "regular" battery was armed with four 105 mm light field howitzers of the 1918 model. The heavy division consisted of three batteries of heavy field howitzers of 150 mm caliber, model 1918 (also four per battery). The regiment also had a supply company, a band and a platoon of artillery observers.

Reconnaissance Battalion consisted of four companies. The battalion was commanded by SS Hauptsturmführer Hans Weiss, who, before being appointed to this post, had to undergo an army course for commanders of motorized units in Paris. Company commanders: 1st - SS-Hauptsturmführer Werner Peschke, 2nd - SS-Hauptsturmführer Helmut Kampfe, 3rd - SS-Obersturmführer Herbert Büdecker, 4th (heavy) - SS-Hauptsturmführer Wolter Drexler.

The anti-aircraft division initially consisted of four batteries, commanded by SS-Obersturmbannführer Walter Blume. However, in mid-1942, the 1st battery, armed with 20-mm anti-aircraft guns, was disbanded, and its personnel and weapons were sent to form 14 (according to new classification- anti-aircraft) companies in the SS regiments “Deutschland” and “Der Fuhrer”. As a result, its commander SS-Obersturmführer Eugen Meisenbacher became the commander of the 14th company of the SS Deutschland regiment, and the anti-aircraft division again became three-battery: the 2nd battery became the 1st, the 3rd became the 2nd, and so on. The battery commanders were: 1st - SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Bergrath, 2nd - SS-Hauptsturmführer Otto Reimann, 3rd - SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans-Joachim Mützelfeldt. In October, the 4th battery was added to the division. The new 1st Battery was rearmed with 37mm self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (nine), while the other three batteries received 88mm anti-aircraft guns, four each. At the end of 1942, the division was assigned a light anti-aircraft column and two platoons of self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. As a result, each heavy battery additionally received three 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. The division also had a special supply column.

Anti-tank division had three companies, three platoons each. The division commander is SS-Hauptsturmführer Erhard Asbahr, the 1st company is SS-Obersturmführer Siegfried Sinn, the 2nd is SS-Obersturmführer Hans Burfeind, the 3rd is SS-Hauptsturmführer Viktor Schubert. The 1st and 2nd companies each had nine 75 mm anti-tank guns, and the 3rd company was equipped with nine Marder III self-propelled anti-tank guns.

Let's take a closer look at the division and its 3rd company. In the spring of 1942, the 3rd company underwent training in Holland. As the backbone of the company, Schubert used officers, non-commissioned officers and privates who had combat experience (as part of a division) and could serve as an example for recruits. Those company soldiers who were supposed to be transferred to new duty stations tried with all their might to return to their unit. A typical example became 23-year-old SS Untersturmführer Claudius Rupp, wounded on the Eastern Front and awarded the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st class (both for the first Eastern campaign). Upon recovery, they planned to send him to serve as an instructor at the SS cadet school in Braunschweig. Rupp did not accept this, went to Berlin, to the SS Main Operations Directorate, and achieved his return to the company, where he became a platoon commander. According to Rupp’s recollections, the young recruits made an excellent impression on him; “training them was a joy.” On April 20, a company from Holland was transferred to Fallingbostel. Here the 3rd Company faced a serious problem - the promised anti-tank guns never arrived. In this case, Schubert did not think long and focused on infantry training and training personnel to destroy tanks manually, with mines and grenades. For clarity, a wooden model of the tank was used. Self-propelled guns were received by the company in June, at first they were vehicles based on the Pz-II tank with a 75-mm gun (“Marder II”), and then they were changed to new self-propelled guns “Marder III” (made on the basis of the Czech Pz-38( t)). Vehicles for company supply units also arrived. At the end of July, the division was transferred to France, along with the rest of Das Reich. Already in August, the company and division were fully combat ready. It is interesting that Viktor Schubert used the Pz-III tank, menacingly called “Satan,” as a command tank.

The commander of the 3rd company of the anti-tank division, Viktor Schubert, in the turret of his command tank

Sapper battalion commanded by SS-Hauptsturmführer Rudolf Enseling. The 1st company was commanded by SS-Obersturmführer Siegfried Brosow, the 2nd by SS-Obersturmführer Ludwig Wegener, the 3rd by SS-Obersturmführer Karl-Horst Arnold, the bridge column by SS-Untersturmführer Max Auer, and the light engineer column by SS-Obersturmführer Eberhard Meyer.

Signal Battalion consisted of two companies (a radio company and a telephone company) and a light communications column. The battalion commander was SS-Hauptsturmführer Ponter Farochs, the 1st (telephone) company was SS-Hauptsturmführer Theodor Sorg, the 2nd (radio) company was SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans Hanke.

On November 9, 1942, on the anniversary of the Nazi Beer Hall Putsch, the division received a new name - from that moment on, in all documents it was referred to as the SS Panzer-Grenadier Division "Das Reich".

In November 1942, Hitler, who was concerned about the Western Allies landing in French North Africa, moved troops into hitherto unoccupied Southern France. The Führer rightly feared for the “stability” of the situation in the territory controlled by the Vichy government, after the Allies had secured a reliable foothold in the Mediterranean. The German operation, approved in advance by Hitler (back on May 29, 1942), was named “Anton”. The implementation of "Anton" began on November 11, 1942. The headquarters of the SS Panzer Corps was also involved in this matter. Already on November 6, Das Reich was transferred to the demarcation line. However, contrary to numerous allegations, the SS division Das Reich, as well as the Leibstandarte (both divisions were part of the SS Panzer Corps), did not take too wide a part in this action. Until November 20, Das Reich was located in the area of ​​the demarcation line, and only on November 21 was it moved south. According to the memoirs of Paul Hausser, the dress rehearsal for his corps was the occupation of the French port of Toulon, where the main forces of the French were stationed navy. This operation, codenamed "Lila", was carried out on November 27 by the 7th Panzer Division (subordinate to Hausser), elements of the 10th Panzer Division and the motorcycle battalion of the SS Division "Das Reich". At 04.00, units of Das Reich moved towards Toulon from the northeast, and the 7th Panzer Division from the northwest. The enterprise required only a couple of shots and cost few casualties, the port was taken control, although a significant part of the French fleet was scuttled by crews.

From November 29 to December 19, the main divisions of the division carried out security service on the Mediterranean coast. Then "Das Reich" was transferred to Northern France, while the SS regiment “Der Fuhrer” was stationed in the area south of Rennes.

At this moment, the echoes of the battle at Stalingrad had already reached France and the soldiers were in constant readiness to march. Where exactly they would be transferred remained a mystery. SS Untersturmführer Claudius Rupp recalled that during the deployment in the Rennes area, the personnel of the 3rd company of the anti-tank division were examined for suitability for service in tropical conditions, and persistent rumors circulated among the soldiers about the imminent transfer of the division to North Africa. However, these rumors quickly stopped after the personnel were given winter uniforms. It was clear to everyone that at the moment of the collapse of the southern flank of the Eastern Front, such a powerful formation as the SS Panzer Corps could not remain idle for long in reserve.

Thus, on the eve of its second campaign on the Eastern Front, the SS division "Das Reich" was fully staffed, equipped and combat-ready. The morale of the personnel was high. And although the situation in the East did not cause optimism, the SS grenadiers went to the front in the firm confidence of turning the tide of events in favor of Germany. It would not be an exaggeration to say that at the beginning of 1943, Das Reich was one of the most powerful divisions in the entire Wehrmacht.

The consequence of this was that almost all the Flemings in Das Reich ended up in the division's tank regiment.

The commanders of the engineer platoons in each battalion are, respectively, Günther Möller and Ulrich Kruse.

According to W. Schneider, the first commander of the company was SS Hauptsturmführer Rolf Grader (Schneider W. Tigers in Combae II. P. 151). However, our painstaking investigation showed that this is not true. According to the documents, Grader was the commander of the 1st tank company.

Little attention is paid to this, but all three “heavy” tank companies of the divisions of the SS Panzer Corps had a different organization.

Schneider W. Tigers in Combar II. P. 151.

In contrast to the Tigers of the SS divisions Leibstandarte and Totenkopf, which were painted dark yellow with brown spots applied to it.

Jentz T. Panzertruppen, Vol.2. R.37.

This number was named by division veteran Ernst-August Krag, and it is recognized by all researchers as fundamental. It is not clear here why A. Isaev claims that there were more than 30 vehicles in the division? (Isaev A. Battle of Kharkov, February - March 1943. P.40). Note also that famous historian D. Knipe says that “if possible,” the self-propelled gun division was supposed to be equipped with three more 105-mm self-propelled howitzers, but there is no data confirming that such a staffing took place. See: Nipe G. Last Victory in Russia. P.47. Krag didn't mention anything like that either. See: Yerger M. German Cross in Gold. Vol.1. P.110.

Yerger M. German Cross in Gold, Vol.1. P. 110.

Yerger M. German Cross in Gold, Vol.1. P.79.

Data taken by us from Nafziger G. The German Order Of Battle: Waffen SS and other Units in World War II. P.45.

Interestingly, before taking office, Wisliceny had to graduate from the army school for commanders of motorized units in Paris.

Harmel spoke about this incident after the war in an interview with J. Bernage. See: Bernage J. Kharkov 1943. Counterattack of the SS Panzer Corps. P. 148.

Some sources indicate that at this time Brasac had the rank of SS Oberführer. This is incorrect, since he was promoted to SS Oberfuhrer of the Reserve on April 20, 1943.

In many serious reference books and historical works, in particular from G. Nafziger, G. Knipe or the same O. Weidenger, it is indicated that the 3rd division of the artillery regiment during the battle for Kharkov was equipped with self-propelled guns, in particular the Vespe. However, according to M. Yerger, the division received self-propelled guns only in May-June 1943, that is, after the battle for Kharkov. See: Yerger M. German Cross in Gold, Vol. 1. P. 168; Yerger M. German Cross in Gold, Vol.2. P.365. Also see Hart S., Hart R. Weapons and fighting tactics of the Waffen SS. P.175, which states that such guns appeared in service with the SS division “Das Reich” only after the end of the winter of 1942/43.

He held this post since January 12, 1943, before which the batteries were commanded by SS-Hauptsturmführer Karl Bergrath.

Yerger M. German Cross in Gold, Vol.1. P.121.

Nafziger G. The German Order Of Battle: Waffen SS and Other Units in World War II P.45.

Rupp S. Im Feuer gestahlt. S.56.

He held this post since January 1, 1943. Before him, the company was commanded alternately by SS Obersturmführer Kurt Fleischer and SS Obersturmführer Herbert Schultz. The latter headed the 16th (sapper) company of the SS regiment “Der Fuhrer”. In this post, on March 15, 1943, he earned the Iron Cross, 1st class. Looking ahead, we note that Schultz commanded the company until May 21, 1943, and then was relieved of command due to illness.

Note that in the literature there are different dates, when exactly the division became panzer-grenadier. We used data from Yerger M. German Cross in Gold, Vol. 1. P.32. On the same day, the SS Totenkopf division became a “Panzer-Grenadier”. As for the Leibstandarte, it was reorganized into a panzer-grenadier division from the brigade on July 15, 1942.

The SS division Totenkopf was transferred from the SS divisions to Southern France.

Weidinger O. Division Das-Reich. Band V.S.581. According to other sources, in addition to the motorcycle battalion, the Das Reich reconnaissance battalion also took part in Operation Lila. See Krag E.-A. An der Spitze. P. 171.

It is not entirely clear what losses P. Hausser had in mind. It is well known that the French did not offer any resistance to the Germans. The 7th Panzer Division suffered no losses at all. It’s just possible that one of the soldiers of the Das Reich motorcycle battalion was injured or died in a car accident.

Hausser P. SS troops in action. P.431.

Rupp S. Im Feuer gestahlt. S.57.

By the beginning of the Russian campaign, three volunteer regiments of foreign citizens were created in the ranks of the SS, and with the outbreak of hostilities the number foreign branches began to grow steadily. According to Himmler, the participation of foreign legions in the war against the USSR was supposed to show the pan-European desire to destroy communism. Participation of citizens of all European countries in the war against the Soviet Union gave rise to the post-war identification of the SS Troops and the European Community.

In 1941, foreign volunteers were recruited into national volunteer legions and corps, ranging in strength from one battalion to a regiment. Various anti-communist units created in 1917–1920 in Europe received similar names. In 1943 most legions was reorganized into larger military units, the largest of which was the German SS Panzer Corps.

SS-Standarte "Nord West"

The formation of this German regiment began on April 3, 1941. The regiment was dominated by Dutch and Flemish volunteers, organized into companies along national lines. Nordwest's training took place in Hamburg. After the start of the war with the Soviet Union, it was decided to use the regiment’s personnel to quickly form independent national legions. By the first of August 1941, the regiment consisted of 1,400 Dutch, 400 Flemings and 108 Danes. At the end of August, the regiment was transferred to the Arus-Nord training area in East Prussia. Here, on September 24, 1941, according to the order of the FHA SS, the regiment was disbanded, and the available personnel were distributed between the national legions and units of the V-SS.

