Panzer divisions of the ss. Wolfgang Akunov SS Panzer Division Das Reich History of the Second Division of the SS Troops (1939–1945). mechanized infantry division of the SS "Reichsführer SS"

List of tank units of the SS troops

Between 1939 and 1945, the German Armed Forces included the following tank units:

Army: 1st - 27th Panzer Divisions, 116th Panzer Division, 233rd Reserve Panzer Division, training Panzer Division, Feldherrnhalle Panzer Division, Grossdeutchland Panzer Division, Hermann Goering Panzer Division. In total: 33 tank divisions, 11 separate heavy tank battalions (on "tigers"), 1 battalion (512th) tank destroyer "jagdtiger", 13 separate tank brigades (101st - 113th).

(In 1944, separate tank brigades were formed as part of the ground forces, which received numbers from 101 to 113. Parts of these brigades were used mainly to reinforce tank and motorized divisions until the end of the war.)

SS troops: 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler", 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich", 3rd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf", 5th SS Panzer Division "Viking", 9th Panzer SS division "Hohenstaufen", 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg", 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend", 11th SS Panzer Regiment "Nordland" (in the battle for Berlin), 561st battalion tank destroyers "Jagdtiger" ". Total: 7 SS Panzer Divisions, 3 SS Heavy Panzer Battalions (on Tigers): 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion as part of I Panzer Corps, 102nd SS Heavy Panzer Battalion as part of II Panzer Corps, 103rd Heavy Panzer Battalion SS battalion in III tank corps (in 1944, the battalions were renamed the 501st, 502nd and 503rd, respectively, and received the "royal tigers").

Visiting one of the SS units During a walk through the village, we met with the soldiers of the SS unit stationed nearby, who immediately invited us to their place for lunch. While for us soldiers, hunger was a constant state, and the 12th squadron during the offensive

“Royal Tigers” in tank battles in Pomerania Fritz Kauerauf, SS Untersturmführer, crew commander of the 503rd SS heavy tank battalion

At the head of the Cossack units on December 1, 1941, Lieutenant Colonel and holder of the Knight's Cross Helmut von Panwitz was appointed assistant to the Inspector General of the Mobile Forces under the Commander-in-Chief ground forces(Referent bei Generalinspektor der schnellen Truppen), whose headquarters were located in

Panzer tactics in Operation Citadel Light and medium tanks, which were used in the first three years of the war, played an important role in the fighting of that period. But as Russian anti-tank defenses became more effective and their tanks more

New movement of Cossack units south of the city Memakhatun, aiming to reach Erzurum. “In view of the serious situation prevailing on this sector of the front,

The new head of the tank troops After the death of A.Kh. Babadzhanyan, in 1978 Colonel-General Yuri Mikhailovich Potapov, who had previously held the post of chief of staff of the Far Eastern Military District, was appointed chief of the tank troops. He was three years younger than me

GUARDS LIEUTENANT GENERAL OF THE TANK TROOPS N. POPEL Leaders The hearts of the tank guards were beating with the greatest military pride. They traveled a glorious, legendary path from Moscow to Berlin. They had the honor to inflict the last, so ingeniously prepared by a comrade

M. G. WEINRUB, Lieutenant General of Tank Troops, retired, Hero of the Soviet Union rifle division officers gathered. Divisional Commander Colonel A.P. Dmitriev explained the situation and set the task. The division was to

KO PETROVSKY, retired Major General of Tank Troops, Hero of the Soviet Union Brigade Commander On the road that led from Ternopil to Zalishchyky, it was busy. And day and night there was an unceasing rumble and roar in the air. Along the roadsides, where it was drier, trucks and wagons were moving, wet

ZK SLYUSARENKO, retired lieutenant general of tank troops, twice Hero of the Soviet Union PAYING Zakhar Karpovich Slyusarenko in 1939 took part in the liberation campaign of the Red Army troops in Western Ukraine. In 1941 he commanded a tank battalion, fought

CHAPTER 5 CREATION OF TANK TROOPS When events of colossal importance, occurring in the course of a clash of revolutionary causes, cast a shadow on the diplomatic and political scene, attracting everyone's attention, it is a symptom that

My detours of division units On the same day, I issued the following orders as a result of my detours of division units: did not come

Maneuver and strike of tank formations In the July days of 1941, Hitler's tank divisions were approaching Minsk. Two giant armored wedges - from Brest and Vilna - pierced into Belarus in order to connect with their tip east of Minsk, cut off and surround the troops of the Red

Heterogeneity of parts of the composition The parts of the performance are also diverse in spatio-temporal certainty. In Pugachev, episodes of the poem alternated with scenes of three peasants and scenes of mourners. The image of the "trinity" developed mainly in time. Not only because

SYSTEM OF REPLENISHMENT OF PARTS On the third day of the regiment's stay in Lgov, I received a telephone message with an order to arrive immediately at the headquarters of the corps, located at the Lgov station. General Kutepov was having dinner and first of all asked: Have you had dinner?

On June 6, 1944, the Allies finally opened a second front in Western Europe. On this day, American, British and Canadian units successfully landed on five sections of the Normandy coast in France, Operation Overlord began. For the successful development of the offensive deep into the continent, the Allied forces needed to capture the French city of Caen. This city was considered the key that would open the way for the Allied troops to the south-east of France.

Caen, this ancient city of Normandy, played an exceptional role in the system of transport communications on the Norman coast of France. In fact, he was the main link between the Cotentin Peninsula and the rest of France. This was well understood by both the Germans and the Allies. The main task of the 3rd Infantry Division of the British Army was to capture this city on the first day of the invasion - June 6th. In addition, the main tasks of the Allied troops in this direction were to capture and hold the Carpiquet airfield, located in the vicinity of Caen at a distance of 18 kilometers from the coast; access to the landing zones of paratroopers of the 6th British Airborne Division, which was able to capture a number of bridges over the Orne River; capture of the dominant heights near Caen.

The Allied attempt to take Caen on the move failed. The Allied troops were able to capture the city only on July 20, 1944, and the battle for Caen itself lasted until August 6. In many ways, the plans of the allies were thwarted by the German tank divisions. Already at 4 pm on June 6, 1944, the Germans brought the forces of the 21st Panzer Division into battle in this direction. It was the only tank division that began to act against the landing forces directly on the day of the landing. The division failed to throw the British and Canadians into the sea, but seriously confused their plans, preventing them from taking Caen on the very first day of the operation and allowing other tank and mechanized units of the Wehrmacht and SS troops to approach the city.

Having managed to stop the advance of British and Canadian troops on Caen on June 6, 1944, the German command began to hatch a plan for a powerful offensive in this sector. On June 7-9, trying to improve their positions before the upcoming offensive, the German troops carried out several local counterattacks against the Allied forces. The most stubborn battles in the end had to be fought by Canadians who fought in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe settlements of Ro, Bretville-l'Orgueyuse and Norrey-en-Bessin.

Here the allies first encountered the German Panthers, which during the fighting in Normandy turned out to be a “hard nut to crack” for them. In total, by the time the Allied forces landed in France on June 6, 1944, there were a total of 663 Panthers in the tank formations of the SS and Wehrmacht troops in the West. This tank was distinguished by good frontal armor and a formidable long-barreled 75-mm gun, which made it possible to effectively destroy all types of allied tanks. The only truly formidable rival for the German Panthers was only the British Sherman Firefly tank (Sherman Firefly), re-equipped with an English 17-pounder anti-tank gun (76.2 mm gun, barrel length 55 calibers).

British and Canadian units could have encountered even more Panthers near Caen, but the German industry could not produce this tank in the volumes that the military required. Initially, it was planned to replace all Pz III and Pz IV tanks with Panther tanks in combat units, but the pace of mass production could not satisfy the needs of the troops in armored vehicles. In the end, the General Inspector of the Wehrmacht's tank forces, Colonel General Heinz Guderian, after consulting with the Minister of Armaments Albert Speer, decided that only one battalion in a tank regiment was to be re-equipped with new tanks.

The battalion was supposed to include 4 companies of 17 Panther tanks each. At the same time, at the headquarters of the battalion there were 8 more tanks, an air defense platoon armed with Mobelwagen or Wirbelwind ZSU, and a sapper platoon. Also, the battalion was supposed to have a technical company, equipped with various vehicles and evacuation tractors. In practice, the number of units in the German army never corresponded to the staffing table. So in parts of the Panzerwaffe there were an average of 51-54 Panther tanks in the battalion, and in the SS troops - 61-64 tanks.

First appearance of the Panthers

The first appearance of the Panther tanks did not make much of an impression on the Allies. The debut of the formidable cat on the western front came out crumpled and led to heavy losses of tanks. The first three Panther companies (approximately 40 tanks) arrived at the front near Caen on the evening of June 8, 1944. These were combat vehicles from the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth". The division was formed from more than 16 thousand members of the Hitler Youth. It called for 17-year-old members of this Nazi organization, who then underwent a 6-month training. In addition, about a thousand soldiers and officers of veterans of the SS troops and experienced commanders from the Wehrmacht were transferred to the division. The division was transferred to Normandy in the spring of 1944, at that time it had more than 20 thousand people and about 150 tanks. It was one of the most fanatically fighting German units. By July 9, 1944, the division had lost 60% of its original strength in combat.

