118080 1 Combined - SNO · NEW TITLES Df!r Untf!rmemJch: SS-Bt lderbuch Engli~h/G~rm8n t~xt...

Th~ Rf'>lCh Pr()paganda Minio;ter D.,. Gnet-.b".I'5 thanhng highly <:f".cora!.".d olflc".r<; of Lh". 1st Cossack Divisinn, XV. Cossack Cav~lry Corp9 for the donations of their soldi".rs t... th". "Wint".r Rell .. 1 Flmd." Not". Wafff>n-SS sleeve ea/,:les being ",orn

WHOLE NUMBER 46

THE WAFFEN-SS IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

by the officers 5ecnnd and third frOM the right; the XV. Cossack C~valry Corps "'as supplied ~nd

equipr .. d by the WaffrE'n-S5. The photo date'! frOM 15 Febru?\ry 194<' anrl this 1'5 11.'5 fir'!! t. ~. no",n pub I i cat I on • [Court.~'5y of Frik Rundkvio;tl

Stiftelsen norsk Okkupasjonshistorie, 2014

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NEW TITLES

Df!r Untf!rmemJch: SS-Bt lderbuch Engli~h/G~rm8n t~xt edition, 52 page~, tabloid format. $6.00

This Is en ~xtremely rare propaganda photo work that was actul'llly d~emed too "radIcal" by th~ SS it~elf and eventually withdrawn from circulation. It has been mentioned In vlrtul'llly every anti-SS or IInti-"Nazl" tract thl'lt has bPl'n published and thl, offer~ th .. first opportunity for tthe average person to really see the rontents. It definItely wa, not anti Slavic 83 SOm<' writers hllve '" I I pged; It WI'I" e)(t re"", I y antlcOfTrnunl"t and I, certainly one of the "')9t powerful prop"gllo<ia works that I have ever seen. The "sllbhumans" referred to ar" the dregs of society that werl' prollnted to high poSitions of powpr hy the Iiolshevlks At the expense of the bf'tter el"lII"nts of thp. popull",e. This worK Is dl'flnltt'ly not for tile overly ~en9ltlve And I off"r 11 principally for Its historlral Yelu .. IIrld to counter some of the lies that have been spread about It.

Lfinds/orm Nedprlarx1 (34. SS [)/vision). The definitive history of the only non-GprlMn "w"sl front" Furopean volunteer division with 410 pAges, e)(tenslve pllotos, maps, charts, etc. Dutch text. n2.9~.

For a limited time am offf'rlng this fine title which I gUArantee will be en extr .. "",ly rflre and 50llght after booK In thp very npar future. Your purchAse of It will help me, help other dpepnt dp~lers, "o<i "'He importRnt Iy contribute tu the welfare of the Olltdl SS vet erans themsel Vl"s!

SS l.ettl1l"ft F~'lL't, hlgh-qu8lity r"prints of this extraordlnl'lry nnnthly SS perlodlclIl that WflS deslgnpd both to insplrp ard Inform. IsslIe #12t>IVol. 7 "C~!lnon FrJitlon" - All 1~>Ilticfll CArtoons with Fngllsh trfJnsl~t lUng. J4 pp .• (,Ard ('OVf"f. $b. DO

June 1944 15Sllt'

1",lucips B 9fJPCifll tribute to thp ~). SS -StllmY1(" ig/l(if' "WH II olli en" with rflre r~lOio9. (;prmAIl \f'xi only. 40 pp., cord cover. Sf;. ()()

Nllr"rr/>,'rg and Other It'flr (.-rimps Trials. $5.00

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1.8tyn. '8. ':15

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<hdrll"rMgne's i.l"giormai res: TIlt' French Volunteers of the It'atIef)SS. 1943-45. '(9.9') finAl r"tllll. Stili BYlltiehlf' lit SN.OD prepu~.dic"tlon price for {\ limited \1"",only'

The Lf!lb!Jtllndllrtl!' VOIII",," IJ. English text edition. $3H.OO

EllrOpl!'lIn Voluntt'l'rs: '5. SS Panzer Division WU:TNG. English text edl t Ion. 03.00

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An Dl"r Spitze. fngl ish ",xl. $41.00

The Crimp$ of Yalta. $6. 'cl'i

Thf' A/U itury History of CroRt/a. $10.95

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I.pon Story wl th $8.95

Dpgrpllp Spf'aks - FPI!": The of the Waffen-SS on tflP"

running English translation.

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Camplllgn in RlIsslll. 117. <y;

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ALL ORDERS .0

RI chAn1 l."n<iwphr P.O. Box 6718 BrooK I ng~ OR 'fl41,)


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~If (jk: l iN! l'\j IJ[JI UMf U NUMBI R .<'1 [WHllLE NUMBER 'lfi\ JIlNllftRY -.JUNE It)fJU

FIlITUR Ricltcwd LBflduwlw

n~iSO[1Il r [ fOlTUR [Juslav Juerljp.ns

~; rm r nRTI:-n fiNU CnN1RIBlJ r 1NL! [Ill r [IR Ramir'o Uu jeir'o

[(]NTRIIHJTIN(; [LJIT(]R~) Cartos Caballer'o

Sleve Kane RmJ Merricnn

flntuniu Murmz

flFGRllNEN (I~;~:JN 07]]-1l:J1:i7) is publi!ihed blj rhe MerTiBfll Pr'ess, llenninqton IJ r-in con junction UJith the r ditor'.

~UOS[RlI) TlD.l'1 RfiLL for' four issues: $,)4.110 in the U.~).; $(l!-J.~iO over'seas. ~;ingle COPlJ: $IJ.UO (uverseas add $l.[J(J fur surfAce mait postage). CONIKUlUDU['-t5; Manuscr'ipts, photO(JI'aphs, dr'atu-inqs ewe subrnitted at the COlltr·ibutor·'s lIum r-isk. Mater-iat should be mAiled to flEGRUNEN, P.O. Box E;7Ifl, Brooking5 OR ~7415, and cannot be r-eturned unless Rccornpfmied blJ sufficient retlwn pllstflqe. Rnli material accepted for publication is subject to r'evisiofl as is ncCeSSaI'lJ to meet the editorial re'luirerm~nts of fIEGRUNEN. flll manuscripts must be tljped double- spaced. FlII phologrflphs fllld <lI'tluOf'k should be cr-cdited and accmTlpanied by captions. RII manuscripts are considered contr'ihutions lo

~If [;RUNLN. flOIJ[RIISlNG; (sub jer.t to [ditor"~3 appr'ovBI) in ~IL[;J.(lJN~N is available at the f ollolOing rates: Full p,rHjP., sBU.nO; half page, $40.UU; qU<-ll'ter' paqe, $i:'UJ)(); e~qhth pflqe, $IU.UU. Short classifieds, $~).[Jf). R (lU% duscount lOill be allolOed for multiple insertions.

HI! corTepsondence, subscripti()n~>, r'cneluals, contributions, advertisinq insertion or'del-s, etc., must be rmliled to: fir GRUNEN, P.[J.· Dux G710, BRLJ[JKIN(;~'l UR ~Jl11~J.

NOW AVAILABLE!

HUNGARIAN VOLUNTEERS OF THE W AFFEN-:f:f

Nurncrou~; phot.os, maps, ele. P.amin) Bujeiro cover.

$~)_ f],)

plu~i $LOO p()~lt.aqe &. handling.

RICUARD LANDWEUR P.O. Box 6716

Brookings OR 97415

--_.-" --- -- .. - .. - --._-_.-_.-----------_._------_._- ~ -- --, -

Sp('cializin~ in G<'rman Military History of World War! & I!

Send $100 f or calalo~lI{,

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==~~-i\UdiO::"eI~e ~,-C c...... ~ THE W AfFEN-ff AND ,I

THE MALMEDY TRIAL

w; ~wc~icnt.cd by r:~ay McrriarTl at t.he 2nd Int.emalional r~cvisioni~;t. Conference.

Includes "The [1Jr'opean Volunt.eer Movement.

in Wor-ld War 11" by ~ ichar'd L andwehr.

Price: $fF~) piu<; $2.00 post.age & handling.

RICHARD lANDWHIR P.O. Box 6718

Brookings OR 97415


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, i T

Rritish .sii,·k \lClI"'1 miiit'lry history mA!;A;'.lI1P titlpd WW/ InvP!'t iF,,,(nr wtlkh p()mpnu~ly

annf)lHlce<J thAt it Wflllld bp prpspnt ing 8 unl'1ue picturf' nf the "unKnown" ~jde of World \hll 11, 11\)1~pd rllther '1uickly into the ~Amp old hete-roongering thAt hfls \'Ppll going on throughollt thp gpnert11 ITl/'dlA for the lAst half-century. nds p"hllcatlon hAs l'lIHlChed so~ pll(\irlllflrly Irrp~pf)nslhlf' end viflllpnt defAmAtory 'lttAcks AgAinst Itlp Wilt fpn-SS Aryl formpr f1rigfhr. Wilhplm Mohnke in pArtirlllAr. Tlwy 'lP' upsPt thnt Mohnk.p WFl~ npvpr hrr1l Ight t n t r i a I hy t hp A I I i ps R~ n "WAl' criminAl" duI' to thp fAr:t thFlt hp WAS Indl sl'09pd for morp t hAil e rjf>f'Adp in A~lsorted Soviet prisons Ilr,1 Inhnr ('Amps.

Thf' l'poplp in !'!1Flrg p nf this l"lhl irAt Ion hflVP offerf'd their 9prvi'-ps tn thp thllg~ nf thp nSI in All RII ,,,11 pffort 10 "gpt" MohnVp, 'IRlming hp WflS rp~p"n'ilhlp for 90TnP

(1llpgp<i 'lh""tlnf,s of I'llW's. Thp~"

~hoi)t in!;~, If thf'y took place, WPP' H SP1\lIt ATlpn'l.~ r~A(~t inn to hidp()\Js I1rltish i'lnd Angl()('AnAriiAlI "WAr ,'rlmps" tll"t IIAVP y,·t tn hFlVP l)ppn flll~wprpd f()r (spp "Thp LynfChing of rritz KII''''' Illpin" In Sif'!:l'lITlen 7'.1), 8r<1 M"hrlk"'~ t ip~ to thp~e H, t ions "'r'" UlIStlh:;tHnt il1tf'ci. It would hp niep If thp Hrlti~h fir~t took ';SfP of tll"ir own wflr gllllt fmd Rtn)('itlf'~ (rlp,'IAfAtlon of W'lr on (;prrnAny, Initiation of rivilifln \PrlO! l'omhlllg, dl rect Ion of "rps 1 st ance" t pn'or i ~t grind fll\lr(jf'f!'r~, fi re bomhi ng of DresrJ"n, slJ!'port for Tilo's killprs, f'nthllsiflstir !ole in Operation KEFI.IIAIJI. anrl th!' suhsf'qupnt deaths of millions of anti-communists, ptc.), hf'fore they went htlck to their perfldioll~ And hypucritical flt U"'ks on thpir df'ff'atprj Hdver~lAry. In thf' meAnt ImP plf'ASP boycott this pllhllrAt Ion and recnITl!llf'nd tn df';~I"r5 Itlllt tt1PY dll Ilot CArry i 1. ,

T f H..c IINf':NOWN NI NF-' y-c;F::VFI'-J

nop of lhp mogt dl gt rt's~lng fa';tor9 Flt.",,1 dOing rpgpHITh for Siegrullen i~ the continUAl digr'ov~'ry of "flew" fltrorltipg thAt hAd hpen corrvnittf'rl Against mPni)p.rs of {hf' Warren-SS Anrl tt1!'1l Assigned to thp grt'At "hlACk

4

hole" of histnry. Whi le AlwflYS upset! i Ilf" t he!'!p. i nc i<ient s do hp I P g I VP IDP A pn"t ty good rt'Ason to kpPI' puhlishing AS otherwise thp. fmll dpeds would only be known to A smAll cl n: I t' of comrAde!'! And re I At i VP~l of the v1c-t im~. So here is another instRllment in A nf'Vpr ending series:

In April 1<)4'1, 'l7 wounded memher~ of thf' WfI({pn"SS who hAd hpf'n qlllu·tered in thf' villflf,P nf Kllffprn, AustriA, wpre f'Jqlf'llf'cj from thpSf' billets by the villAgers thpmselvf's, who were Afraid of possiblp rppri~al!'l from thf' adVAncing Soviet forces. Thf'ir fpArs were jllstifif'd, if th!'lr ActiollS were not. Immedifltely upon arriVAl in Kuf(prn, the Rpds fpII Ilpnn thp hAd Iy wOlln(jp(j War fen-SS troopers And mllrdpTPd them All in rold hlood. A Cnrm1ISSflr then iS~lIpd All edirt forhldding th€' burlfll of thp rorpsf's in the 10CA I ctil.lf( h "PmPt pry, Soon AfterWArds fI farmer donflted pArt of his f I p Id for t hp hu r i A l. T hp hod i p s wprp nevpr Itl€'ntifipd flS 10 nfll1lf'S or units; lIH'y rpmflin unlli.~ll1rhpd to Ihi3 dny, Iflrgply forr~otlpn, pXf'ppl no d'))ltlt to thp vlllfl,~pr~l

Hlpm9p I VP9. It WA!'] Just Anothpr "wClr crimp"

thAt nohody cArf'd Ahollt, flnd rprtAlnly nobody pver hfld to flllswer for' \'f,,11 1 r:Arf', This iS91J" i9 rp~lpPI:t fully devoted 10 thp mpnlnry oft hO,9P unKnown 0,7 wit h t hp hopp thllt Itrr·y will Ilot. hp pprmflnpnt Jy f(lrgottplI'

SHOW/SECHET TRIF\L

Thp theAtrlr:fll Iynehillg of .iohn [)prrdan.luk by t.he U.S. Justire Dppartment And its Israeli rnj}()ftg rprently CAme to its lnevitflble conrlusion. He W1l9, AS eJq)Pctf'd, sentenced to die for hflvlng "f'xtf'rmlnAted" 9~O,OOO pf'ople by running A "gAS rhAmher" at thp TrehllnkA CAmp during Worlcl Wflr I!. Hp WA.9 A I .'to SIIPPOS€'rl I.n hllvP tortllrf'd Ard KI llf'ri ppoplp in ntlwr wflyS on his own sfldlgtir InitIAtiv€'. Thf~ v!'rdlct er~t tlPlinvlor of thp sppctfltors At this procedure dr€'w SOTnf' mi Id conrlpmnAt inn in the AmpricAn media, hut that. was the !'xt"nt of it.

For fl Wide vnri!'ty of rPflsons, Mr, i)emJanjllk WflS lotAlly innocent

of th€' flbsllrd r.:tlArge9 hrolJght egfllnst him trut WAS prptty mlrh hf'lpless to dpff'nrl himgelf. For instance, th€' "Nurprnhprg TribllnRls" hAd long Ago rp.1pcted thf' IdpA nf "gAS chAmhers" AI Trel)linkfl, AI though th€'y t1Ad poonrsed nthpr novpl (Ilnd unfeAsihlp) mPthods of PXf'Clltion. And, olle must say, thAt it is simply twyond All reason thflt A young, unedlwAted \JkrAiniAn Rpd Army private/POW, WOllld hAVP ~llddf'nly hepn plAced In rl)flrg p of ~llch A stllpendnlJs llndprtAking AS Allegf'd. Wl1fltever els p th~y did, thp (,prmAns did nnl opprAte in thilt mflnnpr; a mA!'!~lve "ext"rminAtlnn" effnrt I ike this wnuld hRVP hpen ~llpervlspd from A ffllrly high echplon t.n SAY the IPA~t.

lInfnrtlJl1At e I y, the pr(lcPlllt nrg of Mr. flpm.1Anlllk hlld tn pr(lVP nothing. Ttley ll~pd thf' "tri A I, " flpproprifltply held In 11 lhpAtrp hllllding simply AS An exl rAvAgAn?:A for m-lrf' "NflZi Atrocity" stnrlp",. It WAS An f'xt rpme I y rynicfl I prrwed,,!'p. \'for",e yet, Df'miAnIIlV'g Alihi WA!'! wPRk (he had apPflrent I y hp I nnged t f)

An SS unit of sOmP typP, hut cOllld hArdly own up to It), And the dpfpns" WAS fairly inppt. ror All t1lflt mflttprf'd the defensp cnllld hFlVP hpen hrilllflnt flnd there would h9VP bpf'n no chflnge In t h€' rpSI) It. Thf' defense pffort WA~ tolprAted by the 1lo-called "Judges," but Illsl hArf'ly. It we~ routin€'ly dispflrfl!',ed Ar10 ridi<.uled. i)efenst' '01 tnpssP8 werp I. reAt prj '01 th contf'mpt; one WA9 even driven to the point nf Rt tprnpt Ing sui('lfle, Mr. DemlAn.JIlk 's allf>gf>ci ID cerd (so eAsil y proc1lred pprsonflll y by the "Ameri' An" pro"S,wiet cApitll\lst, ArmAnd Hflmlllf'r), WflS rjpnnlJt1ced IlS A totfll frflud hy f'vpry pxpprt thllt 'OilS cnnslll I. pd. TllP same CArd WAS even used with the photo of fln pnt irply dlfferenl pP!'son Aff ixed to It during [Jf'mlflnlllk 'g originAl dppnrtatinn hf'Arlng! This, hnwpvpr, WflS Inokprj llpon AS fl minor nllisflnr" A II that WAS npcPs9Ary WAS A l"'fs'ln of thp "right" nflllonAlity who had \)pen snmpwhpre within 1,000 mi leg of thp "llpg"'d "crimPS" At thp 8AmP t I mp AS 1 hey Wprt' slIppnspri t n hAVf' hpen comrnl ttI'd. Nevf'r mlnrl thAt Ilpml'lflluk did nnt fit Any of th" dpsr:riptlons of the fiet \onAI izpd vi Ilflln. Thf' fArt thAt hp WAS not irjpntlfierl hy most of the eypwitnf's1lPS consultpd hy thp ".illst ilP" [jppRrtm<'nt WAS A I ~o wi thhp Id.


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J t W()1" d ~ t i J I bp pi I!::; ~~ i hi... t ()

f'tAm!"" I" det"i I the Tr"bl inkH CAmp t~ dptermlnf' If ['f'oplf' werf' flctlmlly "!lA~spd" there in lArge nllmhprs, ss U\I' i;prmflns totAlly IArkpd the meAns ofi convpnlent Iy disposing of the hl/gp nlllnber of bodies thAt wOllld h~vf' 10 hAvp been df'alt with. So wljHt h nppdpd urgently is SOITlP

'lrjrh'lf'lngj'''al spAdf' work on th~ sllt p , sinl I' ohsollltply no ilflrd fFwt!'l p1 ist to ronflrm thp fltf()<'lly st:I)ries. Hilt dl)(l't loo\< for thAt to hfl:PPpn Any time soon'

Intprf'!'lt Ingly, thp \/. S .. TWit i('p [)P\)9"lrnp rlt p<lIIrPlj rr.,rp thiHl II ml I1 jun dollsrs Into tl,(' DpllIiAnilJk prhSPrut ion effort whi le dpliherAtely roncefllinr, vitsl f'v)dencp from the df'fpnse. Thp OSl h"ljl leFHned through A VAriety of UIl$Avory IllPthods, how to kef'p ffifltprifll spI"rE't Imd flWflY from the prying eyes of thp p"hl i,' fly clAssifying VAst qllf'lntities of "dr)( 'Hw:nt9" A~ "1n \I.~p. hy f1ttornpys" .11~y hflve hepn Ahlp to stop thpir rF'lpflSE' vif'l thp Fn'E'riuITl of InformAl inn Act. Thp OSI, through it1 legal menpllverings, hAS olso oE'pn flblp (lip 10 recent Iy At leAst), penAl ize d"fendpnts for having tillze(j thf' Fifth Amf'ndm<'nt And th;er ('on~titllt1orllll right;;; It

spp:m~ thflt this had hppn "fl"tornFlt 11'" grnUIYJs fnr luslng on" '3 r'l t ,i 7.pf1~h 1 P ~ non' t PVPfl ~sk OlP hnw thpy mi1rl1'gpd tn do this, hl/t UIP i)SI dnf'.9 not n!,pPltf' within tI,P lAWS of thp lF1nrJ AS Wf' I<.now thf'm 10 be

lilP OS! dlrp..tor in a hyst pr"!rFlI S!,"PI'h tn An pHIIlI. prp~sllre gro'lp, srrpempd thAt tilptP w"'lld hp "no jllst!rf' for NilZig." YPt () f I hp hllO,jrpds of po>('p I P pi er-pr! on hy Ih" OSI to dflte, only B crlllple cnltiri hlwf' pvpr hppn CIAS!'!! flpd AS

"pclltlr'fllly orlenterl." Most OSI vi('j iITIs hAve hppn FAst EuropPftn~, who werp ~lrflrr't'ly "NFl7.ls" Ilt All hy !lny strplch (If tiwiITII'ginatinn.! S'IS!1 P '''t Ihat thpy hAVp hppn slngl<'d Old f IH-

i /Tli'i1 i flFH Y rwrsPI·,!f tfll! !lot d1J~ to Any

criTnPS th'll tlH'Y r'(>n.~jt.tpd, )'I/t <ill" tll thp flwt thAt

m" pP,,!,lp of their n~'innf'llit ips (lV, jpth<91 HI't inn Af,~ifl~f j'nrmfllJlli<'11

(~nll'l-1hnrnt()r3, dlJrinp, thp intprirn p'.'rind thflt pxi~tpd d',rinf, lhp rpt rPAt nf 'hp RprJ Army "od fhl; r,prm'ln orr'''f'Af i on (If Efl" t PPI Fllrnpp Ihllt pxl~tl'd "f'lrly In World WFlr 11.

moriprn dey hrpthrpn I)f thesp < Ifjt)oratnrs nflW hAVE' the clout tn

lA,",pi "11Vijr.:iftl" rpvpnp,p nf,Ainst nAt ion')l groups thllt thpy <inn" ('8re (,q. t~tJi I t nr i nnrWPr1I'p is nl)t j n q'JPst ion; All thAt mptt tprs is thp flllfill'npnt of fl fTi1Z p d, hFltp~filled v~n.f::!~iRr}f'e-. So it wi 11 COflt j nup for ~nnl'" tirnp to rome, 'mtil thp r'l t i:lpnry ll'tlHilly r("gllins rcontrol of its own goVPrtllTlf'nt Hnd lueiicillry .Qy sI ~m.

AllJns t

f/ p rn1'1nhlk f",rTP W;"P1 U)f:' virtltFllly Sf'f'rpt rptrllll of thp Pllhlisl"'r Frn'lt lllndf'l in ('AflAdFl for "'IV i lip, cl 1st r i hll t pd ! hp )'.lok I f'1 , n ifi .I'i x Mi IJ jnn Rp"llly pjp?, A pllhl inll inn cri t irf'll of !'l()(])P of thp hR"\<"

Atrorlty slorips. Thp chflrgp Af,llinst Zundel WAS Hmt he W'lS knowinf,ly di sspmi nal i ng "fA I ~p news," It Is fl little 11>')1'1" C<"mplicAlpd th'ln thAt, hut not ITlltrh. The ol>sC:llre, century'old lAW hplng Ilspd IlgAlnst him hfld npvpr hf'fnrf' hppn uti I izpd until ~l()mp rnf'mhp,'" of An f'thni,' prp~surp f,rolJp (jprcldf'd to p,lvf' It A try, Frnst, 'lS thp only prominpnt, visihlp gpokpsrnf'ln 'If,Ainst r,prmlln df'fllITIlltlon in r8nAdll hAd hppt( quitp f'I thorn In thpir s1<lp Ilnd till" only Iff'ly thpy SAW to !'lhltl him up WFlS In tflkp AdvAntflgp of th" wpird flnd pP('lll iAr IpgAI systf'm thAt pxi~t" lip t1lPre. Aftpr one long and convoluted triAl, in which Zllndpl WAS convicted hut h8d this nverturnpd on 8ppPftl, the prosP"'l! ion d",:id"d to If'ltlnch sflothpr triel on the !'If'lmp premisp -fl procpss bf'lnnpd in loosl riv! I J7./'d countries f'lS "douhle .Jpopsrdy."

In this duhious procppdinf, thp "fix" WAS In in Advftflrce whpn thp judge rulpd thAt thp Atrocity tslp3 hAd to bp eccpptpd es Ab;;olute fflrct. From thAt point on thp ripfense cO'Ild nnly COnCf'fltrAtf' on mAking thp hpst possible CAse for pos!pri ty tlII"t thpy rcould. And whflt Cl joh thf'y nidi A pArAdp of ~urvivors, hlstnriAn:i, pnglnpprs, snd eyewi tnessps flll Ipst ifi"d sgCllnst thp hask "hol<wflust" propAgenrlfl with extremp effpct ivpness. An pI'Iginf'pring f i I'm thflt mAdE' Il survpy And cI,,,mir:AI AnAlYSis of thp "gAS rJ)flmhpr" ClrPFlS At thp Atlsf'hwitz, Birkprlf'lu FInd MA.ldflnpk cflmp~, tf'st i fied wi th stunning clflrlty thllt no "mFls~ gflsslngs" cOllld hAve tflken plAce At thosp fllr!lllles. It was s hf)mhshp[1 that should hflve mflde hpf'ldllnes Ilround the world, hili only A nllmh si Ipflce PH'VAi [pd.

The t rilll culminAted with the testimony of hi!'ltoriAn ))Ilvld lrving, thp greatest living Authority on the Thl rd Rpich ers. I t WAS hi s conclusion thllt thf' hooklet in qllestion was accurstp in All crlttcal art'as, and thAt in hi!'l opinion, "lfter enormous originAl rpgearch Awl !'ltudy spf'lnning decfldps, th" notnri()Ilc! "six mi II ion" fip,'H'p could bp rpdur:ed to 100,000 or IpssI This should hAV!" hepn f'lnnlhpr tlPfldllne, considering Its sourcp, but nnr"p AgAin thp mASS mediA W('jS

sti I I. No pllbl icily ITIllsl hp f'lllowpd' I cflnnot pVE'n hpgin to detlll I

the d"vilstllllnr; test imony thAt (,,'lmE' Ollt o( this trial, but I t/plievp thftt berAllsp of whf'lt happf'nerl hpre, thp C(Jllrsp of history wi II pvelltllfllly hp r:hAng!"d forf'ver. In thp mpf'lnt imp, Frnst ZlIllrjpl hfls hpf'n ~pntp'lf'pd to ninp ITXlllths In pris(ln Ilnd dpprlvpr! of his civil rif,hts Arid frpPdom of sp"ech. This Is fl travpsty of :<I)('h r'ynklll dppr;lvlty

lfANTF[): lfflf(l'o~SS slet'vpbflnds, flwArd.". drH:llrnents, ptc. up to $1,000 (or completE' SS soldlpr '3 I'st"tes. PAY In?, lip to $200 (nr SS Soldburhs Frt''', 00

obl IgAt Ion AppraIsals. Wi I1 trAvel to ylpW 00 either sld" of tht' AtlAntlr. All transact Ions strlrl.1y confldpnt i"l. Write to: Robert Springer, Genco 011 rorp., 725 E. Mf'lrket St., lfllmlnglon lE l'lI10 1. 146)

R(W)K SAtE: Hllodrpds of books flnrJ oth"r plIl>llrAllnns on tnIlny ASPP.-tS of ml I i tAry history bf'ing offpr"d At hplm, wholpSfllp prlcl's. Most AI'" onp of'a~ klr.i; first COfTlP, first sprvprll 5".-1 IArRP #10 bll~in€,,~!'l-·~iz~ ~nvI?'J()pe with 4 C

) cpllls postnge on It for Ils\; other ""Ips Iltprflturl' also Inr.lwjpd. Hllrry ~ Y"" 'I i npvpr sep pr In's I1 ke t hp"" AgAin' RAY MerrlAm, The MprrlArn rres~, 218 Beech S t., Benn i ngton VI 05201.

