4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Netherlands
Encyclopedia
The 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland. was a German Waffen SS volunteer division comprising volunteers of Dutch
background. It saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II
.
In February 1945, the 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland was to be merged into the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
, but after protests from the Dutch National Socialist
Movement, the Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging (NSB) it was formed into its own SS Panzer Grenadier Division, although its strength never reached more than a brigade.
blitzkrieg
attacks on Poland and in the West in 1939-1940, many European fascists saw Germany as an answer to the Bolshevik
problem. Heinrich Himmler
, head of the SS
, with the support of Adolf Hitler
, began a campaign in late 1940 to recruit those European fascists of sufficiently Aryan
stock into a series of Legions, under the control of the Waffen-SS
. The SS Volunteer Standarte Nordwest was formed to cater for volunteers from the Low Countries
.
The Dutch were seen as especially well qualified for service in the SS, and a large recruiting drive, backed by the NSB and other collaborating organizations, was begun. The drive was given an air of respectability by the support of Dutch General Staff Officer Luitenant-Generaal Hendrik A. Seyffardt. The drive was very successful, and by April 1941, volunteers began arriving in Hamburg
. They were quickly processed and signed up for service in the Nordwest. Many Dutchmen assumed that service in the Waffen-SS would result in a powerful position for the Netherlands in Hitler's New World Order.
By July 1941, the number of recruits meant that the Nordwest could be dissolved and several separate units formed. The Dutch were organized into SS Volunteer Unit Niederlande. Dutch volunteers, many members of the NSB, continued to sign up for the unit, and by July 1941 the formation was the size of a reinforced infantry battalion, boasting five fully motorized companies. The unit was again redesignated, this time as SS Volunteer Legion Niederlande. NSB Leader Anton Mussert
saw the Legion as the forerunner to the new model Dutch Army. On 11 July 1941, Mussert called upon all able bodied members of the NSB to sign up for the Legion.
Great efforts were made by the Germans to persuade the Dutchmen that the new unit was an All-Dutch affair, and indeed many recruits were under the impression that the Legion was an independent Dutch formation fighting alongside their German Allies. General Seyffardt was recruited to command the Legion, and all recruits were permitted to wear the Prinsenvlag (an unofficial Dutch national flag) on the sleeve of the uniform. While many recruits were convinced of the independence of the Legion, Seyffardt was aware of its true nature. While strongly anti-communist, Seyffardt did not subscribe to the NSDAP ideology. When he discovered that his unit was to come under the control of the Waffen-SS, he objected, but the Germans ignored his complaints.
The recruits went through basic training in Hamburg, before being sent on to Arys in East Prussia
for further training. Despite the harsh attitude of the German Waffen-SS instructors, the recruits were committed to their cause and were soon highly trained.
In November, 1941, the legion was ordered to the front near Leningrad
, under the overall command of Army Group North
.
river line in mid January 1942 and began setting up a defensive line. For the next few weeks the Legion was engaged in operations to prevent the Soviets from establishing a bridgehead on the west bank of the Volkhov. During this period it was also engaged in several offensive operations against Soviet defensive positions, as well as anti-partisan
activities. In early February, Mussert visited the front, raising the morale of the troops considerably. On 10 February, the Soviets launched a major offensive aimed at the relief of Leningrad. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Legion held the line, albeit suffering heavy casualties. The legion was engaged in defensive operations against incessant Soviet assaults until early June, and despite suffering heavy casualties, the Legion had managed to hold the line.
In June, the Legion had its first chance to go on the offensive, destroying a large Red Army
force near Fuhovga lake. During this battle, the legion captured 3,500 prisoners, including General Andrey Vlasov
, who was to become leader of the Russian Liberation Army (ROA
). In late June, the legion transferred north to take part in the Siege of Leningrad
. After a month's relative quiet in the trenches around Leningrad, the legion was pulled out of the line in preparation for Operation Nordlicht, an assault on Leningrad which was to be the final blow to the defenders. The launch of the offensive on 14 August was preceded by a Soviet counter offensive. This resulted in the complete failure of the operation, with many units being removed from the battle to halt the counter offensive.
After the failure of this offensive, the legion was moved south of Leningrad, near Lake Ladoga
to defend against expected Soviet attacks. The following battles were known as the First Battle of Ladoga. The legion was involved in heavy fighting until the end of 1942, when it was regrouped with the 2 SS Infantry Brigade (mot). The legion was put back into the line alongside the SS-Freiwilligen-Legion Norwegen, a Norwegian volunteer legion. In early January, the Soviets launched another offensive which would be known as the Second Battle of Ladoga. The Dutch and Norwegians managed to defend against several Soviet tank attacks, destroying many T-34
s with their 7.5 cm PaK 97/98 anti-tank guns. After this action, the Dutch SS-Sturmmann Gerardus Mooyman
received the Knight's Cross
for single-handedly destroying nineteen Soviet T-34s and KV-1's. Mooyman was the first non-German to receive the Knight's Cross.
