NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler

The Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (Lifeguard Standarte of the SS Adolf Hitler) was a Waffen SS guard and combat formation which saw action on both the Eastern and Western fronts during the Second World War. Image File history File links Divisional insignia of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Waffen-SS recruitment poster: Volunteer for the Waffen-SS The Waffen-SS (Armed Protective Squadron) was the combat arm of the Schutzstaffel. ... The Eastern Front of World War II was the theatre of war covering the conflict in eastern Europe, notorious for its unprecedented ferocity, destruction, and immense loss of life. ... During World War II, the Western Front was the theater of fighting west of Germany, encompassing France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemberg, and Denmark. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

The Leibstandarte started life in the early days of the NSDAP as Adolf Hitler's personal, élite bodyguard. As the Waffen SS increased in size throughout the 1930s and into the war years, so the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler evolved into a full sized panzer division, a detachment of which was always close to Hitler. The Nazi swastika The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), better known as the NSDAP or the Nazi Party was a political party that was led to power in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933. ... â–¶(?) (April 20, 1889 â€“ April 30, 1945) was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 and FÃ¼hrer und Reichskanzler (Leader and Chancellor) of Germany from 1934 to his death. ... Waffen-SS recruitment poster: Volunteer for the Waffen-SS The Waffen-SS (Armed Protective Squadron) was the combat arm of the Schutzstaffel. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ... PzKpfw V-D, a Panther tank Panzer? is German for armour. ...

Early history (1923-1933)

In the earliest days of the NSDAP, it was realised by the leaders that bodyguard units comprising trustworthy and loyal men would be a wise development. Ernst Röhm formed a guard formation from the 19.Granatwerfer-Kompanie, and from this formation the Sturmabteilung (SA) soon evolved. Adolf Hitler, realising the potential threat that the SA had presented, and in early 1923 ordered the formation of a bodyguard for himself. The tiny unit, originally formed by only Julius Schreck and Joseph Berchtold, was designated the Stabswache. The guards of the Stabswache were issued uniforms which showed their divergence from the SA (Despite the fact that at this stage the Stabswache still came under overall SA control). Schreck resurrected the use of the Totenkopf as insignia, which had been a symbol used by élite forces throughout the Prussian kingdom and the later German Empire. The Nazi swastika The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), better known as the NSDAP or the Nazi Party was a political party that was led to power in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933. ... Ernst RÃ¶hm Ernst Julius RÃ¶hm (or Roehm) (November 28, 1887, Munich; July 1, 1934, Munich-Stadelheim prison, murdered) was a German military officer and commander and co-founder of the Nazi Sturmabteilung or stormtroopers. // Early Nazi years RÃ¶hm served as a career officer with the Bavarian Army... The seal of SA The (?) (SA, German for Storm Division and is usually translated as stormtroops or stormtroopers) functioned as a paramilitary organisation of the NSDAP â€“ the German Nazi party. ... â–¶(?) (April 20, 1889 â€“ April 30, 1945) was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 and FÃ¼hrer und Reichskanzler (Leader and Chancellor) of Germany from 1934 to his death. ... Julius Schreck in 1933 Julius Schreck (July 13, 1898 – May 16, 1936) was an early Nazi Party member and also the first commander of the Schutzstaffel (SS). ... Joseph Berchtold (March 6, 1897-August 23, 1962), a former stationary salesman succeeded Julius Schreck as Reichsführer-SS in 1926. ... Field Marshal August von Mackensen wearing a hat with the totenkopf insignia Totenkopf is the German word for Deaths Head and is used to describe a military insignia featuring a skull above crossed bones. ... The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prussia, 1701-1918 The word Prussia (German: PreuÃŸen, Polish: Prusy, Lithuanian: PrÅ«sai, Latin: Borussia) has had various (often contradictory) meanings: The land of the Baltic Prussians (in what is now parts of southern Lithuania, the Kaliningrad exclave of Russia and... The term German Empire commonly refers to Germany, from its consolidation as a unified nation-state on January 18, 1871, until the abdication of Emperor Wilhelm II on November 9, 1918. ...

Soon after its formation the unit was renamed Stoßtrupp Adolf Hitler. On 9 November 1923, the Stoßtrupp, along with the SA and several other NSDAP paramilitary units, took part in the abortive Beer Hall Putsch. In the aftermath of the Putsch, Hitler was imprisoned and the NSDAP and all associated formations, including the Stoßtrupp, were officially disbanded. Image File history File links Julius Schreck and the men of the StoÃŸtrupp Adolf Hitler, 1923. ... Image File history File links Julius Schreck and the men of the StoÃŸtrupp Adolf Hitler, 1923. ... The Beer Hall Putsch occurred in the evening of Thursday, November 8 to early afternoon of Friday, November 9, 1923 when the nascent Nazi partys FÃ¼hrer Adolf Hitler, the popular World War I General Erich Ludendorff, and other leaders of the Kampfbund, unsuccessfully tried to gain power in...

Shortly after Hitler's release in 1924, he ordered a new bodyguard unit formed, again called the Stabswache, but this time it did not fall under SA control. In 1925, the Stabswache was renamed as the Schutzstaffel, abbreviated SS. By March 1933, the SS had grown from a tiny personal bodyguard unit to a formation of over 50,000 men. The decision was made to form a new bodyguard unit, picking the most capable and trustworthy SS men to form its cadre. The infamous double-sig rune SS insignia. ...

On 17 March 1933, the SS-Stabswache Berlin was formed, under the command of Josef 'Sepp' Dietrich, Hitler's personal bodyguard. Dietrich hand-picked 120 men to form the SS-Stabswache. The unit was based at the Alexander Barracks in Berlin. Later in 1933, the formation was redesignated SS-Sonderkommando Zossen and a second unit of 120 men, designated SS-Sonderkommando Jüterbog was raised. The two Sonderkommandos provided guards for the NSDAP hierarchy, functioned as training cadres for the SS and for a short time acted as auxiliary police units. General Sepp Dietrich Josef Sepp Dietrich (May 28, 1892–April 21/22, 1966) was a German Waffen-SS general, an SS-Oberstgruppenführer, and one of the closest men to Hitler. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

In September 1933, the two Sonderkommandos were merged together as SS-Sonderkommando Berlin. In November 1933, on the 10th anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch, the Sonderkommando took part in the rally and memorial service at the Feldherrnhalle, erected in the place where many NSDAP members had fallen during the Putsch. All members of the Sonderkommando then took part in an oath taking rally, where they swore personal allegiance to Hitler himself. To conclude the rally, the Sonderkommando received a new title, Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler. View from the Odeonsplatz on to the Feldherrnhalle and the Theatinerkirche The Feldherrnhalle (also written Feldherrenhalle, Hall of the Commanders) is a building in Munich, Germany. ...

Trial by fire – Leibstandarte expands

In early 1934, Heinrich Himmler, the Reichsführer-SS, ordered that the Leibstandarte be renamed Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). In late June, the LSSAH was called into action for the first time. Ernst Röhm, the Stabschef-SA, began to push for greater power for his already powerful SA. Hitler decided that the SA had to be put in its place, and ordered Himmler and Hermann Göring to prepare their élite units, Himmler's Leibstandarte and Göring's Landespolizeigruppe General Göring, for immediate action. The LSSAH formed two companies under the control of Jürgen Wagner and Otto Reich, and these formations were moved to Munich on 30 June. Image File history File links Troops of the Infanterie-Regiment (mot) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler on parade, Berlin 1936. ... Image File history File links Troops of the Infanterie-Regiment (mot) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler on parade, Berlin 1936. ... Heinrich Himmler (?) (October 7, 1900 â€“ May 23, 1945) was the commander of the German Schutzstaffel (SS) and one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. ... Heinrich Himmler as the ReichsfÃ¼hrer-SS ReichsfÃ¼hrer-SS was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. ... For other uses of the term Stabschef please refer to Chief of Staff Stabschef (Chief of Staff) was a paramilitary rank in the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary stormtroopers associated with the Nazi movement. ... Hermann GÃ¶ring Hermann Wilhelm GÃ¶ring (also Goering in English) (January 12, 1893 â€“ October 15, 1946) was an early member of the Nazi party, founder of the Gestapo, and one of the main leaders of Nazi Germany. ... Polizeiabteilung z. ... For the 2005 Steven Spielberg film, see Munich (film). ...

Hitler ordered all SA leaders to attend a meeting at the Hanselbauer Hotel in Bad Wiessee near Munich. On 30 June, Hitler joined 'Sepp' Dietrich and a unit from the Leibstandarte and travelled to Bad Wiessee to personally command Röhm's arrest and subsequent execution. In what was to be known as the Night of the Long Knives, the execution companies of the LSSAH, together with Göring's Landespolizeigruppe, performed Death Squad actions, carrying out many executions without trials over the next few days. By 13 July 1934, around 177 people had been executed. Bad Wiessee is a spa town at Lake Tegernsee, Bavaria, Germany. ... The Night of the Long Knives (1934) (German, Nacht der langen Messer), also known as Reichsmordwoche or the Blood Purge, was a lethal purge of potential political rivals in the Sturmabteilung (also known as the SA or brownshirts), paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party. ... A death squad is an extra-judicial group whose members execute or assassinate persons they believe to be politically unreliable or undesirable. ...

The actions of the LSSAH and Göring's unit had succeeded in effectively decapitating the SA, and removing the threat to Hitler's leadership. Following the 'success' of the Night of the Long Knives, in recognition of their actions, both the LSSAH and the Landespolizeigruppe General Göring were expanded to Regimental size and motorised. In addition, the SS was finally removed from overall SA control.

As the SS began to swell with new recruits, the LSSAH remained the pinnacle of Hitler's Aryan ideal. Strict recruitment regulations meant that only those deemed sufficiently Aryan, as well as being physically fit and fervent National Socialists, would be admitted. Aryan is an English word derived from the Indo-Aryan Vedic Sanskrit and Iranian Avestan terms ari-, arya-, Ärya-, and/or the extended form aryÄna-. The Old Persian (Iranian) ariya- is a cognate as well. ...

The LSSAH provided the honour guard at several of the Nuremberg Rallies, and in 1935 took part in the reoccupation of the Saarland. The Leibstandarte was also in the vanguard of the March into Austria as part of the anschluss. the LSSAH now took part in the occupation of the Sudetenland. In March 1939, it was involved in the bloodless annexation of Bohemia and Moravia. Soon after this action, the LSSAH had several motorised components attached, including an armoured car platoon and a motorcycle unit, and was redesignated Infanterie-Regiment Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (mot.). Image File history File links Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler commander Sepp Dietrich and Hans Collani enjoy the festivities at Leibstandarten-Ball, January 1939. ... Image File history File links Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler commander Sepp Dietrich and Hans Collani enjoy the festivities at Leibstandarten-Ball, January 1939. ... The Nazi partys 1936 Nuremberg Rally was its largest. ... Saarland is one of the 16 states of Germany. ... German troops march into Austria on 12 March 1938. ... Sudetenland (-German; Czech: Sudety) was the name used from 1938â€“45 for the region inhabited mostly by Sudeten Germans (German: Sudetendeutsche, Czech: SudetÅ¡tÃ NÄ›mci) in the various places of Bohemia, Moravia, and parts of Silesia. ... Bohemia This article is about the historical region in central Europe; for other uses, see Bohemia (disambiguation). ... Moravia in relation to the current kraje of the Czech Republic Moravia (Czech and Slovak: Morava, German: MÃ¤hren, Polish: Morawy, Hungarian: MorvaorszÃ¡g) is an historical region in the east of the Czech Republic. ... Military armored cars A French VBL reconnaissance vehicle. ...

In January 1939, the Leibstandarten-Ball was held in the Berlin Zoo. Dietrich had organised this high-profile party for his men, with famous performers Hans Albers Heinrich George and Kaethe con Nagy. The guest of honor was Heer commander-in-chief, Walther von Brauchitsch. Hans Albers Hans Albers (September 22, 1891 - July 24, 1960) was a German actor and singer, nicknamed Der Blonde Hans (The Blond Hans). ... Heinrich George died in 1946 in a russian concentration camp, just north of Berlin, after an appendix operation. ... Heer ( listen?) is the German word for army. ... Walther von Brauchitsch Von Brauchitsch in 1939 Walther von Brauchitsch (October 4, 1881, Berlin - October 18, 1948, Hamburg) was commander-in-chief of the Wehrmacht in the early years of World War II. Brauchitsch was commissioned in the Prussian Guard in 1900. ...

When Hitler ordered the formation of an SS division in mid 1939, the Leibstandarte was designated to form its own unit, unlike the other Standartes of the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT), (SS-Standarte Deutschland, SS-Standarte Germania and SS-Standarte Der Fuhrer). The Polish crisis of October 1939 put these plans on hold, and the LSSAH was ordered to join XIII.Armeekorps, a part of Army Group South which was preparing for the attack on Poland. The SS-VerfÃ¼gungstruppe (combat support force) (short: SS-VT) was created in 1934 from the merger of various Nazi and right-wing paramilitary formations. ... Army Group South (Heeresgruppe Süd in German) was a German Army Group during World War II. Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South. ...