The commander of the PzKpfw V "Panther" tank of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth", in the commander's turret hatch, during a march as part of a column. Machines from the 3rd company. photo: waralbum.ru

Arriving at the front on the evening of June 8, 1944, the Panthers of the 12th Hitler Youth Panzer Division attacked the allies at night, trying to capture the village of Ro. The Canadian infantry, which was in the village, did not resist for long, retreating to Bretville, where a well-prepared defense was waiting for the Germans. As the German tanks approached Bretteville, they were met with a flurry of fire from anti-tank artillery, tanks and hand grenade launchers. As a result, several Panthers were hit and burned. Canadian Joe Lapointe especially distinguished himself in this battle, who, having entered into a duel with the Panther, knocked out the tank with three shots from a PIAT grenade launcher. The German infantry also did not succeed and was forced to retreat, leaving their tanks without support. As a result, the Panthers retreated after her.

Having failed to immediately capture Bretville and Norrey in a night attack from 8 to 9 June 1944, the Germans decided to repeat the offensive during the day. However, they failed to prepare a truly powerful blow to the allies, since the 12th SS Panzer Division entered the battle in parts. This development of events not only weakened the offensive capabilities of the division, but also prevented the organization of full-fledged interaction between tanks, infantry and artillery.

At noon on June 9, the 1st and 3rd Panther companies (approximately 25 tanks) took part in the attack on Norrey. Another tank company covered their actions, firing from a place. At the same time, the German infantry almost did not support the attack, most likely for the reason that they were pressed to their trenches by strong Allied artillery fire. As a result, German tanks were forced to operate with little or no support, accompanied by only two or three dozen soldiers.

Panther shot down by Joe Lapointe

"Panthers" rushed to Norrey on top speed. At the same time, the tanks of the 1st company made a short stop and fired at the spire of the church, believing that Canadian observers could hide there. After that, the Panthers again rushed forward. The tanks had not yet reached the village when Canadian anti-tank guns opened fire on them. There was a short fight. Although in this battle the German tankers destroyed a couple of guns without losing a single one of their tanks, the company commander decided not to tempt fate by ordering the tanks to retreat. On this, the participation of the 1st company "Panthers" from the 12th SS Panzer Division in the battles of June 9 ended.

Massacre of the Panthers at Bretteville-l'Orgueyuse

A much sadder fate awaited the 3rd Panther Company of the same Panzer Division. This company was commanded by Captain Luderman, who was urgently found to replace the main unit commander, who was wounded the day before. Very little is known about his personality; his name is not even preserved in the sources. It is known that 12 tanks of his company advanced along railway. At some point, he gave the order to slow down and turn left towards Norrey. According to Luderman, in this way, his "Panthers" turned to the Canadian anti-tank guns with their most protected part - their forehead. However, in practice, this order turned out to be fatal, only a few seconds passed and allied shells flew into the Panthers, but not from the front, but from the right side. In just a few minutes of the battle, the Germans lost 7 tanks - five destroyed and two knocked out.

Everything happened so quickly that the crews of German tanks did not even understand who exactly was shooting at them. The Panthers simply caught fire, and their crews tried to leave the burning cars as soon as possible. Those who participated in this battle and survived later remembered him with horror. The Panther, commanded by Germani (name and rank not preserved), was hit on the starboard side of the turret. The shell hit under the gunner's seat, causing a fire. Germani was an experienced tanker, before the battle he did not lock the cover of the commander's hatch. Thanks to this, he was the first to leave the burning tank. The gunner had to get out through the flames, he received serious burns.

The commander of another Panther tank leaned out of the turret to look around and was killed by a direct hit from a shell. Another "Panther" received a lot of hits in the tracks and rollers, but managed to keep moving and somehow retreated to their original positions. Some of the 7 Panthers destroyed in this attack had their turrets torn off by an explosion of ammunition.

As a result, the remnants of the 3rd Panzer Company of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth" retreated without seeing their enemy. Many tankers after the battle were shocked by what they saw and experienced. The company commander Luderman even had a nervous breakdown. The captain was sent to the hospital, where it took him several days to recover. One of German officers, who witnessed the beating of the Panthers in that battle, noted after the end of World War II: “I could then cry with rage and grief.”

Canadian "fireflies"

Who ended up knocking out the Panthers? Their killers were Sherman tanks from a reserve unit that had arrived to replenish the 1st Canadian Hussars Tank Regiment. Among the 9 tanks that arrived, there were several in the Firefly (Firefly) modification, armed with long-barreled 76.2-mm guns that perfectly pierced any of the German tanks. It was this Allied tank that could fight on equal terms with the German Panthers and Tigers. The armor-piercing projectile of the English 17-pounder accelerated to 884 m/s, the piercing projectile to 1204 m/s. At the same time, at a distance of 900 meters, a conventional armor-piercing projectile of this gun pierced armor 110 mm thick, located at an angle of 30 degrees. Armor-piercing with a ballistic tip in the same conditions - 131 mm of armor, and a sub-caliber projectile - 192 mm. This was more than enough to fight the Panther tank.

When the German tankers went on the attack on Norrey, the Shermans were located in the neighborhood, not far from Bretville. The Panthers of the 3rd company, having made their turn, substituted the sides of the Canadian tanks. The sides of the panthers had armor of only 50-40 mm (top and bottom of the hull, respectively), armor of the turret side - 45 mm. The shooting distance was those same 900 meters. At such a battle distance, the very first shells fired by the Canadians were able to find targets.

Tank Sherman Firefly

In this battle, the crew of the Canadian tank, commanded by Lieutenant Henry, especially distinguished himself. His gunner managed to knock out 5 attacking Panthers with five shots. Two more Fireflies were able to chalk up one of the seven Panthers that were left burning on the battlefield. At the same time, all available Shermans fired on German tanks, so some Panthers received several hits at once. While the Fireflies quite easily pierced their sides with armor-piercing shells, conventional Sherman tanks fired high-explosive fragmentation shells. They could not seriously harm the German tanks, but they confused their crews, and also prevented them from observing the surroundings and finding targets. That is why for the German tankers it remained a mystery who exactly fired at them.

Canadian Sherman tanks on the afternoon of June 9, 1944 were in right time in the right place. And although the German troops launched a counterattack suddenly, the Canadians managed to quickly orient themselves and do their job perfectly, without suffering losses in tanks on their part. At the same time, the German command again became convinced that haste in organizing and carrying out tank attacks inevitably leads to the failure of the offensive. At the same time, this battle was the first victory of Canadian tankers and their Shermans over the German Panthers.

Information sources:
http://worldoftanks.ru/ru/news/pc-browser/12/panthers_defeat_near_bretteville
http://armor.kiev.ua/Tanks/WWII/PzV/txt/PzV2.php
http://narkompoisk.ru/arhivy-dokumenty-analitika/2015/10/28/diviziya-ss-gitleryugend.html
Materials from open sources

12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" (12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend").
This unit owes its formation to the SS Gruppenführer Gottlob Berger, who proposed to the SS Reichsfuehrer Heinrich Himmler, in January 1943, to create an SS division from members of the Hitler Youth. On February 10, 1943, a decree was issued according to which the formation of the SS division "Hitler Youth" was allowed from conscripts born in 1926 (age - 17 years old, earlier for volunteers entering the SS there was an age limit of 23 years). SS Oberführer Fritz Witt of the Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler was appointed division commander, who also provided other personnel for the newly formed units. Through the competition, a distinguishing mark of the division was established, on which the Sowilo rune (the symbol of the Hitler Youth organization) crossed with a master key (the sign of the SS division "Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler", which arose from the name of its first commander Joseph Dietrich (German: Dietrich - master key) ).
Fritz Witt

The construction of the tankers of the division during its inspection by Field Marshal Gerd von Rundsted, France, January 1944.

Captured German soldiers from the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth" under the escort of the military police of the 3rd US Army. These child soldiers (aged 16 and 17) were taken prisoner on the outskirts of Magerotte, east of Bastogne, Belgium.

Until September 1, 1943, more than 16 thousand members of the Hitler Youth were called up, who underwent six months of training. In addition, more than 1 thousand veterans of the SS troops, as well as experienced officers from the Wehrmacht, were transferred to the division. Total population personnel exceeded 20 thousand people with 150 tanks. During training in Beverloo (Belgium), it was decided to reorganize the original tank-grenadier division into a tank division and change its name to the SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth". When the units of the Waffen-SS were renumbered on October 22, 1943, the division received the number 12, and its grenadier regiments - the numbers 25 and 26.

Since June 1944, the division was on the Western Front in Normandy.
Grenadier of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth" on the road to Orne (Orne), Nomandy.

On June 6, 1944, the Allies launched the Normandy invasion with Operation Overlord. The 12th SS division "Hitler Youth", together with the 21st Panzer Division, were the tank units closest to the landing site. However, due to air raids, they reached the battlefield only at about 22:00 near Evresi.
On June 7, the 25th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment under the command of SS Standartenführer Kurt Meyer, together with the 12th SS Panzer Regiment, managed to repel the attack of the Canadians, and 28 tanks were destroyed, and infantry regiment The Nova Scotia Highlanders suffered heavy losses. In this case, the losses of the division amounted to six people. During this operation, 20 Canadian prisoners of war were killed by soldiers of the division in Abbaye d "Ardenne.
Kurt Meyer

On June 8, the 26th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment under the command of SS Obersturmbannführer Wilhelm Mohnke reached a position west of the Meyer regiment. The regiment struck in the direction of Saint-Manvieux-Norre and captured a strategically important village.
Two tanks M4 "Sherman" squadron "A" of the 2nd Canadian Panzer Division, shot down and burned down on June 11, 1944 on the street of the French town of Ro (Rots) during the battle with the 12th SS Panzer Regiment of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth" ".

