Baltic Legions (other)

	Baltic Legions (other) Baltic Legions refers to the three Baltic Waffen SS divisions: * 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) * 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) * 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) __NOTOC__ The 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) (german: 19. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr. 2), lv, 19. SS grenadieru divīzija (latviešu Nr. 2)) was an infantry division of the Waffen-SS during World War ... {{disambiguation Military units and formations disambiguation pages ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	Waffen SS The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands. The grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions during World War II, and served alongside the German Army (''Heer''), ''Ordnungspolizei'' (uniformed police) and other security units. Originally, it was under the control of the (SS operational command office) beneath Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS. With the start of World War II, tactical control was exercised by the (OKW, "High Command of the Armed Forces"), with some units being subordinated to (Command Staff Reichsführer-SS) directly under Himmler's control. Initially, in keeping with the racial policy of Nazi Germany, membership was open only to people of Germanic origin (so-called " Aryan ancestry"). The rules were partially relaxed in 1940, and after the Operation Barbarossa invasion ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
picture info	15th Waffen Grenadier Division Of The SS (1st Latvian) The 15th ''Waffen'' Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) (german: 15. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr. 1)), lv, 15. SS grenadieru divīzija (latviešu Nr. 1)) was an Infantry Division of the ''Waffen-SS'' during World War II. It was formed in February 1943, and together with its sister unit, the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) formed the Latvian Legion. World War II After forming of Latvian Police Battalions in Reichskommissariat Ostland, Heinrich Himmler formed Latvian legion (''Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Legion'') in January 1943. In February 1943 ''Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Division'' was formed which later received the numerical designation 15. The Legion was renamed the ''Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Brigade'', with the numerical designation added soon after. Unlawful conscription of Latvians for military service by the Germans was based on Alfred Rosenberg's compulsory labor decree of 19 December 1941. It was carried out by Dep ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]
	19th Waffen Grenadier Division Of The SS (2nd Latvian) __NOTOC__ The 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) (german: 19. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr. 2), lv, 19. SS grenadieru divīzija (latviešu Nr. 2)) was an infantry division of the Waffen-SS during World War II. It was the second Latvian division formed in January 1944, after its sister unit, the 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) with which it formed the Latvian Legion. It was surrounded in the Courland Pocket at the end of the war where it surrendered to the Red Army. The division was formed in January 1944, from 2 SS Infantry Brigades with the addition of a newly raised third regiment, Waffen Grenadier Regiment 46 (Latvian No. 6). Simultaneously, the designations of the two other grenadier regiments were changed from 39 and 40 to 42 and 43 respectively. The commander of the SS brigade, SS-Oberführer Hinrich Schuldt became the first commander of the division. After Schuldt was killed in action on 15 March 1944, SS-Sta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu]