Osprey Men-at-Arms PUBLISHING German Army Elite Units 1939-45 Gordon Williamson * Illustrated by Ramiro Bujeiro CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ‘GROSSDEUTSCHLAND’ ‘FELDHERRNHALLE* GORDON WILLIAMSON was INFANTERIE-REGIMENTER 119 & 9 ‘LIST’ born in 1951 and currently works for the Scottish Land Register. He spent seven years with the Military Police PANZERGRENADIER-DIVISION TA end has published a ‘BRANDENBURG* number of books and articles on the decorations of the Third Reich and their winners. KAVALLERI E-REGIMENT 5 He is author of a number of World War II titles for Osprey. ‘FELDMARSCHALL VON MACKENSEN’ 44. REICHSGRENADIER-DIVISION ‘HOCH UND DEUTSCHMEISTER’ 116. PANZER-DIVISION {‘Windhund’) 21. PANZER-DIVISION 24. PANZER-DIVISION (130.) PANZER-LEHR-DIVISION RAMIRO BUJEIRO has illustrated many Osprey titles including Warrior 23; US 3. GEBIRGS-DIVISION Afanne in Vietnam and Men- at-Arms 357: Allied Women's 5. GEBIRGS-DIVISION Service. He is an experienced commercial artist who lives and works in his native city THE TIGER TANK BATTALIONS of Buenos Aires, Argentina. His main interests are the political and military history THE PLATES of Europe in the first half of the 20th century. INDEX first published In Great Britain In 2002 by Osprey Publishing. Artist’s Note Qms Court. Chapel Way. BotJay, Oxford 0X2 9LB United Kingdom GERMAN ARMY ELITE UNITS Email] info® osprey publishing, com Readers may care to note that the original paintings from which the colour plates in this book were prepared are available for private © 2002 Osprey Publishing Ltd. sale. All reproduction copyright whatsoever is retained by the 1939-45 Publishers, All enquiries should be addressed to: All rights reserved- Apart From any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs end Ramiro Sujeiro, GC 28, 1602 Florida, Argentina Patents Act, 1983. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored In a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, The Publishers regret that They can enter into no correspondence electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, upon this matter without the prior written permission of ihe copyright owner. Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. INTRODUCTION ISBN 1 84176 405 1 The German Army was no different from any other army in the Editor: Martin Windrow world in having a number of units which were considered ‘elite*. Design: Alan Hamp Some of these were units or formations which, after unremarkable Index by Alan Putter beginnings* established themselves as elite through their performance Originated by Magnet Harlequin, Uxbridge. UK Printed in China through World Print Lid. on the battlefield. Others were considered elite from the moment of their creation, having been formed around cadre elements from other FOR A CATALOGUE OF ALL BOOKS PUBLISHED BY units which had already earned that reputation. In some cases entire OSPREY MILITARY AND AVIATION PLEASE CONTACT: arms of service (e,g the Luftwaffe’s paratroopers) were considered to The Marketing Manager, Osprey Direct UK belong to an elite due to the extremely high selection standards and PO Box 140, Wellingborough, Northants procedures that they enforced. NN8 2FA, United Kingdom Email: [email protected] The formations and units covered in this work represent a selection and should in no way be considered exhaustive. Those included have The Marketing Manager, Osprey Direct USA been chosen, in the main, because they were granted some form c/o MSI Publishing 729 Prospect Avenue, Osceola, Wl 54020, USA of visible distinction which indicated that there was something Email: info®ospreydirectusa.com 'special’about them, whether ii he a eitffband, shoulder strap emblem, piping colour to their uniform, or unofficial unit insignia. However www.QSpreypubfishing.com such visible distinctions alone were not in themselves an indication of Hauptmann Bernhard truly elite status: not every unit granted such insignia could be Klemz, commander of 5 considered outstanding on the battlefield. On the other hand* as Kompanle, Panzer-Regiment a general rule the majority of truly elite units were either granted, or ^Grossdeutschiand', in the unofficially adopted, some form of distinguishing insignia. In the final regulation field-grey service uniform worn by armoured analysis the truly elite units — those whose record will live on in the personnel when on leave annals of military history -were those that distinguished themselves by or service away from their deeds of gallantry and sacrifice on the field of battle. armoured vehicles. Note that he Is not wearing the ‘GD1 ciphers on his shoulder straps; photographs showing soldiers GROSSDEUTSCHLAND’ failing to wear the special unit HIGHLAND insignia to which they were Tliis, the premier formation of the German Army, had its origins in the libraries entitled are not uncommon. Berlin Guard