10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg
Encyclopedia
The 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg or 10.SS-Panzer-Division Frundsberg was a German Waffen SS panzer
division
. The division was formed at the beginning of 1943 as a reserve for the expected Allied invasion of France. However, their first campaign was in the Ukraine
in April 1944. Highly motivated after combat success in Ukraine the unit was then transported back to the west where they fought the Allies in France and at Arnhem
. The division was later transported to Pomerania
then fought south east of Berlin in the Lausitz area to the end of the war.
French volunteers in the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS used Charlemagne (33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French)
), so the honor title Frundsberg was chosen, which refers to 16th Century German landsknecht
commander Georg von Frundsberg
.
The division was mainly formed from conscripts and it first saw action at Tarnopol in April 1944. It took part in the rescue of German troops cut off in the Kamianets-Podilskyi
pocket.
It was then sent to Normandy to counter the Allied landings. It and its "twin" Division, the 9th SS Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen
, played an important part in holding the British Forces back in Normandy
, particularly during Operation Epsom
.
It retreated into Belgium before being sent to rest near Arnhem
where they soon had to fight the Allied parachute assault during Operation Market Garden
at Nijmegen, in the Netherlands, at which time it, along with the 9th SS Panzer, constituted the II SS Panzer Corps
.
After rebuilding it fought in the Alsace
in January 1945 before being sent to the Eastern Front
where it fought against the Red Army
in Pomerania
and later in Saxony
.
Encircled at the Halbe Pocket
, the division took heavy losses but managed to break out of the encirclement and retreated through Moritzburg
before reaching the area of Teplice
in Czechoslovakia at the end of the war. At this location, the division surrendered to the Soviet Army.
laureate Günter Grass
admitted to having been an assistant tank gunner with the division after having been conscripted into the Waffen-SS at the age of 17 in November 1944. As Grass had always been an outspoken critic of Germany's treatment of its Nazi past, his surprise admission caused a great stir in the press.
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
division
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
. The division was formed at the beginning of 1943 as a reserve for the expected Allied invasion of France. However, their first campaign was in the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
in April 1944. Highly motivated after combat success in Ukraine the unit was then transported back to the west where they fought the Allies in France and at Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
. The division was later transported to Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
then fought south east of Berlin in the Lausitz area to the end of the war.
History
Originally, the name Karl der Große (Charlemagne) was used for some time in 1943, butFrench volunteers in the Wehrmacht and the Waffen-SS used Charlemagne (33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French)
33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French)
The 33. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS Charlemagne and Charlemagne Regiment are collective names used for units of French volunteers in the Wehrmacht and later Waffen-SS during World War II...
), so the honor title Frundsberg was chosen, which refers to 16th Century German landsknecht
Landsknecht
Landsknechte were European, predominantly German mercenary pikemen and supporting foot soldiers from the late 15th to the late 16th century, and achieved the reputation for being the universal mercenary of Early modern Europe.-Etymology:The term is from German, Land "land, country" + Knecht...
commander Georg von Frundsberg
Georg von Frundsberg
Georg von Frundsberg was a South German knight and Landsknecht leader in the service of the Imperial Habsburg dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire....
.
The division was mainly formed from conscripts and it first saw action at Tarnopol in April 1944. It took part in the rescue of German troops cut off in the Kamianets-Podilskyi
Kamianets-Podilskyi
Kamyanets-Podilsky or Kamienets-Podolsky is a city located on the Smotrych River in western Ukraine, to the north-east of Chernivtsi...
pocket.
It was then sent to Normandy to counter the Allied landings. It and its "twin" Division, the 9th SS Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen
9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen
The 9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen", also known as SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 9, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 9 Hohenstaufen or 9. SS-Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen, was a German Waffen-SS Armoured division which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II. The...
, played an important part in holding the British Forces back in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, particularly during Operation Epsom
Operation Epsom
Operation Epsom, also known as the First Battle of the Odon, was a Second World War British offensive that took place between 26 and 30 June 1944, during the Battle of Normandy...
.
It retreated into Belgium before being sent to rest near Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
where they soon had to fight the Allied parachute assault during Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
at Nijmegen, in the Netherlands, at which time it, along with the 9th SS Panzer, constituted the II SS Panzer Corps
II SS Panzer Corps
The II SS Panzer Corps was a Nazi German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II.- Formation - Kharkov :...
