NationMaster - Encyclopedia: SS Division Totenkopf

SS-Division Totenkopf
Kampfgruppe Eicke
3.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf
3.SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf Image File history File links Divisional insignia of 3. ...

SS Division Totenkopf was one of the thirty-eight divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS during World War II. Totenkopf’s military record was tarnished by numerous war crimes and by the fact that most of the enlisted men had been SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS concentration camp guards). A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of around ten to fifteen thousand soldiers. ... Waffen-SS recruitment poster; Volunteer to the Waffen-SS The Waffen-SS was the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel. ... 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 atomic bomb. ... The SS-TotenkopfverbÃ¤nde (SS-TV) â€” the Deaths Head Formations â€” were made up of Nazi Germanys concentration camp guards. ... A concentration camp is a large detention center created for political opponents, aliens, specific ethnic or religious groups, civilians of a critical war-zone, or other groups of people, often during a war. ...

The Totenkopf division was numbered with the "Germanic" divisions of the Waffen-SS. These included also the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Das Reich, and SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking. 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. ... SS-Division VerfÃ¼gungstruppe SS-Division Deutschland SS-Division Reich SS-Division Das Reich 2. ... 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. ...

Formation and Fall Gelb

The SS Division Totenkopf ("Death's Head") was formed in October 1939. The Totenkopf was formed from concentration camp guards and men from the SS-Heimwehr Danzig. The division was officered by men from the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT), many of whom had seen action in Poland. The division was commanded by SS-Obergruppenführer Theodor Eicke. 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. ... // Events January-March January 2 - End of term for Frank Finley Merriam, 28th Governor of California. ... The SS-VerfÃ¼gungstruppe (combat support force) (short: SS-VT) was created in 1934 from the merger of various Nazi and right-wing paramilitary formations. ... Theodor Eicke (October 17, 1892 - February 26, 1943) was a Nazi official, SS-Obergruppenführer, commander of the Totenkopfdivision of the SS and one of the key figures in the establishment of concentration camps in Nazi Germany. ...

Having missed the Polish campaign, Totenkopf was held in reserve during the initial assault into France and the Low Countries in May 1940. They were committed on 16 May to the Front in Belgium. The Grenadiers of the division fought fanatically, suffering heavy losses. Fall Weiss (german spelling Fall Weiß) translates as Case White following the German militarys naming convention. ... The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries (see Country) on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse (Maas) rivers. ... This article is about the month of May. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Within a week of this initial commitment the division's first war crime had already been committed. At Le Paradis 4th Kompanie, I Abteilung, commanded by SS-Obersturmführer Fritz Knöchlein, machine-gunned 97 out of 99 British officers and men of the Royal Norfolk Regiment after they had surrendered to them; two survived. After the war, Knöchlein was tried by a British Court and convicted for war crimes in 1948. He was sentenced to death and hanged. Fritz KnÃ¶chlein. ...

Totenkopf fought in the later stages of the French campaign, seeing its only real action against colonial troops at Tarare. The French surrender found the division located near the Spanish border, where it was to stay, resting and refitting, until April 1941. Tarare is a town and commune of east-central France, in the Rhône département, on the Turdine, 28 m. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Barbarossa – Demjansk Pocket

In April 1941, the division was ordered East to join Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb’s Army Group North. Leeb's Army Group was tasked with advancing on Leningrad and formed the northern wing of Operation Barbarossa. Totenkopf saw action in Lithuania and Latvia, and by July had breached the vaunted Stalin Line. The division then advanced by Demjansk to Leningrad where it was involved in heavy fighting from July 31st to August 25th. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (591x800, 115 KB) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (591x800, 115 KB) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Field Marshal Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb (September 5, 1876 - April 29, 1956) was a German field marshal during World War II. Born in Landsberg am Lech, he joined the Imperial German Army in 1895 as an officer cadet. ... Army Group North (Heeresgruppe Nord in German) was a high level command grouping of military units operating for Germany during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached army corps, reserve formations, and direct-reporting units. ... Leningrad (Russian: Ð›ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ð½Ð³Ñ€Ð°Ð´) usually refers to the name of the city which is now known as Saint Petersburg, Russia between 1924 and 1991. ... 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 Stalin Line was a line of fortifications along the western border of the Soviet Union. ... Demyansk (Russian: Ð”ÐµÐ¼ÑŒÑÐ½ÑÐº) is a town in Novgorod Oblast, Russia. ... Leningrad (Russian: Ð›ÐµÐ½Ð¸Ð½Ð³Ñ€Ð°Ð´) usually refers to the name of the city which is now known as Saint Petersburg, Russia between 1924 and 1991. ...