Early war campaigns

During the initial stages of the Polish September Campaign, the LSSAH was attached to the 17.Infanterie-Division and tasked with providing flank protection for the southern pincer. The regiment was involved in several ferocious battles against Polish cavalry brigades attempting to hit the flanks the German advance. At Pabianice, a town near Lodz, the LSSAH fought off elements of the Polish 28th Infantry Division and the Wołyńska Cavalry Brigade in ferocious close combat. The Polish September Campaign â€” also known as Polish-German War of 1939, in Poland often as Wojna obronna 1939 roku (Defensive War of 1939), in Germany as Polish Campaign (Polenfeldzug), codenamed Fall Weiss (Case White) in the German General Staff â€” was the invasion of Poland by the armies... Wehrgauleitung NÃ¼rnberg InfanteriefÃ¼hrer VII 17. ... Pabianice is a town in central Poland with 75,700 inhabitants (1995). ... . Łódź (pronunciation: ) is the second-largest city (population 776,297 in 2004) of Poland, located in the centre of the country. ... The 28 Dywizja Piechoty was a Polish infantry division which saw action against the invading Germans during the Polish September Campaign of World War II. The division suffered heavy casualties in battles near Lodz and the remnants retreated to Warsaw, where they surrendered. ... The WoÅ‚yÅ„ska Brygada Kawalerii was a Polish cavalry brigade which saw action against the invading Germans during the Polish September Campaign of World War II. Raised from recruits in the area of WoÅ‚yÅ„, the division was posted to the ÅÃ³dÅº Army. ...

After the success at Pabianice, the LSSAH was shifted to the area near Warsaw and attached to the 4.Panzer-Division under Generaloberst Georg-Hans Reinhardt, where it saw action preventing encircled Polish units from escaping, and repelling several desperate attempts by other Polish troops to break through. The LSSAH had proved itself an effective fighting unit during the campaign, though several Heer Generals had reservations about the high casualties which the LSSAH and the SS-VT units had sustained in combat. Warsaw (Polish Warszawa, (?), in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto StoÅ‚eczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... German tank of the 4th Division during the failed assault of Warsaw The German 4th Panzer Division () was established in 1938. ... The SS-VerfÃ¼gungstruppe (combat support force) (short: SS-VT) was created in 1934 from the merger of various Nazi and right-wing paramilitary formations. ...

The regiment was shifted to the Dutch border for the launch of Fall Gelb, and was to form the vanguard of the ground advance into the Netherlands, tasked with capturing a vital bridge over the IJssel and linking up with the Fallschirmjäger of Generaloberst Kurt Student's airborne forces, the 7.Flieger-Division and the 22.Luftlande-Infanterie-Division. In World War II, Battle of France or Case Yellow (Fall Gelb in German) was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, executed 10 May 1940 which ended the Phony War. ... Satellite image of the IJssel basin River IJssel, sometimes called Gelderse IJssel (Gelderland IJssel) to avoid confusion with its Holland counterpart, is a 120 km long branch of the Rhine in the Dutch provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel. ... FallschirmjÃ¤ger over Rotterdam during the invasion of the Low Countries, May 10, 1940 FallschirmjÃ¤ger?, often rendered Fallschirmjager in English, is the German word for paratrooper. ... Kurt Student Kurt Student (May 12, 1890-July 1, 1978) was a German Luftwaffe General who fought as a pilot on the Eastern Front during the First World War and as the commander of the German parachute troops during the Second World War. ... The German 1st Parachute Division was a German military parachute-landing Division that fought during World War II. A division of paratroopers was termed a Fallschirmjäger Division. ... 22. ...

The Invasion of France and the Low Countries was launched on 10 May 1940. On that day, the LSSAH covered over 75 km, securing a crossing over the IJssel near Zutphen after discovering that their target bridge had been destroyed. Over the next four days' fighting, the LSSAH covered over 215km, and earned itself dubious fame by accidentally shooting at and seriously wounding Generaloberst Student near Amsterdam. After the surrender of the Netherlands on 14 May, the regiment was used to form part of the reserve for Army Group B. Zutphen (old alternate spelling: Zutfen) is a municipality and a town in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands on the right bank of the IJssel at the influx of the Berkel, and a junction station 29 km by rail N.N.E. of Arnhem. ... Amsterdam Location Country The Netherlands Province North Holland Population 739,295 (1 January 2005) Coordinates 4Â°54Â´E 52Â°22Â´N Website www. ... Army Group B was a German Army Group that saw action during World War II. They were involved in the western campaign in 1940 in Belgium and Holland which was to be aimed to conquer the Maas bridges after the German airborne actions in Rotterdam. ...

After the British armoured counterattack at Arras, the LSSAH, along with the SS-Verfügungs-Division was moved to the front lines to hold the perimeter around Dunkirk and reduce the size of the pocket containing the encircled BEF and French forces. Near Wormhoudt, the LSSAH ignored Hitler's orders for the advance to halt and continued the attack, suppressing the British artillery positions on the Wattenberg Heights. During this battle the regiment suffered heavy casualties. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (452x638, 29 KB)A colorised photograph of Waffen SS troops from Infanterie-Regiment (mot. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (452x638, 29 KB)A colorised photograph of Waffen SS troops from Infanterie-Regiment (mot. ... The Battle of Arras, was an Allied counter-attack to the German blitzkrieg through France during World War II. // Background Early on during the Battle of France, German forces managed to repel Allied forces and push them back considerably. ... SS-Division VerfÃ¼gungstruppe SS-Division Deutschland SS-Division Reich SS-Division Das Reich 2. ...

After the attack, elements of LSSAH's II.Battalion, under the command of SS-Hauptsturmführer Wilhelm Mohnke, were mistakenly informed that their divisional commander 'Sepp' Dietrich had been killed in the fighting. In what is known as the Wormhoudt Massacre, about 80 British POW of 2nd Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment were executed in retaliation for the supposed death of Dietrich. Although it is unargueable that the massacre occurred, Mohnke's level of involvement is impossible to know, and as such he was never brought to trial to face the allegations. (see [1]). SS-BrigadefÃ¼hrer Wilhelm Mohnke (March 15, 1911 - August 6, 2001) was one of Hitlers last remaining generals. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... Cap badge of the regiment The Royal Warwickshire Fusiliers, for most of its history known as The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, was an infantry regiment of the British Army. ...

The tragic events at Wormhoudt showed that while the men of LSSAH formed an excellent fighting machine, they were also a politically indoctrinated unit. The regiment ended the campaign on the coast near Dunkirk.

Brigade status – Balkans

After the conclusion of the Western campaign, the LSSAH was expanded to brigade size. Despite this, it retained the designation regiment. A FlaK battalion and a StuG abteilung were among the formations added to the LSSAH. During the later months of 1940, the regiment trained in amphibious assaults in preparation for Operation Seelöwe. After the failure of the Battle of Britain and the cancellation of the operation, the LSSAH was shifted to Bulgaria in preparation for Operation Marita, part of the planned invasion of Greece and the Balkans. Brigade is a term from military science which refers to a group of several battalions (typically two to four), and directly attached supporting units (normally including at least an artillery battery and additional logistic support). ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. ... Symbol of the Austrian 14th Armoured Battalion in NATO code In military terminology, a battalion consists of two to six companies typically commanded by a lieutenant colonel. ... The Brummbar was a German assault gun used in World War II An assault gun is an armoured fighting vehicle similar to a tank, but typically does not have a traversable turret, and may have an open roof. ... Abteilung (shortened Abt) is a German language word often used when referring to German or Swiss military formations (although the German uses the term in a more civilian fashion, e. ... Operation Sealion (Unternehmen SeelÃ¶we in German) was a World War II German plan to invade Britain. ... A major campaign of World War II, the Battle of Britain is the name for the attempt by Germanys Luftwaffe the German airforce to gain air superiority of British airspace and the Royal Air Force (RAF). ... During World War II, Operation Marita was the German invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia on 6 April 1941. ... The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe a region of south-eastern Europe. ...

The Operation was launched on 6 April, 1941. The LSSAH was to follow the route of the 9.Panzer-Division, part of General der Panzertruppen Georg Stumme's XL.Panzer-Korps. The regiment crossed the border near Prilep and was soon deep in Greek territory. SS-Sturmbannführer Fritz Witt's I.Bataillon was tasked with clearing the Klidi Pass, strongly defended by Greek and British troops. Witt's Battalion was reinforced and renamed Kampfgruppe Witt. The attack was launched on 10 April, and Witt's men were engaged in heavy fighting for three days before the Pass fell. I.Bataillon LSSAH had inflicted many casualties and captured over 520 prisoners for the loss of only 37 dead and 95 wounded. German 9th Panzer Division, sometimes simply called as 9th Panzer Division came into existence after 4th Light Division was reorganized in January 1940. ... Prilep (Cyrillic: ÐŸÑ€Ð¸Ð»ÐµÐ¿, other forms: Parleap, Pirlepe and Perlepe) is a city of 73,925 citizens, covering 1. ... Fritz Witt as an SS-ObersturmbannfÃ¼hrer, 1942 Fritz Witt (1908 - 1944) was a German Waffen-SS officer who served with the 1. ...

Simultaneously, SS-Sturmbannführer Kurt Meyer's reinforced Aufklärungs-Abt 1 LSSAH was tasked with clearing resistance from the Klissura Pass and driving throughto the Kastoria area cut off retreating Greek, British and Commonwealth forces. The pass was defended by the dug in elements of the Australian 16th Infantry Brigade and the Greek 121st Infantry Regiment. Meyer launched a frontal assault on the morning of 13 April, and by late afternoon the pass was cleared. Meyer captured over 600 prisoners for the loss of only 7 dead and 18 wounded. Image File history File links Elements of the AufklÃ¤rungsabteilung 1 of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler negotiate difficult terrain in Greece during Operation Marita. ... Image File history File links Elements of the AufklÃ¤rungsabteilung 1 of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler negotiate difficult terrain in Greece during Operation Marita. ... Kurt Panzermeyer Meyer in 1942 after being awarded the Oakleaves to the Knights Cross Kurt Panzermeyer Meyer (1910-1961) served as an officer in the Waffen-SS during the Second World War. ... An AufklÃ¤rungsabteilung (lit. ... Kastoria (Greek: ÎšÎ±ÏƒÏ„Î¿ÏÎ¹Î¬) is a city in northern Greece. ... // Definition and linguistics The original phrase common wealth or the common weal is a calque translation of the Latin term res publica (public matters), from which the word republic comes, which was itself used as a synonym for the greek politeia as well as for the republican (i. ... The most well-known 6th Division in the Australian Army was a unit in the Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) during World War II. (The 6th Division name was previously used for a short-lived World War I unit, formed from First Australian Imperial Force troops in England, in...

With the fall of the two passes, the main line of resistance of the Greek First Army was broken, and the campaign became a battle to prevent the escape of the enemy. On 20 April, following a pitched battle in the 5,000 foot high Metsovon Pass in the Pindus Mountains, the commander of the Greek First Army surrendered the entire Hellenic Army to Dietrich. Only the Britsh and Commonwealth troops now remained in Greece, and were falling back across the Corinth Canal to the Peloponnesos. By 26 April, the LSSAH had reached the Gulf of Patras, and in an effort to cut off the retreating British and Commonwealth forces, Dietrich ordered that his regiment cross the Gulf and secure the town of Patras in the Peloponnesos. Since no transport vessels were available, the LSSAH commandered fishing boats and successfully completed the crossing, despite being forced to leave much of their heavy equipment behind. By 30 April, the last British and Commonwealth troops had either been captured or escaped. The LSSAH occupied a position of honour in the victory parade through Athens. The Greek First Army was a Greek field army that fought in Southern Europe during World War II. On October 28, 1940, Italy attacked Greece from bases in Albania, which it had annexed in 1939. ... The Pindus (Greek: Πίνδος, Albanian: Pino) mountains are a range located in central Greece, roughly 160 km (100 miles) long, with a maximum elevation of 2636 m (8650 ft), along the border of Thessaly and Epirus. ... The Hellenic Army (Greek: Î•Î»Î»Î·Î½Î¹ÎºÏŒÏ‚ Î£Ï„ÏÎ¬Ï„Î¿Ï‚) is the land force of Greece (The Hellenic Republic). ... The Corinth Canal Bungy jumping at the corinth canal. ... Peloponnesos (Greek: Πελοπόννησος, Pelops Island, sometime Latinized as Peloponnesus or Anglicized as The Peloponnese) is a large peninsula in Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Isthmus of Corinth. ... The Gulf of Patras (Greek: Πατραϊκός Κόλπος Patraikos Kolpos) is a gulf that stretches from the eastern part of the Ionian Sea between Oxeia island and Cape Araxos in the south in the west up to the Strait of Rion at the capes Rio and Antirrio to the east next... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ...

Following Operation Marita, the LSSAH was ordered north, to join the forces of Army Group South massing for the launch of Operation Barbarossa. Army Group South (Heeresgruppe Süd in German) was a German Army Group during World War II. Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South. ... Original German plan Operation Barbarossa (Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the German codename for Nazi Germanys invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that commenced on June 22, 1941. ...

Barbarossa

Following the LSSAH's outstanding performance during Marita, Himmler ordered that it should be upgraded to divisional status. As such, the Regiment, already the size of a reinforced brigade, was redesignated SS-Division (mot.) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. Despite this, there was no time to refit the division to full divisional status before the launch of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, and so the new 'Division' remained the size of a reinforced brigade. Original German plan Operation Barbarossa (Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the German codename for Nazi Germanys invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that commenced on June 22, 1941. ...

The LSSAH was attached to the LIV.Armee-Korps and held in reserve during the opening stages of the attack. In August, it was transferred to III.Panzer-Korps, part of Generalfeldmarschall Ewald von Kleist's Panzergruppe 1. During this time, the LSSAH was involved in the Battle of Uman and the subsequent capture of Kiev. During this time, the division was involved in heavy fighting, with Meyer's abteilung particularly distinguishing itself. Image File history File links The AufklÃ¤rungsabteilung of SS-Division (mot. ... Image File history File links The AufklÃ¤rungsabteilung of SS-Division (mot. ... III Armeekorps III Armeekorps (mot) III Panzerkorps Gruppe Breith III Panzerkorps III Corps was a corps level formation of the German Heer which saw action in World War II. III Armeekorps History The III Corps was formed in October 1934 as III. Armeekorps. ... Ewald von Kleist could refer to: Ewald Jürgen Georg von Kleist (c. ... Panzer Group Kleist Panzer Group 1 First Panzer Army The First Panzer Army (German ) was a German tank army that fought during World War II. When formed the First Panzer Army was named Panzer Group Kleist (Panzergruppe Kleist) and was activated on November 16, 1940 with Field Marshal Ewald von... The eastern front at the time of the Battle of Uman. ... A monument to St. ... Abteilung (shortened Abt) is a German language word often used when referring to German or Swiss military formations (although the German uses the term in a more civilian fashion, e. ...

In early September, the division was transferred back to LIV.Armee-Korps, preparing to launch an offensive to clear the Crimean peninsula. The operation was launched on 17 September 1941. The LSSAH was involved in heavy fighting for the town of Perekop, before advancing across the Perekop Isthmus to assault the Soviet defensive positions near the Tarter Ditch. The Crimea /kraÉªËˆmia/ is a peninsula and an autonomous republic of Ukraine on the northern coast of the Black Sea. ... Perekop may refer to the following objects located basically at the same site. ... The Isthmus of Perekop is the narrow, three to four mile wide strip of land that connects the peninsula of Crimea to the rest of mainland Ukraine. ...

In November, the LSSAH was transferred back to Panzergruppe 1 and took part in the heavy fighting for the city of Rostov-on-Don, which was captured in late November. During Operation Barbarossa, the divison had penetrated 960 kilometers into Soviet territory. Central market near Nativity Cathedral. ...

Heavy Soviet counterattacks during the winter meant that Army Group South had to fall back from Rostov-on-Don to defensive lines on the river Mius. The LSSAH spent the winter fighting ferocious defensive battles in temperatures of down to -40°C, with minimal winter clothing and only 150 grams of rations per man per day. Despite this, the division held. After the spring rasputitsa had cleared, the exhausted divison joined in Fall Blau, partaking in the fighting to retake Rostov-on-Don, which was recaptured in late July, 1942. Severely understrength and completely exhausted, the LSSAH was pulled out of the line. The division was ordered to the Normandy region of occupied France to join the newly formed SS-Panzer-Korps and to be reformed as a panzergrenadier division. ... The rasputitsa (Russian: распу́тица) is the twice annual flooding of Belarus, western Russia and the Ukraine. ... Fall Blau (Case Blue in German) was the German code name for two WWII studies in future combat. ... Mont Saint Michel is a historic pilgrimage site and a symbol of Normandy Normandy is a geographical region in northern France. ... The II.SS-Panzerkorps was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II. // Formation - Kharkov The II.SS-Panzerkorps was formed in July 1942 in Bergen in The Netherlands as SS-Panzer-Generalkommando. ... This article needs cleanup. ...

Kharkov

The LSSAH spent the remainder of 1942 refitting as a panzergrenadier division. Thanks to the efforts of the Reichsführer-SS, along with SS-Obergruppenführer Paul Hausser, the SS-Panzerkorps commander, the four SS panzergrenadier divisions (LSSAH, Wiking, Das Reich and Totenkopf were to be formed with a full regiment of tanks rather than only an abteilung. This meant that the SS Panzergrenadier divisions were full-strength Panzer divisions in all but name. Also, the division received nine Tiger 1 tanks, and these were formed into 13.(schwere)Kompanie/SS-Panzer-Regiment 1. Paul Papa Hausser (October 7, 1880 - December 21, 1972) was an officer in the German Army, achieving the high rank of Lieutenant General in the inter-war Reichswehr, after retirement from regular Army he became the father (thus the nickname â€œPapaâ€) of the Waffen-SS and one of its most... SS Division Germania SS Division Wiking SS Panzergrenadier Division Wiking 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking Formed around SS Regiment Germania as SS Division Germania in late 1940, and renamed SS Division Wiking in early 1941. ... Field Marshal August von Mackensen wearing a hat with the totenkopf insignia Totenkopf is the German word for Deaths Head and is used to describe a military insignia featuring a skull above crossed bones. ... General characteristics Length 6. ...

The collapse of the front around Stalingrad and the encirclement of the 6.Armee meant that the entire eastern front was close to collapse. Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein, commander of Army Group Don, requested reinforcements to halt the Soviet attack near Kharkov. The SS-Panzerkorps was ordered east to join Manstein's forces. The 6. ... Generalfeldmarschall Erich von Manstein Erich von Manstein (November 24, 1887â€“June 10, 1973) was a lifelong professional soldier who rose to become one of the most prominent commanders of Nazi Germanys Armed Forces (Wehrmacht) during World War II; he attained the rank of Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall), although he was... Kharkov (rus: Ха́рьков) or Kharkiv (ukr: Ха́рків) is the second largest city in Ukraine, a center of Kharkivska oblast. It is situated in the northeast of the country and has a population of two million. ...

Arriving at the front in late January 1943, the LSSAH was thrown into the line defending Kharkov itself as a part of Hausser's SS-Panzer-Korps. Facing them were the hundreds of T-34's of Mobile Group Popov, a Soviet armoured Army sized formation which formed the spearhead of the Soviet advance. On 8-9 February, 1943, the LSSAH's SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1 under SS-Sturmbannführer Fritz Witt, fighting alongside SS-Sturmbannführer Max Wünsche's I./SS-Panzer-Regiment 1, fought a bitter delaying action near the town of Merefa, halting a major Soviet attack. The division fought in many desperate defensive battles over the next few weeks, gradually being pushed back into the city of Kharkov itself. The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank first produced in 1940. ... Fritz Witt as an SS-ObersturmbannfÃ¼hrer, 1942 Fritz Witt (1908 - 1944) was a German Waffen-SS officer who served with the 1. ...