From the moment of formation until the last day, the commander of the regiment was SS-Standartenführer Otto Reich.

Volunteer Legion "Netherlands"

The creation of the legion began on June 12, 1941 in the Krakow region, a little later the legion cadre was transferred to the Arus-Nord training ground. The basis of the legion was the Dutch battalion from the disbanded “Nordwest” regiment. Another contingent that arrived for formation was a battalion created from the ranks of the assault troops of the Dutch National Socialist movement. The battalion departed Amsterdam on October 11, 1941 and joined forces with volunteers already training in Arus.

Already by Christmas 1941, the legion was a motorized regiment of three battalions and two companies (13th infantry gun company and 14th anti-tank company). Before being sent to the front, the total number of the legion exceeded 2,600 ranks. In mid-January 1942, the legion was transferred to Danzig, and from there by sea to Libau. From Libau, the Dutch were sent to the northern sector of the front in the area of ​​Lake Ilmen. By the end of January, the legion arrived at its designated positions in the area of ​​the Novgorod-Tosna road. The legion received its baptism of fire in the battle at Goose Mountain near Volkhov (north of Lake Ilmen). After this, the Dutch took part in long defensive and then offensive battles at Volkhov. Then the legion operated at Myasny Bor. In mid-March 1942, a reinforced field hospital with Dutch personnel, part of the legion, arrived on the Eastern Front. The hospital was located in the Oranienburg area.

During the fighting, the legion earned the gratitude of the OKW, but lost 20% of its strength and was withdrawn from the front line and replenished with ethnic Germans from Northern Schleswig. After a short rest and replenishment, in July 1942 the legion took part in the destruction of the remnants of the Soviet 2nd Shock Army and, according to some sources, participated in the capture of General Vlasov himself. The legion spent the rest of the summer and autumn in operations near Krasnoye Selo and later around Shlisselburg, slightly deviating from the Leningrad direction. At the end of 1942, the legion operated as part of the 2nd SS Infantry Brigade. Its strength at this time decreased to 1,755 people. On February 5, 1943, news came from Holland that the honorary chief of the legion, General Seiffardt, had been killed by the Resistance. After 4 days, the FHA SS issued an order to assign the name “General Seyffardt” to the first company of the legion.

In addition to the gratitude of the OKW, the legion had another distinction: its Rottenführer Gerardus Muyman from the 14th Anti-Tank Company knocked out thirteen Soviet tanks in one of the battles and was awarded the Knight's Cross on February 20, 1943, thus becoming the first German volunteer to receive this honor. On April 27, 1943, the legion was withdrawn from the front and sent to the Grafenwoehr training ground.

On May 20, 1943, the Volunteer Legion "Netherlands" was officially disbanded, only to be reborn on October 22, 1943, but as the 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade "Nederland".

Volunteer Corps "Denmark"

Eight days after the German attack on the USSR, the Germans announced the creation of the Danish Volunteer Corps, independent of the Nordland Regiment. On July 3, 1941, the first Danish volunteers, having received the banner, left Denmark and headed to Hamburg. By order of the FHA SS of July 15, 1941, the unit was named the Volunteer Unit "Denmark" and then renamed the volunteer corps. By the end of July 1941, a headquarters and infantry battalion of 480 men had been organized. In August, one officer and 108 Danes from the disbanded Nordwest regiment were added to the battalion. At the end of August, a communications department was created at the battalion headquarters. In September 1941, the corps was expanded to include a reinforced motorized battalion. On September 13, 1941, the unit was moved to Treskau to join the reserve company of the corps. By December 31, 1941, the strength of the corps had increased to 1,164 ranks, and about a month later it increased by another hundred people. Until the spring of 1942, the corps personnel were trained.

On 8–9 May the Danish battalion was transported by air to the Heiligenbeil area ( East Prussia), and then to Pskov, to Army Group North. Upon arrival, the corps was tactically subordinated to the SS division Totenkopf. From May 20 to June 2, 1942, the corps took part in battles north and south of the Demyansk fortifications, where it distinguished itself by destroying a Soviet bridgehead. At the beginning of June, the Danes operated along the road to Byakovo. On the night of June 3–4, the battalion was transferred to the northern section of the Demyansk corridor, where it fought off strong enemy attacks for two days. The next day, June 6, the Danes were relieved and camped in the forests near Vasilivshino. On the morning of June 11, the Red Army launched a counterattack and returned Bolshiye Dubovichi occupied by the Germans. By mid-day the situation had worsened even more and von Lettow-Vorbeck ordered the corps to retreat. After this battle, the number of companies fluctuated from 40 to 70 people each. Having taken up defensive positions in the Vasilivshino area, the corps was replenished with reserve personnel arriving from Poznan. On July 16, the Red Army attacked and occupied Vasilivshino, and on the seventeenth it attacked the Danish battalion with tanks and air support. Vasilivshino was again occupied by the Germans on July 23, the extreme left flank of this position was occupied by the corps. On the twenty-fifth of July the Danes were withdrawn to reserve. By August 1942, the battalion had lost 78% of its initial strength, which was the reason for its withdrawal from the Demyansk area and sending to Mitava. In September 1942, the Danes returned to their homeland and paraded through Copenhagen and were dismissed to their homes, but on October 12 all ranks were again gathered in Copenhagen and returned to Mitau. On December 5, 1942, a reserve company was introduced into the battalion, and the corps itself became part of the 1st SS Infantry Brigade.

In December 1942, the corps served in the fortified area of ​​Nevel, and later fought defensive battles south of Velikiye Luki. After this, the corps spent three weeks in reserve. On Christmas Eve, the Danes were attacked by a Soviet division and retreated from Kondratovo, which they occupied, but on December 25 the corps recaptured Kondratovo. On January 16, 1943, the Velikiye Luki cauldron was closed, and the Danes moved to a position north of Myshino-Kondratovo, where they remained until the end of February. On February 25, the corps attacked and captured the enemy stronghold on Taida - it was last Stand Danish volunteers.

At the end of April 1943, the remaining Danes were sent to the Grafenwoehr training ground. On May 6, the corps was officially disbanded, but most of the Danes remained to continue serving as part of the newly formed Nordland division. In addition to the Danes, a large number of ethnic Germans from northern Schleswig served in this unit. White emigrants also preferred to serve in the Danish corps.