During Autumn and Winter of 1941, the Soviets launched a number of operations against the German lines in the Northern sector of the Front. During one of these operations, the Division was encircled for several months near Demjansk in what would come to be known as the Demjansk Pocket. During these kessel battles, Totenkopf suffered so greatly that it was re-designated Kampfgruppe Eicke, due to its reduced size. The division was involved in ferocious fighting to hold the pocket. SS-Hauptscharführer Erwin Meierdress of the Sturmgeschütze-Batterie Totenkopf formed a kampfgruppe of about 120 men and held the strategic town of Bjakowo despite repeated heavy enemy attempts to capture the town. During these battles, Meierdress personally destroyed several enemy tanks in his StuG III. He was awarded the Iron Cross for his actions during this period. In April 1942, the division broke out of the pocket and managed to reach friendly lines. Demyansk Pocket (German: der Demjansker Operation, Russian: Ð”ÐµÐ¼ÑŒÑÐ½ÑÐºÐ¸Ð¹ ÐºÐ¾Ñ‚Ñ‘Ð») is a name of encirclement of German troops by Red Army near Demyansk during World War Two, which lasted mainly from February 8 until April 21, 1942. ... The German word Kessel (lit. ... The Kampfgruppe was a common combat formation used by the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War. ... Erwin Meierdress as an SS-HauptsturmfÃ¼hrer and StuG commander, June 1942. ... The Kampfgruppe was a common combat formation used by the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War. ... 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... The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) is a military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia, and later of Germany, which was established by King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia and first awarded on 10 March 1813. ... This article is about the year. ...

The remnants of the Division were pulled out of action in late October, 1942 and sent to France to be refitted. While in France, the Division took part in Case Anton, the takeover of Vichy France in November 1942. For this operation, the division was supplied with a Panzer regiment and redesignated 3.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf. Thanks to the persuasive efforts of Himmler and SS-Obergruppenführer Paul Hausser, all SS panzergrenadier divisions received a full regiment of panzers, so were full strength panzer divisions in all but name. The division remained in France until February, 1943, when their old commander, Theodor Eicke, resumed control. Case (or operation) Anton was the code-name for the Nazi-German occupation of Vichy France during World War II. Anton was invoked at Hitlers order after the allied landings in French Morocco (Operation Torch) in November 1942. ... Presidential flag of Vichy France Vichy France, or the Vichy regime (in French, now called: RÃ©gime de Vichy or Vichy; at the time, called itself: Ã‰tat FranÃ§ais, or French State) was the de facto French government of 1940-1944 during the Nazi Germany occupation of World War II... PzKpfw V-D, a Panther tank Panzer? is German for armour. ... A regiment is a military unit, larger than a company and smaller than a division. ... 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... This article needs cleanup. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ...