Despite inflicting heavy losses on the Soviets, and rebuffing all enemy attacks, the Soviets succeeded in outflanking the corps. On 15 February, Hausser ignored Hitler's orders to hold the city at all costs and ordered the SS-Panzer-Korps to abandon the city and withdraw towards Krasnograd. Over the next week, the SS-Panzer-Korps annihilated Mobile Group Popov in a series of brilliant and hard fought battles. The LSSAH was a major participant in these battles, destroying several Soviet divisions and inflicting heavy losses. Image File history File links SS-Panzergrenadiers of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler in the Third Battle of Kharkov, March 1943. ... Image File history File links SS-Panzergrenadiers of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler in the Third Battle of Kharkov, March 1943. ...

Hausser now ordered that Kharkov should be recaptured. The LSSAH, Das Reich and Totenkopf were to form the spearhead of the attack. The attack got underway on 2 March. The LSSAH was formed into three Kampfgruppes which would attack towards and capture Kharkov. Over the next weeks, the LSSAH would take part in the ferocious battles to take the city. Kampfgruppe Meyer, under Panzermeyer's command, penetrated to Red Square before being cut off. Kampfgruppe Witt saw heavy fighting againt a Soviet blocking force near Dergatschi before it also broke through into the city. Both Kampfgruppes were repeatedly cut off during the confused fighting, and it was not until Kampfgruppe Peiper, under Joachim Peiper, broke through that the defenders were finally overwhelmed. By 21 March, the battle was over and Kharkov was back in German hands, with Peiper's Kampfgruppe having penetrated as far as Belgorod. The Kampfgruppe was a common combat formation used by the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War. ... Joachim Peiper Joachim Peiper (1915 - 1976) more often known as Jochen Peiper from the common German nickname for Joachim; born on January 30, 1915, was a senior Waffen-SS officer and commander in the Panzer campaigns of 1939-1945. ... See Belgorod (disambiguation) for several other historical towns in Russia and Ukraine also named Belgorod. ...

In honour of the 4,500 casualties suffered by the Leibstandarte in the fighting, Kharkov's Red Square was renamed Platz der Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. The division was pulled back for much needed rest and refit.

Kursk

The spring rasputitsa halted offensive operations, giving the Leibstandarte time to rest and refit. By early June 1943, the division had been fully refitted. Its armour strength was 12 Tiger Is, 72 Panzer IVs, 16 Panzer III and Panzer IIs, and 31 StuGs. In late June 1943, the formation of I.SS-Panzerkorps meant that Hausser's SS-Panzerkorps was renamed II.SS-Panzerkorps. The rasputitsa (Russian: распу́тица) is the twice annual flooding of Belarus, western Russia and the Ukraine. ... The Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. ... General characteristics Length 5. ... The Panzerkampfwagen III (PzKpfw III), more commonly referred to as the Panzer III, was a tank developed in the 1930s by Nazi Germany and used extensively in World War II. It was designed to fight other AFVs, serving alongside the infantry-support Pzkpfw IV. It soon became obsolete in this... General characteristics Length 4. ... StuG III Ausf G The Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III) assault gun was one of Germanys most produced AFVs during World War II. It was built on the chassis of the Panzer III. Initially intended as a mobile, armoured light gun for infantry support, the StuG was continually modified... I.SS-Panzerkorps I.SS-Panzerkorps Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler The I.SS-Panzerkorps Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was a German Waffen-SS panzer corps which saw action on both the Western and Eastern Fronts during World War II. // Formation and Training The corps was raised on 27 July 1943... The II.SS-Panzerkorps was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II. // Formation - Kharkov The II.SS-Panzerkorps was formed in July 1942 in Bergen in The Netherlands as SS-Panzer-Generalkommando. ...

The II.SS-Panzerkorps was moved north to Belgorod in preparation for the upcoming Summer offensive, Operation Citadel. The LSSAH, along with the Totenkopf and Das Reich, was to form the spearhead of Generaloberst Hoth's 4.Panzer-Armee, tasked with breaching the southern flank of the Kursk salient. Battle of Kursk Conflict World War II Date July 4, 1943 - July 22, 1943 Place Kursk, USSR Result Indecisive The Battle of Kursk was a significant battle on the Eastern Front of World War II. It remains the largest armored engagement of all time, and included the most costly single... General Hermann Hoth Hermann Hoth (12 April 1885 - 26 January 1971) was a general of the Third Reich during World War II, notable for victories in France and on the Eastern Front, and later, after serving six years in prison for war crimes, as a writer on military history. ... Panzergruppe 4 4. ... The Christian Orthodox monastery on the Red Square Kursk (Russian: ÐšÑƒÑ€ÑÐº; pronunciation: koorsk) is a city in Central Russia, an administrative center of Kursk Oblast. ... In military terms, a salient is a battlefield feature that projects into enemy territory. ...

Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model's 9.Armee was to breach the northern flank, and the two forces were to meet near the city of Kursk, thereby encircling a large Soviet force. Walther Model (pronounced modal) (January 24, 1891–April 21, 1945) was a German general, and later a Field Marshal, during World War II. He was noted for his defensive skills, and was nicknamed Hitlers fireman. Model served as an infantry officer in World War I. During the Polish and... The German Ninth Army (German: ) was a World War II field army. ...

The II.SS-Panzerkorps reached its assembly areas on 28 June and began preparing for the assault. The attack was set for 5 July, and on 4 July the II.SS-Panzerkorps, as well as the XLVIII.Panzerkorps on its left and the III.Panzerkorps on the right, began minor attacks to secure observation posts. Fighting lasted throughout the day, with the LSSAH Pionier-Bataillon seeing heavy action clearing out the entrenched Soviets. The XLVIII Panzer Corps (German ), originally called the XLVIII Motorized Corps, was a corps level formation of the German Heer which saw extensive action on both the east and western fronts during World War II. History The corps was originally formed on 15 December 1940 in Germany as the XLVIII... ...

The Soviet run Lucy Spy Ring had infiltrated the German OKW and informed STAVKA of the impending operation. Captured German troops provided details of the objectives and locations of the major assaults. Before dawn on July 5, 1943, the Soviet artillery launched a massive bombardment against the German assembly areas. Despite this, the attack got underway after only a brief delay, and under perhaps the largest air battle in history, as the German aircraft defended against a Soviet VVS's attempt to annihilate the Luftwaffe on the ground. In WWII espionage, the Lucy spy ring was an anti-German operation which operated in Switzerland. ... Oberkommando der Wehrmacht OKW most notably stands for Oberkommando der Wehrmacht - the high Command of the Third Reich armed forces. ... Stavka is an abbreviation for Shtab vierhovnogo komandovania, or General Headquarters of armed forces in late Imperial Russia and in the Soviet Union. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Luftwaffe â–¶(?) (German: air force, IPA: [luftvafÉ™]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ...