detach mem. In 1936 Gcneraloberst von Fritsch* Gommander-in-Chief of die Army, had decreed that every unit of the army should send its best-drilled soldiers on rotation for service on 02033652 ceremonial duties with the Guard in the capital city* The unit soon gained a reputation for the smartness of its drill and its immaculate turn-out. Expanded to regimental size in June 1937* it was formally tided 940.541343 Wachregiment Berlin and given the right to wear a distinctive *Wf cipher on its shoulder straps. In April 1939, in reflection of the fact that its soldiers were drawn not from a specific local region as with most army units but was made up of the best from throughout the entire Reich, the regiment was renamed Infanterie-Regiment 'Grossdeuischkmd* (‘Great Germany'). From 3 form-up point at Ryetachiza the division attacked being a predominantly eastwards towards Kursk in fate June 1942, getting ceremonial unit the as far as Voronezh on 6 July before turning south regiment, to which a draft and fighting its way to die junction of the Rivers from the Infan rerie-Lehr- Don and Donetz north-east of Rostov by the end Regime i \ t deni on strai ion of that month* unit was added in October On 1 August die division moved into reserve, 1939, was to become based at Smolensk. Within a week of reaching a superbly trained combat- Smolensk it was on the move again, however, ready infantry unit. pushing northwards i<> engage Lhe enemy at Rzhev Still working up on from early September through to October. It was the outbreak of wan here diat 'Grossdeutschland1 saw some of its ‘Grossdeutschland1 did not heaviest fighting of die entire war, and in dreadful take part in the Polish conditions: the autumn rains had turned the campaign* although an landscape into something akin to ihe muddy bat- offshoot from the regiment defields of France in the Great War, The fighting which was Formed into a in this area, and especially in the hellish Lutschcssa personal escort unit for Valley* cost the division over 12,000 men. Adolf Hitler under the tide In early 1943 the division was involved in the F u h r e r-B eg 1 e i t-B a la 111 o n unsuccessful attempts to defend Kharkov and held back the Red Army did see non-combat service 'CrossdGutschiantP cuffbands - ABOVE LEFT A young tank from top to bottom: long enough for die predominantly Waften-SS units in the city to in Poland. crewman from Panzer- First pattern, machine-woven evacuate* Whilst in a rest area near Poltava the division received its own The first significant action for the new regiment came during in aluminium thread Gothic Regiment ‘Grossdeutschlafid1 integral detachment of P/.Kw VI Tiger heavy tanks — a dear mark of the 1940 campaign in die West, where it took part in the march through poses proudly for a portrait script on dark green rayon. its elite status, since these tanks were almost invariably limited to Belgium and into France, seeing combat against both French and photograph in his black vehicle Third pattern, hand-embroidered British troops. It was to be no easy baptism of fire and uniform; normally a grey rather In aluminium wire Sutterlin independent units under Corps or Army control. The division tiien took 'Grossdeutscbland' was involved in severe fighting on several occasions. than a white shirt would be script on black doeskin* pan in the counter-attack towards Kharkov* capturing Tomarovka before worn. Note the -GD' ciphers on Fourth pattern, machine- being pulled out of die line for rest and refitting: On 23 June 1943 After the fall of France* ‘Grossdeutschland1 remained tin occupation embroidered in silver-grey his shoulder straps* embroidered the division was redesignated once again, now being entitled duty while being reorganised and expanded to the strength of a in rose-pink thread on the black yam on black wool. Pan ze rgren adier-Divisi on ‘ Gro ss dei i tschla n d'. regimental combat group. In April 1941 it took part in die invasion wool strap. Fifth pattern, machine- of Yugoslavia and was involved in the capture of Belgrade where it embroidered in 'copperplate' The division Look pan in the early stages of Operation 'Citadel1, die script on black wool. seized the radio station* reopening it as a German military station. By ABOVE Leutnant ‘Diddo’ armoured offensive at Kursk* and made good progress against stiff' Diddens of Sturmgeschutz* [vine* 4GrossdeuLschland1 had moved into reserve near Warsaw as opposition before once again being pulled out of Lhe line on 18 July. Abteilung Grossdeutschland'* This was to be die beginning of a long period of employment as a fire Germany prepared for her invasion o£ the Soviet Union. He wears the standard third- brigade’ for die Eastern Front* rushed from crisis point to crisis point; When Operation ‘Barbarossa' began* elements of Grossdeutschland' pattern Sutterlin script cuffband crossed the River Bug in support of 7.