Osprey [MAA] 401.The.Waffen-SS.(1).1.to.5.Divisions （二战德军党卫队1）

I The Waffen-SS (1) 1. to S. Divisions GORDON W1UlAMSON _ born In 1951 -..d c:w-rently --u 'or the Sc::ottish Land Register. He...-nt_ yea,.. wtttI the Miwt.y~ TA and ha pubIw.d a number of t>ookII MMl ~ on the 6eeor.uoM of the Third AektI M\d ttlelr fK.lpMnta. He • the ....thor of a "'-"'Ib« of Wortd W.II titIN fOI'"~. STEPHEN ANDREW was bam I" 1861 In Glaqow, wheN he, stili I..,.. and worltl. All e"tlrely HI'-tlught ar1l", he, worked I" ad"rtlsl", and de,lgn ~Iea be'ore going freelarICel" 1993. Military hl.tory I. hi. p.nlo", a"d I" the palt few y..... he, he. establl,hed hlmHlf a. a ....peeted artl.t I" ttll. field. SInc:a 1ii7 he, has fIlllltnlt8'd _,..1 M..,..t. Ann.I tltI.. Il'ICludlng Ma"-at· Arma 305: ChIna.. CMI War Armle' '91'-49, and Hrt.. on the Genna" and ltall," .nnlet or World War II. CONTENTS THE WAFFEN-SS STRUCTURE • l-lisLOrical background • Ranks and insignia THE DIVISIONS: 1. SS-PANZER DIVISION LEIBSTANDARTE SS ADOLF HITLER • Designations • Commanders • Principal clements • Campaigns • Special ins.ignia: collar palch - shoulder slmps- cuffband - helmel insignia 2. SS-PANZER DIVISION DAS REICH • Designations • Commanders • Principal clements • Campaigns • Special insignia 3. SS-PANZER DIVISION TOTENKOPF • Designations • Commanders • Principal clements • Campaigns • Special ins.ignia 4. SS-POLIZEI PANZERGRENADIER DIVISION • Designations • Commanden; • Principal elements • Campaigns • Special insignia 5. SS-PANZER DIVISION WIKING • Dcsil:,TJlatiolls • Commanders • Pl;ncipal clements • Campaigns • Special insignia THE PLATES INDEX 3 7 14 22 37 40 44 48 THE WAFFEN-SS (1) 1. to 5. Divisions THE WAFFEN-SS STRUCTURE THERE is 1'0 SPACE in mese p.'lges for C"'en a simplified summar}' ofthe complex earl}' hislory of me Cennan K OAP (NationalSocialisl) mo\,emenl in lhe 19205 and 19305. For mc purposes of lhis texi il is sufficielll lO sa)' lhal the combal unils which had emerged by me outbreak of World War II from me O\'erall 55 political secmit}· organisation (me Schul:. StaJJdFl or 'prOlecuon squads') traced their origins to the earl)' 19205, .....hen a small bod}'gUard unil for Adolf Hiller was formed within the Nazi Part}'s mass uniformed organisation, the $A (Stllrnwbkilungnl or 'Brownshirts'),' In 1929lhe ,,:holc 55 numbered less than 300 men: by 1933 this figure had increased to some 30.000. Under the national command of Heinrich Himmler lhe 55. ",im three ball.a]ions of armed gendarmerie, prO\ided me kC)' personnel for me internal COlIp against the SA leadership carried Olll on 30Junc ]934. Thereafter the grO\\W in the size and influence of the SS in most areas of Gennan public life was massi\'e, complicated. and \irtuaJl}' unchallenged. NC"crmeless, al the Olllbreak of .....ar in 1939 lhe anned units of what were moslly then temled the 5S-''o"fiigllllgslnIPfJtt were SIill few and mi]ila.ril)' insignificant. The)' were regarded b}' the armed forces .....illl some suspicion, as a political gcndal1l1cric .....illl no true role lO play on lhe baltlefield. Earl)' comIx\! experience in the West, and pankularly in lhe firsl ),ear of lhe Russian campaign, changed that perception. leatling 10 a number of different cycles ofexpansion ofwhat was now lIle WflJJtn-SS. By lale 1943 this baulc..'