17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen
Encyclopedia
The 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Götz von Berlichingen was a German
SS panzergrenadier
division
which saw action on the Western Front
during World War II
.
, France
as the Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen" 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
and French volunteers. The division was granted the honour-title Götz von Berlichingen
. 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 in early 1944, the division was re-titled the 17. SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen". In February 1944, the division still lacked vehicles. On orders of the 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 only four of the six infantry battalions were (the remaining two were on bicycles). On 1 June the Götz von Berlichingen found itself at Thouars
in France, with no tanks (although the tankers were fully equipped with 42 Sturmgeschütz IV
(assault guns), only a few month's training, and below strength in officers and NCOs.
allied invasion, the Götz von Berlichingen was ordered to Normandy
to take part in the efforts to reduce the Allied beachhead
. On 11 June, the division first met the enemy in combat. The reconnaissance battalion engaged in combat with the paratroopers of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division
near the town of Carentan
.
The Americans secured the town and were advancing south by the morning of 13 June.
SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 37, supported by the assault guns of the division's Panzer
battalion and Oberst Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte's
6th Fallschirmjäger
Regiment, attacked the advancing paratroopers. In what the Americans dubbed The Battle of Bloody Gulch, the Germans routed two paratroop companies before their attack was stopped by the arrival of Combat Command
A of the U.S. 2nd Armored Division
.
For the rest of the month, the division was engaged in heavy fighting for the bocage
country near Saint Lô and Coutances
. 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 then ordered to take part in the Mortain Offensive, codenamed Operation Lüttich
. After the failure of this offensive, the division was split into four Kampfgruppes
, KG Braune, Gunter, Fick and Wahl. These small units managed to escape the encirclement in the Falaise Pocket
, but suffered heavy losses and remained in almost constant combat with the advancing Americans until the end of the month, when the division was transferred to Metz
for a much needed rest and refit.
and SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 51
, raising its infantry strength. However, replacements for missing tanks and assault guns were arriving slowly. On 8 September, the division was put back into the line and was tasked with destroying the newly formed bridgehead over the Moselle River
held by the U.S. 5th and 80th Infantry Divisions. After heavy fighting for the U.S. bridgeheads at Dornot
and Arnaville
, 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 8 November, a USAAF
bomb 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 15 November 1944) and now with no command structure, Hitler 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". The remnants of the division pulled back to the Maginot Line
, near Faulquemont
to rest and refit. During this time, the Götz von Berlichingen was transferred to SS-Gruppenführer Max Simon's
XIII SS Corps. U.S. forces liberated Metz on 22 November 1944.
Elements of the 38th SS Regiment defended Hilsprich
against an advance of the U.S. 35th Infantry Division on 23 November and 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 28–29 November, elements of the 17th SS Division successfully defended Farébersviller
against an attack by the U.S. 80th Infantry Division. By 1 December, 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 the U.S. forces attacked again on 4 December, capturing both Farébersviller and Puttelange. Seriously weakened, the SS division fell back to Sarreguemines
, which it defended for five days before the town's liberation by U.S. forces on 11 December.
Subsequently, the 17th SS Division retreated across the German border and went into a defensive posture along the Blies River. Attacks by the U.S. 35th Infantry Division against this line started on 12 December, resulting in heavy fighting for the control of Habkirchen (southeast of Frauenberg
) and the high ground overlooking the valley of the Blies. The U.S. 134th Infantry loss half its strength in this clash with the 17th SS Division, but captured Habkirchen by 15 December. Under serious pressure because of infantry losses, the SS division was granted a reprieve when the Americans moved into defensive posture on 18 December. The Ardennes Offensive by Germany had begun to the north and U.S. 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
.
) and 20 armoured vehicles. Throughout the early months of December 1944, the Götz von Berlichingen received resupply and reinforcement, although the armored strength was only 17 assault guns by 10 December 1944, with a further 17 that were sent from Germany on 28 December. The Panzergrenadier regiments were brought up to full strength with the addition of Volksdeutsche
replacements. The quality of these replacements was far below that of the division's original cadre. Despite this, 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 U.S. 44th and 100th Infantry Divisions around the town of Rimling
. For this attack the division had been reinforced with a Panther tank
company from 21st Panzer-Division, two companies of Flammpanzer 38(t)s (Panzer-Flamm Companies 352 & 353), and the 653rd Heavy Panzerjäger
Battalion, equipped with Jagdtigers. The German attacks did not gain much terrain and were fought in extreme weather conditions. After engaging in heavy combat with the U.S. 7th Army, with little success and having the divisional commander replaced five times, the majority of the divisional staff was relieved on 3 January. Replacements, in the form of Heer
officers, were received on the next day. On 10 January, the divisional commander, Standartenführer
Hans Lingner, was captured by a patrol from the 114th Infantry, 44th Infantry Division, when his car overturned on the slippery roads. The driver was machine gunned on the spot and Lingner, his aide-de-camp Untersturmführer Jund and another of his staff brought to U.S. lines where they were interrogated. Oberst
Gerhard Lindner
, one of the Heer officers recently transferred to the division, took command on 15 January. The division remained engaged with the divisions of the U.S. XV Corps until Operation Nordwind
ended on 25 January.