On 6 February, General Seyffardt, back in Amsterdam
campaigning for new recruits for the Legion, was assassinated by the Dutch Resistance group CS-6. The Legionnaires were stunned, however they had little time to mourn their lost figurehead. Soviet attacks resumed and continued throughout the spring thaw.
In April 1943, the legion was ordered back to Sonneberg
in Thüringen
to be reformed as a Panzergrenadier Brigade.
s. The two Regiments were granted honour titles, the 48th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Regiment General Seyffardt. in honour of their dead figurehead, and the 49th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Regiment de Ruyter. named after the seventeenth-century Dutch Admiral Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter. Added to this core force was to be Reconnaissance
, Pioneer
, Panzerjäger
and Artillery
components. The brigade was to be commanded by SS-Oberführer Jürgen Wagner
.
In September 1943, the Brigade was ordered to the Independent State of Croatia
(Yugoslavia
) to join SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner
S III SS (Germanic) Panzer Corps currently forming in the area. Upon arriving, the Brigade received 1,500 Dutch recruits, drawn from the veterans of SS Division Wiking. During its time there, elements of the brigade were engaged in operations against Yugoslav Partisans
. The fighting was brutal and no quarter was given on either side, however the Brigade showed itself capable in combat. During this period, the brigade was redesignated 4th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Brigade Nederland.. At this time, its strength stood at 9,342 officers and men, that of a weak division.
On Christmas Day, 1943, the brigade was deemed ready for the front, and, along with Steiner's SS Corps, was moved to the area around Oranienbaum
in Army Group North's
sector.
. Opposing the Corps was General Leonid A. Govorov's Leningrad Front
. On 14 January, the Soviets launched the Leningrad-Novgorod Offensive aimed at driving the Army Group North from the Leningrad region
. Govorov was to attack in conjunction with the adjacent Volkhov Front
under General Kiril A. Meretskov.
The Krasnoye Selo–Ropsha Offensive
cut through the weak infantry units formed out of the 9th and 10th Luftwaffe Field Division
s defending the line and began racing, and by doing so knocked two large, if unreliable, units out of Steiner's newly formed corps.
The Nederland, fighting alongside the 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland
attempted to stem the tide of Govorov's Front, but were soon forced to fall back to avoid encirclement by Meretskov's Force.
The Nederland was involved in the 150 km fighting withdrawal
to the Narva River
in Estonia
, where a line of defence
was to be established. The Nederland was to defend the northern and central flanks of the Ivangorod
bridgehead.
After a feint attack towards Nordland's positions, Govorov directed his forces at the General Seyffardt regiment, holding the centre of the line. The regiment was forced from its positions, but a counterattack led by regimental commander SS-Standartenführer Wolfgang Jörchel
retook the defensive works and averted a Soviet breakthrough.
Govorov again shifted his focus of attack back to the de Ruyter, commanded by SS-Obersturmbannführer Hans Collani
, a veteran of the Wiking division. The Dutch line cracked, and only the arrival of Nordland's Panzer
Battalion was sent in to halt the attack. When the Panzers counter attack bogged down, Collani ordered his men to fall back to positions closer to Lilienbach. The Soviets saw this, and began laying heavy artillery fire on the withdrawing Dutchmen. This was followed up with a major assault, and the De Ruyter suffered heavily. Company leader SS-Untersturmführer Helmut Scholz
gathered a group of men and went into action, retaking De Ruyter's original positions, giving the regiment shelter and preventing a rout.
On 22 March another assault hit De Ruyter, this time cutting through the lines on 5 Company's front and threatening to annihilate the regiment. Battalion commander SS-Hauptsturmführer Heinz Frühauf formed an assault group from his headquarters personnel and assaulted the 150 man Soviet force wreaking havoc in the regiments rear. After destroying the Soviet force in heavy fighting, he then reformed his men and cleared the regiment's trenches of enemy troops.
The General Seyffardt and the brigade's artillery component was to provide a rearguard for the retreating troops. Govorov launched the Narva Offensive
on the German lines on 24 July, and in the afternoon, the Nederland's Artillery battalion started withdrawing across the Narva bridge. The Dutchmen got involved in heavy fighting but somehow they managed to hold the Soviets while the last of the SS men got across the river. The Nordland's Pioneer Battalion blew up the bridge. However, due to a colossal mistake by its officers, the General Seyffardt regiment would not survive the withdrawal.
Attempting to avoid Soviet forces, the regiment was ordered to take a different route to that planned. The withdrawing Dutchmen were discovered by Jabos of the Red Air Force, and were soon pinned down. Soviet ground forces were brought in to trap the withdrawing Dutchmen, and soon the regiment was under attack from the air and the ground. Trapped in the open, the General Seyffardt never stood a chance. After a short time, it ceased to exist, with only a few survivors under the command of SS-Untersturmführer Nieuwendijk-Hoek reaching the Tannenbergstellung a week later.