The volunteer corps was commanded by: Legions-Obersturmbannführer Christian Peder Krussing July 19, 1941 - February 8–19, 1942, SS-Sturmbannführer Christian Frederick von Schalburg March 1 - June 2, 1942, Legions-Hauptsturmbannführer K.B. Martinsen 2–10 June 1942, SS-Sturmbannführer Hans Albrecht von Lettow-Vorbeck 9–11 June 1942, again K.B. Martinsen June 11, 1942 - May 6, 1943), Legions-Sturmbannführer Peder Neergaard-Jacobsen May 2–6, 1943

In April 1943, after the disbandment of the volunteer corps, Martinsen created the Danish equivalent of the German SS from its veterans who returned to Denmark. Officially, this unit was first named the “Danish German Corps”, and then the “Schalburg” Corps in memory of the deceased corps commander. This corps was not part of the B-SS and in no way belonged to the SS organization. In the second half of 1944, under pressure from the Germans, Schalburgkorpset was transferred to the V-SS and reorganized into the SS training battalion Schalburg, and then into the SS security battalion Zeeland.

Volunteer Legion "Norway"

With the outbreak of Germany's war against the USSR, the idea of ​​the need for real participation of Norwegians in hostilities on the side of Germany was widely circulated in Norway.

In large Norwegian cities Recruitment centers were opened, and by the end of July 1941 the first three hundred Norwegian volunteers went to Germany. After arriving in Kiel they were sent to the Fallinbostel training area. Here, on August 1, 1941, the volunteer legion “Norway” was officially created. In mid-August, another 700 volunteers from Norway arrived here, as well as 62 volunteers from the Norwegian community in Berlin. On October 3, 1941, in the presence of Vidkun Quisling, who arrived in Germany, the first battalion of the legion took the oath in Fallinbostel. As a sign of continuity, this battalion received the name "Viken" - the same as the 1st Hird Regiment (paramilitary units of the Norwegian National Samling). The legion's staff, according to the order of the FHA SS, was to consist of 1218 ranks, but by October 20, 1941, the unit numbered more than 2000 people. The Norwegian Legion was organized according to the following principle: headquarters and headquarters company (anti-tank company), a platoon of war correspondents, an infantry battalion of three infantry companies and one machine gun company. The reserve battalion created in Halmestrand was also considered part of the legion.

On March 16, 1942, the legion arrived at the Leningrad sector of the front. A few kilometers from Leningrad, the Norwegians were introduced into the 2nd SS Infantry Brigade. After arrival, parts of the legion began to carry out patrol duty, and then took part in battles at the front until May 1942. In September 1942, the reserve battalion of the legion, which had already transferred the bulk of the ranks to the legion, was consolidated into a company, but, in addition to this company, a new one was created on the territory of Latvia in Jelgava (Mitava). At the same time, the first of four, a police company of the Norwegian Legion, created in Norway from pro-German police officers, arrived at the front. Its commander was SS-Sturmbannführer and leader of the Norwegian SS Janas Lie. The company acted as part of the legion, which at that time was on the northern sector of the front, where it suffered heavy losses in defensive battles near Krasnoe Selo, Konstantinovka, Uretsk and Krasny Bor. In February 1943, the 800 remaining legionnaires were combined with reserve companies, and at the end of March the legion was withdrawn from the front and sent to Norway.

On April 6, 1943, a parade of legion ranks took place in Oslo. After a short vacation, the legion returned to Germany in May of the same year; the Norwegians were gathered at the Grafenwoehr training ground, where the legion was disbanded on May 20, 1943. However, most of the Norwegians responded to V. Quisling’s call and continued to serve in the ranks of the new “German” SS division.

After the creation of the 1st police company and its excellent service on the Eastern Front, the creation of other police companies began. The second company was created by Norwegian police major Egil Hoel in the fall of 1943, and included 160 Norwegian police officers. After completing training, the company arrived at the front and was assigned to the 6th SS reconnaissance unit of the Nord division. Together with the specified unit, the company operated at the front for 6 months. The company commander was SS-Sturmbannführer Egil Hoel.

In the summer of 1944, the 3rd police company was created; in August 1944, it arrived at the front, but due to Finland’s withdrawal from the war and the retreat of German troops from its territory, the company did not have time to take part in the battles. One hundred and fifty of its members were sent to Oslo, and in December 1944 the company was disbanded. At the time of its formation, the company was commanded by SS-Hauptsturmführer Age Heinrich Berg, and then by SS-Obersturmführer Oscar Olsen Rustand. The last of these officers tried to form the 4th police company at the end of the war, but nothing came of his idea.

The legion was commanded by: Legions-Sturmbannführer Jürgen Bakke from August 1, 1941, Legions-Sturmbannführer Finn Hannibal Kjelstrup from September 29, 1941, Legions-Sturmbannführer Arthur Quist from the fall of 1941.

Finnish volunteer battalion

Even before the start of the war with the Soviet Union, the Germans secretly recruited Finns into the V-SS. The recruitment campaign provided the Germans with 1,200 volunteers. During May - June 1941, volunteers arrived in batches from Finland to Germany. Upon arrival, the volunteers were divided into two groups. Persons with military experience, i.e. participants " winter war", were distributed among the units of the Viking division, and the remaining volunteers were collected in Vienna. From Vienna they were transferred to the Gross Born training area, where they were formed into the Finnish SS Volunteer Battalion (previously designated as the SS Volunteer Battalion Nordost). The battalion consisted of a headquarters, three rifle companies and a heavy company. Part of the battalion was a reserve company in Radom, which was part of the reserve battalion of the German legions. In January

In 1942, the Finnish battalion arrived at the front at the location of the Viking division on the line of the Mius River. According to the order, the arriving Finns became first the fourth and then the third battalion of the Nordland regiment, while the third battalion itself was used to replace the division's losses. Until April 26, 1942, the battalion fought on the Mius River against units of the 31st Infantry Division of the Red Army. Then the Finnish battalion was sent to Aleksandrovka. After heavy fighting for Demidovka, the Finns were withdrawn from the front for replenishment, which lasted until September 10, 1942. The change in the situation at the front required the participation of the battalion in the bloody battles for Maykop, in which the German command used the Finns in the most difficult sectors. At first

In 1943, the Finnish volunteer battalion, in the general flow of the German retreat, went all the way from Malgobek (through Mineralnye Vody, villages and Bataysk) to Rostov, participating in rearguard battles. Having reached Izyum, the Finns, along with the remnants of the Nordland regiment, were withdrawn from the division and sent to the Grafenwoehr training ground. From Grafenwoehr the Finnish battalion was transferred to Ruhpolding, where it was disbanded on July 11, 1943.