The LSSAH panzers, advancing in panzerkeils, soon ran into the Soviet pakfronts. The elaborate system of Soviet defences slowed the attack, but unlike in Model's sector, the 4.Panzer-Armee, spearheaded by the SS-Panzerkorps and the LSSAH, was not halted, and eventually broke through. The Panzerkeil was a military tactic developed by the Germans on the eastern front during World War II. The Panzerkiel was developed in response to the soviet employment of the Pakfront tactic. ... The Pakfront was a military tactic developed by the Germans on the eastern front during World War II. The Soviets quickly copied the tactic, and used it to great effect at the Battle of Kursk in July 1943. ...

By 9 July, the SS-Panzerkorps had advanced 30 miles north, and were nearing the small town of Prokhorovka. The Leibstandarte again took the lead, by now its armour strength reduced to just 77 armoured vehicles. SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2, supported by several panzers, advanced straight up the road to Prokhorovka against heavy resistance. By midday, the grenadiers had cleared the Komsomolets State Farm and the began the attack on Hill 241.6, which they secured shortly after nightfall on 10 July. --152. ...

On 11 July, the advance resumed. With the division capturing Oktiabr'skii State Farm and Hill 252.2 in heavy fighting against Soviet Paratroops of the 9th Guards Airborne Division. On 12 July, the Soviets threw the 5th Guards Tank Army into a counterattack near Prokhorovka. Two tank corps faced the Leibstandarte hitting the advancing Germans around Oktiabr'skii State Farm and Hill 252.2. In the ensuing fighting, the outnumbered Germans inflicted heavy casualties on the Soviets, knocking out many tanks. In the process, the Leibstandarte also suffered relatively light casualties, however the Soviet counterattack had stalled the German advance, and the division was forced to fall back to Oktiabr'skii. Fighting continued on the 13th, but the focus of the Soviet attack had shifted to the Totenkopf, to the left of the Leibstandarte. Image File history File links LSSAH_-_Kursk_POW.jpg Troops from the Panzer Regiment of the 1. ... Image File history File links LSSAH_-_Kursk_POW.jpg Troops from the Panzer Regiment of the 1. ... An American Paratrooper using a T-10C series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and formed into an airborne force. ... A corps (a word that immigrated from the French language, pronounced like English core, but originating in the Latin corpus, corporis meaning body; plural same as singular) is either a large military unit or formation, a administrative grouping of troops within an army with a common function (such as artillery...

With the Battle of Prokhorovka still in the balance, a massive Soviet counteroffensive near Orel, caused Hitler to order the cancellation of Citadel. The SS-Panzerkorps was pulled back. LSSAH was ordered out of the line. It was to be sent to Italy to help stabilise the situation caused by the deposal of Mussolini by the Badoglio Government and the Allied Landings in Sicily on 10 July. The division left its armour and equipment, which was given to Das Reich and Totenkopf, and entrained for the trip to Italy. Orel or Oryol (ÐžÑ€Ñ‘Ð») is a city in Russia, administrative center of the Oryol Oblast. ... Benito Mussolini created a fascist state through the use of propaganda, total control of the media and disassembly of the working democratic government. ... Pietro Badoglio (September 28, 1871 - November 1, 1956) was an Italian soldier and politician. ... Sicilian disambiguates here; see also Sicilian language or Sicilian Defence. ...

Italy

The division travelled back from the front, stopping at Innsbruck in Austria, where it disembarked. The division was re-equipped with vehicles and continued the journey by road, travelling across the alps and into Northern Italy. The division arrived on the Po River Plain on 8 August 1943. Innsbruck City Center Innsbruck and Nordkette from south // Geography Innsbruck is a city in western Austria, and the capital of the Tyrol province. ... The Po river The Po (Padus in Latin) flows 652 kilometers eastward across northern Italy, from Mount Monviso (in the Cottian Alps) to the Adriatic Sea near Venice. ...

The Leibstandarte was given the task of guarding several vital road and rail junctions in the area of Trient-Verona. After several weeks operating in this area, the division was moved to the Parma-Reggio area. During this period, the Leibstandarte was involved in several skirmishes with partisans. With the Italian collapse of 8 September 1943, the division was ordered to begin disarming nearby Italian units. This went smoothly, with the exception of a brief skirmish with Italian troops stationed in Parma on 9 September. By 19 September, all Italian forces in the Po River Plain had been disarmed, but OKW was concerned by reports that elements of the the Italian Fourteenth Army were regrouping in Piedmont, near the French border. Sturmbannführer Peiper's mechanised III./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2 was send to disarm these units. Upon arriving in the Province of Cuneo, Peiper was met by a Italian officer who warned that his forces would attack unless Peiper's unit vacated the province immediately. Peiper refused, which goaded the Italians into attacking. The veterans of Peiper's battalion defeated the Italians in a fierce battle, and then proceeded to disarm the remaining Italian forces in the area. Map of Italy showing Verona in the north Verona (population est. ... Parma is a medieval city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, with splendid architecture and a fine countryside around it. ... Reggio is the name of two Italian towns: Reggio Emilia, in the North, sometimes called Reggio nell Emilia or, in ancient times, Reggio di Lombardia or Reggio di Modena Reggio Calabria, in the South (also called Reggio di Calabria) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other... Partisan may refer to: A member of a lightly-equipped irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation. ... Parma is a medieval city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, with splendid architecture and a fine countryside around it. ... Piedmont is a region of northwestern Italy. ...

Following the disintergration and capitulation of Italy, the activities of partisan groups increased all across the area. The Leibstandarte was sent to the Istria Peninsula and was engaged in several major anti-partisan operations. During it's period in Italy, the Leibstandarte was reformed as a full panzer division, and redesignated 1.SS-Panzer-Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. In early November, the deteriorating situation in the east meant that the divison was ordered back to the Russian Front, arriving in the Shitomir area in Mid November. Rovinj, on the western coast of Croatian Istria. ... Zhytomyr (Ukrainian, Russian Ð–Ð¸Ñ‚Ð¾Ð¼Ð¸Ñ€, Polish: Å»ytomierz) is the capital of the Zhytomyrska oblast in Ukraine. ...