Kharkov - Kursk

In Early February 1943 Totenkopf was transferred back to the Eastern Front as part of Erich von Manstein’s Army Group South. The division, as a part of SS-Obergruppenführer Paul Hausser’s SS-Panzerkorps, took part in the Third Battle of Kharkov, blunting the Soviet General Konev’s offensive. During this campaign, Theodor Eicke, while flying above enemy lines in a Fieseler Storch spotter aircraft, was shot down and killed. The division mounted an assault to break through enemy lines and recover their commander’s body, and thereafter Eicke’s body was buried with full military honours. Hermann Priess succeeded Eicke as commander. The Eastern Front was the theatre of combat between Nazi Germany and its allies against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was somewhat separate from the other theatres of the war, not only geographically, but also for its scale and ferocity. ... 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... Army Group South (Heeresgruppe SÃ¼d 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. ... 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... 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 Third Battle of Kharkov was the last major German victory of World War II. Led by Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, the Germans retook the city of Kharkov from the Soviet armies in bitter street fighting. ... Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Koniev Ivan Stepanovich Koniev (Russian Иван Степанович Конев) (December 28, 1897 - May 21, 1973), Soviet military commander, was born into a peasant family near Podosinovsky in central Russia (now in Kirov Oblast). ... The Fieseler Fi 156 Storch (stork) was a small liaison aircraft built by Fieseler during World War II, and production continued in other countries into the 1950s for the private market. ...

SS-Panzerkorps, including Totenkopf, was then shifted north to take part in Operation Citadel, the great offensive to reduce the Kursk salient. It was during this period that The 3.SS-Panzerregiment received a company of Tiger 1 heavy tanks. (9./SS-Panzerregiment 3). Image File history File links SS-Panzergrenadiers of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf hitch a ride on one of the divisions Panzers, Kharkov, March 1943. ... Image File history File links SS-Panzergrenadiers of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf hitch a ride on one of the divisions Panzers, Kharkov, March 1943. ... Combatants Germany Soviet Union Commanders Erich von Manstein Walther Model Nikolai Vatutin Konstantin Rokossovsky Strength 800,000 infantry 2,700 tanks 2,000 aircraft 1,300,000 infantry 3,600 tanks 2,400 aircraft Casualties 200,510 dead, wounded, and captured 500 tanks 200 aircraft 860,370 dead, wounded, and... 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. ... First Tiger I tank captured near Tunis The Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. ...

The attack was launched on 4 July 1943, after a massive Soviet artillery barrage fell on the German assembly areas. The SS-Panzerkorps was to attack the southern flank of the salient as the spearhead for Generaloberst Hermann Hoth's 4.Panzer-Armee. 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 Totenkopf covered the advance on the SS-Panzerkops left flank, with the Leibstandarte forming the spearhead. SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 advanced in a panzerkiel across the hot and dusty [steppe]]. Despite encountering stiff Soviet resistance and several pakfronts, the Totenkopf's panzers continued the advance, albeit at a slower pace than had been planned. Hausser ordered his SS-Panzerkorps to split in two, with the Totenkopf crossing the Psel river northwards and then continuing on towards the town of Prokhorovka. 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. ... --152. ...

In the early morning of 9 July, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 6 Theodor Eicke attacked northwards, crossing the Psel and attempted to seize the strategic Hill 226.6, located to the east of the fortified village of Kliuchi. The attack was rebuffed by the defending Soviets. The failure to capture the hill meant that the drive along the north bank of the Psel was temporarily halted, forcing Hausser to also delay the Southern advance. In the afternoon, regiment Eicke managed to redeem itself by capturing the hill, but the northern advance slowed and the majority of the division was still south of the Psel, where elements of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 5 Thule continued to advance towards Prokhorovka and cover the flank of the Leibstandarte.

By July 11, SS-Hauptsturmführer Erwin Meierdress had led his I./SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 across the Psel on hastily constructed pontoon bridges, reinforcing the tenuous position. The forces in the bridgehead were subjected to several furious Soviet attacks, but with the support of Meierdress' panzers they held their ground and slowly expanded the bridgehead, securing the village of Kliuchi. Strong Soviet opposition had severely slowed division's advance along the north bank. In the afternoon of 12 July, near the village of Andre'evka on the south bank of the Psel, the Soviets launched a major counterattack against Regiment Thule and the division's StuG Abteilung. Erwin Meierdress as an SS-HauptsturmfÃ¼hrer and StuG commander, June 1942. ...