Captured soldiers of the 12th SS division "Hitlerjugend" (12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") at lunch in a field near the French town of Ro (Rots).



On 14 June, the Royal Navy bombarded the position at Venoix, killing Witt. His place was taken by Kurt Meyer, who became the youngest division commander of the Second World War (33 years old). Meyer was later accused of committing war crimes, as he demanded that his units not take prisoners.
The division was ordered to capture Caen within the next four weeks, although it was vastly outnumbered by the enemy and air support was lacking.

Panzergrenadier of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth", captured by Canadian reconnaissance during the Battle of Caen. August 9, 1944

Tank Pz.Kpfw. IV (Panzerkampfwagen IV, Ausf. H, tail number 626) of the 6th company of the 12th tank regiment of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth" (6.Kompanie / SS-Panzer-Regiment 12 / 12.SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") on the march along the street of the French city of Caen (Caen).

Another tank Pz.Kpfw.IV with tactical number 625 from the same company of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth".


In the first weeks of July, the division suffered heavy losses. Therefore, Meyer ignored the order to hold the northern border of Caen and retreated with the remnants of his troops to the south. By this time, the division had lost 4,000 men killed, 8,000 wounded and a large number missing.

A machine gunner from the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth" fires at the enemy with an MG-42 machine gun. France, July 1944.

Eighteen-year-old SS Sturmmann (corporal) Otto Funk (Otto Funk) from the 25th Grenadier Regiment of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth" in Ro (Rots) after the failed German attack on Norre-en-Bessin (Norrey-en-Bessin), northwest of Caen, France.
On June 26, 1944, Otto Funk (06/06/1926-09/11/2011) was wounded in the Cheux area, on May 8, 1945 he surrendered to units of the 65th US Infantry Division in Enns, Austria.

Rewarding the soldiers of the division for the June-July battles in Normandy

By August 17, the main forces of the division fell into the Falaise pocket, where they operated north of the city of Falaise. On August 29, the remnants of the division managed to break out of the encirclement, while losing about 9 thousand people since June 6, almost all tanks and most of the heavy weapons and equipment. Until September, the personnel decreased by another 2 thousand people and amounted to about 3 thousand people. Meyer himself was captured on September 6 by Belgian partisans, as a result of which SS-Obersturmbannführer Hubert Meyer took command. Continuing the retreat, the division passed through Vielsalm and Malmedy. Having reached the Western Defensive Wall, the division took part in the defense of the canal and the Eifel region.
In November, the division was transferred to Nienburg, where, in view of the actual destruction, it was re-formed. Meyer was replaced by SS-Obersturmbannführer Hugo Kraas. The division was assigned to the 6th SS Panzer Army under the command of SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich to participate in Operation Watch on the Rhine.
Tank M4 "Sherman" (board number 14) of the Canadian regiment "Sherbrooke Fusiliers" (Sherbrooke Fusiliers) and soldiers of the regiment "Fusiliers Mont-Royal" (Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal) in battle with a group of SS Sturmbannführer Krause (Kampfgruppe Krause) 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend (12. SS-Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend) on French Falaise Street.

Captured soldiers of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth", captured in the Falaise pocket.

The operation, which began on December 16, 1944, despite all efforts, did not achieve its goal - to break through the enemy's defenses. The reason was the strong resistance of the opposing American troops. Following this, the division was withdrawn to take part in the siege of Bastogne. Until January 18, 1945, the division, like other German units, was pushed back to its original positions.
Grenadiers of the 25th Panzergrenadier Regiment (SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 25) of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" (12. SS-Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend), killed in battle with the 509th Parachute Regiment of the US Army on December 26, 1944 during offensive in the Ardennes.

Captured young German soldiers of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth", captured by soldiers of the 7th US Army in the city of Schillersdorf, France.

Captured soldiers of the 12th SS division "Hitlerjugend" (12. SS-Panzer-Division "Hitlerjugend") loaded the wounded into the back of an American GMC truck

Captured soldiers of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth".

On January 20, 1945, the 6th SS Panzer Army received an order to redeploy to eastern Hungary to take part in the battles for Budapest, where 45 thousand people of the 9th SS mountain corps were surrounded. The transfer of units began on February 2, and already on February 4, the first units arrived in the area south of Kolta. On February 5, the division went on the offensive near the city of Gran on the Danube. By the end of the month, the bridgehead at Gran was eliminated. Then the SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth" participated in the battles for the Paris Canal, Barth and Beni.
Subsequently, the division took part in the offensive on Lake Balaton, during which Germany planned to regain oil fields. Parts of the division operated near the eastern part of Lake Balaton. Hitler tried to keep this operation secret and ordered no reconnaissance of the battlefield before the start of the offensive. After initial success, the operation was interrupted by a Soviet counteroffensive.
The German tank Pz.Kpfw. destroyed near Lake Balaton. V Ausf.G "Panther" from the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth". Late production vehicle, gun mantlet with a kind of tide in the lower part - a “beard”, which makes it impossible for the turret to jam when a projectile hits, and also prevents the projectile from ricocheting into the turret plate. The car's gun barrel was shot through. The number of the Soviet trophy team is "79".


After March 15, the Hitler Youth division began a retreat along the Veszprem-Papa-Raba route. Having crossed Raba and Sopron, the remnants of the division moved at an accelerated march towards the advancing American troops deep into Austria. After passing Enns, the remnants of the division surrendered to the troops of the 65th Infantry Division of the 7th US Army on May 8, 1945. Of the 21,300 personnel in the division as of December 1943, 455 soldiers and officers survived. The division retained one tank.

Emblems of SS divisions

Almost all German divisions had their own emblems or identification marks. As a rule, they were applied with white, black or yellow oil paint on the divisional military equipment and vehicles; buildings in which the ranks of the respective divisions were quartered; corresponding pointers in the locations of the parts; aircraft (if any), etc. In SS divisions, such identification marks or emblems (“Erkennungszeichen”, German: Erkennungszeichen) almost always fit into the heraldic shields that had the “Varangian” or “Norman” form, or the form of a tarch, and in many cases differed from the lapel signs of the ranks of the respective divisions. Although in practice such identification marks (judging by the surviving photographs) were often applied to equipment and divisional property without heraldic shields or simply fit into a circle.

1st Panzer Division "SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" . The name of the division can be translated as "SS Regiment of Adolf Hitler's personal guard". The emblem of the division was a shield-tarch with a picture of a master key (and not a key, as is often incorrectly written and thought). This choice of drawing is explained by the fact that the name of the division commander Josef (Sepp) Dietrich in German means master key (dietrich). After Joseph Dietrich was awarded the Oak Leaves to Knight's cross The iron cross emblem of the division began to be framed by 2 oak leaves or a semicircular oak wreath. The division was founded on March 17, 1933 by Hitler shortly after he came to power. At the beginning of World War II, the 1st SS Division fought as a motorized infantry regiment. According to the testimonies, due to their special stamina, this unit suffered high losses, due to insufficient military training and blind fanaticism. Achievement of the set task, regardless of losses, was considered a special pride.

2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" . The name of the division can be translated into Russian as "Empire", "Power". The emblem of the division was the “wolfsangel” (wolf hook) inscribed in the shield-tarch - an old German rune-amulet that scared away wolves and werewolves (in German: “werewolves”, in Greek: “lycanthropes”, in Icelandic: “ulfhedins” , in Norwegian: "varulvov" or "vargs", in Slavonic: "volkolaks", "volkudlaks" or "volkodlaks"), located horizontally. The division was created on October 10, 1938 by the union of the "SS reserve troops" and part of the "Dead Head" SS formations.

3rd SS Panzer Division "Dead Head" ("Totenkopf"). The emblem of the division was the image of the dead (Adam's) head (skull with bones) inscribed in the shield-tarch - a symbol of loyalty to the leader until death. It was created on November 1, 1939, as a division of motorized infantry. It included parts of the SS "Dead Head", engaged in the protection of concentration camps, and the SS Danzig battalion.

4th moto infantry division SS "Police" ("Police"), a.k.a. "(4th) SS Police Division". This division received its name because it was formed from the ranks of the German police. The emblem of the division was the "wolf hook" - "wolfsangel" in a vertical position, inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch. Founded October 1, 1939 as a Police Division from employees of the German police. February 10, 1942 passed to the Waffen-SS, to which she belonged informally.

5th SS Panzer Division "Viking". It was founded in April 1941 from the SS Nordland and Westland regiments. The division was the first to include foreigners. It was fought by foreign volunteers from "racially acceptable peoples", mostly residents of the countries of Northern Europe (Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden), as well as Belgium, the Netherlands, Latvia and Estonia. However, foreigners made up only 10% of the personnel. By the end of the war, Swiss, Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish volunteers served in the ranks of the division. The emblem of the division was an oblique cross (sun wheel), that is, a swastika with curved crossbars, on a heraldic shield-tarch.