During the existence of the battalion, Finnish volunteers also served as part of the war correspondents unit and as part of the Totenkopf reserve infantry battalion No. 1. Attempts to create a new entirely Finnish SS unit in 1943–1944 were unsuccessful, and the formation of the Kalevala SS unit was discontinued . The most famous Finnish volunteer was Obersturmführer Ulf Ola Ollin from the 5th SS Panzer Regiment, of all the Finns he received the most awards, and his Panther tank number 511 was known throughout the Viking division.

The battalion commander was SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans Kollani.

British Volunteer Corps

By the beginning of 1941, about 10 Englishmen served in the ranks of the W-SS, but until 1943, no attempts were made to form an English legion in the Waffen-SS. The initiator of the creation of the English unit was John Amery - the son of the former English minister for Indian Affairs. John Amery himself was a well-known anti-communist and even participated in the Spanish Civil War on the side of General Franco.

Initially, from the British living on the continent, Amery created the British Anti-Bolshevik League, which was supposed to create its own armed forces to be sent to the Eastern Front. After long debates with the Germans, in April 1943 he was allowed to visit British prisoner-of-war camps in France to recruit volunteers and propagate his ideas. This venture received the code designation “Special Compound 999.” It is interesting to note that this number was the Scotland Yard telephone before the war.

In the summer of 1943, a special unit was transferred to the control of the D-1 Department of the SS Khabarovsk Army, which dealt with issues of European volunteers. In the autumn of 1943, volunteers exchanged their previous English uniform for a Waffen-SS uniform, receiving SS soldiers' books. In January 1944 former name"St. George's Legion" was changed to "British Volunteer Corps", more in line with the tradition of the B-SS. It was planned to use prisoners of war to increase the size of the corps to 500 people, and to put Brigadier General Parrington, captured in 1941 in Greece, at its head.

After some time, the British were divided into groups for use at the front. Volunteers were distributed to various parts of the Waffen-SS. The largest number of volunteers were taken into the Kurt Eggers regiment, and the rest were distributed between the 1st, 3rd and 10th SS divisions. Another 27 British remained in the Dresden barracks to complete their training. In October 1944, it was decided to transfer the BFC to the III SS Panzer Corps. After the famous Western Allied air raid on Dresden, the BFC was transferred to the Lichterfelde barracks in Berlin, where those returning from the front also arrived. After completing their training in March 1945, the British were transferred partly to the headquarters of the German SS Panzer Corps, and partly to the 11th SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion. In the ranks of the said battalion, the BFC took part in the defense of Schonberg on west bank Oder March 22.

With the beginning of the assault on Berlin, most of the British began to break through to Western allies, to whom she surrendered in the Mecklenburg area. The remaining individual volunteers took part in street fighting together with the Nordland division.

In addition to the British, the BFC recruited volunteers from the colonies, commonwealth countries and America.

BFK commanders: SS-Hauptsturmführer Johannes Rogenfeld - summer 1943, SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans Werner Ropke - summer 1943 - May 9, 1944, SS-Obersturmführer Dr. Kühlich - May 9, 1944 - February 1945, SS-Hauptsturmführer jurer doctor Alexander Dolezalek - until the end of the war.

Indian Volunteer Legion

The Indian Legion was created at the beginning of the war in the ranks German army as the 950th Indian Infantry Regiment. By the end of 1942, the regiment consisted of about 3,500 ranks. After training, the legion was sent to security service, first in Holland and then in France (guarding the Atlantic Wall). On August 8, 1944, the legion was transferred to the SS troops with the designation "Waffen-SS Indian Legion". Seven days later the Indian volunteers were transported by train from Lokanau to Poytirz.

Upon arrival in the Poytirz region, the Indians were attacked by the Maquis, and at the end of August, soldiers of the legion engaged the Resistance on the way from Chatrow to Allieres. In the first week of September the legion reached the Berry Canal. Continuing their movement, the Indians fought street battles with French regulars in the town of Doune and then retreated towards Sancoin. In the Luzi area, the Indians were ambushed at night, after which the legion proceeded at an accelerated march in the direction of Dijon through Loire. In the battle with enemy tanks at Nuits - Site - Georges, the unit suffered heavy losses. After this battle the Indians retreated by marching through Relipemont towards Colmar. And then they continued their retreat to German territory.

In November 1944 the unit was designated the "Waffen-SS Indian Volunteer Legion". By the beginning of December of the same year, the legion arrived at the garrison of the city of Oberhoffen. After Christmas the legion was transferred to training camp Heuberg, where it remained until the end of March 1945. At the beginning of April 1945, the legion was disarmed by order of Hitler. In April 1945 Indian Legion began moving towards the Swiss border in the hope of obtaining asylum there and avoiding extradition to the Anglo-Americans. Having broken through the Alps to the Lake Constance region, the Indian volunteers were surrounded and captured by the French "Maquis" and the Americans. Since 1943, the Indian Regiment had a so-called Guards Company, located in Berlin and created for ceremonial purposes. During the war, the company apparently continued to remain in Berlin. During the assault on Berlin, Indians in SS uniforms took part in its defense, one of them was even captured by the Red Army, all of them were probably ranks of the mentioned “Guards” company.

The commander of the legion was SS-Oberführer Heinz Bertling.

Serbian Volunteer Corps

Until the establishment of the Serbian government of General Milan Nedić in August 1941, no attempts were made to organize Serbian armed units. General Nedić announced the creation of various state police forces. Their combat effectiveness left much to be desired, so they were mainly used for local security tasks. In addition to these formations, on September 15, 1941, the so-called Serbian Volunteer Team was created. This unit was created from activists of the ZBOR organization and radical military personnel. Colonel Konstantin Mushitsky, who was the aide-de-camp of the Yugoslav Queen Mary before the war, was appointed commander of the unit. The team soon turned into an excellent anti-partisan unit, which received recognition even from the Germans. Like the rest of the Serbian and Russian units, the team “made” peace with the Chetniks and fought only against Tito’s troops and Ustasha tyranny. Soon KFOR departments began to appear throughout Serbia, these departments were known as “detachments”, during 1942 their number increased to 12, the detachment usually included 120–150 soldiers and a few officers. KFOR units were widely recruited by the Germans for anti-partisan actions and, in fact, were the only Serbian formation that received weapons from the Germans. In January 1943, the SD Command was reorganized into the SD Corps, consisting of five battalions of 500 people each. The corps did not hide its monarchist orientation and even went to parades in Belgrade under a banner with monarchist slogans. At the beginning of 1944, the KFOR and new volunteers were reorganized into 5 infantry regiments (Roman numbers I to V) of 1,200 soldiers each and an artillery battalion of 500 people. In addition, a recruit school and a hospital in Logatec were later established as part of the KFOR. On October 8, 1944, units of the corps began their retreat from Belgrade. The next day, the SDKorps was transferred to the Waffen-SS with the designation "Serbian SS Volunteer Corps". The structure of the hull was left unchanged. The ranks of the Serbian Corps did not become ranks of the Waffen-SS and continued to bear their previous ranks and obey the Serbian command. After the retreat from Belgrade, KFOR units, together with the Chetniks and Germans, left for Slovenia. In April 1945, by agreement with the Germans, KFOR became part of one of the Chetnik divisions in Slovenia. At the end of April, two KFOR regiments (I and V regiments), on the orders of the Chetnik commander in Slovenia, General Damjanovic, left in the direction of the Italian border, crossing which they capitulated on May 1. The remaining three regiments II, III and IV, under the command of the KFOR chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Radoslav Tatalovich, took part in the battles with the NOLA near Ljubljana, after which they retreated to Austrian territory and surrendered to the British.

