The 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler or SS Division Leibstandarte, abbreviated as LSSAH,
(german: 1. SS-Panzerdivision "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler") began as
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
's personal
bodyguard unit, responsible for guarding the Führer's person, offices, and residences. Initially the size of a
regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
, the LSSAH eventually grew into an elite
division-sized unit during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
The LSSAH participated in combat during the
invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...
, and was amalgamated into the
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 Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occup ...
together with the ''
SS-Verfügungstruppe'' (SS-VT) and the combat units of the ''
SS-Totenkopfverbände'' (SS-TV) prior to
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
in 1941. By mid-1942 it had been increased in size from a regiment to a
Panzergrenadier
''Panzergrenadier'' (), abbreviated as ''PzG'' (WWII) or ''PzGren'' (modern), meaning '' "Armour"-ed fighting vehicle "Grenadier"'', is a German term for mechanized infantry units of armoured forces who specialize in fighting from and in conjun ...
division and was designated SS Panzergrenadier Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler". It received its final form as a
Panzer division in October 1943.
Members of the LSSAH perpetrated numerous atrocities and war crimes, including the
Malmedy massacre. They killed an estimated 5,000 prisoners of war in the period 1940–1945, mostly on the Eastern Front.
Early history (1923–1933)
In the early days of the
Nazi Party
The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...
, the leadership realized that a bodyguard unit composed of reliable men was needed.
Ernst Röhm formed a guard formation from the ''19.Granatwerfer-Kompanie''; from this formation the ''
Sturmabteilung'' (SA) soon evolved.
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
in early 1923, ordered the formation of a small separate bodyguard dedicated to his service rather than "a suspect mass", such as the SA. Originally the unit was composed of only eight men, commanded by
Julius Schreck
Julius Schreck (13 July 1898 – 16 May 1936) was an early senior Nazi official and close confidant of Adolf Hitler.
Born in Munich, Schreck served in World War I and shortly afterwards joined right-wing paramilitary units. He joined the Nazi ...
and
Joseph Berchtold
Joseph Berchtold (6 March 1897 – 23 August 1962) was an early senior Nazi Party member and a co-founder of both the (SA) and (SS).
Berchtold served in World War I and upon Germany's defeat joined the German Workers' Party (DAP), a small ex ...
. It was designated the ''Stabswache'' (staff guard). The ''Stabswache'' were issued unique badges, but at this point was still under SA control. Schreck resurrected the use of the ''
Totenkopf
''Totenkopf'' (, i.e. ''skull'', literally "dead person's head") is the German word for the skull and crossbones symbol. The "skull and crossbones" symbol is an old international symbol for death, the defiance of death, danger, or the dead, as ...
'' ("death's head") as the unit's insignia, a symbol various elite forces had used in the past, including specialized assault troops of
Imperial Germany
The German Empire (), Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditar ...
in
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
who used ''
Hutier''
infiltration tactics
In warfare, infiltration tactics involve small independent light infantry forces advancing into enemy rear areas, bypassing enemy frontline strongpoints, possibly isolating them for attack by follow-up troops with heavier weapons. Soldiers ...
.
In May 1923, the unit was renamed ''Stoßtrupp'' (Shock Troop)–Hitler. The unit numbered no more than 20 members at that time. On 9 November 1923, the ''Stoßtrupp'', along with the SA and several other Nazi paramilitary units, took part in the abortive
Beer Hall Putsch in
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
. In the aftermath, Hitler was imprisoned and his party and all associated formations, including the ''Stoßtrupp'', were disbanded.
![LSSS AH](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/LSSS_AH.svg)
In the mid-1920s, violence remained a large part of Bavarian politics. Hitler was a potential target. In 1925, Hitler ordered the formation of a new bodyguard unit, the ''Schutzkommando'' (protection command). The unit was renamed the ''Sturmstaffel'' (assault squadron) and in November was renamed the ''
Schutzstaffel
The ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS; also stylized as ''ᛋᛋ'' with Armanen runes; ; "Protection Squadron") was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe duri ...
'', abbreviated to SS. By 1933 the SS had grown from a small bodyguard unit to a formation of over 50,000 men. The decision was made to form a new bodyguard unit, again called the ''Stabswache'', which was mostly made up of men from the
1st SS-Standarte. By 1933 this unit was placed under the command of
Sepp Dietrich
Josef "Sepp" Dietrich (28 May 1892 – 21 April 1966) was a German politician and SS commander during the Nazi era. He joined the Nazi Party in 1928 and was elected to the Reichstag of the Weimar Republic in 1930. Prior to 1929, Dietrich was A ...
, who selected 117 men to form the ''SS-Stabswache'' Berlin on 17 March 1933. The unit replaced the army guards at the
Reich Chancellery
The Reich Chancellery (german: Reichskanzlei) was the traditional name of the office of the Chancellor of Germany (then called ''Reichskanzler'') in the period of the German Reich from 1878 to 1945. The Chancellery's seat, selected and prepared ...
. Out of this initial group, three eventually became divisional commanders, at least eight would become regimental commanders, fifteen became battalion commanders, and over thirty became company commanders in the
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 Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts, volunteers and conscripts from both occup ...
. Eleven men from the first company of 117 went on to win the Knights Cross, and forty of them were awarded the German Cross in gold for bravery. Later in 1933, two further training units were formed: ''SS-Sonderkommando Zossen'' on 10 May, and a second unit, designated ''SS-Sonderkommando Jüterbog'' on 8 July. These were the only SS units to receive military training at that time. Most of the training staff came from the ranks of the army. On 3 September 1933 the two ''Sonderkommando'' merged into the ''SS-Sonderkommando Berlin'' under Dietrich's command. Most of their duties involved providing outer security for Hitler at his residences, public appearances and guard duty at the Reich Chancellery.
In November 1933, on the 10th anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch, the ''Sonderkommando'' took part in the rally and memorial service for the Nazi Party members who had been killed during the putsch. During the ceremony, the members of the ''Sonderkommando'' swore personal allegiance to Hitler. At the conclusion the unit received the new title, "''Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler''" (LAH). The term ''Leibstandarte'' was derived partly from ''
Leibgarde'' – a somewhat archaic German translation of "Guard of Corps" or personal bodyguard of a military leader ("Leib" = lit. "body, torso") – and ''Standarte'': the ''
Schutzstaffel
The ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS; also stylized as ''ᛋᛋ'' with Armanen runes; ; "Protection Squadron") was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe duri ...
'' (SS) or ''
Sturmabteilung'' (SA) term for a regiment-sized unit, also the German word for a specific type of heraldic flag (
Standard Standard may refer to:
Symbols
* Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs
* Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification
Norms, conventions or requirements
* Standard (metrology), an object th ...
).
Expansion
![Bundesarchiv Bild 102-17311, Berlin-Lichterfelde, Hitler bei Leibstandarte](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Bundesarchiv_Bild_102-17311%2C_Berlin-Lichterfelde%2C_Hitler_bei_Leibstandarte.jpg)
On 13 April 1934,
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...
, head of the SS, ordered the ''Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler'' (LAH) to be renamed "''Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler''" (LSSAH). Himmler inserted the SS initials into the name to make it clear that the unit was independent from the SA or the army. The LSSAH was designated a "National Socialist" unit, which eventually grew into an elite Panzer
division
Division or divider may refer to:
Mathematics
*Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication
*Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division
Military
*Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...
of the Waffen-SS. Although nominally under Himmler, Dietrich was the real commander and handled day-to-day administration.
During 1934, ''
Stabschef-SA'' Ernst Röhm continued to push for greater political influence for his already powerful SA. Hitler decided that the SA had to be eliminated as an independent political force and ordered the LSSAH to prepare for the action. The LSSAH formed two companies under the control of
Jürgen Wagner and Otto Reich, these formations were moved to Munich on 30 June.
Hitler ordered all SA leaders to attend a meeting at the Hanselbauer Hotel in
Bad Wiessee, near Munich. Hitler along with Sepp Dietrich and a unit from the LSSAH travelled to Bad Wiessee to personally oversee Röhm's arrest on 30 June. Later at around 17:00 hours, Dietrich received orders from Hitler for the LSSAH to form an "execution squad" and go to Stadelheim prison where certain SA leaders were being held. There in the prison courtyard, the LSSAH firing squad shot five SA generals and an SA colonel. Additional alleged "traitors" were shot in Berlin by a unit of the ''Leibstandarte''. On 1 July Hitler finally agreed with Göring and Himmler that Röhm should be executed. In what the Nazis called the Röhm Putsch, but otherwise came to be known as the
Night of the Long Knives
The Night of the Long Knives (German: ), or the Röhm purge (German: ''Röhm-Putsch''), also called Operation Hummingbird (German: ''Unternehmen Kolibri''), was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany from 30 June to 2 July 1934. Chancellor Ad ...
, companies of the LSSAH, together with the
Gestapo
The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe.