With the exception of the General Seyffardt, the withdrawal had been a success, and Steiner's men began to dig in on the Tannenbergstellung, in preparation of the next Soviet attacks. The Nederland had lost one of its two regiments, and many valuable veterans were lost forever. The General Seyffardt was ordered to be reformed at Schlochau.
Battalion destroyed 12 enemy tanks in one engagement, earning himself the Knight's Cross. When the new defensive line was established, the Nederland was pulled out of combat to act as reserve, allowing the exhausted Brigade a little rest and time to recuperate.
The reaction of the brigade to the 20 July plot on Hitler's life had been one of shock and anger, and several letters of sympathy and support were sent to Hitler by men from the Nederland. Despite the horrors of the front, most men of the brigade were still firmly holding to their NSB pro-Nazi ideology. On 24 August, SS-Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler
sent a letter to the Brigade, praising its fighting spirit.
In September, Leon Degrelle's
Kampfgruppe
from 5.SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade Wallonien
was placed under the command of the Nederland, bolstering its strength. When Hitler authorized the withdrawal of German troops from Estonia, the Nederland found itself with another problem on its hands. Besides the Russians, bands of Estonian soldiers, unwilling to abandon their country and furious at the Germans for abandoning them, had turned to brigandry. Nederland's commander, Wagner, was forced to keep a company in reserve to deal with any attacks by the Estonians. Apart from a few skirmishes, the brigade was spared a large scale fight against its former allies.
on 23 September, executing a fighting withdrawal and arriving in the area near Gumi-Wolmar in mid October. The brigade was almost immediately attacked by a large Soviet combined arms force, and suffered heavy casualties in just a few days fighting. The Soviets managed to cut off Army Group North in the Courland area, creating what was to be known as the Courland Pocket
. Stationed alongside the Nordland, the brigade was involved in fierce fighting protecting the strategically vital city of Libau
, one of the embarkation points for troops to be withdrawn to Germany.
During the fighting in Courland, the brigade was subject to heavy partisan attacks, and after a number of attacks, Wagner ordered the reprisal executions of an unknown number of civilians.
The second Courland offensive was launched by the Soviets on 27 October, and the De Ruyter regiment saw heavy fighting, repelling two large infantry attacks. Under almost constant air attack, the Nederland began digging in. The next two major offensives to crush the pocket were not in Nederland's sector, and so besides minor skirmishes, the brigade was left in relative peace for the remainder of 1944. On 26 January 1945, the brigade received orders to evacuate the pocket by sea and report to the Swinemünde-Stettin area to participate in the defense of the Oder
line. The evacuation, through the port of Libau, began immediately. The voyage across the Baltic was dangerous, with the Red Air Force sinking many evacuation ships. The brigade arrived in German territory on 4 February.
In April 1945, the division was split into two Kampfgruppes, based on the reformed 48th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Regiment General Seyffardt and the 49th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Regiment de Ruyter. Kampfgruppe General Seyffardt headed south, and Kampfgruppe de Ruyter remaining on the northern Oder front.
The final Soviet offensive of 16 April had broken the German lines by 25 April. During the attacks, both formations saw very heavy fighting, and the Soviet breakthrough broke the lines of communication between the two Kampfgruppen. de Ruyter, was pushed back by the Soviet breakthrough, attempting to halt the Soviets near the town of Parchim
. On 3 May, the Kampfgruppe was attacked by a large number of Soviet tanks. In heavy fighting, the Kampfgruppe halted the enemy attack, destroying the spearhead. Hearing rumours of Americans nearby, the formation broke out to the west, surrendering to the US Army and being sent to a POW Camp near Kraak.
Meanwhile, Kampfgruppe General Seyffardt was pushed south by the Soviet offensive, into the area around Halbe
. The remnants of the Kampfgruppe were absorbed into Kampfgruppe Vieweger of the 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian)
. During the hellish fighting in Battle of Halbe
, the General Seyffardt was annihilated.
After the war, the survivors were tried in the Netherlands, with several death sentences being handed down. Wagner was tried at war crimes trials
in Yugoslavia
, and sentenced to death for his actions against civilian populations.
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
background. It saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In February 1945, the 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland was to be merged into the 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
The 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, also known as Kampfverband Waräger, Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 or 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland, was a Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers...
, but after protests from the Dutch National Socialist
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
Movement, the Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging (NSB) it was formed into its own SS Panzer Grenadier Division, although its strength never reached more than a brigade.
Origins
After the success of Germany'sGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg
For other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
attacks on Poland and in the West in 1939-1940, many European fascists saw Germany as an answer to the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
problem. Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
, head of the SS
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
, with the support of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, began a campaign in late 1940 to recruit those European fascists of sufficiently Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
stock into a series of Legions, under the control of the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
. The SS Volunteer Standarte Nordwest was formed to cater for volunteers from the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
.