---~----~------------~--- -_._-

ON JOnlEN pr ff'FR 'S TRA It TN THF ARflf'NNFS I~ till" working t i \ I" nf A

stJpprh mRnusc r I pt, reseArched And wrlttl"n ovpr ft tpnyear period by A

flplgilln who hA~ done vf'ry pxtl'n~jvp rf>!1'PRrch And cnmlJctPrl nlJmerou~ intf"rvi"ws with German And Amerlcfln participftnt~ ag wf'lI AS Civilians. It Is primarily concprnf'd with thp Incldenl At t.he Ilaugnez (' r03sr08d3 dur I rig t hp I\f'ltt le o( thE' flulge In Decprnh"r 1'144 Oh" sO~'fllled "N81"",dy MAssacre"). The Allthor's ml'lln obJpctlve was to find Ollt th" truth--Bnd It co""'" r.loser than Rnythlng ypt published ftt telling the filii story "hout this chRptl'r of lIorld lIf'lr If. PlAns for puhllshlng the manusrrlpt In (;erman, French, n'llch and Fngllgh (in Europe, by vIlrious puh~ 11 shers) Are we I1 u,..-.JerWAY. If 811 gops WE'I I, I h.. book shou I d he flV IJ I lah I I' i n P'lrly l'1W~. I will be distrihutlng the Fngl ish lAngUAge edition In thp U. S. Stili no price Information yet. If YOIl

hAye ont a I reflCly sent 10 you r nRme And address t.o be IncludPd on the IIlIlI lIng list for a brochure to be sent Ag soon AS th" hook Is sVAllable, do so todAY. TIlls Is deflnitt'ly the most. importAnt work ever published on Pelper 's fldivlllE's during the Ardpnnl"s fampRign. Thp M"rrlAm Press, 218 Bpech St., Ilpnnlngton VT 0')201. IIf you would like rlOp of tile other I flnguAge ed i tions, wrltp and I'll send inforrnl'ltion on wher" lInd how to ord"r thprn fmm thp Europelln puhl ishers.)

fWLP WANTFIl: U S. militAry hl!'!tory Pllt" Iishf'f spp('il'lllzlng in World Wf}r TI history, speks flnflnci,,1 AssistAnce to improvp And expAnd operation. L()lln~, do""tlons, po~sible InvpstlJlPnts ('u, rpnt Iy being sought. Ifltere~tpd pArt ies "onll'll·t; RflY Merr i'lm, Ti)1' t.jl'rrIArn Press, Illl f\p"ch St.. !\ennlngton VI O"l)() 1.

5


SNO

th.qt it d."fif-'~lhplif't H"rn?yf'Vf'11

hp deported fl(1m the Pf'oplp's Rppuhl ie of Cflnfltifl, oll("e t,e is let Ollt of thp GUlflg, No "civi I I ihprt ies" glOIlP hfls rom" tf) hi 9

defpnse, I hflvP Known Frnst for qllite a few YPCHS now and I CAn BIt"st to his high integrity, couPlge Br.o nuhlll ty of ChflfBdpf, Hp pprsnnfllly enrnuragf'd me wllPn I WWl stru!',gl ing fllong in the Pflrly dflYS of SiegrfllJPn, flnd his kindnpss an<! rnnrern was RlwRYS tipep I y flpprpcialed, You flrp not likely tn flnl A flllf'r, more honofAhle i,.1ividuAI, Anywhere, His et,>fense pfforl AgAinst Ihe flhsUld chArges Illiti flg'3lnst him WFlS f'xtrf'mely f'xppns\v p , I would pnnlllrAgP Anyone Ihfll tJellpvpg In hAslf' hurn'Hl rig!,t" flni freerioms to wri le AIel ler of sll!,!,nrt direct Iy tn Frnst And enf:lose Il donAt ion, The El,klresg:

~rnst 7.lInripl '(Of, (Ar I t on SI rppt Toronlo ON M'jA 71.1 ('ANAllA

I f you wOllld llkp to rped the Tlnst bAnned pllhlicfltinn of modern limes, thl' same puhlicatlon thAt dr()vP "thf'm" 10 imprison Frnsl

(·(lrdp~ (If S.1,,: Mi 11 iun 1.0.':;( rHI(i }:('II(I(/

(!hp cIJrn'nt I il Ip), for $4,00 pIllS $1,00 postAge, A ppr('entfl~p of All SAles will he spnt dirertly to Frm;t 7.1l!~'lp I '3 def en~'" fund,

I.JPDATF

It 13 11 plea3urp tn I·pport IhAt Prof, VIAriimil' Sokol1)v, who WflS I!lf'ntionpd In SiegnlflPn No. 4"" is nnw sAf!'ly out of th!' h'mds of "Los FedprAleg, " The OSI hfld sOIl!;ht his ri!'porlAt inn to df'ath At thp tliln<i3 of one of our "A I I I ps" due to Ihp fFlI't Hmt thpy found somE' of hi Cl WArt imp wrllln!;s offpnslvp, Fortllllflt!'ly tt,P pn)fpssor did not AI tpl~1 hi s dpportfl! ion hpflrln!; bllt iWltpAd Implemf'nted other plAns, wl1icll, flt Ipllst for now, plfl('f' hIm wf'11 olltslde thp ,1urisril('tion pf Ollr "sefrpt pili ice," Thp lpssons Ilf thp "triAls" of Fpdprf'n\<',(\, l.inllA9, [)f'mlFlnluk, AIl<l "thprs MP fillAIly sinking In, Thprp is no WflY to fight A rigg!'d, crimlrml frAmp-up on e'lllAI terms, Once these peopl e, 'Ill th A I I hpst Intentions, If't themsf'lvpg bf' rflught up in the web thrown 01lt by the goons in chflrgp, thpy An' AS good as deAd, The good news is thflt

till" f)S I I s nil" he i fig 11,'0 '1 r t f'<i, i f m)t ArtUfllly dpff'Atpd, In ~jvRnrp hy prppllreri c it I 7opnry. A f I pr R I I, t hp lpflists hAVp bppn giving "~An(:t\IfH'Y" in ihis (-ntlntry tn Illpgfll, Thi n1 World AI iPIlS fllr y pfl r s. it I 9 AhOlI I t imp t hA t t hp SlliTlP ! rPAt mpnt ')P fl('f'nrdpd III some of our hnnorAhlf', IpgAI ril IZPfls who hAVP bppn un,tllst I Y hOll,)(if'd hy thp tIAtp-mongers, Tt will nllt bp PR9Y, hilt at Ipast A vpry w)()d stArt hi'\9 hppn madp In thAt dirp"tilln'

hlFX I

" ("(lmpl ptp Tf'vipw nf 'hi-") 11(''111,

mF1~.,9ivp pl(-1oT ,nl hi:.tflry of 1,p1~1,\n "WR11!lnjp" ~Ild lh0 ;"lItll Sr..; \Iivic;iilrl.

A t ('lily illl'IPdihl p ',(<I,\<'

As of this wri t inp, (Nnvpmi,PI 1"[lRl t'llRr/pmflf,Ijp'S /,('f,i pnl1f11""s will hp i ~; ~H IPd j n UPI'prnhp r 1 fHUl At t hn t t Imp Illp prirp '11111 go tq $1'), <lCl. My IItflllkg tn f'vpryonp whn nldprpri this In I')dVA[)(P - it'll";; Fl hig I,plp'

bmipl in C,mwlA, J .. i II provide

------------------------~~--------------------------

Ss-Sturmann Helmut Gros [photo], WAS born on 13 JlIly 192[" A stlldpnt, \1(' served as A signals man with 11, AI1fJ Ill, lletAChments, SS Artillery Rf'r,imf'nt ??, 27nd SS (E\vfllry Division "MAriA TheresiH," He WAS dpc lari'd rnissing- iI1'B'_" iO[1 neA!' lludA}lest on 16 December 1'344, .. --.~--~---,--------.--.---

SS O/lf'rfuf'ilr'er Frwln Tschoppf' (Also 9pe\ led TZ9choppp), born') Spptembt'r l'j()?, WAS fl senior memher of the SS (Nr', 11,')6'»), who served in the SS-TV, nurin~ the '11811' he commBndf'd 11, flstt8lioTl, .I'S'Infflnlry RpgimPflt

6

B of 191 SS lnfflntry BrigAdp (mot or i zpt!) , hefore tHki ng commAnd of the pntire rpgimpnt, In 1444 hp WAS A9!'ligned to thl" staff of thp WElffpn-SS Corrrnflnder-in-Chlef for Ihl" Nf'! hpr I AnrlS. He dlpd on 21 AllgllS\ 1977. Among his decorations W(l'l the IroTl Cro9s, 1st (-lASS, which WflS flWB[(ipd tn him in the f ielrl, HF' fllso borp thp SS Swnrd of Honor And DPAthsllf'Ad Hing of Honor, ---~-.--------- _. -----------

SS"Hstu{. HAnns JflllSS (horn 7B June 1890; SS Nr, 134,4'1'1), WflS A World WAr I vpt who vnll1ntep red for dllty 'Ill th tIlP WRf{pn-SS. Aftpr 911fff'fing multiple woundings AS a frorrtline offlcpr, JflUS9 wAS a!'lsigned to thF' stAff of Ill, SS-PRnZ:pr (nrps ((~ermflnlr), ending the Wflr wi tll the title of "StAff COlllllFlIKiAnt, " He dipd on HI FebrUAry 1'3"10 Ht the sgI' of

79.

SS,Hst"f, [Jr, Hudo1 f flf'rk, horn on lA Junf' 1 (jO'l In Hallp (SS NI',

CJ 1, f¥)CJ) , f'orrrnarl<led \ \lP Srchool fit Lpi tmeri t7o, prOITKlt\on (to H,r,tlJ(,) Novernbpr 1 Q43,

SS \ip,nAls Hi3 I "st

CAm'? nn c~

-_.----- --~------~----- .. -----

SS-/istllf. r,lIstAV Kanth (horn 30 Decpn't)pr 1'114; SS NI', 14(1,7'1(,1, COlllllAllripd fl bAt tA 1 ion I n I hF' SS-KRmpfgrllppe Division "llohF'mi8-t.\onwiA," which WAS in 8r:! inn At LAB on the ThaYA Rivf'r ,mU I thp "nrl of

the wflr· ----------- -------

At thp ,"pglnnlng of Apri I IQ4,), SS-Pflnzpr (;rpnFldipr Training FInd !lpplAcpment flf1t t '11 inn 1/ from NipnlJurg, wAS fight 1nl', f15 Fl hFltt lpgroup Arollf1d I.pp~pSto7.pn"ll tn thp A Ilpr Brirlg"hpfld, Ttw ('omm;'\I>lpl wFlS Sfflhfl{, Hpim: Pf'inpmAnn (bnrn 4 Spptem"('r )Cll,) , SS Nr, 1711, \It)', Cflornnndpf of r)1h CnmpnTlY Wilg O.<:>fu/ l'Illkf" (I,S('lll'!, I,''''f:''r ffllm <,th CompAny WRS wllllrvjp,f nt Lf'p~:;p f~nd l'lt"r dprlArf'd MrA, St,(lf,pri"nkpf (;"pntpr Gfllhn WAS K lA ilt P"rfmilr~,


SNO

PARACHUTE BATTALION

THE HISTORY OF THE ~:f-FaLlSCHIRMJaEGER-BaTaILLON 500/S00

by Hntonio.J. Munoz. R.T.R.

F I F<E I N THE EA:"';T

Thp :'00 nr so ~urviv(lrs Ill' fiyl'kA'~

hAt till iOll Rrriver! Rt 1 . .1ul>lJeflFl exhBust pd. Thp wmmded hFld been the fjr~1 to Arrive viA Fieselef 'Stordl' AircrAft, strAight from Drvar. The b'lt t A, lion had A I mn~lt cpase,-I to exist, however. The Field Rp3f'rVe CompAny WAS Ahle to mAke gOt)d 30me of the losse~, And slime rwn who had on I Y vpry si igh! wf)ur~js

eventu'llly returned to duty. The rest of MRY W8S sp"'nt reorgAnizing. The debriefing period lAsted for TI\flny dflYS, fl3 A lot hAd hAppened in ttloge t wo dAYS at OrvAr.

BeCAuse of Ryhkfl'S seT iOIlS wOU~j9, R new coolTlAnding offio-f>r hRd hf'ell Rpp,)inted for Itlp tlflttfllion. SS-Heuptstllrmfllehrer Sipgfripd Milius had been 1I110ffici[11ly in charge of the hllttAlion sincf' thf' enj of MflY And rip,ht into Junf'. Hf' WA!1 of fleif,lly p05terl on If) ,J'lm' 1<;44. This ocr:ulTed in fl sirnpl~ hut moving c!'relwny held fit thf' ZAgreh airfif'lrl. Scanning Itlp thlnn~d ranks of hi~ hattallon, Mlllus's thoughts cpntprf'd on wtlflt an honor It wuld be tn 1"Ad tt\pse nlf'l1. HI:' hAd n') idp'l thAt he was to be their Cll for th~ rI's! of the war. Had h!' known, he prohAhly would havp considered hlm~"1 f all the lllcklt'r. Thesp wt're t'xcf'llf'nt troops, he thought to hlmse If. A pi ty 90 many had been lost at Orvar. How many would ht' lose, h~ wondered.

JUgt three days Mter their teturn to htlrrHcks, end long before dny reorganization could begin, tht' htlt talion was given ordt'rs to move out. The battalion was to he turnt'd over to Nfwal Supreme Corrrnand Baltic COEl!lt. The headq>larters of this conrnAnd was lOCAted At Gotf'nhefen «;dingf'nJ. The ImttHlion wag srhpduled to jump over the Finnish AAIAnd IslAnds, It sef'ms thAt. FinlAI~1 had sued for pf'ece with the ~oviet Union. Tile Sovif't Union hed (jPTrlflrtded in rf'turn staggering wer

PRRT 11

rppArflt inns, VAst tprri todps whidl hfld hpf'rt FlnlAnd'~ for yPfH-~, find n"mprou~ 1.1ther "per\f!l ties" for the\ r "llIlpr(lvokf'd Agp,r"s~ Ion," Among ow' of thf'sP mAny demAnd~ WAS thf' wl thdrAWfll of Gt'rmAn unl t!l stat\orwd In FinlAnd. niP Gf'rmAfls were to IpAve within a glvpn time pf'riod, If this tiffif' limit wag not met, the Soviet Union would consider this An Hct of breflch of "contrAct" Ami wOllld continue Its attacks. niP

F I fins hAd to get the GermAns Ollt. J f 1 t COil 1 d no t be 'IC'Comp 11 slwd by pf'acpfll\ mf'flnS, or thp GermAns rpfIJSf~:J, thf'y wpr~ told Hmt tl1f'Y wOllld hAve to U!le forep. Of C(JIIr9P, thf' I Imp Ilmi t Imposprj WFlS ton Clhnrt Il t imf' to withdraw Ill" (;pm,rln 20th MOllnt Ai n Army. Thp Sov I I' t ~l hAd done this on rlllrp(J~f', for thpy w'lnted tllf' F'inns to AttAI'k tlwi r fOrmf'r Ally. Tt WA~ Ihf' WAY the Sovipt s did hlJsinpss, hilt FinlAnd, now prnnomirFtlly ghattpr~d hy yNH9 of wArt"rp, had tlf) (-hoil'p. TtIPY hAd to Avoid (ompl,,'f' Sovlpt domin>ltion FIt Ally nlf'Hrts. No on,. could rpAlly hlAmp thpm.

Hit I~r's rAgp could rult bp cont ro I I pd. Hp didn't SPf' I h>" flllilily of o!,po!1ing thp Finni"h rpqllf'st-ultirnAtum. Hp (lid not rpTrlf'mher thBt it Ilad heptl thp Fi tins who IiAd !l1 df'd wit It h I m clll r In?, t hf' Illst thrpf' yf''lrs. Hp did not spp o 11'1 t they wprp doi n?, what thpy thought was best for thf'ir count ry, /lod thllt thf"Y reAlly did nnt hllve mur:h of 11 choir:e. Httler plftnnpd, The GerTl\fln ArtItPd Fon:!'!! would gain "onlrol of vItal Finnish poslt\ons. This would be done In ord<>r 10 prevent the Soviets from tllklng these posi t ions onrp the Fi nnl ~h Army lllid down th"ir Arms. In northprn Finland thf' GermAlls AttAcked 3pvf'ral key helge!'!, but Wpr!' met with fAilure. Now thp Finns could .lust \ fy 'my AggressiClrt af,'1inst the (;"rmfllls. Hltlpr's T'flgp hFld

wflrkprl AgA i nst hi m. Thp ,qv i pt" Wf'rp glOAting with dpiight.

The operation sc/terilJlpri In tRkf' placf' on the AalArtrl l!l I Anri9 WA~

cAnc~lled. A few dAYS Ifltf'r, on " JlIly 1944, the SS PAfflChute BAt t a I ion 500 was ent rA I flprj And forwarded to th!' f'llstf'rn front. Thplr Assignment would tJP the Ill, (Gf"rml'lni selle) SS-PRflZerkorl's [Jrd G~rmAnl" SS TAnk Corps) whirh fnrmpd pArt of Army (;rollp North npAr NArvll. Th"ir po!lting ther!" Wfl9 vpry hrlPf i~jf'prl, for by q .Ill 1 y, t r'lnspnr t AircrAft wpre wflil ing fnr ttlPm t() Iflkf' Ihpm to KAIJr1A~, l.ith'JBnIA. This prompt rerroval from ()n p fr(lnt In anOU1"r WAS caused hy Ihp amllzing ~ltrCpSS thAt Ihe Snvipt 91Jffrnpr offensive was having flgllinst Army (;rrJlJp ("nter.

The Soviets hfld lalJndlPrj U)Pi r grPflt slImmpr offpnsivp on 2/ .Illn!" 1944, mocki ng thf' st Art ing d>ltf' of It If' (;prm'ln InvF\slnn thrf'p Y"Ars h"forp. Thp Red Army WAS mrtklng A ghArnb If'S 0 f Army (; r0111' r: f' n t pr, A most ~triklng i IIIJ~trF\t ion of thp 51z>" of the GermFln catflstrnphp WAS the number of German gf'nerAis which in one way or Anothf'r becamp Cll3ullltles. Out of 47 gpnerals, only 16 reached the rf'18tiv~ SAfpty of 8 si ill hAphaZArd GermAn front. Thirty-one h8d tlPen kil]f'd, "AptlJred, or had tAken their lives! QVf'r hRlf a million men hAtI bf'en lost flnd dozens of divlsillTls hlld been shAtterf'ci. It was cprtAillly "I

dark t Imf' for th~ Gf'rltlfln Army, Thp hattal ion wa9 trAIlSfpfTf'ri

In pArt by Ai r from Wpsf>nhprg to KAU11'19. Their trAnsport incllJdr,j Ihf' plAnf'3 flnd pilots which hAd trAnsportf'd thf'm to fJrvflr. With mwh Joy, Itlp itAliAn pilots 8nrl thei r CR.47AS 'FAlC'os' greetf'rJ UIP SS pBrAtroopprs. nl" ItFlIiAns slAYf'd AWAY from Asking for fl pArticulAr comrAdp, for thpy knpw many hAd fAllpn at flrvFlr. IlIstPAd, cigar"t tps

7


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'Wp P t,J'd .... jl nnd '''HfI'tll trl!~' ,~l'Jpn

S.,th gr()lJP~ Shelf!'.! tla; ride ill true rorjUildt'ly fl~s()ciHti()n. Tht' spirit of 8 New Lur()pf' >lA" Vl'ly much e I i VP And

rill i ng over tht' Rn It ie count ry of I. i lhlJlln i fI.

The Sovlpt .111gf,f'rnilut was JTl(1~inl:; wpstwArd toward the rol i~h Ilfld r:ast Prussian borders, Almost Un(!Pf"'~Pd. Ry 4 July Minsk was raRt1lleo. The mAin Sov!f't Armorf'd sp~Ar!Jf'ed now turnf'd northwest And he~IJtod fllr thf' Reltle UHl!'lt. The SpflArhf'Ad of ttw Sov I f't dr I Vf' now polinted fil rect Iy at the ~leArt of VHnll (Vllnlus), Il Li thuilnlan ci ty j uSit 180 mi 11"9 PAst of K>.llllgOlberg (Hle cApt tHI of Eflst PrllsslAl. The RAltle cnAst WAS jllst A hop"sklpplng Jurrip AWAY fr()m Vilnlus. III (ll'der to kpep Hw! r (1ffpflsive rrd ling, the Sovif'\.' hfld to tflkf' this city, with Its IrnportRnt cOlnollfllrfltion <lnd lORd rlPt wu rk.

Ttlf' flHeest fighting for thflt city occurred between 7-14 July .944. Aware of the greflt dFJrlger threatening Army Group North (i. e., the threat of being cut off), every Gertoon unit fought with amazing determlnet Ion. Several creek panzer divisions were brought into the area 'n order to blunt the Soviet drive. .lthollh still in reserve under Army

Grobp South Ukraine, the "Gross-delltschland" Panzer Division begAn to JTl()Ve north In parts. The 1st Battal ion ("Panther" tanks) of the "Gr039<ieutschland" Panzer Rf'giment wes the first combat unit of the division to erriv~.

Meenwhi le, the Ger'men defenders at Vi Inius hfld bf'en flanked end surrounded, General von Mflnteuffel, the corrrnanding officer of 3rd Panzer Army, ordered an ifl1'llediate couf\terat tack in order to break the ring around VlInius, and free the trapped German forces. Colonel Ludendorff, a/anteuffel's quartermaster, produced 300 or so vehicles which would follow the German spearhead in order to bring out the wounded. A bat t I egroup was now formed for the counterattack. The I.

·t tal ion, "GD" Panzer Regiment, end .le men of the SS-Fallschirm./aeger

BBtBi flan 500 were grouped together into a kllIupfgruppe and reAdied for FICtion. On 10 July, this kFlmpfgrllppe moved off Its a~~embly positions and ;;ecame irrtnPdiEltely embroi led In

lVY fight i ng. The Wehrmacht , .. ,mpiHlif'~ hEld l>ef'n brollght up by rBi 1 And were ll'nre refreshed than the .',S p>1lA3 who hAd only recent iy errjvf"o hy air (':) July).

Un that very first dflY In act ion, the SS pefAt roopers WOIl prAlsp in the Serret OKW WAr UiBry. The text of the report is AS follows:

8

On July 10th strong Soviet attrmred forces flanked the (;~rrrlfln deff'n3e~ at Vi Inill3. The Vllnlu~ Highway itself WflS cut oH and enemy arllJHed units

PHOTOGRAPH

NOT

AVAILABLE

5S-SturnJ/,'annfuphl'e'/' Siegfried MlI ius (herf' "5 i>n SS-Hi'lUpt.st.UJ'mfuAhl'er) , Note the rlght collar patch, It 15 the rle~th's head emblem of the 3rd SS P~nzer Division "Totenkorf.1I

hegAn to adVAnce towards K1lUnas. The st lff resistance put up by the SS Parat roop H'lt t Ell ion ~OO Bnd I. BattA I ion, "GO" Fanzer Regiment, attAcking thp highWAY from its flAnks, !'Itoppf'd thf' Soviet advance on Keunas, placing the enemy artfX)red units in a tight vice, This allowed battlegroup Schmidt to Attack in the direction of Vi lnius, by Sirvintos, and then by Giedrll.iciai. By this move the bat t lt"group was able to once again covt"r the f IBnk of IX. Army Corps, bringing it some relief.

The tank-mounted SS para-troopers, together with the PAnther tanks of the "GrossdeutschlfHld" Division, made an unbeatable combination which manAged to pierce the Soviet armored ring arourm Vilnius. The trapped German forces were now able to withdraw, taking wi th them most of the wounded. The 300-odd vehicles carrying the injured became like the "wagon train" of the Wild West, This German "WAgon train" was the obJect of numerous attacks by th", Rf'd ("Indian") tAnk units in the Vllnius Flrea. The SS paratroopers, riding the Pflnther tanks like \1. S. C BVfll rymen, agfl I nand aga i n chfl~;ed away the "Red hordes" whirh attempted to get At the wounded, At one point the Vilnius Blrport was also rei ieved. The paratroopers managPd to put this important airport out of act ion before Uley were forced to wl thdraw.

The battalion, having accompl i8hed Its miSSion, now retreated past Kaunas (northwest of Vilnius), following the Germen

wlth'jrflwAi bf'twf'f'n the ]"S\ w(,pjt In July and the first week nf August 1944. A recent Iy publighed work on the SS parAtroopers (SS-Fallsc/Jirmjaeger del' WFlffen-SS im Ri Id) inr;luded a photo tBken hy A former Wehrmacht sprgeant. It WFlS tflkpn on 29 July 1944 near thp bend of the "'empl Rivpr Ilt KAUnA~l. Hl!l commpnts are i ne llJried ff'roci ty of dRY!'!:

he re t () de sc r i be t he the fight Ing ill tho~e

On July 24, 1<)44, 1 t"olo: thl~ photo at the her~J of thp Rlvpr Mpmel at KAUrlAS, of two SS soldiers who pfls!led hy my tAnk after a hAld fighting wi thrlrawll.!. I should think they bf'longf'rl to A paret roop uni t and hAd resisted untl) th"i I' unl t was wiped out. At that time, anyway, we hAd great respect for these men, which, a9 far as I Am concernf'd, ~lA5 not changed.

The fAr;es of th"se tW() SS pArAt roopprs, when seen in t h" photogrAph, attpst All too wplI to the hard fighting which they And their unl t hfld gonf' through. ~'or

these two men, Brl<i the rest of the SS pArAchute battAlion, it hAd bf'en another typiCAl engAgement'

In Augu~t 1944, ~ourr;P9 stflte that the SS PArAchute BRttalion ~O(l

was used consIderAbly by the 3rd PAnzer Army, as a type of "fi re brigAdp." It was a great honor to bp given this title since the hattAlion WAS great Iy reduced in strength. It was A battalion in nAme only. On 14 August, after fierce fighting, the SS paratroopers re-took Raseinen (RBseiniai), Just 40 mi If'S northwest of Kaunas. Towards the end of August the battal ion WflS given a f"w dflYS rest in thp LOl1lZa region of PolAnd (sollth of Eflst Prlls~IA). It thf'n moved out once agAin, ettaching itself to the "Grossdeutschland" Panzer Division (under XXXIX. Panzer lorps). Thi9 German corps was the northern-most uni t of Army Group Center. It was trying de3perately to keep a line open to Army Group North. The SS parachutebattelion fought alongside the "GD" Division flt DnbilJe (Dobolo), Ju~t west of Ml tau, LFltvia.

During the middlf' of ()rtohpr the thin line connecting both Army Groups North find Center was broken. The Ilnf' th"re sllApppd lIke A tight rubber b8nd, sending the remnants of the German divi910ml in IWI) di rectlons (north and south). The lAst action of tht" SS pflrBrhutp bBttAlion in the RAltlc states WflS At GArliflva, in LithUAnia (Just ninf' miles "Bst of Ill" port ci ty of Memel). In this Actinn, th" SS pBratroopers wer" Able to keep an escape route open for G"rmfln units.

The 7th Fallzer, "(;roSSdp\lt" schlAnd" PaflZer, and ~flth Infantry Dlvlsioml were trapped At Memel once


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t,h p '~()\;l~lts t"lt)~,t) ttH(J!Jr:t! to th~

cbllst. Tht> SS pArEl t'Attlll ion WAS s~ilred the lie I I of M!'mf'1 when An o:rder "'as rpceived recAlling the rprf1I\HTlt~ of thp bat tAl ion h'lCk to 1}

r~st cElmp npar Viennll, Austrill. Ti'll:", 'lfter being trAnsported to 7.iictl~nAu (in FAst f'lussiA), the r~mnining men of SS-Fflllscldrm-jkpRPr-Hatflillun Suo wpre flown to [l~ut:lCh-WilgrAm nPAr Vi.pnnA. nIPr" t!If'Y WPrf' givpn A wepk '3 rpst An<l tl,en flssignE'd to SS-SIUlml1B,!nflwhr,:r CH to Skorzeny's COITfl1IlIKI. f-or thelf Attlons on the eastern front, the r TllI'Iinlng disciplinary cases in the b t Ifllion had their sentences c;nrnutE'd, ann thelr- former rAnks r stored to them.

I Thp rpmnflnts of thp bAttAI ion wfrp to be distributed Aflnn?, the ,,/mpAnies of A rH'w SS pArAtroop hlilttfllinn. Thl" new hllltAII<)fl (WIth H)p hplp uf thp Rpsf'rvp TrBining C()mpl'!llY) I'Sd bpf'n forming pvp(- since S1ptpmhp r 1"144. Since this olher r~ralToop battal ion WAS virtllAlly a n~w uni t, the SS-FAlIschi rm.lflegerflfitllil/nn SOO was now dIsbanded, And j0 its plAce this new bsttaliun took ()\ier. M-tile] redesignst iOIl occurred on 1 n,'tober 1 944 in A cerplI\ollY at [\1I1tsdl-Wegrf'\m. The SS-FflllsltJirmJ~pgpr-BflIfli 1 Ion 500 WAS now wlthdrAwn from the sctive] ist uf the WlJfien-SS rolls, and In Its pliaee thp SS-F81Ischirm/sf'gprB},tai 1 ion 600 now took over. The sill rl t of sel f-sacrifice that was s~non()m<Jus wl th the nsme of the SS P~rflchute Ilattflllon 500 ('srrted on, hqwpvpr, In the new SS psrClchute b~t till ion.

HiUNGARIAN IiNTEHLUDE

,

wtii I e I he remrmnt s of t hp SS I'sirs( IIIJte Rat tal lOll ~jO() fOllght 011

d,,:sperat e I y to pllt out the fire In the ea~t, the newly-forming SS F'Il~rad\ljtp RattAI ion 1,00 was alrPA,Jy bplng parmarked for ypt IlnoU\I'r 'A,lgprous mi ss ion. Thnugh 110 I yet

.;o!np!ptply trsined nr mBnned, it was inter.led t1Hit this new SS pArAchute unit should participfltp in A pFlfstroop a~sBlIlt on Ca.9tip Hill. This WFlS thp tWElvlly defpnded ,'allll illl furtrf>ss of AdmirAl Horthy,

Ih;ATY'S Regent, ruler Bnd JitrtAtur.

Ad,"1 rei Hor t hy, i nf lupn,-pd by hd plAyboy son Nlr:hn1A3 fH~i Ihp th1ng I ng W I rKjs of wsr, hsd bpgun st'drd surrender negol iations wl th t h~ ('onunun 1st sin - Moscow. The SO~lp\3 hAd slyly assured NicholA3 Ho~thy Ilnn his fsther thst thplr "d~nA3ty" could survive under Soviet do~ln8tion. It wss typlcsl RollstlPVist bullshl t, but thf'se two jac,ksls were ready to buy sny line whi!r-t\ offered them continual rule. The! Hnrthys hOIJgtlt the Soviet bsit.

1 hi' ~r:enp wss now set for a

> I I RI I ;11!:llfl l I A';' :r LIii_:[)( 1111<1 ';, 1'11.1,(

Hiill~

trpsr-tIProus stet> in thl" bW'k flgAin~,t

Germeny, Thp rats were leAving the sinking ship! On 13 S"ptpmhf'r, thf> Hungsrinn Chief of StAff (who was privy to the plot) trAnsmittpd sn "flssursncp of loyally" from the Regpnt Olorthy) and t hp fiungAr 1 An nAtion to Hitler. This did nr>t put up a smokf> sr;rf>en h~twepn Hitlpr's "yps and WhAt Wi1S occurr i ng in lIungflry (as hed been thf> intpnt inn). For s Vf'fY long tiflll' now, Hitlf>r hAd bppn rpcelvlng disturbing reports from SO ISic/lerhf'itsriiensf; thp.l'S Ser:uri ty Sprv!ce fOr!nf'd in 1'~32

under Rf'inllHrd fjpydrich. InterKJf>d to bp the solI" Psrty intell igpnce or-gsn! ZAt ion. Thf' hpAnqlJArtf'rS of the SiJlo snd SU formed thp corp of thp RSIIA in jeU"). After (hp di9covt'ry thilt Admiral Canari!o WAB A t rfli tor, ilis AL'W'f'hr W[lS Absorbed by thp sn, becoming (;ermAny'g solp sPcIJrity sprvice. I agf'nts flnd 1I11ngBllen AITOW Crogg [Arrow Cross:

HllSINKI

the nAme of tl\(' HungAriAn Fl1s,'ist Pllrty heAliprj by Count f'pren': SZAIASi, I membprs in BlIdllpegl.

On :?J Septembpr, the day IhAt two eastern Hungarian cities (Tpmp3var snd ArarJ) fpll to \t\p Soviet juggernAut, Hitl~r ill']d A IAst-minut~ briefing Bfter I hI' rpgular dAi Iy conference. This 1 mprompto se!'!!'! i on WAS 8 t t pf1(jpd by such court notsbles ss Flp]d MFlrshAls Kp\tf>1 And Jodl. Forpi?,n Minl.~ter von Rihbpntrop, long nut of fflvor in Hitll'r's cnllrt, slsn Attl"n<ipd. Also prespnt W/lS

Reichs{lIf'hrf'r-SS Hf>inrlch ilinvnipr, whosp power WAS .J ust rpw:hi ng l ts zpni th,

Present st thp "Wolf's l.Air" (Hitlpr's Fsst PrlJssinn qlJArtprs) since the sf'rnnd wpp~·. of Spptembpr 1944 WAS Utto Skorzpny, who hsd stood on the sldE'linps pVPIY

dAY, watchi ng the go i ngs nn fl I I hp dAlly conff>rerK:p!'!, Now hp WAS to bE'


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~r.·4, . .1.:. . T- ".'

I

·1-~ ~.'-.

~'r*

I tHe "guest of honor" at this l~st-mlnute palaver. That day (23 Se,pterrber), Hit ler hed asked him to !5t:t'lY behind after the conference. Something was definitely up, Skbrzeny thought.

! Hitler began the meeting with a vltlou9 tirade of flCCU31ltions and Ingul t9 on von Ribbentrop for "t/lrowlng his one remaining ally to the FlIJ9~lang" (i. e., Hungary). RlfJbentrop could only stfmd there, dujnh'founded Bnd pale as a piece of (h~lk, ... hl le Kf'ltel and Jodl studied the ceiling to avoid eye-contact wl/h their raving Fuehrer. Hltmller, whose power and prestige had grown whL'le that of others had dwindlE'd, wa the on I y one in the room .... hl ch rp Ined unaf factE'd.

! Skorzeny studied this SCE'ne ca~efully. It was obvious to him th~t he would S{Jon be off on another dll~gerous mission. Hitler continued: "H

1,'mgar Y is our I fist all y. If she

fa Is, my only source of oil, grain, ar bauxite will also go. Hungary's co Illp~e will cut-off seventy of my be t divisions from the main battle fr nt. In the Carpathlan Mountaln2 alqrH', one million Gf'rman soldiers ar1 standing sld~ hy sicif' their

10 I

I

!

SS Paratroop~r5 loIi th Panzel'faust.s in Li thuania.

HungArian r.ousin2 defending the HungArian plains. If Admiral Horthy is allowed to make a s~parate peace wi th the Rolshevi2ts, these men wi 11 he doomf'd, and so will our def~nsP5 I n th~ 30uthpast. The Red Army will then pour across the Danube plflins Into Austria, Admiral Horthy is a traitor to his people And to Germany." Even flfter his crippling lnJ'lries sustained during the attempt on his lif~ on 20 .July, Hltlpr still hAd the capflclty to (Clearly spe his situation (though he would chnose to ignore real I ty more andn~)[e, wh~n it suitedhiml.

Hi tl~r now turned his attention direct ly fit Skor7:pny, his pyes mAking contAct with his tAil (~()mITlitndo ex1 raordinai re. "You, Skorzeny, wi 11 deal with this Admiral Horthy," The die was one again cast, and the characters of this next scene ... ere chosf'n. Skorzeny was now t asked wit h capturing Admiral Horthy, thus preventing his country's defection to the enemy. The catch was that Skorzeny had to accompl isl1 his ml ss Ion wi thout br I ng I ng th~ who I e Hungarian Army on his brICk, or .... orse still, IHwing It defect 10 Ihp

cn!TJl1IH1I9ts. If Skorzprty plAyed hi9 cards wrong (and he didn't hrlVe ITI8ny to play with), the HungArian Armed Forces could pos2ibly throw their lot into the Red camp.

The first plan was formualted by Hitler, Jodl, and Keitel. As Hitler explained: "Four to five parachute battalions" were to stAnd by "In order to lay their hands on the Regent." Preparations were al90 made for the Hungarian Arrow (r02S Movement under the ex-MaJ or Count Ferenc Szalasi to takp over the government. Skorzeny first a9ked which paratroop hattl'llions Hitl~r was talking about. Jorll p\(kf'rl up the ball and described which uni ts wefe Involved. Skorzeny would have a hand-pIcked Luft"'8ffe pArachute battalion, his own newly-formed Jagdverband "Mi t te" (Hunter Battalion "Middle"), an infAnt ry battalion of officef cadets from lIiener-Neustadt (acting as glirlpr troops), and the SS-Fllllschirmjaeger-BatBi I Ion &00. Skorz",ny was aware of the first two Ilni t s mentioned. The J8gdverh,m(/ "MIt le" hed originally been formed from Ih", remnants of the SS-Jaeger-BBtllillon 502. He assumed that the officf'[ cadets would perform well. Thf' SSFBilschJrm}aeger-Bataiiion &00 was a new formation, but hAd a cAdre of men who had fought at Drvar, though not enough for it to perform wel I. That was four battal ions, not five. Very good men, to be sure, but what could four picked battalions do against the whole Hungarian Army?

"!!hat happened to the SS Parachute Battal Ion 5007" Skorzeny queried Jodl. "It's 91111 in the east," came b8ck the reply. Keitel, now sensing that the conversation was "safe" enough to Join, added: "It's been beat up pn~tty good, hut we can st ill make some usp of them." Skorzeny 9tared icily at Keitel. Here was this paperplJshing generAl, talking About brave nl'.'n I iy,e tht'y werf' common Cflflnnn- forider. SVorzeny held his rAge. He hatpdHitler's court ll'lrkips. Skorzeny turnf'd his I'lttent Ion to Hit Ipr and re'luestpd thAt the rt'mn8nls of thp SS P8rar:h{ltp RAI tAl ion ')00 hp wi tI.ir'lwll In ordt'r to allgtnPnt the nf>wly ·formed F'()Oth Ratt",1 iOIl. If he WA" tn hRve only four bAttAlions, hp would m~Kp sur I" hI' hAd thp hpst mf'n to wf)rk wl th. Germany was now scrllping the bottom of the b8rrel. He wanted to be 2ure the &OOthRattallonwo,lld hAve enough vet.eran!! to smooth out the "ro{lgh edges" of the unit. His mission'~ success would df'ppr~j on excellent troops.

,1odl imparted that the !lni t WAS dill" to be withdl"lwn anyway sirlr'p It had A I ready "shn tit s hn It ... Skorzeny hAd heard enough. He nnr:e AgAin turn",d to Hitler And Flskeri About glldf'rs. Hit If'r, sensing that Skorzpny had no wish to cnrry on a r,onvprsatlon with Kpltpl or .Jodl. repl if'd that two grl{JIldrons (24


SNO

gl !dP!,"."IJ werf' III reddy t"nroute nod would he ready to lJ3e In fl few dllY~ time. "Where is Horthy residing?" asked Skorzeny. "At Castle HilI," cflrne the reply. Tills WIl!l the fortre!l!! castle in Budapest, located on 8 hi 11 overlooking the Dflnube Ri vel'.

SKorzeny pawwd for a mint!te. "WlIHt Kind of troops 8re stationed in IlIHiApes t 'I" Jod I, who had no t re81ized the animosity Skorzeny fplt, wss the first to reply: "About three divi!liorls, one of them a Hlj"~sr unit." Four battsl ions sgeinst three divisions. The odds hFJrj not chflngerl, Skorzeny thought SarCA!ltlc8 II y. "What arx,ut the cllstle Itself?" he continued. "The troops irlentifierl so far are listed hpre." Kei tel Pfl!l3erl 8 !lheet of paper to Skorzeny, who quickly glanced at it. A Flak (ant!-aircraft) regiment, a tank plfltoon, two Hnnved (reserv!') infAntry tmt tal ion!l, elements of a JlX)untain brigade, plus Admiral Horthy's 200-marl personal bodyguard. "In addi t ion, " Jodl added, breaking Skorzeny's concentration, "a Hun-gHr i an parachute regiment has recently made its appearance in Budapest. But Intelligence tells us that the corrrnandf'r is a stout ant icOlT'lllun is t, though we have no idea what his reaction will be If Horthy dec I arp9 thl:lt a peace set t 1 ement has been reached wIth the Bolsheviks."

Seeing the long face Skorzeny WI:lS now wearing, Hit ler bro,:e the si lence of thp moment. "Skorzeny, SS~()hergruppenfuphrpr IlHch Zelpw3ky ~la3 brought a 5,)() rrrn mortar, frp3h from the vIctory at I'Iflr·SIlW. Hp hlls prt)mised to level Castle 11111 if IlPCP3S lHY· In Hddltion, 1 'VI' given orders that you are to be assisted in cflrrying (Jut your orcit'rs hy all (,,,rman milItary and civil personnel. This 1t'lter will confirm that nnjpr" Skol'zeny was handprl a crisp c I NW slwd of pAper by thp Gt'rmHn I t'llrjpr, sumnlJnt ed by the (;ermilTl Pflglf' flJ~j lrnt) ('1'033 in gilt. It wss thp P'luivillent of a hll.lflk cher~k from flit lpI'. Hp (olJ]d commandeer whiltever (;prmlln troops and armflments thst were 'lvai lahle in the Budepest eree.

Evell so, Skorzeny remained pf>rplexed as to how he would accomplish this rralst dlffhul t task. CnmpAft'd to this new miSSion, the Mllssr)linl rescue now seemf'd like a SundflY wfllk in the park' Hi tIer COllt inued hi3 sales pitch: "I flm giving you A Condor {four-pnginpd tXHnhf'r J from my Lpftller's SquE1dron, fur your Own U~P. Mi nd YO!J, Sko rzt'IlY. 1 'm COUllt i ng on you," w," j I rJ hflv pto rf'r'onno i t p I' his ohl"·:t ivp tiPforp unle1jshing all tills fou·p. Wi thl n A fpw dAY~ he wf)llld Arrive in BlldAp"!'!t disguIsed AS s "1 1

". Wolf." With typJr-sl dptprrnination ill ttw fil,ce of grt'st odd!'!, Skorzpny pr"mi~pd Hi tIer to do E'verytlling he COil Id. Wi th Hlflt SAid, hE' ldt the Wol f 's I.air in Illl

An SS F'lIl'alroop signals post in li thtJanld,

hAste.

Upon arrivHI at Budapest air. port, "nr. Wolf" wasted no tlme In getting About his Job. His hunch han been right. Castle Hill was a veritable fortress. Barhed wire, mines, anti-tank di tches, and gun pmplacements surrounded the Regent's home. In addl lion, a threatening number of heavy and light FIRk gung were pointed upwHrd3 towards the bright sunny sky. An 8i r drop or a f [r)nt a I Assault WAS definitely now Ollt of the question. In fact, Bny type of aggress i VI' act ion on the pflrt of the Germans would be met wi th fai lur·e. Skorzeny rarlioed Berlin: "Pnrlltroop drop highly unliKely to be SIIC

cP9sful. Will try different approaclJ. "

The paratroop bHttallons were kept on stand-by. however, in case Skorzeny could find no other way at getting to the Rpgent. This insurmountHble problem seemed to be solved when, on the cloudy SIJnday morning of 14 October, Skorz!'ny. alrJpd by fI compHny of his SS COCJJnllnd03 And a (;estllpo (&~"hpimstatspoI Jzd th~ Stflte Secret Pollcel sqlJAd, kirirll'lpped the Rp.~ gent 's ~lOn, Nlcholfl3. Nir:hnlflR Horthy hAd been ffil"Pting wl tll COCJJnunigt l'epresentat Ives of MArstlfll Ti to, who In tur'n repre3ented St Fj_

11 n. The GerlTl!lns hed I E't the ffil"et i ng take place. Once NlcholAs FInd his group entered the apArtffiPnt buIlding, they waited five minutes, then they rushed inside. The first (;ermfln police officer WAS not pven inside the door, WllPn a r,'ll I of submachine gun fire riddled his hody. Skorzeny aOO a f':omp"Hllon ducked behind Hlelr Merceries bpfore the bul lets began flying in their dIrection. Now von FoplkersAm, Skorzeny'S aide, rushed forwflrd with

t he SS cOtmlandos, The Bungsr j an troops which hHd been kppt In the adjAcent building for Just such fin eventuality hAd no choIce hut to duck inside. Wi th Horthy's gllards neutralizpd, Skorzeny now r8c~1 Into the building and headed upsteirs. The Gest 8pn flgent s which had rpnt ed A flat onp floor Hbovp ttlP FlpflrtrTlPnt wtll're the rTlPetlng was tAking plFtf'e hAd III refldy [I)shen in Arid Cllptllrprj the cnnspl rators. Sknrzeny rfln i ntn the FlpHrtlllf'nt, took one look "t the Rpgent's son Who WIlS now vigo[lJljgly protesting fHki inslll t ing hiR r;ermfln f:aptors, find plJ!lhed him down to the ('Arpet on the floor. With ttlp hplp of a pnllrpman, he rollpri (hp hpjr flppArent into the CArpet flnrl wlti~kprj him off!

Ttlp enragprj Horthy Annr)IJnprj t/mt very Afternoon DVf'r thf' fflriin

1/

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55 Paratroopers on the march in L I thl,ani".

thAt (;prlTlAny hAd In,9t the war, and thAt fhlllgllry hAd eccordingly cnn"l \Idpd R pre I im! nAry Arm! st ice wl tll flllgsle, Hmt sllme dAY, hpc8ljse of thp rl'loln brrlRdcl'lst, the HllngRrlAIl rl'lblllPt had resigned en

mASSf', c it i "1; tlll'lt it cnu I d not apprnvp fHl I'lrmist ice, I'lnd Pl'lr I iflment had not heen consulted on the npgot lat ions. Sincp Horthy ruled wl th Almost totAl control, it had no effect on him. It did, however, hflve Bn efft"ct on tht" Anned Forr:ps, since thpy did not know who to turn to. In thp end, the resignBtion of the Cabinet workpd to Germany's favor· A confu9pd Hungarian Army now held its breath end waited for furtlwr 01 reet ion. But nOlle ca!1lP. Hurthy WflS IlfrlllrJ for his son's I j fp, Skorzeny had once again gambled correct Iy I

Skorzeny did not. (nor r'Oldd hp) Ins,. any tIme. At Any minute, HII: Rt'p'f-'nt ml ght change hi s mi txl aliout Itll: vl1lut' hp placed on his son '3

heHd, "I» could pa33 the order for the HungArian Army to resist the German Army. Would tlw Army follow th13 commarld was a quest ion Skorzeny did not want to wai t And fin'j out. A ffi"ld rlJ,h fIn ellstle HIlI or a pBrettOOp B9Sll.ult would surely bring thp HungAriAn Army on Horthy's sirJe for sure. The f igh! that would ensue In HudRpest would surely spread throughout Hungary, flnd his mission WOllld b,-'('()~ a fll101co. SkorZf.'ny would Ilave pushpd tI,,, HungariAns

I~)

L

M"'''If" I nl rescue now 3eemed like a SundFlY walk in the perk! Hi tier

straight into the Soviet's Brms. Hp Also had to contend wi th the hot heAds in his own Pimp, Ilkf' Bllch-Zt'lewsky, who wantpd to flatlen Eludllpest.

Tha t same dAY (14 nc t ohE' r), I he SS-FBI Iscflirm}aeger-BBtai J ion was transferred from Hitler's direct cont ro I to Skorzeny 's co mmll.ndo detachment. This was In anticipAtion of its use against Castle HilI. Ely the tilJ1P of Admiral Horthy's proclamation on the radio, Skorzeny's troops were alreAdy in the Budapest 1'8i I road stat ion. lime was running out.. SS·'Ohelgrupppnfuehrer Rflch-Zelewsky was pushing for pourlding Castle Hill into ohlivion with the super-heavy "KFlI'I" Il1C>rt aT he had brought from WarsFlw.

Skorzeny thought out fI piAn which he quickly prop03pd 10 Hi I It"r via the OKW. The (;erman forf'es in RudFlPPOft were slowly hut 31Jr p ly r:nnverging on Castle Hill, Skorzpny 'Of promi !wd bAt t A lions h<ld Illready arrived Aro1 were reFldy to be employed. The followinl; morninp, hp would move up the mAin road IpFlriing to the forlress. Thp only thing was ttlflt tle planned to drive hig troops throllgh thp Hungarian defell!-lps I No aSSAult would lake place. He would simply drive hIs troops up the Castle Hill road as If thf'Y were going for a Sunday drive! Skorzt>ny WAS counting on the HungariaTl troops not opening fire at such a group of

Flpproach. " Thp nArAtrnnn h~ •• _I:_

S" P"riltro,)per in L i th{)~n I i\.

troops who, driven in tnlC'ks, woulrl be Ill-disposed to fight. Troops which by their mere defenselpssness, showed that they were not flggrpsslve in their intentions. It WAS a big gaoole, but Sl<orzeny could t1link of no other alternative. If thpy assaulted the fortress, Ihpy W(}l}lrl surely bp cut to piPfCes hpforp thl'y even rpached t h,. second I IIlP 0 f dl"fenses. Thl3 AlternFltive W'lS Just as (i f not morf» rlllngerous, hilt it offerpd a hptter chan'~e at suf'[:"ss,

If it d idn 't work, his ulde t s and parot ror)!,prs wnu Id suf f pr greatly. For or}f'e in his I i fe, Skorzf>ny W/'lS not PXflct Iy ~I'rp if hp hAd Ihought Ollt hi~ si IUBt ion correctly, tlllt thpre Wn~ 111) turning hFl(·k. Evpry other choir-I" wa~ fll,t of the question. ThAt midnight, B senior HungariAn offi(pr from "AJt Ip Hill visltpd Skon:eTlY, Inking illf a pArlpy, The vi~ltnr ,{lmplflilll'd of FlII Ihp r;prman l'lf:tivity AT'''''''; Cl'lst\e HilI. Hp AI!'lo mPllt IrJllf'd Hr)fthY'3 anxiety for ppa"p wi th the Russians which, as thp RpRf.'nt stl'lted, would not <,x,-luri,., fripndshlp wllh (;prmaTlY. Skor?<'ny knpw tllf' rllse all too wpll, TtH" HungAriAlls Wf're stalling for time. It W83 "crfll'oIA" I n the sm<> II i pst sense of t hp word, hut Skorzeny turned this (If·pting to hi s flr1vallt llgp,

Whpn the HungAriAIl nffirpr S(>PTOP[J to be catching Id q I'r"flth. rPfldyil1!', hlm~plf for ypt nn,>lhpf

'--.~., .. --,' '-~, .~n."-'l.-.r::-Ily I RH' r8r~~n Into ~~e bui Idlng Arld headed u[)~t"i rQ


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tlltldp tH dPfH.'Htd'1 Hfld ~"(iHlp!Hltlt:i.

,kOfZf'rlY took the npportlJni ty of d i f pet i ng A few comp I fll n t ~ 0 f hi 3 nwn at the HllflgArian off kpr. Why WAS the GermAn Ambas3Ador And his pnt oUfl'lge i nlpr i soned on c: Bst le Hill (the (;erman Eni)as3Y WA3 there)? Why couldn't they come down to the city? !fa3 the German anufl33ador a CRpt i ve, or an ally? The Hungarian 01 fleer, not tiiwing any rpal exccuse for these flf';t Ions, wavered. Skorzeny ~flW a s t reilk of embarassment overcome hi s opponent, and (jec ided to gRmhl e right there and H1!~rl. He Wfl:lll;'d no t imp fHld suggpsted thAt as a sign of g"od intent ions on thp part of the HUllgl1rians, the road leading from [Astle Hill should he cleared of minp3 so that the GermRn AmhAssAdor ".,,!ld Ilse it. "If the mines And hArricAdes are not cleAred from this rOlld by six A. m., .. SkorzE'ny told his opponent, "GermAny will draw the 1l,>,'essAry conclu3ion~." ThE' Hun-g'lrlCHl pl'omlspd to at lpI1St try to h8VP that 'oil Hh mt't. Skorzeny hopfd hp t),ld si7.ed up the Hungarian well PClough. The SUCCP3S of his plan dp!,pndt'd on it. UpPl'at ion PANlFRFAUST was on!

HAI f an hOllr bE'fore dllY tight, Skorzl7ny's column formed up flear CAstle Hill. At exactly 5:55 a·m. hi" troops moved off, Skorzpny at the lead. There were only ten GermAn tanks in al I of Budapest ttlflt misty mrnlng of 16 October. They included fflur Panther tanks and six King Tiger tanks which were scheduled to bp sent to the eastern front. Skofz"ny used them all. Up Castle Hi II thf'Y went, Skorzeny stan(Jing At At tent ion and uprigtlt in his Mercedes. As the column neAI'fd the first HungariAn positions, Skorzeny notlcpd the Hungllrlan troops getting fidgety. It was now or rwver. He SAlutpd ttwm smart Iy, or,J, being soldiers that they were, they rp!lIrned his salute I Ikf"> AutOntfjtons. Inst Ind WB!! what Skorzeny hAd bAnkp,j on, And al'PArpnt Iy I t was worki ng.

Skon:pny's thoughts nllw ,;pntp!'Fd on whethpr the HungArian "ffi"er hfld kept his part of the hflrgain. At any spccmd a mine could explode underneath him arKi he would know hi s ruse had not worked. Holding thpir br~ath, the German trwks arwi tanks rolled up tht' /1ill. N'>thlng happened! The ruse had worked' The Vienna Gate, pntrflncce to the cA3tle itsplf lay a/leAd. Hungarian sentrips now showed them3elves. Skorzeny, still standing upright, saluted cheerfully, The guards responded dproperly, as had the others prior. Surely this column was authorized to enter, they must have thought, How else could they have got ten up the hill'l

Skorzeny procceeded to repeat this same tact ie with thp npxt ohstacle ttlf' Army barrllcks, and agll in it worked. Now hi s t l'OOpS split into t ... o groups a3 had heFn

P~ratroDp ((IMMand nn I.hp M~mpl

Front: In the rpnt~r IS MA]Or Witzlg, who h~d rart.clrated in the

prFArranged. !lne gr'oup mAiJp for Horttly's palAfCp, !,Flssing thp HungArian Ministry of Wl'lr building. Thrpe Hungariflfl tAnks wl'rf' now visible, And wer~ blockllng thp path. SkorzenY'9 Panthprs only hAd to show themselves for the HungAriAn tank crews to raise their tanks' main guns into the air, a sign of submission. There would he no tl'lnk battles this day.

Skorzeny now moved off the IPAd of his column I'Ind Ipt on" of his Panther tl'lnks pass him, ccrashlng into the brick wall shielding thf' Regent '3 pl'llace. As Skorzeny moved his Mercedes through the gaping hole In the wall that his Panther had I~ft, he noticed six ant I-tAnk guns about to face off with the leaolng tank. He didn't wait to see how his tl3nks would fare, but imitead rushed Inside the palace, von Foelkl"rsam I3nd four SS men following close hf'hind.

Several Hungarian officers were encountered inside the palace by the large spiral staircase leading to the upper I eve I s of the pa I ace. A 11 were quickly manhandled and disarmed before they could react. Skorzeny was keeping his lead ahead of von Foelkersam and others in the group. He had reached half-way up the stairs when another Hungarian officer made an appearance, running down the marble staircase, in the direction of all the corrmotlon. "Quickly!" Skorzeny bellowed out. "Take me to see the cotrmanding officer. I have news that i~ m03t pressing, I must see your CO!" The officer responded in the propf'r manner, and Skorzeny was If'd to the HungarlBn genf'ral's office by ttw of f ieer Skorzpny hAd just hood-winked.

rnnqlJt?5t of Fn,~t Fhen-Frf,.=\p} , rlJrd,::.rring Wt th ~~S·-"fl~t/Jf. MllltJ<;,

('"lfllIYlAnrJF.'r of thpo t.:::;-:: F'.?Ir?l 8 M t frlll'"'f',

On"e In~idp the olltpr ,'ffi('p, Skorz~ny SAW thAt a soldipr WAS

firing fit the (;prmfln troops o',tsirJ". One ~wl f t k I('k afl'J hl:'l Wf'FlPDIl wpnt fly I ng ou t the '01 I ndow. Nnw t h(" C()rmlAr~!o group forcced their way into the inner officI" and confronted the Hungarl fin gllrri ~on commAnder. "Thl' whol~ cl3stle is under our control," Skorzpny tolo his ('Ill't I VP. "J "rdf'r you to ('PAse hoC!t i I It ips so that no furthpr blood be shpd Ilsplp3s1y. " The barrel of a (;("fnVln PO-R pi stnl, poi ntP<'j at the tpmpl!' of thp HllngarlAn gpneral WAS pnough In

convince him that Skorzf'ny W8S right. The npcessl3ry orders wpr!' passed, and 300n th", 'lIJ I Pt atmosphere that pprvlldpd thf' CAstle before Skorzeny 's dllrlng raid, onre rrore pngulfed her and its occupant~.

