The 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division "Götz von Berlichingen" (german: 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen") was a German

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 ...

division that saw action on the Western Front 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 ...

Formation and training

The division was raised near Poitiers, France, as the ''Panzer-Grenadier-Division "

Götz von Berlichingen Gottfried "Götz" von Berlichingen (1480 – 23 July 1562), also known as Götz of the Iron Hand, was a German (Franconian) Imperial Knight (''Reichsritter''), mercenary, and poet. He was born around 1480 into the noble family of Berliching ...

"'' in October 1943. It was formed from scratch, with the majority of its original cadre coming from replacement units and conscripts, many of whom were

Romanian Germans The Germans of Romania (german: Rumäniendeutsche; ro, Germanii din România) represent one of the most significant historical ethnic minorities of Romania. During the interwar period, the total number of ethnic Germans in this country amounte ...

and French volunteers. After September 8, 1943, around five hundred Italian volunteers, coming from units deployed in France were enlisted in "Götz von Berlichingen". The division was granted the honour-title ''

''. Obersturmbannführer Otto Binge oversaw the formation of the division, with the newly promoted Brigadeführer Werner Ostendorff taking command in January 1944. The ''Götz von Berlichingen'' was placed under the LXXX Army Corps, a part of Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt's ''Heeresgruppe D''. As part of a plan to number all named

SS divisions SS is an abbreviation for ''Schutzstaffel'', a paramilitary organisation in Nazi Germany. SS, Ss, or similar may also refer to: Places * Guangdong Experimental High School (''Sheng Shi'' or ''Saang Sat''), China *Province of Sassari, Italy (veh ...

in early 1944, the division was re-titled the ''17th SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen"''. In February 1944, the division still lacked vehicles. During the same year, on the orders of LXXX Army Corps, the division began to round up French vehicles in an attempt to complete its mobilization. By March, most of the major combat formations were fully motorised, although two of the six infantry battalions were still on bicycles. On 1 June, the ''Götz von Berlichingen'' found itself at

Thouars Thouars () is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France. On 1 January 2019, the former communes Mauzé-Thouarsais, Missé and Sainte-Radegonde were merged into Thouars. It is on the River Thouet. Its inhabitants are known ...

in France, with no tanks (although the crews were fully equipped with 42 ''

Sturmgeschütz IV The Sturmgeschütz IV (StuG IV) (Sd.Kfz. 167) was a German assault gun variant of the Panzer IV used in the latter part of the Second World War. It was identical in role and concept to the highly successful StuG III assault gun variant of the Pan ...

assault guns Assault gun (from german: Sturmgeschütz - "storm gun", as in "storming/assaulting") is a type of self-propelled artillery which uses an infantry support gun mounted on a motorized chassis, normally an armored fighting vehicle, which are designed t ...

), only a few months' training, and below strength in officers and Non-commissioned officers.

Battles for Normandy

Spadochroniarze niemieccy podczas walk w Normandii (2-374)

After the Allied invasion of June 6, 1944, the ''Götz von Berlichingen'' was ordered to

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 ...

to take part in the efforts to reduce the Allied beachhead. On June 10 the division made contact with 182

paratrooper A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Worl ...

s of the 3rd Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, part of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division, and B Company,

501st Parachute Infantry Regiment The 501st Infantry Regiment, previously the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment and 501st Airborne Infantry Regiment, is an airborne forces regiment of the United States Army with a long history, having served in World War II and the Vietnam War ...

, of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division, at the village of Graignes. This small group of paratroopers had been dropped mistakenly by the U.S.

9th Army Air Force The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...

Troop Carrier Command and had decided to try and hold their positions. The ensuing battle, and the criminal execution of wounded paratroopers and French civilians by the "Götz von Berlichingen", has since been known as the

Battle of Graignes The Battle of Graignes was part of the American airborne landings in Normandy during the early stages of Operation Overlord in World War II, fought between June 10–12, 1944 in Graignes, France. During the engagement, American paratroopers o ...