. Armored vehicle strength was high, with 62 assault guns (of which 47 were operational) as well as two Model IV medium tanks. On 22 March, division commander SS-Oberführer Fritz Klingenberg
was killed in action. That day, the division abandoned all its vehicles and began a retreat, but only some 500 to 600 men escaped U.S. encirclement in the Pfaelzer Forest and reached Wiesloch
on the east bank of the Rhine.
By 1 April, the division's strength was rebuilt to roughly 7,000 men. The division then took part in the Battle of Heilbronn
. Subsequently, the division defended the Jagst
and Tauber River valleys, as well as Bad Mergentheim
. Although greatly reduced in numbers, it then took part in the defence of Nuremberg
, where the 38th SS Regiment was destroyed by 20 April. The rest of the division continued fighting until 24 April, and then fell back to Donauwörth
on the Danube
.
The last organized engagement fought by the division was on 29 April at Moosburg
, Germany. There, the division's commanders attempted to use Stalag VII-A
, the largest POW camp in Germany, as a sort of hostage to buy time to escape across the Isar River. Their effort was frustrated when the commander of the 14th Armored Division
learned of their 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 at all costs. 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. The town fell following a brief, but ferocious battle. That same day the 14th Armored Division took over 7,000 German POWs, mostly SS.
On 6 May 1945, the remaining division troops surrendered to the U.S. 101st Airborne Division
at Rottach-Egern
, south of Kufstein
.
Review Date: 470404
Case Nr.: 11-18 (U.S. vs. Erwin Wilhelm Konrad Schienkiewitz)
Crime Category: War Crimes
Accused: Schienkiewitz, Erwin (Wilhelm Konrad) - Life Sentence
Court: General Military Government Court at Dachau, Germany 470213
Country where the crime had been committed: France
Crime Location: Montmartin en Craignes
Crime Date: 440617
Victim: POW’s
Nationality: American
Office: SS; 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division, 38th Regiment
Subject of the proceeding:
The accused participated in the execution of two American airmen out of a group of seventy, in retaliation of the death of German soldiers who had been killed a few days earlier. The accused was a member of an organization declared illegal by the International Military Tribunal.
Case Nr.111
Crime Category: Final Phase Crimes
Accused: Küster, Friedrich Erich 10 Years 3 Months
Court: LG Ellwangen 490120
OLG Stuttgart 490527
Country where the crime was committed: Germany
Crime Location: Ellwangen/Jagst
Crime Date: 4504
Victims: Prisoners, Civilians
Nationality: unknown, German
Agency: Waffen-SS SS-Bataillon 'Götz von Berlichingen'
Subject of the proceeding: Shooting of a number of foreign concentration camp prisoners, in part for trying to escape; mishandling of civilians, who had made derogatory remarks about Hitler, and demolition of the 'Josefinum' in Ellwangen
Case Nr.201
Crime Category: Final Phase Crimes
Accused: Ba., Nikolaus Acquittal, Bu., Heinz Acquittal
Court: LG Ellwangen 500316
Country where the crime was committed: Germany
Crime Location: Dalkingen
Crime Date: 450407
Victims: Prisoners
Nationality: unknown
Agency: Waffen-SS SS-Ersatz- und Ausbildungsbataillon 5 'Götz von Berlichingen'
Subject of the proceeding: Shooting of 8 exhausted concentration camp prisoners, who, while being part of a prisoners' transport, had stayed behind at the railway station grounds of Ellwangen
Case Nr.251
Crime Category: Final Phase Crimes
Accused: B., Peter Acquittal, E., Theodor Acquittal, H., Heinz Acquittal
Court: LG Ellwangen 501025
Country where the crime was committed: Germany
Crime Location: Dalkingen
Crime Date: 450407
Victims: Prisoners
Nationality: German
Agency: Waffen-SS SS-Ersatz- und Ausbildungsbataillon 5 'Götz von Berlichingen'
Subject of the proceeding: Shooting of 8 exhausted concentration camp prisoners, who, while being part of a prisoners' transport, had stayed behind at the railway station grounds of Ellwangen
Case Nr.466
Crime Category: Final Phase Crimes
Accused: M., Heinz Proceeding suspended
Court: LG Nürnberg-Fürth 581001
BGH 571022
Country where the crime was committed: Germany
Crime Location: Burgthann
Crime Date: 450417
Victims: Civilians
Nationality: German
Agency: Waffen-SS 17.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 'Götz von Berlichingen'
Subject of the proceeding: Shooting of the mayor of Burgthann, who, summoned by the Americans, had ordered to have white flags hoisted in the town
Case Nr.315
Crime Category: Final Phase Crimes
Accused: H., Walter Acquittal
Court: LG Regensburg 520505
Country where the crime was committed: Germany
Crime Location: Dietfurt (Mittelfranken)
Crime Date: 450425
Victims: Jews
Nationality: German
Agency: Waffen-SS SS-Division 'Götz von Berlichingen'
Subject of the proceeding: Shooting of a Jewish dentist during the final days of the war
Case Nr.243
Crime Category: Final Phase Crimes
Accused: H., Walter 5 Years, M., Ludwig 3 Years
Court: LG Landshut 500924
Country where the crime was committed: Germany
Crime Location: Ebrantshausen, Holz (near Bad Wiessee)
Crime Date: 450428, 450502
Victims: Civilians, Prisoners
Nationality: German, unknown
Agency: Waffen-SS SS-Division 'Götz von Berlichingen'
Subject of the proceeding: Killing of a civilian, who had a white flag held available in order to hoist it at the church at the arrival of the Americans, as well as 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.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
SS panzergrenadier
Panzergrenadier
is a German term for motorised or mechanized infantry, as introduced during World War II. It is used in the armies of Austria, Chile, Germany and Switzerland.-Forerunners:...
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...
which saw action on the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Formation and training
The division was raised near PoitiersPoitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
as the Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen" 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
Germans of Romania
The Germans of Romania or Rumäniendeutsche were 760,000 strong in 1930. They are not a single group; thus, to understand their language, culture, and history, one must view them as independent groups:...
and French volunteers. The division was granted the honour-title Götz von Berlichingen
Götz von Berlichingen
Gottfried "Götz" von Berlichingen and also known as Götz of the Iron Hand, was a German Imperial Knight and mercenary....
. Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer 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...
Otto Binge
Otto Binge
Otto Binge, was an SS-Standartenführer during World War II and a commander of 17. SS-Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen and 4. SS-Polizei Division.-References:...
oversaw the formation of the division, with the newly promoted Brigadeführer
Brigadeführer
SS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
Werner Ostendorff
Werner Ostendorff
Werner Ostendorff, was an SS-Gruppenführer and one of the youngest divisional commanders in the Waffen-SS...
taking command in January 1944. The Götz von Berlichingen was placed under the LXXX Army Corps, a part of Generalfeldmarschall
Generalfeldmarschall
Field Marshal or Generalfeldmarschall in German, was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire; in the Austrian Empire, the rank Feldmarschall was used...
Gerd von Rundstedt's
Gerd von Rundstedt
Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt was a Generalfeldmarschall of the German Army during World War II. He held some of the highest field commands in all phases of the war....
Heeresgruppe D
Army Group D
Army Group D was a German Army Group which saw action during World War II.Army Group D was formed on 26 October 1940 in France, its initial cadre coming from the disbanded Army Group C....
.
As part of a plan to number all named SS divisions in early 1944, the division was re-titled the 17. SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Götz von Berlichingen". In February 1944, the division still lacked vehicles. On orders of the 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 only four of the six infantry battalions were (the remaining two were on bicycles). On 1 June the Götz von Berlichingen found itself at Thouars
Thouars
Thouars is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.It is on the River Thouet. Its inhabitants are known as Thouarsais.-History:...
in France, with no tanks (although the tankers were fully equipped with 42 Sturmgeschütz IV
Sturmgeschütz IV
The Sturmgeschütz IV , was a German assault gun of the Second World War.-Development:The Sturmgeschütz IV resulted from Krupp's effort to supply an assault gun...
(assault guns), only a few month's training, and below strength in officers and NCOs.
Battles for Normandy
After the D-DayD-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
allied invasion, the Götz von Berlichingen was ordered to 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:...
to take part in the efforts to reduce the Allied beachhead
Beachhead
Beachhead is a military term used to describe the line created when a unit reaches a beach, and begins to defend that area of beach, while other reinforcements help out, until a unit large enough to begin advancing has arrived. It is sometimes used interchangeably with Bridgehead and Lodgement...
. On 11 June, the division first met the enemy in combat. The reconnaissance battalion engaged in combat with the paratroopers of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
near the town of Carentan
Carentan
Carentan is a small rural town near the north-eastern base of the French Cotentin Peninsula in Normandy in north-western France near the port city of Cherbourg-Octeville. Carentan has a population somewhat over 6,000 and is now administratively organized as a commune in the Manche department...