The commander of the Serbian Corps was Colonel (at the end of the war, General) Konstantin Mushitsky.

Estonian Volunteer Legion

The legion was formed according to the staff of an ordinary three-battalion regiment in the SS training camp “Heidelager” (near the city of Debica, on the territory of the General Governorate). Soon after being fully recruited, the legion was designated the "1st Estonian SS Volunteer Grenadier Regiment". Until spring next year The regiment was trained in the above camp. In March 1943, the regiment received an order to send the first battalion to the front as part of the SS Viking Panzergrenadier Division, which was operating at that time in the Izyum area. The German SS-Hauptsturmführer Georg Eberhardt was appointed commander of the battalion, and the battalion itself became known as the Estonian SS Volunteer Grenadier Battalion “Narva”. From March 1944 it operated as the 111/10th SS Regiment "Westland". Without engaging in major battles, the battalion, together with the division, operated as part of the 1st Tank Army in the Izyum-Kharkov area. The baptism of fire of the Estonians took place on July 19, 1943 in the battle for height 186.9. Supported by the fire of the Viking division's artillery regiment, the battalion destroyed about 100 Soviet tanks, but lost its commander, who was replaced by SS-Obersturmführer Koop. The next time Estonian volunteers distinguished themselves on August 18 of the same year in the battle for heights 228 and 209 near Klenova, where, interacting with a company of “tigers” from the SS tank regiment “Totenkopf”, they destroyed 84 Soviet tanks. Apparently, these two cases gave the spacecraft analysts the right to indicate in their intelligence reports that the Narva battalion has extensive experience in fighting with machine guns. Continuing hostilities in the ranks of the Viking division, the Estonians, along with it, ended up in the Korsun-Shevchenkovsky cauldron in the winter of 1944, and upon exiting they suffered huge losses. In April, the division received an order to remove the Estonian battalion from its composition, the Estonians were given a touching farewell, after which they departed for the place of the new formation.

Caucasian SS military unit

In the first years of the war, a large number of units from natives of the Caucasus were created within the German army. Their formation took place mainly in the territory of occupied Poland. In addition to front-line army units, various police and punitive units were formed from Caucasians. In 1943, in Belarus, in the Slonim district, two Caucasian Schutzmannschaft police battalions were created - the 70th and 71st. Both battalions participated in anti-partisan operations in Belarus, being subordinate to the head of the anti-banditry formations. Later, these battalions became the basis for the North Caucasus security brigade formed in Poland. By order of Himmler dated July 28, 1944, about 4,000 ranks of the brigade, along with their families, were transferred to the region of upper Italy. Here, together with the Cossack camp, the Caucasians formed the backbone of the anti-partisan forces, which were subordinate to the HSSPF “Adriatic Coast” of SS-Obergruppenführer Globocnik. On August 11, by order of Berger, the brigade was reorganized into the Caucasian Corps, and less than a month later it was renamed the Caucasian Unit. The unit's recruitment was accelerated by the transfer of 5,000 employees from the 800, 801, 802, 803, 835, 836, 837, 842 and 843rd army field battalions. The formation consisted of three national military groups - Armenian, Georgian and North Caucasian. It was planned to deploy each group into a full-fledged regiment.

At the end of 1944, the Georgian and North Caucasian groups were located in the Italian city of Paluzza, and the Armenian group in Klagenfurt. In December 1944, the Azerbaijani group, which had previously been part of the Eastern Turkic SS formation, was transferred to the formation. Azerbaijani participants in the events after the war claimed that their group managed to arrive in Verona before the end of the war.

Groups located in Italy were constantly involved in anti-partisan operations. At the end of April, the North Caucasian group began to retreat to Austrian territory, and the small Georgian group was disbanded by its commander. In May 1945, the ranks of the unit were issued by the British to the Soviet side.

Unlike the next division at all command positions There were Caucasian emigrant officers, and the commander of the formation itself was SS-Standartenführer Arvid Toyerman, a former officer of the Russian Imperial Army.

Eastern Turkic SS military unit

The German army created a large number of volunteer units from the inhabitants of the Soviet Central Asia. The commander of one of the first Turkestan battalions was Major Mayer-Mader, in pre-war years former military adviser to Chiang Kai-shek. Mayer-Mader, seeing the limited and futile use of Asians by the Wehrmacht, dreamed of sole leadership of all Turkic units. For this purpose, he first contacted Berger, and then the head of the VI Directorate of the RSHA, SS-Brigadeführer and Major General of the V-SS Walter Schellenberg. To the first, he proposed an increase in the number of V-SS by 30,000 Turkestanis, and to the second, the implementation of sabotage in Soviet Central Asia and the organization of anti-Soviet protests. The major's proposals were accepted and, in November 1943, the 1st Eastern Muslim SS Regiment was created on the basis of the 450th and 480th battalions.