. On June 11 the reconnaissance battalion engaged in combat near the town of Carentan with the paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division. The Americans secured the town and were advancing south by the morning of June 13. ''SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 37'', supported by the assault guns of the division's

Panzer This article deals with the tanks (german: panzer) serving in the German Army (''Deutsches Heer'') throughout history, such as the World War I tanks of the Imperial German Army, the interwar and World War II tanks of the Nazi German Wehrmacht ...

battalion and ''

Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The Swedish ...

'' (colonel) Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte's 6th ''

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 ...

'' Regiment, attacked the advancing American paratroopers. In what the Americans dubbed the

Battle of Bloody Gulch The Battle of Bloody Gulch took place around the Manoir de Donville or Hill 30 (U.S. Army designation), approximately southwest of Carentan in Normandy, France, on June 13, 1944. It involved elements of the German 17th SS Panzergrenadier Divis ...

, the Germans routed two paratroop companies before their attack was stopped by the arrival of

Combat Command A combat command was a combined-arms military organization of comparable size to a brigade or regiment employed by armored forces of the United States Army from 1942 until 1963. The structure of combat commands was task-organized and so the force ...

A of the U.S. 2nd Armored Division. For the rest of the month, the division was engaged in heavy fighting for the

bocage Bocage (, ) is a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture characteristic of parts of Northern France, Southern England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Northern Germany, in regions where pastoral farming is the dominant land use. ''Bocage'' may als ...

country near

Saint Lô In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

and

Coutances Coutances () is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. History Capital of the Unelli, a Gaulish tribe, the town was given the name of ''Constantia'' in 298 during the reign of Roman emperor Constantius Chloru ...

. During this period, the ''Götz von Berlichingen'' suffered heavy losses and by the beginning of July, its strength was reduced to 8,500 men. The division was in the line of advance for Operation ''Cobra'', and suffered heavy losses attempting to halt the Allied offensive. It was encircled by the U.S. 2nd Armored Division around Roncey where it lost most of its armored equipment. It was then ordered to take part in the Mortain Offensive, codenamed Operation ''Lüttich''. After the failure of this offensive, the division was split into four ''Kampfgruppen'', 'Braune', 'Gunter', 'Fick' and 'Wahl'. These small units managed to escape encirclement in the Falaise Pocket, but suffered heavy losses and remained in almost constant combat against the advancing Americans until the end of the month, when the division was transferred to

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 ...

for a much-needed rest and refit. In July the reserve battalion of the division was involved in counterinsurgency action against Operation Bulbasket in the

Vienne Vienne (; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Viéne'') is a landlocked department in the French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It takes its name from the river Vienne. It had a population of 438,435 in 2019. In early September, the division absorbed what was left of the SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 49 and SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 51, raising its infantry strength. However, replacements for missing panzerjaeger and assault guns arrived slowly. On September 8, the division was put back into the line and was tasked with destroying the newly formed bridgehead over 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 ...

held by the US

5th Fifth is the ordinal form of the number five. Fifth or The Fifth may refer to: * Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, as in the expression "pleading the Fifth" * Fifth column, a political term * Fifth disease, a contagious rash tha ...

and 80th Infantry Divisions. After heavy fighting for the American bridgeheads at Dornot and

Arnaville Arnaville () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in northeastern France. Geography The village lies on the left bank of the Rupt de Mad, which flows southeast through the middle of the commune, then flows into the Moselle, which ...

, the division fell back and began to prepare to defend Metz itself. Over the next two months, the division saw heavy fighting to the south and east of Metz, suffering very heavy casualties. On November 8, a

USAAF The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

air raid hit the divisional command post. With the ''Götz von Berlichingens combat units in tatters (the 38th SS Regiment had been reduced to a strength of about 800 men by November 15, 1944) and with no command structure,

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 ...

authorized the division to withdraw from Metz. The 38th SS Regiment was largely destroyed at Metz and reformed in November with troops from the SS training regiment "Kurmark".Stoves, p. 234 The remnants of the division pulled back to the Maginot Line, near

Faulquemont Faulquemont (; Lorraine Franconian: ''Folkenburch''; ) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Localities of the commune: Bonhouse (German: Bohnhaus), Chémery (a.k.a. ''Chémery-lès-Faulquemont'', incorpo ...

