We will start from the end of 1944, when not only the Soviet troops reached the borders of the Reich (East Prussia), but the Allies themselves. Hitler planned to strike at the Anglo-American troops in order to force them into negotiations, and for this purpose a large-scale offensive was organized in the Ardennes region on December 16, 1944.
The main task of defeating the enemy was assigned to the SS tank units, which included the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte. Despite the fact that the German troops were able to break through the Allied front, they failed to enter the operational space due to lack of fuel and difficult terrain.
By December 26, the Americans, having created a multiple superiority in both manpower and tanks, went on the offensive. The German offensive had lasted ten days up to this point, and ended in complete failure. But the 1st SS Panzer Division was sent for the next military operation, which was planned on the territory of Hungary. The 1st SS Panzer Division lost about 50% of its tanks and self-propelled guns, but they were able to restore it in just a month, because it was this unit that had priority in obtaining military equipment.
And so, as part of the 6th SS Panzer Army, the 1st Panzer Division was supposed to push the Soviet troops back to Budapest, which the Red Army took in stubborn battles. The 1st SS Panzer Division was to seize the bridgehead for the offensive. The battles were fought against units of the 24th Guards Rifle Corps, and despite the fact that the Russians were pushed back, it was no longer necessary to speak of any suddenness of the strike.
Parts of the 3rd Ukrainian Front were able to prepare for the German attack, and 67 anti-tank guns were deployed per 1 kilometer. Nevertheless, the Germans had nothing to lose, and on March 6 (some sources indicate March 7), the last major offensive of the Wehrmacht began. For three days, the 1st Panzer SS fought against the Soviet soldiers, and at the cost of huge losses broke through two lines of defense, and the 30th Soviet Rifle Corps was in fact defeated. Nevertheless, the command of the 3rd Ukrainian Front deployed additional forces in time, which included Soviet heavy self-propelled guns - German tank destroyers.
On March 15, units of the 1st SS Panzer Division made a breach of the maximum scale of 30 kilometers, but they failed to break the last echelon of the Soviet defense, they did not have enough strength.
As a result, 10% of the personnel (18,000 people) and 80% of military equipment were lost. It is rather difficult to say exactly how many Germans lost tanks and self-propelled guns, historian Alexei Isaev calls the minimum figure of 250 pieces of equipment.
However, the defeat for the division came later than the failed offensive. When the Soviet troops went on the offensive against the 6th SS Panzer Army. The attack was carried out without any operational pause, and units of the 1st SS Panzer Division managed to be divided into several independent groups at once, which had to be destroyed.
But, due to the fact that the remnants of the 1st Panzer Division were lucky to fight in the mountainous terrain of Eastern Austria, and this made it possible to restrain the Soviet offensive for the time being. However, by the beginning of May, only 55% of the manpower of the 1st SS Panzer Division remained. If we take into account the fact that after the defeat in March, 10% of manpower was lost, then we can safely say that the German unit was defeated, and the retreat to the demarcation line saved it from complete destruction. There, the remnants of the soldiers of the once strongest SS tank unit laid down their weapons.
On June 24, 1945, on Red Square during the Victory Parade among the abandoned banners of the SS units, the first was the flagpole of the banner of the 1st SS Panzer Division.
List of tank units of the SS troops
Between 1939 and 1945, the German Armed Forces included the following tank units:
Army: 1st - 27th Panzer Divisions, 116th Panzer Division, 233rd Reserve Panzer Division, training Panzer Division, Feldherrnhalle Panzer Division, Grossdeutchland Panzer Division, Hermann Goering Panzer Division. In total: 33 tank divisions, 11 separate heavy tank battalions (on "tigers"), 1 battalion (512th) tank destroyer "jagdtiger", 13 separate tank brigades (101st - 113th).
(In 1944, separate tank brigades were formed as part of the ground forces, which received numbers from 101 to 113. Parts of these brigades were used mainly to reinforce tank and motorized divisions until the end of the war.)
SS troops: 1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler", 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich", 3rd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf", 5th SS Panzer Division "Viking", 9th Panzer SS division "Hohenstaufen", 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg", 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend", 11th SS Panzer Regiment "Nordland" (in the battle for Berlin), 561st battalion tank destroyers "Jagdtiger" ". Total: 7 SS Panzer Divisions, 3 SS Heavy Panzer Battalions (on Tigers): 101st SS Heavy Panzer Battalion as part of I Panzer Corps, 102nd SS Heavy Panzer Battalion as part of II Panzer Corps, 103rd Heavy Panzer Battalion SS battalion as part of the III Panzer Corps (in 1944, the battalions were renamed the 501st, 502nd and 503rd, respectively, and received the "royal tigers").
Visiting one of the SS units During a walk through the village, we met with the soldiers of the SS unit stationed nearby, who immediately invited us to their place for lunch. While for us soldiers, hunger was a constant state, and the 12th squadron during the offensive
“Royal Tigers” in tank battles in Pomerania Fritz Kauerauf, SS Untersturmführer, crew commander of the 503rd SS heavy tank battalion
At the head of the Cossack units, on December 1, 1941, Lieutenant Colonel and holder of the Knight's Cross Helmut von Panwitz was appointed referent to the Inspector General of the Mobile Forces under the Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces (Referent bei Generalinspektor der schnellen Truppen), whose headquarters was located in
Panzer tactics in Operation Citadel Light and medium tanks, which were used in the first three years of the war, played an important role in the fighting of that period. But as Russian anti-tank defenses became more effective and their tanks more
New movement of the Cossack units Having lost Erzinjan, the Turks made pressure at the junction of the 1st and 4th Caucasian corps in the area of the city of Kiga, which is a hundred miles south of the city of Memakhatun, with the goal of reaching Erzurum. “In view of the serious situation prevailing on this sector of the front,
The new head of the tank troops After the death of A.Kh. Babadzhanyan, in 1978 Colonel-General Yuri Mikhailovich Potapov, who had previously held the post of chief of staff of the Far Eastern Military District, was appointed chief of the tank troops. He was three years younger than me
GUARDS LIEUTENANT GENERAL OF THE TANK TROOPS N. POPEL Leaders The hearts of the tank guards were beating with the greatest military pride. They traveled a glorious, legendary path from Moscow to Berlin. They had the honor to inflict the last, so ingeniously prepared by a comrade
MG WEINRUB, retired lieutenant general of tank troops, Hero of the Soviet Union LEFT SHORE - RIGHT SHORE Officers gathered at the headquarters of the 133rd Smolensk Rifle Division. Divisional Commander Colonel A.P. Dmitriev explained the situation and set the task. The division was to
KO PETROVSKY, retired Major General of Tank Troops, Hero of the Soviet Union Brigade Commander On the road that led from Ternopil to Zalishchyky, it was busy. And day and night there was an unceasing rumble and roar in the air. Along the roadsides, where it was drier, trucks and wagons were moving, wet
ZK Slyusarenko, retired lieutenant general of the tank troops, twice Hero of the Soviet Union PAYING Zakhar Karpovich Slyusarenko in 1939 took part in the liberation campaign of the Red Army troops in Western Ukraine. In 1941 he commanded a tank battalion, fought
CHAPTER 5 CREATION OF TANK TROOPS When events of colossal importance, occurring in the course of a clash of revolutionary causes, cast a shadow on the diplomatic and political scene, attracting everyone's attention, it is a symptom that
My detours of division units On the same day, I issued the following orders as a result of my detours of division units: did not come
Maneuver and strike of tank formations In the July days of 1941, Hitler's tank divisions were approaching Minsk. Two giant armored wedges - from Brest and Vilna - pierced into Belarus in order to connect with their tip east of Minsk, cut off and surround the troops of the Red
Heterogeneity of parts of the composition The parts of the performance are also diverse in spatio-temporal certainty. In Pugachev, episodes of the poem alternated with scenes of three peasants and scenes of mourners. The image of the "trinity" developed mainly in time. Not only because
SYSTEM OF REPLENISHMENT OF PARTS On the third day of the regiment's stay in Lgov, I received a telephone message with an order to arrive immediately at the headquarters of the corps, located at the Lgov station. General Kutepov was having dinner and first of all asked: Have you had dinner?
On June 6, 1944, the Allies finally opened a second front in Western Europe. On this day, American, British and Canadian units successfully landed on five sections of the Normandy coast in France, Operation Overlord began. For the successful development of the offensive deep into the continent, the Allied forces needed to capture the French city of Caen. This city was considered the key that would open the way for the Allied troops to the south-east of France.
Caen, this ancient city of Normandy, played an exceptional role in the system of transport communications on the Norman coast of France. In fact, he was the main link between the Cotentin Peninsula and the rest of France. This was well understood by both the Germans and the Allies. The main task of the 3rd Infantry Division of the British Army was to capture this city on the first day of the invasion - June 6th. In addition, the main tasks of the Allied troops in this direction were to capture and hold the Carpiquet airfield, located in the vicinity of Caen at a distance of 18 kilometers from the coast; access to the landing zones of paratroopers of the 6th British Airborne Division, which was able to capture a number of bridges over the Orne River; capture of the dominant heights near Caen.
The Allied attempt to take Caen on the move failed. The Allied troops were able to capture the city only on July 20, 1944, and the battle for Caen itself lasted until August 6. In many ways, the plans of the allies were thwarted by the German tank divisions. Already at 4 pm on June 6, 1944, the Germans brought the forces of the 21st Panzer Division into battle in this direction. It was the only tank division that began to act against the landing forces directly on the day of the landing. The division was unable to throw the British and Canadians into the sea, but seriously confused their plans, preventing them from taking Caen on the very first day of the operation and allowing other tank and mechanized units of the Wehrmacht and SS troops to approach the city.
Having managed to stop the advance of British and Canadian troops on Caen on June 6, 1944, the German command began to hatch a plan for a powerful offensive in this area. On June 7-9, trying to improve their positions before the upcoming offensive, the German troops carried out several local counterattacks against the Allied forces. The most stubborn battles in the end had to be fought by Canadians who fought in the area of \u200b\u200bthe settlements of Ro, Bretville-l'Orgueyuse and Norrey-en-Bessin.
Here the allies first encountered the German Panthers, which during the fighting in Normandy turned out to be a “hard nut to crack” for them. In total, by the time the Allied forces landed in France on June 6, 1944, there were a total of 663 Panthers in the tank formations of the SS and Wehrmacht troops in the West. This tank was distinguished by good frontal armor and a formidable long-barreled 75-mm gun, which made it possible to effectively destroy all types of allied tanks. The only truly formidable rival for the German Panthers was only the British Sherman Firefly tank (Sherman Firefly), re-equipped with an English 17-pounder anti-tank gun (76.2 mm gun, barrel length 55 calibers).
British and Canadian units could have encountered even more Panthers near Caen, but the German industry could not produce this tank in the volumes that the military required. Initially, it was planned to replace all Pz III and Pz IV tanks with Panther tanks in combat units, but the pace of mass production could not satisfy the needs of the troops in armored vehicles. In the end, the General Inspector of the Wehrmacht's tank forces, Colonel General Heinz Guderian, after consulting with the Minister of Armaments Albert Speer, decided that only one battalion in a tank regiment was to be re-equipped with new tanks.
The battalion was supposed to include 4 companies of 17 Panther tanks each. At the same time, at the headquarters of the battalion there were 8 more tanks, an air defense platoon armed with Mobelwagen or Wirbelwind ZSU, and a sapper platoon. Also, the battalion was supposed to have a technical company, equipped with various vehicles and evacuation tractors. In practice, the number of units in the German army never corresponded to the staffing table. So in parts of the Panzerwaffe there were an average of 51-54 Panther tanks in the battalion, and in the SS troops - 61-64 tanks.
First appearance of the Panthers
The first appearance of the Panther tanks did not make much of an impression on the Allies. The debut of the formidable cat on the western front came out crumpled and led to heavy losses of tanks. The first three Panther companies (approximately 40 tanks) arrived at the front near Caen on the evening of June 8, 1944. These were combat vehicles from the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth". The division was formed from more than 16 thousand members of the Hitler Youth. It called for 17-year-old members of this Nazi organization, who then underwent a 6-month training. In addition, about a thousand soldiers and officers of veterans of the SS troops and experienced commanders from the Wehrmacht were transferred to the division. The division was transferred to Normandy in the spring of 1944, at that time it had more than 20 thousand people and about 150 tanks. It was one of the most fanatically fighting German units. By July 9, 1944, the division had lost 60% of its original strength in combat.
The commander of the PzKpfw V "Panther" tank of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth", in the commander's turret hatch, during a march as part of a column. Machines from the 3rd company. photo: waralbum.ru
Arriving at the front on the evening of June 8, 1944, the Panthers of the 12th Hitler Youth Panzer Division attacked the allies at night, trying to capture the village of Ro. The Canadian infantry, which was in the village, did not resist for long, retreating to Bretville, where a well-prepared defense was waiting for the Germans. As the German tanks approached Bretteville, they were met with a flurry of fire from anti-tank artillery, tanks and hand grenade launchers. As a result, several Panthers were hit and burned. Canadian Joe Lapointe especially distinguished himself in this battle, who, having entered into a duel with the Panther, knocked out the tank with three shots from a PIAT grenade launcher. The German infantry also did not succeed and was forced to retreat, leaving their tanks without support. As a result, the Panthers retreated after her.
Having failed to immediately capture Bretville and Norrey in a night attack from 8 to 9 June 1944, the Germans decided to repeat the offensive during the day. However, they failed to prepare a truly powerful blow to the allies, since the 12th SS Panzer Division entered the battle in parts. This development of events not only weakened the offensive capabilities of the division, but also prevented the organization of full-fledged interaction between tanks, infantry and artillery.
At noon on June 9, the 1st and 3rd Panther companies (approximately 25 tanks) took part in the attack on Norrey. Another tank company covered their actions, firing from a place. At the same time, the German infantry almost did not support the attack, most likely for the reason that they were pressed to their trenches by strong Allied artillery fire. As a result, German tanks were forced to operate with little or no support, accompanied by only two or three dozen soldiers.
Panther shot down by Joe Lapointe
The Panthers were racing towards Norrey at top speed. At the same time, the tanks of the 1st company made a short stop and fired at the spire of the church, believing that Canadian observers could hide there. After that, the Panthers again rushed forward. The tanks had not yet reached the village when Canadian anti-tank guns opened fire on them. There was a short fight. Although in this battle the German tankers destroyed a couple of guns without losing a single one of their tanks, the company commander decided not to tempt fate by ordering the tanks to retreat. On this, the participation of the 1st company "Panthers" from the 12th SS Panzer Division in the battles of June 9 ended.
Massacre of the Panthers at Bretteville-l'Orgueyuse
A much sadder fate awaited the 3rd Panther Company of the same Panzer Division. This company was commanded by Captain Luderman, who was urgently found to replace the main unit commander, who was wounded the day before. Very little is known about his personality; his name is not even preserved in the sources. It is known that 12 tanks of his company advanced along the railway. At some point, he gave the order to slow down and turn left towards Norrey. According to Luderman, in this way, his "Panthers" turned to the Canadian anti-tank guns with their most protected part - their forehead. However, in practice, this order turned out to be fatal, only a few seconds passed and allied shells flew into the Panthers, but not from the front, but from the right side. In just a few minutes of the battle, the Germans lost 7 tanks - five destroyed and two knocked out.