The Dutch were seen as especially well qualified for service in the SS, and a large recruiting drive, backed by the NSB and other collaborating organizations, was begun. The drive was given an air of respectability by the support of Dutch General Staff Officer Luitenant-Generaal Hendrik A. Seyffardt. The drive was very successful, and by April 1941, volunteers began arriving in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
. They were quickly processed and signed up for service in the Nordwest. Many Dutchmen assumed that service in the Waffen-SS would result in a powerful position for the Netherlands in Hitler's New World Order.
By July 1941, the number of recruits meant that the Nordwest could be dissolved and several separate units formed. The Dutch were organized into SS Volunteer Unit Niederlande. Dutch volunteers, many members of the NSB, continued to sign up for the unit, and by July 1941 the formation was the size of a reinforced infantry battalion, boasting five fully motorized companies. The unit was again redesignated, this time as SS Volunteer Legion Niederlande. NSB Leader Anton Mussert
Anton Mussert
Anton Adriaan Mussert was one of the founders of the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands and its de jure leader. As such, he was the most prominent national socialist in the Netherlands before and during the Second World War...
saw the Legion as the forerunner to the new model Dutch Army. On 11 July 1941, Mussert called upon all able bodied members of the NSB to sign up for the Legion.
Great efforts were made by the Germans to persuade the Dutchmen that the new unit was an All-Dutch affair, and indeed many recruits were under the impression that the Legion was an independent Dutch formation fighting alongside their German Allies. General Seyffardt was recruited to command the Legion, and all recruits were permitted to wear the Prinsenvlag (an unofficial Dutch national flag) on the sleeve of the uniform. While many recruits were convinced of the independence of the Legion, Seyffardt was aware of its true nature. While strongly anti-communist, Seyffardt did not subscribe to the NSDAP ideology. When he discovered that his unit was to come under the control of the Waffen-SS, he objected, but the Germans ignored his complaints.
The recruits went through basic training in Hamburg, before being sent on to Arys in East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
for further training. Despite the harsh attitude of the German Waffen-SS instructors, the recruits were committed to their cause and were soon highly trained.
In November, 1941, the legion was ordered to the front near Leningrad
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, under the overall command of Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
.
Battles around Leningrad
The Legion arrived at the VolkhovVolkhov River
Volkhov is a river in Novgorod Oblast and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia.-Geography:The Volkhov flows out of Lake Ilmen north into Lake Ladoga, the largest lake of Europe. It is the second largest tributary of Lake Ladoga. It is navigable over its whole length. Discharge is highly...
river line in mid January 1942 and began setting up a defensive line. For the next few weeks the Legion was engaged in operations to prevent the Soviets from establishing a bridgehead on the west bank of the Volkhov. During this period it was also engaged in several offensive operations against Soviet defensive positions, as well as anti-partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
activities. In early February, Mussert visited the front, raising the morale of the troops considerably. On 10 February, the Soviets launched a major offensive aimed at the relief of Leningrad. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Legion held the line, albeit suffering heavy casualties. The legion was engaged in defensive operations against incessant Soviet assaults until early June, and despite suffering heavy casualties, the Legion had managed to hold the line.
In June, the Legion had its first chance to go on the offensive, destroying a large Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
force near Fuhovga lake. During this battle, the legion captured 3,500 prisoners, including General Andrey Vlasov
Andrey Vlasov
Andrey Andreyevich Vlasov or Wlassow was a Russian Red Army general who collaborated with Nazi Germany during World War II.-Early career:...
, who was to become leader of the Russian Liberation Army (ROA
Russian Liberation Army
Russian Liberation Army was a group of predominantly Russian forces subordinated to the Nazi German high command during World War II....
). In late June, the legion transferred north to take part in the Siege of Leningrad
Siege of Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
. After a month's relative quiet in the trenches around Leningrad, the legion was pulled out of the line in preparation for Operation Nordlicht, an assault on Leningrad which was to be the final blow to the defenders. The launch of the offensive on 14 August was preceded by a Soviet counter offensive. This resulted in the complete failure of the operation, with many units being removed from the battle to halt the counter offensive.
After the failure of this offensive, the legion was moved south of Leningrad, near Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga is a freshwater lake located in the Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia, not far from Saint Petersburg. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.-Geography:...
to defend against expected Soviet attacks. The following battles were known as the First Battle of Ladoga. The legion was involved in heavy fighting until the end of 1942, when it was regrouped with the 2 SS Infantry Brigade (mot). The legion was put back into the line alongside the SS-Freiwilligen-Legion Norwegen, a Norwegian volunteer legion. In early January, the Soviets launched another offensive which would be known as the Second Battle of Ladoga. The Dutch and Norwegians managed to defend against several Soviet tank attacks, destroying many T-34
T-34
The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...
s with their 7.5 cm PaK 97/98 anti-tank guns. After this action, the Dutch SS-Sturmmann Gerardus Mooyman
Gerardus Mooyman
Gerardus Leonardus Mooyman was a Dutch volunteer in the Waffen-SS.- Biography :Gerardus Mooyman was born in Apeldoorn, Netherlands. He grew up in a very pro-German household. His father was a small time retailer whose business suffered greatly during the great depression, resulting in his joining...
received the Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
for single-handedly destroying nineteen Soviet T-34s and KV-1's. Mooyman was the first non-German to receive the Knight's Cross.
On 6 February, General Seyffardt, back in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
campaigning for new recruits for the Legion, was assassinated by the Dutch Resistance group CS-6. The Legionnaires were stunned, however they had little time to mourn their lost figurehead. Soviet attacks resumed and continued throughout the spring thaw.
In April 1943, the legion was ordered back to Sonneberg
Sonneberg
Sonneberg is a town in Thuringia, Germany, which is seat of the district Sonneberg.It has long been a centre of toy making and is still well known for this...
in Thüringen
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
to be reformed as a Panzergrenadier Brigade.
SS Panzer Grenadier Brigade Nederland - Yugoslavia
Upon arrival at Sonneberg, the Legion was dissolved and began the task of reforming as SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Brigade Nederland.. The brigade was to consist of two Panzer Grenadier regimentRegiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s. The two Regiments were granted honour titles, the 48th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Regiment General Seyffardt. in honour of their dead figurehead, and the 49th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Regiment de Ruyter. named after the seventeenth-century Dutch Admiral Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter. Added to this core force was to be Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
, Pioneer
Combat engineering
A combat engineer, also called pioneer or sapper in many armies, is a soldier who performs a variety of construction and demolition tasks under combat conditions...
, Panzerjäger
Panzerjäger
Panzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
and Artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
components. The brigade was to be commanded by SS-Oberführer Jürgen Wagner
Jürgen Wagner
Jürgen Wagner was a Brigadeführer in the Waffen SS during World War II, he was the commander of the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland and was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves.-Early life:Jürgen Wagner was born on 9 September 1901 in Strasbourg, and was the son of Ernst...
.
In September 1943, the Brigade was ordered to the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
(Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
) to join SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner
Felix Steiner
Felix Martin Julius Steiner was a German Reichswehr and Waffen-SS officer who served in both World War I and World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
S III SS (Germanic) Panzer Corps currently forming in the area. Upon arriving, the Brigade received 1,500 Dutch recruits, drawn from the veterans of SS Division Wiking. During its time there, elements of the brigade were engaged in operations against Yugoslav Partisans
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
. The fighting was brutal and no quarter was given on either side, however the Brigade showed itself capable in combat. During this period, the brigade was redesignated 4th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Brigade Nederland.. At this time, its strength stood at 9,342 officers and men, that of a weak division.
On Christmas Day, 1943, the brigade was deemed ready for the front, and, along with Steiner's SS Corps, was moved to the area around Oranienbaum
Oranienbaum, Russia
Oranienbaum is a Russian royal residence, located on the Gulf of Finland west of St. Petersburg. The Palace ensemble and the city centre are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-History:...
in Army Group North's
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
sector.
Retreat from Oranienbaum
Upon arrival at the front, Steiner's SS Corps was deployed defending the area near Oranienbaum. the Corps was to form a part of the 18.ArmyGerman Eighteenth Army
The 18th Army was a World War I and World War II field army.-World War I:The 18th Army was formed in 1918 by the German OHL and commanded by General Oskar von Hutier.-World War II:...
. Opposing the Corps was General Leonid A. Govorov's Leningrad Front
Leningrad Front
The Leningrad Front was first formed on August 27, 1941, by dividing the Northern Front into the Leningrad Front and Karelian Front, during the German approach on Leningrad .-History:...
. On 14 January, the Soviets launched the Leningrad-Novgorod Offensive aimed at driving the Army Group North from the Leningrad region
Leningrad Oblast
Leningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on August 1, 1927, although it was not until 1946 that the oblast's borders had been mostly settled in their present position...
. Govorov was to attack in conjunction with the adjacent Volkhov Front
Volkhov Front
The Front was reformed on the 9 June 1942 from the Volkhov Operational Group of the Leningrad Front and served until 15 February 1944, participating in the relief of the Siege of Leningrad and taking part in other operations including:-Campaigns:...
under General Kiril A. Meretskov.
The Krasnoye Selo–Ropsha Offensive
Krasnoye Selo–Ropsha Offensive
The Krasnoye Selo – Ropsha Offensive, also known as Operation January Thunder and Neva-2 was a campaign between the Soviet Leningrad Front and the German 18th Army fought for the western approaches of Leningrad in 14–30 January 1944....
cut through the weak infantry units formed out of the 9th and 10th Luftwaffe Field Division
Luftwaffe Field Division
The Luftwaffe Field Divisions were German military formations which fought during World War II.-History:...
s defending the line and began racing, and by doing so knocked two large, if unreliable, units out of Steiner's newly formed corps.
The Nederland, fighting alongside the 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland
11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
The 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, also known as Kampfverband Waräger, Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 or 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland, was a Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers...
attempted to stem the tide of Govorov's Front, but were soon forced to fall back to avoid encirclement by Meretskov's Force.
The Nederland was involved in the 150 km fighting withdrawal
Kingisepp–Gdov Offensive
This is a sub-article to Battle of Narva.The Kingisepp–Gdov Offensive was a campaign between the Soviet Leningrad Front and the German 18th Army fought for the eastern coast of Lake Peipus and the western banks of the Narva River from 1 February till 1 March 1944...
to the Narva River
Narva River
The Narva is a river flowing into the Baltic Sea, the largest river in Estonia. Draining Lake Peipsi, the river forms the border of Estonia and Russia and flows through the towns of Narva/Ivangorod and Narva-Jõesuu into Narva Bay. Though the river is only 77 km long, in terms of volume...
in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, where a line of defence
Battle of Narva (1944)
The Battle of Narva was a military campaign between the German Army Detachment "Narwa" and the Soviet Leningrad Front fought for possession of the strategically important Narva Isthmus on 2 February – 10 August 1944 during World War II....
was to be established. The Nederland was to defend the northern and central flanks of the Ivangorod
Ivangorod
Ivangorod is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the right bank of the Narva River by the Russian-Estonian border, west of St. Petersburg. Population: The town is known for the Ivangorod fortress....
bridgehead.
Battle for the Narva Bridgehead
Steiner's men had little time to dig in, with the first Soviet attacks beginning on 3 February. Despite the ferocity of the Soviet attacks, the Nederland maintained the bridgehead over the Narva. In early March the main focus of the Soviet attacks were directed at the De Ruyter regiment, defending the down of Lilienbach on the Northern flank. In fierce hand-to-hand combat, the Dutchmen repulsed the Soviet attacks, forcing Govorov to look elsewhere for his breakthrough.After a feint attack towards Nordland's positions, Govorov directed his forces at the General Seyffardt regiment, holding the centre of the line. The regiment was forced from its positions, but a counterattack led by regimental commander SS-Standartenführer Wolfgang Jörchel
Wolfgang Jörchel
Wolfgang Roman Christian Theodor Jörchel was a Standartenführer in the Waffen SS during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, for extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.-Early life:Wolfgang Roman Christian...
retook the defensive works and averted a Soviet breakthrough.
Govorov again shifted his focus of attack back to the de Ruyter, commanded by SS-Obersturmbannführer Hans Collani
Hans Collani
Hans Collani was a Standartenführer in the Waffen SS during World War II. Who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.-Early life:Hans Collani was born on...
, a veteran of the Wiking division. The Dutch line cracked, and only the arrival of Nordland's Panzer
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
Battalion was sent in to halt the attack. When the Panzers counter attack bogged down, Collani ordered his men to fall back to positions closer to Lilienbach. The Soviets saw this, and began laying heavy artillery fire on the withdrawing Dutchmen. This was followed up with a major assault, and the De Ruyter suffered heavily. Company leader SS-Untersturmführer Helmut Scholz
Helmut Scholz
Helmut Scholz was a Hauptsturmführer in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves.Scholz was born on the 12 July 1920, at Grottkau, Upper Silesia....
gathered a group of men and went into action, retaking De Ruyter's original positions, giving the regiment shelter and preventing a rout.
On 22 March another assault hit De Ruyter, this time cutting through the lines on 5 Company's front and threatening to annihilate the regiment. Battalion commander SS-Hauptsturmführer Heinz Frühauf formed an assault group from his headquarters personnel and assaulted the 150 man Soviet force wreaking havoc in the regiments rear. After destroying the Soviet force in heavy fighting, he then reformed his men and cleared the regiment's trenches of enemy troops.
Withdrawal - Loss of the General Seyffardt
Govorov finally realised that the Dutch lines wouldn't crack, and shifted his assaults south to the Nordland's Danmark regiment. The launch of Operation Bagration on 22 June resulted in Govorov stepping up his attacks. In February, the Soviets had established the strong Krivasoo bridgehead on the western bank of the Narva and threatened to cut off the entire corps. On 23 July, Steiner ordered a withdrawal to the Tannenbergstellung, a prepared position 16 km to the west.The General Seyffardt and the brigade's artillery component was to provide a rearguard for the retreating troops. Govorov launched the Narva Offensive
Narva Offensive (July 1944)
This is a sub-article to Battle of Narva.The Narva Offensive was a campaign fought between the German army detachment "Narwa" and the Soviet Leningrad Front for the city of Narva in 24–30 July 1944....
on the German lines on 24 July, and in the afternoon, the Nederland's Artillery battalion started withdrawing across the Narva bridge. The Dutchmen got involved in heavy fighting but somehow they managed to hold the Soviets while the last of the SS men got across the river. The Nordland's Pioneer Battalion blew up the bridge. However, due to a colossal mistake by its officers, the General Seyffardt regiment would not survive the withdrawal.