to rest and refit. During this time, the ''Götz von Berlichingen'' was transferred to ''SS-Gruppenführer'' Max Simon's XIII SS Corps. US forces liberated Metz on November 22, 1944. Elements of the 38th SS Regiment defended Hilsprich against an advance of the American 35th Infantry Division on November 23. In the same defensive maneuver, the 38th Regiment succeeded in cutting up two American rifle companies that made an ill-advised attack against stronger German forces. Hilsprich fell to another, better supported, American attack the following day. During November 28/29, elements of the 17th SS Division successfully defended Farébersviller against an attack by the US 80th Infantry Division. By December 1, the SS division was deployed along a line extending from the Rosselle River to just south of Puttelange. The ''Götz von Berlichingen'' was caught by surprise when US forces attacked again on December 4, capturing both Farébersviller and Puttelange. Seriously weakened, the SS division fell back to Sarreguemines, which it defended for five days before the town's occupation by US forces on December 11, 1944. The 17th SS Division subsequently retreated across the German border and went into a defensive posture along the Blies River. Attacks by the US 35th Infantry Division against this line started December 12, resulting in heavy fighting for the control of

Habkirchen ''Habkirchen'' is the smallest village (''Ortsteil'') in the municipality of Mandelbachtal in Saarland, Federal Republic of Germany. Geography Location Habkirchen is located in the southern Blies valley, in the Saarpfalz-Kreis. where the M ...

, (southeast of Frauenberg) and the high ground overlooking the valley of the Blies. The US 134th Infantry lost half its strength in this clash with the 17th SS Division, but captured Habkirchen by December 15. Under serious pressure because of infantry losses, the SS division was granted a reprieve when the Americans moved into a defensive posture on December 18. The

Ardennes Offensive The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...

by Germany had begun to the north and US units from General George Patton's Third Army were ordered to either hold fast or move north to assist in the defense of the Ardennes.

Refit and ''Nordwind''

When the division pulled back to the Maginot Line in mid November, its strength had been reduced to around 4,000 men (of which about 1,700 were

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...

) and 20 armored vehicles. Throughout the early days of December 1944, the ''Götz von Berlichingen'' received resupply and reinforcement. Although the armored strength was only 17 assault guns by December 10, a further 17 were sent from Germany on December 28. The ''Panzergrenadier'' regiments were brought up to full strength with the addition of ''

Volksdeutsche In Nazi German terminology, ''Volksdeutsche'' () were "people whose language and culture had German origins but who did not hold German citizenship". The term is the nominalised plural of '' volksdeutsch'', with ''Volksdeutsche'' denoting a sin ...

'' replacements. The quality of these replacements was far below that of the division's original elements. Despite this, at least on paper, the division was back up to strength by the end of 1944. As a part of Simon's XIII SS Corps, the division participated in Operation ''Nordwind'', the ill-fated last German offensive in the West. The ''Götz von Berlichingen'', together with 36th ''Volksgrenadier Division'', attacked the US 44th and 100th Infantry Divisions around the town of Rimling. For this attack, the division had been reinforced with a

Panther tank The Panther tank, officially ''Panzerkampfwagen V Panther'' (abbreviated PzKpfw V) with ordnance inventory designation: ''Sd.Kfz.'' 171, is a German medium tank of World War II. It was used on the Eastern and Western Fronts from mid-1943 to ...

company from the 21st Panzer-Division, the 352nd and 353rd flame-thrower tank companies (equipped with Flammpanzer 38(t)s), and the 653rd Heavy ''Panzerjäger Battalion'' (equipped with

Jagdtiger The ''Jagdtiger'' ("Hunting Tiger"; officially designated ''Panzerjäger Tiger Ausf. B'') is a German casemate-type heavy tank destroyer (''Jagdpanzer'') of World War II. It was built upon the slightly lengthened chassis of a Tiger II. Its or ...

s). The German attacks did not gain much ground, possibly because of the extreme weather conditions during the offensive. After engaging in heavy combat with the

U.S. 7th Army United States Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) is an Army Service Component Command (ASCC) /Theater Army responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (AFRICO ...