Everything happened so quickly that the crews of German tanks did not even understand who exactly was shooting at them. The Panthers simply caught fire, and their crews tried to leave the burning cars as soon as possible. Those who participated in this battle and survived later remembered him with horror. The Panther, commanded by Germani (name and rank not preserved), was hit on the starboard side of the turret. The shell hit under the gunner's seat, causing a fire. Germani was an experienced tanker, before the battle he did not lock the cover of the commander's hatch. Thanks to this, he was the first to leave the burning tank. The gunner had to get out through the flames, he received serious burns.
The commander of another Panther tank leaned out of the turret to look around and was killed by a direct hit from a shell. Another "Panther" received a lot of hits in the tracks and rollers, but managed to keep moving and somehow retreated to their original positions. Some of the 7 Panthers destroyed in this attack had their turrets torn off by an explosion of ammunition.
As a result, the remnants of the 3rd Panzer Company of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth" retreated without seeing their enemy. Many tankers after the battle were shocked by what they saw and experienced. The company commander Luderman even had a nervous breakdown. The captain was sent to the hospital, where it took him several days to recover. One of the German officers who witnessed the beating of the Panthers in that battle noted after the end of World War II: “I could then cry with rage and grief.”
Canadian "fireflies"
Who ended up knocking out the Panthers? Their killers were Sherman tanks from a reserve unit that had arrived to replenish the 1st Canadian Hussars Tank Regiment. Among the 9 tanks that arrived, there were several in the Firefly (Firefly) modification, armed with long-barreled 76.2-mm guns that perfectly pierced any of the German tanks. It was this Allied tank that could fight on equal terms with the German Panthers and Tigers. The armor-piercing projectile of the English 17-pounder accelerated to 884 m/s, the piercing projectile to 1204 m/s. At the same time, at a distance of 900 meters, a conventional armor-piercing projectile of this gun pierced armor 110 mm thick, located at an angle of 30 degrees. Armor-piercing with a ballistic tip in the same conditions - 131 mm of armor, and a sub-caliber projectile - 192 mm. This was more than enough to fight the Panther tank.
When the German tankers went on the attack on Norrey, the Shermans were located in the neighborhood, not far from Bretville. The Panthers of the 3rd company, having made their turn, substituted the sides of the Canadian tanks. The sides of the panthers had armor of only 50-40 mm (top and bottom of the hull, respectively), armor of the turret side - 45 mm. The shooting distance was those same 900 meters. At such a battle distance, the very first shells fired by the Canadians were able to find targets.
Tank Sherman Firefly
In this battle, the crew of the Canadian tank, commanded by Lieutenant Henry, especially distinguished himself. His gunner managed to knock out 5 attacking Panthers with five shots. Two more Fireflies were able to chalk up one of the seven Panthers that were left burning on the battlefield. At the same time, all available Shermans fired on German tanks, so some Panthers received several hits at once. While the Fireflies quite easily pierced their sides with armor-piercing shells, conventional Sherman tanks fired high-explosive fragmentation shells. They could not seriously harm the German tanks, but they confused their crews, and also prevented them from observing the surroundings and finding targets. That is why for the German tankers it remained a mystery who exactly fired at them.
Canadian Sherman tanks on the afternoon of June 9, 1944, were at the right time in the right place. And although the German troops launched a counterattack suddenly, the Canadians managed to quickly orient themselves and do their job perfectly, without suffering losses in tanks on their part. At the same time, the German command again became convinced that haste in organizing and carrying out tank attacks inevitably leads to the failure of the offensive. At the same time, this battle was the first victory of Canadian tankers and their Shermans over the German Panthers.
Information sources:
http://worldoftanks.ru/ru/news/pc-browser/12/panthers_defeat_near_bretteville
http://armor.kiev.ua/Tanks/WWII/PzV/txt/PzV2.php
http://narkompoisk.ru/arhivy-dokumenty-analitika/2015/10/28/diviziya-ss-gitleryugend.html
Materials from open sources
During the Second World War, the divisions of the SS troops were considered the elite formations of the armed forces of the Third Reich.
Almost all of these divisions had their own emblems (tactical, or identification marks), which were by no means worn by the ranks of these divisions as sleeve patches (rare exceptions did not change the overall picture at all), but were applied with white or black oil paint on divisional military equipment and vehicles, buildings in which the ranks of the respective divisions were quartered, the corresponding signs in the locations of the units, etc. These identification (tactical) signs (emblems) of the SS divisions - almost always inscribed in heraldic shields (having the "Varangian", or "Norman", form or the form of a tarch) - in many cases differed from the lapel signs of the ranks of the corresponding divisions.
1. 1st SS Panzer Division "SS Adolf Hitler's Leibstandarte".
The name of the division means "SS Regiment of Adolf Hitler's personal guard". The emblem (tactical, or identification mark) of the division was a shield-tarch with the image of a master key (and not a key, as is often incorrectly written and thought). The choice of such an unusual emblem is explained very simply. The surname of the division commander Josef ("Sepp") Dietrich was "speaking" (or, in heraldic language, "vowel"). In German, "Dietrich" means "master key". After "Sepp" Dietrich was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the division began to be framed with 2 oak leaves or a semicircular oak wreath.
2. 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich".
The name of the division - "Reich" ("Das Reich") translated into Russian means "Empire", "Power". The emblem of the division was the "wolfsangel" ("wolf hook") inscribed in the shield-tarch - an old German amulet sign that scared away wolves and werewolves (in German: "werewolves", in Greek: "lycanthropes", in Icelandic: " ulfhedins", in Norwegian: "varulvov" or "vargs", in Slavic: "ghouls", "volkolaks", "volkudlaks" or "wolf laks"), located horizontally.
3. 3rd SS Panzer Division "Dead Head" ("Totenkopf").
The division got its name from the emblem of the SS - the "dead (Adam's) head" (skull with bones) - a symbol of loyalty to the leader until death. The same emblem, inscribed in the shield-tarch, also served as the identification mark of the division.
4. 4th SS Motorized Infantry Division "Police" ("Police"), also known as the "(4th) SS Police Division".
This division received its name because it was formed from the ranks of the German police. The emblem of the division was the "wolf hook" - "wolfsangel" in a vertical position, inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch.
5. 5th SS Panzer Division "Viking".
The name of this division is explained by the fact that, along with the Germans, it was recruited from residents of the Nordic countries (Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden), as well as Belgium, the Netherlands, Latvia and Estonia. In addition, Swiss, Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish volunteers served in the ranks of the Viking division. The emblem of the division was the "oblique cross" ("sun wheel"), that is, a swastika with arcuately curved crossbars, on a heraldic shield-tarch.
6. 6th Mountain (Mountain Rifle) Division of the SS "Nord" ("North").
The name of this division is explained by the fact that it was recruited mainly from natives of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Latvia). The emblem of the division was the ancient German rune "hagall" inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch (resembling the Russian letter "Zh"). The rune "hagall" ("hagalaz") was considered a symbol of unshakable faith.
7. 7th SS Volunteer Mountain (Mountain Rifle) Division "Prince Eugen (Eugen)".
This division, recruited mainly from ethnic Germans living in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Vojvodina, Banat and Romania, was named after the famous commander of the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation" in the second half of the 17th - early 18th centuries. Prince Eugene (in German: Eugen) of Savoy, who became famous for his victories over the Ottoman Turks and, in particular, won Belgrade for the Roman-German emperor (1717). Eugene of Savoy also became famous in the War of the Spanish Succession for his victories over the French and earned himself no less fame as a patron of the arts. The emblem of the division was the ancient Germanic rune "odal" ("otilia"), inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, meaning "heritage" and "blood relationship".
8. 8th SS Cavalry Division "Florian Geyer".