-proven ol'tr''1thoutcorc! edgitlg, so the only absolute indic:uiOI1 of officer rank is the brr.lde indicau:d -""'"' """"""'" - """"""'"""-",,""-,- """- -- """'" """"""'" -- - ............. """" 0......... ""*- .... Ge.MlI:etiil ..... -...",., Waffen-$$ ranks & equivalents • _-53 ~ coUar and lett "'- rank Ins." tor enlisted _ and NCOI. 1M former In prnaed """'tl. metal and aluminium lace. (Top row, left to right:) ScttOtze/OIMtr$Chlibe, SW1mmann. Rott.ntGt\rer, Un~h8rfUhrer, (s.cond rvw::} ScharfUhrar. Obers<:hartilhrer, H3uptschar- fUhrer, Stunnschartlihrer 1942·45. (Bottom rvw::J Oberschiitze pip, Sturmmann chft\m:ln, Rottenfilh..... chevrons, ~ ~ 5S-Slunmom "'"""""'"ss.utl~85-_ SS_85-_85-_ ss.o._ ~ ~ -- ~ ~ ~85-_ ~ ~ SS-&nla for commisaioned ranks.. (Top, 1.1t to right:J UntefSturmtiihrer, Ober$turmf'iihrer, Hauptatunn- fUt\rer, Sturmbann~, (s.cond rvw:J Oberswl"lftbann- tiihrer, Standartentiih . 0bertIlhrer; BrtgadefOh 1942- 4510ruppenfOl'INf" to 1842. (Bottom row:J Obe",rupP"nfOh.... to 19421GruppenfGh,., 1942--4.5; ObergrupP"nfilh 1942--46; Obe,..tgruppenfOh 1942-45; f1.lchsfOh.......SS. ... ... .. "" ~... 1/. • Allbough itS di\"isions came under the lactic-.i1 command of the OberkOllunando der Wehmlacht in the fidd. the Waffcn..ss had its 0\'0" unique imemal (omm.mcl struclure. at the pirmacle of which sat we Reichsfiihrer-5S. Ileinrich Himmler. Operduonal command of the enLire SS came uncler the auspices of the SS-Fllhnmgshauptanll. a new main office created in the sununcr of 1940 around the rime that the Waffen itself emerged [rom irs forenlllller. !.he SS-Verfugungs~uppe. Rank structure The rank SU"IlCLUI'C ,lOci rank titles of the WaJTen-5S were dir-eCl.l)' adapc.ed from those of the political Allgcllleine-5S. Although the Allgemeine-SS method of displaying rd-l1k banding b}' single straps on the light shoulder only \\'as eventuall)' replaced by matched pairs o[SU':lpS in me Arm)' fashion: the old AJlgemeine-SS style of left-hand collar patches sho\\ing specific rank \\'as retained, ",il.h only minor changes. until ~Ia}' 1945, As well as the adoption of Annr-st)'le shoulder Straps, a further mO"e to emphasise the 'militarv' rather than 'politic-.tI· naUire of the WalTen-5S was marked \\'hen the original SS ranks equimlem to Ann}" generals were gi\'en a SuffLX indicating the equi\-alcm general's r.lIlk of the WafTen-SS, Thus, the oliginal rnnk of SS-Brigadcfrlhrer became in the Warren-55 SS-Bligadl'fiih11'r Iw,1 C.eneralmajor dn' WaJJtllSS. Generally speaking, in the A.rm)' and Waffen-s5 similar positions were held by soldiers with equivalem ranks. Thus a Haupunann (capL.'lln) commanding a company.sized wlit in the AnnY""ould ha\"e as his equi\-alem in a Waffen-SS unil an officer \\ith the r,mk of ss- HaupLSlUrmfUhrer: and an Oberst (colonel) in the Ann}'. commanding a regiment, \\'ould ha\"e as his equi\'3Jent an ss- St.-mdanenfiihrer, llu:~: original SS ranks indiGllCd precisel}' the ire of the unit tffiu the soldier would command, .ruftixed b)' lhe lenn Flihrer or leader. thus SchOlfflhrer. SJurmfiihrer, Stunnbamnuhrer. Sta"dortfflfi1hrer. CnlP/NJlfUhrer. Ctc. • THE WAFFEN-SS DIVISIONS: 1. 