, with little success and having the divisional commander replaced five times, the majority of the divisional staff was relieved on January 3. Replacements, in the form of

Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...

officers, were received the next day. On January 10, the divisional commander, '' Standartenführer'' Hans Lingner, was captured by a patrol from the 114th Infantry Regiment, 44th Infantry Division, when his car overturned on the slippery roads. The driver was shot on the spot; Lingner, his aide-de-camp ''Untersturmführer'' Jund, and another of his staff were brought to the US lines where they were interrogated. ''Oberst''

Gerhard Lindner __NOTOC__ Gerhard Lindner (26 December 1896 – 3 June 1982) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Awards and decorations * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cros ...

, one of the Army officers recently transferred to the division, took command on January 15. The division remained engaged with the divisions of the US XV Corps until Operation ''Nordwind'' ended on January 30, 1945.

Defense of Germany

The ''Götz von Berlichingen'' took part in the defense of the 'West Wall' until March 18, 1945, when the Americans broke through. At this time its armored vehicle strength comprised 62 assault guns (of which 47 were operational) as well as two Panzer IV tanks. On March 22, division commander ''SS-Oberführer'' Fritz Klingenberg was killed in action. That day, the division abandoned all its vehicles and began to retreat, but only some 500 to 600 men escaped US encirclement in the Pfaelzer Forest and reached

Wiesloch Wiesloch (, locally ; South Franconian: ''Wissloch''), is a town in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated 13 kilometres south of Heidelberg. After Weinheim, Sinsheim and Leimen it is the fourth largest town in the Rhein-Neckar-Kre ...

on the east bank of the Rhine. By April 1, the division's strength was rebuilt to roughly 7,000 men. It then took part in the

Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher The Battle of Buchhof and Stein am Kocher was a seven-day battle fought between the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen and 253rd Infantry Regiment, 63rd Infantry Division, First Battalion, 398th Infantry Regiment, 100th I ...

and the Battle of Heilbronn. Subsequently, the division defended the

Jagst The Jagst () is a right tributary of the Neckar in northern Baden-Württemberg. It is 190 km long. Its source is in the hills east of Ellwangen, close to the Bavarian border. It winds through the towns Ellwangen, Crailsheim, Kirchberg an der ...

and Tauber River valleys, as well as Bad Mergentheim. Although greatly reduced in numbers, it took part in the defense of Nuremberg, where the 38th SS Regiment was destroyed by April 20. The rest of the division continued fighting until the 24th, and then fell back to

Donauwörth Donauwörth () is a town and the capital of the Donau-Ries district in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany. It is said to have been founded by two fishermen where the rivers Danube (Donau) and Wörnitz meet. The city is part of the scenic route called "Roman ...

on the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...

. The last organized engagement fought by the division was on April 29, 1945, at

Moosburg Moosburg an der Isar (Central Bavarian: ''Mooschbuag on da Isa'') is a town in the ''Landkreis'' Freising of Bavaria, Germany. The oldest town between Regensburg and Italy, it lies on the river Isar at an altitude of 421 m (1381 ft). ...

, Germany. It was there that the division's commander attempted to use

Stalag VII-A Stalag VII-A (in full: ''Kriegsgefangenen-Mannschafts-Stammlager VII-A'') was the largest prisoner-of-war camp in Nazi Germany during World War II, located just north of the town of Moosburg in southern Bavaria. The camp covered an area of . It ser ...

, the largest POW camp in Germany, as a sort of hostage to buy time to escape across the

Isar River The Isar is a river in Tyrol, Austria, and Bavaria, Germany, which is not navigable for watercraft above raft size. Its source is in the Karwendel range of the Alps in Tyrol; it enters Germany near Mittenwald and flows through Bad Tölz, Munic ...