The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one orga ...
and Göring's ''Landespolizeigruppe'', performed
Death Squad actions. At least 85, but most likely no less than twice that number of people, were executed without trial over the next few days.
This action succeeded in effectively decapitating the SA and removing Röhm's threat to Hitler's leadership. In recognition of their actions, both the LSSAH and the ''Landespolizeigruppe'' ''General Göring'' were expanded to regimental size and motorized. In addition, the SS became an independent organization, no longer part of the SA.
![Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H15390, Berlin, Kaserne der LSSAH, Vergatterung](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-H15390%2C_Berlin%2C_Kaserne_der_LSSAH%2C_Vergatterung.jpg)
The LSSAH provided the honor guard at many of the
Nuremberg Rallies
The Nuremberg Rallies (officially ', meaning ''Reich Party Congress'') refer to a series of celebratory events coordinated by the Nazi Party in Germany. The first rally held took place in 1923. This rally was not particularly large or impactful; ...
, and in 1935 took part in the reoccupation of the
Saarland
The Saarland (, ; french: Sarre ) is a state of Germany in the south west of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and ...
. On 6 June 1935, the LSSAH officially adopted a field-grey uniform to identify itself more with the army, which wore a similar uniform. The LSSAH was later in the vanguard of the march into Austria as part of the
Anschluss
The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938.
The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...
, and in 1938 the unit took part in the occupation of the
Sudetenland. By 1939, the LSSAH was a full infantry regiment with three infantry battalions, an artillery battalion, and anti-tank, reconnaissance and engineer sub-units. Soon after its involvement in the annexation of
Bohemia and
Moravia
Moravia ( , also , ; cs, Morava ; german: link=yes, Mähren ; pl, Morawy ; szl, Morawa; la, Moravia) is a historical region in the east of the Czech Republic and one of three historical Czech lands, with Bohemia and Czech Silesia.
The m ...
, the LSSAH was redesignated ''"Infanterie-Regiment Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (mot.)"''. When Hitler ordered the formation of an SS division in mid-1939, the ''Leibstandarte'' was designated to form its own unit, unlike the other ''
Standarten'' of the ''
SS-Verfügungstruppe'' (SS-VT) (''SS-Standarte Deutschland'', ''SS-Standarte Germania'', and ''SS-Standarte Der Führer''). The Polish crisis of August 1939 put these plans on hold, and the LSSAH was ordered to join
XIII. ''Armeekorps'', a part of
Army Group South
Army Group South (german: Heeresgruppe Süd) was the name of three German Army Groups during World War II.
It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland Army Group So ...
, which was preparing for the attack on Poland.
The ''Leibstandarte'' division's symbol was a
skeleton key
A skeleton key (also known as a passkey) is a type of master key in which the serrated edge has been removed in such a way that it can open numerous locks, most commonly the warded lock. The term derives from the fact that the key has been r ...
, in honor of its first commander, Josef "Sepp" Dietrich (''Dietrich'' is German for skeleton key or
lock pick); it was retained and modified to later serve as the symbol for
I SS Panzer Corps.
Invasion of Poland
During the initial stages of the
invasion of Poland
The invasion of Poland (1 September – 6 October 1939) was a joint attack on the Republic of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union which marked the beginning of World War II. The German invasion began on 1 September 1939, one week aft ...
, the LSSAH was attached to the
''17.Infanterie-Division'' and tasked with providing flank protection for the southern pincer. The regiment was involved in several battles against
Polish cavalry
The Polish cavalry ( pl, jazda, kawaleria, konnica) can trace its origins back to the days of medieval cavalry knights. Poland is mostly a country of flatlands and fields and mounted forces operate well in this environment. The knights and heav ...
brigades attempting to hit the flanks of the German advance. At
Pabianice
Pabianice is a city in central Poland with 63,023 inhabitants (2021). Situated in the Łódź Voivodeship, it is the capital of Pabianice County. It lies about southwest of Łódź and belongs to the metropolitan area of that city. It is the ...
, a town near
Łódź
Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of cant ...
, the LSSAH fought elements of the
Polish 28th Infantry Division and the
Wołyńska Cavalry Brigade
The Volhynian Cavalry Brigade ( pl, Wołyńska Brygada Kawalerii) was a Polish cavalry brigade, which saw action against the invading Germans during the Invasion of Poland, a part of World War II. Raised from recruits in the area of Wołyń, the d ...
in close combat. Throughout the campaign, the unit was notorious for burning villages. In addition, members of the LSSAH committed atrocities in numerous Polish towns, including the murder of 50 Jews in
Błonie and the massacre of 200 civilians, including children, who were machine gunned in
Złoczew. Shootings also took place in Bolesławiec,
Torzeniec,
Goworowo,
Mława
Mława (; yi, מלאווע ''Mlave'') is a town in north-east Poland with 30,403 inhabitants in 2020. It is the capital of Mława County. It is situated in the Masovian Voivodeship.
During the invasion of Poland in 1939, the battle of Mława was ...
, and
Włocławek
Włocławek (Polish pronunciation: ; german: Leslau) is a city located in central Poland along the Vistula (Wisła) River and is bordered by the Gostynin-Włocławek Landscape Park. As of December 2021, the population of the city is 106,928. Loc ...
.
After the success at Pabianice, the LSSAH was sent to the area near
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
and attached to the
''4.Panzer-Division'' under then ''Generalmajor'' (brigadier general)
Georg-Hans Reinhardt
Georg-Hans Reinhardt (1 March 1887 – 23 November 1963) was a German general and war criminal during World War II. He commanded the 3rd Panzer Army from 1941 to 1944, and Army Group Centre in 1944 and 1945, reaching the rank of colonel general ...
. The unit saw action preventing encircled Polish units from escaping, and repelling several attempts by other Polish troops to break through. In spite of the swift military victory over Poland, the regular army had reservations about the performance of the LSSAH and SS-VT units due to their higher casualty rate than the army units.
Invasion of France
In early 1940 the LSSAH was expanded into a full independent motorized infantry regiment and a ''
Sturmgeschütz'' (Assault Gun) battery was added to their establishment. The regiment was shifted to the Dutch border for the launch of
Fall Gelb
(Case Yellow), the invasion of France and the Low Countries
, scope = Strategic
, type =
, location = South-west Netherlands, central Belgium, northern France
, coordinates =
, planned = 1940
, planned_by = Erich von ...
. It was to form the vanguard of the ground advance into the Netherlands, tasked with capturing a vital bridge over the
IJssel
The IJssel (; nds-nl, Iessel(t) ) is a Dutch distributary of the river Rhine that flows northward and ultimately discharges into the IJsselmeer (before the 1932 completion of the Afsluitdijk known as the Zuiderzee), a North Sea natural harbour. ...
, attacking the main line of defense at the ''Grebbeberg'' (the Grebbeline), and linking up with the ''
Fallschirmjäger
The ''Fallschirmjäger'' () were the paratrooper branch of the German Luftwaffe before and during World War II. They were the first German paratroopers to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. Throughout World War II, the commander ...
'' of ''Generaloberst''
Kurt Student
Kurt Arthur Benno Student (12 May 1890 – 1 July 1978) was a German general in the Luftwaffe during World War II. An early pioneer of airborne forces, Student was in overall command of developing a paratrooper force to be known as the '' Fallsch ...
's airborne forces, the
''7.Flieger-Division'' and the
''22.Luftlande-Infanterie-Division''.
![Bundesarchiv Bild 101III-Weill-059-04, Metz, Heinrich Himmler neben Panzer](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101III-Weill-059-04%2C_Metz%2C_Heinrich_Himmler_neben_Panzer.jpg)
''Fall Gelb''—the invasion of France and the Low Countries—was launched on 10 May 1940. On that day, the LSSAH crossed the Dutch border, covered over , and secured a crossing over the IJssel near
Zutphen
Zutphen () is a city and municipality located in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands. It lies some 30 km northeast of Arnhem, on the eastern bank of the river Ijssel at the point where it is joined by the Berkel. First mentioned in th ...
after discovering that their target bridge had been destroyed. Over the next four days, the LSSAH covered over , and upon entering
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...
, several of its soldiers accidentally shot at and seriously wounded General Student. After the surrender of Rotterdam, the LSSAH left for
The Hague
The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...
, which they reached on 15 May, after capturing 3,500 Dutch soldiers as
prisoners of war. After the surrender of the Netherlands on 15 May, the regiment was then moved south to France.
After the British
counterattack at Arras, the LSSAH, along with the
''SS-Verfügungs-Division'', were moved to hold the perimeter around
Dunkirk and reduce the size of the pocket containing the encircled
British Expeditionary Force and French forces. The LSSAH took up a position 15 miles south west of
Dunkirk along the line of the Aa Canal, facing the Allied defensive line near Watten. That night the OKW ordered the advance to halt, with the British Expeditionary Force trapped. The LSSAH paused for the night. However, on the following day of 25 May, in defiance of Hitler's orders, Dietrich ordered his 3rd battalion to cross the canal and take the
Wattenberg Heights beyond, where
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
artillery observers were putting the regiment at risk. They assaulted the heights and drove the observers off. Instead of being censured for his act of defiance, Dietrich was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
On 26 May the German advance resumed. By 28 May the LSSAH had taken the village of
Wormhout
Wormhout (; before 1975: ''Wormhoudt''; vls, Wormout) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Several people in Wormhout still speak West Flemish, a local dialect of Dutch and the traditional language of the region, while Frenc ...