The formation of the regiment took place near Lublin, in the town of Poniatovo. In January 1944, it was decided to deploy the regiment to the SS division Neue Turkestan. For this purpose from active army The following battalions were taken: 782, 786, 790, 791st Turkestan, 818th Azerbaijani and 831st Volga-Tatar. At this time, the regiment itself was sent to Belarus to participate in anti-partisan operations. Upon arrival, the regiment's headquarters was located in the town of Yuratishki, not far from Minsk. On March 28, 1944, during one of these operations, the commander of the regiment, Mayer-Mader, was killed, and SS-Hauptsturmführer Billig took his place. Compared to the previous commander, he was not popular with his men, and a number of excesses occurred in the regiment, as a result of which Billig was removed and the regiment was transferred to the von Gottberg battle group. In May, the regiment took part in a major anti-partisan operation near Grodno, after which, together with others national units at the end of May - beginning of June it was withdrawn to the territory of Poland. In July 1944, the regiment was sent to the Neuhammer training ground for replenishment and rest, but it was soon sent to Lutsk and subordinated special regiment SS Dirlewanger. With the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944, the Muslim Regiment and the Dirlewanger Regiment were sent to suppress it. Upon arrival, on August 4, both regiments came under the command of the Reinefart battle group. In Warsaw, the Turkestans operated in the urban area of ​​Wola. At the beginning of October, the Warsaw Uprising was over. When the uprising was suppressed, the Turkestanis received recognition from German command. On October 1, it was announced that the regiment would be deployed to the Eastern Turkic SS military unit. The Muslim regiment was renamed into the military group "Turkestan" with a strength of one battalion, the rest of the regiment, together with reinforcements from the Volga-Tatar units of the army, formed the military group "Idel - Ural". In addition, an SS assembly camp for Turkic volunteers was created in the vicinity of Vienna. On October 15, the formation, together with the Dirlewanger regiment, was sent to suppress the new, now Slovak uprising.

By the beginning of November 1944, the formation consisted of 37 officers, 308 non-commissioned officers and 2,317 soldiers. In December, the military group “Azerbaijan” was taken from the formation. This group was transferred to the Caucasian connection. In December the connection presented unpleasant surprise to the Germans. On December 25, 1944, the commander of the Turkestan group, Waffen-Obersturmführer Gulyam Alimov, and 458 of his subordinates went over to the Slovak rebels near Mijava. At the request of Soviet representatives, the rebels shot Alimov. For this reason, about 300 Turkestanis again defected to the Germans. Despite this sad experience, two days later the Germans organized officer courses to train native officers of the unit in the town of Poradi.

On January 1, 1945, the military group “Crimea”, created from the disbanded Tatar brigade, became part of the formation. At the same time, SS-Obersturmbannführer Anton Ziegler gathered another 2,227 Turkestanis, 1,622 Azerbaijanis, 1,427 Tatars and 169 Bashkirs in the Vienna assembly camp. All of them were preparing to join the ranks of the Turkic SS unit. In March 1945, the unit was transferred to the 48th Infantry Division (2nd Formation). In April 1945, the 48th Division and the Turkic formation were at the Dollersheim training camp. The national committees planned to transfer the unit to Northern Italy, but nothing is known about the implementation of this plan.

The Eastern Muslim SS Regiment and the Eastern Turkic SS Unit were commanded by: SS-Obersturmbannführer Andreas Mayer-Mader - November

1943–28 March 1944, SS-Hauptsturmführer Bill-liga - 28 March - 6 April 1944, SS-Hauptsturmführer Hermann - 6 April - May 1944, SS-Sturmbannführer Reserve Franz Liebermann - June - August

1944, SS-Hauptsturmführer Rainer Oltssha - September - October 1944, SS-Standartenführer Wilhelm Hintersatz (under the pseudonym Harun al Rashid) - October - December 1944, SS-Hauptsturmführer Fürst - January - May 1945. There were mullahs in all parts of the formation, and the supreme imam of the entire formation was Naguib Khodia.

SS Troop Losses

During the Polish campaign, the losses of the V-SS amounted to several dozen people. The superiority of the German army in weapons and the lightning speed of the campaign reduced Waffen-SS losses to almost a minimum. In 1940, in the West, the SS men faced a completely different enemy. High level The preparation of the British army, positions prepared in advance and the presence of modern artillery among the allies became an obstacle to the SS's path to victory. The Waffen-SS suffered approximately 5,000 casualties during the western campaign. During the battles, officers and non-commissioned officers led soldiers into the attack by personal example, which, according to the Wehrmacht generals, led to unjustifiably large losses among Waffen-SS officers. Undoubtedly, the percentage of losses among Waffen-SS officers was higher than in Wehrmacht units, but the reasons for this should not be sought in poor training or in combat methods. In the Waffen-SS units, a corporate spirit reigned and there was not such a clear line between officer and soldier as in the Wehrmacht. In addition, the structure of the Waffen-SS was built on the basis of the “Führer principle” and that is why in attacks SS officers were ahead of their soldiers and died along with them.

On the Eastern Front, the SS faced fierce resistance Soviet army and as a result, in the first 5 months of the war, Waffen-SS units lost more than 36,500 people killed, wounded and missing. With the opening of the second front, SS losses increased even more. According to the most conservative estimates, between September 1, 1939 and May 13, 1945, the SS troops lost more than 253,000 soldiers and officers killed. During the same time, 24 Waffen-SS generals died (not counting those who committed suicide and police generals), and two SS generals were shot by court. The number of wounded in the SS by May 1945 was about 400,000 people, with some SS men being wounded more than twice, but still returning to duty after recovery. According to Leon Degrelle, of the entire Waffen-SS Walloon unit, 83% of the soldiers and officers were wounded one or more times. Perhaps in a number of units the percentage of those who were wounded was lower, but I think it did not fall below 50%. The SS troops had to operate mainly in occupied territories, and by the end of the war they had lost more than 70,000 people missing in action.

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At the time of the start of the Russian campaign, three volunteer regiments, which consisted of foreign citizens, were already operating in the ranks of the SS, and with the beginning of active hostilities, their number continued to grow. According to Himmler's plans, the participation of foreign legions was supposed to show a desire to destroy communism.

SS-Standarte Regiment "Nord West"

The procedure for forming the regiment began in 1941. As a rule, the main volunteers in the regiment were volunteers from Holland and Flemish. The training of fighters took place in the city of Hamburg. After the outbreak of hostilities with the Soviet Union, it was decided to use personnel to form national legions. As of August, the regiment consisted of about 400 Flemings, 1,400 Dutch and 108 Danes. The regiment existed until September 24, 1941. Then it was disbanded, and the personnel were distributed between national units and legions of the V-SS.

Volunteer Legion "Netherlands"

The history of the legion dates back to June 12, 1941 near Krakow. The backbone of the personnel were representatives of the disbanded “Nord West” regiment and other military personnel who arrived from the ranks of the detachments of the Dutch active National Socialist movement.
Before being sent to the front, there were 2,600 ranks in the legion to take part in hostilities. During the battles, the legion received gratitude from the OKW, but lost 20% of its staff and was replenished by Germans from among the residents of Northern Schleswig. In April 1943, the entire legion was withdrawn from the front, and on May 20 of the same year it was disbanded.