. Their effort was frustrated when the commander of the 14th Armored Division learned of the plan, and ordered his Combat Command A to take Moosburg, capture the bridge across the Isar River, and most importantly, secure and protect the Allied Prisoners of War. The American infantry and tank force advanced to Moosburg, and without delay attacked the defensive positions of the 17th ''SS Panzergrenadier'' Division in front of the town. It fell following a brief, but ferocious battle. That same day the 14th Armored Division took over 7,000 German POWs, mostly SS. On May 5, five days after Hitler's suicide, and three days before Nazi Germany's surrender, elements of the division attacked the 13th-century castle Itter Castle in

Tyrol Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

. Castle Itter (administratively a part of the Dachau concentration camp complex) was a prison for high-ranking French VIPs, the so-called ''Ehrenhäftlinge'' ("honor prisoners"), including politicians

Paul Reynaud Paul Reynaud (; 15 October 1878 – 21 September 1966) was a French politician and lawyer prominent in the interwar period, noted for his stances on economic liberalism and militant opposition to Germany. Reynaud opposed the Munich Agreement of ...

and

Édouard Daladier Édouard Daladier (; 18 June 1884 – 10 October 1970) was a French Radical-Socialist (centre-left) politician, and the Prime Minister of France who signed the Munich Agreement before the outbreak of World War II. Daladier was born in Carpe ...

, labor leader

Léon Jouhaux Léon Jouhaux (1 July 1879 – 28 April 1954) was a French trade union leader who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1951. Biography Jouhaux was born in Pantin, Seine-Saint-Denis, France. Jouhaux's father worked in a match factory in Aubervillie ...

, and former commanders-in-chief

Maxime Weygand Maxime Weygand (; 21 January 1867 – 28 January 1965) was a French military commander in World War I and World War II. Born in Belgium, Weygand was raised in France and educated at the Saint-Cyr military academy in Paris. After graduating in 1 ...

and

Maurice Gamelin Maurice Gustave Gamelin (, 20 September 1872 – 18 April 1958) was an army general in the French Army. Gamelin is remembered for his disastrous command (until 17 May 1940) of the French military during the Battle of France (10 May–22 June 1940 ...

. The SS force wanted to execute all such prisoners. The attack was defeated by the 23rd Tank Battalion of the US 12th Armored Division under the command of Captain John C. 'Jack' Lee Jr., the former prisoners themselves, and anti-Nazi elements of the ''

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

'' under the command of Major Josef 'Sepp' Gangl, who died in the battle. The remaining members of the division surrendered to the US 101st Airborne Division at

Rottach-Egern Rottach-Egern () is a municipality (''Gemeinde Rottach-Egern am Tegernsee'') and town located at Lake Tegernsee in the district of Miesbach in Upper Bavaria, Germany, about 55 km (35 miles) south of central Munich. Late Austrian actor Walter Sl ...

, north of

Kufstein Kufstein (; Central Bavarian: ''Kufstoa'') is a town in the Austrian state of Tyrol, the administrative seat of Kufstein District. With a population of about 19,600 it is the second largest Tyrolean town after the state capital Innsbruck. The grea ...

, on May 6, 1945.

War crimes

''The following are individuals of the 17th'' SS Panzergrenadier Division Gotz von Berlichingen ''who were accused and convicted of war crimes'' Erwin Schienkiewitz
Case Nr.: 11-18 (U.S. vs. Erwin Wilhelm Konrad Schienkiewitz) File Number: US0018
Review Date: 470404
Erwin Wilhelm Konrad Schienkiewitz, an SS officer of the 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division 38th Regiment, was accused of participation in the execution of two American airmen out of a group of seventy. The airmen were being held as prisoners of war and were executed in retaliation for the death of German soldiers who had been killed a few days earlier. The event occurred within the boundaries of

Montmartin-en-Graignes Montmartin-en-Graignes () is a former commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the commune Carentan-les-Marais.white flag White flags have had different meanings throughout history and depending on the locale. Contemporary use The white flag is an internationally recognized protective sign of truce or ceasefire, and for negotiation. It is also used to symbolize ...

held available in order to hoist it at the church on the arrival of the Americans, as well as a summons to shoot concentration camp prisoners The ''Götz von Berlichingen'' has also been accused of killing wounded American paratroopers as well as French civilians during the summer of 1944.

Commanders

* SS-'' Standartenführer'' Otto Binge (October 1943 – January 1944) * SS-'' Gruppenführer'' Werner Ostendorff (January 1944 – 15 June 1944) * SS-''Standartenführer'' Otto Binge (16 June 1944 – 18 June 1944) * 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 ...