55-PANZER DIVISION LEIBSTANDARTE SS ADOLF HITLER Commanders March 193~JuJy 1943 ss.cruppenfflhrcr Josef 'Sepp' Oieuich; Ju.ly 19'IJ-Aug 1944 S$-Brigadel'iihrer Theodor W'tseh; Aug 1944-Ftb 1945 ss. BligadefUhrer Wilhelm Mahnke; Ftb-A1ay 1945 S$-Brigadefiihrer Otto Kumm 7 SS-Stabswache Berlin 5S-Sondel'kommando Berlin S$-Sonderkommando Zossen 5S-SonderkonunandoJuterbog Adolf Hitler Slandartc Leibstandartc Adolf Hitler Leibstandarte 55 Adolf Hitler Infalllerie Regiment (mOL) Leibsmndane 55 Adolf Hitler $S..OivUion (mot.) Leibslal1darte SS Adolf Hitler ss..Panzergrenadier Di,ision Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler I. S$-Panzer Oi\;sion Leibstand:lrte 55 Adolf Hitler 15July 1942 Designations 17 March 1933 8 Ma)' 10 Ma}' BJuly 3 September 8 NO"ember 13 April 1934 12 June 1939 22 October 1943 24 Nm'cmber 1942 Principal elements (1944) SS-Panzergrcnadier Regiment I; SS-Panzergrcnadier RegimeIH 2; 55-Panzer Regiment I; S5-AniJlcrie Regiment I: SS-Panzeljager Ableilung I; 55-Flak Abteihmg I; S5-Sturmgeschluz Abteilung 1; SS-Panzcr.:l.Ufllanmgs Ablcilung I; S5-Panzcl' Pionier BataillOIl 1 Campaigns 1lle Leibslandarte traced its OI;gins to tlle bodygu..rd known as the SS-Stabs....·dche Berlin, fonned in March 1933 to pl'Otcct Hitler. Its official designation \\'as changed several times before, in November 1933, becoming lhe Leibsla"darle Adolf Hiller ('Adolf Hitler Lifeguard Regiment'). Unlike mosl otller units. which I'ecnlited in a specific home region, !.he regiment look ils personnel from throughout Gennany; onl), the best physicaJ candidates were accepted for this hjgh-profile uniL Special insignia - the 55 nlllcs collar patch mtllcr tllan tile unil number wom b}' A1lgemeine-SS units. tlle distinctivc Cllffi)and bearing Hitler's sig- nature, and white leather dress belLS and aCCOllU'emelllS worn on parade - set the lLibsttmdlll1e apan from all OtllCrs. 111e unit provided honour guards 011 man)' state occ:uions, as well as pro\;ding scnuies for Hitler's new Reichskanzlei in Berlin. 1l1cir home "'as the fomler ImperiaJ Pruxsian cadet barracks at Berlin-Lichtcrfdde. Their impeccable appearance and precision drill camed them !.he somewhat derogalOry nickname of the 'Asphalt Soldiers' - good for parades, but unpfO\'en on the field of battle. on the left·lulI1d pillCh. Collar patches for general ranks were lIsually executed all black "eh'et base rllillcriaJ. Waffen-5S shoulder straps followed the same basic foml as those of the Annr For lower ranks they were faced in black badge-cloth with either black or field-grey undersurfaces. The edge "'as piped in the appropl;ate H'ofJUlJarfH! (branch of scn;ce colour); and NC().grade Straps carried brdid inner edging - initially in alwninium wea\'e. but later in subdued grq' silk. Aluminium pips indicated specific NCO ranks. Officer candidates (enlisted ranks who had been earmarked for future officer training) carried the rank of S5-Junker. SS-Standanen· junker or SS-Standanenobeljunker. and wore the shoulder straps of SS-Ulllerscharfiihrcr. S5-Scharfiihrer and S5-Hauptseharfiihrer respee- tivc!)'. ,,;th lhe addition of twO slides ofaluminium braid for the first two. The appropriate NCO-rank collar patches were also \'I'Om - in the case of ss- Standartenobeljunker. those of ss.HauplSChar- fiihrer bllt \'lith officer's silver l\\ist cord edging. NCO candidates wore the shoulder SU