6th Mountain (Mountain Rifle) Division of the SS "Nord" ("North"). It was founded in the autumn of 1942 in Finland as the SS mountain division "Nord" from the SS division "Nord". October 22, 1943 received the 6th number and became the 6th SS division. The name of this division is explained by the fact that it was recruited mainly from natives of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Latvia). The emblem of the division was the ancient German rune “hagall” (“hagalaz”) inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, which was considered a symbol of unshakable faith.

7th SS Volunteer Mountain (Mountain Rifle) Division "Prince Eugen (Eugen)". Founded in October 1942. Showed particular cruelty to the civilian population. According to the results of a military investigation in 1944, it became known that as a result of the atrocities of the division, 22 settlements with general population about 1000 people. This division, recruited mainly from ethnic Germans living in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Vojvodina, Banat and Romania, was named after famous commander"Holy Roman Empire" German nation» second half XVII-beginning 18th century Prince Eugene (in German: Eugen) of Savoy, who became famous for his victories over the Ottoman Turks and, in particular, won Belgrade for the Roman-German emperor (1717). Eugene of Savoy also became famous in the War of the Spanish Succession for his victories over the French and earned himself no less fame as a patron of the arts. The emblem of the division was a stylized and inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch the ancient Germanic rune "odal" ("otilia", "etel") with curved lower ends. The rune itself means “real estate / estate” or “heritage” and symbolizes the roots and past of a person - clan, family, homeland, home, property, traditions. However, it should be noted that some foreign and domestic runologists tend to consider such a variant of the outline of the “odal” rune (with curved lower ends) as a separate, “irregular” rune “erda” (“earth rune”). According to their interpretation, the rune of the earth and the earth goddess, bearing the same name in the Germanic languages ​​\u200b\u200b- “erda”, symbolizes, on the one hand, the earth itself and its holiness, and on the other hand, the native land, homeland, clan. Nevertheless, apparently, in the Third Reich in general, and in the SS - in particular, no distinctions were made between the runes "odal" and "Erda" (in relation to both variants of the runic sign described above, as well as in relation to the third variant - with arrow-shaped lower ends, used as the emblem of the Dutch SS division "Landstorm Nederland" - the name "odal rune" was used).

8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer. It was created on September 9, 1942 as an SS cavalry division. Participated in the suppression of the partisan population, acted against the Polish rebels from the Home Army in Volhynia. This division was named after the imperial knight Florian Geyer, who led during the Peasant War in Germany (1524-1526) one of the detachments of German peasants (“Black detachment”, in German: “Schwarzer Haufen”), who rebelled against the princes (large feudal lords who opposed the unification of Germany under the scepter of the emperor). Since Florian Geyer wore black armor and his "Black Squad" fought under a black banner, the SS considered him as their predecessor (especially since he opposed not only the princes, but also for the unification of the German state). Florian Geyer (immortalized in the drama of the same name by the classic of German literature Gerhart Hauptmann) died heroically in battle with the superior forces of the German princes in 1525 in the Taubertal valley. His image entered German folklore (especially song folklore), enjoying no less popularity than, say, Stepan Razin - in Russian song folklore. The emblem of the division was a straight naked sword inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, point upwards, crossing the shield from right to left diagonally and a horse's head.

9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen" ("Hohenstaufen"). Created from the Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler reserve on December 31, 1942 in France. Replenished by volunteers from all over the Reich. This division was named after the dynasty of the Swabian dukes (since 1079) and the medieval Roman-German Kaiser emperors (1138-1254) - the Hohenstaufen (Staufen). Under them, the medieval German state (“Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation”), founded by Charlemagne (in 800 AD) and renewed by Otto (n) I the Great, reached the peak of its power, subordinating Italy, Sicily, the Holy Land and Poland. The Hohenstaufen tried, relying on economically highly developed Northern Italy as a base, to centralize their power over Germany and restore the Roman Empire - "at least" - Western (within the borders of the empire of Charlemagne), ideally - the entire Roman Empire, including the Eastern Roman (Byzantine), in which, however, they did not succeed. The most famous representatives of the Hohenstaufen dynasty are the Crusader Kaisers Frederick I Barbarossa (who died during the Third Crusade) and his great-nephew Frederick II (Emperor of Rome, King of Germany, Sicily and Jerusalem), as well as Konradin, who was defeated in the fight against the Pope and Duke Charles of Anjou for Italy and beheaded by the French in 1268. The emblem of the division was a straight naked sword inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, pointing upwards, superimposed on the capital Latin letter "H" ("Hohenstaufen").

10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg". It was created on February 1, 1943 in southern France as the 10th SS Panzergrenadier Division. On October 3, 1943, it was renamed and received the name Frundsberg in honor of the German Renaissance commander Georg (Jörg) von Frundsberg, nicknamed the "Father of the Landsknechts" (1473-1528), under whose command the troops of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation and King of Spain Charles I of Habsburg conquered Italy and in 1514 took Rome, forcing the Pope to recognize the supremacy of the Empire. They say that the ferocious Georg Frundsberg always carried a golden noose with him, with which he intended to strangle the Pope if he fell into his hands alive. The emblem of the division was the capital Gothic letter “F” (“Frundsberg”) inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, superimposed on an oak leaf, located diagonally from right to left.

11th SS Infantry Division "Nordland" ("Northern Country"). It was established in July 1943. Fought on the Eastern Front, in May 1945 was almost completely destroyed in Berlin. The name of the division is explained by the fact that it was recruited mainly from volunteers born in northern European countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Latvia and Estonia). The emblem of this SS division was originally a "wolf hook" without a central vertical line, and later - a heraldic shield-tarch with the image of a "sun wheel" inscribed in a circle.

12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth" ("Hitler Youth"). The order to form a division from conscripts born in 1926 was signed on February 10, 1943. This division was recruited mainly from the ranks of the eponymous youth organization of the Third Reich. The emblem of the division was the ancient German "solar" rune "sig" ("sovulo", "sovelu"), inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch - a symbol of victory and the emblem of the Nazi youth organizations "Jungfolk" and "Hitler Youth", from whose members the volunteers of the division were recruited, superimposed on the master key ("alignment with Dietrich").

13th mountain (mountain) division of the Waffen SS "Khanjar" (often referred to as military literature also "Handshar" or "Yatagan"), which consisted of Croatian, Bosnian and Herzegovina Muslims (Bosnyaks). The beginning of the formation - August 1943. The division has established itself as a competent anti-partisan detachment, the main area of ​​\u200b\u200boperation is Bosnia, Serbia. The emblem of the division was a curved khanjar sword inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch - a traditional Muslim edged weapon, directed diagonally upwards from left to right. According to the surviving data, the division also had another identification mark, which was an image of a hand with a khanjar superimposed on a double "SS" rune "sig" ("sovulo").

14th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS "Galicia" (Sichevyh Striltsov) she is also the Galician division No. 1, since 1945 - the Ukrainian division No. 1). The emblem of the division was the old coat of arms of the city of Lvov, the capital of Galicia - a lion walking on its hind legs, surrounded by three three-pronged crowns, inscribed in the "Varangian" ("Norman") shield. Along with the 13th SS division, the first SS division was recruited from "non-Nordic" Ukrainian volunteers - Galicians.

15th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Latvian No. 1). It was created in early 1943 and was originally called German. Lettische SS-Freiwilligen Division, renamed a division in June 1944, like the 19th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division, from the Latvian SS Legion. Almost all leading positions of the division were occupied by Latvians. The emblem of the division was originally a "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of the Roman numeral "I" above the stylized printed capital Latin letter "L" ("Latvia"). Subsequently, the division received another sign - three stars against the background of the rising sun. The stars meant three Latvian provinces - Vidzeme, Kurzeme and Latgale (a similar image adorned the cockade of the servicemen of the pre-war army of the Republic of Latvia).

16th SS Infantry Division "Reichsführer SS". It was created on October 3, 1943 in Ljubljana from the SS assault brigade "Reichsführer SS". The division is responsible for the massacre at Sant'Anna di Stazzema and at Marzabotto on August 12, 1944 and October 1, 1944 respectively. It was widely used from Italy and Corsica to Hungary. This division was named after SS Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler. in a heraldic shield-tarch a bunch of three oak leaves with two acorns at the handle framed by a laurel wreath.

17th SS Panzer Division "Götz von Berlichingen" It was created in the late autumn of 1943 in the south-west of France from the 49th and 51st Panzer Grenadier Brigades and other units, among others, the 10th Panzer Division. Used in the Balkans against Tito's partisans, in France, in Normandy against 3 American divisions, Saarpfalz, Bavaria. This division was named after the hero of the Peasant War in Germany (1524-1526), ​​the imperial knight Georg (Götz, Goetz) von Berlichingen (1480-1562), the fighter against the separatism of the German princes for the unity of Germany, the leader of the rebel peasants and the hero of the drama Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "Goetz von Berlichingen with an iron hand" (Knight Goetz, who lost his hand in one of the battles, ordered to make an iron prosthesis instead of it, which he owned no worse than others - a hand of flesh and blood). The emblem of the division was the iron hand of Goetz von Berlichingen clenched into a fist (crossing the shield-tarch from right to left and from bottom to top diagonally).