Eastern Front

The division was posted to XLVIII.Panzer-Korps, a part of 4.Panzer-Armee, which was struggling to hold the line near Shitomir.The division was broken up into several Kampfgruppen and thrown into action. On 18 November, Kampfgruppe Frey halted the advance of the Fifth Guards Tank Army near the town of Kotscherovo. Over the next two months, the division's kampfgruppen saw very heavy fighting in the Shitomir area, performing fire-brigade actions and enabling XLVIII.Panzer-Korps to hold the line. The XLVIII Panzer Corps (German ), originally called the XLVIII Motorized Corps, was a corps level formation of the German Heer which saw extensive action on both the east and western fronts during World War II. History The corps was originally formed on 15 December 1940 in Germany as the XLVIII... Panzergruppe 4 4. ... The Kampfgruppe was a common combat formation used by the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War. ...

In January 1944, one of the Leibstandarte's s.SS-Panzer-Abt 101 Tiger commanders, Michael Wittman, was awarded the oakleaves to the Knight's Cross for his actions in halting the attack of an entire Soviet armoured brigade. The division was transferred to the Cherkassy area at the end of January, where it was assigned to III.Panzer-Korps, a part of 1.Panzer-Armee. Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101 Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 501 Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101, commonly abbreviated as s. ... Michael Wittmann (April 22, 1914 - August 8, 1944), during World War II, was the SS-Hauptsturmführer (SS-Captain) in the Schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 101, one of the most successful tank commanders in the history of warfare. ... The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) is a military decoration of Germany which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813. ... Cherkasy (Ukrainian Черкаси) - a city in the central part of Ukraine (about 200km south of Kyiv), capital of Cherkaska oblast, with 280,700 inhabitants (2004). ... III Armeekorps III Armeekorps (mot) III Panzerkorps Gruppe Breith III Panzerkorps III Corps was a corps level formation of the German Heer which saw action in World War II. III Armeekorps History The III Corps was formed in October 1934 as III. Armeekorps. ... Panzer Group Kleist Panzer Group 1 First Panzer Army The First Panzer Army (German ) was a German tank army that fought during World War II. When formed the First Panzer Army was named Panzer Group Kleist (Panzergruppe Kleist) and was activated on November 16, 1940 with Field Marshal Ewald von...

When the 56,000 men of Gruppe Stemmermann were trapped in the Korsun Pocket in February 1944, the Leibstandarte, along with the remainder of III.Panzer-Korps and XLVII.Panzer-Korps were ordered to attempt to break the Soviet cordon and rescue the trapped forces. Hitler intervened, and ordered the relief attempt be transformed into an impossible attempt to counter-encircle two Soviet fronts. The Leibstandarte, along with Oberstleutnant Dr. Franz Bäke’s 503rd schwere Panzer Abteilung spearheaded the attack. Despite initial gains, the attack soon stalled due to a combination of the resistance of four Soviet tank corps and the thick mud of the rasputitsa. The exhausted Leibstandarte managed to reach the Gniloy Tikich river, where a small bridgehead was established. The survivors of the encirclement fought their way through to the bridgehead and by late February the battle was over. Korsun Pocket, also known as the Cherkassy Pocket, was the name of the large pocket of German troops between the towns of Korsun and Cherkassy on the lower Dnepr River in the Southern Ukraine, during World War II. In January of 1944, the encroaching Soviet Red Army executed a pincer... Franz BÃ¤ke (February 28, 1898 - 1978), during World War II, was an Doctor and a Oberst, of the German Wehrmacht. ... The schwere-Panzer-Abteilung 503 (abbreviated sPzAbt 503) was a German heavy panzer abteilung equipped with Tiger I tanks and Panzer IIIs. ... The rasputitsa (Russian: распу́тица) is the twice annual flooding of Belarus, western Russia and the Ukraine. ...

The majority of the Leibstandarte was withdrawn to Belguim for rest and refit, however a kampfgruppe was left behind. On 22 March, the entire 1.Panzer-Armee was encircled in the Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket. The Leibstandarte Kampfgruppe took part in the desperate fighting to escape the encirclement, forming a part of the spearhead which linked up with the II.SS-Panzer-Korps near Buczacz on 6 April, 1944. The shattered remnant of the kampfgruppe was ordered to belguim where it was to rest, refit and rejoin the remainder of the division. Battle of the Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket Conflict World War II Date March 25, 1944 – April 15, 1944 Place Kamenets-Podolsky / Tarnopol, USSR Result Soviet Defeat; German Evacuation The Battle of the Kamenets-Podolsky Pocket, also known as Hubes Pocket, was a battle on the Eastern Front of World War... The II.SS-Panzerkorps was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II. // Formation - Kharkov The II.SS-Panzerkorps was formed in July 1942 in Bergen in The Netherlands as SS-Panzer-Generalkommando. ... Buchach (Ukrainian: Бучач, Buchach; Polish: Buczacz; Yiddish: בעטשאָטש, Betshotsh; German Butschatsch) is a small town in the Ternopil Oblast of Ukraine. ...

Normandy

Orders of battle

Infanterie-Regiment (mot) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler - April 1941 - Operation Marita

General Sepp Dietrich Josef Sepp Dietrich (May 28, 1892–April 21/22, 1966) was a German Waffen-SS general, an SS-Oberstgruppenführer, and one of the closest men to Hitler. ... Fritz Witt as an SS-ObersturmbannfÃ¼hrer, 1942 Fritz Witt (1908 - 1944) was a German Waffen-SS officer who served with the 1. ... Kurt Panzermeyer Meyer in 1942 after being awarded the Oakleaves to the Knights Cross Kurt Panzermeyer Meyer (1910-1961) served as an officer in the Waffen-SS during the Second World War. ...

References

State nickname: The Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York City Governor George Pataki (R) Senators Charles Schumer (D) Hillary Rodham Clinton (D) Official languages None (English is de facto) Area 141,205 kmÂ² or 54,556 square miles (27th) - Land 122,409 kmÂ² - Water... In Greek mythology, Sarpedon referred to several different people. ... Carbondale is a city in Southern Illinois in the midwest United States, about an one hour north of Cairo. ... Southern Illinois University is a university in southern Illinois with two institutions and multiple campuses. ...

External links

Contents

Early history (1923-1933)

Trial by fire – Leibstandarte expands

Early war campaigns

Brigade status – Balkans

Barbarossa

Kharkov

Kursk

Italy

Eastern Front

Normandy

Orders of battle

Infanterie-Regiment (mot) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler - April 1941 - Operation Marita

References

External links

See also

Contents

Early history (1923-1933) GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Trial by fire – Leibstandarte expands

Early war campaigns

Brigade status – Balkans

Barbarossa

Kharkov

Kursk

Italy

Eastern Front

Normandy

Orders of battle

Infanterie-Regiment (mot) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler - April 1941 - Operation Marita

References

External links

See also

Early history (1923-1933)