'' Otto Baum (18 June 1944 – 1 August 1944) * SS-''Standartenführer'' Otto Binge (1 August 1944 – 29 August 1944) * SS-''

Oberführer __NOTOC__ ''Oberführer'' (short: ''Oberf'', , ) was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) dating back to 1921. An ''Oberführer'' was typically a NSDAP member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographic ...

'' Dr. Eduard Deisenhofer (30 August 1944 – September 1944)(MIA) * SS-''Standartenführer''

Thomas Müller Thomas Müller (; born 13 September 1989) is a German professional footballer who plays for club Bayern Munich and the Germany national team. A versatile player, Müller has been deployed in a variety of attacking roles – as an attacking mi ...

(September 1944 – September 1944) * SS-''Standartenführer'' Gustav Mertsch (September 1944 – October 1944) * SS-''Gruppenführer'' Werner Ostendorff (21 October 1944 – 15 November 1944) * SS-''Standartenführer'' Hans Lingner (15 November 1944 – 9 January 1945) (POW) * ''Oberst''

(9 January 1945 – 21 January 1945) * SS-''Standartenführer'' Fritz Klingenberg (21 January 1945 – 22 March 1945)(KIA) * SS-''

Obersturmbannführer __NOTOC__ ''Obersturmbannführer'' (Senior Assault-unit Leader; ; short: ''Ostubaf'') was a paramilitary rank in the German Nazi Party (NSDAP) which was used by the SA ('' Sturmabteilung'') and the SS (''Schutzstaffel''). The rank of ''Oberstu ...

'' Vinzenz Kaiser (22 March 1945 – 24 March 1945) * SS-''Standartenführer'' Jakob Fick (24 March 1945 – 27 March 1945) * SS-''Oberführer'' Georg Bochmann (27 March 1945 – 8 May 1945)

Order of battle

* 37th ''SS-

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 ...

-Regiment'' * 38th ''SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment'' * 17th ''SS-

'' battalion * 17th SS

Artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...

Regiment * 17th ''SS-

Panzerjäger ''Panzerjäger'' ( German "armour-hunters" or "tank-hunters", abbreviated to ''Pz.Jg.'' in German) was a branch of service of the German Wehrmacht during the Second World War. It was an anti-tank arm-of-service that operated self-propelled ...

'' battalion * 17th ''SS- Sturmgeschütz'' battalion * 17th ''SS

Flak Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based ...

'' battalion * 17th SS Signal Battalion * 17th SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion * 17th ''SS-Pionier'' battalion * 17th ''SS-Divisions-Nachschubtruppen'' * 17th ''SS-Panzer Instandsetzungs'' battalion (or maintenance battalion) * 17th ''SS-Wirtschaft'' battalion * 17th SS Medical Battalion

References

Footnotes

Notes

Bibliography

* US Tank Battles in France 1944–45 by Steven Zaloga * Clarke, Jeffrey J. and Smith, Robert Ross – ''Riviera to the Rhine''. Washington: GPO, 1993 * Cole, Hugh M. – ''The Lorraine Campaign''. Washington: GPO, 1993 * Gunther, Helmut – ''Das Auge der Division: Die Aufklärungsabteilung der SS-Panzergrenadier Division Götz Von Berlichingen'' * Jentz, Thomas L. – ''Panzer Truppen''. Volume II. Atglen:

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, 1996 * Munoz, Antonio J. – ''Iron Fist: A Combat History of the 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen"'' * Stöber, Hans – ''Die Sturmflut und das Ende (3 Vol)'' * Stoves, Rolf – ''Die gepanzerten und motorisierten deutschen Grossverbände 1935–45''. Wölfersheim-Berstadt: Podzun-Pallas, 1994 * Gordon Williamson, Stephen Andrew – ''The Waffen-SS (3) : 11. to 23. Divisions'' {{DEFAULTSORT:17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Gotz von Berlichingen #17 German units in Normandy Military units and formations established in 1943 Panzergrenadier divisions of the Waffen-SS Military units and formations disestablished in 1945