, only ten miles from Dunkirk. After their surrender, soldiers from the 2nd Battalion,
Royal Warwickshire Regiment
The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, previously titled the 6th Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. The regiment saw service in many conflicts and wars, including the Second Boer War ...
, along with some other units (including
French soldiers
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
) were taken to a barn in ''La Plaine au Bois'' near
Wormhout
Wormhout (; before 1975: ''Wormhoudt''; vls, Wormout) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. Several people in Wormhout still speak West Flemish, a local dialect of Dutch and the traditional language of the region, while Frenc ...
and
Esquelbecq
Esquelbecq (; from ) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.
Its southern limit with Ledringhem is ''chemin de Rubrouck''.
Heraldry
History
In 1436, Wautier de Ghistelles was ''seigneur d'Ekelsbeke et de Ledringhem'' (Lor ...
. It was there that troops of the LSSAH 2nd battalion, under the command of SS-''Hauptsturmführer''
Wilhelm Mohnke
Wilhelm Mohnke (15 March 1911 – 6 August 2001) was one of the original members of the SS-Staff Guard (''Stabswache'') "Berlin" formed in March 1933. From those ranks, Mohnke rose to become one of Adolf Hitler's last remaining generals. He joi ...
committed the
Wormhoudt massacre
The Wormhoudt massacre (or Wormhout massacre) was the mass murder of 81 British and French POWs by Waffen-SS soldiers from the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler during the Battle of France in May 1940.
Fighting
As part of the Brit ...
, where 80 British and French prisoners of war were killed. Although it is unarguable that the massacre occurred, Mohnke's level of involvement is impossible to know; he was never formally charged and brought to trial.
Invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece
After the conclusion of the Western campaign on 22 June 1940, the LSSAH spent six months in
Metz
Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...
(
Moselle). It was expanded to brigade size (6,500 men). A 'Flak battalion' and a
StuG ''Batterie'' were among the units added to the LSSAH. A new flag was presented by Heinrich Himmler in September 1940. During the later months of 1940, the regiment trained in amphibious assaults on the
Moselle River
The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblen ...
in preparation for
Operation Seelöwe
Operation Sea Lion, also written as Operation Sealion (german: Unternehmen Seelöwe), was Nazi Germany's code name for the plan for an invasion of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain in the Second World War. Following the Battle ...
, the invasion of England. After the Luftwaffe's failure in the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
and the cancellation of the planned invasion, the LSSAH was shifted to
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
in February 1941 in preparation for
Operation Marita
The German invasion of Greece, also known as the Battle of Greece or Operation Marita ( de , Unternehmen Marita, links = no), was the attack of Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usu ...
, part of the planned invasion of
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
and
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
.
The operation was launched on 6 April 1941 by aerial bombings of central-southern Yugoslavia, specially over Belgrade causing enormous destructions and thousands of victims and wounded. After the LSSAH entered on 12 April into the Yugoslavian capital, then to follow the route of the
9.Panzer-Division, part of ''General der Panzertruppe''
Georg Stumme
Georg Stumme (29 July 1886 – 24 October 1942) was a general in the of Nazi Germany during the Second World War who briefly commanded the Axis forces at the beginning of the Second Battle of El Alamein, and died during the Defence of Outpost Sni ...
's
XL Panzer Corps. The LSSAH crossed the border near
Bitola and was soon deep in Greek territory.
![Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-158-0094-33, Balkan, Spähpanzer der Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-158-0094-33%2C_Balkan%2C_Sp%C3%A4hpanzer_der_Leibstandarte_Adolf_Hitler.jpg)
The LSSAH captured
Vevi
Vevi ( el, Βεύη, before 1926: Μπάνιτσα - ''Banitsa'', before 1928: Μπάνιτσα - ''Banitsa''; Macedonian and bg, Баница, ''Banica'' or ''Banitsa'') is a village located in the municipal unit of Meliti in Florina regional ...
on 10 April. SS-''
Sturmbannführer
__NOTOC__
''Sturmbannführer'' (; ) was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank equivalent to major that was used in several Nazi organizations, such as the SA, SS, and the NSFK. The rank originated from German shock troop units of the First World War ...
''
Kurt Meyer
Kurt Meyer (23 December 1910 – 23 December 1961) was an SS commander and convicted war criminal of Nazi Germany. He served in the Waffen-SS (the combat branch of the SS) and participated in the Battle of France, Operation Barbarossa, and ot ...
's reinforced
''Aufklärungs-Abteilung'' (reconnaissance battalion), LSSAH was tasked with clearing resistance from the
Kleisoura Pass south-west of
Vevi
Vevi ( el, Βεύη, before 1926: Μπάνιτσα - ''Banitsa'', before 1928: Μπάνιτσα - ''Banitsa''; Macedonian and bg, Баница, ''Banica'' or ''Banitsa'') is a village located in the municipal unit of Meliti in Florina regional ...
and driving through to the
Kastoria
Kastoria ( el, Καστοριά, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria regional unit, in the geographic region of Macedonia. It is situated on a promontory on the weste ...
area to cut off retreating Greek and
British Commonwealth
The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...
forces. Despite stiff resistance, Meyer's unit captured the pass.
The brigade participated in the
clearing the Klidi Pass just south of Vevi, which was defended by a "scratch force" of Greek, Australian, British and New Zealand troops. An Australian artillery officer wrote of the Germans' "insolence" in driving "trucks down the main road – to within of our infantry" and there unloading the troops. The Germans were forced off the road by artillery fire and faced fierce resistance for more than two days. On the morning of 12 April the Germans renewed their attack, and by late afternoon the pass was cleared.
With the fall of the two passes the main line of resistance of the
Greek Epirus army was broken, and the campaign became a battle to prevent the escape of the enemy. On 20 April, following a pitched battle in the
Metsovon Pass in the
Pindus Mountains
The Pindus (also Pindos or Pindhos; el, Πίνδος, Píndos; sq, Pindet; rup, Pindu) is a mountain range located in Northern Greece and Southern Albania. It is roughly 160 km (100 miles) long, with a maximum elevation of 2,637 metr ...
, the commander of the Greek Epirus army surrendered the entire force to Dietrich. British Commonwealth troops were now the only Allied forces remaining in Greece, and they were falling back across the
Corinth Canal
The Corinth Canal ( el, Διώρυγα της Κορίνθου, translit=Dhioryga tis Korinthou) is an artificial canal in Greece, that connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. It cuts through the ...
to the
Peloponnesos. By 26 April the LSSAH had reached the
Gulf of Patras
The Gulf of Patras ( el, Πατραϊκός Κόλπος, ''Patraikós Kólpos'') is a branch of the Ionian Sea in Western Greece. On the east, it is closed by the Strait of Rion between capes Rio and Antirrio, near the Rio-Antirrio bridge, that ...
, and in an effort to cut off the retreating British Commonwealth forces, Dietrich ordered that his regiment cross the Gulf and secure the town of
Patras in the Peloponnesos. Since no transport vessels were available, the LSSAH commandeered fishing boats and successfully completed the crossing, but were forced to leave much of their heavy equipment behind. By 30 April the last British Commonwealth troops had either been captured or escaped. The LSSAH occupied a position of honor in the victory parade through
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
. After Operation Marita, the LSSAH was ordered north to join the forces of
Army Group South
Army Group South (german: Heeresgruppe Süd) was the name of three German Army Groups during World War II.
It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland Army Group So ...
massing for the launch of
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
.
Invasion of the Soviet Union
Following LSSAH's outstanding performance during Marita, Himmler ordered that it should be upgraded to divisional status. The regiment, already the size of a reinforced brigade, was to be given motorized transport and redesignated "''SS-Division (mot.) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler''". It was moved to
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
in mid May for reorganization until being ordered to assemble in Poland
for ''Operation Barbarossa'', as part of
Gerd von Rundstedt
Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (12 December 1875 – 24 February 1953) was a German field marshal in the '' Heer'' (Army) of Nazi Germany during World War II.
Born into a Prussian family with a long military tradition, Rundstedt entered th ...
's
Army Group South
Army Group South (german: Heeresgruppe Süd) was the name of three German Army Groups during World War II.
It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland Army Group So ...
. There was not enough time to deliver all its equipment and refit it to full divisional status before the launch of the invasion of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
, so the new "division" remained the size of a reinforced brigade, even though its expansion and development was of concern at the very highest ranks of command.
Franz Halder, chief of the
OKH General Staff noted on 20 June that "SS 'Adolf Hitler' will not be ready in time. Tracked components leave on 22 June, others not before 25 June," then more hopefully the next day; "Materiel position of SS 'Adolf Hitler' has improved, Div. may yet get ready in time."
![Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L19830, Russland, bespannte Artillerie in brennendem Ort](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-L19830%2C_Russland%2C_bespannte_Artillerie_in_brennendem_Ort.jpg)
Despite Halder's hopes, LSSAH was held in reserve attached to
XIV Panzer Corps
XIV Panzer Corps (also: XIV Army Corps or XIV. ''Armeekorps'') was a corps-level formation of the German Army which fought on both the Eastern Front and in the Italian Campaign.
History
The XIV Panzer Corps was originally formed as the XIV Mot ...
as part of ''Generalfeldmarschall''
Ewald von Kleist's
1st Panzer Group during the opening stages of the attack. Through July it was attached to
III Panzer Corps
III Army Corps was a corps level formation of the German Army during World War II.
III Army Corps
The III Corps was formed in October 1934 as III. Armeekorps. The corps took part in Fall Weiss, the 1939 invasion of Poland as a part of Army Gro ...
before finishing August as part of
XLVIII Panzer Corps.
During this time, the LSSAH was involved in the
Battle of Uman
The Battle of Uman (15 July – 8 August 1941) was the World War II German offensive in Uman, Ukraine against the 6th and 12th Soviet Armies. In a three-week period, the Wehrmacht encircled and annihilated the two Soviet armies.
The battle occ ...
and the subsequent capture of
Kiev. According to a postwar report by Waffen-SS journalist Erich Kern, the division murdered 4,000 Soviet prisoners in reprisal on 18 August, after finding the mutilated bodies of six dead divisional members who had been executed at Nowo Danzig, north of
Kherson. These allegations have been researched using local units' war diaries; no mention of executed German soldiers during those dates has been found. For want of reliable evidence, not even accusations by the Soviet authorities, the allegations remained unproven.
![Wkroczenie wojsk niemieckich do Taganrogu (2-949)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e2/Wkroczenie_wojsk_niemieckich_do_Taganrogu_%282-949%29.jpg)
In early September, the division was shifted to LIV Army Corps, as part of the
11th Army under
Eugen Ritter von Schobert during the advance east after the fall of Kiev. Hoping to capitalize on the collapse of the Red Army defense on the
Dnepr River
}
The Dnieper () or Dnipro (); , ; . is one of the major transboundary rivers of Europe, rising in the Valdai Hills near Smolensk, Russia, before flowing through Belarus and Ukraine to the Black Sea. It is the longest river of Ukraine and B ...
the reconnaissance battalion of LSSAH was tasked with making a speedy advance to capture the strategically vital choke point of the
Perekop Isthmus
The Isthmus of Perekop, literally Isthmus of the Trench ( uk, Перекопський перешийок; transliteration: ''Perekops'kyy pereshyyok''; russian: Перекопский перешеек; transliteration: ''Perekopskiy peresheek ...
through a "''coup de main''" but were rebuffed by entrenched defenders at the town of
Perekop
Perekop (Ukrainian & Russian: Перекоп; ; ) is an urban-type settlement located on the Perekop Isthmus connecting the Crimean peninsula to the Ukrainian mainland. It is known for the fortress Or Qapi that served as the gateway to Crimea. ...
.
That same day, 12 September, 11th Army's commander was killed in an aircraft accident, and Hitler appointed
Erich von Manstein
Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein (born Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski; 24 November 1887 – 9 June 1973) was a German Field Marshal of the ''Wehrmacht'' during the Second World War, who was subsequently convicted of war crimes and ...
to command. It took five days for Manstein to take matters in hand, and the operation to clear the
Crimean Peninsula
Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...
was not launched until 17 September. Manstein deployed LSSAH to create diversions while preparing for the main assault, intending to employ it to exploit an eventual breakthrough, but was forced to throw pioneers into the attack on the "Tatar Ditch" in the face of a furious counterattacks and did not break the Soviet defense for ten days.
In October, the LSSAH was transferred back north to help solidify the Axis line against fresh Soviet attacks against the
Romanian 3rd Army and later took part in the heavy fighting for the city of
Rostov-on-Don, which was captured in late November; there, the LSSAH took over 10,000 Red Army prisoners. However by the end of the year, the German advance faltered as Soviet resistance grew stronger.
Under pressure from heavy Soviet counterattacks during the winter, the LSSAH and Army Group South retreated from Rostov to defensive lines on the river
Mius
The Mius (, ) is a river in Eastern Europe that flows through Ukraine and Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of .Миус< ...
. After the spring
rasputitsa (seasonal mud) had cleared, the division joined in ''
Fall Blau
Case Blue (German: ''Fall Blau'') was the Wehrmacht, German Armed Forces' plan for the 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern Russia between 28 June and 24 November 1942, during World War II. The objective was to capture the oil fields o ...
'', participating in the fighting to retake Rostov-on-Don, which fell in late July 1942. Severely understrength, the LSSAH was transferred to the
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
region of occupied France to join the newly formed
SS Panzer Corps and to be reformed as a
Panzergrenadier
''Panzergrenadier'' (), abbreviated as ''PzG'' (WWII) or ''PzGren'' (modern), meaning '' "Armour"-ed fighting vehicle "Grenadier"'', is a German term for mechanized infantry units of armoured forces who specialize in fighting from and in conjun ...
division.
Kharkov
![Bundesarchiv Bild 101III-Gayk-006-07A, Russland, Sepp Dietrich mit Männern der LSSAH](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101III-Gayk-006-07A%2C_Russland%2C_Sepp_Dietrich_mit_M%C3%A4nnern_der_LSSAH.jpg)
The LSSAH spent the remainder of 1942 refitting as a ''panzergrenadier'' division. Thanks to the efforts of Himmler, along with SS-''Obergruppenführer''
Paul Hausser
Paul Hausser also known as Paul Falk after taking his maiden name post war (7 October 1880 – 21 December 1972) was a German general and then a high-ranking commander in the Waffen-SS who played a key role in the post-war efforts by former mem ...
, the SS Panzer Corps commander, the three ''SS Panzergrenadier'' divisions, LSSAH,
Das Reich and
Totenkopf
''Totenkopf'' (, i.e. ''skull'', literally "dead person's head") is the German word for the skull and crossbones symbol. The "skull and crossbones" symbol is an old international symbol for death, the defiance of death, danger, or the dead, as ...
, were to be formed with a full regiment of tanks rather than only a battalion. This meant that the ''SS Panzergrenadier'' divisions were full-strength Panzer divisions in all but name. The division also received nine
Tiger 1 tanks, and these were formed into the 13th (''schwere'') Company/1st SS Panzer Regiment.
The collapse of the front around Stalingrad and the encirclement of the
6th Army created a threat to Field Marshal
Erich von Manstein
Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein (born Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski; 24 November 1887 – 9 June 1973) was a German Field Marshal of the ''Wehrmacht'' during the Second World War, who was subsequently convicted of war crimes and ...
's
Army Group Don
Army Group Don was a short-lived army group of the German Army during World War II.
On 20 November 1942 Hitler again ordered the reorganization of the southern front in the Soviet Union. The order was following: "Between the Army Group A and B a ...
. Manstein requested reinforcements to halt the Soviet attack near
Kharkov
Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine. . The SS Panzer Corps was then ordered east to join Manstein's forces.
![Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J22454, Charkow, Schützenpanzerwagen der SS](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-J22454%2C_Charkow%2C_Sch%C3%BCtzenpanzerwagen_der_SS.jpg)
Arriving at the front in late January 1943, the LSSAH was engaged in fighting in and around Kharkov as a part of Hausser's ''SS Panzer'' Corps. In March 1943 the division participated in the
recapture of Kharkov. On 12 March 1943, the LSSAH made progress into the city's center by breaking through the Soviet defenses in the northern suburbs. By the end of the day, the division had reached a position just two blocks north of Dzerzhinsky Square. The 2nd Panzergrenadier Regiment's 2nd Battalion was able to surround the square, after taking heavy casualties from Soviet snipers and other defenders, by evening. When taken, the square was renamed "''Platz der Leibstandarte''". Despite the declaration that the city had fallen, fighting continued on 15 and 16 March, as German units cleared the remnants of resistance in the tractor works factory complex, in the southern outskirts of the city. The city was taken on 17 March. While in Kharkov, troops of the LSSAH engaged in the murder of wounded Soviet soldiers that were located in the city's military hospital; several hundred were killed. Additionally, captured Soviet officers and commissars were routinely executed.
The division was pulled back to rest and refit. Division commander Sepp Dietrich was promoted to form a new Corps, the
1st ''SS Panzer Corps Leibstandarte'', and the LSSAH was to supply all the senior officers for the new headquarters. At the same time a new SS division would be formed from members of the
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth (german: Hitlerjugend , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth organisation of the Nazi Party in Germany. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. ...
and the LSSAH would supply all of the regimental, battalion and most of the company commanders. This new division would become the
12th SS Panzer Division (''Hitlerjugend'').