The SS parat roopers of ttle 600th Bllttellon hBd fared very well. There h6d been only a few wounded, but no one had been K i I I ed. The Army cadets had not fared so we 11, however. A good number had been killed, as had numerous HungAriAn guards. That same dAY both gr"llp~ of men were buried together after a ceremony which was atter~ed by the Germans end the Hungarians. It WAS important to begin a pea~eful coexistence with th", Hungarian Army as quickly as possible.

Admiral Horthy was personAlly flown out of Budapest that SAme dAY, Skorzeny escorting him. A GerlMn honor guard sent him off on his way to see his son Nicholas who, as Hitler had sarcastically worded, WB3 in "protective custody." The hyenas hAd been caught Bnd dea It wit h' Ttle SS pBratroop battalion hAd Il few days rest in BudApest before heing rei ipved. Thf'Y evpn hBd tlrTlf' for A victory parade througll the Hurtgarilln

rJ

d

'f'

(J

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cspltal. They departed from Budappst almst hal f-hesrtpdly. For the veterlln~ of the old 500th Battslion. this Hungsrlsn Interlude had seemed like a vscllt!on from the rigors they were accustomed to. Hsd It not been for Skorzeny, they probably would have (JepArted with a "businp33 as usual" attitude, and a lot of empty h()le~ in thpir ranks. Mi I ius could not thsnk the Gods of War enough!

WINTER TWILIGHT

The men of the 55 Parachute Battsl ion 600, now at least technical veterans of a "bRttle," were sent to a barracks in

55 Paratrnops reassemble after their successful iHt Ion ('n Castle HI II In Buo1~pest, Oct.-,hel' 1':'44.

14

SS Parat.roops servinl: as a rearguard durinc the breakout from t.he "Villva Pocket" In Lithuania.

Neustrell tz, in Mecklenburg, where they were to receive more replacpmpnts and continue their interrupted training. Winter was now fast approilching. and wi th her she .... as bringing Germany's enemies ever so closer. TI~ Third Relch was being slowly strllngled by two firm hands, one from the east, and one from the Wl'st. Sevt'ral stab wounds at the groin (Italy and the Balkans) had left her hlet'dlng. If some miracle dieJ not occur soon, (;ermany would lJe crushpd come the springtime.

Recrui ts for the battal ion were now being dnlwn from regerve unitg IU.J convalescent compani e3. n,P. Wt'hrm(lcht, 1.111 t ... Rfft', and Krif'g.c;· nllll'inp wt're also hl'lnding Ollt volunteers who were all herded

togpthpr in Sdd"~I\lig }j"j,;I(Oin in Meck I pnbllrg and in l.nwpT' Silxony. Though the ml'ljori ty of Ill" mPn nnw had no pRrachute training whAt~oever, their morlll" wa9 high. Thpse new rec ru its qu i ck I y ah91) rhed t hf' esprit de corps whirh th" battRlion's vpteran offi~ers And mt'n imparted on thpm. With thp rareful guidance of parents INKJi ng thpi r young, the vt'teran 55 paras wpre able to form a trllly uniqllP hody of I!lf'n from the diverse flock whidl rushed to join their ranY.s. They would soon prove their mettle in some of tht' rrnst fiprcI"gt fighting the Eastern front would gee·

The percentage of dlgclplinary cases had by now ghrunk to only le99 than 70~ of the hattflllol1's tolAI st rengt h. Thi s inr luded thp 0 I d reserve compflny, which was now incorporated into the unit on a combat basis. The battalion now once I1gain attained the strength of 8bollt 1.000 men (maybe a little over 1,000). While this .... as gain!?, on, the cOTll1lander of the bat tal ion, SSHBupt st Ilrmfllehrer Mi I ills rere i vPrJ 'ln order from Skorzpny. It wa~ si!?,npd by Field Marshal Kpitel. Thi~ ordpr had been distributed via the OKW and read as follo .... s:

The Fuehrer hAS orcif'rpd the formAtion of a speciAl IIni t of a 3tren!?,th of Ahout two bAttalions for employment on reconnai s58n"e And SpPC ia I tasks on the Westprn frnnt. The pprsonnp I wi II bp Assembled fn)m voltHlteprs of All arms of the Army and WRffen-SS, who mllst flllfill the following requi rpl!lf'nts:

(a) Physically for special

keen, suitRble mentally personality.

A - I , tAsks, strong

(b) Fully t ralrwd In 9 I ng I e combat.

(r:) Kno .... 1 edge of t lv, Engl ish language and 8130 the American dialect. EspF'cially important Is a knowledge of military technical terms.

This order is to he mAde known ilTll1lf'dlately to all uni ts and headqlHlrters. Voluntpers may not be retained on mlllt ary grounds but Are t f) be spnt Immedlatt'ly to Frlpdpnthal near Oranienburg (HeAdqU!lrters Skorzeny) for a test of suitability. hut A value will be put on his fighting spirit and tt'mperrnent.

CAptured U.S. rlothlng, p'1lJipment, weapons and vehir:les are to hI' collected And rpported for the t'qlJipment of t h.. abovp spec I a I troops. PersOfHlI wishps of the tr"op~

to mAkl' liS .. of this kind of


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(9~'tl)r~'d f"j!lilli11flnt r1l1!~lt tnk.f"

'''''''fld prll)llly. IJPlails will Iw nol if led lilter

Skorzeny told Mi I ius Hmt he hf¥! t rJed In cancel this "mission" short Iy Hfter (hi' release of such fl

!'Iecret plan to "the general public." Word of this orrler, and Its intentions (which were quite clear) woulrl surely reach the ears of Allied intelligencf', whowoulrldraw the nerp.'lsary conclusions. It was Inlrf'dihle thilt there could h~ RIlCh Idio(,y Hnd knuLk le-h('adpdn('ss j n ~lIJch a high lYehrmflch t cOlM1and (t he tlJghp~t, sir",e thp OKW wa" only rpsponsihle to Hitler hims('lfl.

Fventually Hitler reflls('d to cllncel the plHn, and 2,000 men from HII the brHrlrhps of the Gprmm] Armed Forcps were grouped together to form the now-farrous l50th Panzer Brigade. This brig8de aoo several smHl1 squads were to infiltrate the American lines held by the lJ. S. VIII Corps in the Ardennes mountains, a region of land which is located in the eastern part of Belgium, near the Germ/m And LuxentJurg borriers. They would tlike part in what would become known as the "Battle of the Bulge, "

The operat ion was to go ahead as planned, Ili I ius was to select the hest men from his battalion. These men wou Id then be temporar ily Bsslgned to the l50th ['{w.,er Brigade. Their return to their bHI-tll I i on would onl y become ef f ect i VI"

Bfter tile conclusion of the operation. Millus chose one of his best company conllllanders for' this mission. H~ also requestpo volunteers to come forward from ssO/)ersturmfuehrer Leifhert's 1st Cl)mpany. When 1 st Company was askerl for volunteers for a 3peclal mission wh i ch the i r company commande r had chosen to p8rt icipate in, a 11 of them evpntually stepped forward. They were sent as a whole company to Friedenthal.

One reliable source states that two SS parachute companies from the -.'I Parachute Battal ion WO were used .n the 150th Panzer Brigade. If this is true, then the percentage of SS paras in the brigade would have been a very I Brge BllDunt (300 men out of 2,000, or about 20\ of the total strength l ). The operation was a

)mplete fail ure in that the 150th .lIJzer Brigade was never employed as

the "Trojan Horse" it was intended for. For one thing, the promised Amerlran eqUipment never materialized in sufficient nuntJers to fully out fit Skorzeny's cOllJlland. Ilrast ic mell3ures were taken, like trying to ("amollflAge German tanks into looking like U. S. arllDred fight ing vehicles. Like one American author put it: "These t flnks and assau I t guns coul d only pass as U. S. tllnks only at greflt distances, in the dark; and

the 1,)0 th PRIl;'J'r IIr igade W8S AS

follows:

StafflPBflzerbrigade 1')0 (wi th a reinforced Signals company _ llXJtorized)

Staff I Panzer Kampfgrllppe 1 (with a Signals platoon - llDtorizpd)

thpn only by untrained, green repllln~ment s." The composl t Ion of SS-Stubaf. S~ .. !rzpny prIor to

awards ceremony ~t Friedpnthal. "n

·Me~s Night" In SS-Stuh,,'. "'orzeny r 1.)lnrflando5 •

Fn .. r1entha 1 : ",i j h hi s

5. I SS-JagdverbBnde ""'it te" (with ten Sherl1l8n tanks)

Three companies of llDtorized infantry (120 to 150 men e8ch). These companies contained two platoons of heavy llDrtars (six 170 IlJll llDrtars per platoon), one engineer and two Bntl-tflllk plAtoons

15

('

d .1

)(1 , -1-

'1" to 'w

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DlfHers of SC:;-Ji'lgdvel'oi1nd "Mit.te" In Frierlent.hal, October 1944. Second from r i /:h t: SS-Hs t uf . Add an von Foelfersam, Sforzeny's chlef-of-

CLOTHING OF THE :S:S PARACHUTE TROOPS 1943 TO 194.5

Th~ SS paratrooper wore the standard Luftwdfte paratroopers camouflage smock which was desiened in a geometric pattern. The helmet was the standard Luftwaffe issue of the later p~rl0d of the war. The forage cap (reldmutz) was of the W",ffen-SS pattern, complete with SS eagle and deat.h's head emblem. The soft cap was the 1943 pattern with similar Insignia. The steel helmet was worn !lther with or without the camouIlage netting. In his seven-v,)lume masterpiece, 10iforms of the S5, 1939-1945, Andrew Mollo states ( in Volume 6) that the Luftwaffe breast eagle was worn on t.he right breast of the camouflage smock. Looking at the numerOU5 illustrations at my disposal, found no such evidence

16

staff. Far dght: Hstuf. Werner Hunke, chief '!Itaff off Ice.' of 5S-Jagdvel'oand "Mi tte."

1\ ~.':... _!--.

of this. Either the paratrQoper~

removed th~hl, 01' t.he camoul I age smocks were issued without. t.hem. Mr. Mollo also indicates that t.he field gray trousers with the side opening thigh pockets was used. Though many phot.os suppor t th is, another t r')user was nwch widely used. It includf'd the field gray trouser with the front-angled side poc~ets. Canvas gaiters and ankle boots were used. The SS belt bucUe was wO"n out.slde of the camouflage smock (as was the black leather harness). Knee pads were u'3ed for all pa rachute drops. Personal ~quipment included the st.andard Army cant.een and entrenching tool (plu5 a fighting knlf~). The parachute used was the later version, the RZ-20.

In vArlou~ U. S. And (;prm"n vehirlps.

SIRff/Panzer K8mpf{;rllppe I (with a slgnal~ plAt.non - nntorizPrjl

5. IPRnzer Regimenl 11 (wi th I? Panzer IV, V, And J"R,IpflnZer IV arrrored fighting vehicles)

Three comp~nipg

Infantry (120 \0 were composed in toP the above companipg.

of nntori7"d U10 men). Thf'se ~Ame fAshion ~s

Stl'lff I InfAnt ry K"mp(grlIpP" (with I'l slgnl'lls plFltoon rmlnrizpd) The IOOtorlzed InfElrltrYfll"rI in thi~ bRttle group hAd bpen diRI'f'rspd into the above two armorpd bAt t IpgrOl.ps.

SlIpply and MAintpnAncp compAoies

Thp command of the 150lh PRn,,,:,,r BrigAde was entrustPd to SS-O/wr.'1turmt)8nnfuehrer Ot to Skorzeny, while his second in COIT11lRnd WAS O/of'/'stleutnant Wulf of the /t'ehrmw:ht. Another prohlem which CAme IIp during the Ardennps offpnsive WAS the lArk of rOAd~ whl~h gfPAtly rf'(illcPd thl" numlwf of .tni ts whkh could bp employpd Rt Anyone timp. SkOfzenY'3 uni t, for pXAmp I p. eau Id not be employed R9 propo~ed rillle to thp rORd bping ImmlPd. Skor7.pny rpRllzed the futility of IIslng ttle brigfldl' In the lMnner intended, And Instead opted for committing thp uni t a9 a regul I'll' grollnd combAt group, It fought a9 A brigade dllring thp RAt t II' of thp Ilulg". And was disbAndt'd short ly toprpAft.Pf.

Tht' men of t hp SS pArFl"hllt p hAttallon wprle thlen retllrnpd to thplr pArent unit After speing corrtJRt A~ Rrmored infAnt ry/llf'lI. Thp hrlgade w~s distHlnded on ?C) DpcpmhPf 1944. By the t irue toat tilp SS pArAS retllrm~d to Neust rpl i Iz, B new yf'flr hRd arrived. 1"145 bn)l)ght A vpry cold winter to Western FlJrope. This cold winter spell WRS shAdnwed by another large-scale Soviet offensive, launched on 12 January. The darK And ominous clouds that were converging over north-central Europe indicated the beginning of thl' end of the Third Relch. The GermAn nation held its breath and Rwaited the twilight of WAr to fall upon them. Germany's GotterdRmmerung was Rbout to begin.

(to be concluded In neyt issue]

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berir.hte del' l'f'ut sr'hf'n Wphrmar:htruhl'urlg im Z",eiten WeltkrJeg 1'139-1945. 12 Rand. Osnabruck: Bibllo Verlag, 1984.

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Rlcl'Rlcison, '11111 lam, and Spymrlur frel ~ din. Pris. Thp FRtR/ flerisions S;x [lpr:I..lve Bflft Ip8 (If tilf' Se,'nllrl Worlrl 11'''1' From fhp. Vi,,"'poillt of tilt' VI''''' (Iuisllpd. Trans. ConstAnt lrw Fi tzGiIA10II. London: Mld,RP) Josf'ph Ltd., l cl)h.

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DJvl!Jion GrossdelltschlBnri. Dorhelm; Podzun-Pallas-Verl~g, 1973.

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l.e OpeT'fl,":ioni Delle lfllitfl Itfl/iallP III Y{lgns/flvifl (194/-/Q41J. RomR: Tipogr"fia R!"gionAle, J9'1R.

Stein, George H. rhe Wflffen~SS:

IIltler's Elite Guard fit Wflr 1<J,i9~

1945. [thRCI'!: Corn,,11 University Prpss, 1972.

Te~sin, Gporg. Vprhljf1np flT1d Trflpppn ripr riput .• r.hpll I/'phrmflr'ht w.i WIlf!f'n' SS im ZW'"iten Wf'ltkrieg 1939'1945. 14 vol'lfllP9. Osnllbrur'k: Blhl in-Vprlag, I'H~).

Tieke, Wllhelm. DFl8 F.m" 7.Io'i8dlpn (1,11"1' uI>1 El/lp: (JpT' KIlmpf um Rpr/lf) 1"4". S t ut tgart: Mnt" rhu"h Ver I AI', jf,n J .

Im Ff?flPr.~tfJrm f.pt7.tpr Arif'F,s./flhrf>; IT. SS-PfllL":",-knrp" mit q. rmf 10. SS-[/ivisioll "Hnhensfaufen" Imf ''Fnff1fj[fh~rt:, .. ()~:m,=,hrllcK; Mun i nVerI Ag r,mhH, 19'1',.

-----. Trflgoriie um die Treue: Kflmpf IInrl /!ntergang df's IIl. (gp/m. I .1.'1-Panzpr -Knrps. OsnRbl'lwk: MUll i n-Verlag GmhH, I'HA.

Thnrwa Id, JIJf~rgen. 1'1 igftt in tI,p Ifintp[': Russia CO""'l'I~r.'l .lfJrHlAIY to MAY 1945. TrAng. Fr'p<J Wie, I' ~Jew

17


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¥l;rlt r'Aflltlf'lIr! HI)(ll-'~:; If)! , FVI!. Trpv(lr kUP""f, lIugh, ed. ruml F'nfrips

lq45 Ttw JJ18ries of .Iosf'ph (;optl

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Bprlil1: Yor~. :

SI<>IY SillYln

of" fJ

alvi

Wull!nont, WRiter. InHid" Hit/pr's Hf-Bc*luBrter's 1'1."19 -45. Trflns R. H.

H>Hry. Nf'w York· Frpdpri(+ A. Pr8f'ger, Inc .• ]964.

Whiting, Charles. Hunters Flom Ih/' Sky: Tile Gerfllfln Parachute Corps I'NO-1'145. Npw York: Stein and DIlY, 1'174.

1I1ntE"rbotham, F. W. The UIrr" Sf-Cl pt. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1974.

Wood, Tony aOO Bill GUllston. lIi t /pr '3

l.uft'Mffe. Secaucus: Ch"rt"pll

f\nf)k~, Inr·., !.Jemkp, 1'",,,.1 F.

f"nri ()f th,.

I 'Hq

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St"J/rll:fflr/ to Rpfll". nIP (;prm,," {lp{,.,,,t in th,. F'f'I.". WfI'hlllp,toll, O. C. : U. S. (;ovpr"m<'llt Pr I Ilt I Ilg Offlr .. , I%A. (SR)

------------------------------~~---------------------------

SS Stllrmfllln WRltpr SplettstoP3ser [!,hotoJ was I istrd as MIA on 13 Mllrch 1 '14') Wllll e sprv i nE wl (h il

"Malch CompAny" of (t,P SS Panzer ;renfl<iier Training flnd RpplFlr:emt'nt Bettallon 1. He had undergone trainin~ in 1943 wi th (Hh Conl!>flny, JI. II/tier JugPnd Treining Rettalion Ilt thp I\f'rlin Lichtprfelde I\fnracks. ftp thPfl sO"rvpd wi Ih II. BAttal ion, SS Pfl{IZpr (;r'enadier RegimPnt 2, LSSAH" (Field Post Nr. 14 10] DJ,

and wes bad I y W()UrKjpo. He WAS sent to recover At the Had Aussee toIi I i tAry Hospi tAl.

On B Januar'y 1')4') he left thp hospital to join thp fl<1 hoc "Mardl romprmy" of SS-Panzer Grpnfl<lier Training end Replacempnt Rllttal ion 1 in MalgrflfpieskO". The hilt tal ion had bpen broken down into rl",tarhprl bllt t Ip-grolJps, mnst of which were Ahs'lIhe<1 by the SS Rf'ginlPnt "FAlke" of thp .37".1 SS Division "Jo JAnuar" on thp ("kjpr River Front. I{owpvp r, smAll pllrts of thp t)flttalinn also servpr! wit h ht h SS F'flflzpr Army in

18

r-·--·---------··--------------------- -.-

[~;fftlr~ QQf)..) u-1J:l.(:;)1~LLf1.~Jrl~arl?

Hllngnry flnd with .'Spmprgplwy IJIlits in RohpmiA-MnrFlvifl. It is not I<I1(\wr) f'XArt Iy whprp Splet t SlOp9S.,r ,,",f,'d up And was d.,rlAn'd mi~sing.

IIfltllf. KArl (;'l~P (horn 77 July 1'11.); di pr) 14 Ff'hnlFlry 1 ')7''; SS NI'. :1f)7,3871, WAS onp of thp top studpnts in his offirpr 'g trainirrr, CI1l33 at SS-Junkprsc/III/p "Toplz" in 1918. His instrrwtor In slgn"ls/ communicat ions At th., tIme WWl Frn"t Kempen, who would lAter romwmd IIs/uf. Guse and his art i Ilpry detachment from 17. SS Pflnzpr Grenadier Division "Goptz von Berlichengen" during the defense of Iofetz in Octohpr 1944,

After seeing flCtiVp fipld service, Hstuf. Guse hecFlmp Fln artillery school instructor. Following thp Allipd invA!lion of France in June 1944, GllAp'S wholp training ClASS was mnhllizpd to serve In t hp 49t h SS P81lZpr GrenFldif'r Brigade. Our! ng I h", brigAde's trEllning And formAtion in DenmRrk, the u c l as3 ," undf?'r GURf"S

cont Inueo COJJfllcHKl, was f'xpilndpd int.o A battalion-sizp artillpry de(ad)~ mi'nt. From tlw pnd of Jllly throllgh thp fl10l1th of August 1944, the BI·t i I I pry rfpt(J{'hmpnt along wi th ti,e rpst of t h.> br i gFlde gFlVP a gnl)d Account of I tspl f r!pfpnJing tlrp Seinp River linF and thp Gprm'lll withdrawal through Northf'rn France.

In Spptember 1944, GI13p '3

dptachment was tnmsfprrpd Intact to the baoly depleted SS Artillery Rpgiment 1'1, "GvB" Division «hp rest of the brigade was also transferrpd into this divi9ion). Duri ng thp bat t I I" for Metz in Ortob.,r 1944, lI.c;tuf. Gu"P And hi 3

corrrnand distlngul~h/'d themselvf's hy stuH tering rppeFlted AmpricRn at tark9 on the southwest qUArter of thp c j t y. The dpt achmf'nt WilS In continuous Artion during this time dt'spitp a vpry dlffirult mllnitiolls and re- supply prohlpm whid) Ifstuf.

(~IJ~P wnrkp!i Rrnl1nd t~!P /··!rHY to

nvprr~()ITlf' A~ El r·P9111 t nf fhp c.;rrl'(·f'~",S

of hi 9 cnmmFHlrl rI'l ring H,,, ,. r i t I' ill hFlt t le of Mpt?, Ifstu(. r.Flr I CllSP WFl~ aWflrdF'<i ttlf' (;prmfln Crnss in (;"lrI, 'lnp nntr:h hplnw thp (li~t i nrt inn of thp Knight '~ r:r/]s~'-

(1sfuf 1fff. Wprnpr (~r()thrn;~nn (horn ?l Allgtl~t I')!'); SS NI'. IRI, '1H), lnil)p,j thp "r.pih~tl1nrlFlrtp SS Artnl f lIi IIp/'' in 1'114 Flnd in thp fnl Inwinp, YPAI grFlrillFlt pr! f rr .. m SS-Jllnk .. ,.s, 1", / p

"BrFlllwlChweig" AS tI)" hp'" ill his r1A99. Hp thpn g"rvp,j [r.>r fl lonR t imP wl th thp .IS f/pginlPl1t "j)pllt~whlflnd," pvpnt'Hllly hping FlwFlnip(j t hp I ron er os", l:,t (: I FlSS,

for h'ltt Ipfipld vfllnr GrothmFlnn pn,jpd lip A~ tI)" (-hipf

Adjutant of thp /I'.'lflp(}-SS (H) n", StAff of thp Rpjr·hS(lIpiJIp,,-SS. At thp pnd of thp Wflr, (1"/,,/,,,,(. Grothmflnn Attpmptprl tn fPt h'P .". fji rrrnl pr to iS9'IP '1 Ifl~t ""rdpr of thf' dilY" Assumi ng flJl1 rp9p')nqihi I It Ip" for thp A,·t ions I)f thp SS Rnd spprifirAlly strding thAt H,P "WAff pl1 SS WAS snlply A mi litArv /r-nmhAt T fnrm'1t ion. " lIimmlpr rF'Jprtpd this prnp()sfll hilt r;r()tlrmAlm still followpd him Al'f)llnrl AS hp tripd to pVAdp rAptivity in ""rly MAY 1':145. 0"/11/"'1(. (;rnthm'lnn F'vpntllAlly fpll into Rri' i ,," ""nd~ Aloflg wi th (hp Hpidls[IIplnpr, t>'lt unlik" his hos~, did not rnmmit 51Ii('i<1p and was pventually rele'lserf.

Thrpp Waffpn-SS soldiers fnlm thp 7th SS MOllTltflin Ilivision 'Trim: Ellgpn" who WerF' hnspitAlizf>d in LAndR""Quplchhpim, f'fFllz, Wprf' Reizpo And Pxecllted by flmp ri'-,lI) 90ldiers on .1 Mflrrh 1'14'i wilhr.'ut Any provof;atlon l Thpy Wpre IAtpr ""ried hy nuns from the l.ilndilrJ-(lllPlrhhpim MonAstpry In thp cemptpry ilttFlrhpd to thp Monastpry. This WFlr crime Wf'nt Ilnrf'ported And unpunhtrpd. -.-~ .. -.~------------------.. -- --


SNO

~~-FElDERSATZ BATAILLON 2

~~-FELDERsaTZ BRIGaDE 102

At thp heg I nlll nr, of the Ardennes Offpnsive which comlllf'n<:ed on 16 [leef'fr,hpr IQ44, 6th [SS) Pflflzer Army conrnmY1 orr1f'rpo tn~jning activities for rpplAu"mpnt units to contlnuf" at I1n f"lf'vatpri level in the nparby WpslerwRld arel1 with the stipull1tlon that thesf' troops would be ut I I Ized for combat dllt It'S I f necessary. Because of the invninf'nt potent ial of the latter posslbll I ty It was declrlf'(i to combine the smFlllf'r trl1inlng elements into Il1rger strlfr.tnres whpre posslhle. This led to the creation of the SS-Feldersatz (Field ReplflCemf'nt) Brigade, IT. SS PflnZer Corps (which by the f"nd of the year had bepn retitled SS-Felrlersntz Briglldp 102 to conform wi Ih the Corps' n. lni:1e I' I ng system).

SS-Sturui.Jannfut'hrer Hans Bis-singpr was nafnt'd the brigade cOnInFlnder. Bissinger (born 25 January 1<)13; SS Nr. 536'.18), was a holder of the Iron Cross, 1st Cla3s, who had been tile corrrnanding officer of 11. Battalion., SS-Panzer (;renarjj er Regiment 3 "[)PlJt sehl Bnd" of the 7nd SS Panzer Division "Das Relr"h." Arigflde troops cfl.Jlle from the replacement units of II. SS-Panzer Corps and to some ext ent from thro'lghout the 6th SS Panzer Army. This led to the fact that the unit was som",t Imf'S referred to as the SS'PelcJersatz Brigade, 6. SS-Panzer Armee. Serving a3 the nucleus element for the brigade WBS the SS/TB 2 0. e., SS-Felclersatzhflt.~j Ilnn 71, "OBS Relch," which had been reinforced by the "Reich" close-combat school, the personnel of which were uti I ized to form a 5th COmpf'lflY for the hflttallon.

In JanuBry 1945, Stuhaf. Helmut Srhr'" i ber was nanlt'd to cormnand SS IFS 2. He was a holder of the Knight's Cross find tlw (;prman Cross in Gold (born 25 March 1917; SS Nr. 3f>1, ?'lll, who hfld gn'ldw'lted from the .\S-Jllflkerschulp "TOf'lz" In 1'1]9. Sr hrf' i ber had spent Id sent I re career with the "Deutschlend" Regiment of the "[lag f<eleh" Division find hBd Arhieved great prominence while commendlng 10. Company, Ill. Bilt lal ion, "Oeutsctlland." At the time Schreiher took over SS-FTB 2 he hAd just recovered from a severe wounding received during the hpflvy f I ghtlng 0 f I he prev lous sununer in

Decernber 1944-May 19'15

NormAndy. On fj

ordt'TPd to March 1~145, SS PEII 7 WFlg

rejoin the "nA~ Rpich" flivi.sion in HungAry, hilt will I", prepArAt ions for this move werp in progress, SOl11/" news errivpd at th", hpAdquArtprs of SS-FeldersRtz Ari-f,Arlp 107 that "hanged pverythlng. On A MArch 1945 a ~lIIrprisp American AttAck hAd Spized ttw Rhinp River bridge At Remagpn And the brigAde sleff in Altenklrchpn WAS ordered to immedlFllply d'spAlr:h ClIl romh'lt-rpCldy troops tot hp br I dgphead frollt. SS· FTIJ 2, whlrh tlAd hppn in fl

SIAtp of high Alprt anyway, WAS literelly pnlled off of ttlP trflins thAt wpre to t.AKf' It t" H''''gflry, t lll-nprj flrOlJrW I And sent towards RpfJlFlg",n In A motoI"i,,-pd ,onvoy. whl It' Ihp rest of the brigade began f1YJhillzing. Tile bClttfll Ion WAS to r,,111/" ullder the commAnd of 11th PRrI7.pr llivl sion.