18th SS Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division Horst Wessel. It was created from the 1st SS Infantry Brigade on January 25, 1944 in the Zagreb (Celje) region in western Croatia. The formation of the division was planned from the employees of the SA, however, due to their insufficient number, the division was staffed by Hungarian Germans. This division was named after one of the "martyrs of the Nazi movement" - the commander of the Berlin attack aircraft Horst Wessel, who composed the song "Banners up"! (which became the anthem of the NSDAP and the "second anthem" of the Third Reich) and was killed by communist militants. The emblem of the division was a straight naked sword with the tip up, crossing the shield-tarch from right to left diagonally. According to the surviving data, this division also had another emblem, which was the Latin letters SA stylized as runes (SA - Sturmabteilungen, i.e. "assault squads" - Horst Wessel was one of the leaders), inscribed in a circle.

19th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Latvian No. 2). Formed on the basis of the "Latvian Volunteer Brigade" in January 1944. Most of the soldiers and officers up to the regimental commanders were Latvians. The emblem of the division at the time of formation was the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of the Roman numeral "II" above the stylized printed capital Latin letter "L" ("Latvia"). Subsequently, the division received another tactical sign - an upright right-sided swastika on the "Varangian" shield. The swastika - the “fiery cross” (“ugunskrusts”) or the “cross (of the god of thunder) Perkon” (“perkonkrusts”) has been a traditional element of the Latvian folk ornament for centuries.

20th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Estonian No. 1). The formation began in February 1944 and was carried out on a voluntary basis. Everyone wishing to serve in this unit had to meet the requirements of the SS troops for health and ideological considerations. The emblem of the division was the “Varangian” (“Norman”) heraldic shield with the image of a straight naked sword, point upwards, crossing the shield from right to left diagonally and superimposed on the capital Latin letter “E” (“Estonia”). According to some reports, this emblem was sometimes depicted on the helmets of Estonian SS volunteers.

21st mountain (mountain) division of the Waffen SS "Skanderbeg" (Albanian No. 1). It began to be created on May 1, 1944 in Northern Albania (the province of Kosovo) on the orders of Himmler. This division, recruited mainly from Albanians, was named after national hero Albanian people, prince, George Alexander Kastriot (nicknamed by the Turks "Iskander-beg" or, in short, "Skanderbeg"). While Skanderbeg (1403-1468) was alive, the Ottoman Turks, who repeatedly suffered defeats from him, could not subjugate Albania to their power. The emblem of the division was the ancient coat of arms of Albania, inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch - a double-headed eagle (the ancient Albanian rulers claimed kinship with the basileus-emperors of Byzantium). According to the surviving information, the division also had another sign - a stylized image of the "Skanderbeg helmet" with goat horns, superimposed on 2 horizontal stripes.

22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division "Maria Theresa" (and not "Maria Teresa", as is often incorrectly spelled). It was formed on April 29, 1944 from Hungarian volunteers. It operated as part of the Army Group South Ukraine. She received her baptism of fire in October 1944 as part of the 6th Army. Participated in the defense of Budapest, where it was actually destroyed, the remnants of the division were used in the formation of the 37th SS Volunteer Cavalry Division "Lützow". This division, recruited mainly from ethnic Germans living in Hungary, and from Hungarians, was named after the Empress of the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation" and Austria, Queen of Bohemia (Czech Republic) and Hungary Maria Theresa von Habsburg (1717-1780), one of the most prominent rulers of the second half of the 18th century. The emblem of the division was the image of a cornflower flower inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch with eight petals, a stem, two leaves and one bud - (subjects of the Austro-Hungarian Danubian monarchy, who wanted to join the German Empire, until 1918 wore a cornflower in their buttonhole - the favorite flower of the German emperor Wilhelm II of Hohenzollern).

23rd Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division of the Waffen SS "Kama" (Croatian No. 2). The formation of the division began on June 10, 1944 in eastern Croatia from Croatian, Bosnian and Herzegovina Muslims, but was not completed due to the threat to the training camp of the division by the advancing Red Army. The personnel were included in the 13th SS mountain division "Handshar", which consisted of Croatian, Bosnian and Herzegovina Muslims. "Kama" is the name of a cold weapon traditional for Balkan Muslims with a curved blade (something like a scimitar). The tactical sign of the division was a stylized image of the astronomical sign of the sun in a crown of rays on a heraldic shield-tarch. Information has also been preserved about two other tactical signs of the division. The first was a Tyr rune with two arrow-shaped processes perpendicular to the rune's trunk in its lower part; the second - the rune "odal" (similar to the tactical sign of the SS division "Prince Eugene".

23rd Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division of the Waffen SS "Netherlands" (1st Dutch) . The division appeared in February 1945, after the renaming of the SS volunteer tank-grenadier brigade "Nederland". Nominally, the division consisted of volunteers, in fact - from Dutch collaborators who fled to Germany after the allies occupied Holland, as well as from German soldiers Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. (The division number "23" had previously been used for the never-formed 23rd SS Mountain Division "Kama" (Croatian No. 2)). Until the end of the war, the division, never numbering more than 5,200 personnel, fought in Pomerania against the Red Army, before being almost completely destroyed in the encirclement at Halba. and surrendered. The emblem of the division was the rune "odal" ("otilia") with the lower ends in the form of arrows, inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch.

24th Mountain (Mountain Rifle) Division of the Waffen SS "Karst Jaegers" ("Karst Jaegers", "Karstjäger"). It was organized on August 1, 1944 and consisted mainly of Italian volunteers. Used in northern Italy, primarily in Friuli and Julian Venice, against partisans. The name of this division is explained by the fact that it was recruited mainly from the natives of the mountainous Karst region, located on the border between Italy and Yugoslavia. The emblem of the division was a stylized image of a “karst flower” (“karstbloom”), inscribed in the heraldic shield of the “Varangian” (“Norman”) form.

25th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS "Hunyadi" (Hungarian No. 1). It was formed from the employees of the Hungarian army in February 1945. The Soviet winter offensive forced a retreat to the west, where she surrendered to American forces. This division was named after the medieval Transylvanian-Hungarian Hunyadi dynasty, the most prominent representatives of which were Janos Hunyadi (Johannes Guniades, Giovanni Vaivoda, 1385-1456) and his son King Matthias Corvinus (Matyas Hunyadi, 1443-1490), who heroically fought for freedom Hungary against the Ottoman Turks. The emblem of the division was the “Varangian” (“Norman”) heraldic shield with the image of the “arrow-shaped cross” - the symbol of the Viennese National Socialist Arrow Crossed (“Nilashists”) party Ferenc Salashi - under two three-pronged crowns.

26th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS "Gömbös" (Hungarian No. 2). This division, which consisted mainly of Hungarians, was named after the Hungarian Foreign Minister Count Gyula Gömbes (1886-1936), a staunch supporter of a close military-political alliance with Germany and an ardent anti-Semite. The emblem of the division was the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield depicting the same arrow-shaped cross, but under three three-pronged crowns.

27th SS Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Langemark" (Flemish No. 1). This division, formed from the German-speaking Belgians (Flemings), was named after the place of the bloody battle that took place on the territory of Belgium during the Great (First World) War, in 1914. The emblem of the division was the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of the "triskelion" ("triphos" or "triquetra").

28th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Wallonia. It was finally formed on October 18, 1944, after the 5th SS Volunteer Assault Brigade "Wallonia" was reorganized, consisting of the 69th and 70th SS Grenadier Regiments. This division owed its name to the fact that it was formed mainly from French-speaking Belgians (Walloons). The emblem of the division was a heraldic shield-tarch with the image of a naked straight sword and a curved saber crossed in the shape of the letter "X" with the handles up (in rare cases - with the handles down).

29th Grenadier Infantry Division of the Waffen SS "RONA" (Russian No. 1). The formation of the division was officially announced on August 1, 1944, but the Warsaw Uprising that began soon led to the fact that the promising potential of the "division" (4-5 thousand people) was used German command in his suppression, where he suffered heavy losses; at the same time, the composition of the proposed division showed its extremely low combat value with an almost completely absent discipline and morality. In September 1944, together with the Dirlewanger brigade, she was transferred to the suppression of the Slovak uprising, where she operated until October 1944. By this time, the idea of ​​forming a division was finally abandoned, and the remaining personnel (about 3 thousand) were transferred to the formation of the 600th Wehrmacht Infantry Division (aka the 1st division of the ROA) where they were described by the new command as “bandits, marauders and thieves” ; by the end of October 1944, after a review of the remaining personnel stationed in Katowice, plans to form a division finally disappear. The unit as a real combat division never existed, and did not take part in the hostilities. Despite this, in popular literature it is mentioned under this name, as it actually existed. At the beginning of 1945, the 29th SS Grenadier Division "Italia" was created under the same number (No. 29). The divisional sign applied to the equipment, judging by the surviving photographs, was a broadened cross with the abbreviation "RONA" under it.

29th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS "Italy" (Italian No. 1). It arose on February 10, 1945 as the second SS division under this number (the 29th SS Grenadier Division "RONA" (Russian No. 1), was previously disbanded) from the SS Waffen-Grenadier Brigade (Italian No. 1) that already existed since November 1943. In some publications, the additional name of the division appears as "Italy" or "SS Legion Italiana". This division owed its name to the fact that it consisted of Italian volunteers who remained loyal to Benito Mussolini after he was released from prison by a detachment of German paratroopers led by SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny. The tactical sign of the division was the vertically located lictor fascia (in Italian: "littorio"), inscribed in the heraldic shield of the "Varangian" ("Norman") form - a bunch of rods (rods) with an ax embedded in them (the official emblem of the National Fascist Party of Benito Mussolini) .