Massacre of civilians on the Eastern Front
During the fighting around Kharkov, a unit under the command of
Joachim Peiper
Joachim Peiper (30 January 1915 – 14 July 1976) was a German ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) officer and a Nazi war criminal convicted for the Malmedy massacre of U.S. Army prisoners of war (POWs). During the Second World War in Europe, Peiper serve ...
gained a nickname "Blowtorch Battalion", after the inhabitants of two Soviet villages were shot or burned. Ukrainian sources, including surviving witness Ivan Kiselev, who was 14 at the time of the massacre, described the killings at the villages of Yefremovka and Semyonovka on 17 February 1943. On 12 February Waffen-SS troops of the LSSAH occupied the two villages, where retreating Soviet forces had wounded two SS officers. In retaliation, five days later LSSAH troops killed 872 men, women and children. Some 240 of these were burned alive in the church of Yefremovka.
The reputation of the "Blowtorch Battalion" was confirmed in August 1944, when ''Sturmbannführer'' Jacob Hanreich was captured south of Falaise in France and interrogated by the Allies. He stated that Peiper was "particularly eager to execute the order to burn villages". Hanreich had previously served with ''Leibstandarte'' but was with SS Division ''Hitlerjugend'' at the time of his capture.
Additional sources support the division's reputation for brutality. The following statement, taken from the surreptitious recording of POWs' conversations by the Allies, describes the atrocities on the Eastern Front. SS-''Untersturmführer'' Krämer (captured on the Western Front during his service with the SS Division ''Hitlerjugend'') recounted the following from his time with the LSSAH:
I have experienced it in Russia at Orel. An MG 42 was set up in the main aisle of a church, ..and the Russian men, women and children were taken into the church, without knowing at all what was happening. Then they were shot immediately with the MG 42 and petrol was poured on them and the whole place was set on fire.
Fabrikaktion Operation
Elements of LSSAH took part in
Fabrikaktion
(, 'Factory Action') is the term for the roundup of the last Jews deported from Berlin, beginning in 27 February 1943. Most of the remaining Jews were working at Berlin plants or for the Jewish welfare organization. The term ''Fabrikaction'' was c ...
"factory action" a/k/a/ ''Großaktion Juden'' "Major Action (on) Jews", an operation to capture remaining German Jews that worked in the
arms industry
The arms industry, also known as the arms trade, is a global industry classification, industry which manufacturing, manufactures and sells weapons and military technology. It consists of a commerce, commercial Private industry, industry involved ...
. Men of the LSSAH helped the Gestapo round up Jews in Berlin; people were taken from their jobs and herded in to cattle wagons on 27–28 February 1943. Most of the captured perished either in
Auschwitz or other camps in the East. In May 1943,
Hans Frank
Hans Michael Frank (23 May 1900 – 16 October 1946) was a German politician and lawyer who served as head of the General Government in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Second World War.
Frank was an early member of the German Workers' Party ...
shipped 500 watches collected from Auschwitz prisoners to soldiers of the
3rd SS Panzer Division ''Totenkopf''.
Battle of Kursk
The spring ''rasputitsa'' halted offensive operations, giving the LSSAH time to rest and refit. By early June 1943, the division had been fully refitted and was now under the command of SS-''
Brigadeführer
''Brigadeführer'' (, ) was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) that was used between the years of 1932 to 1945. It was mainly known for its use as an SS rank. As an SA rank, it was used after briefly being known as ''Untergruppenf ...
'',
Theodor Wisch __NOTOC__
Theodor Peter Johann Wisch (13 December 1907 – 11 January 1995) was a high-ranking member of the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a commander of the SS Division Leibstandarte (LSSAH) and a recipient of the Knight's ...
. Its armor strength was 12 Tiger Is, 72
Panzer IV
The ''Panzerkampfwagen'' IV (Pz.Kpfw. IV), commonly known as the ''Panzer'' IV, was a German medium tank developed in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz. 161.
The Pan ...
s, 16
Panzer III
The ''Panzerkampfwagen III'', commonly known as the Panzer III, was a medium tank developed in the 1930s by Germany, and was used extensively in World War II. The official German ordnance designation was Sd.Kfz. 141. It was intended to fight ot ...
and
Panzer II
The Panzer II is the common name used for a family of German tanks used in World War II. The official German designation was ''Panzerkampfwagen'' II (abbreviated PzKpfw II).
Although the vehicle had originally been designed as a stopgap while l ...
s, and 31
StuGs. In late June 1943, the formation of
I SS Panzer Corps meant that Hausser's ''SS Panzer'' Corps was renamed
II SS Panzer Corps
The II SS Panzer Corps was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on both the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern and Western Front (World War II), Western Fronts during World War II. It was commanded by Paul Hausser during the Thir ...
.
![Bundesarchiv Bild 183-R65485, Joachim Peiper](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-R65485%2C_Joachim_Peiper.jpg)
The
II SS Panzer Corps
The II SS Panzer Corps was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on both the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern and Western Front (World War II), Western Fronts during World War II. It was commanded by Paul Hausser during the Thir ...
was moved north to Belgorod in preparation for the upcoming summer offensive
Operation Citadel
Operation Citadel (german: Unternehmen Zitadelle) was a German offensive operation in July 1943 against Soviet forces in the Kursk salient, proposed by Generalfeldmarschall Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein during the Second World War on ...
. The LSSAH, along with the SS Divisions Totenkopf and Das Reich, was to form the spearhead of General
Hermann Hoth
Hermann Hoth (12 April 1885 – 25 January 1971) was a German army commander, war criminal, and author. He served as a high-ranking panzer commander in the Wehrmacht during World War II, playing a prominent role in the Battle of France and on t ...
's
4th Panzer Army
The 4th Panzer Army (german: 4. Panzerarmee) (operating as Panzer Group 4 (german: 4. Panzergruppe) from its formation on 15 February 1941 to 1 January 1942, when it was redesignated as a full army) was a German panzer formation during World War ...
, tasked with breaching the southern flank of the
Kursk
Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...
salient. Field Marshal
Walter Model
Otto Moritz Walter Model (; 24 January 1891 – 21 April 1945) was a German field marshal during World War II. Although he was a hard-driving, aggressive panzer commander early in the war, Model became best known as a practitioner of defen ...
's
9th Army was to breach the northern flank, and the two forces were to meet near the city of Kursk, to the east, thereby encircling a large Soviet force.
The attack commenced on 5 July. The LSSAH's panzers, advancing in ''
Panzerkeil
The Panzerkeil ("armoured wedge" or "tank wedge") was an offensive armoured tactic developed by German ''Kampfgruppe'' (battle groups) on the Eastern Front during World War II. The ''Panzerkeil'' was developed in response to the Soviet employment ...
''s (wedges), soon ran into the elaborate defenses of the Red Army, which slowed the advance. Untersturmführer
Michael Wittman, a Tiger commander in Leibstandarte's heavy company, destroyed eight enemy tanks and seven anti-tank guns on the first day of battle.
On 08 July, ''Unterscharführer'' Franz Staudegger, another Tiger commander, became separated from his company in the town of
Teterevino, having halted for mechanical repairs. He became aware of a nearby Soviet armored counterattack developing, and rushed the repairs on his tank to meet the threat. Staudegger and his crew spotted the enemy vanguard and took out seventeen
T-34
The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank introduced in 1940. When introduced its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was less powerful than its contemporaries while its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against anti-tank weapons. The C ...
s in two hours. The Russian attack was now faltering, so Staudegger pressed his Tiger forward into the retreating enemy flanks, switching to high-explosive shells after exhausting his armor-piercing ammmunition. By day's end, Staudegger's Tiger had destroyed twenty-two T-34s, for which he won the
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross (German language ''Ritterkreuz'') refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that often denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
Most frequently the term Knight's Cross is used to refer to the Knight's Cr ...
.
By 9 July, the II SS Panzer Corps had advanced north, and were nearing the small town of
Prokhorovka
Prokhorovka (russian: Про́хоровка) is the name of several inhabited localities in Russia.
;Urban localities
* Prokhorovka, Belgorod Oblast, a settlement in Prokhorovsky District of Belgorod Oblast
;Rural localities
* Prokhorovka, Irk ...
. The LSSAH again took the lead; by now its strength was reduced to just 77 armored vehicles. The 2nd SS Panzergrenadier Regiment, supported by several tanks, advanced up the road to Prokhorovka against heavy resistance. By midday, the infantry had cleared the Komsomolets State Farm and begun the attack on Hill 241.6, which they secured shortly after nightfall on 10 July.