Upon r'PA'chlng Ill" front gprctor, SS H.B 7 was ordered to tAke np 1")5 it Ions whi ('h nH' Al onp, I hp l)flt tpnherg Rp! fprt rOAd to thp sO'lth-s'1IIthpflSt of Ihp Arneri{"f1rl bririgphpAd. Naturl.llly, t.hprp wPle no prepClred defpnsps in the ~rpA, so dip,glng in r~'orrrnenced irrmf"dlatf'ly arYi improvl Sf'lt ion WAS thp order of the dAY. The bAttfllion commend [lost was set up in thp liny villflge of Hflehnf'n (flll of ')0 residpnts). The terrBin in the defpnslve sector WAS hi Ily Bnd roll ing arxj gave a view of tt,p whole brldgf'hpfld aT"/:,F!. TI,e SS rompanips were df"ploy~i In gppAralp strongpoints along the sprl')r frnnt. From thpsp posiliong, Ampli'An vphlcles "ollld be seen crossing t.he !.udplxlorf Brid!',p end thp COWlt I,!C-

tlon of A npw mIlitAry hriJgp Ad'~(~pnt to the df'strllYf"d r~1 lroAd hridgp "ou!d '11so be obs.,rvpd In pr()gres~.

On q MElrr'h I 'HS, Ampr IrAn FIll i Ilery 'lpot ter plfifles flew ov"r ti,e bettAllon's posItions FInd shnrl I y aft erwilrds t h" unl t t)f'gan rpcelvlng incoming fire, which also extendpd 10 the vlllege of HAphnpn. CaSUAl ties, inelllding some fatal it 11"9, wpre instantfllleolls, And included some local civiliAns. This I alter deve I opment in partiel! I Bf IIpset Stutmf. Schreibpr who had hoped to somehow k"ep Ihp vlllAgprs out of the conflict. He onlprf'd th"

tlAllAllofl mpdlrg 10 PV'l,UAtp flnd trPI'lt the woundpJ c!vi I ians Rlong wl th thp WRrfpf)-SS caSUAl tips.

Ily 10 March 1'.14') th" ovprwhplming m'ltprlal "mu9'-lp" nf the enpmy had Amply dpID"nstrAteri i tspl f. lIAehnpn IlAd I'PPfl rprilfced to ruins And most of 1Ilf' beltal ion's motor vehicles hed been dpst.roYPr1 in thp reAsples3 Am",rl,An bomhFlrdment. The ground si t'lflt Ion bf'r'AfW even more cri ticAI wllPn Ihp lllh lJ. S. Armored Division sprur"d A breAkthrough of Ihp hermAn 1 I np!,! to the south of SS-FEB 2 's left wing. As a result the bflltRllon WAS forced to Adjust Its line!'! to a point hphind the flargarten--I1APhn p n road. Part nf thp PAtlpnhprg HargArten road was yleldpd In hArd fight Ing, but t he bat ta 1 ion flVO IdprJ be I ng out f 1 Ankpd.

Du ring t his b'l t I let wo r) f t hp Waffen-SS troopprs fpll Inlo thp hands of the Amprir'Ans And W"Tp

tAJ<en to the rear whf"re they were hf"ld cflptivf" hy mpmbprs of fl ID'Jrtar unit from the 99th U. S. I nf !lnt ry Division. In thp night of 13/14 March, the two SS soldiers overpowerf"d their gUArds and took their weapons. An till-out pursllit df'veloppd, punctuatpd by sharp exchanges of fire. By the time the SS m"n had been receptured, six GI 's had been kiJ led. Now there would be no mercy for thp prisoners. Wi th their hands shflckled behind their hacks th" SS men were knocked to I he ground, shot in the back of t hp neck, flrld left to lip wilerf' tllPY fell. They were later burif'd in the cemetery at Bad Hownef by some local villegers. One of the murdered men was identified lAter as FrAnz Wi lke (born 12 MAY 1925), who originally came from the SS Flak Repla,"'fTlPnt Rpglment in Munich. His comrade relTlflins unknown.

MArch 14, Iq4~ saw An AI I-out At tpmpt by the Luftlmffe to (ipst rny ttlP RpmAgpn br idges. Around lOO planps werp utilized for this desppration miSSion In whllt WIlS OIlP nf the last mAjor undprtAkings of thp f;prmAn Air Force. And it fAiled misprAhly! The diSAster WAS cau9pd by the pnormous concent rat ion of Ant i-aircraft guns on Ihp AmeriCAn side which literally swept evpry qUAdrant of t.hp !'Iklps. How any

19 )


SNO

plfHleg got thrllllgh At all WA~J a mlrArle In It9Plf. Twenty-four GermtHl hnmhprs wpre downed on this dFlY In thp hridgehpArl An'A. On 1"> ~ar("h, 21 morp l.vt/waffe bombers Again attAcked the Rpmagf'n hri<if,phpfI<i; six of thpm Wprf' hrought (jown flr~j the hridgp rf'rnAinpd intact.

On thf' grollnd, SS-FI-.B 7 WA'l ~t ill gpt t i nf. poundpd by tlw pr1!'my Art i Ilr>ty And fight Ing off Am"rlcan prot·ing FJttA,-ks. SI) far thp front sN·tor hpld hut InFJnpnwpr FJttr-ition WAS ~pttinf, In fA~t with little tn show for it. Stuha{. Sr'hrf'ibpr WAS in rwjil) contA,:t .. i1h thp brigade heil(~l''lrtprg in Altf'nkirrhen and he tnfldp qevprAI requests for the wl thdrawal of the battalion so it rOllld rejoin the "Da3 Relch" Dlvigion In the "East." All requests were denied, however, and the losses cont I nued to TOOunt - Ust Ilf_ BAIlPr was one of those Killed repel I lng an enemy attAcK on the 14th.

In thp m,ornlng of 15 MArch, a bFlttAlion from the Fngineer Tnlining Regi!llf'nt 4uJ under Major von Koeller

Dr. Goebbels me~ting with rprl'pspnt~tiv~ ~01rljel'5 of v~rlOU5 E~<::jtern nAtl1)nalitl€S, in Deremhe-r

arrived rei ieving SS-FEll 2.

in ili-lf-.'hnpn to hp,; in thi" inr-r-easingly battered To the n()rthwi"~t of thr>

town An AmericAn rpglmentfll lARk foncp from the ,)'lth U. S. Infanl ry Division hAd hroKpn throllgh iilp GprmAn IInp9 on a brOAd front AmJ hy 10: 1~) ~lHrl hf:'gun to threAtpn Haplin,"n. At this time the unl t change-ofposition arollnd tile vlllFtge WAc; st ill vpry nllwh llnderway and bpfore Anynnp reAl izpd i I thp AmprlcAns hm; flrrlvprj on thf' sreen,". Bursts of wi Id firing in front. of till" SS-Ff"R 2 ('oTmlAnd post provided Stuhaf. Srhreihpr with the first eviderwe of the pnemy prpsence.

Schrelber aoo his rRdlo mfln Irr-tlIedifltely rushed outside with FllltnlnFltic weapons in their hFlnds. Thf'Y fo",1<1 the Americans roovlng Into tlie middle of the vi IIAge. The only hope now was to mal<:e a nm for 1 t ! The Stllrmbannfuehrer joined scatten'd troops from the town in dashing for R stone bridge ahout 500 meters to the north of flaehnen. But rould they make it? The Americans

1944. First known puhlication. [Courtesy of Eri~ r;lInr1kvistl

were in hot pur!']uit' FortunAtely, ahout 1')0 mf'\"rs

out nf town, A WFlffen-SS mAr-hin" gun teAIn hflltpd And went Into position -dptermined to buy time so that their .. omraries .. ould eSC'Ape. In thlg they were 911(:('e99flll; Stuhflf. Sf-hreih"r and the 18St remnAnt s of his comlnilr~j

rpAched th" hr idge and rillg in on either side of it. Blit bFWJ<: in H8ehnen the AmerlcAng were flble to hAg mu .. h of t.he engineer tmilAllon, I ne 1 ud I ng its .. OITmAf.Jer, who hAd the misfortune to bi" CArrying thp [nla .. t (;ermnn batt le pl8n~ for the RprnFlg"n Front In his brl"f cagp! Snrne WFlffen-SS men were also tAke'n prisoner in the vlllflge Along wl th mo~t of the teenag€' members of a F1Flk helper unit.

A vpry intensp bAt lip thpn rAg"d for the slonp hrlrlgp, .. ontlnuing until 1630 hOllrg in the Afternoon, when SS-FrB 2 finAlly abR~joned the edifice to troops from thp 99th U. S. Infantry Division. Th" sqrvivors of the SS replacement bRttAI Ion threBded their WRy through

...• ~

j t


SNO

HIP wn(ld~ to Arn:1I111, ,>ventlllllly gni np, i Iltn pn~i t inn on thp wp~t hn.nK ot El ~treRrn npST the town. They We!'t' Jolnfd here by Lelltnant Rehflsch who hAd led the Flak helper detachment In Hllehnen llod hlld rnAnagf'd to escape thp carnAge.

llw'k in Hat'hnen, the bodies of six SS NCO's and a privAte who had been ki lied in tht' town on 15 March wpp hurled hy Filther Detsche, II

prip,9! from Linz, aS91stpd by somp lOCAl hoys. On 7\ MArch 1')4'j, SS-FFR

left Its positions on the small Wied Brook to go I nto combat reserve to the south of Hpnnf'f. At the end of thp n.,nth ttw remnants of thp hettAlion Ipft the vicinity of

l\orjpTlwot'tir for llnlf'k. At thIs town 11 I"'W c()II"('tlnf~ stAtion for "/lr,~ He ich" n~plflcement3 hilei hppn e~tAbl is/wo on ordefs of the divisional stAff. The officer in charF.p At Bruck WAS Ifstuf. Fllgen MilI!'H'nbflchf'r (born 20 Novermer 1914; SS Nr. 110, 1 ':lID; the form!'r rom mAnder of r. llattBllon, SS fanzer (;rf'flfldier Regiment] "DeutsrhIAnd," "DR" Division. Only enough troops tllrned up to permi t the formAt Ion of two Ilew rep I arement compFHli es And they Wpre qllArtered in the town grarmner ~(-hooL

However, the two new compAnies sprvpd AS the nw:, I f'Wl for A npw sS-re/ciersatz Bat tal ion 2 whirh took

~lhflP(~ In e1lrly April, nf~'ljnlmdpr

Stl/hnf. Sr'hr"ih"r. On (, Apri I 194';' the h1lttallon WAS forcpd to wlthdnlW from flruck Aod on the 12th it bPCA\1le the mAin pArt of a bAtt le-grollp led hy Stl/t>af. Schre\ber thnt WAS rllshpd to the TrAisen sector in AIlstriil. SS-/(nmpfgruppe "Srhreiber" WAS S()on helwlly engagecl egalnst the Red Army neAr Herzogenburg and St. Apgyd. After extremely cost Iy fight ing In the hilly slop'"s of the Dunkplstelner Forest, the survivoy's were withdrAwn from the front Flf)<i sent to LAnglois, whprp SS-FER 7 WAS to hAve heen rer.onstltul,ed on"p Agnln hAd not the WAr endecl first!

-------------------------~~----------------------

At Ar()ltr~i nonn on ;0 Apy ill 'l4'), !rClops from All. S. 11th Armorpd [livl~Ti()n tAsk forcf' flnd thp 10lst I). S. (',wAlry (;rolJp mllrdered ilt IPAst 1" ('9ptIJred, WllIll¥tl'd members of thp .\'I'-I\fl'tfllion "[)egglngen" in thp town of M"rkerKjorf. When the U. S. troops SlJddf'lIly wiHldrew in the night of 201/1 Apri I, the town WAS re-secured hy SS-flAt tAlion "Degging<>n." At 0')00 hour~ on the 21st, two mASS graves were discovered in the town cpmet"ry snd were personill Iy insppcted by the bat t a I i on CO, St ubaf. Bfwmgaert e I.

(lne grAVE' contAined ttw hodif's of 11 Illf'n who halitlf~f'nkillpdin sction Oil ,0 Apr! I (including that of rompAny conmander, IIstuf. Willy SOnlTler), Ilnd th" otilPr contAined the hodif'~ ot ilt left~t 1') wl1lJrKjp(j men whl) hAd hp!'1l left when the bat tal ion

id been forced to evaclIate Merkendorf on the previous dHY. The precarious bilttlefield situation prer'lllded a more df'tailed eXAminflt ion of the atrocity, as the SS bAttalion WAS once flgain on the "'(lVe, however, no one WAS ever

ought to just Ice for tllis deliberste war criln€'!

(ls/I)f. Petpr HopI''' (horn R June I'll!; tiiprj F, ,lime 1 "fl'l) ~Jf'rved as the hi'lttalion AdjutAnt with SS Sign'lls At>/pi lung fl, "Florlan Geyer" CaVAlry Division.

SS-lIn/Pfsr'/mrfuP/II-pr Dr. Gerhilrd Rirhtpr (born ~ April 1'1041, WAS fl

dentist at th" Fuehrer Hearirl'lArlprs in April/MIlY 1943. He ~prved tr()m 1 August to 14 Novemher 194] wllh hth Company, SS Panzer GrPIlAdif'r Heglment }O, 9, SS Panzer Division "Hohenstflllfen." He was then wl th the divisional Sturm (ASSAIlI tl Company for iln unspf'clflf'd period of t ifllf' before transferring to rI. Ahtf'i/ung, SS-Pan7.f'r ReF.iment 7, "[jas Reir'h," where he served ilt the regimentAl dentfll stAt inll. FIJrthl'r informAtion About him is not AVAi lable.

Stllhnf. ,jBnlJflry WPrflen-·SS a senior nlPd ir-fll

fir. Fnlr12: StilI-m, belr n 7 1'1')8. sprvpc1 in thp from 1938 to ]'l4'). He WAS doctor Ar~l then bFlt tAl Ion

offirpr with I.

D~nish SS v'.lilJnteers m~r(hing to the Och'Senzoll railroad 'Station enl'olAte to their training camp in Germany.

SS'-"Totpnkopf" StFlf~jarfpn Hp Illtpr wpnt on to her'omp tt"" divi~jn!l"1 tnPdl rfl I offir"r for 10th \'.1' f'''"7pr Ilivl~lnn "Frund"hprp," (lq~l 1'1~4)

And l'lth II'l'lfff'frGrprrAdi p r llivi9inrr der SS "HIITlywli" (HungAry Nr I) (1'l4,» Hp riiprj on 7 .iJlnp 1,,",4

Annther mpdir'AI <lo,'tnr wi Ih Ihl" ~AffiP nllmp hut fivp Y"Rl'S oldp!, Ill"" sprvpd in the II'l'lfff'n'SS I'r. "'Irm, al thnlrgh not A JIlf'mher' of til n NSI'AF'. hpld SS NI'. 310,4?4. Hp W~9 illsn aWArdpd thp ss [lPilthshpAd Ring And SS DFlgger of Honor.

Horst HermAnn, from DAnz j g, "'119 An X-ray techniciAn with the Field Hospl tal of SS MeclicElI DetA,-hment '1, "Wiking" Division.

21 5


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~~-STURMJAEGER REGIMENT

"BOBRUISK/PRNNIER"

In HlP wAke of th" A'lRFlS9IrHlt ion of Reidls,oomnissar Kuhf' in Wf'is'lrllthenia (!lyplnnl~sifl) In S"ptemher 1')43 hy r.nnmllnist pArti9l1ns, ni'W serllrlty forces Wprf' crpAtl'd In thf' rpAr Area of Army Gr()1!p Centp!, to help trAck down thp terrorists. Afiflng H,p unl t 9 onhi II7.prj Wf'r" two oAttFlllons of SS mE'n frnm thp sllpply rlf'pilt" in thp flrf'Fl And I hp t rnops of thp Hlghpf SS 'md Pol iop LpAde,- for thp rpg I "n. Thpsp hA t t Al ions wprp InlllAlly known AS: I. And 11. I1Att1l1 Inns, NflctJsr-huhkmrunandflnillr 'pr "aUNI SS And Polizei, coming

,mdpr thp eOnTnElnd of SS-StandflrtpnfuetJrer Rudo If Pflnni er (born 10 .July 1 All'?; SS Nr, 41O'i, A9U, who WAS In charg" of the "'fit f"n-SS fear AreA supply systf'm in lIf'issruthpnia. These hattalions were answerahle to

'If' .IS "'Ilin Office in Berl in. In <1fklltion to thpse two battalions, thp NfWhsdJl}bkormlflndBntur 11150

mohl I 17.prj Rn SS Penlll Work Deta"IIn","t in thp war against the part i SAns.

By the parly pArt (If JC)44 the twin hFlttilllons hild been reehristerwd SS-Sl/jrm.jae~er l1at-talio))!! C)()() and 501 find it was Intpndpd to form them into an independent regiment, thp staff of whlr.h began forming at the SS Training (amp Dehiee in Poland. The regiment was assembled under the cllnmlflage title of "Formation Staff

C;taf. Pannier (left) with Hungarian l ieut.f'nanl G.,neral l.aszlo (eenter) 81 Hlmgarian VIII. Corps Headq\JC'lr~~rs In Bye10rIJC5si,'=l;, 1:~.44.

22

Slaf. Rud,)lf Pannier uniform).

'Pol Ice

{Jpbir'A" Anrl WAS rPAdy for o:sp hy thp spring of 1<144. It WAS r()nsidered on I Y fl \.f'mpofl'lfY formRt ion Rnd WAS

refprred to eithpr AS SS JRPf:pr Hef, I mpnt "f\nhrll i sk," or .I·S· 1'/ ':rm·./flF'p,f'r Rpglmpnt 'T'Annlpr" ("ftPf it« corrrnAnripr). Thp rp~~impnt (~F1mp llflfjpr

thp <ini Iy OP"fAt ion'li r'''ntfnl of SS-r:rlll'J'f'nfIlPhrpr "'Irt von ,;"t n'Prf, (horn 1 J Nnvpmhpf lfl'tll; SS Nr. 4'i, <)?1), who lit Ihp t illlf' WFlS Ihp Highpr SS Flnd Pniiep I.PFvjpr for lIeissfIlthpniA.

In IIriliition to Stef. r'mnlpr, tll!' following SS officers wpr" also

Off ieers of the S<;-C;tU/'m';,'PIJP,' Regiment. vi si t.ing HlJng~ri"n VI I r. Corps Headquarters In 1944. The Hungarians by this time were .. nly fight.ing partisans. Pannier is third from right; ~n unfnnwn SluhAf. is fourt.h from right.

known to heve been ~ffiliated with the regiment:

SS-IIRupt st IJrmfuehrer Sr.hllf' f f pr, reglmpntFlI wPFlpon'S mFlstpr;

SS-SturmbRnnflJehrer Pr. -'111r.nh Nllgel (horn 2 Or,tc,hpr lA,),); SS Nr. 416(387), the unit fljF',ji"fli OfftCf'f;

SS·-Ifstuf. Kllrt KFlnzy {nr KFlrleyl O)()fn 7 [lprpmhpr J'1I7; ,S Nr. JOf),6'i71, IPgimentfll fl.j,,,inistrattvp offtrer.


SNO

~t \1"""';'1 ~ ;.~! f I)'; f.' !} j"f,., I I ~At 1'~11'\n, SS SfUrm('lPgp(" !\f'F,lrnpn f •

WA3 l'!}rlWf! 11\ hHVP hr-PTI dpp!nypd r11 P"ld7K

t1'Jrim:: v,lrlnl!S !IJH"r~ti()!l;; in th p SI'rir'l; fl,.t 5'mlInpr of 1'144, Il,p St'JrmfHP!;f'f f!pgim"nl WAS hr[\~"f1 "l' hphliPpn vRri(1IJY f i)mfll::-,nds. SS

St IIrlll! flf'f,f'r R,,\ I ill i (On 'j(l(l f fp"l'J P nl I y ('Amf-"> 'Ind~r thf:' 1IJrt~di('1 illrl (If qth Army whi I,' SS StJlrmfElI"f,pr fllltlfll Inn ,)01 WAS oftpn found opprnt inR \>Ii \h 3rrl ~"H1zf'r Almy, Thpy 1l191) spfvpd with thp SS Rlllt Ipgrrlllps ".I"('kl:'ln" flnd "von !.(lltt)prg," In July FH)d A'JglJ~t 1('44, Ih" f"gimPlltal bAttAlinn9, fiEhll"e iniliAlly as pAr! nf ,'S-Krlmpff,rlJl'pP "von !.'ltlhprp,," sln1vP wilh S"OlF' SIWCP~S

to k,ppp oppn w\ tt.lrAwfll routes for Ihp shAtl"r"d Army 'll1it~ nf Army (~r(1I1p ('p[ltpr. Afte>f ~jA('rificing

tlIPrn'JPlvps totAlly in hAtt Ip thl:' Iwin '.I' ,I'(urln!,"!pf,,,r ~F'~in~'nI3 fell

h'lrk Iflf'l ,'!llllll,l, t'f->jtll~ :11 /Pdc;t

pi1T1 iAlly intprminglpri with 11,1' SS Ppl1AI JipginlPnt "Dirlf'w>ltlF,pr" for" t imp,

The sl1rvivors frnm It)P

hAtlfllilln~ finAlly rpF,rrllJppd >'lnd fO"Rllt wlh IV, SS Fm).":f'r ("or1'9 O!lt ~i(ip of Wf1rRAW Rnrl wprp evpntufllly lisI'd fl3 replflcempnts wl thin the corps, Ay Spptembpr Ig44 the SS-Stll!"miflPgpr Regimf'nt "Roorl1-i<;k/Pflnnipr" had rl:'aspd to pxist And Stflf, Pflnnipr h>'ld tAKen chArg!" of thp reformi ng Ifflf{Pfl-('rPflaciipr Rpgimf'nt riP!" SS 31 in thp 14, WRfff'fl r:rf'flflrJipr ntvision der SS ("Gal izien"/Ukrilinifln),

()r"I' ICU\T J ONf">1 "C,'; 1 H'F N('"l r HC; ()I"- 'TI IF ,C:;;,C:;; -- ,<::; rURMlfClF'GFF, (H'tTT(\L 1 ON:=; (-)'''; OF :-~n ..TUNF "':)44

SS-SturmJ"egel' Batt,,\ion r;(lO

14 offlr-ers l?O NrO's 1,131 nthf'r rflnks

TrlHI.: 1,271

'1 nffirf"rs IU NCO'S RiO other r"nkg

TOTAL: (j42

SS-StllrnU8PF,f'r Rf'gimf'nt 3,000 troops All rflr1l<s,

strength

------------------------------------------~~~-----------------------------------------

The r:hHplflin for thp J'ith l.iltviATl SS

Division wao; thp EVflnf,el ielll I.uthern Pflstor Jul is Strallmf', who received the rank of Waffpn-Sturmbann(uphrpr, He WfiS lAter ki lied in Bction nPAr LAnderk, Pomenmia, in early 1'.)45, The chflplflin of If(:" 32 in the 15, W(;[) was Pastor Flmers Kocins, The division Biso had A Roman rAtholic chaplaIn, Father KAzimir Rues,

ChaplAins in thf' Iqth Latvian r- Division includerl the fVAngeli<:AI

tors Verners Vnltkus And Ulgf'rts KrAlJlis, thf' latter of whom died in cRptivity in 1"4h, A OIJmtlPf of ("alhnli,' Ar.i Protpstant r-tlfll'illillS in thp It'af{pn-SS (thp lilt tpr wprp prpriomirlAnlly eltHli,'l;prmAns f["(Hn

thpAstprn Fllropp, mAny of whom led with ttIP "Prillz f:lJgpn"

Division) IJnderwent "ffir"'r's tn~ining At the supposedly "(;od-less" SS'JullkersdlUlf' "Toelz," whilh hAd chApels for' unth faiths, About onfc'-folJrth of the Wflffen-SS divisions hfleJ plthf'r ChristiAn or M(Jslpm rpiJgious Ipfld"rs in thpir riln!o:s, FInd "nme of Ihfc'fO ilFld rnn9idprehlp infllJPJlr;p in divisiorlAl AffFlirs,

Tt)p rHJI'lpus flf thp thrpp-bAttAI ion

SS Penfll Rpgimpnt "Kill toff'n" was

dprivpd from trnop9 f>plpnging tn the COITll1flrwJ of I he HSSuPF "[Jflnzig -W"st I'rlJs8IA," Thp regiment 131:10

inr;orporated 8 portion of thp SS Prlllzergrpn8di pr Scho() I At Sophl pnwfllde, West Prll3gia, Rank And fJ If' mf"mbprs of thp r-egiITlf'nt were most Iy militAry convicts,

In FphruAry/Mflrrh Iq4') An ~S

t,rpnAdi pr BAttll1 ion;> WAS sI flt j()T1pd in thf' Nethprlands; its r,flOlpnsi \ inn find fAte Are unknown, AIU)1)1)gh il WflS possIbly formed from or treAted as an SS-Pol izpi tJAttAI Ion And AS slIch would hFlve hef'n r;on~id"red IF'~3 than a full-grAde WA{{PIl-SS unit,

2] )


SNO

8TH ~~ ROCKET MORTAR (PROJECTOR)

TRAINING AND REPLACEMENT DETACHMENT

"LANGLINGEN"

ss "LAng 1I ngpn" Illtp-wllr /(Ilffen-SS. from SS

Ro' Itpt WF1~ one uf the 3trallger formfltiofls of tile

It Wfl~ formed primrlrily rhpmists who Ilfld bepn

running ,-,IIlSSP3 in "Poison GAS f"nSf>" flnd thel r pupils, NCO's who J hN'n flttpnciing courSf>S at the

SS-Jllnkersrhu/es. The SS Rodrpt MortAr Sdl001 flt C"lle prnvidf>ri thp uni t 's s.-nior NCO 's ar~j offir.-rs.

(lrf,F!I11 zed A~ An i mprov i s.-d rOcY.pt hst tery wi thOllt, howpver, the

'ponry thllt went along wi th ~lJrh Il ,mAt ion (onp CAn only surmise the

appropriAte wPAponry was supposed to be pl'ovldf>d if r~ondit\ons Allowed), DetllchlJ1f'nt "Lflngllngen" WflS in mol ion on 1 Apri I 1')45, moving from its nflmpsilke town towflrds Celle. To furthpr complicflte mat terg, the uni t hOO heen dlvldpd into two groups of equal size, ellch cOITf11Anded by two off icers. (;rollp I came under' Ostllf.

Dr. Wicke Grollp I I Sf'hu It zp Sell I pom'" r,

end US/Ilt. Uhrig, whi J e WHS cOTl1llandeo by Ostllf'.

and SS-ot,prjllllker

Ulle to the rllpld BdvAncp of Ampric'An forf'ps, thp twin groups of the df'tllr'hmpnt wpre forcprj to tflv.e up dpfenslvp positions for infllntry f'lC't Inn to thp north of the Allpr River on thp soulh pdgp of thp vllAgf' of Gross Hehlpn. Thp SS Iroops were flrmed only withl1flnd wPApnns, Pflrlzprff'Hlste, 8~j A grBnd totEli of two mflchlnp gllns. An effort was al!lo made to halt regulAr Army t roopg who were f I pei ng nor! l'lWArds Clnd put thpm A!l well into thp impFlv!sed dpff'nslve I ine with the SS men, which rCln from Bole to Grogg Heh I en to A I t enhagen.

On the next day (2 April?), Celle WIlS Ahandoned without A fight After the Aller River bridge WAS blown I1p at dawn by two lnfFlntry

offlcprs, ThP. ciptAf'hffif'nt n<)w pllllpd tmr.k to A line rllnnillg frnm HprmAnnshurg to Missplhnrn tn Untprlupss, wilhollt eng'lglng thp fop. A CO\lplp of dF1Ys IAtpr' A fAil bAr;k to Mlledpn - P"ltzPJ1 - ,;prrpl -MlJn:lt pr I Agpr WAS nnjprpd. n,.t I I "''IS tnn IRtp for (;Flllp J (Wirkp/tnn'ig), whir'h hlld III relldy gone i nln All i Po! cllptlvlty III UntprlllPss.

(;rollp 1I (Srh,Jltzp/Srlllpmrn"rJ mAd" i I to Mupdpn, whprp I I Inn wpnl Into rllptlv!ty. Thp brief history of 8. SS-/'ierf'f>r A "s/Ji Id"n!, un,! Frsfllz Abt (> i lunp, "L'm~ I ingen, " A uni t wh! ch n(>vpr rPRI I y ~() t 0 f f t hp grrllJryj, h'ld reArhed ! Is r:onc]u"ion. The fpw CFlSIlRlIips, Including ~nmE'

fatAlities, Ihilt it hFld Fl1>~orhpd, hwj hppn tAkpn in IJrlAvoiriflhlp sk I rmi shp:l I hAt rpsu It p,j whpn rl'lpidly m(wi n~ erlPmy spPllrhp Ad9 cllme into contflf't wi tll thp bllt tpry t l'OOps.

------------------------------~~---------------------------

""~ ont11 ?J) Novpm!:lpr }Q41,

Kllmpfp,rul'pe "Wiedemann" from 1st SS InfAntry Brigade was pngag"ri in road ~pc"rl ty dut les to the ellst of BooruisK in 3uppnrt of the 2,)th Panzer Uivlslon.

In early 1943 a motorized SS hattle-group was formed from the 1st SS Infantry Brigade for the possible relief of the Veliki-Luki Povket. The force WAS designated SS-Kllmpfgruppe "Blldstel n" Ilfter its cOlTf118ndpr SS-·Stubaf. Ot to Blldstein (born 11 MflY 1912; SS Nr. 107,1)06). Little 13 known of the Rctual

24

deployment of the hatt le-·group t,11.1 Vel iki-LuKI WA3 not relipvpd arx) much of the garrison would hp executed in captivity. Stul)fJf. BlIdstein went on to commAnd SS Panzer Detachment 18 of the 18th SS Panzer GrenAdier Division "Horst Wes3el" and WAS killed in action on 23 ,July 1944.

n1lrinp, thp RrivAn(·p frllm Nnrvn t/I t}]P "Ast tllong Ihe Kingisppr ""Ad ,)11 IH AtJg"~t 1"141, Illl F'1fnlli"Hl SS V"llInlppr r.f)mp~ny (pns'lil>!y P''] i,'" t rnnps) w~" ~Ilppns"d t fl hFlvP hp" n ~prving in th... ranks or InrAnt r y

Rpglmpnl III v isinn.

?77, Illf '1nl 'Y

On 10 Apr i I IQ4 c, An P'llJ1 pmpnl rppl'li r And mlllntpnAn'~p stllfr WflS formpd for the .lAth SS f'RnZf>r CrpnAdipr Oivi3inn "Niehelungen" in Tit isp"" The commandpr WA~ Ostuf. Wi ndigpn (or lIinnigen) from the 1,Ih SS Mountain Dlvi3ion "Nord."

Adr i pn Godsder> I, WA~ Il bAttCllion ?Ath SS Panzf'['

bnrn In T\rlJsspls, commAndpr in the

GrenAdipr Division "Wal ]onipn." Hp died nn h MflY I'l'l?


SNO

THE "NORDLAND" ~~ DIVISION

FLAK UNITS

S5-FIlJk AL'tf'i IUIlt; 11 [Field Post Nr.';. 41 111 A-El

14 (FIRk) Company, SS f"lflxer Rpf,iHlPnt ?3 "Norgp" [Field Post Nr. 33 '12'.>1

14. (FIRk) Compflny. SS'FRI17J'r (;ren'ldlpr Rp/;iment 24 "Dflrtm'lrK" [Pip Id P03\ Nr. 3') 63'/J

Flak \'IHtnlln, SS'Art! Ilery flf'girnent 11 [ r' i f· 1 d I',) S t N r. 4 2 ~l1n

COMMAND r:;:O<3TEr..;:

,S-FIRk Abtei 111II!; 11

v")tHrn.?'lnd~tS

()stu/mf. WAI tpr Ploew SttJha{. c'mi I Kurz

Adjut~nt<;

(/:<tuf, Adflm DU-t rlr:hm (/.5tuf Genrg Anweller

SignA]<; Otficf'r HschR, Schneiderneier

Supply Officer Ostuf, Heinz Schneidpr [Also commAnding offi"er of Ihe Staff Rfltteryl

Or"n~nre Officer (lstuf. Rpsrh

We~rl}ns Ma5t er (I"tl/f. Frpd Prp:",!!pr

fl~t t pry IIstuf, l.euhprn Hstut. l'Ii rth

2nd Battery Hstuf. Delfs

Battery Hstuf. Mende

4th Battery IIstuf. Ho1zboog

14., "N0rlle" Ostuf. Hoechstm Ostuf, t'etersen (istll!, BrllpnesteLit

SS-F'IRk AhteiJung 11 WIlS a~~prrj'IE'd on thp SS Tn'llp TrAining Gro"nd~ "Ayrs North" ill hl~,1 FrlJelelia

...:. \ "

\

58-stub"f. WAlt.er Ploe ... , commanding offICer, S8 FI«k ilbteilunl' 11 "Nordlilnd."

on Decpmoer 194J. Thp d"tAr:hment officers Cllme lArgely from the SS FIRk Training and RpplAcpmpnt Regiment in Munich, whi lp thp NCO's And men carne fr'om other part" of ttw "Noni I and" Ilnd "I'll King" DI vi s i ()ns. Numerolls nat.loTlfllitles were represpnted In the rAnKs, Inrlllrllng "Relch" r;ermans, BalKAn ethnlc-Gerrnans, Dutchmen, Flemlngs, NorweglFlns and Swiss. Mflny of the ethnic"GermAns had served as NCO's in the RomBnilln Army and After some retraining, were accorded the equivalents of their old ranKs. Some of the Dutch volunteers were Royal Dutch Army veterans who had seen action in Bssorted smBll colonial war~, and were thllS conslrlpred c"mbflt experienced. Ahout a third of the men In the "Norge" Bnd "DBnmArk" FIRk BFltterips were SCAnrlinAviAn volllJltef'rs. Thf' rpl;imental FIRk units hAd hppn formed Along with thp "NordIFlnd" Division in GrBfenwoehr, BflVBriB, In MAY 1941, Flfl<i would he with "NorrlIBnd" from oeglnning to f'nd.

At ttlP enel of FebrllFlry 1 '144, SS·Flak A/)tt"iJung 11 If'ft EAst Pru'l~iFl hy rAi I to j()in the reg! of thp "NonlIFlnd" [)\vi~li()n at NBrvB, Fstflnla. While enrolltp the tr()op trAin der'lllt"d thlp to whAt WAg pr()tmhly p'lrtlsAn sflhotBge, CflllSlllg grpAt dflmflge f1!~1 in)lIry. PrAfct ICFlIl y All of \Iw Flak dptf1I'hment '"

wpAponry ArYl 1''1111 pml'nt wprp 11,,,t in Ihp Inl'ldent ArYl most of thp offil'prs wprp Injllff'd FlS "pll. SpvP!"'li wppks wlllJld pfl.q" hpfnrp thp "nit wOllld hp I'f)nsldprprl fit f()r dllty AgAin. In the meAnt imp it Wfl" shlpppri toy rAil hAI'k to thp Ayr9 (Arnp "South" for rpflttlng.

In mld'Aprl1 ]'lH thp "NordIAnd" !'IRk troopg stPlrtpd Ollt for thp frnnt AF,Flin, Affiving Ht NArvfl in thp IAttpf pArt of thp ltYlnth. FortunAlply Ih]s WAg the "sI Af'K" seAson for ""mllIlt rill" to thp hl"avy rA i ng ArYl re~j\J I tAll! mlJr.i, Sf) t.he Flak bAt tpI'!es hAd fl dlflnrp tf) become accllmFlterl to Ih" frnntlinp sitUAtion. InitiAlly thp .'Alteripg were bBSpd in v I I I AgPS Arollnd I hp town of TAps, helng df'ployerl in thf' proted ion of hridges AI~i Art i Ilpry f ! ring po sit Ions,

In eArly MAY IQ44, !hp "NordIAnd" FIRk bA! tprieg (thfep RA rrrn ofllleries, one 1.7 cm hAIt"ry. And A mixpd stAff hAttery - pfj('h AA bFlttery fllso had AttAr:hed plAtoons of 2 cm Flak), were dpploypd for All' rlefense Bnd ground support Artions in the NarvA brlrlgeheAel on thp PAst bAnk of th!' NBrvB Rivpr. Among nth"r things thpy were r pspon9ible fnr protecting the essentiAl hridgt' And river cros9inl;s ovpr thp rlvpr between th!' twin fnrtre3SPs of Hermannsourg BTYj IVAngorod,

Towards thp pnrJ of JIIly 1'l44, NArvA WflS AbAndoned for t h" TAnnenbF'rg rip f "nO! 1 VI' I i np FlhOl It 10 Km to the w!'st. H8tllf. Holzhnng's 4. BAttery, SS-FIRk 11, WAS given the joh of covering thf' wl thdrflWfll of thl' hf'l'lVy '-lrt i llery ArYi I hi" rf'ArgllFlrd elempnts of SS-Pfln:':l'f GrenBdier RegimPnt 4'3 "De Ruytpr" from th!' nf'ighhorlng "Npder I A rYi " BrlgArtp. Tn Ihp pnl<'ess (if cflrrylng Ollt It~ mission, thp hFltt"ry Wfl9 ,"l nff by ArlvAnrP Rpd Army fnreps And hfld tn fight Its WAy hfl<:k tf) Ill" I1 P W

mAin (;prrnflr\ Ilw'~ Vifl f1 rin'lJIt"IJs [llII t p through t he SWAmps 'lrYl hw'kwf)orlg. Oftpn!imf's thp f,11(1 ':'[pwg hfld to clpAr smflll Snvlpt pl"ll1"nts Ollt nf the WAy with thplr InfFlntry Wf'ApOnS so thAt thf' r"trPAt rould pror.ped, In t hf' erYi, Hn I zh()og 'q oAltf'ry reAcheel s~fety Aftpr twn FlrdlJOIIS dBYS of s!rugglp.

"Nordlflnd's" FIRk hAt terif'.9 wprp then 11 "I'd In both front I j np grollnd defensf' And rPAr Ari"i'l Al [ dpfpnsp posi I ions dllrinp, thp fiP[f'p hAlt 11'9 for thp TAnnpnlrprg Ilnp In thp Il1tpnsp f!ght!l1F, thFlt tAn ovpr thp IlPxt ('ollplp of wpP\o:" thp p,'lnrtprs

25 35


SNO

"Nordland" commanding offirer, Gruf. Fr 1 t.z van Schol z, deer,rating St.ubaf. Ploe", wit.h t.he I ,'on ('r('ss, 2nd Cla~5.

downprl no ff'wf'r then 20 enemy Alrcrllft, mostly fighter-homers, The 4th Blljtf'ry, whlrt! Wf\S uti I ized In the defense of the hard-pressed Grf'nadler and Orphanage Hills, tool< heavy loss!'3 in the fighting but also sf>riou31y hindered the 8dvancf> of the foe and a3 a rf>sult received a special corrmendlltlon from II!, SS PaIlzpr Corps (Germanic) conmander, Ogruf. Stelner,

In the further retrogr!l(le combat thllt took plAcP during the rplorAt Ion from Fstonie to Latvia, SSIlak Ahtpilul1g 11 !'lerved with a bflttle-~roup from thf' FAR! PrussiAn 21st InfAntry Division. The uni t '3

Act ions dll[ Ing this tilflf' wpre ilcknowledged by the 21flt Infllntry DI vi fl ion's cOl11nilndi ng of f j(:er who pprsonAlly AWAnj(>d the Gernu'ln Cross In Gold to both OstutJflf. Plopw and H.~tlJ{. Hnlzbnng. The detarhment re!ninpd the rpst of thp "Nordland" liivlsion in the Oobl.,n AreI'! of I.AtviA FInd played it~ roll' in hplping mAn a "strong-point" defensive I ine which wa~ in place 'mtll a permanent front could be estahl jshed In KllrlfHKj, The rlf'tArt1ment W/'lS ll~ed for all' defensp dut ies around the key i.AtviFln port city of L\ppaja (Ubau), which servf'd as the supply terminal for Army Group "Kurland."

!luring the critical Third BBtt le of Kurland in December 1'.144, SS-Flak Ahtei IUfl" 11 lpnt support to the VI. LBtvlan SS Army Corps ann thp 14th LBtvlan SS Division by sl)f'cessfull y t> I unt illr, all enemy adVllllce on Frauenherg. Despi te ta~.lng high losses during this pngl'lgpm("nt. the dptachment WflS able

26

to des t roy nllllWrOl1S enf'my t links find won 11 personal co~nd8tion from VI. SS Corps (:orrrnAndlng general, Ogruf. lIFlI ter Krlleger.

In early February 1945, SS-flak Ahteilullg 11 was shipped from the port of LihAll to Stpttln, Germany, with the rest of the "NordIAI~i" Division. Upon rpachlng Jakob~hflgen, the detachment was briefly overhAlllpd and received a new rcOll1f1lfHKJer, Stuhaf. Fmil Kurz, who hFld prpv i OUS I Y cOITfl1Anded SS -F I fJk Alltpi IUfJF, "B," SS-Kommal1<Jo "ObprsFllzhurg," (In" MFlrch 194'), SS-FlAk Ahtei IUfJ" 11 Joined the 3. Compilny, SS Fnginpf'r llflttAljon 11, Flnd pArt of I I. llattal ion, SS-Plwzer Grenadier Regiment 49 "DeR" in driving off a strong Soviet armored IlttFlck near Jflkobshagen. The "Nordland" Flak gunners dlspospd of ten of the attFlcking 20 enpmy tanks.

Since It now proved impossible Any longer to construct cohpslvl" defensive I 1nl's In the fAce of superior enemy forcI"3, what followed werl" a number of desperate holding Actions. The I-'lflk detachment .loinI'd the partially formed SS-Pallzer Regiment 11 under Ostut-af. KIlU3Ch in defen!'ll VI' bAt ties near Sasspnbllrg and Rossow. On 7 March 194'), the dptAchment WflS heFlvily engFlged along both sldps of the AutobAhn neAf Hinzenrlorf with the SS-Pflflzer Grenadier Regiment 23 "Norge." The Flak gunners clailllf'd sevpral more erwmy tAnks in this Af't Inn, hut tnwArds midnight the town hAd to hp RhflndnnPrl to thp Reds. Thp "Nordlflll(j" 'Be' guns covered the sIlhspquellt wit hdrflwAI tOWArds Augu!ltwnlde, AccurAtely blesting niP

j"

"Nordland" Flak on t.he Narva Front, early '''144.

Soviet spearhefld. On thp next dflY the Rf'<is

I Aunched A CAVil I ry at t Ark on t t1l' "Nordland" posit ions which was easily shAttpred by the SS grpnlldll"rs supported by 14, (Flak) CompAny, SS Rpgilllf'nt 24 "DanmArk." No further protrilctpd defen~lv",

effort WIlS mAdp unt II the "NorrlIFlnd" trnops rpArchpd Stl"tt!n nn thf' Orier River. Aftpr A brief hilt violent !'ltFlnd at Hohenkrug, thp divisionAl units retrl"atpd down Rpirh HighWAY 104 to the ou\"!kirts of AI tdilmm (south of Stptt In), whi~h wpre rf'Flched in H1P night of 14/15 MArch. Herp Fl fortlflpd hrldgphpAd WA~

ron~trllctpd on the PFl~t hilnk of th" Odpr, And the SS-Flak Ahtei IjJfJg 11 troop~ werp dpploypd In thp pnrtion of thp frontllnf'~ running t[)wArd~

Gollnow RH InfFlntrympn. Aftpr ~pvprFlI dAY'" of truly hpr"jc "fffOrt tlw hrldgeheAd hFld tn bp Flh'lI1dofWd. In thp night of lql70 M~rch, thp "NordIFlnd" FlfJk troops in conJunction with combat engi nel'rs from Rpglment "Oanmark," sprvpd i'\3 il reFtrguArd for the wl thdrawlll of GprmAn forcf's from thp AltdAmm hrlrlgpheAd tn the Wf'st bAnk nf the Oder.

Once hphlnrl thp Od"r River line, the bfldly df'plpted "NordIAr~j" and "Neder I Mid" Divisions bpgiln to rphui Id arid rp-'equlp In An effort to get back to minlmlJm comhAt strpngth, For Awhl lp, thp pnpmy prp~31Ir"

AhFltpri Flnd SS FlAk Aht"i I rill" 11 Wll~

rpformpd In thf' fHf'a whprf' it element of III, (GpTlllflnk). On "NordIAoo" Flak

Sd1WI'dt - Angermlll'r¥l" sprvp.d RS El rf'~erVp

5.'1 Pafl7pr Corps 15 Apri I 1'14'), the bAtterlps wpre sent


SNO

tntn t (~rrf'rlt Hf;ntll'lf {~()\!\i"t fllr( P;i

thal were attempting to break out from the Wr i pzen hr idgehl'ad on the Wt"~t bank of lilt" Oder. They dt"st royed a number of tanks in difficult fighting.

The great Soviet "final offensive" began on 16 April, and the "Nordland" Division was forced slowly hack towards Berlin. The Flak detachment held on to Strllussberg on 17/18 April, where one of its '88' batteries knocked out three Soviet tanks that were trying to tllke the airfield. The "Nordland" Division was then ordert'd to fall bllck into Berlin to defend the cHy. The Flak troops were d~ployed first at ~arlshorst and then on 22 April at Adlershof wht're they repulsed a Soviet ermored attark from ttle dl rect ion of Elchwa Ide. As a1O-munl I Ion ran out the big guns were "spl kPd" and the rTPWS became

inffllltrynlf'n. Thp rPITltlftntq (If thp detflchmPnt then fought in Neukof' I In Ilnd on the Hflsenhelde ht'forl' taking up the de/ense of the Tempelhof III rf leld.

On 30 Aprl I 1945, "Nordland" Flak gunners expt'nded their last shells and destroyt'd one final tank at Tempelhof. The guns were thpn d .. stroyed by hAnd grprlHdes And the surviving 63 members of SS-Flak Ante/ lung 11 wpre formPd into an Infantry bflt tip-group undE'r Hstu{. Hol7.boog. These men .1olnf'd in the general breakout attempt at the We I tiencflHTlIllt'r brirlgp in t.he night on 112 May 1945. Few, If any, got out of the city. The survivors were largely captured and shipped off to Siberia and only a handful were to return home from this captlvi ty some ten years later.

r I-f FT"'" I _ L Y SI-I F: E T

In ils year or so at thp front, SS-Flak Abtellu~ 11 accounted for mort' than 30 enemy aircraft and an equal nurrber of enemy tanks. It also helped to break up or drive off countless Soviet ground attacks. The FIBk companies (Nr. 14) with the "DanlTlllrk" and "Norge" Regiments, unlike the divisional FIBk detachment had served wl th "Norrlland;' from th~ start at Grafenwoehr through Its sojourns in (roatia (autumn 1943), at the Oranlenbaum and Narva Fronts, and in Latvia and Pomenmla. Thpy were lISed extensively against Soviet tank forces, but also provided air defense. In the brutal fighting In l.atv!a alon,., 14. Battery, "Norge," shot down 14 Red aircraft but was nearly wiped out I tse If.

-----------------------~~---------------------

At the end (1£ Jlln"Bry 1'14'\ IIAldprnlH Srhink (or pn~~lhly Slnklls), WflS assign-'d to I. 5attl'llion, SS Ppnfll Regiment "Kllltofpn," as a m .. dical dortor. SC'hink was horn in "'I'lrll'lmpol on 20 July 1919 I'lnd Sf>0l<e R .. "slan, (;"rrnan, and l.ithuAnil'ln fluently. Whilp in action n"ar DirschBII-Pepl in, Srhi nk 's Ilni t WAS hard hi t hy thp Soviets fll1d Ihp 1st Compflny was lo!lllly nVf'rTIJn; on"t of its members were taken pri.90nf'r 1Iw" li(]llidaled in reold hl0Wi hy Ihp R Th" ?nd I1nd ·',.,i r""'pClrli ps, T. "",,, \()fpn," Wpr" I1hlp tll rp-gro'l!, ilnd rf'flch nIl' t0wn of Pr>11!st. Tlwy Ifltf'r "l1rl iciplltf'd in tllf' def",n~1' of Dl1nzlg.

SS Rpgio1enl "KHi 'nfpfl" (rorn-rM~cipd by 51,,/">,.,(. HAO'lhpj nri.-tl r, fpn, born 7'i Apri 1 l'lOCJ; SS Nr. ??, !?f)) Ell ~() I n(' Illded rpg'll'lr SS repIAf'pmpnts, irv'I'l<l\ng 9nldif'r'l rf'lllrnlng from lpflvl''l thlJt cOllld IIf)t r p l0111 ttwir (nieinAl IH,its. P"rt of thf' l.atvll'lll SS Rppl'lrpmpnl RI'ltt.fllion I"> "llso servp,j wi th thi~' rppimpn! in n,P ""'llnr; dFlYS or !tIP WPlr. Wl'wn SS'Rpgirnpn l "Kflltnfpn" I·'llolIIIlFltf'I.l In thp flpo Army in /1,,, Ihn:cip 'HP", Wfllrj.,m'lr SI bin!'. Iwhn hCld Pl1rnpd '1

fipld prnnt'>tilln I" r1n fp r8tlllm-

flJPhrpr) , PTltprpd SfJvipt f'~ptlvity, Hp W''1~ /f'!;'')t ~Pf>1l FIt tllp Vt)'~'ltli ~IFlVP lohol ('Rmp IAh-or in lCl4f\ 9nd ID) r f' I hFll1 I I f: ply f'" r i si )F-d I I JP r p () r

elsewtlere in thl' GlJlog.

Hstlll. Pptf'r Rppsp (horn 24 JilnIJery Ig14; .'is Nr. 7.,)7,Of,o), Wfl3 thp cormlflnder of 10lh ('nmpflny, SS-Plinzer

Flemish vnlunt •• rs in 8 Company, SC;-StBntidl't.e "Nol'dwp.st.," Hambt,rg, 1941.

Grpnlldier Reglml'nt F. "Thpnrior Elck,,", fllvlsinn "Totenknpf." He Wtl9

killed In arllon in thf' "Wet Trifmgle" of the Vi3tllla Rivf'r !lPl'!r lIars"lw In Poland on 'i Augnst Ig44.

27 5


SNO

FLAK UNITS OF 23RD VOLUNTEER

PANZER GRENADIER DIVISION "NEDERLAND"

A F/flk hflttery for thp "Np,jprIBlld" SS Brig'lde was aSRProbl"d by the SS Flflk TrAining ~m RpplBCPlllf'nt RpgirflPnt In Mlmicil dllring It .... spring of 1')44. The COnYll"lr\rl"r ww; (lstuf. lIeigpl It ~pent pArI fit (tiP ~Ilmrnpr

of 1')44 engAgpd in the fll r df'fpnse of the nortt,Prn fl8rt of Mllnidi. f!owevf'r, In 194 j ~everfll o\toer Flflk f'lpmpnts hRd "Np(jp!, I FInd. " folluwing:

flttFl,-Ilf'd tn wpre thp

14. Cnmpflny, SS-Pflnz:ergl'pnfl(iiPf Rpglmpnt 4fl "(;pnp!'fll SpyffanJt" [f-'ield Post Nr. 41 ';l4())

14. Compflny, SS-PHf1?f'fgfPnH,fipr Rf'gimf'nt 49 "nf' Rllytp]" [Field Post Nr. 58 ?9BI

FIHk PIBtnon, HPAd'rlArtprs StAff Sp(-uri ty ('ompAIlY [Fipld Post Nr. ",9 flfJ4)

riflk rlHtpon, .IS·Arlill p ry f1f'gi-mpnt ")4 stAff

1hpsp IInits 5prvp,j ",itll the "Np,jp!, lAnd" flrif,fldp Arv! flivisinn in

FIll of its flC,tions in ('mBtiA, Illp Hili t ie rpp,inn, Pomf'rAni"l fuvl Ihp virinily nf Rprlln. Thpy Ab~nrt~rl tWflVY I os~f"~ hilI A I WAy'! gAVP A good Ar'-(IIH1l.lng of IhpmsE'lvps Allh""p,h !heir f'Xfl"t 5"'-rf'~~ rAtp AgAin"t pnpmy plAnp" flnd t'H1k~ Is not knnwn.

In tlip IJ)Pfllltime, llip "N(>,j"r-I AI.i" Br i gAdp Fl Hk toi'll t pry ",,,q 91"111

tn flf'ln7.ig on IR July Ig~4. II no", h'lrf" thp ,jf'signet ion SS~F/flk FlHt ~

tf'lip '14. In NnvplJ)hpI' 1'144 i I rp I neAt prt to thp HRmrnpr;,:t pin trAinillg p,rolJnds in PnmArnnir-t tn hp rpfnrmpd inlo A divi9innAI F'l.'lk riptA"hmpnt, SSFlRk Ahtf'i 11I1l!; 71, uncipr Hsfl){. r;rinrrn. IIl1t dill" 10 llip crilicFlI toi~ttlpfipld sill1Atinn ttlP Pl'op()~pd dp\ActullI"nt Ilever got off t hp grolH1d, e I though a cOmlnAtl<ipr, Hstuf. F~9pr, hi'ld hf'f'n mimed.

In [lerpmhpf 1944, Ih" cnm~)i'ltrf'Ady port ion of SS-FlHk Ahtpi I ling 71 was combined ",ilh Ihe df'plf'\ed Ill. Ahtei/flllg, SS-AR ')4 11 rlrJp I'

StllhRf. Hofer to form A mixf'd (3rm9 bAt Ile--group. The ront ritllltion nf the Flflk dptArhlnent to 111. AlJtellullg, SS-AR 54, (,ol1'!i~tpd of four 'BR' gun~ along with fnllr

mul I i-barrel Ipej If1ncchlnf' gun Ri r defense pieccP9, alonp, with stRff e I f'ment ~, t fFwkf'd t ffmspor t I'lnO speclAllzf'd e<1lllpment.

Thf' "NedprIFlnd" rlRk hAllpry finAlly jninpej ttlP r",,1 Ilf Ill" division in Act inn fnr Ih" firql \imf' in Pnmerl'lniil in .IfHlltA'y 1'14',. It <1llirkly fOllrvl it~plf slll>()rdinFltprj

In SS F'fw?pr.faPRPf Al1tpi '''''R "4 f'" II~P in flp,ht.1np, off pl\F'mv I"nk flttRr:ks. In MArch I 'l4 C

, , thp "Npdf'rlArvi" FIRk ejf'tA,-hmf'n! (SIl' h AS

it WA~), wflS sllhnrdi n"ti'd In III SS Pnn7:er rnrp~ «~pl'mR.ni(') in f~rpn7.1AlJ,

flrv! in thp Ifl~! dFlYS of Ih" "'FIr it pFlrtirelpAted in rPtrnp,rFldp figh! inp, from thp Lipbf'nWBldp-Npllrlll'pin ~rpF\

tn thp Flbp Rivpr wllerp il ~Ilrrpnrt~rpd 1n thp Amprjr~n~ fin or flrnllrvi MFly 1'14'i. Thf' lI1st II"it ccoTmlAnaing offl<f'r (~ir,...(' April 1'l4~1) WAS Ostllf. ""mmpl.

In its few month" nf ''''I'I'l1 r:omhfll deploYlTlf'nt, SS FlAk Ahtpi/llfl!; 23 Rhot dnwn four prwmy ""mhp'9 And degtroypd six tl'\nl<.~ Awi fl!l')lh"r 1.-' flrt i IIf'ry pif'C:f'R. Lo""r·s <lIIP I" flll rfl"'tP~ AlllOlmtPr.i to on" offir-pr. t",,, Nel) 's flm Ahout ",0 1Tlf'1l.

----------------------------~~-----------------------------

rt1f' ~taff of Ihp ')Ih SS Constnwtion BrigAde WflS located In (lsnflhrueck in Pflrly lCJ45 flrvj withdrew ttil'ough the South Hflrz-ThueringiA area. It. nlflY hflvf' come under the contl~ol of SS PflilT-pr Brigade "Westfalf'n" (Ostllh8f. KFlr I ~·Hein2'. FrllehAtlf). StAff members wprp soldiers of the W8ffpn~'SS,

whi I p the rallk and f i If' of Ihe cnn~trllct\()n brigades were llsuAlly COf)V iet s.

Thp 12. SS f'Aflzpr Il\v\slnn "Hi Ilpr .Jllg'~r'!" ITlf'dlnli df'tachmprlt I whleh

l!fl

includpd memhers of the SS-PArL"':PT' Grenfldlpr Regiment 26 hand), csme umf'r a heavy mort ar bomhardnli>n\ whiie siluflted In fln exposed mefldo", near Neuwald St. Corona KBumberg, AustriA, on 21 Apri I l'J4~)

arvj took many ffltalitles. Tt,P df'fld had to be buried quickly flS

"unknowns. "

SS·SturmRnn JnhAnn Klf'in, JI'lIllJ8ry 1'175 in M",(-hiASdi. was a rl'ldiomAn wi th 1nl SS~.IAPRer RF1ttfll ion 'lOO.

bOl'rl 1') Rnmi'll1ia, CompAny,

Hp W'13

I i~tpd AS MIA during Ihp fip,hi in,; f'lroum WarsAw in 1 '\44. SS -JRP{!er HflttAI ion ~,oo ccontAinpd mAny ptlrnic (;prmAns from Romania, ",hi Ip its sistf'r battalion. SS· Jflf'£;Pf

RAt till ion ":iO], hAd F1 Iflrp,1:' rnncpntrF1t!on of Hllngflrin" PII1"i,'Gf'rrnflns.

SS~MRlm .Johnny Arvjprsgnn, bnrn in Osl(1. Norwl'lY, on '10 MFln.h ]'1."'. WFlS li ~Ipd I'lS An MTA ",i th Ihp If,fh SS Division "TJ" AI 1)llhloni I;'. in M'H,h 194":i.


SNO

LI~ut~nant G~n~r81

HENORIK A. SEYFFARDT

Commander In (hief of 55 Volunteer legion ·Nie~erlande·

l.ielltpnilnt Gpnpfill Hendrik A. SeyffArdt was born in the NE'thPrIBnd~ in IB72. thp son of B r!'sppcted minister. Early In life he opted for a mill tBry CBreer And by the time he was 20 in 1092, he held the rank of second lieutenant in the Dutch field artillery. In 1898, Seyffardt was promoted to first lieutenant and in 1900 he became an instructor at the Royal Military Academy while at the same time taking course!! at the Higher War School.

In subsequent years, Seyffardt served on the Dutch General Staff and wl th the artillery service, first as a captain then as a major. In 1924 he was promoted to lleutenflnt colonel and took charge of the 2nd Regiment of Field Art ill f'ry. He soon became the COl1l1lflnder of the 1st Dutch Artillery ilrigade, receiving the rani< of colonel in 1926. Two years later, Seyffflrdt WAS promoted to Gener81-maJor (equiVAlent to BrigadIer) and becafllf' chief of the Dutch Army General Staff, a pOSition which he hpld throughout the remainder of his military CArper. Seyffardt was nromotpd to lieutenAnt general on 2 ABY 1'330 and retired from active duty in IQ34.

He was not hBPPY wl th the disintegration of the armed forces and society in general under a series of inept fBr-left Dutch ~nvernment s and he soon became .JOII t ically active, lending his sUI,port to Anton Mussert 's Nat ionBI Socialist Movement (N.S.B.), which WBS nndelpd on the N. S. n. A. P. In Gprmflcny. For Spyffardt, the Germl'ln examplp. which the N. S. B. Bttempted to emulate, off"red a new rerlfllssArlce for a decay I ng Europe.

When the Wilr with the Soviet Union hroke out in June 1'141, I.lelltetent General Seyffardt Immediately volunteered his services for whAt hp saw a~ a batt le for European civilization. Dressed once agllln In his old Dutch Army uniform,

SeyffBrdt becamE' the titular "commlinder-in-chief" end first soldier of the SS Volunteer legion "Nlederiflndp." He rpcruitf'd tireIf>ssly for the regllTlf'ntel-slzprj Legion Rnd his efforts bore fruit fl~

thousands of Dutr.h volunteers 'lllickly stepppd forwflrd In do thE'ir

dllly on the Eflstern Front. r;pnerRI Seyfferdt 'g services to the (;prmAn sidp did not go unnotlrprJ oy th" Allied cilmp who SBW him flS fl

dfH1RPrf)lJS figure flup to his populArl ty ar~j prest ige in his homeland. Unfortunflt"ly, the A Illps hl'\d adopted moster like tf'rrorism

2')


SNO

Li~utenant G~neral Seyffardt presentIng the official pennant of

A~ !'\ militAry IAdlr', agAlnsl it ml19t hp slAtt'd, al I of the treaty sFlrwllfied law5 of warfflre, FInd soon Cl "hit orripr" was plAced out on Sf'yffArdt.

(In h Ff'hruary 1'l43, the old gpne r A I Answprf'd A knock on the front door of his house and was gref'ted by two Innocuous looking rjpllvery n!pn cflrrylng pArcels. The "delivery mf'n" steppf.'d forward Into Ihp d<)or frame and ripped open the pArcels, producing Sten guns, which had bpen thoughtfully provided to them by the British. Lieutenant General Seyf fardt was then murdered In cold blood, hIs body cut in hAlf by the Impact of the Automatic weapons fire at close range.

The AI lies were, of rOlIrse, elBtE"(j by this COWArdly assas-sination. On 9 February 1943, Lieutenant General Seyffardt was given a state funerAl ancJ his name was bestowed as a battle honor on the proven 1st Company of the SS Legion "NI€'derlande." With the creation of the 4th S5 f'flnzprgrpnariier Brigade "Npderland" in May 1943, the tit I€' "GenerBI Seyffardt" WR~ transferred to the brigAde's fl rst regiment (48. SS). In 9ubsequ€'nt s~vage battles on the Eastern Front, the "G€'neral Sf'yffAf<lt" Regiment would be destroyed and reformed three times over, In the process gaining a mt 1I t ary rpp"t At ion second to non,' And t1HJ~ gURf'Rntf'P\ng for the nAmp "(;pnf"f'1l1 Seyffardt" 11 plan' of honor fnr All time In the antlflls of m!llti1IY history'

]f)

1. fl~t.t.al ion, SS Volunteer Legion "Nied€'rlande."

SS-/;/l'lgadefuphl'er

Or. GERD UN8fHAI IN

Gerd Unhehlllfn was born on 1 April 1903 in Frankenhausen am Kyffhauser. He was the son of Hermann Unbehaun, A school t€'ach€'r. He completpd his sE'condary school ing At the KlJi9f'r Fri€'cirieh-HpAlgymnAsillms in Bprl In, gra(JllAtlng in 1921, He thf'n immedlAtf'ly entered the lInivprslty of Berl in to study medl,'inp, continuing through the slJmmer semester of 1924. He also enlisted in the Army in 19?3 and underwf>nt training with th€' 3rd PrussiAn Enginf>er Rattallon In [ustrin.

LJnbehaun finally conclud€'d his medical studies in Gi€'ssen, taking his final eXAms In 1927. He spent a year's Int€'fnship at the LJnlversityWomen's Clinic In Glessen and at the Hindenbllrg Hospital in B€'rl inZehlendorf. From 1 .July 1928 on he worked as An assistant doctor in Giessen. Later In the year he berame a full Inf'dirai doctor whpn his thesi!! on "The Effect!! of TobACCO Use on the Fllrlf't loning of Reproductive Organs" was approvpd. HI' ron! InllPd to work as a dnctor ilt thp Gif'ssf'n Clinic unt I I llecf'mnpr Fll?, spe(;i~llzjng in women's health prohlplIl". A supportp[ of thp N\PAP, Ill'. [lnh"hAlln joinpej thp SS on 1 FpbnJAry 1'132 ISS Nr . .-n,O?')) and rer'f'lvpd an off i.-pr 's ("ommi ssion wi th thp rank of Untp[".c;turmIIlP/lIer on 30 JFlnlHlry 1'l33.

1/1' then Wf'nt to work for tllp SS Mpdir'AI rApidly.

Sp rv i (~P And

hpcoming WA" pron~)tpd

A /lflllj! t.5 f flltrJ-

fllPhrf1r (HI It) Spptt~mh~f" l(t~f\ (\[11

Novpml>eT IQlh, Ilst"t. Pr. 'Inh",,,,,.,n hpgAn hi q f}s!,-)or-j FJt inn wi ttl thn Arrnpd

SS, hpl;om i ng cnmrnF"1< Ip r "f SS Med i f'" I Dptw'hmpnt ? of tI,P SS - VprflleglJl1gstruppe in Arolspn. Hp WRS ""X'

promoted to SI ufmhfll1l1fuplirpt' rJn ?n Apri I 1'l,lfl And this WAS fnllf)WPrj hy his flppointmpnt flS ('hipf meriicFlI offlr·pr on thp stAff nf Highpr SS

Di st r ict "Sollth" ron l'i [1f'('pmhp r I'Hfl. On 10 Oct"bpr 1'11'1, Pr. UnhphAl1rl hp('Rmp thp rpgimr'ntAI sllI'gpon for the SS~StfJnrlflrfe

"fJPllt~('hlAnd" hpfoffl gnillp, nil to bpc:()~ thp chipf n}pdirJ!\1 nrfi( pr ('f thp 'i. SS"f'fl".~pr 1.'rPfllJ(iIPr [iiviqinn "Wlking." Effpr:! iv .. )1 ,1,111'> 1'14 I. Dr. Unhphaun Wil:'l proflY\ t prj I () O/lprffIPhrpr '1nrl on 10 JIIllP, rlP WAg

nFHTlf"'(J Corp~ Mprfir'r,l (Hfll pr for tt)P

newly Rlllhoriz",d IT!. \·S i'fll1.'f'"

Corp:'l (Germanic). Hp w(1Illd hllld ttli~

po~ I tlon unt 11 Itlf' pnrl of t hp WAr. re(,plvlng a finAl promnt illll In thp rAnk of BrigAr/efue/lrer on .1O JAnUFHY 1'34'j.

SS-SI urmb;mn fuphrp)'

HFl MilT SCHr~E IBFfi

Helmut Schreibpr 'IIflS horn in the town of Glps9€'n on?'i MAf<'h I'll?, thf> son nf A rAilro'1ri officiAl. After completing his bA~i(' sdlOnling in Potsdflm he bpcAme I'wtive in the GermAn YOllth Movemf'nt heforp Joining the Reich Labor Servi"e. In 1"18 he volllrltepr€'d for net iVf~ duty in the Armpd SS and WAS fwcppted into the SS-Stan<.iarte "Dputsr:hIAnrJ" of thp SS-VT. Schreibpr then servPt,J as an NCO and sqUAd I pader wi th the Ad hnc, part lal Iy SS, F'flm:er Division "Kempf" In thp Polish CAmpFlign of 19.19. Aft€'rwards he WAS fldmi t ted to SS-Junkerschuie "Toelz" for officer's training.

On 1 August 1'140, Sdlreibf'r grAdUAted from "Toelz" And WAS commissioned An llntersturmflJf>hrPf. At the start of thp Rur,sian Campllign t,p WAS sprving as A plAtoon Ipflrier in the "1l8:'l Reif'h" Divieioll. nllflng t hf> dr I ve on Mf)~(:Ow hp hPf''lrTlf' 8

cnmpAny cnmmflt](ie r ill1<1 I I'd hi 9

('nrmlAnd in t.he essAIJI t on MII9f-nw's rjpfpnsive per irTlf"t F'r. Aftpr extrpmplv hlttpr fighting, 1If'lmllt SdlfPihpr


SNO

WAS r1WArdf'd tl(ltil ( 1i15~lf'.'"i of ttlP Iron (r0s3. In ttlt' hi t tpr ('nld And nlglng hi i7.~Fl['(j3 nf thp wintf'r of I'Hlll '1 4?, Sct'f'plhpr ilnd hl~ OlF'n f""ght off SI'()rf'S of mASS ilttflcks by frp~tl qhprll'trl Iro"I'3 In the fiUSi'l iwd Istfl'l dpfpnslvp positions.

Il vnliHni fight AgAinst thp SnvlP! llnelper brldgehelld posl t Ions whl If' tm:!pr thp tllrt kal control nf 1st Infantry Division. Hsluf. Schrplbpr

mll j tAry duty In .Jflllllflry 191'), Hp gprvpd unt II thp pm of thp WFlr in thf' front I inp! AS An pnl i"t,.rf mflrJ. Aft,.r thp Wflr, Ernst Fj('k jnirwd A "Frplkorps" Ami Imttlpdl'(lmlT""I\~t9 from thp Rpring of 1'11'1 to tllp AllIllmn of the SAmp ypl'!r. fn PArly 1Q 4!, during the

d"f",n9ive fighting wpst nf Rzhpv, S,hrpihpr If'd An improvisf'd ski ('(lmpAny. Following this episodf', he was AttAdled tn tllP stAff of I. l\Attall"rl, "Pf'utschIAr¥j" flS

hl'lttAlinrl AdjutAnt whllf' it WAS in Art i"fl a3 l'l'!rl of the SS'AmnpfgrlJPI'P "()~tf'ndn!'f." Thpfl fipgifllPnt "[)Plltsch'

was WOtHKJed on:)O Or: t ohf'r 1 '143 And final I y I I' f t the f ro n t . H I ~l rjjvlsionlll commAnder, GrlJpppnrlJeiJrpr ifi'll ter K,'upger, pralspd him AS "Th" Hpro on the LJnelper." FollOwing this, Fkk !nined his

fAthpr's hlJslnpss And rpmAinp,j with

I and" flf,j ttv' f'nti rp "[lI'!S Rpil:h" Plvl slon wpre wl t~¥jrawn to the Fill I I ngbn:o t I'" I t r Fj I n I ng g rnur~ I" for re/ormfltion ArKi Srhrpibpr WAS plill.'ed in chilrge of 10th Company, "[JpI1Isct>il'!rxl, " wi th the rilnk of m'ersl IJrmflJPhu' r.

[Juring Ihp surprl~p Attl'lrk AilTlPd At T('tRklng PflvlogrAri by thp

AS Rpldl" fiivigion in lAte JllnuFlry ,-)43, Ostuf. Schrf'ibpr led the point compAny with verve FInd dAring. The opera! ion proverl successful, I'lTw1 for his pFlrt in Ih,. 'lr! ion Ilnd thp lat!"r rpr.()n'l'l('~t of KhArkov, Schr!"lbpr was "wardpd thl; r;prmAn Cross In r;old on

April 1'143. In the Kursk or fpn~lvp ((1pprilt Ion "Cl tl'1<1 p lle"), Srhrt'ltJPr nnce AgAin lerl hlg rnmr>ilny at thp point of !hp I I I. Bill tal Ion, "[Jptgchlilrwi," Assaul t into thp wpll-prf'pflrprl enpmy dpff'T1ses. "lIst prtor to this, on 20 June 1')43, Srhrp i bp r hlld reee I ved a promo t Ion to Ha/lptsful"mf(whrer.

In July 194"1, to thf' north of Bjelgorod, a strong communist afITorp(j Ami I nfl'!nt ry force srnashf'd Into the "OputschIAnd" fieglment's exposed flflTlk, Disaster threatened. Quick I y, 1/8f/lf. Schrelbpr formed an Bssau I t group from hi s company amj led It in a countprattack Ilgainst the superior pnpmy force. After mlJch hard and vicious fight ing, the Reds broke and without waiting for furthpr orders, Sr.:I)rf'lber anci his men pursued them bllck tu their own It~ps and seized a 3prl,.3 of high

Eo. nd defensivp positions in close comr.>at. They Wf.>re then able to attack 8rKj capture a Soviet jumping-off area where preparations for further a~~alll t3 on the "Deutschlancl" Regiment were In pr'ress. This successful urKler-t, 'g, wholly improvised in the hpllt of bllttle, brought Hplmuth Schrt>ih"r tll,. Award of the Knight '3

Cross on ]() -Tu I Y 1 'l4.1; hp "pr~()nl'll I y rpcf'lvp,j it at Stf'l'flnovkH in early AugUSI

In the hp8VY fight ing that follow .. d In thp Dnelper River pOSitions, III I of the "Deuls(:hlamj" bllttallon cnrJYflllnders were killed arKj I/sluf. Schrpiber WIlS splected to take OVf'r a leaof'rless tmttelion. His cOlllmAm was comprlsf'd of the surviving rpmnAnts of Bssortf'd badly hatterI'd "LJ"utschlfl .. i" eleITlPnts. With t hi s klimpfgruppe, Schreiuer I I'd

Later on, during UlP rrformat Ion of thp "DeutschIIlTKj"

I I IJn! I I It collapspd And WflS

/If'gllJlPnt Ilt the 5 Iflh I Ilk trnop trllinlng grolllYis In Ellst Prussifl, the ff'c()vprf'd /lsfuf. S(;hrpihpr took

All(;t lonpri off in Iq\!. In thp mPAnt Imf:', I ikp mAny vplpr'lrts, Fiek

COrJYflAm of the regifllPnt''l Ill. Rflttfll ion. "[)IlS Rf'lch" flrKl "lIelltschl And" w,.re npxt tiPl'!vi ly engAgpd on thp NnrmflrK.ly Front and on 12 AlIglISt 1<)44, Srhrf'ibpr WAS severely wOlllldpd fit Mortain. It tonk him unt I I ,JAnlJAry 1945 to rprOVf'r And In t hfll lOOnt h hI'" WISUlJlPrl comml'!nd of SS'Fpi<lprst1t:,: BMai I Ion 2 flmi thp "[lAs Reich" close combat schOol, both of whlr'h wpre pllrt of thp SS Felrff'rsatz Ilrlg'lrip 102, stat loned in the \'Ipsterwflld.

Thp now StllrmLlfwnfuehr'pr Helmuth Sl~'hre!ber directed the h6ttalion during its emergency df"ploympnt egllinst the Remagen brldgf'heari in MArch 194'5 snd then l .. d 'lurvivors of SS-rTB ? In a bllttle-group In Austrifl In April 1'::l4'5. Un 20 Apri I 1945 Schrplber received the Ifollnd BAdge In Gold awl Ilt about the SAme time WIlS re-postf'd to the main body of his old "Deutschlllnd" Regiment, where he was h",ld as a regimental reserve officer.

On 4 May 1<)45, Stubaf. Schreiber WflS pllrt of a parliamentary pArty of Warfen-SS officers, including the "Deutschland" commanding officer, Ostuhllf. Guenther Wisllcf'ny and the 9th SS Panzer 01 v I s Ion "Hohenstauffen" cOlTlll6nder, Brigfhr, Sylvester Stadler, who crossed the E'nns fiivpr to try and negotiate an honorAhle surrender to the Americans. SS-Regiment "Deutschlllnd" was at the time subordlnlltpd to the "HOhf'n-staufen" Division. The Arnerlr:ans were not Interested discussing anything but "uncondi \lonal" surrender, so the tlllks soon broke off. As a resul t SllIhaf. Schrelber Ar¥1 the men of "[)putsl:-hlam" did not IflY down their arms until the gen,.ral slIrrerKjpr trl'!nsplred on 8 M'lY 1945. At that tlmP the extraordinary mi II tary CBrf'pr of thr Knight's Cross flolder Hplmuth Schreiber CBme to its COn(;lllsloll.

SS-BrJt:adefuehrer ERNST FICf(

E'rnst Flck WAS born on ') Febn1Flry 1898 in Klr,hdorf, BavllrlA. Hp was the son of a sal,.sman. r:irk complpted his sprondflrY schooling in [)f'c,.mber 1914 Ilm v()luntp,.rerJ for

hAd hpcolJlP flttfwhed 10 thp rpsllrgpn! NSflAP, .JoIning lip in Ihp win!pr of 1')?fl/197Q. Aftpr mlll~h prpp'lrnt inn, h,. hplp,.rl fOUnd Pl'!rty groups in thp towns of Zwif'spl, SrlpgplRIl flnd GrRfpnllu. In f'llrly 1'l30, Fi('k .lojnpri thp young SS orgAnizAt ion 'lnd WflS A!lslgnpd to the 6th SS Stflnflflrte AS A probat !onAry m,.mber In Fphrtll'lry Iq~(J. Hp sllhsP,!"pnlly "wrln hh

!lPIl!'S" fll1d WRS givpn Ihp SS NI'. ?, fl,).l I'! goorl I nd I r A I i (l n 0 f his sf'niorlty in lerms nf gprvjrpl

On 30 Mardl 1'l13, Fick bp('8mP An Unfersturmfuehrer flmi WflS Asslgnf'd to thp 31st SS Staf)rlf!rtp, Eflrly in 1'lJ4 hp tfl'lrlsfprrpd In thp Personnel Depllrtment II I)f thp SS MAin Office in Rerlln; rpq'!ving A prorrnt ion to Ohersfurmfuehrer in thp prorpss on 10 .January l~n4, From lh MArch 19.14 unt I I I? Apr i I 11)35 h,. was an officer In It", SS Auxi I iAry At [)llchFlU (flrl outfl I thAt contAinprj vo I untflry "he I pers" Who Il~pi red 10 join the Armf'rl SS). [luring this timp hp attempd roursps Ilt the Highpr SS Pnl ice School "Etche" and from lA Novemher I 9 14 unt i I JCl ./l'!nUfl ry 191') he WflS temporArily attAched 10 till" fFlmous "LSSAH."

A sprips of very rApid promot lon~ brought Fir:k to thf' rllnk of OberstlJrmbr'lnnfuehrer (lieutenant colonel) on 13 September 1<)1f>. From 1937 to 1940 he served At the SS JunkerschuJes "Brllunschwplg" And "Toelz," hecoming a political instru,tor at the Illttpr facility. On 4 December 1940, F Ick WIlS assigned to the ~taff of the (;ermAnir:-ss Training School SpnntlPim In AIRAce. Thpn on 78 April 1'341, OstlJbaf. Fick was spnt to thp SS Artllll'ry Rpgiment "Wiking" (commllnded at the t imp by Ostunaf. Herhert Otto Glllf'), for Ihe rflther vaguf' purpose of "informational sprvlce. "

Ficl< wa~ hllRlrFllly an "extra hllrKl" with no rpal fllnctlon, 30 when the COrrtnllnd position for I. !)plAchrnent, SS-Art Ilpry /lpgllllf'nt "\'lIking" hecalJlP AVIlI lable on 30 MAY 1'l41, he WIlS givpn it. This wOllld provp to hI' Fl mistAke, AS Fick Wll~ prlmarlly a "po I itiCAI" officer. In Any event this would he Ernst Fir:k's only WArt lme fipld COrrtnAnri Ilmi hp provpr! I nAdeqlJAt I'" to the t I'!Rk,

getting sacked on 1 Sppteri~r 1'341. I I I s not known lIpon whosp

Instigation Fick was relOOvpd, hut it was probably that. of (.'rupppnfuphrpr Stelnpr, thp "Wlking" COTlTllm)(jpr, who did not suffpr fools or incompetents

31 3S


SNO

Tlw HprriAm Press is a bn-tnd,-nC'w mi litary history publ ishillg company, founded in .July 11)HH ilftpr lhe dt"'isolutinn of the lnlf-'rnnlional {;raphlc~ Corp. (end its divi~ion~,

\oJpapuns Hnd Wlirfi-lre Prp.ss and the MI I i tary Bookshe If).

I wi 11 now- be con('(l'nt.ralinR on Wot-ld Wr\f I[ hiRt.ory, as r wn:i h{'fore Ice was crpated over t pn years ngo. 'nil s tne 1 utiP.S lhe fe--bi rt h of a

c1aR~ic m"~Hzlne: the IN2 JOIIRNAL. As anyonp who read the original WWl. JOIIRNAL will tell you, it waR a mudl·-Ioved And respected publication.

IJespite the c-,.rrent prollferation of hooks and puhlicHt ions .lvailohle on World War II, I do teel that the services I offer through my busineRs Hre st t 11 very sorely needed by all World War II history enthusiAsts. AB

'WAYS, thallks for your SIlPPOJ t. Ray ~l(~rl iam, OWIWI-

FUII~SIZR CATAI.OG HV f111l-~izt' .annual catalog and

riodic supplements provide 11 much more complete listing, with full (h'script. iOlls. If you order anything from this ad, A copy ot the calalog will tlC sent at no charge.

Don't want to order anything now, bllt WAnt t he cat Hlog right away? Just send $2.flO (foreign, $3.(J(J) to help covpr costs. A credit slip for $·'.(Xl will be irlclllliPtl wtlich call be used un YOlJr order of $l'j.UO or more.

Whichever way you get the catalng, it you place any order fn)m it, you will be placed on the cataloK supplement mailing list. And yuu will also receive the next edition of the cBtalog automaLlcnlly when available.

The 1988-89 CutaJog contains over 30 pages uf descriptive listings of books And publications. The majori ty fire (oncprnpo with World War 11. In addition to dozPlIs of titles published by The Merrinm Press, there are also hund reds ot books from olher p .. bllshers.

listing of the At'r i I~S. A more wiltl (lelHile(t

Hpre is a partial mAny titlps if! this complf>le liHt.lng descrIptions will he found in my

',81 , .. lalog.

>M~~ I: HesserschalttB Over Spain by J;.m,·s 11. lIaycralt. npp, ill. $2.~,O

>~1~~2: The IBt SS Panzer Di"iBion in the Battle of the Bulge hy St eve K.lIlP. lilpp, ill. $'i.(X) >M~~H: lInfulf i lled Pr<>aiBe: TI,e Soy1et Airborne Force:.. 1928-1945 by Lerny 'Ihoml'son. 361'1', ill. $5.50 >M~ Ill: &lton1an AnlY Unifor.s and InsigniB. 1936-1944 by Fn·<J Limbprg Rnd T(~d Koppel. 19pp, ill. 'fj/-L2,)

>M-II: 11,e !!attle at St. VHh. IlelgI_. 17-23 Oec.,.ber 1941.: An

32

--_._------------ - - ---- ~-,----- ---------------------------" ---- ---~

Historical KUlIIple of ArlDOr in the lJefenae. 41pp, ill. $6.50 >M-14: List of Military and Anoored FIghting Vehicle Photographa in the World War 11 Collection of Seized I' ... _y Recorda Group RG-242"'(;AP in t~he NatiolUll Arclth'es compi lect by ~"y Price, William Auerbach, Peter Frilnd.qpn, & Ray Mer dam. 38pp, $5.75 >M-Io: Dar..hau (U.S. 7th Army, (;ermany, 1'J4~). 72pp, ill. $11.00 >M~~17: War Art of the 'Ihird Reich by Cflpt. (;ordon W. (;l1key. USAAC, Ret. (dpp, ill. $9.2'i >M-I'!: Focke--Wulf 190A-5/ A--6 Flrrg?.eug liandbuch. Tei 1 O. Allgemeine Angaben (Lutt ... nffe. 8 iJec. 1'14·3). Flight hRndhook, German text. 34pp, ill. $5.(Xl >M- 22 : How to Sur"i ye Combat as Point Hain If You're Lucky And Lose Frienda If They Aren't by ThomaB E. Sl.rf'pt. ~V"'l'p •. $1.00 >~l~n: 1I"""y Weapons Company. Rifle Regi..,nt (Infantry Field ManuRl FM I-I'" 19 May 1942). VIlI'P, numprous Ill. $21.()O >M~~l,): Rif le (:o.pany. Infantry Regt_nt (Infantry Field MRnuAl FM 7-IiJ, 18 Ma.-ch 19"'.). 330l'P, ill. $}1 •• 75

>M-2t>: A noor ed Infantry Co.pany (Field Manllal FM 17-1.0, 21 November 1944). WHpp, ill. $11 .. 25 >M-21: U.S. Anoored DiTiRions Order of Battle: Ruropean Theater of Operations. World War H. 74pp. $11.25 >H-3l: Conyentional Signs. Military Sy.bols. and Abbreyiations (Basic Flp1d Manual FM 21-30, 15 October 1'J4'j). IJI.pp, ill. $17.:<''i >H-3): Mission Accoaplished: Interrogations of Japanese Industrial. Military and Chil Leaders of World War Il. Ilbl'P. $17.25 >M-38: The DeYelot-'nt of tlte So"iet Anaed Forces. 1917-1966 by Kenneth R. Wh It! ng. 101.pp . .$15.50 >M-4LJ: Theodore WeisBenberger: Arctic Ace of the Luft_ffe by Lar r y Swans"n. 2(Jpp, ill. $3.00 >M-4·]: .Japanese Parachute Troops of World War U. 6Hpp, ill. $lO.~)O

>M-44: He 262A-l Flrrgzeug-liandbuch. Teil 3: Lettwerk (Luflwaffe Me 2(,2 f1 ight contrul surfaces handbook, Jlllluaq 19 /.4). 201'1', ill. $3.(X) >M ~/I'): He 262A-1 Flugzeug-Ilandbuch. Teil 5: TrHgverk (Luftwaffe Me 2h2 willgB hanrlbook, JanuHr y 1')1 .. 1 .. ). 1 hpp, ill. $2.',0 >M-47: The French Air ~'orce tn the Battle for France. Hay~Jrrne 1940 by C. J. Ehr<'ngardt.. 241'1', maps. $3.75 >M-53: Frltl': X: The Rrrhrstahl SD 14001 Guided MiRsile hy Wi 11 lam Wolf. lOpp, 111. ,$1.m >M-'il.: Herwd.el lis 293 hy Will iAm Wolf. 32pp, Ill. $'i.OO >M--r)9; Die BcilllllltentToegcr der Wehr .... cht: The Recipients of the lnlght's CroSB with Ooldeaves. Swords. and Dia!80ndn hy lJavid Almoll Miller. 141'1', ill. $2.2,) >M-IlII: DIe Schwert.ertraeger der Wehr .... (·ht: The Recipients of the

Inight's Cross with Onkle" ...... nnd Sword .. (Heer. lAlft_Ue. Irieg""",rtne. Wo f fen-SS) hy David AJmon Millpr [in pn"parat inn J . )M~~fd: Down to F.nrlh: F,,_ the ZenIth to the IJeck (flth Air Force Strafing and Ground Attack Tactics). f>2pp, Ill. $9.25 >M··-hl" TIre I.ong R .. ach: Deep Fighter F.m:ort Tactics of the 8th Air Force. 7(.pp, j} 1. $11.50 >M~~r,c" Horane Saulnier M.S. 1.06: First Modern French Fight.er by Pierre Rivipre. 16PI', ill. 57.'iO >M~~6<): The S<>arch for Hitler's Retreat: One Ilia tor lA"' a (JbRervAt IonA by CJ1Arlp~ C. ROlen. 141'1', ill. 52.2'; >M-lO: Mi I I tary Dlct [onary Ge ...... a - F.nglish / F"'gliRh - Genoan (Tp,-hni.nl ft,nllA I 'I'M ·11l·~'i()6, .Ill 1 y 196 /,). 8lpp. $12.'iO >M-19: Soyiet Rifles And (~rblnes: Identification and Opel~ation lllRIJI '··I()I, I Mny 19')4). 621'1', tll. $'l.',() >M-HO: Deutsche Unlfo ....... n: lInlfonaB. Iml1 gnla IlDd Badg .. s of the 1hird R .. ich. V'pp, B&W plates. $5.50 >M-8l: Ge ..... n 88 _ Anti-Aircraft Gnn Haterfel (Techn Iral MRnll" I TM E9-1fi9A, 29 .JlInp 194:1). 1Bilpp, ill. $28.25 >H·-H2: r",noan TankA. Self-Propelled Guns_ AFY'a IlJId PrJ_ Hovers of World War 11 (Allied intell igpnce documents, circa 1945). WOpp, numpro"" ill. $15.(X) >M-H:l: r.., ..... n Hllitary Vehicle" of World WAr 11 (Allied intpll igf'n,·., doellm .. nts, circa 1945). lIlKpp, numprous Ill. $16.2'i >M-H4: F. W. ASBlllUln ,\ Sons Sales Cata log of Third Reich Insignia. 112pp, profusely ill. $II.DO >M-8C,: Paul Sellhei..,r Solingen W"ffenfabrlk - FAiged Weapons Gatalog. 121'1', lIl .. $2.00 >M-Ilh: t'r .. Occupi...t to A111: DRnish Resi stance Hoyemen t 1940-4') by Joq~"n lIapstroll'. M) PI' , ill. $l.on >M~90: Allied Code Nalllf's .Japanese Aircrsft 1 n World War Hi(har<J M. BlH'schel. V)pp,

for 11 hy ill.