30th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Russian No. 2, it is also Belarusian No. 1). It began to form on March 9, 1945 on the basis of the 1st Belarusian SS brigade, created on January 15, 1945 and consisting of one regiment. It was planned that the formation of the division would be completed by June 30, 1945, but events at the front led to the division being disbanded between April 15 and 20, 1945. The basis of the personnel was Belarusians, who had previously served in police units and detachments of the Belarusian Regional Defense, and then in the 75th and 76th regiments of the 2nd Russian. The division was not fully formed and did not take part in hostilities. The tactical sign of the division was the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of a double ("patriarchal") cross of the Holy Princess Euphrosyne of Polotsk, located horizontally.

31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division (also known as the 23rd Waffen SS Volunteer Mountain Division). It was created on October 1, 1944 on the territory of Hungary from Volksdeutsche self-defense units and soldiers from the disbanded 23rd SS mountain division "Kama". Initially, the division took part in the fighting in the Mohacs-Pecs region. There they participated in the battles near Popovac, Bortsy, Fekete Kapu. Then the division retreated to the northeast to Pechvarad, then participated in the battles south of Szeksard. Having suffered significant losses, in December 1944, the division was forced to retreat again, this time to the Dombovar area. During these battles, the division again suffered significant losses and was withdrawn to Styria, to Marburg. At the end of January 1945, the somehow replenished division was sent to Army Group Center in Silesia. Upon arrival in the Liegnitz area, the Brisken SS police regiment was introduced into its composition and sent to the front. The division first took part in the offensive in the area of ​​Schonau and Goldberg, and then went on the defensive. After that, the division defended near Murau, then withdrew to Hirschberg, then to Könnigratz, and there surrendered to the Red Army. The emblem of the division was the full-face deer head on the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield.

31st SS Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Bohemia and Moravia" (German: "Böhmen und Meren"). This division was formed from the natives of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, who came under the German control of the territories of the Czech Republic (after the declaration of independence by Slovakia). The emblem of the division was the Bohemian (Czech) crowned lion walking on its hind legs, and the orb crowned with a double cross on the “Varangian” (“Norman”) heraldic shield.

32nd SS Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) Division "January 30". It was formed in January 1945 in the city of Kurmark from German Volksdeutsche conscripts (volunteers and mobilized), teachers of the "SS Junker Schools", instructors and cadets of SS tank and infantry schools. Initially, there were about 2000 people. The division suffered heavy losses on the Eastern Front on the Oder River, where it fought in February-March 1945. Some units defended the southern part of Berlin. The surviving remnants of the division surrendered to the Allies on May 5, 1945 in the city of Tanemünde. This division was named in memory of the day Adolf Hitler came to power (January 30, 1933). The emblem of the division was the "Varangian" ("Norman") shield with the image of a vertically located "combat rune" - a symbol of the ancient German god of war Tyr (Tira, Tiu, Tsiu, Tuisto, Tuesco).

33rd Cavalry Division of the Waffen SS "Hungaria", or "Hungary" (Hungarian No. 3). This division was supposedly formed in Hungary in 1944-1945 from Hungarian cavalry units and was destroyed in Budapest. Information about the emblem of the division has not been preserved.

33rd Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS "Charlemagne" (French No. 1). The formation of the brigade was started back in 1944, however, this military formation became a division only on February 10, 1945 in West Prussia, after the SS Charlemagne Grenadier Waffen Brigade (French No. 1) was reorganized with giving it the status of a division. After suffering heavy losses in Pomerania on March 25, 1945, the unit was withdrawn east of Neustrelitz and was to remain there until the end of replenishment and rest. In May 1945, the division surrendered Soviet troops. This division was named after the Frankish king Charlemagne ("Charlemagne", from the Latin "Carolus Magnus", 742-814), who was crowned emperor of the Western Roman Empire in 800 in Rome (which included the territories of modern Northern Italy, France, Germany , Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and part of Spain), and is considered the founder of modern German and French statehood. The emblem of the division was a dissected "Varangian" ("Norman") shield with half the Roman-German imperial eagle and three heraldic lilies (French: fleurs de lys) of the French kingdom.

34th SS Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Landstorm Nederland" ("Netherlands Militia"), (Dutch No. 2). Initially, it was an SS volunteer brigade in the Third Reich, consisting mainly of Danes and Dutch. She took part in the fighting on the western front of the European theater of World War II. In February 1945, the brigade received an order according to which it was reorganized into an SS division, despite the fact that its strength was never higher than the combat strength separate brigade. The emblem of the division was the “Dutch national” version of the “wolf hook” - “wolfsangel” inscribed in the “Varangian” (“Norman”) heraldic shield (adopted in the Dutch National Socialist movement of Anton-Adrian Mussert).

35th SS Police Grenadier (Infantry) Division ("Police Division II") The formation of the division began on March 16, 1945, when the 29th and 30th SS police regiments were assigned to the Waffen-SS and consisted of those mobilized for military service German police officers. The real combat potential of the division remained unknown, since the division only managed to take part in the defense of Berlin (in the Battle of the Seelow Heights) and was destroyed in an attempt to break through the Soviet defense, known in Western historiography as the Battle of Halba. Some minor parts of the division managed to surrender to American or Soviet troops in the area of ​​​​the demarcation line of the two army groups near the Elbe.

36th Grenadier Division of the Waffen SS "Dirlewanger". Assault brigade SS "Dirlewanger" - a punitive unit of the SS under the command of Oscar Dirlewanger, was recruited from prisoners of German prisons, concentration camps and military prisons of the SS. The special status of the brigade was marked by the fact that on the buttonholes, instead of the SS runes, its members wore the symbol of the brigade - crossed grenades. At the end of the war, the 36th SS Waffen Grenadier Division "Dirlewanger" was created on the basis of the brigade. It can only be called a division conditionally, since formally it never became one (in 1944, on the basis of this brigade, it was supposed to form a separate (36th according to the standard “through” numbering) division, but the formation was never completed, since in 1945, almost all members of the brigade were destroyed). The emblem of the division was inscribed in the "Varangian" ("Norman") shield, two crossed in the shape of the letter "X" hand grenades "mallets" with handles down.

According to the orders of the imperial leader (Reichsführer) of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, in the last months of the war, the formation of several more SS divisions was started (but not completed):

35th SS Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Police" ("Police"), it is also the 35th SS Police Grenadier (Infantry) Division. Information about the emblem of the division has not been preserved.

36th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS. Information about the emblem of the division has not been preserved.

37th SS Volunteer Cavalry Division "Lützow". It was formed near Marchfeld on the Hungarian-Slovak border in February 1945. The personnel of the division was assembled from the remnants cavalry divisions- The 22nd "Maria Theresa" and the 8th "Florian Gayer", battered in the battles near the besieged Budapest, and, due to the recruitment of the Hungarian Volksdeutsche, was brought to the required number as quickly as possible. The division was named in honor of the hero of the struggle against Napoleon, Major of the Prussian army Adolf von Lützow (1782-1834), who formed the first in the history of the Wars of Liberation (1813-1815) German patriots against Napoleonic tyranny, a volunteer corps ("Lützow's Black Jaegers"). The tactical sign of the division was the image of a straight naked sword inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, point upwards, superimposed on the capital Gothic letter “L”, that is, “Lützow”).

38th SS Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Nibelungen" ("Nibelungen"). It was formed on March 27, 1945 and by Hitler's personal order was sent to the Western Front. Vela fighting in Bavaria. She ended the war on May 8, 1945 in Reit im Winkl by surrendering to American troops. The division was named after the heroes of the medieval Germanic heroic epic - the Nibelungen. So the spirits of darkness and fog, elusive to the enemy and possessing countless treasures, were originally called; then - the knights of the kingdom of the Burgundians who took possession of these treasures. As you know, SS Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler dreamed of creating an "SS order state" in Burgundy after the war. The emblem of the division was the image of the winged invisibility helmet of the Nibelungs inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch.

39th Mountain (Mountain Rifle) Division of the SS "Andreas Gofer". The division was named in honor of the national hero of Austria Andreas Hofer (1767-1810), the leader of the Tyrolean rebels against Napoleonic tyranny, betrayed by traitors to the French and shot in 1810 in the Italian fortress of Mantua. In the 20th century, the German Social Democrats composed their own song “We are the young guard of the proletariat”, and the Soviet Bolsheviks - “We are the young guard of workers and peasants” to the tune of the folk song about the execution of Andreas Hofer - “Under Mantua in Chains”. Information about the emblem of the division has not been preserved.

40th SS Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division "Feldgerrngalle" (not to be confused with the German Wehrmacht division of the same name). This division was named after the building of the "Gallery of Generals" (Feldgerrngalle), in front of which on November 9, 1923, the Reichswehr and the police of the Bavarian separatist leader Gustav Ritter von Kahr shot a column of participants in the Hitler-Ludendorff putsch against the government of the Weimar Republic. Information about the tactical sign of the division has not been preserved.

41st Infantry Division of the Waffen SS "Kalevala" (Finnish No. 1). This division, named after the Finnish heroic folk epic, began to be formed from among the Finnish Waffen SS volunteers who did not obey the order given in 1943 by the Finnish Commander-in-Chief Marshal Baron Carl Gustav Emil von Mannerheim to return from Eastern Front home and rejoin the Finnish army. Information about the emblem of the division has not been preserved.

42nd SS Infantry Division "Lower Saxony" ("Niedersachsen"). Information about the emblem of the division, the formation of which was not completed, has not been preserved.

43rd Infantry Division of the Waffen SS "Reichsmarschall". This division, the formation of which was begun on the basis of parts of the German air force ("Luftwaffe"), left without aviation technology, cadets of flight schools and ground personnel, was named after the Imperial Marshal (Reichsmarschall) of the Third Reich Hermann Goering. Reliable information about the emblem of the division has not been preserved.

44th Motorized Infantry Division of the Waffen SS "Wallenstein". This SS division, recruited from ethnic Germans living in the Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia and Slovakia, as well as from Czech and Moravian volunteers, was named after the German imperial commander during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), Duke of Friedland Albrecht Eusebius Wenzel von Wallenstein (1583-1634), a Czech by birth, the hero of the dramatic trilogy of the classic of German literature Friedrich von Schiller "Wallenstein" ("Wallenstein's Camp", "Piccolomini" and "The Death of Wallenstein"). Information about the emblem of the division has not been preserved.

45th SS Infantry Division "Varyags" ("Vareger"). Initially, Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler intended to give the name "Varangians" ("Vareger") to the Nordic (Northern European) SS division, formed from Norwegians, Swedes, Danes and other Scandinavians who sent their volunteer contingents to help the Third Reich. However, according to a number of sources, Adolf Hitler "rejected" the name "Varangians" for his Nordic SS volunteers, seeking to avoid undesirable associations with the medieval "Varangian guard" (consisting of Norwegians, Danes, Swedes, Russians and Anglo-Saxons) in the service of the Byzantine emperors. The Fuhrer had a negative attitude towards the Constantinople "basileus", considering them, like all the Byzantines, "morally and spiritually decomposed, deceitful, treacherous, corrupt and treacherous decadents", and not wanting to be associated with the rulers of Byzantium. As a result, the German-Scandinavian division formed as part of the Waffen SS (which later also included the Dutch, Walloons, Flemings, Finns, Latvians, Estonians, Ukrainians and Russians) was given the name "Viking". Along with this, on the basis of Russian white emigrants and former citizens of the USSR in the Balkans, the formation of another SS division called "Vareger" ("Varangians"); however, due to the circumstances, the matter was limited to the formation in the Balkans of the "Russian (security) corps (Russian security group)" and a separate Russian regiment of the SS "Varyag".

Serbian SS Volunteer Corps. The corps consisted of former military personnel of the Yugoslav royal army (mostly of Serbian origin), most of whom were members of the Serbian monarcho-fascist movement Z.B.O.R., headed by Dmitry Letic. The tactical sign of the corps was a tarch shield and an image of a grain ear superimposed on a naked sword with the point down, located diagonally.

Country: Third Reich.

Type: motorized division.

1939 - SS division reserve troops (German: SS-Division Verfügungstruppe),

1940 - Reich,

1942 - 2nd Motorized Division "Das Reich" (2.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Das Reich),

the final name was given in 1943.

Motto: "My honor is called "loyalty"" (German: "Meine Ehre heißt Treue").

Participation in World War II:

Invasion of France.
Smolensk battle (1941).
Battle for Moscow.
Rzhev battle.
Battle of Kursk
Kharkov operation (1943).
resistance to the Normandy landings.
Arden operation.

Insignia: sleeve cuff tape

Known commanders: Paul Hausser, Wilhelm Bittrich, Matthias Kleinhesterkamp.

The SS Reserve Division (German: SS-Verfügungsdivision) was formed on October 10, 1938 by combining the “SS Reserve Troops” (German: SS-Verfügungstruppen) with a part of the “Totenkopf” SS formations. Type of troops - motorized infantry (German: Panzergrenadier).

The first commander is SS Gruppenfuehrer Paul Hausser.

Connection history.

SS division "reserve army" (SS-Division Verfügungstruppe).

In the Polish campaign in September 1939, individual regiments of the division were included in the larger formations of the Wehrmacht. Paul Hausser with the Deutschland Regiment, propaganda and reconnaissance unit was attached to the headquarters of the Kempf Panzer Division. Regiment "Germany" became a reserve part of the 14th Army under the command of General List. The shock assault battalion served with the life standard of von Reichenau's 10th Army. The Der Fuhrer Regiment was kept in a special reserve during the entire campaign and did not take an active part in the battles.

In 1940, the division participated in campaigns in the West (Netherlands, France).

SS Division "Reich".

Transformed into the SS division "Reich" (in Russian sources also "Reich") on February 25, 1941. Participated in the capture of Yugoslavia in April 1941. On the evening of April 12, 1941, SS Hauptsturmführer Klingenberg, at the head of the reconnaissance patrol of the Reich division, occupied the capital of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and officially (in the presence of a German diplomatic person) accepted the keys to the city from the mayor of Belgrade.

Eastern front.

From 06/22/41 - was part of the 46th Corps (motorized) of the 2nd Panzer Group (Guderian), Army Group Center:

Smolensk battle.

Since 1942, she fought in the Rzhev region.

The composition of the division in 1941-42:

• SS Regiment "Der Fuhrer".
• SS Regiment "Deutschland".
• 11th SS Infantry Regiment.
• Artillery Regiment:

1. Battery of assault guns.
2. Anti-tank battalion.
3. Motorcycle Battalion.
4. Reconnaissance Battalion.
5. Sapper Battalion.
6. Anti-aircraft gun battalion.
7. Communication Battalion.

SS Motorized Division "Reich".

Reorganized since November 1942 in Normandy (Northern France).

From February 1943 on the southern sector of the Eastern Front (Third Battle for Kharkov).

April 20, 1943 USSR, after the third battle for Kharkov. Walter Krueger at the Knight's Cross ceremony.

T-34 tanks from the Das Reich division.

Grenadiers and armored vehicles of the Harmel battle group in Kharkov, 1943.

Division units participated in punitive operations in the occupied territories.

In July 1943, as part of the 2nd SS Panzer Corps - in the Battle of Kursk (participated in battles with the 5th Guards Tank Army of General Rotmistrov near Prokhorovka). In August 1943 - on the Mius Front. Then the fighting in Ukraine, from February 1944 - assigned to France.

In October 1943, it was renamed from a motorized to a tank division (in fact, even before the renaming, it corresponded to the state of a tank division).

From July 1944 - in the battles in Normandy. At the end of 1944, she participated in the Battle of the Ardennes, in February-March 1945 - in battles in Hungary, in April 1945 she retreated to the Czech Republic, in May 1945 she surrendered to American troops in Austria.

The composition of the division in 1943-45:

• 2nd SS Panzer Regiment.
• SS Grenadier Regiment "Deutschland".
• Grenadier Regiment of the SS "Der Fuhrer".
• SS Grenadier Regiment "Langemark".
• Artillery Regiment.

1. Assault gun battalion.
2. Rocket mortar battalion.
3. Anti-tank battalion.
4. Anti-aircraft artillery battalion.
5. Reconnaissance Battalion.
6. Sapper Battalion.
7. Communication Battalion.

Tank division (Pz Kpfw VI Ausf H "Tiger") near Kursk. June 1943. The belonging of the tank to this unit, as well as the period of time, unequivocally follow from the characteristic tactical emblem applied to the frontal armor.

Commanders:

• Oberstgruppenführer Paul Hausser, October 19, 1939 - October 14, 1941.
• Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Bittrich, October 14, 1941 - December 31, 1941.
• Obergruppenführer Matthias Kleinheisterkamp, ​​December 31, 1941 - April 19, 1942.
• Obergruppenführer Georg Keppler, April 19, 1942 - February 10, 1943.
• Brigadeführer Herbert-Ernst Wahl, February 10, 1943 - March 18, 1943.
• Oberführer Kurt Brazak, March 18, 1943 - March 29, 1943
  Obergruppenführer Walter Krüger, March 29, 1943 - October 23, 1943.
• Gruppenfuehrer Heinz Lammerding, October 23, 1943 - July 24, 1944.
• Standartenführer Christian Tichsen, July 24, 1944 - July 28, 1944.
• Oberführer Otto Baum, July 28, 1944 - October 23, 1944.
• Gruppenfuehrer Hans Lammerding, October 23, 1944 - January 20, 1945.
• Standartenführer Karl Kreutz, January 20, 1945 - January 29, 1945.
• Gruppenfuehrer Werner Ostendorf, January 20, 1945 - March 9, 1945.
• Standartenführer Rudolf Lehmann, March 9, 1945 - April 13, 1945.
• Standartenführer Karl Kreutz, April 13, 1945 - May 8, 1945.

Applications.

Document #1.

SS Panzergrenadier Division Divisional Headquarters 01/07/43.

"Das Reich"

Order for the day

Soldiers of the SS Panzer-Grenadier Division "Das Reich"!

The Führer calls us to the East. Together with other units of the SS troops and the army, he assigned us tasks that would require us to go either on the attack or on the defensive. We will do it!

We are grateful to the Fuhrer for demanding the most from us. He relies on us, and we will prove to him that we are his faithful followers. Let everyone in difficult times remember our motto, the motto of the SS: “SS man! Your honor is loyalty!”

The SS Panzergrenadier Division "Das Reich" must carry out an order in memory of our fallen comrades.

Document #2.

Certificate from the head of the 7th department of the political department on the composition and condition of enemy formations in the offensive zone of the Voronezh Front

We are currently facing the following enemy units.

Army Corps of the SS, consisting of the divisions "Reich", "Adolf Hitler", "Grossdeutschland", "Totenkopf".

The SS corps was transferred from France on January 16, 1943. Of the four divisions of this corps, two divisions first operated: "Grossdeutschland" and "Adolf Hitler", then the Reich division appeared, replacing the defeated division "Grossdeutschland", and in recent days it has been celebrated the action of the division "Dead Head".

Since December 1942, the SS Army Corps has been called the Panzergrenadier Corps. According to the testimony of prisoners of war, the name "grenadier" was given to the best divisions in honor of the continuation of the traditions of the grenadiers of the time of Frederick the Great.

Each SS division has two motorized grenadier regiments, tank and artillery regiments. For example, the Reich division consists of the Deutschland SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, the Fuhrer Motorized Regiment, the Langemark Motorized Rifle Regiment and the 2nd Artillery Regiment.

Commander of the SS Panzer Corps - Lieutenant General Gausser (Obergruppenführer).

The commander of the Reich division is Lieutenant General Keppler (Obergruppenführer).

The commander of the division "Dead Head" - Lieutenant General Eike.

The commander of the division "Adolf Hitler" - Lieutenant General Dietrich.

Commander of the division "Grossdeutschland" - Colonel General Kasnitz.

Commander of the "Deutschland" regiment - Colonel Carmel.

The commander of the regiment "Der Führer" - Obersturmbannführer Kumm.

The divisions are completed in most of the ages of 1923-1924. birth. 75% are Germans from Germany, the rest are Germans from other countries. There is a small number of non-Germans (Czechs, Poles, Croats).

Noteworthy is the fact that in the SS divisions there are many soldiers from the Volksdeutsche, and not from the Reichsdeutsche, that is, the majority are Germans from Slovakia, Croatia and other occupied countries. The parents of most of the interviewed soldiers are members of the National Socialist Party, and the soldiers themselves were brought up in the organizations of the Nazi youth and fooled by nationalist propaganda.

As a survey of prisoners of war showed, the soldiers of these divisions for the most part represent a rather raw contingent. This is a replenishment poured into the divisions in 1942, during their reorganization after the winter fighting in Russia. The officers are exclusively Germans.

The SS divisions were supposed to finish training their personnel in March. In early January, the entire corps was unexpectedly transferred to the Eastern Front. There was a rumor that the corps was tasked with helping the encircled Stalingrad group. We reached Stalino, and it was impossible to go further.

The reorganization of the SS corps took place in France. The soldiers of the SS divisions arrived with the confidence of a German victory and that they would stop the Russian advance. The stories of soldiers demoralized by heavy fighting and a hasty retreat had a depressing effect on the mood of those approaching the front.

First, two SS divisions were sent to the front: "Reich" and "Grossdeutschland", then "Adolf Hitler", and recently the appearance of the "Dead Head" division has been noted at the front. The divisions suffered heavy losses. During the retreat to Kharkov, the Reich lost, for example, 53 tanks out of 80. At first, they were tasked with delaying the advance of the Red Army along the Volchanok, Kupyansk line, but under the onslaught of our troops, they retreated to Kharkov, and then beyond Kharkov.

Retreating, SS units committed incredible atrocities against the civilian population: they killed men, the elderly and children, blew up and destroyed all industrial buildings and residential buildings in cities, and burned entire villages. In Kharkov, they destroyed all large public buildings and industrial enterprises.

Head of the 7th Department of Political Administration

Voronezh Front Lieutenant Colonel Kirsanov.

TsAMO. F.203. Op.2777. D. 1, L.59-64.

Document #3.

Brief description of the enemy divisions operating in front of the Voronezh Front, as of May 15, 1943

SS Panzer Division "Reich". The division includes the 1st and 2nd motorized regiments, a tank regiment and an artillery regiment. Motorized regiments - three battalions, artillery regiment - four divisions.

The division commander is Gruppenführer Kepler. The commander of the mp "Fuhrer" - Obersturmführer Kumm. The commander of the Deutschland MP is Obersturmbannführer Harmil. The division was formed in 1939 from independent personnel regiments, participated in the war with Poland, fought with great audacity. Transferred to the Eastern Front in early July 1941. She acted in the Smolensk direction, fighting in the area of ​​Orsha and Yelnya. Later it advanced on the Volokolamsk, Rzhev and Sychev directions. In these battles, she lost almost all of her personnel. In March 1942, she was assigned to Germany for replenishment and reorganization, after replenishment she was transferred to France. The personnel was almost completely renewed (no more than 20% of the old regular soldiers remained). The division was replenished mainly by volunteers from members of the Hitler Youth League, gathered from various regions of Germany. Age structure 19-22 years. The term of study is 9 months.

In January 1943, the division was transferred a second time to the Eastern Front. The Fuhrer regiment with an artillery battalion and a tank company plunged into the echelons on 01/08/43 and followed the railway. to Stalino, where he arrived on January 21, from Stalino, parts of the regiment departed on a march to Voroshilovgrad. On January 25, 1943, they took up defensive positions east of Voroshilovgrad. In defensive battles near Voroshilovgrad, according to the testimony of prisoners, he had heavy losses, many frostbitten. In the first half of February 1943, he was transferred to the Kharkov direction, where on February 8 he became part of his division. The Deutschland regiment, the motorcycle regiment, the division headquarters and other special units of the division unloaded in the Kyiv region in the period 01/18-27/43 and were transferred by march to the Kharkov, Volchansk region, where in the first days of February, advanced units entered into battle with our advancing troops. After unsuccessful oncoming battles, units of the Reich division from 02/07/43 began to retreat with battles from the line of the Seversky Donets River in the direction of Kharkov, Merefa, Krasnograd. By 02/20/43, the division withdrew to Krasnograd, from where it launched a counterattack on Pavlograd and on February 25 captured Pavlograd. By March 20, the division reached the Seversky Donets River in the Starosaltovsky direction, after which it was replaced by the 11th TD and transferred to the Belgorod region. During the fighting (January - March), the division lost up to 2,000 people killed and over 2,000 people frostbitten. The strength and combat composition of the division as of May 15, 1943 is: 7,000 people, 50 guns, 62 anti-tank guns, 40 mortars, 260 machine guns, 80 tanks. German victory.

CONCLUSION: the Reich division has losses of up to 30%, is currently replenished to full strength, the training of soldiers is high, the offensive spirit is not undermined, it is a combat-ready formation.

Document #4.

Army order

On July 18, the 2nd SS Panzer Corps leaves the 4th Panzer Army. In the second half of March, the corps, with its three panzer-grenadier divisions, as part of the army, stopped the great Russian winter offensive at the moment of its apogee and strengthened the German front. In the most difficult conditions, the SS corps fought shoulder to shoulder with the army units and endured the brunt of the struggle in the big spring battle. With incomparable morale, the corps drove back the Russian shock armies and turned, with the recapture of Kharkov and Belgorod, a threatening catastrophe into a brilliant victory. After weeks of recovery that were filled with tough academic work, the corps on July 5 again entered into action. Well-fortified enemy positions were stormed with a strong offensive spirit, which, in the toughest tank battles, broke the counterattacks launched by the Russian tank corps.

I affirm that the 2nd SS Panzer Corps has demonstrated loyalty, firmness and exemplary courage throughout the entire period of subordination to the 4th Panzer Army, and I convey to him my gratitude and my highest recognition. If now the command assigns new, difficult tasks to the corps, then I am sure that the corps will also successfully cope with them, with loyalty to the Fuhrer, on the day of the German victory.

Literature.

Penaud, Guy - "La "Das Reich" 2e SS Panzer Division" (Parcours de la division en France - 560 pages), Editions de La Lauze/Périgueux - ISBN 2-912032-76-8

Akunov V. SS division "Reich". History of the Second SS Panzer Division. 1939-1945. - Moscow: Yauza, 2006. - 416 p. — 4,000 copies. — ISBN 5-87849-197-4

Ponomarenko R. SS division "Reich". March to the East 1941-1942. - Moscow: Yauza-Press, 2009. - 288 p. - (SS troops in battle. You need to know the enemy!). — 5,000 copies. — ISBN 978-59955-0043-8

Ponomarenko R.O. 1943. SS division "Reich" on the Eastern Front. - Moscow: Yauza-Press, 2010. - 512 p. - (Trench truth of the Wehrmacht). - 3000 copies. — ISBN 978-5-9955-0086-5

Mattson G.L. History of the Second SS Panzer Division Das Reich. 1939-1945 = SS-DAS REICH. The history of the second SS division 1939-45. - Moscow: AST: AST MOSCOW: Transitbook, 2006. - 189, p. — 5,000 copies. — ISBN 5-17-036614-0 (Publishing house AST LLC), 5-9713-2419-5 (Publishing house LLC AST MOSCOW), 5-9578-4101-3 (Tranzitkniga LLC)

Note: material used