SS-Brigadeführer Hermann Priess, the Totenkopf's commander, ordered Meierdress' abteilung to advance and support the beleaguered forces. The PzKpfw IIIs and PzKpfw IVs of Meierdress' unit were supported by the Totenkopf's Tiger I company, 9(schwere)./SS-Panzer-Regiment 3. In ferocious combat with the lead units of the Soviet 5th Guards Tank Army, Meierdress managed to halt the Soviet assault, destroying many Soviet T-34s, but at the cost of the majority of the division's remaining operational panzers. Waffen-SS Panzergrenadiers of the 3rd SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf, discussing an offensive action with a Tiger commander of 9. ... Waffen-SS Panzergrenadiers of the 3rd SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf, discussing an offensive action with a Tiger commander of 9. ... 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... The Panzerkampfwagen IV (PzKpfw IV), more commonly referred to as the Panzer IV, was a tank developed by Nazi Germany and used extensively in World War II. It was designed initially as an infantry-support medium tank, to work in conjunction with the anti-tank Pzkpfw III. Later in the... The Panzerkampfwagen VI Aus. ... The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank first produced in 1940. ...

While the SS-Panzerkorps had halted the Soviet counteroffensive and inflicted heavy casualties, it had exhausted itself and was no longer capable of offensive action. Manstein attempted to committ his reserve, the XXIV.Panzerkorps, but Hitler refused to authorise this. On 14 July, Hitler called off the operation.

Battles on the Mius Front - Retreat to the Dniepr

Along with Das Reich, the division was reassigned to General der Infanterie Karl-Adolf Hollidt’s reformed 6.Armee in the Southern Ukraine. The 6.Armee was tasked with eliminating the Soviet bridgehead over the Mius River. The 6. ... Mius (Russian: Миус) is a river in Eastern Europe that flows through Ukraine and Russia. ...

Totenkopf was involved in heavy fighting over the next several weeks. During the July-August battles for Hill 213 and the town of Stepanowka, the division suffered heavy losses, and over the course of the campaign on the Mius it suffered more casualties than it had during Operation Citadel. By the time the Soviet bridgehead was eliminated, the division had lost 1500 men dead and the Panzer regiment was reduced to 20 tanks.

The Totenkopf was then moved North, back to Kharkov. Along with Das Reich and Das Reich, Totenkopf, took part in the battles to halt Operation Rumyantsev and to prevent the Soviet capture of the city. Although the two divisions managed to halt the offensive, inflicting heavy casualties and destroying over 800 tanks, the Soviets outflanked the defenders, forcing them to abandon the city on 23 August.

By early September, the Totenkopf reached the Dniepr. Elements of the Soviet 5th Guards Tank army had forced a crossing at Kremenchug and were soon threatening to break through the Dniepr line. Totenkopf was thrown into action against the bridgehead. Kremenchuk (Ukrainian: ; Russian: , Kremenchug) is an important industrial city in central Ukraine, located on the banks of Dnieper. ...

In October 1943, the division was reformed as 3.SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf. The Panzer abteilung was officially upgraded to a regiment, and the two Panzergrenadier regiments were given the honorary titles Theodor Eicke and Thule. This article needs cleanup. ...

After holding the Kremenchug ridgehead for several months, the Soviets finally effected a breakout, pushing Totenkopf and the other axis divisions involved back towards the Romanian border. By November, Totenkopf was engaged fighting intense defensive actions against Soviet attacks over the vital town of Krivoi-Rog to the west of the Dniepr.

Romania – Warsaw

In January 1944, Totenkopf was still engaged in heavy defensive fighting east of the Dniepr near Krivoi-Rog, where a breakthrough still evaded the Soviets, thanks in a great part to the actions of Totenkopf and the Heer's Panzergrenadier-Division Großdeutschland. In February 1944, 56,000 German troops were trapped in the Korsun Pocket. Totenkopf was sent towards Cherkassy to assist in the relief attempts. The division attacked towards the city of Korsun, attempting to secure a crossing across the Gniloy-Tilkich river. The 1.Panzer-Division, fighting alongside the Totenkopf, achieved a linkup with the encircled forces. Heer ( listen?) is the German word for army. ... Wachregiment Berlin Kommando der Wachtruppe Wachtruppe Berlin Wach-Regiment Berlin Infanterie-Regiment GroÃŸdeutschland (mot) Infanterie-Division GroÃŸdeutschland (mot) Panzergrenadier-Division GroÃŸdeutschland Panzer-Korps GroÃŸdeutschland The GroÃŸdeutschland Division (lit. ... 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... 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). ... Korsun - another name for ancient Greek colony Khersones. ... The German 1st Panzer Division () was an armored division in the German Army during World War II. Its divisional insignia was a white oakleaf emblem. ...

In the second week of March, after a fierce fight near Kirovograd, the Totenkopf fell back behind the Bug River. Totenkopf immediately began taking up new defensive positions. After two weeks of heavy fighting, again alongside the Panzergrenadier-Division Großdeutschland west of Ivanovka, the Axis lines again fell back, withdrawing to the Dniestr on the Romanian border near Jassy. Kirovohrad emblem Kirovohrad flag Kirovohrad (Кіровоград) is a city in Ukraine, population 239,400 (2004). ... Bug at Wlodawa One of the two rivers called Bug (pronounced Boog), the Western Bug, or Buh (Belarusian: Захо́дні Буг; Russian: За́падный Буг; Ukrainian: Західний Буг, Zakhidnyi Buh), flows from central Ukraine to the west, forming part of the boundary between that nation and Poland, passes along the Polish-Belarusian... The river Dniestr (in Polish and Russian; Nistru in Romanian; Дністер, Dnister in Ukrainian; Tyras in Latin; also known as Dniester) is a river in Eastern Europe. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ...

In the first week of April, Totenkopf gained a moments respite as it rested in the area near Targul-Frumos in Romania. The division received replacements and new equipment, the division's panzer regiment receiving a component of Panthers to replace some of the outdated PzKpfw IVs. In the second week of April, heavy Soviet attacks towards Targul Frumos meant that Totenkopf was back in action, playing a role in the decisive defensive victory. By 7 May, the front had quietened and the Totenkopf went back to the business of reorganising. The Panther ( â–¶) was a tank of Nazi Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to end of the war in Europe in 1945. ...

In early July, the division was ordered to the area near Grodno in Poland, where it would form a part of SS-Obergruppenführer Gille's IV.SS-Panzerkorps, covering the approaches to Warsaw near Modlin. Image File history File links SS-Panzergrenadiers of 3. ... Image File history File links SS-Panzergrenadiers of 3. ... Hrodna (or Grodno; Belarusian: Го́радня, Гро́дна; Grodno in Polish, Гродно in Russian, Gardinas in Lithuanian) is a city in Belarus on the Nemunas river, close to the borders of Poland and Lithuania (about 15 km and 30 km away respectively). ... The IV.SS-Panzerkorps was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on the Eastern Front and in the Balkans during World War II. The Panzerkorps was formed in August, 1943 in Poitiers, France. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

After The Soviet Operation Bagration and the destruction of Army Group Centre the German lines had been pushed back over 300 miles, to the outskirts of Warsaw. The Totenkopf arrived at the Warsaw front in late July 1944. After the launch of Operation Bagration and the collapse of Army Group Centre, the central-Eastern front was a mess, and the IV.SS-Panzerkorps was one of the only formations standing in the way of the Soviet attacks. On 1 August 1944, the Armia Krajowa, rose up in Warsaw itself, sparking the Warsaw Uprising. A column of Totenkopf Tigers was caught up in the fighting, and several were lost. The Totenkopf was not involved in the supression of the revolt, instead guarding the front lines, and fighting off several Soviet probing attacks into the city's eastern suburbs. During World War II, Operation Bagration was the general attack by Soviet forces to clear the Nazis from Belarus which resulted in the destruction of the German Army Group Centre, possibly the greatest defeat for the Wehrmacht during the war. ... Army Group Centre (Heeresgruppe Mitte in German) was one of three German army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, code-named Operation Barbarossa. ... Warsaw (Polish Warszawa, (?), in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto StoÅ‚eczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... During World War II, Operation Bagration was the general attack by Soviet forces to clear the Nazis from Belarus which resulted in the destruction of the German Army Group Centre, possibly the greatest defeat for the Wehrmacht during the war. ... Army Group Centre (Heeresgruppe Mitte in German) was one of three German army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, code-named Operation Barbarossa. ... The Armia Krajowa or AK (Home Army) functioned as the underground army in German-occupied Poland, which was active in all areas of the country from September 1939 until its disbanding in January 1945. ... Combatants Poland Germany Commanders Tadeusz BÃ³r-Komorowski, Antoni ChruÅ›ciel, Tadeusz PeÅ‚czyÅ„ski Erich von dem Bach, Rainer Stahel, Heinz Reinefarth Strength 50,000 troops 25,000 troops Casualties 18,000 killed, 12,000 wounded, 15,000 taken prisoner 250,000 civilians killed 10,000 killed, 7,000...

In several furious battles near the town of Modlin in mid August, the Totenkopf, fighting alongside the 5.SS-Panzer-Division Wiking and the 1.Fallschirm-Panzer-Division Hermann Göring virtually annihilated the Soviet 3rd Tank Corps, which contained a division of communist Poles. The terrain around Modlin is excellent armour terrain, and Totenkopf's panzers exploited this to their advantage, engaging Soviet tanks from far range where the superiority of the German optics and the 75mm high-velocity guns gave the Panthers an edge against the T-34s. 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. ... Polizeiabteilung z. ...

Budapest Relief Attempts - Hungary

The efforts of the Totenkopf, Wiking and Hermann Göring allowed Germans to hold the Vistula line and establish Army Group Vistula. In December 1944, the IX.SS-Gebirgskorps was encircled in Budapest. Hitler ordered the IV.SS-Panzerkorps to head south to break through to the 45,000 Germans and Hungarians trapped in the city. The corps arrived late December, and was immediately thrown into action. Length 1,047 km Elevation of the source 1,106 m Average discharge ? mÂ³/s Area watershed 192,000 kmÂ² Origin Barania GÃ³ra, Beskidy Mouth GdaÅ„sk Bay, Baltic Sea Basin countries Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Slovakia The Vistula (Polish: WisÅ‚a) is the longest river in Poland. ... IX.Waffen-Gebirgskorps der SS (kroatisches) IX.SS-Gebirgs-Korps The IX.Waffen-Gebirgskorps der SS (kroatisches) was a German Waffen-SS alpine corps which saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II. The Waffen in the title denoted the fact that the corps was a sub-standard... Budapest seen from north. ...

The relief attempts were to be codenamed Operation Konrad, the first attack was Konrad I. The plan was for a joint attack by the Wiking and Totenkopf from the town of Tata attacking along the line Bicske-Budapest. Image File history File links An assault column from 3. ... Image File history File links An assault column from 3. ... Operation Konrad was the German-Hungarian efforts to releive the encircled garrison of Budapest in January, 1945. ... Tata may mean: Tata Group, a company in India Tata Steel, an important component of the group Jamshetji Tata, known as the father of Indian industry J. R. D. Tata, pioneer aviator and founder of companies Ratan Tata, present chairman of the Tata Group Tata Airlines, now Air India Tata...

Despite initial gains, Konrad I ran into heavy Soviet opposition near Bicske, and during the battle the I.Abt/SS-Panzer-Regiment 3's commander, SS-Sturmbannführer Erwin Meierdress was killed. Erwin Meierdress as an SS-HauptsturmfÃ¼hrer and StuG commander, June 1942. ...

After the failure of the first operation, Totenkopf and Wiking launched an assault aimed at the city centre. Named Operation Konrad II, the attack reached as far as the Budapest Airport, before resistance stiffened. Gille's corps was ordered to fall back as part of a ruse to encircle Soviet units north of the city.