This division was named after the imperial knight Florian Geyer, who led during the Peasants' War in Germany (1524-1526) one of the detachments of German peasants ("Black detachment", in German: "Schwarzer Haufen"), who rebelled against the princes (large feudal lords who opposed the unification of Germany under the scepter of the emperor). Since Florian Geyer wore black armor and his "Black Squad" fought under a black banner, the SS considered him as their predecessor (especially since he opposed not only the princes, but also for the unification of the German state). Florian Geyer (immortalized in the drama of the same name by the classic of German literature Gerhart Hauptmann) died heroically in battle with the superior forces of the German princes in 1525 in the Taubertal valley. His image entered German folklore (especially song folklore), enjoying no less popularity than, say, Stepan Razin - in Russian song folklore. The emblem of the division was a naked sword inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, pointing up, crossing the shield from right to left diagonally, and a horse's head.
9. 9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen".
This division was named after the dynasty of the Swabian dukes (since 1079) and the medieval Roman-German Kaiser emperors (1138-1254) - the Hohenstaufen (Staufen). Under them, the medieval German state ("Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation"), founded by Charlemagne (in 800 A.D.) and renewed by Otto (n) I the Great, reached the peak of its power, subordinating Italy to its influence, Sicily, the Holy Land and Poland. The Hohenstaufens tried, relying on economically highly developed Northern Italy as a base, to centralize their power over Germany and restore the Roman Empire - "at least" - Western (within the borders of the empire of Charlemagne), ideally - the entire Roman Empire, including the Eastern Roman (Byzantine), in which, however, they did not succeed. The most famous representatives of the Hohenstaufen dynasty are the Crusader Kaisers Frederick I Barbarossa (who died during the Third Crusade) and his great-nephew Frederick II (Emperor of Rome, King of Germany, Sicily and Jerusalem), as well as Konradin, who was defeated in the fight against the Pope and Duke Charles of Anjou for Italy and beheaded by the French in 1268. The emblem of the division was a vertically naked sword inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, point upwards, superimposed on the capital Latin letter "H" ("Hohenstaufen").
10. 10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg".
This SS division was named after the German Renaissance commander Georg (Jörg) von Frundsberg, nicknamed the "Father of the Landsknechts" (1473-1528), under whose command the troops of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation and King of Spain Charles I of Habsburg conquered Italy and in 1514 took Rome, forcing the pope to recognize the supremacy of the Empire. They say that the ferocious Georg Frundsberg always carried a golden noose with him, with which he intended to strangle the Pope if he fell into his hands alive. In the ranks of the SS division "Frundsberg" served in his youth, the famous German writer, Nobel Prize winner Günter Grass. The emblem of this SS division was the capital Gothic letter "F" ("Frundsberg") inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, superimposed on an oak leaf, located diagonally from right to left.
11. 11th SS Motorized Infantry Division "Nordland" ("Northern Country").
The name of the division is explained by the fact that it was recruited mainly from volunteers born in northern European countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Latvia and Estonia). The emblem of this SS division was a heraldic shield-tarch with the image of a "sun wheel" inscribed in a circle.
12. 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth"
This division was recruited mainly from the ranks of the youth organization of the Third Reich "Hitler Youth" ("Hitler Youth"). The tactical sign of this "youth" SS division was the ancient German "solar" rune "sig" ("sovulo", "sovelu"), inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch - a symbol of victory and the emblem of the Nazi youth organizations "Jungfolk" and "Hitler Youth", from among whose members were recruited volunteers of the division, imposed on the master key ("alignment with Dietrich").
13. 13th mountain (mountain) division of the Waffen SS "Khanjar"
(often also referred to in military literature as "Handshar" or "Yatagan"), which consisted of Croatian, Bosnian and Herzegovina Muslims (Bosnyaks). "Khanjar" is a traditional Muslim edged weapon with a curved blade (related to the Russian words "konchar" and "dagger", also meaning edged weapons). The emblem of the division was a curved sword-khanjar inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, directed diagonally upwards from left to right. According to the surviving data, the division also had another identification mark, which was an image of a hand with a khanjar superimposed on a double "SS" rune "sig" ("sovulo").
14. 14th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Galician No. 1, since 1945 - Ukrainian No. 1); she is the SS division "Galicia".
The emblem of the division was the old coat of arms of the city of Lvov, the capital of Galicia - a lion walking on its hind legs, surrounded by 3 three-pronged crowns, inscribed in the "Varangian" ("Norman") shield.
15. 15th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Latvian No. 1).
The emblem of the division was originally a "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of the Roman numeral "I" above the stylized printed capital Latin letter "L" ("Latvia"). Subsequently, the division received another tactical sign - 3 stars against the background of the rising sun. 3 stars meant 3 Latvian provinces - Vidzeme, Kurzeme and Latgale (a similar image adorned the cockade of the military personnel of the pre-war army of the Republic of Latvia).
16. 16th SS Infantry Division "Reichsführer SS".
This SS division was named after Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler. The emblem of the division was a bunch of 3 oak leaves inscribed in a heraldic shield-tarch with 2 acorns near the handle framed by a laurel wreath, inscribed in a shield-tarch.
17. 17th SS Panzer Division "Götz von Berlichingen".
This SS division was named after the hero of the Peasants' War in Germany (1524-1526), the imperial knight Georg (Götz, Götz) von Berlichingen (1480-1562), the fighter against the separatism of the German princes for the unity of Germany, the leader of the rebel peasants and the hero of the drama Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "Goetz von Berlichingen with an iron hand" (the knight Goetz, who lost his arm in one of the battles, ordered to make an iron prosthesis for himself, which he owned no worse than others - a hand of flesh and blood). The emblem of the division was the iron hand of Goetz von Berlichingen clenched into a fist (crossing the shield-tarch from right to left and from bottom to top diagonally).
18. 18th SS Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division "Horst Wessel".
This division was named after one of the "martyrs of the Nazi movement" - the commander of the Berlin attack aircraft Horst Wessel, who composed the song "Banners up"! (which became the anthem of the NSDAP and the "second anthem" of the Third Reich) and was killed by communist militants. The emblem of the division was a naked sword with the tip up, crossing the shield-tarch from right to left diagonally. According to the surviving data, the Horst Wessel division also had another emblem, which was the Latin letters SA stylized as runes (SA = Sturmabteilungen, i.e. "assault squads"; "martyr of the Movement" Horst Wessel, after whom the division got its name , was one of the leaders of the Berlin stormtroopers) inscribed in a circle.
19. 19th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Latvian No. 2).
The emblem of the division at the time of formation was the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of the Roman numeral "II" above the stylized printed capital Latin letter "L" ("Latvia"). Subsequently, the division received another tactical sign - an upright right-sided swastika on the "Varangian" shield. The swastika - the "fiery cross" ("ugunskrusts") or the "cross (of the god of thunder) Perkon" ("perkonkrusts") has been a traditional element of the Latvian folk ornament from time immemorial.
20. 20th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Estonian No. 1).
The emblem of the division was the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of a straight naked sword, point upwards, crossing the shield from right to left diagonally and superimposed on the capital Latin letter "E" ("E", that is, "Estonia"). According to some reports, this emblem was sometimes depicted on the helmets of Estonian SS volunteers.
21. 21st mountain (mountain) division of the Waffen SS "Skanderbeg" (Albanian No. 1).
This division, recruited mainly from Albanians, was named after the national hero of the Albanian people, Prince George Alexander Kastriot (nicknamed by the Turks "Iskander-beg" or, for short, "Skanderbeg"). While Skanderbeg (1403-1468) was alive, the Ottoman Turks, who repeatedly suffered defeats from him, could not subjugate Albania to their power. The emblem of the division was the ancient coat of arms of Albania, inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch - a double-headed eagle (the ancient Albanian rulers claimed kinship with the basileus-emperors of Byzantium). According to surviving information, the division also had another tactical sign - a stylized image of the "Skanderbeg helmet" with goat horns superimposed on 2 horizontal stripes.