$I •. o() >M~-91: Ger.sn Infantry WeApons (11. s. Military Intf>lligcl}c-c Service Special Series No. 14, May 194·1). lO/.pl' , ill. $15.75

W2 JOURNAL World War [[. .IlIR! s<1ying rhf> words cRlls up gn~At f'fnotionq.

Whetlil?'r your vipw of thp "wHr to pnd fill wars" wa~ shnppd by first-illtnd pxpprif"ncf', hy 11 ,-plal ivpts stnr-if'!'I,

O[ from Hollywood film", this magazinp takes you back to the yearq whpn practically evpry person on this plRnpt WlIS embroilf"<i in a truly "wnrld" WAr.

Bel'ddp!'l great hiRtnry, told hy Rupl?rb writf>rs and historians, W"W2 JOllHNAL f~Rtllrp9 m<lny Rtnrit's abotlt whAt it W1l9 like to IH'tllillly hp thpt"("


SNO

In thp CJwPltering jungles of the SOllth Pacific, or Oil the frozen steppf'R of Russia. 1.anding on the blalk tJPact\PA ()f lwo Jima, elf droppillg from thp. skiPR onto Crl-!tt~. LUt"king bf'fH''lth the- icy Atlantic in a leaky 9uhmarinp, or spt'p.ding through the bright blue water of the Mediterranean in i'I dp~t["()yer. l)uel ing to the death in the ski~6 high over Europp., or watching the tf'tl-talf' contrails frum be l(lw.

nH~ mt"11 lying wOLlnded - and the dp<ld. The grit"ving women lIlld children. Thf> .o;chpming puliticia.n"!. The military )';rp~l8 find ll!Jl-Fiu-grp8tR. They're all herf', Ttlis iR the way it hal)ppnf'd. Ttw wnrti:9 f'v()kp powf'rful il1lag~8. You will fpf'l all the I}ride, ter"ror, gl-ief and jl}Y f'xlwrif'llced by the men Ilnd women who I ived through this unforget table pra. And reaffi.rm that the world cannot tolpratf~ a. similar war ag.'lln.

WW:' JOIlHNAI. wnu 1 d bt.· il ~11~)(' rh Ulflf,azlTH' it thal were all it covered. Rut it gOf'R much farther. Il is m(lr.~ th;lrl an f'xcpllf>nl sour!"'€' of the tWRt 'Writing on the S.f.'cond World War. WW2 JOl1R.NAL is also tlw onLy rn'igaz.ine c()Veri!lg this global conflict tllRt proviut's you, deal" reader, with thp type of infnrrnat ion Yf)U n~ed to study thp fJubject alld t'nj()y YOlH interest eVf'n more.

Th~re is 11 lptters forum that is opf~n to everyone for comnwnt, crltirism, and additional information.

NeVLews of bu()ks and other prod1lct.') fire always an i_mportant part of "''lAi ,f(JlIRNAL.

nlt' annt)uncempnt 8 Aee t ion provides you with the latest news and information about all nmnner of things. Inclllded are t.he latest news of recent books, publiCAtions, tapes, 8nll muc'tl more; cHtaioKs and sales literature avallatJle; individuals find firms ttlHt CAn turtiler aid you in YOllr intprest in World War If; and you can evell have Y(Jur requests llublished for hard-lo--flnd books or other items, as well us r"eseu(-ch 8ssistance, pen-pals, etc.

Ev<'ry month, beginning in .January I '!Il9, WW2 .JOURNAL wi 11 be your key to th.. f~scinating history of the most incre(iible perlod of conflict ever knowTl to mankind. Every illustn:l.ted issut" Tuns a minimum of 413 pages, tH x 11 inches.

And no advertising! None what-tHJ··ever ... just plenty of good, solid, inf()rmation Hlld elljoyable reading.

A year'" subscription is just $40.11() in the U.S.; $~O.OO foreign. Single coVy cover vrice is $4.00 (for single copies orderpd by mall, the price is $').(Xl. to help cover the cost of shipping). foreign single copies by mall are $6.00 surface mail, or $IO.(Xl airmail.

CertAinly the price is not low. Rut remembeT ... you are receiving a minimum of 48 pages every munth filled

with nothing hut good, Rolld r"flrllng and informatlon--no advert.ising or other junk filler. ThAt's at lenst 576 pages a y"ar I

And, if you subscribe now, YOll'}l

he a ChHrter Suhscr iber of the WWlJ. l1tls will entiLle you to receive special rpnewal offers availAble to no one else··-the lowest possible renpwal rateB available to anyone, BS 1nJ1K as you do not Jet your subscript.ion lapse. TIu=tt I~ Just one of the rewanf!i Y{ltl will receive for your supporL ',od falth in the WW:l .JOURNAL.

What more can I say to (onv ince you to try the new WW2 JOURNAL? I/ow ab()IJl tills MtlArantee:

If for flny rea90n the WW2 .JOIJRNAI. cpases IluhlicAtlon at any time il\ tile future, I personally gunralltee you R

rf~fllnd for any unmailed issues--even if it hH5 lo come out of my own pockt-~t !

Nt>w, c:prta in ly don't f.'"xpec t t.o have to P.rlHCt this guarant"ee I pnvisiol1 the WW2J to be around for many, mHny years. And part of the rJk'lgnzine'R success is up to you

your support wi 11 help make the dream a reality.

In a<idilion to "uh,qcrihln~. I'd renlly aprrpeiate your telling your frjefldf->, n~lRtives, and anyone ('lap you may know who might hp interestf)d in I h,· WWi JOIIRNAL. I' II he hnppy 10

send Ihem 8 copy of this brochure for th" ask inR if they drop me a line with their name Rnd address.

But subscribe TOOAYI Thank you! (NOTE: This i8 not" continuation

01 the originnl WW:l .JOURNAL, '11118 is 11

lolally Of.~W Hnd much improved magazine that will offer the same grent: sty le thAt 80 IllEJ.ny of you came to enjoy Bnd appreciate. ]

PlpRRe I i AL the ltems you wish to order, lotA l their cost, nnd ine 1 ude payment (check or money order [foreign: b>lnk drllft or postal money order in ll. S. funds drawn on a ll. S. bnnk]; send cash Rt your own rl~kl) made out to The H{'rriam Press.

SHIPPING ·Ad,j$2~50 to help cover shipplnR. hllndling ,,,,,I inRurance costs for MlLLTARY STUIJI KS ti tIes hel ng orderpd. Orders are shipped promptly by lellsL expensive method.

HAIL ORDERS ID:

mE KERRIAH PRF..'lS 218 Beech Street. Dept. SR-1

Ilenningtoo VT 05201

.f~lndJy, In Hny pvpnt.. Flf'k ;,t)(Hl

found hlm;;1' I f OA('k on thp stAff of the Sf'nnhf'im TrAining Sr'hool AS 'ln Instructor, He was promotpd 10 Sf flf)(jt1rtenfIJPhrer on 10 JAnUAry 1')47 (hl~ politiCAl crpdf'ntiAls rf'mAinprl pXCl'1I enU anrl asslITllI"d c-ommand of SS<ich"'e "Spnnhf'im" on 1 .lImp 1<)47, Wh I I I' ho I rll ng t hi;; po ~ It I [) n hp WA S

promoted to O!:>prflJPhrpr on J() JAnUAry 1'34,1,

On I JanUAry 1"144, (lhprfhr, FI('k hl'cAlTlt' the InspFrtor (I i IFrally "supervisor") of Politic-al In;;tfllrtlon in the Wflffen-SS Anrl on Ihl' 30th of thElt month he rl'rpivpd his Almost AnnUAl promot ion, Ihls I ImP to Br igadeflJehrpr, Ilri';filf, F irk I'rKled the WElr up on duty in Bpr I in and pArt Icipated in the finl'll bAtt I" for that cl ty In A mixpri hAlt 11'·' group. In thp ('oursp nf Ihp fighting, SS'flr'iRflripfuphrpr Frn;;t Fi(:k WAS klllpd in A('lion,

O:;S-(j/,uppen ffJ",h .. o>,'

Or. 'ARI. fiFNi"f(FN

KAr I r;pm:kpn WIlS horn on fl ""np I fl8'i In Prpptz, Holslein, thp son nf A minister, After completing his secn nd'1ry erillrlltlon in Kipi Ann WAnd~bek, Genzken studied fI1Pd!r:ine At the Universl t ipg of T.1Phingen, MRrhurg, Munich and KieL In 1'lO6 he Ill~o joined the 10th Wllrttemherg InfAntry RpgimPnt Nr, If¥), Thpn In 1YIl he pAsspd hjq qtAtp examinat ions Ilt thp Onivprsi Iy of K i I' I and W/1S t hp n g j vpn t hp t! tI e 0 f mprjicAi doctor. From Jun .. to JlIly I'll?, Genzkptl worked IlS A mpriicAi prActioner at the city hasplll'll in PlBIJPn. He thf'n ~ignpd on Ag Il phYSician with a commerrcial

]] 15


SNO

floxppdi t ion to M(lf(l! 1"0"

Or, GpClzken next served Wl 8

Naval Meriic-fll Officer for almost seven years, During World War I he was the "Harhor IH)d Fortress" doctor to thp hesieged (;ermen gArri~on At thp Ch!nesp post of TsingtAIL He thpn hP('llf"," A ship's surgeon on the S, M, S, Hmnhllrg before ending the WAr as a mediCAl officer on the Hf>8d<1ll1lrt ers StAf f of I hp Comm'lndflnt of U:Ho'lts, In 1419 Or, Genzkpn lefl the serv!"e am tank medirlll prAel Ice, He recrlll t to the NSOAP, PArty NI/mller :19, CJ1.l.

up 8 C i v I 1 i IIn WIIS IIn eArly

rpceiving the

(In ') Novemher I'J1.l, Dr, (;pnzi<pn Joined Ihe SS (NI', 70'1,9')4), 'lm initi~lly sprved wilh the 4th Sturmllll. Stllrm/JRnn/40th SS (Gen-pr~l) StRndArten. On 2fl Fehruary }qlf, hp receivpd Ihf> rank of Sturml>RnnflJPhrpr; fit Ihe time hp WflS sf>rving 'lS the ('omm~nding offir:er of thf' Medicfll Sturm U;ompany) of Ihe

S-VT (ArnlPd SS) in Bel'l in, When (his Mediefll Sturm expAnded inln an Ahteilullg (Detachmpntl on 1 FebrUAry 1917, Or, Genzken rplnAlned its corrrnanoer, He also began to climb the prorrotion Iflddf'r very rApidly, >,ecomi ng an O/.>ersturinh8nnfllPhrpr on

) Apri I 1917 and fl StRrKJRrtenfllf'flfPr on 12 Septernbf'r l'll'/,

Following lhree Inore years in niP SAmp posi t ion, Genzkell was prnrrot pcl on 2() Apr II 1940 And at the seme time Joine(j the staff of the SS Mpdical lnspe,'tnrflte in llerl in, On 4 Dec'emher 1'140 he tooi< ctlarge of the SS J,(pdicel Dl'partlll"nt of the SS MAin Offi'.:e em he would remain at this post thrOlJ~ho"t most of World War 11, Ill'. (;pnzken receivf'd fudher prnmol ions to RriRRripfllehrpr (1 Augusl }'141) Bnd (;ruPPPllfllehrer (-\0

JFlfllJFtry }"l4l), end in Novelllhf>r }(l44 hp W"g I isted ~g Chief of Amsigruppe [lof thp SS M'lin Offlr'e,

His gl(hsp'Iupnt fflte is unknown tn Ihi" wri tpr,

:;-81' J ff"defuehl'er ANTON VlJbLER

Antnn Vogler was horn on ') Septf>mbf'r 1881 in Ml'ring, Upppr Rav~riA (now a pArt of SWAbia), Hp was the son of a ~dicAI doctor, Upon complet Ion of IS s",condary educAt ion hp Joined

the 6th Royai BAvarian Field Art i Ilery RE'glment "Prinz Ferdinand van Bourtxlr1," which was iocated in Fuerth, Vogler flttended the army am engineer schools In Mllnlch find soon gfllned fin off ieer 's corrrnissiof), He initially servpd AS en artillery bat lery of flrf'r twfor!" hecoming Art! 11 f'fy df>1 flctllnent and br igade flrijutantg, Un 26 Novemhf'r 1911, Anton Vog I f'r WAS promot!"d to O/Jprlt'lItfllmt (First Lieutenant),

Voglf'r SflW considerahle flc't ion in World WAr I, serving first ~s A (lnil fldll1\1:lI<t, then HS Hfl artiilt:'ry

34

flpld CO!llTVHxif'r, first with A hAUery, then Rn E'ntlre det~chment, Hp WflS promoted to HFlII{'tmalln (CAptAin) in thf' pror:ess. In 19}R, fl bout with rhelJmitlsm removed him from flCt Ion, flnd he WAS put to work trllinin~ field art i Il€'rY officers for Ihe I I, RAvflrian Army Corps in Wuerzhurg,

In Apri I And MAY 1919, Yogler served wi th the Quartermaster of thp heAdquflrters troops directing operfltlons flgAinst the Bolshevik insurgents in Munich, Afterwards he was ASS 19ned 10 the ho>adqullI t ers stAff of Ill, HavariAn Army Corps in Nil rf'mbf'rg, Rllt the "V",rsalll PS TrPflty" cuthAcks for thp (;prm~n Army wert' now In effpct And Vogler soon f ollnd hi mse 1 f re I eased from Sf'TV ice wi th the rflni< of mflJo!',

From 1922 to 1917, Anlnn Vn~lf'r worked in thp tt:'xl i le incllJslry, hul Along wi th other forcibiy ret I red off ieers, sI I II part iC'iPAt",r:l in Army Irfllning ('Oll!'ses, plflnning exerc-ises Bm WAr gAmps, His CFlfeer took a nf'W IIJrn In Apr'i I 1933 when he Jolnpd the NSIlAP and becmnp an instructor for the Ac't i J Jery-Sturm (bflt tery) of the> SA SttwriRrte I. If" His su('C:ess hp!e led to the expansion of fI r t i I le r y t I' Ai n i ng W i I hi n t he SA. In 1(lJ4, Vngl p !' played A role in thp suppress i on of t he so-ca II eri "Rrwhm .. Putsr.h"; an npprat Ion whir'h effectively curtaileri the powf'r A~j the influenfCP of the unwieldy SA, much to tile del ighl of the Army,

As a result of Voglpr's "prvlu'" he WAS offered" pn8ition in the SS, which he accepted on 1 FebruflrY 1935 wi th the SS Nr, 2ffJ,773, lie also hfld to accept a onf>-notch clown-grading in r"nk from IllfI.Jor (rf't i r"d) to SS-Hal1ptsturmfllPflrer, Hst uf. Vog I er WAS now pmployed AS fl tfletirfll in!'<trurtor At the new SS-.Il1nkerschuJe "Toelz," flp

hf'ld tpFlf"tdnr, p()~li t iIHl~-; :t1 hnth TOf'lz And the SS-JS "llffl'lIl.9' hwpig" lint! I 1 Nnvf'rnhf'r ]rnn Puring thp SAme period hI' WClS stf'Adi I If prom"I prj in rank IJnt i I hp rp"dlpd SSStFlnriRrtpnfueflrer (':nlnnf'l) rln In ,January 1 (BR,

From 1 Nnvemher 1 '{Hl IIn t i I AIJgllst 1941, Vog1pr wnrkpd on thp staff of the Highpr SS Oistrict "South," adminlstrflt illg SOCiAl works /'Ind hecoml ng p f f pc t i ve .-Ill e f - () f 3t8ff to thp district cornmflT~jer, Hf> was promoted to SS-OhprfllPhrpr on '-l

November 1940. FInd thpn to SS-RrfgRcit'fuehrer (malor gpnerfli or hrigadier), on lO JAnUAry }q~3

Eff",ctive 1 August }CJ4l, Elri"f"r, Voglf'r hecflme thp SS (;flrrison Cormlllnder fnr Munich, At wltidl t imp all of the numerOIJS It'flI{pn SS trAining and rf'plfl,:pmpnt IJnils in the arPfl (including artillpry fln,] FJFlk rpgiments), ,'Amp I Jllrlf' I' hi,; J(Jrisriirtion. Vogler hp Id thl s position until lO Spl'If'mhpr 1'l44 Hp thpn ieft the ~prvlcp of Ihp Wfl11en-SS permAnf>nt I y on '1 Nnvernl,pr 1944 for un~pec1fi",d (rwl~sihly

hN11 th) rPAsons, and hie! further fate is unknown,

-------~~-----

SS .. Jaegpr BFlttalion ')01, SSStllrmJBPgpr Regiment "Bohruls\<," prnhflhly SAW flCt ion around Vi t f'bsk f1nd I hpn JllsioldA In July 1944, This IInl I hFl~

hf'en ment ioned as the first ei"ment of the WBffen- SS to hi'w" hppn Illrgf'ly composed of Hungilri'ln ethnic-Germans,

SS-IIRlJpt.9turmfllehrer Emi 1 A'Itzlf>n, horn in NlJrf'mberg on 7 ,jIJnf' 1 '11 \ (SS

Nc', 40'), e27), sf'rved wi Ih the 4th SS p(J] lzei Division Flm thp lOth SS Panzer Division "Frundsbprg" before Ilssuming eorrrnam of thp SS-Sign'lis Training Dptflehment 1 on 9 NClvpmher 1944,

SS-SdJlJetze Nnf'1 Pphuy, fl f\plglfln vollJnteer (hnr'n 2r) Pp"p",I'''r Iq/Cl), servpd with 14. (FIRk) CnmpFlny, SS-f'RllzergrenRdi pr RPR impnt 3'), 1 ~1. SS Division "Hors! Wpssel." Ho> WRS lafll h('al'd frnm in PrARII" in Spptpmher 1944; hp W~~ li"I,,<1 AS Rn

MfA sr>on ~fte!'WArols.


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TER ROEMRIJKE GEDACHTENIS

VAN

K are I FIERMANS C.bot.n t. Borg.rhOUI, op 25 Augu,tt.u 1923

VrlJ"",illIg., blJ d. ++ -St.nd .... t. ·'lengem.rcilr;",

ho, h.ld .... hl g." Io:.mp 08111'.11.,. Op h.t OOltfront,

op 6 februa" 1943.

11., .... ,,, I""f' )<)"'1(.11""9 d1t: H 1.lIk.de d,,('>f >rol .. y""t"o en "Il d .. .,,,,,,d('q y ... l,tJ'JI"'l wt"rd door &1 w!(' I,~!n hI!"

nIl 1('. I .. II.~ t· ... l ~ .. " ~drl("" hors! e .. " O~H"n L"'''~I!''r. re'" '1/"'SII"'~I"{\ wil en 1'.""\ ~'l"r""lld r:lt"t t't'rI bI3~,.nd Idl".1: ~'ll'" ')If"I~ ~II" .).'e\t. WtU I", t'"l"fl $h>'~ V/'In ri, t'"lvn

t'n H"",U'" ",t ,loor 1'1" (jlont(" ~,,.,, 1" en tenlqhc',/ ~I"I

nl,." .... '" <}(,~"I<i W~~ "<'I",d,';I OYl'l l'ell1 9('"wo,df"Jl. t"l was

"")I)' t ("') t J..,I'( "",,1 S(,( Inll~lTlr.' 1t'91"n hf"I hU'~JewJ~'ne t)"("rl,, qd van ht'1 o"elwe-Idlyt''lde "I(liqebf""ren. Ir6d h' J <'1('11) Uti) ".!In /'1" lu"g le~('n ee" ofieqJ""e le ITldken

(Joor "1" I!,,)t"d "er -N't'" I ~"J I'{),~'}e et"I("I"'!"~e"~ (On ~llt"rf. le" ~I,,!I'" den "e'.j,..rvfur,d 1(1 ,f .. 'Jswue\t'I',r" V<'In 'Sow> let I<l.Jlhlf1od 1"1" hellnne"n9 z,,1 OilS ./tllen b'Jo1'J"en

BI!,lr C)"drf'S. 11.. w"rl d", hel th"'n~ sui I, qewof(l~n In

oOle .... Of'mg en dil' Y', l(eu'l, ornt/<'Io1 \.1'1 den Ic'llthlen V.nO otter ml,n graf nlet kl,lnl geen Doe" over d~ Vert.

vf.~len (~roIPl!!n mlJIl henden ne., Uw h." en hel hart Yen VI88nde'~n 11;, ben bl' U, dt'gel'lk., Of.> elk oooenbllk Hith fler Uw tr.nenrwefe hoold In hel ronllchl fen • .Illn

W'ij "'00( •• uwl", .. urn-en ~, d.n God d., Jl.chlv .. ,. dlghoid.

Obituaries for fAllen Fleml~h SS volunteers.

• Hoop DJ> don oogrt. 0 VJoanderland •.

t TER. 71\UCFR (;E{l/\CllHtJlS

Will Y VAN DEN BERGHE

Slurmmon oer Wap .. n ss. g.bor .. n t .. [rf>mhod"'qfOnl, cl .. " 19 Fehruflfl /9'21 en qfOtn~uv ... lrl • Vonr ()utPf .. n 'I .... rd. le .A.rchungelowko (kushwd), d~n '11 r~l)/uorl 19;J.

r" n("ln,nr." 1')ldrl", ('Iv,.' d" "." .. rl'~ f (>n or,\: In V!POI) If'ren .. n IIpr' 01 ... \,.q'J I "'(1 5111,!'" 11'\::].n

dell vlJond vnn y .. illU! PI) i "" ),'Ivlni}

[.If'! 11'1"1., non! Q"nn, 1"11 d'l • ",1\. ;',"',f·n vnn onl v(dr f""1 w""'lhfl'l,j~11 dl-ln W"'J vnrl ,,'; •. , I'll ,"q j del bIl11vn,IR', ~rl I,rlqorjd~ l r' I ... .;triOr)

POt Wllly hq j d'Ptl I()Pj 0 .... 1.( f),d 1"11 mf11 I"IlJ6 gPl-I1t,lrlft !! hq ~Jf'lJ'Hlrl

In hn()qq,~ !tftllfldlJnd h,.,,/t h'1 {l!' l,I('~.lQ""'1J11J6 tl!n 1"'J~n (1"'1f1JV(>1l V(',' r! .. n K,t,1"'1 /In I-rl hpl (11f-1', h v"'!'·,;"n vnr, Zlfn v"I~ n' ... 1 j"rJ"'!"'''f' op eft/! h~"'rllJ("1l (\<)I,;H I t..~lIfl VI It. wordt ~1f'r't 1.

Vn'~",r mop,I"'1 I ["PI, ('n 1Q,lf'" II~\ Wft:~! 1 In

UWf'I (lIIH'I. dr"t·,fLl'ld '-PII IfrH1il 01'11 qW lotln "1)

hr,·",! .. r q"Vollpfl \1 III 1)11pl,rf' I""J w tltJTl 11111 VI !~ llw (;fltll',J "n vI.lkH hA tr(}IJW HqvtI dfJ )'lnrlf""j. b')fl,J OVIIH hel 9101 h8An

r(1m""tJ'''~n fln vrlf>T",h'n rl!A m'1n lp·/pn~,..lff>r ~ •.

r:J\\P:'#';J'l\\;:I~>'n \f:'~r t~J~ ~(/,I(~, "~I~I V.",(!~.;l'J~/(lr:;~~:~ \run Vlo(jfll~erltn ba~orn },em de fIof>IJ wlqe Vte. '.

35


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~ft(>1" y .... ars of sea("rhing. WP hav.p f in.il1y tnc.ared rhlP (O(( .. ("t design of the badg(" used by the forla('r Gf>Tlilliln SS ~oldi('fs that ('hose to fir.ht alollesidt" thp Fr-('YIl"h l'orPlgn l.t·gion r roops in Jndo{;hina. Or ~f,.i,.lal!y thlf>S('" t rOl.)pCIS ':lore flu.' stand;ud 1.('8.10n lRRI Insq~rlla. VII"o ~{,IIJlo H,IIlUl stal (f'd to I"(·f(·£ to t.hem .as C()lInand08 of ()(-.llh they df'siglwd and started to weal this b,uir,e. A I.uf,(' MIIlr i coltHf·d el1.!nlC'l badgf" using tht' french 'h.-Id· ~(' s~ylp dOllb~E" loop atlaclllu('nts ou (he ["('ar. Of spe(-Idl lnt(>f('st IS the word Ot-:STIN on flU" UPIWT It>ft h.flnd of (ht, h.Hlge. This word is ('omp·o~('d of r U' rollnwing: "Eu{~lH' STossTrupP('n INliochina ...•....... RA109 $'l.9 c

)

~~~:~I(~l)~~' i~)t)! o:r~~::;ld I ~'~t' ()~()~; ~ ~ (ary Ins i gl1 i a <Jlld PIth I i-

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I Munoz Books P.O. Box 7088

I Flushing, N Y t t 352 ": .... ml.uu .. tu'tlU .. IHHllllltlUlIIHotftUIlU.UllllltHU'mlll .... nuMliftfitl .. tHR1It ............. KftfnM ..................... ,."" .. ....

][J

Sc;-C;ch""f. Menne O~tfrIe~l~nd In ~(lIOn in Russia.

Saathof f, b')I'n In 1914; mIssing in

Sf)-Ustuf. Erwin Rau'5(her, born in St.ernt'erg in 1911 i missIng in action at Leningrad In April 1943.

A f,/"ffen-SS recruit.ing stand in France, circa 1944.

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118080 1 Combined - SNO · NEW TITLES Df!r Untf!rmemJch: SS-Bt lderbuch Engli~h/G~rm8n t~xt...

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Transcript of 118080 1 Combined - SNO · NEW TITLES Df!r Untf!rmemJch: SS-Bt lderbuch Engli~h/G~rm8n t~xt...