The next day the advance resumed, with the division capturing Oktiabr'skii State Farm and Hill 252.2 in heavy fighting against Soviet
Paratroops of the
9th Guards Airborne Division. On 12 July, the Soviets threw the
5th Guards Tank Army
The 5th Guards Tank Army (Russian: 5-я гварде́йская та́нковая а́рмия) was a Soviet Guards armored formation which fought in many notable actions during World War II. The army was formed in February 1943. Until the afte ...
into a
counterattack near Prokhorovka. Two tank
corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
faced the LSSAH, hitting the Germans around Oktiabr'skii State Farm and Hill 252.2. In the ensuing fighting, the Germans inflicted heavy casualties on the Soviets. The Soviet counterattack had stalled the German advance, and the division was forced to fall back to Oktiabr'skii. Fighting continued the next day, but the focus of the Soviet attack had then shifted to the Totenkopf, on the left of the LSSAH.
With the battle at Prokhorovka still in the balance, Soviet High Command launched an offensive of their own,
Operation Kutuzov
Operation Kutuzov was the first of the two counteroffensives launched by the Red Army as part of the Kursk Strategic Offensive Operation. It commenced on 12 July 1943, in the Central Russian Upland, against Army Group Center of the German '' He ...
, near
Orel causing Hitler to order the cessation of Citadel. The II SS Panzer Corps was pulled back. The LSSAH was ordered out of the line, having suffered 2,753 casualties including 474 killed. Eleven tanks were also lost during Citadel. The division was sent to Italy to help stabilize the situation there caused by the deposal of
Benito Mussolini by the
Badoglio
Pietro Badoglio, 1st Duke of Addis Abeba, 1st Marquess of Sabotino (, ; 28 September 1871 – 1 November 1956), was an Italian general during both World Wars and the first viceroy of Italian East Africa. With the fall of the Fascist regime ...
government and the
Allied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis powers ( Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany). It b ...
which began on the night of 9–10 July 1943. The division left behind its heavy equipment, which was given to Das Reich and Totenkopf.
Italy and subsequent operations
![Bundesarchiv Bild 183-J15480, Mailand, Besetzung durch SS- Leibstandarte](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-J15480%2C_Mailand%2C_Besetzung_durch_SS-_Leibstandarte_%22Adolf_Hitler%22.jpg)
The division, re-equipped with vehicles, arrived on the
Po River Plain on 8 August 1943. The LSSAH was given the task of guarding several vital road and rail junctions in the area of
Trento
Trento ( or ; Ladin and lmo, Trent; german: Trient ; cim, Tria; , ), also anglicized as Trent, is a city on the Adige River in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol in Italy. It is the capital of the autonomous province of Trento. In the 16th ce ...
-
Verona
Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city municipality in the region and the second largest in nor ...
. After several weeks, the division was moved to the
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...
-
Reggio area. During this period, the ''Leibstandarte'' was involved in several skirmishes with
partisans. With Italy having announced an
armistice with the Allies of 8 September 1943, the division was ordered to begin disarming nearby Italian units. This went smoothly, with the exception of brief, bloody fights with Italian troops stationed in
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...
,
Cremona and
Piacenza
Piacenza (; egl, label= Piacentino, Piaṡëinsa ; ) is a city and in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, and the capital of the eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with over ...
on 9 September. By 19 September, all Italian forces in the Po River Plain had been disarmed.
While on rear security duties in Italy, LSSAH men murdered 49 Jewish refugees near
Lake Maggiore
Lake Maggiore (, ; it, Lago Maggiore ; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Lagh Maggior; pms, Lagh Magior; literally 'Greater Lake') or Verbano (; la, Lacus Verbanus) is a large lake located on the south side of the Alps. It is the second largest l ...
, in the
Lake Maggiore massacres
The Lake Maggiore massacres was a set of World War II war crimes that took place near Lake Maggiore, Italy, in September and October 1943. Despite strict orders not to commit any violence against civilians in the aftermath of the Italian surrende ...
, who had fled there after the German takeover. The murders happened between 15 and 24 September. Some of the victims had their feet and hands tied and were drowned.
The LSSAH was sent to the
Istria Peninsula and was engaged in several anti-partisan operations as part of
Nazi security warfare
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...
. During its period in Italy, the LSSAH was reformed as a full panzer division, and redesignated 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. In early November, the division was ordered back to the Eastern Front, arriving in the
Zhitomir
Zhytomyr ( uk, Жито́мир, translit=Zhytomyr ; russian: Жито́мир, Zhitomir ; pl, Żytomierz ; yi, זשיטאָמיר, Zhitomir; german: Schytomyr ) is a city in the north of the western half of Ukraine. It is the administrative ...
area in mid-November.
The division was assigned to
XLVIII Panzer Corps, a part of
4th Panzer Army
The 4th Panzer Army (german: 4. Panzerarmee) (operating as Panzer Group 4 (german: 4. Panzergruppe) from its formation on 15 February 1941 to 1 January 1942, when it was redesignated as a full army) was a German panzer formation during World War ...
, which was struggling to hold the line near Zhitomir. The division was transferred to the
Cherkassy area at the end of January, where it was assigned to the
III Panzer Corps
III Army Corps was a corps level formation of the German Army during World War II.
III Army Corps
The III Corps was formed in October 1934 as III. Armeekorps. The corps took part in Fall Weiss, the 1939 invasion of Poland as a part of Army Gro ...
, part of
1st Panzer Army. As part of the corps, the division took part in the relief attempt of German forces of
Army Group South
Army Group South (german: Heeresgruppe Süd) was the name of three German Army Groups during World War II.
It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland Army Group So ...
encircled in the
Korsun Pocket in January–February 1944.
The majority of the LSSAH, which amounted to 41 officers and 1,188 men, were withdrawn to Belgium for rest and refit, however a ''Kampfgruppe'' was left behind. On 25 March, the 1st Panzer Army was encircled in the
Kamenets-Podolsky pocket
Kamianets-Podilskyi ( uk, Ка́м'яне́ць-Поді́льський, russian: Каменец-Подольский, Kamenets-Podolskiy, pl, Kamieniec Podolski, ro, Camenița, yi, קאַמענעץ־פּאָדאָלסק / קאַמעניץ, ...
. The battle group took part in the fighting to escape the encirclement, forming a part of the spearhead which linked up with the
II SS Panzer Corps
The II SS Panzer Corps was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on both the Eastern Front (World War II), Eastern and Western Front (World War II), Western Fronts during World War II. It was commanded by Paul Hausser during the Thir ...
near
Buczacz on 6 April. The LSSAH Division was reformed in Belgium and was at full strength by 25 April 1944.
Western Front
The division was transferred again as part of the
I SS Panzer Corps which at this time consisted of the 101 SS Heavy Panzer Battalion,
SS Division Hitlerjugend,
SS Division Götz von Berlichingen and the
Panzer Lehr Division
The Panzer-Lehr-Division (in the meaning of: Armoured training division) was an elite German armoured division during World War II. It was formed in 1943 onwards from training and demonstration troops (''Lehr'' = "teach") stationed in Germany, ...
. The LSSAH had been positioned north of the River
Seine to counter any possible landing in the area of the
Pas de Calais
The Strait of Dover or Dover Strait (french: Pas de Calais - ''Strait of Calais''), is the strait at the narrowest part of the English Channel, marking the boundary between the Channel and the North Sea, separating Great Britain from continent ...
so the first units did not arrive in Normandy until after the
Allied invasion there on 6 June 1944; part of it arrived on the night of 27–28 June with the whole division taking another week. By 4 July the I SS Panzer Corps was reformed, and now consisted of the LSSAH and the Hitlerjugend. The first action they were involved in was the defense of
Carpiquet village and airfield in the Allied
Operation Windsor. There then followed a number of Allied attacks – Operations
Charnwood and
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousandth t ...
. On 12 July the LSSAH was holding the
Caen south sector from
Maltot
Maltot () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions ...
in the west to the Caen –
Falaise
Falaise may refer to:
Places
* Falaise, Ardennes, France
* Falaise, Calvados, France
** The Falaise pocket was the site of a battle in the Second World War
* La Falaise, in the Yvelines ''département'', France
* The Falaise escarpment in Quebe ...
road in the east. During the night of 14–15 July, LSSAH was relieved by the
272nd Infantry Division and pulled back to an assembly area astride the Caen – Falaise road between
Ifs and
Cintheaux.
Operation Goodwood
![Operation Spring](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Operation_Spring.svg)
The British
Operation Goodwood
Operation Goodwood was a British offensive during the Second World War, which took place between 18 and 20 July 1944 as part of the larger battle for Caen in Normandy, France. The objective of the operation was a limited attack to the south, ...
took place between 18 and 20 July 1944.
British VIII Corps, with three armored divisions, launched the attack aiming to seize the German-held Bourguébus Ridge, along with the area between
Bretteville-sur-Laize
Bretteville-sur-Laize () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
The scene of heavy fighting following the Normandy landings, much of the town is of post-World War II construction.
Population
...
and
Vimont. The operation was preceded by a three-hour bombing by 2,500 aircraft. The Division strength prior to Goodwood was reported as 59 Panzer IVs, 46 Panthers and 35 StuG IIIs.