Attempting to avoid Soviet forces, the regiment was ordered to take a different route to that planned. The withdrawing Dutchmen were discovered by Jabos of the Red Air Force, and were soon pinned down. Soviet ground forces were brought in to trap the withdrawing Dutchmen, and soon the regiment was under attack from the air and the ground. Trapped in the open, the General Seyffardt never stood a chance. After a short time, it ceased to exist, with only a few survivors under the command of SS-Untersturmführer Nieuwendijk-Hoek reaching the Tannenbergstellung a week later.
With the exception of the General Seyffardt, the withdrawal had been a success, and Steiner's men began to dig in on the Tannenbergstellung, in preparation of the next Soviet attacks. The Nederland had lost one of its two regiments, and many valuable veterans were lost forever. The General Seyffardt was ordered to be reformed at Schlochau.
Retreat into Courland
During the withdrawal to the Tannenbergstellung defensive line, the Nederland was involved in rearguard actions. SS-Rottenführer Derk Elsko Bruins of the PanzerjägerPanzerjäger
Panzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
Battalion destroyed 12 enemy tanks in one engagement, earning himself the Knight's Cross. When the new defensive line was established, the Nederland was pulled out of combat to act as reserve, allowing the exhausted Brigade a little rest and time to recuperate.
The reaction of the brigade to the 20 July plot on Hitler's life had been one of shock and anger, and several letters of sympathy and support were sent to Hitler by men from the Nederland. Despite the horrors of the front, most men of the brigade were still firmly holding to their NSB pro-Nazi ideology. On 24 August, SS-Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
sent a letter to the Brigade, praising its fighting spirit.
In September, Leon Degrelle's
Léon Degrelle
Léon Joseph Marie Ignace Degrelle was a Walloon Belgian politician, who founded Rexism and later joined the Waffen SS which were front-line troops in the fight against the Soviet Union...
Kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
from 5.SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade Wallonien
5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien
The 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien was formed from the 5th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Wallonien which was a Belgian Waffen SS volunteer brigade comprising volunteers of Walloon background...
was placed under the command of the Nederland, bolstering its strength. When Hitler authorized the withdrawal of German troops from Estonia, the Nederland found itself with another problem on its hands. Besides the Russians, bands of Estonian soldiers, unwilling to abandon their country and furious at the Germans for abandoning them, had turned to brigandry. Nederland's commander, Wagner, was forced to keep a company in reserve to deal with any attacks by the Estonians. Apart from a few skirmishes, the brigade was spared a large scale fight against its former allies.
Battles in Courland and withdrawal to Germany
Nederland began the retreat into CourlandCourland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
on 23 September, executing a fighting withdrawal and arriving in the area near Gumi-Wolmar in mid October. The brigade was almost immediately attacked by a large Soviet combined arms force, and suffered heavy casualties in just a few days fighting. The Soviets managed to cut off Army Group North in the Courland area, creating what was to be known as the Courland Pocket
Courland Pocket
The Courland Pocket referred to the Red Army's blockade or encirclement of Axis forces on the Courland peninsula during the closing months of World War II...
. Stationed alongside the Nordland, the brigade was involved in fierce fighting protecting the strategically vital city of Libau
Liepaja
Liepāja ; ), is a republican city in western Latvia, located on the Baltic Sea directly at 21°E. It is the largest city in the Kurzeme Region of Latvia, the third largest city in Latvia after Riga and Daugavpils and an important ice-free port...
, one of the embarkation points for troops to be withdrawn to Germany.
During the fighting in Courland, the brigade was subject to heavy partisan attacks, and after a number of attacks, Wagner ordered the reprisal executions of an unknown number of civilians.
The second Courland offensive was launched by the Soviets on 27 October, and the De Ruyter regiment saw heavy fighting, repelling two large infantry attacks. Under almost constant air attack, the Nederland began digging in. The next two major offensives to crush the pocket were not in Nederland's sector, and so besides minor skirmishes, the brigade was left in relative peace for the remainder of 1944. On 26 January 1945, the brigade received orders to evacuate the pocket by sea and report to the Swinemünde-Stettin area to participate in the defense of the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
line. The evacuation, through the port of Libau, began immediately. The voyage across the Baltic was dangerous, with the Red Air Force sinking many evacuation ships. The brigade arrived in German territory on 4 February.
Final battles
The Waffen-SS command presented the idea of merging the Nederland into the Nordland division, but the NSB would not permit the formation to be disbanded. On 10 February, the brigade was redesignated 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland., although its strength at the time was barely 1,000 men. The new division was attached to Steiner's Eleventh SS Panzer Army, defending the Northern Oder region. Despite its weak strength, the Nederland took part in the abortive Operation Sonnenwende, and the battles near Altdamm in February 1945.In April 1945, the division was split into two Kampfgruppes, based on the reformed 48th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Regiment General Seyffardt and the 49th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Regiment de Ruyter. Kampfgruppe General Seyffardt headed south, and Kampfgruppe de Ruyter remaining on the northern Oder front.
The final Soviet offensive of 16 April had broken the German lines by 25 April. During the attacks, both formations saw very heavy fighting, and the Soviet breakthrough broke the lines of communication between the two Kampfgruppen. de Ruyter, was pushed back by the Soviet breakthrough, attempting to halt the Soviets near the town of Parchim
Parchim
Parchim is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is the capital of the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. It was the birthplace of Moltke, to whom a monument was erected in 1876. Founded about 1210, one branch of the family of the duke of Mecklenburg residence in Parchim during part of the 14th...
. On 3 May, the Kampfgruppe was attacked by a large number of Soviet tanks. In heavy fighting, the Kampfgruppe halted the enemy attack, destroying the spearhead. Hearing rumours of Americans nearby, the formation broke out to the west, surrendering to the US Army and being sent to a POW Camp near Kraak.
Meanwhile, Kampfgruppe General Seyffardt was pushed south by the Soviet offensive, into the area around Halbe
Halbe
Halbe is a municipality in the Dahme-Spreewald district of Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated near the capital city Berlin and the SpreewaldFour other villages are part of Halbe: Briesen/Brand with the Tropical Islands Dom, Teurow, Freidorf and Oderin....
. The remnants of the Kampfgruppe were absorbed into Kampfgruppe Vieweger of the 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian)
15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian)
The 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS was formed in the Waffen SS's drive for manpower in the wake of Operation Barbarossa; Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941...
. During the hellish fighting in Battle of Halbe
Battle of Halbe
The Battle of Halbe lasted from April 24 - May 1, 1945 was a battle in which the German Ninth Army, under the command of Colonel General Theodor Busse was destroyed as a fighting force by the Red Army during the Battle for Berlin....
, the General Seyffardt was annihilated.
After the war, the survivors were tried in the Netherlands, with several death sentences being handed down. Wagner was tried at war crimes trials
War crimes trials
War crimes trials are trials of persons charged with criminal violation of the laws and customs of war and related principles of international law. The practice began after World War I, when some German leaders were tried by a German court in the Leipzig War Crimes Trial for crimes committed during...
in Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, and sentenced to death for his actions against civilian populations.
Commanders
- SS-Sturmbannführer Herbert Garthe (? November 1941 - ? February 1942)
- SS-Oberführer Otto Reich (? February 1942 - 1 April 1942)
- SS-Obersturmbannführer Arved Theuermann (1 April 1942 - ?)
- SS-Standartenführer Josef FitzthumJosef FitzthumJosef Fitzthum Josef Fitzthum Josef Fitzthum (September 14, 1896, Loimersdorf, Lower Austria — January 10, 1945, Wiener Neudorf, was a senior SS Gruppenführer, Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS und Polizei, politician, and Beauftragter des Reichsführer-SS Albanien (special representative of the...
(? - ?) - SS-Brigadeführer Jürgen WagnerJürgen WagnerJürgen Wagner was a Brigadeführer in the Waffen SS during World War II, he was the commander of the 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland and was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves.-Early life:Jürgen Wagner was born on 9 September 1901 in Strasbourg, and was the son of Ernst...
(20 April 1944 - 1 May 1945)
SS Volunteer Legion Niederlande
- I. Battalion
- 1. Company
- 2. Company
- 3. Company
- 4. Company
- II. Battalion
- 5. Company
- 6. Company
- 7. Company
- 8. Company
- III. Battalion
- 9. Company
- 10. Company
- 11. Company
- 12. Company
- 13. Artillery Company
- 14. PanzerjägerPanzerjägerPanzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
Company
4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier-Brigade Nederland
- SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Regiment 48 General Seyffard
- SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Regiment 49 de Ruyter
- SS Artillery Regiment 54
- SS Signals Battalion 54
- SS PanzerjägerPanzerjägerPanzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
Battalion 54 - SS Pionier Battalion 54
See also
- List of Knight's Cross recipients 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland
- PanzergrenadierPanzergrenadieris a German term for motorised or mechanized infantry, as introduced during World War II. It is used in the armies of Austria, Chile, Germany and Switzerland.-Forerunners:...
- Panzer DivisionPanzer DivisionA panzer division was an armored division in the army and air force branches of the Wehrmacht as well as the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II....
- Waffen-SSWaffen-SSThe Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
- Division (military)Division (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
- Military unit
- WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
- List of German military units of World War II