Operation Konrad III got underway on 17 January, 1945. Aimed at encircling ten Soviet divisions, the Outnumbered relief forces could not achieve their goal, despite tearing a 15 mile hole in the Soviets' line. Although they had been on the verge of rescuing the 45,000 trapped Germans of IX.Waffen-Gebirgskorps der SS, the encircled troops could not be reached and capitulated in early February. IX.Waffen-Gebirgskorps der SS (kroatisches) IX.SS-Gebirgs-Korps The IX.Waffen-Gebirgskorps der SS (kroatisches) was a German Waffen-SS alpine corps which saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II. The Waffen in the title denoted the fact that the corps was a sub-standard...

The division was pulled back to the west, executing a fighting withdrawal from Budapest to the area near Lake Balaton, where 6.SS-Panzer-Armee under SS-Oberstgruppenführer Josef Dietrich was massing for the upcoming Operation Frühlingserwachen. Lake Balaton - Landsat satellite photo Lake Balaton (Hungarian Balaton; German Plattensee; Slovak BlatenskÃ© jazero, meaning approximately muddy lake, probable origin of the name), located in Hungary, is the largest lake of Central Europe with a surface area of 592 kmÂ². It lies approximately at co-ordinates 46Â°50â€²N 17... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... 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. ... The Lake Balaton Offensive (codenamed Operation FrÃ¼hlingserwachen, Spring Awakening), was the last major offensive action by the Germans during World War II. Launched in great secrecy on March 6, 1945, the attack took place in Hungary around the Lake Balaton area, and involved mostly units withdrawn from the failed...

Gille's corps was too depleted to take part in the Operation, and instead provided flank support to assaulting divisions during the beginning of the Operation.

Totenkopf, together with Wiking, performed a holding operation on the left flank of the offensive, in the area between Velenczesee-Stuhlweissenberg. As Frühlingserwachen progressed, the division was heavily engaged preventing Soviet efforts to outflank the advancing German forces.

As the offensive stalled, the Soviets launched a major offensive, the Vienna Operation, on 15 March. Attacking the border between the Totenkopf and the 2.(Hungarian)Panzer Division, contact was soon lost between the two formations. Acting quickly, 6.Armee commander Generaloberst Hermann Balck recommended moving the I.SS-Panzerkorps north to plug the gap and prevent the encirclement of the IV.SS-Panzerkorps. Despite this quick thinking, a Führer Order authorising this move was slow in coming, and when the divisions finally began moving, it was too late. March 15 is the 74th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (75th in Leap years). ... Hermann Balck (December 7, 1893 - November 29, 1982) was a commander in the German Wehrmacht during World War II. He served as a company grade officer in World War I. At the outbreak of war in 1939 Balck was in the General Staff of the Army and was transferred to... 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...

On 22 March, the Soviet encirclement of the Totenkopf and Wiking was almost complete. Desperate, Balck threw the veteran 9.SS-Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen into the area to hold open the small corridor. In the battle to hold open the Berhida Corridor, the Hohenstaufen bled itself white, but Gille's corps managed to escape. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (607x763, 161 KB)Grenadiers of the 3. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (607x763, 161 KB)Grenadiers of the 3. ... The official cuff title worn by men of 9. ...

On 24 March, another Soviet attack threw the exhausted IV.SS-Panzerkorps back towards Vienna, all contact was lost with the neighboring I.SS-Panzerkorps and any semblance of an organised line of defence was gone. The remnants of the Totenkopf executed a fighting withdrawal into Czechoslovakia. By Early May, they were within reach of the American forces, to whom the division officially surrendered on 9 May. The Americans promptly handed Totenkopf back to the Soviets, and many Totenkopf soldiers died in Soviet Gulags. Vienna (German: Wien [viËn]; Hungarian: BÃ©cs, Czech: VÃdeÅˆ, Slovak: ViedeÅˆ, Romany Vidnya; Serbian: BeÄ) is the capital of Austria, and also one of Austrias nine states (Land Wien). ... GULAG (Russian: Glavonoye Upravleniye Lagerey, Main Camp Administration) was the branch of the Soviet secret police (the NKVD and later on the KGB) that dealt with concentration camps. ...

Totenkopf War Crimes

Of all the Germanic SS Divisions, Totenkopf has the blackest history with regard to war crimes.