II/1st SS Panzer Regiment, located near Garcelles, received orders to attack the British at
Soliers
Soliers () is a commune in the Calvados department in the Normandy region in northwestern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Calvados department
The following is a list of the 528 communes of the Calvados department of France ...
. While moving its 13 Panthers towards Bourguébus, the unit engaged 60 British tanks, destroying 20 of them and capturing Soliers. Around 12:00, the Panther Battalion, I/1st SS Panzer regiment, was engaged in combat with the
British 29th Armoured Brigade of the
British 11th Armoured Division. The body of the LSSAH was rushed to the front from
Falaise
Falaise may refer to:
Places
* Falaise, Ardennes, France
* Falaise, Calvados, France
** The Falaise pocket was the site of a battle in the Second World War
* La Falaise, in the Yvelines ''département'', France
* The Falaise escarpment in Quebe ...
, where it was being held in reserve. It counterattacked at 17:00, together with the
21st Panzer Division
The 21st Panzer Division was a German armoured division best known for its role in the battles of the North African Campaign from 1941–1943 during World War II when it was one of the two armoured divisions making up the Deutsches Afrikakorp ...
, and halted the British offensive on the left front.
The British resumed their assault at around 13:00 on 19 July, having brought up reinforcements to continue the attack. They overran some of the forward German units and approached Bourguébus Ridge at 16:00. They came under fire from Panthers of the ''Leibstandarte'', who had taken up positions on the ridge. Reinforcements of the
12th SS Panzer Division
The SS Division Hitlerjugend or 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitlerjugend" (german: 12. SS-Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend") was a German armoured division of the Waffen-SS during World War II. The majority of its junior enlisted men were drawn from me ...
arrived at the right flank at around 15:00. The Canadians attacked next in the
Battle of Verrières Ridge
The Battle of Verrières Ridge was a series of engagements fought as part of the Battle of Normandy, in Calvados, during the Second World War. The main combatants were two Canadian infantry divisions—with additional support from the Canadian ...
and
Operation Spring
Operation Spring (July 25–27, 1944) was an offensive operation of the Second World War conducted by II Canadian Corps during the Normandy campaign in 1944. The plan was intended to create pressure on the German forces operating on the British ...
(see map), where the LSSAH came up against a number of Allied divisions, including the
Guards Armoured Division
The Guards Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army during the Second World War. The division was created in the United Kingdom on 17 June 1941 during the Second World War from elements of the Guards units, the Grenadier ...
,
7th Armoured,
2nd
A second is the base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI).
Second, Seconds or 2nd may also refer to:
Mathematics
* 2 (number), as an ordinal (also written as ''2nd'' or ''2d'')
* Second of arc, an angular measurement unit, ...
and
3rd Canadian Divisions.
Operation Lüttich
On 25 July 1944, US forces under General
Omar Bradley
Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893April 8, 1981) was a senior officer of the United States Army during and after World War II, rising to the rank of General of the Army. Bradley was the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and over ...
succeeded in breaking through the German defenses as part of
Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an offensive launched by the United States First Army under Lieutenant General Omar Bradley seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy campaign of World War II. The intention was to take adv ...
and entered Brittany. Hitler forbade any retreat, and ordered a counteroffensive, codenamed
Operation Lüttich
Operation Lüttich (7–13 August 1944) was the codename of the Nazi German counter-attack during the Battle of Normandy, which occurred near U.S. positions near Mortain, in northwestern France. ''Lüttich'' is the German name for the city of Li ...
, by the XLVII Panzer Corps, consisting of the
2nd Panzer Division, part of the LSSAH, the
SS Division Das Reich and the
116th Panzer Division. The plan for the attack was to hit the
30th Infantry Division east of Mortain, then cut through American defenses to reach the coast. The US response was aided by
Ultra
adopted by British military intelligence in June 1941 for wartime signals intelligence obtained by breaking high-level encrypted enemy radio and teleprinter communications at the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park. ' ...
intelligence, which had revealed the plans for Operation Lüttich by 4 August. As a result, Bradley was able to obtain air support from both the US 9th Air Force and the
RAF
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
.
The LSSAH and other divisions went on the attack on 7 August. The 1st SS Panzer Regiment, along with two battalions of motorized infantry, one combat engineer company, and the division's flak battalion, were used for the attack. The weather was not suitable for flying that morning, which disadvantaged the Allies. The SS Division Das Reich recaptured Mortain, and an armored battle group under
Joachim Peiper
Joachim Peiper (30 January 1915 – 14 July 1976) was a German ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) officer and a Nazi war criminal convicted for the Malmedy massacre of U.S. Army prisoners of war (POWs). During the Second World War in Europe, Peiper serve ...
reached Bourlopin, but had to halt due to US counterattacks and air strikes.
The much-reduced division was encircled in the
Falaise pocket by US, Canadian, and Polish forces. Some LSSAH units broke out of the pocket on 22 August, leaving behind all their tanks and artillery. The division sustained 5,000 casualties during the Normandy campaign. During their retreat from France, members of the LSSAH and the SS Division Hitlerjugend division murdered 34 French civilians in the towns of
Tavaux
Tavaux () is a commune in the Jura department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas F ...
and
Plomion.
Ardennes Offensive
![Kampfgruppe Knittel's troops on the road to Stavelot](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/83/Kampfgruppe_Knittel%27s_troops_on_the_road_to_Stavelot.jpg)
The Ardennes Offensive (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945) was a major German offensive launched through the forested
Ardennes Mountains region of Belgium, France and Luxembourg. The offensive was called ''Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein'' (Operation "Watch on the Rhine") by the Germans. The 'bulge' was the initial incursion the Germans put into the Allies' line of advance, as seen in maps presented in contemporary newspapers.
Wilhelm Mohnke
Wilhelm Mohnke (15 March 1911 – 6 August 2001) was one of the original members of the SS-Staff Guard (''Stabswache'') "Berlin" formed in March 1933. From those ranks, Mohnke rose to become one of Adolf Hitler's last remaining generals. He joi ...
, now in command of the LSSAH, attached to the
I SS Panzer Corps, was the spearhead of the operation. The fuel crisis in Nazi Germany meant that the LSSAH had insufficient amounts of fuel for its vehicles. On 16 December the operation began, with then SS-''Obersturmbannführer''
Joachim Peiper
Joachim Peiper (30 January 1915 – 14 July 1976) was a German ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) officer and a Nazi war criminal convicted for the Malmedy massacre of U.S. Army prisoners of war (POWs). During the Second World War in Europe, Peiper serve ...
's ''Kampfgruppe'' leading the push to the Meuse.
Malmedy massacre
Peiper was supposed to reach the
Meuse River
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a ...
on the first day of the offensive. Instead, it was delayed by almost an entire day by a
recon platoon at
Lanzerath Ridge. Then, unable to dislodge the
99th Infantry Division
The 99th Infantry Division was formed in 1942 and deployed overseas in 1944. The "Checkerboard" or "Battle Babies" division landed at the French port of Le Havre and proceeded northeast to Belgium. During the heavy fighting in the Battle of the ...
from
Elsenborn Ridge, it diverted to an alternative road to the south. At 07:00 on 17 December, the unit seized a US fuel depot at
Büllingen
Büllingen (; french: Bullange, ) is a municipality of East Belgium, located in the Belgian province of Liège, Wallonia. On January 1, 2006, Büllingen had a total population of 5,385. The total area is 150.49 km² which gives a populati ...
, and refueled before continuing westward. At 12:30, near the hamlet of Baugnez, on the height halfway between the town of
Malmedy
Malmedy (; german: Malmünd, ; wa, Måmdiy) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
On January 1, 2018, Malmedy had a total population of 12,654. The total area is 99.96 km2 which gives a populati ...
and Ligneuville, Peiper's Kampfgruppe encountered a convoy of the
285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion,
US 7th Armored Division.
After a brief battle the Americans surrendered. Along with other Americans captured earlier (127 men total), they were disarmed and sent to stand in a field near the crossroads, where the Germans shot them en masse with machine guns and pistols. Of the 84 men killed, 41 were killed by a pistol shot to the head at close range and six were killed by having their skulls bashed in. After feigning death in the field for several hours while the Germans moved among them shooting survivors, a group of about 30 men escaped. Researcher Danny S. Parker believe that Peiper or one of his subordinates made the decision to kill the prisoners. There is no record of an SS officer giving an execution order. News of the killings raced through the Allied lines. Captured SS men who were part of ''Kampfgruppe Peiper'' were tried during the
Malmedy massacre trial
The Malmedy massacre trial (''U.S. vs. Valentin Bersin, et al.'') was held in May–July 1946 in the former Dachau concentration camp to try the German Waffen-SS soldiers accused of the Malmedy massacre of 17 December 1944. The highest-ranking d ...
following the war for this massacre and several others in the area. Many of the perpetrators were sentenced to hang, but the sentences were commuted. Peiper himself was imprisoned for eleven years for his role in the killings.