Volunteer Corps "Denmark"

Eight days after Germany attacked the USSR, the creation of the Danish Volunteer Corps was announced. According to the order of July 15, 1941, the unit was renamed the volunteer unit “Denmark”.
From May 20 to June 2, 1942, the entire corps actively participated in the battles south of the Demyansk fortifications. And on July 25, the Danes were already withdrawn to the combat reserve. By August 1942, the battalion had lost more than 78% of its initial strength, which was the reason for its withdrawal.
After several more military battles, the corps was disbanded on May 6th.

Legion of Volunteers "Norway"

Since the outbreak of hostilities with the USSR, there has been an idea among residents of Norway about the obvious need to participate in hostilities as part of the German troops. Operated on the territory of the country huge amount recruitment points.
At the time of October 20, 1941, the unit already numbered more than 2,000 soldiers. Combat activity began on the Leningrad sector of the front. At the end of March, due to significant losses, the legion was withdrawn from the front and hastily sent to Norway.

Estonian Volunteer Legion

The formation of the legion took place according to the states of the three-battalion regiment. And already in March 1943, an order was received to send the first combat battalion to the front. Since March 1944, the forces of the military formation acted as an integral part of the SS Westland Regiment. The baptism of fire took place in the battle for height 186.9. After significant losses in the winter of 1944, the Estonian battalion was withdrawn. The Estonians continued fighting as part of a new formation.

Caucasian SS military formations

During the fighting, the army had a large number of units consisting of natives of the Caucasus. For the most part, such units were formed on the territory of Poland. Natives of the Caucasus formed not only the army, but also were part of the police and punitive units. Together with the Cossack camp, the Caucasians formed a school of anti-partisan forces.
And already in May 1945, the ranks of the formation were transferred by the British to the Soviet leadership.

Military formations of the Eastern Turkic SS

A fairly large number of volunteer units consisted of residents of Central Asia. Therefore, in November 1943, the first Eastern Muslim SS regiment was created.
Formation took place near Lublin.
As of November 1944, the unit consisted of 308 non-commissioned officers, 37 officers and 2,317 soldiers. And already on January 1, 1945, the military unit included the “Crimea” group, formed from the Tatar brigade. The latest information regarding the group dates back to April 1945, when it was training at the Dollersheim camp.

SS Division "Reich". History of the Second SS Panzer Division. 1939-1945 Akunov Wolfgang Viktorovich

Regiment SS - FT Deutschland

Regiment SS - FT Deutschland

“Germany is my madness!

Germany is my love!

Marina Tsvetaeva

The most important formation in the history of the Waffen SS as part of the SS units special purpose was the 1st SS-FT Regiment Deutschland, which was an infantry unit of four battalions, with military equipment and a horse-drawn convoy. The 1st battalion of this regiment, formed back in October 1933, consisted of volunteers originally from Southern Germany. In 1936, the battalion was stationed in the Freimann barracks in Munich. Three years later, the headquarters of the entire Deutschland Regiment was located in these barracks. Like many other standard units of the German army, these and other battalions included anti-tank, motorcycle and other specialized companies.

On July 25, 1934, a putsch of Austrian National Socialists took place against the authoritarian “Austrofascist” regime of Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss (nicknamed “Millimetternich” for his short stature and exorbitant ambitions). Militants of the underground 89th SS Standard seized the radio broadcasting center and the office of the Federal Chancellor in Vienna, taking several ministers into custody; Dolphus himself was killed. In addition to the putsch in Vienna, suppressed on the same day, armed uprisings of the Nazis (primarily from the Austrian SS, and to a lesser extent from the Austrian SA, whose fighting ardor was cooled to a large extent by the recent extermination of the leadership of their comrades in Germany in “Night of the Long Knives”!) also occurred in other Austrian lands - Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria (where the “Austrofascist” regime, in addition to police units and the paramilitary “Gamewehr,” had to send a regular army unit - the 41st Mountain Brigade) against the Nazi rebels) . In the fierce battles for the city of Leoben and on the border between Styria and Upper Austria, army units of the “Austrofascist” regime even had to use artillery against the rebels. Small “shock troops” of the Austrian “browns”, using the features of the forested mountainous terrain through which the army units were advancing, blew up bridges, set up tree blockages on the roads and ambushed columns of government troops, sometimes inflicting heavy losses on them. At the same time, the snipers and machine gunners of the Austrian Nazis widely took advantage of excellent natural shelters - after all, “their native mountains helped them.” And yet, the Nazi rebellion, during which more than five hundred people were killed on both sides alone (including more than three hundred Nazi rebels), and about one and a half thousand were wounded, was (in the absence of support for the conspirators from the “Third Reich”) in the hope of which the Austrian National Socialists rebelled!) by July 29 it was suppressed by the “Austrofascists”, and the murderers of Chancellor Dollfuss and the main instigators of the rebellion were executed.

In the spring of 1935, a group of National Socialists from the Austrian SA and SS, led by Karl-Maria Demelhuber, who fled Austria after the failure of this first Anschluss attempt, suppressed by the Austro-fascist regime, was enrolled in the SS-FT Deutschland regiment as its 2nd th battalion. Before joining the ranks of the Deutschland Regiment, these Austrian political emigrants were included in the formation formed on the territory of the German state of Bavaria even before the 1934 mutiny, with the consent of the leadership of the NSDAP, a separate national Austrian unit, initially known as the Volunteer Corps "Austria", then - the "Austrian Legion" ”(or “Austrian SS Legion”), and later - under the more “harmless” name given to it for disguise purposes “Austrian Relief Fund” (“Hilfsverk EsterReich”) and, finally, the “Schleisheim Foundation” (“Hilfsverk Schleisheim”). During the days of the Nazi rebellion against Millimetternich-Dollfuss in Austria, the Austrian Legion tried to help the rebels in Tyrol. On July 26, the legionnaires, having crossed the German-Austrian border from Bavaria, took possession of the Austrian customs post and advanced deep into Austrian territory, but were thrown back into the territory of the Reich by parts of the Austrian police. On July 28, on the third day of fighting, the shock detachment of the “Austrian Legion” (with a force of only forty bayonets) again penetrated from Bavaria into Austria, but went back, encountering resistance from parts of the Austrian border guard. Since then, the “legionnaires” have been waiting on the territory of the German Empire. The maintenance of the Austrians, of whom there were about eight thousand in the “legion,” was meager, the food was unsatisfactory, the weapons and supplies were weak - many Austrian legionnaires were not even issued a military uniform until March 1934.