The Sturmbrigade Reichsführer-SS was a German

Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...

 military unit of 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...

. It was formed in February 1943 when 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...

 ordered the Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer-SS

Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer-SS

Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer-SS was formed in May 1941 from Himmler's personal escort. The Begleit-Bataillon fought on the eastern front during Operation Barbarossa...

 (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...

's escort battalion), which had proved itself in battle, be upgraded to the status of an assault brigade or Sturmbrigade thus Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS was established.

It was upgraded in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

 and remained stationed there until the invasion of Italy in September 1943 when it was sent south with the 505. Artillerie Bataillon (sf).

The brigade was stationed in Corsica

Corsica

Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....

 where it served as part of the garrison until 8 September 1943, when heavy fighting broke out on the island between the Sturmbrigade and the Italian 20th Infantry Division Friuli

20 Infantry Division Friuli

The 20th Infantry Division Friuli was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II.- History :The 20th Infantry Division Friuli was formed in 1939 by renaming the existing 20th Infantry Division Curtatone e Montanara...

 and 44th Infantry Division Cremona

44 Infantry Division Cremona

The 44 Infantry Division Cremona was a Infantry Division of the Italian Army during World War II. The Cremona Division was part of the Italian XV Corps that took part in the Italian invasion of France in June 1940. It was transferred to Sardinia in March 1941...

. Along with the 90th Panzergrenadier Division coming from Sardinia

Sardinia

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...

 the brigade broke through to Bastia

Bastia

Bastia is a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It is also the second-largest city in Corsica after Ajaccio and the capital of the department....

 in Northern Corsica, from where the German units were evacuated in the first days of October 1943. Afterwards the brigade was sent to Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 and reorganized into the 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS

16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS

The 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS was a Panzergrenadier formation of the Waffen-SS during World War II.-History:Formed in November 1943 when Volksdeutsche recruits were added to the Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS, which was used as the cadre in the formation of the new division...

.

Composition

Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS - SS-Ostubaf. Karl Gesele

Karl Gesele

Karl Gesele 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:Karl Gesele was born on the 15...

I. SS-Grenadier Bataillon - SS-Stubaf. Max Dallinger:

1. Schützen Company - SS-Ostuf. Hatz
2. Schützen Company - SS-Ostuf. Diesenreitter
3. Schützen Company - SS-Ostuf. Danner
4. Machine Gun Company - SS-Ostuf. Rosenberger
5. Infantry Antitank Company- SS-Ostuf. Haider

II. Grenadier Bataillon (Heer

Heer

Heer is German for "army". Generally, its use as "army" is not restricted to any particular country, so "das britische Heer" would mean "the British army".However, more specifically it can refer to:*An army of Germany:...

) - Hptm. Meyer (absorbed - former 356.Infantrie Division, III./IR 870):

1. Schützen Kompanie - (typical)
2. Schützen Kompanie - (typical)
3. Schützen Kompanie - (typical)
4. Maschinen Gewehr Kompanie - (typical)
5. Infantrie Geschütz Kompanie - (typical)

SS-Panzerjager

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...

 Bataillon - SS-Hstuf. Subkleve:

1. Panzerjäger Company
2. Panzerjäger Company

SS-Sturmgeschütz

Sturmgeschütz

Sturmgeschütz is a German word for "assault gun", usually abbreviated StuG. The vehicle was a leading weapon of the Sturmartillerie, a branch of the German artillery tasked with close fire support of infantry in infantry, panzer, and panzergrenadier units...

 Battalion - SS-Hstuf. Krauß:

1. Sturmgeschütz Battery
2. Sturmgeschütz Battery
3. Sturmgeschütz Battery

SS-Flak Battalion - SS-Hstuf. Hieber:

1. Flak Company [2,0 cm]
2. Flak Company [8,8 cm]
3. Flak Company [8,8 cm]
4. Flak Company [8,8 cm]

Tanks & Assault Guns

RFSS trained on Panzer IV

Panzer IV

The Panzerkampfwagen IV , commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz...

's but were issued with Sturmgeschütz III

Sturmgeschütz III

The Sturmgeschütz III assault gun was Germany's most produced armoured fighting vehicle during World War II. It was built on the chassis of the proven Panzer III tank...

 in the spring and summer of 1943.

• Apr 43 RFSS-Sturmgeschütz Battery was formed with 10x Sturmgeschütz III
  Sturmgeschütz III
  The Sturmgeschütz III assault gun was Germany's most produced armoured fighting vehicle during World War II. It was built on the chassis of the proven Panzer III tank...
  
  .
• Jul 43 RFSS-Sturmgeschütz Battalion was formed with 10x Sturmgeschütz III
  Sturmgeschütz III
  The Sturmgeschütz III assault gun was Germany's most produced armoured fighting vehicle during World War II. It was built on the chassis of the proven Panzer III tank...
  
   in each Sturmgeschütz Battery (1.-3.Batteries).

Source: Sturmgeschutz & Its Variants, Spielberger (Spielberger German Armor & Military Vehicles Series, Vol 2)

Lineage

• Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer-SS
  Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer-SS
  Begleit-Bataillon Reichsführer-SS was formed in May 1941 from Himmler's personal escort. The Begleit-Bataillon fought on the eastern front during Operation Barbarossa...
  
   (May 1941 - Feb 1943)
• Sturmbrigade Reichsführer-SS (Feb 1943 - Oct 1943)
• 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS
  16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS
  The 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS was a Panzergrenadier formation of the Waffen-SS during World War II.-History:Formed in November 1943 when Volksdeutsche recruits were added to the Sturmbrigade Reichsführer SS, which was used as the cadre in the formation of the new division...
  
  (Oct 1943 - May 1945)

Sources

German Order of Battle in WWII, Waffen SS, Fallschirmjägers & Foreign Troops in German Service, Nafziger (2006)

Waffen SS Uniforms Organization History, Volume 4, R.J. Bender(1975)

Im Gleichen Schritt und Tritt

Sturmgeschutz & Its Variants, Spielberger (Spielberger German Armor & Military Vehicles Series, Vol 2) )