Peiper entered Stavelot on 18 December but encountered fierce resistance from the American defenders. Unable to defeat them, he left a smaller support force in town and headed for the bridge at
Trois-Ponts
Trois-Ponts (; wa, Treûs-Ponts; both literally ''Three Bridges'') is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
On January 1, 2006, Trois-Ponts had a total population of 2,445. The total area is 68.90 km² whic ...
with the bulk of his strength, but by the time he reached it, retreating US engineers had already destroyed it. Peiper then headed for the village of
La Gleize and from there on to
Stoumont. There, as Peiper approached, engineers blew up the bridge. US defenders were entrenched and ready. Peiper's men were cut off from the main German force and supplies when the Americans recaptured the poorly defended Stavelot on 19 December. As their situation in Stoumont was becoming hopeless, Peiper decided to pull back to La Gleize where he set up his defenses, waiting for the German relief force. Since no such force was able to penetrate the US line, Peiper decided to break out back to the German lines on 23 December. The men of the ''Kampfgruppe'' abandoned their vehicles and heavy equipment, although most of the men were able to escape.
With each passing day, enemy resistance stiffened and the advance was eventually halted on all fronts. The German High Command ordered that a renewed attack begin on 1 January 1945. Yet by this time, the Allies had regrouped their forces and were ready to repulse any attack launched by the Germans. The operation formally ended on 27 January 1945, and three days later Mohnke was promoted to SS-''
Brigadeführer
''Brigadeführer'' (, ) was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) that was used between the years of 1932 to 1945. It was mainly known for its use as an SS rank. As an SA rank, it was used after briefly being known as ''Untergruppenf ...
''. LSSAH and the I SS Panzer Corps were then transferred to Hungary to bolster the crumbling situation there. Mohnke was wounded in an air raid. In his place, SS-''Brigadeführer''
Otto Kumm
Otto Kumm (1 October 1909 – 23 March 2004) commanded two Waffen-SS divisions in the latter stages of World War II and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. At the post-war Nuremberg trials, the Waffe ...
was appointed the new Division Commander as of 15 February 1945.
Killing of Wereth 11
![Wereth 11 Memorial](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Wereth_11_Memorial.JPG)
During Battle of the Bulge, troops from ''3./SS-PzAA1 LSSAH'' captured eleven African-American soldiers from the
333rd Artillery Battalion in the hamlet of Wereth. Subsequently the prisoners were shot and their remains found by Allied troops two months later. The soldiers had their fingers cut off, legs broken, and at least one was shot while trying to bandage a comrade's wounds.
Eastern Front 1945
Operation Spring Awakening
Operation Spring Awakening (6 March 1945 – 16 March 1945) was the last major German offensive launched during World War II. It began in great secrecy on 6 March 1945. The German forces launched attacks in Hungary near
Lake Balaton
Lake Balaton () is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and ...
. This area included some of the last oil reserves still available to the Axis. The operation involved many German units withdrawn from the failed Ardennes Offensive on the Western Front, including the
6th SS Panzer Army
The 6th Panzer Army (german: 6. Panzerarmee) was a formation of the German Army, formed in the autumn of 1944. The 6th Panzer Army was first used as an offensive force during the Battle of the Bulge, in which it operated as the northernmost element ...
and the LSSAH. Operation Spring Awakening was a failure for the German side. Within a week, the early gains were halted by massive counter-attacks by Soviet forces. The overwhelming numerical superiority of the Red Army made any defense impossible, yet Hitler somehow had believed victory was attainable.
After the failure of Operation Spring Awakening, Sepp Dietrich's 6th SS Panzer Army retreated in stages to the
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
area. The Germans prepared defensive positions in an attempt to hold the city against the fast arriving Red Army, in what become known as the
Vienna Offensive
The Vienna offensive was an offensive launched by the Soviet 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts in order to capture Vienna, Austria, during World War II. The offensive lasted from 16 March to 15 April 1945.
After several days of street-to-street f ...
. The Germans could not hold Vienna, which fell to the Soviet forces on 13 April.
This defeat resulted in the ''Ärmelstreifen'' (Cuff Titles Order) or "armband order", which was issued by Hitler to the commander of the 6th SS Panzer Army, Sepp Dietrich. Hitler claimed that the troops "did not fight as the situation demanded." As a mark of disgrace, Hitler ordered the Waffen-SS units involved to remove their
cuff title
The cuff title (German: ''Ärmelstreifen'') is a form of commemorative or affiliation insignia placed on the sleeve, near the cuff, of German military and paramilitary uniforms. The tradition can be traced back to the foundation of the "Gibralta ...
s (German: ''Ärmelstreifen''). Dietrich refused to carry out the order and did not relay the message to the troops. According to
Heinz Guderian
Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (; 17 June 1888 – 14 May 1954) was a German general during World War II who, after the war, became a successful memoirist. An early pioneer and advocate of the "blitzkrieg" approach, he played a central role in th ...
, most cuff titles had already been removed; he later wrote that the removal of unit cuffs from the ''Leibstandarte'', ''Totenkopf'', ''Hohenstaufen'', and the ''Das Reich'' Divisions was accomplished for security reasons.
Battle of Berlin
Part of the LSSAH ended the war fighting in Berlin. On 23 April 1945, Hitler appointed ''Brigadeführer'' Mohnke the commander for the central government district (Zitadelle sector) that included the
Reich Chancellery
The Reich Chancellery (german: Reichskanzlei) was the traditional name of the office of the Chancellor of Germany (then called ''Reichskanzler'') in the period of the German Reich from 1878 to 1945. The Chancellery's seat, selected and prepared ...
and ''
Führerbunker''. Mohnke's command post was under the Reich Chancellery in the bunkers therein. He formed ''Kampfgruppe'' Mohnke which was divided into two weak regiments made up of approximately 2,000 men. The core group were the 800 of the ''Leibstandarte'' Guard Battalion (assigned to guard the Führer). After
Hitler's suicide, they received orders to break out. Prior to the attempt, Mohnke briefed all commanders who could be reached within the Zitadelle sector about Hitler's death and the planned break out. It started at 2300 hours on 1 May. Mohnke led the first of ten small groups. Several very small groups managed to reach the Americans at the Elbe's west bank, but most, including Mohnke's group, could not get through the Soviet lines. Many were taken prisoner and some committed suicide. On 2 May hostilities officially ended by order of Helmuth Weidling, Commandant of the Berlin Defense Area.
After Vienna was captured, the LSSAH had fewer than 1,600 men and 16 tanks. Apart from the remains of Berlin Guard Battalion, the LSSAH surrendered to US forces in the
Steyr area on 8 May 1945. On 4 July (
Independence Day) 1945, the
United States flag was raised over Berlin for the first time at the ''Leibstandarte'' barracks.
Organisation
Structure of the division:
* Headquarters
* 1st SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion
* 1st SS Panzer Regiment
* 1st SS Panzergrenadier Regiment
* 2nd SS Panzergrenadier Regiment
* 1st SS Panzer Engineer Battalion
* 1st SS Panzer Artillery Regiment
* 1st SS Panzer Assault Gun Regiment
* 1st SS Panzer Tank Destroyer Battalion
* 1st SS Panzer Anti-Aircraft Battalion
* 1st SS Rocket Launcher Battalion ''(added September 1944)''
* 1st SS Panzer Signal Battalion
* 1st SS Panzer Divisional Supply Group
Commanders
Notable members
*
Otto Beisheim − industrialist
*
Otto Günsche
__NOTOC__
Otto Günsche (24 September 1917 – 2 October 2003) was a mid-ranking officer in the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a member of the SS Division Leibstandarte before he became Adolf Hitler's personal adjutant. G ...
*
Klaus Havenstein
Klaus Havenstein (7 April 1922 in Wittenberge, Germany – 19 March 1998 in Munich), was a German actor, cabaret artist, dubbing artist and television presenter.
Biography
Klaus Havenstein grew up in Hamburg, where he started an apprenticeship a ...
− actor
* Karl Wilhelm Krause
* Kurt Meyer
* Rochus Misch
*
Joachim Peiper
Joachim Peiper (30 January 1915 – 14 July 1976) was a German ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) officer and a Nazi war criminal convicted for the Malmedy massacre of U.S. Army prisoners of war (POWs). During the Second World War in Europe, Peiper serve ...
* Franz Schönhuber − politician
* Bernhard Siebken
* Michael Wittmann
* Max Wünsche
See also
*I SS Panzer Corps, I SS Panzer Corps "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"
*SS Heavy Panzer Battalion 101, 101st Heavy SS Panzer Battalion
*Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Order of Battle
*List of German divisions in World War II
*List of Waffen-SS divisions
*List of SS personnel
*SS Panzer Division order of battle
*SS Brigade Schuldt
*Boves massacre
Citations
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Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:1st Ss Division Leibstandarte Ss Adolf Hitler
Waffen-SS divisions, #01
Personal staff of Adolf Hitler
German units in Normandy, 0*01
Military units and formations established in 1933
Panzer divisions of the Waffen-SS, 0*01
Guards regiments of Germany, Leibstandarte
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945