The division's original cadre was drawn from the SS-Totenkopfverbände (concentration camp guards), as opposed to the other Germanic SS Divisions which were formed from the SS-Verfugungstruppe. ... The SS-Verfügungstruppe (combat support force) (short: SS-VT) was created in 1934 from the merger of various Nazi and right-wing paramilitary formations. ...

While the SS-VT had been trained by such brilliant military leaders as Paul Hausser, Felix Steiner and Georg Keppler; the SS-TV was trained and led by fanatical Nazis like Theodor Eicke, Max Simon and Helmut Becker. Eicke instilled ruthlessness in his men, and during the training at Dachau, the troops commonly spent time guarding inmates at the nearby concentration camp. 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... Felix Martin Julius Steiner (1896 – 1966) General in the SS Promotions Started World War II as SS Oberführer November 9, 1940 promoted SS Brigadeführer and Major-General of the Waffen-SS January 1, 1942 promoted SS Gruppenführer and Leutnant-General of the Waffen-SS July 1, 1943 promoted SS Obergruppenführer... Born: May 7th, 1894 in Mainz. ... Theodor Eicke (October 17, 1892 - February 26, 1943) was a Nazi official, SS-Obergruppenführer, commander of the Totenkopfdivision of the SS and one of the key figures in the establishment of concentration camps in Nazi Germany. ...

The three SS-TV Standartes which were to form the Totenkopf division saw action in Poland, where they were involved in numerous war crimes.

By the time Totenkopf went into action, it was filled with highly-indoctrinated and ruthless men, some of whom were already war criminals. A spate of war crimes in France and in Russia in 1941-42 left Totenkopf with a reputation for criminal activities.

Only several days into the Fall Gelb campaign, Totenkopf men were implicated in war crimes. 14./III.Bat/Totenkopf Infanterie Regiment-2 executed 97 British troops of the Norfolk Regiment at the town of Le Paradis. The commander, SS-Obersturmführer Fritz Knöchlein, had accused the Norfolk Regiment of using dum-dum ammunition and therefore being in violation of the Hague Convention of 1899. After the war, Knöchlein was found guilty of war crimes and hanged. 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. ... Fritz KnÃ¶chlein. ... Dum Dum is a group of small towns to the north west of Kolkata (Calcutta) in West Bengal state in India, and the location of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, formerly Dum Dum Airport. ... The Hague Conventions were international treaties negotiated at the First and Second Peace Conferences at The Hague, Netherlands in 1899 and 1907, respectively, and were, along with the Geneva Conventions, among the first formal statements of the laws of war and war crimes in the nascent body of international law. ...

It must be remembered that the division had experienced virtually a complete turnover in personnel by the end of 1942. The high casualty rates meant by late 1943 virtually none of the original cadre were left. The division's reputation lingered, however, and in 1945, when the division was turned over by the Americans to the Soviets, both innocent and guilty Totenkopf were sent to their deaths in the gulags, or shot without trial.

From the first crime at Le Paradis, only several days into the French Campaign, Totenkopf proved time and again that it operated outside the rules of war. Also note that at the time of the massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane, Heinz Lammerding, an ex-Totenkopf officer, was in command of Das Reich. The entrance to Oradour-sur-Glane, with a sign saying Silence. The main street of Oradour-sur-Glane. ... SS-Division VerfÃ¼gungstruppe SS-Division Deutschland SS-Division Reich SS-Division Das Reich 2. ...

Order of Battle – As of 1943

Contents

Formation and Fall Gelb

Barbarossa – Demjansk Pocket

Kharkov - Kursk

Battles on the Mius Front - Retreat to the Dniepr

Romania – Warsaw

Budapest Relief Attempts - Hungary

Totenkopf War Crimes

Order of Battle – As of 1943

See also

References

Contents

Formation and Fall Gelb GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Barbarossa – Demjansk Pocket

Kharkov - Kursk

Battles on the Mius Front - Retreat to the Dniepr

Romania – Warsaw

Budapest Relief Attempts - Hungary

Totenkopf War Crimes

Order of Battle – As of 1943

See also

References

Formation and Fall Gelb