22. 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division "Maria Theresa".
This division, recruited mainly from ethnic Germans living in Hungary, and from Hungarians, was named after the Empress of the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation" and Austria, Queen of Bohemia (Czech Republic) and Hungary Maria Theresa von Habsburg (1717-1780), one of the most prominent rulers of the second half of the 18th century. The emblem of the division was the image of a cornflower flower inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch with 8 petals, a stem, 2 leaves and 1 bud - (subjects of the Austro-Hungarian Danube Monarchy, who wanted to join the German Empire, until 1918 wore cornflower in their buttonhole - the favorite flower of the German emperor Wilhelm II of Hohenzollern).
23. 23rd Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division of the Waffen SS "Kama" (Croatian No. 2)
consisting of Croatian, Bosnian and Herzegovinian Muslims. "Kama" is the name of a cold weapon traditional for the Balkan Muslims with a curved blade (something like a scimitar). The tactical sign of the division was a stylized image of the astronomical sign of the sun in a crown of rays on a heraldic shield-tarch. Information has also been preserved about another tactical sign of the division, which was a rune "Tyur" with 2 arrow-shaped processes perpendicular to the trunk of the rune in its lower part.
24. 23rd Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division of the Waffen SS "Netherlands"
(Dutch No. 1).
The name of this division is explained by the fact that its personnel were recruited mainly from the Dutch (Dutch) Waffen SS volunteers. The emblem of the division was the rune "odal" ("otilia") with the lower ends in the form of arrows, inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch.
25. 24th Mountain (Mountain Rifle) Division of the Waffen SS "Karst Jaegers" ("Jägers Karst", "Karstjäger").
The name of this division is explained by the fact that it was recruited mainly from the natives of the mountainous Karst region, located on the border between Italy and Yugoslavia. The emblem of the division was a stylized image of a "karst flower" ("karstbloom"), inscribed in the heraldic shield of the "Varangian" ("Norman") form.
26. 25th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS "Hunyadi"
(Hungarian No. 1).
This division, recruited mainly from Hungarians, was named after the medieval Transylvanian-Hungarian Hunyadi dynasty, the most prominent representatives of which were Janos Hunyadi (Johannes Guniades, Giovanni Vaivoda, 1385-1456) and his son King Matthias Corvinus (Matyas Hunyadi, 1443- 1490), who heroically fought for the freedom of Hungary against the Ottoman Turks. The emblem of the division was the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of the "arrow-shaped cross" - the symbol of the Viennese National Socialist party "Arrow Crossed" ("Nigerlashists") Ferenc Salashi - under 2 three-pronged crowns.
27. 26th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS "Gömbös" (Hungarian No. 2).
This division, which consisted mainly of Hungarians, was named after the Hungarian Foreign Minister Count Gyula Gömbes (1886-1936), a staunch supporter of a close military-political alliance with Germany and an ardent anti-Semite. The emblem of the division was the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield depicting the same arrow-shaped cross, but under 3 three-pronged crowns.
28. 27th SS Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Langemark" (Flemish No. 1).
This division, formed from the German-speaking Belgians (Flemings), was named after the place of the bloody battle that took place on the territory of Belgium during the Great (First World) War, in 1914. The emblem of the division was the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of the "triskelion" ("triphos" or "triquetra").
29. 28th SS Panzer Division. Information about the tactical sign of the division has not been preserved.
30. 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Wallonia".
This division owed its name to the fact that it was formed mainly from French-speaking Belgians (Walloons). The emblem of the division was a heraldic shield-tarch with the image of a straight sword and a curved saber crossed in the shape of the letter "X" with the handles up.
31. 29th Grenadier Infantry Division of the Waffen SS "RONA" (Russian No. 1).
This division - "Russian Liberation People's Army" consisted of Russian volunteers B.V. Kaminsky. The tactical sign of the division, applied to its equipment, judging by the surviving photographs, was a broadened cross with the abbreviation "RONA" under it.
32. 29th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS "Italy" (Italian No. 1).
This division owed its name to the fact that it consisted of Italian volunteers who remained loyal to Benito Mussolini after he was released from prison by a detachment of German paratroopers led by SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Skorzeny. The tactical sign of the division was the vertically located lictor fascia (in Italian: "littorio"), inscribed in the heraldic shield of the "Varangian" ("Norman") form - a bunch of rods (rods) with an ax embedded in them (the official emblem of the National Fascist Party of Benito Mussolini) .
33. 30th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Russian No. 2, it is also Belarusian No. 1).
This division consisted mainly of former fighters of the "Belarusian Regional Defense" detachments. The tactical badge of the division was the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of a double ("patriarchal") cross of the Holy Princess Euphrosyne of Polotsk, located horizontally.
It should be noted that the double ("patriarchal") cross, located vertically, served as a tactical sign of the 79th Infantry, and located diagonally - the emblem of the 2nd Motorized Infantry Division of the German Wehrmacht.
34. 31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division (also known as the 23rd Waffen SS Volunteer Mountain Division).
The emblem of the division was the head of a deer full face on the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield.
35. 31st SS Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Bohemia and Moravia" (German: "Böhmen und Meren").
This division was formed from the natives of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, who came under the German control of the territories of the Czech Republic (after the declaration of independence by Slovakia). The emblem of the division was the Bohemian (Czech) crowned lion walking on its hind legs, and the orb crowned with a double cross on the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield.36. 32nd SS Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) Division "January 30".
This division was named in memory of the day Adolf Hitler came to power (January 30, 1933). The emblem of the division was the "Varangian" ("Norman") shield with the image of a vertically located "combat rune" - a symbol of the ancient German god of war Tyr (Tira, Tiu, Tsiu, Tuisto, Tuesco).
37. 33rd Cavalry Division of the Waffen SS "Hungaria", or "Hungary" (Hungarian No. 3).
This division, which consisted of Hungarian volunteers, received the appropriate name. Information about the tactical sign (emblem) of the division has not been preserved.38. 33rd Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS "Charlemagne" (French No. 1).
This division was named after the Frankish king Charlemagne ("Charlemagne", from the Latin "Carolus Magnus", 742-814), who was crowned emperor of the Western Roman Empire in 800 in Rome (which included the territories of modern Northern Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and part of Spain), and is considered the founder of modern German and French statehood. The emblem of the division was a dissected "Varangian" ("Norman") shield with a half of the Roman-German imperial eagle and 3 heraldic lilies (French: fleurs de lys) of the French kingdom.
39. 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier (Infantry) Division "Landstorm Nederland" (Dutch No. 2).
"Landstorm Nederland" means "Netherlands militia". The emblem of the division was the "Dutch national" version of the "wolf hook" - "wolfsangel" inscribed in the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield (adopted in the Netherlands National Socialist movement of Anton-Adrian Mussert).
40. 36th SS Police Grenadier (Infantry) Division ("Police Division II")
consisted of the ranks of the German police mobilized for military service. The emblem of the division was the "Varangian" ("Norman") shield with the image of the hagall rune and the Roman numeral "II".
41. 36th Grenadier Division of the Waffen SS "Dirlewanger".
The emblem of the division was inscribed in the "Varangian" ("Norman") shield 2 crossed in the shape of the letter "X" hand grenades - "mallets" with handles down.
In addition, in the last months of the war, the formation of the following new SS divisions, mentioned in the orders of the imperial leader (Reichsführer) SS Heinrich Himmler, was started (but not completed):
42. 35th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the SS "Police" ("Police"), it is also the 35th Police Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the SS. Information about the tactical sign (emblem) of the division has not been preserved.
43. 36th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS. Information about the emblem of the division has not been preserved.
44. 37th SS Volunteer Cavalry Division "Lützow".
The division was named in honor of the hero of the struggle against Napoleon, Major of the Prussian army Adolf von Lützow (1782-1834), who formed the first in the history of the Wars of Liberation (1813-1815) German patriots against Napoleonic tyranny, a volunteer corps ("Lützow's black huntsmen"). The tactical sign of the division was the image of a straight naked sword, point upwards, inscribed in a heraldic shield-tarch, superimposed on the capital Gothic letter "L", that is, "Lützow").
45. 38th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the SS "Nibelungen" ("Nibelungen").
The division was named after the heroes of the medieval Germanic heroic epic - the Nibelungen. So the spirits of darkness and fog, elusive to the enemy and possessing countless treasures, were originally called; then - the knights of the kingdom of the Burgundians who took possession of these treasures. As you know, SS Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler dreamed of creating an "SS order state" on the territory of Burgundy after the war. The emblem of the division was the image of the winged invisibility helmet of the Nibelungs inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch.46. 39th mountain (mountain rifle) division of the SS "Andreas Gofer".
The division was named in honor of the national hero of Austria Andreas Hofer (1767-1810), the leader of the Tyrolean rebels against Napoleonic tyranny, betrayed by traitors to the French and shot in 1810 in the Italian fortress of Mantua. To the tune of the folk song about the execution of Andreas Hofer - "Under Mantua in chains" (German: "Zu Mantua in banden"), German social democrats in the twentieth century composed their own song "We are the young guard of the proletariat" (German: "Vir zind di junge garde des proletariats"), and the Soviet Bolsheviks - "We are the young guard of workers and peasants." Information about the emblem of the division has not been preserved.47. 40th SS Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division "Feldgerrngalle" (not to be confused with the German Wehrmacht division of the same name).
This division was named after the building of the "Generals' Gallery" (Feldgerrngalle), in front of which on November 9, 1923, the Reichswehr and the police of the Bavarian separatist leader Gustav Ritter von Kahr shot down a column of participants in the Hitler-Ludendorff coup against the government of the Weimar Republic. Information about the tactical sign of the division has not been preserved.48. 41st Infantry Division of the Waffen SS "Kalevala" (Finnish No. 1).
This SS division, named after the Finnish heroic folk epic, began to be formed from among the Finnish Waffen SS volunteers who did not obey the order given in 1943 by the Finnish Commander-in-Chief Marshal Baron Carl Gustav Emil von Mannerheim to return from the Eastern Front to their homeland and re-join the Finnish army . Information about the emblem of the division has not been preserved.49. 42nd SS Infantry Division "Lower Saxony" ("Niedersachsen").
Information about the emblem of the division, the formation of which was not completed, has not been preserved.50. 43rd Infantry Division of the Waffen SS "Reichsmarschall".
This division, the formation of which was begun on the basis of parts of the German air force ("Luftwaffe"), left without aviation equipment, cadets of flight schools and ground personnel, was named after the Imperial Marshal (Reichsmarschall) of the Third Reich Hermann Goering. Reliable information about the emblem of the division has not been preserved.51. 44th Waffen SS Motorized Infantry Division "Wallenstein".
This SS division, recruited from ethnic Germans living in the Protectorate of Bohemia-Moravia and Slovakia, as well as from Czech and Moravian volunteers, was named after the German imperial commander during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), Duke of Friedland Albrecht Eusebius Wenzel von Wallenstein (1583-1634), a Czech by origin, the hero of the dramatic trilogy of the classic of German literature Friedrich von Schiller "Wallenstein" ("Wallenstein's Camp", "Piccolomini" and "The Death of Wallenstein"). Information about the emblem of the division has not been preserved.52. 45th SS Infantry Division "Varyags" ("Vareger").
Initially, Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler intended to give the name "Varangians" ("Vareger") to the Nordic (Northern European) SS division, formed from Norwegians, Swedes, Danes and other Scandinavians who sent their volunteer contingents to help the Third Reich. However, according to a number of sources, Adolf Hitler "rejected" the name "Varyags" for his Nordic SS volunteers, seeking to avoid undesirable associations with the medieval "Varangian guard" (consisting of Norwegians, Danes, Swedes, Russians and Anglo-Saxons) in the service of the Byzantine emperors. The Fuhrer of the Third Reich had a negative attitude towards the Constantinople "Vasileus", considering them, like all Byzantines, "morally and spiritually decomposed, deceitful, treacherous, corrupt and treacherous decadents", and not wanting to be associated with the rulers of Byzantium.It should be noted that Hitler was not alone in his antipathy towards the Byzantines. Most Western Europeans fully shared this antipathy towards the "Romans" (since the era of the Crusades), and it is no coincidence that in the Western European lexicon there is even a special concept of "Byzantinism" (meaning: "treachery", "cynicism", "meanness", " groveling before the strong and ruthlessness towards the weak", "treachery"... in general, "the Greeks are deceitful even to this day," as the well-known Russian chronicler wrote). As a result, the German-Scandinavian division formed as part of the Waffen SS (which later also included the Dutch, Walloons, Flemings, Finns, Latvians, Estonians, Ukrainians and Russians) was given the name "Viking". Along with this, on the basis of Russian white emigrants and former citizens of the USSR in the Balkans, the formation of another SS division called "Vareger" ("Varangians"); however, due to the circumstances, the matter was limited to the formation in the Balkans of the "Russian (security) corps (Russian security group)" and a separate Russian regiment of the SS "Varyag".
During the Second World War on the territory of Serbia in 1941-1944. in alliance with the Germans, the Serbian SS Volunteer Corps also operated, consisting of former military personnel of the Yugoslav royal army (mainly of Serbian origin), most of whom were members of the Serbian monarcho-fascist movement Z.B.O.R., headed by Dmitry Letic. The tactical sign of the corps was a tarch shield and an image of a grain ear superimposed on a naked sword with the point down, located diagonally.
The formations of the SS (Waffen SS) had an interesting difference from the formations of the Wehrmacht, and probably from all other formations of the warring parties.
Almost all of these divisions had their own emblems (tactical, or identification marks), which were by no means worn by the ranks of these divisions as sleeve patches (rare exceptions did not change the overall picture at all), but were applied with white, black or yellow oil paint on divisional military equipment and motor transport; buildings in which the ranks of the respective divisions were quartered; corresponding pointers in the locations of the parts; aircraft (if any), etc. These identification (tactical) signs, or emblems (“Erkennungszeichen”, German: Erkennungszeichen) of SS divisions are almost always inscribed in heraldic shields (having a “Varangian”, or “Norman”, form or the form of a tarch) / 1 / - in many cases differed from the lapel pins of the ranks of the respective divisions.
I present to your attention a brief description and emblems of all divisions of the Waffen SS.
1st SS Panzer Division "SS Adolf Hitler's Leibstandarte".
The name of the division means "SS Regiment of Adolf Hitler's personal guard". The emblem (tactical, or identification mark) of the division was a shield-tarch with the image of a master key (and not a key, as is often incorrectly written and thought). The choice of such an unusual emblem is explained very simply. The surname of the division commander Josef ("Sepp") Dietrich was "speaking" (or, in heraldic language, "vowel"). Dietrich means "master key" in German. After Dietrich's Sepp was awarded the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the division's emblem began to be framed with 2 oak leaves or a semicircular oak wreath.
2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich.
The name of the division - "Reich" ("Das Reich") translated into Russian means "Empire", "Power". The emblem of the division was the “wolfsangel” (“wolf hook”) inscribed in the shield-tarch - an old German amulet that scared away wolves and werewolves (in German: “werewolves”, in Greek: “lycanthropes”, in Icelandic: “ ulfhedins", in Norwegian: "varulvov" or "vargs", in Slavic: "ghouls", "volkolaks", "volkudlaks" or "volkodlaks"), located horizontally.