.
After rebuilding it fought in the Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
in January 1945 before being sent to the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
where it fought against the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
in Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
and later in Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
.
Encircled at the Halbe Pocket
Battle of Halbe
The Battle of Halbe lasted from April 24 - May 1, 1945 was a battle in which the German Ninth Army, under the command of Colonel General Theodor Busse was destroyed as a fighting force by the Red Army during the Battle for Berlin....
, the division took heavy losses but managed to break out of the encirclement and retreated through Moritzburg
Moritzburg
Moritzburg is a municipality in the district of Meißen in Saxony, Germany, between Meißen as early centre of Saxony and the today's capital Dresden. It is most famous for its Baroque castle, Schloss Moritzburg....
before reaching the area of Teplice
Teplice
Teplice , Teplice-Šanov until 1948 is a town in the Czech Republic, the capital of the Teplice District in the Ústí nad Labem Region. It is the state's second largest spa town ....
in Czechoslovakia at the end of the war. At this location, the division surrendered to the Soviet Army.
Günter Grass
In August 2006, German writer and NobelNobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
laureate Günter Grass
Günter Grass
Günter Wilhelm Grass is a Nobel Prize-winning German author, poet, playwright, sculptor and artist.He was born in the Free City of Danzig...
admitted to having been an assistant tank gunner with the division after having been conscripted into the Waffen-SS at the age of 17 in November 1944. As Grass had always been an outspoken critic of Germany's treatment of its Nazi past, his surprise admission caused a great stir in the press.
Commanders
- SS-StandartenführerStandartenführerStandartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
- Michael LippertMichael LippertMichel Hans Lippert or Michael Lippert was an SS Standartenführer, Police officer and a German soldier who served in both World War I and World War II. During World War II. Lippert commanded several concentration camps, including Sachsenhausen, before becoming a commander of the SS-Freiwilligen...
: (March, 1943 - 15 February 1943) - SS-GruppenführerGruppenführerGruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...
- Lothar DebesLothar DebesSS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Lothar Debes was German, Heer and Waffen-SS, officer who served in both World War I and World War II. In World War II, Debes commanded the 6...
: (15 February 1943 - 15 November 1943) - SS-GruppenführerGruppenführerGruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...
- Karl Fischer von TreuenfeldKarl Fischer von TreuenfeldKarl Fischer von Treuenfeld was a Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen SS during World War II and the commander of the VI SS Army Corps....
: (15 November 1943 - 27 April 1944) - SS-BrigadeführerBrigadeführerSS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
- Heinz HarmelHeinz HarmelHeinz Harmel was a German Waffen-SS General during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
: (27 April 1944 - 28 April 1945) - SS-ObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführerObersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
- Franz Roestel: (28 April 1945 - 8 May 1945)
Order of battle
- SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 21
- SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 22
- SS Panzer Regiment 10
- SS Panzer Artillery Regiment 10
- SS Aufklärungs Battalion 10
- SS Sturmgeschütz Battalion 10
- SS Panzerjäger Battalion 10
- SS Flak Battalion 10
- SS Pionier Battalion 10
- SS Panzer Signal Battalion 10
- SS Verwaltungs Troop 10
- SS Instandsetzungs Battalion 10
- SS Medical Battalion 10
- SS Supply Battalion 10
- SS Field Post Department 10
- SS War Reporter Platoon 10
- SS Feldgendarmerie Troop 10
Area of operations
- France, (January 1943 - March 1944 on formation)
- Eastern Front, Southern sector (March 1944 - April 1944)
- Poland, (April 1944 - June 1944)
- France, (June 1944 - September 1944)
- Belgium & Holland, (September 1944 - October 1944)
- West Germany, (October 1944 - February 1945)
- Northwest Germany, (February 1945 - March 1945)
- East Germany & Czechoslovakia, (March 1945 - May 1945)
- Surrender and disbanded
See also
- List of Knight's Cross recipients 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg
- List of German divisions in WWII
External links
- The Combat History of the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg Available on line http://www.stengerhistorica.com/History/WarArchive/SpecialStudies/Frundsberg/Organization_and_Training_Page_1.htm
- lexikon der wehrmacht in German.