"Wolfsangels" (slightly different in form) served as identification marks for some other formations of the armed forces of the Third Reich - the 4th SS Police Division, as well as the motorized infantry (panzer-grenadier, tank-grenadier) divisions "Feldgerrngalle", 209th and 256 th infantry divisions and the 19th tank division of the German Wehrmacht. In addition, the “wolf hook” (without a central vertical line) originally served as the identification mark of the 11th SS Panzer Division “Nordland”, until it was replaced by a “sun wheel” (a swastika with arcuate ends) inscribed in a circle.
3rd SS Panzer Division "Dead Head" ("Totenkopf").
The division got its name from the emblem of the SS - "dead (Adam's) head" (skull with bones) - a symbol of loyalty to the leader until death. The same emblem, inscribed in the shield-tarch, also served as the identification mark of the division.
4th SS Motorized Infantry Division "Police" ("Police"), also known as the "(4th) SS Police Division".
This division received its name because it was formed from the ranks of the German police. The emblem of the division was the "wolf hook" - "wolfsangel" in a vertical position, inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch.
5th SS Panzer Division "Viking".
The name of this division is explained by the fact that, along with the Germans, it was recruited from residents of the Nordic countries (Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden), as well as Belgium, the Netherlands, Latvia and Estonia. In addition, Swiss, Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish volunteers served in the ranks of the Viking division. The emblem of the division was the “oblique cross” (“sun wheel”), that is, a swastika with curved crossbars, on a heraldic shield-tarch.
6th Mountain (Mountain Rifle) Division of the SS "Nord" ("North").
The name of this division is explained by the fact that it was recruited mainly from natives of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Latvia). The emblem of the division was the ancient German rune "hagall" inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch (resembling the Russian letter "Zh"). The rune "hagall" ("hagalaz") was considered a symbol of unshakable faith.
7th SS Volunteer Mountain (Mountain Rifle) Division "Prince Eugen (Eugen)".
This division, recruited mainly from ethnic Germans living in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Vojvodina, Banat and Romania, was named after the famous commander of the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation" of the second half of the 17th - early 18th centuries. Prince Eugene (in German: Eugen) of Savoy, who became famous for his victories over the Ottoman Turks and, in particular, won Belgrade for the Roman-German emperor (1717). Eugene of Savoy also became famous in the War of the Spanish Succession for his victories over the French and earned himself no less fame as a patron of the arts. The emblem of the division was the ancient Germanic rune "odal" ("otilia", "etel") inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch with curved lower ends.
A similar rune "odal", according to some sources, served as the identification mark of the 23rd Volunteer Mountain (Mountain Rifle) Division of the SS "Kama" (Croatian No. 2).
The rune "odal" of a somewhat simplified form (without curved lower ends) was used as an identification mark of the 14th Panzer Division of the German Wehrmacht.
It should be noted that the version of the “odal” rune (with curved lower ends) used as an identification mark of the SS division “Prince Eugen (Eugen)” by some foreign and domestic runologists (for example, Anton Platov in his capital study “The Magical Arts of Ancient Europe”, "Sofia", Publishing House "Helios", M., 2002, pp. 289 and 376) tend to be considered as a separate, "irregular" rune "erda" ("earth rune").
According to their interpretation, the rune of the earth and the earth goddess, bearing the same name in the Germanic languages \u200b\u200b- “erda”, symbolizes, on the one hand, the earth itself and its holiness, and on the other hand, the native land, homeland, clan (which is why " rune of the earth "became the emblem of the Main Directorate of the Race and Settlements of the SS). This circumstance makes the rune "erda" related to its simplified version (without curved lower ends) - the "classical" rune "odal". The main meaning of the rune "odal" is inheritance, heritage (both spiritual and material), clan, family, homeland, home, property, traditions, kinship (in spirit and blood). All this made the rune "odal" a rune-amulet protecting the family, property, and the well-being of the clan.
Nevertheless, apparently, in the Third Reich in general, and in the SS in particular, no distinctions were made between the runes "odal" and "Erda" (in relation to both variants of the runic sign described above, as well as in relation to the third option - with arrow-shaped lower ends, used as the emblem of the Dutch SS division "Landstorm Nederland" - the name "odal rune" was used).
8th SS Cavalry Division "Florian Geyer"
This division was named after the imperial knight Florian Geyer, who led during the Peasants' War in Germany (1524-1526) one of the detachments of German peasants ("Black detachment", in German: "Schwarzer Haufen"), who rebelled against the princes (large feudal lords who opposed the unification of Germany under the scepter of the emperor). Since Florian Geyer wore black armor and his "Black Squad" fought under a black banner, the SS considered him as their predecessor (especially since he opposed not only the princes, but also for the unification of the German state). Florian Geyer (immortalized in the drama of the same name by the classic of German literature Gerhart Hauptmann) died heroically in battle with the superior forces of the German princes in 1525 in the Taubertal valley. His image entered German folklore (especially song folklore), enjoying no less popularity than, say, Stepan Razin - in Russian song folklore. The emblem of the division was a straight naked sword inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, pointing up, crossing the shield from right to left diagonally, and a horse's head.
9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen"
This division was named after the dynasty of the Swabian dukes (since 1079) and the medieval Roman-German Kaiser emperors (1138-1254) - the Hohenstaufen (Staufen). Under them, the medieval German state (“Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation”), founded by Charlemagne (in 800 A.D.) and renewed by Otto (n) I the Great, reached the peak of its power, subordinating Italy to its influence, Sicily, the Holy Land and Poland. The Hohenstaufen tried, relying on economically highly developed Northern Italy as a base, to centralize their power over Germany and restore the Roman Empire - "at least" - the Western (within the borders of the empire of Charlemagne), ideally - the entire Roman Empire, including the Eastern Roman (Byzantine), in which, however, they did not succeed. The most famous representatives of the Hohenstaufen dynasty are the Crusader Kaisers Frederick I Barbarossa (who died during the Third Crusade) and his great-nephew Frederick II (Emperor of Rome, King of Germany, Sicily and Jerusalem), as well as Konradin, who was defeated in the fight against the Pope and Duke Charles of Anjou for Italy and beheaded by the French in 1268. The emblem of the division was a straight naked sword inscribed in a heraldic shield-tarch, pointing upwards, superimposed on the capital Latin letter "H" ("Hohenstaufen").
10th SS Panzer Division "Frundsberg"
This SS division was named after the German Renaissance commander Georg (Jörg) von Frundsberg, nicknamed the "Father of the Landsknechts" (1473-1528), under whose command the troops of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation and King of Spain Charles I of Habsburg conquered Italy and in 1514 took Rome, forcing the pope to recognize the supremacy of the Empire. They say that the ferocious Georg Frundsberg always carried a golden noose with him, with which he intended to strangle the Pope if he fell into his hands alive. In the ranks of the SS division "Frundsberg" served in his youth, the famous German writer, Nobel Prize winner Günter Grass. The emblem of this SS division was the capital Gothic letter “F” (“Frundsberg”) inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, superimposed on an oak leaf located diagonally from right to left.
11th SS Infantry Division "Nordland" ("Northern Country")
The name of the division is explained by the fact that it was recruited mainly from volunteers born in northern European countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, Latvia and Estonia). The emblem of this SS division was originally a "wolf hook" without a central vertical line, and later - a heraldic shield-tarch with the image of a "sun wheel" inscribed in a circle.
The "sun wheel", inscribed in a circle, also served as the emblem of the 4th Jaeger Division of the German Wehrmacht.
12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth" ("Hitler Youth")
This division was recruited mainly from the ranks of the youth organization of the Third Reich "Hitler Youth" ("Hitler Youth"). The tactical sign of this "youth" SS division was the ancient German "solar" rune "sig" ("sovulo", "sovelu"), inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch - a symbol of victory and the emblem of the Nazi youth organizations "Jungfolk" and "Hitler Youth", from among whose members were recruited by the volunteers of the division, imposed on the master key ("alignment with Dietrich").
13th mountain (mountain) division of the Waffen SS "Khanjar"
Often referred to in military literature as "Handshar" or "Yatagan", which consisted of Croatian, Bosnian and Herzegovina Muslims (Bosnyaks). “Khanjar” is a traditional Muslim edged weapon with a curved blade (related to the Russian words “konchar” and “dagger”, also meaning edged weapons). The emblem of the division was a curved sword-khanjar inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch, directed diagonally upwards from left to right. According to the surviving data, the division also had another identification mark, which was an image of a hand with a khanjar superimposed on a double "SS" rune "sig" ("sovulo").
14th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Galician No. 1, since 1945 - Ukrainian No. 1); she is the SS division (Sichevyh Striltsov) "Galicia"
The emblem of the division was the ancient coat of arms of the city of Lvov, the capital of Galicia - a lion walking on its hind legs, surrounded by 3 three-pronged crowns, inscribed in the "Varangian" ("Norman") shield.
15th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Latvian No. 1)
The emblem of the division was originally a "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of the Roman numeral "I" above the stylized printed capital Latin letter "L" ("Latvia"). Subsequently, the division received another tactical sign - 3 stars against the background of the rising sun. 3 stars meant 3 Latvian provinces - Vidzeme, Kurzeme and Latgale (a similar image adorned the cockade of the military personnel of the pre-war army of the Republic of Latvia).
16th SS Infantry Division "Reichsführer SS"
This SS division was named after Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler. The emblem of the division was a bunch of 3 oak leaves inscribed in a heraldic shield-tarch with 2 acorns near the handle framed by a laurel wreath, inscribed in a shield-tarch.
17th SS Panzer Division "Götz von Berlichingen"
This SS division was named after the hero of the Peasant War in Germany (1524-1526), the imperial knight Georg (Götz, Goetz) von Berlichingen (1480-1562), the fighter against the separatism of the German princes for the unity of Germany, the leader of the rebel peasants and the hero of the drama Johann Wolfgang von Goethe "Goetz von Berlichingen with an iron hand" (Knight Goetz, who lost his hand in one of the battles, ordered to make an iron prosthesis instead of it, which he owned no worse than others - a hand of flesh and blood). The emblem of the division was the iron hand of Goetz von Berlichingen clenched into a fist (crossing the shield-tarch from right to left and from bottom to top diagonally).
18th SS Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division "Horst Wessel"
This division was named after one of the "martyrs of the Nazi movement" - the commander of the Berlin attack aircraft Horst Wessel, who composed the song "Banners up"! (which became the anthem of the NSDAP and the "second anthem" of the Third Reich) and was killed by communist militants. The emblem of the division was a straight naked sword with the tip up, crossing the shield-tarch from right to left diagonally. According to the surviving data, the Horst Wessel division also had another emblem, which was the Latin letters SA stylized as runes (SA = Sturmabteilungen, i.e. “assault squads”; “Martyr of the Movement” Horst Wessel, after whom the division got its name , was one of the leaders of the Berlin stormtroopers) inscribed in a circle.
19th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Latvian No. 2)
The emblem of the division at the time of formation was the "Varangian" ("Norman") heraldic shield with the image of the Roman numeral "II" above the stylized printed capital Latin letter "L" ("Latvia"). Subsequently, the division received another tactical sign - an upright right-sided swastika on the "Varangian" shield. The swastika - the “fiery cross” (“ugunskrusts”) or the “cross (of the god of thunder) Perkon” (“perkonkrusts”) has been a traditional element of the Latvian folk ornament for centuries.
20th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS (Estonian No. 1)
The emblem of the division was the “Varangian” (“Norman”) heraldic shield with the image of a straight naked sword, point upwards, crossing the shield from right to left diagonally and superimposed on the capital Latin letter “E” (“E”, that is, “Estonia”). According to some reports, this emblem was sometimes depicted on the helmets of Estonian SS volunteers.
21st mountain (mountain) division of the Waffen SS "Skanderbeg" (Albanian No. 1)
This division, recruited mainly from Albanians, was named after the national hero of the Albanian people, Prince George Alexander Kastriot (nicknamed "Iskander-beg" or, in short, "Skanderbeg" by the Turks). While Skanderbeg (1403-1468) was alive, the Ottoman Turks, who repeatedly suffered defeats from him, could not subjugate Albania to their power. The emblem of the division was the ancient coat of arms of Albania, inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch - a double-headed eagle (the ancient Albanian rulers claimed kinship with the basileus-emperors of Byzantium). According to the surviving information, the division also had another tactical sign - a stylized image of the “Skanderbeg helmet” with goat horns superimposed on 2 horizontal stripes.
22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division "Maria Theresa" (and not "Maria Theresa", as they often write and think wrong!)
This division, recruited mainly from ethnic Germans living in Hungary, and from Hungarians, was named after the Empress of the "Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation" and Austria, Queen of Bohemia (Czech Republic) and Hungary Maria Theresa von Habsburg (1717-1780), one of the most prominent rulers of the second half of the 18th century. The emblem of the division was the image of a cornflower flower inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch with 8 petals, a stem, 2 leaves and 1 bud - (subjects of the Austro-Hungarian Danube Monarchy, who wanted to join the German Empire, until 1918 wore cornflower in their buttonhole - the favorite flower of the German emperor Wilhelm II of Hohenzollern).
23rd Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division of the Waffen SS "Kama"
Croatian No. 2, consisting of Croatian, Bosnian and Herzegovina Muslims. "Kama" is the name of a cold weapon traditional for the Balkan Muslims with a curved blade (something like a scimitar). The tactical sign of the division was a stylized image of the astronomical sign of the sun in a crown of rays on a heraldic shield-tarch. Information has also been preserved about 2 other tactical signs of the division, which were:
1) rune "Tyr" with 2 arrow-shaped processes perpendicular to the trunk of the rune, in its lower part:
2) rune "odal" (similar to the tactical sign of the SS division "Prince Eugene")
23rd Volunteer Motorized Infantry Division of the Waffen SS "Netherlands" (Netherlands No. 1)
The name of this division is explained by the fact that its personnel were recruited mainly from the Dutch (Dutch) Waffen SS volunteers. The emblem of the division was the rune "odal" ("otilia") with the lower ends in the form of arrows, inscribed in the heraldic shield-tarch.
24th Mountain (Mountain Rifle) Division of the Waffen SS "Karst Jaegers" ("Karst Jaegers", "Karstjäger")
The name of this division is explained by the fact that it was recruited mainly from the natives of the mountainous Karst region, located on the border between Italy and Yugoslavia. The emblem of the division was a stylized image of a “karst flower” (“karstbloom”), inscribed in the heraldic shield of the “Varangian” (“Norman”) form.
25th Grenadier (Infantry) Division of the Waffen SS "Hunyadi" (Hungarian No. 1)
This division, recruited mainly from Hungarians, was named after the medieval Transylvanian-Hungarian Hunyadi dynasty, the most prominent representatives of which were Janos Hunyadi (Johannes Guniades, Giovanni Vaivoda, 1385-1456) and his son King Matthias Corvinus (Matyas Hunyadi, 1443- 1490), who heroically fought for the freedom of Hungary against the Ottoman Turks. The emblem of the division was the “Varangian” (“Norman”) heraldic shield with the image of the “arrow-shaped cross” - the symbol of the Viennese National Socialist Arrow Crossed (“Nilashists”) party Ferenc Salashi - under 2 three-pronged crowns.