.
The Americans secured the town and were advancing south by the morning of 13 June.
SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 37, supported by the assault guns of the division's Panzer
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 :...
battalion and Oberst Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte's
Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte
Dr. jur. Dr. rer. pol. Friedrich August Freiherr von der HeydteIn German a Doctor of Law is abbreviated as Dr. iur. or Dr. jur. and a Doctorate of Economics is abbreviated as Dr. rer. pol....
6th Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger
are German paratroopers. Together with the Gebirgsjäger they are perceived as the elite infantry units of the German Army....
Regiment, attacked the advancing paratroopers. In what the Americans dubbed The Battle of Bloody Gulch, the Germans routed two paratroop companies before their attack was stopped by the arrival of Combat Command
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 U.S. Army from 1942 until 1963...
A of the U.S. 2nd Armored Division
U.S. 2nd Armored Division
The 2nd Armored Division was an armored division of the United States Army. The division played an important role during World War II in the invasions of North Africa and Sicily and the liberation of France, Belgium, and Holland and the invasion of Germany...
.
For the rest of the month, the division was engaged in heavy fighting for the bocage
Bocage
Bocage is a Norman word which has entered both the French and English languages. It may refer to a small forest, a decorative element of leaves, a terrain of mixed woodland and pasture, or a type of rubble-work, comparable with the English use of 'rustic' in relation to garden...
country near Saint Lô and Coutances
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 took the name of Constantia in 298 during the reign of Roman emperor Constantius Chlorus...
. 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
Operation Cobra
Operation Cobra was the codename for an offensive launched by the First United States Army seven weeks after the D-Day landings, during the Normandy Campaign of World War II...
, and suffered heavy losses attempting to halt the Allied offensive. It was then ordered to take part in the Mortain Offensive, codenamed Operation Lüttich
Operation Lüttich
Operation Lüttich was a codename given to a German counterattack during the Battle of Normandy, which took place around the American positions near Mortain from 7 August to 13 August 1944...
. After the failure of this offensive, the division was split into four Kampfgruppes
Battlegroup (army)
A battlegroup , or task force in modern military theory, is the basic building block of an army's fighting force. A battlegroup is formed around an infantry battalion or armoured regiment, which is usually commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel...
, KG Braune, Gunter, Fick and Wahl. These small units managed to escape the encirclement in the Falaise Pocket
Falaise pocket
The battle of the Falaise Pocket, fought during the Second World War from 12 to 21 August 1944, was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy...
, but suffered heavy losses and remained in almost constant combat with the advancing Americans until the end of the month, when the division was transferred to Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
for a much needed rest and refit.
The Moselle, Metz, and withdrawal to Germany
In early September, the division absorbed what was left of the SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 49SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 49
SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 49 was a formation of the Waffen SS during World War II. It was created in June 1944, from units stationed at the NCO's and replacement units...
and SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 51
SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 51
SS Panzergrenadier Brigade 51 was a formation of the Waffen SS during World War II. It was created in June 1944, from units stationed at the NCO'S and replacement units...
, raising its infantry strength. However, replacements for missing tanks and assault guns were arriving slowly. On 8 September, the division was put back into the line and was tasked with destroying the newly formed bridgehead over the Moselle River
Moselle River
The Moselle is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany. It is a left tributary of the Rhine, joining the Rhine at Koblenz. A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Mosel through the Our....
held by the U.S. 5th and 80th Infantry Divisions. After heavy fighting for the U.S. bridgeheads at Dornot
Dornot
Dornot is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Moselle department*Parc naturel régional de Lorraine...
and Arnaville
Arnaville
Arnaville is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. It is the birthplace of French composer and conductor André Amellér.-Geography:...
, 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 8 November, a USAAF
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
bomb 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 15 November 1944) and now with no command structure, Hitler 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". The remnants of the division pulled back to the Maginot Line
Maginot Line
The Maginot Line , named after the French Minister of War André Maginot, was a line of concrete fortifications, tank obstacles, artillery casemates, machine gun posts, and other defences, which France constructed along its borders with Germany and Italy, in light of its experience in World War I,...
, near Faulquemont
Faulquemont
Faulquemont is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
to rest and refit. During this time, the Götz von Berlichingen was transferred to SS-Gruppenführer Max Simon's
Max Simon
Max Simon was a German SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS during World War II, who was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves. Simon was a private in the Prussian Army during World War I and was one of the first members of the SS in the early 1930s...
XIII SS Corps. U.S. forces liberated Metz on 22 November 1944.
Elements of the 38th SS Regiment defended Hilsprich
Hilsprich
Hilsprich is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
against an advance of the U.S. 35th Infantry Division on 23 November and 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 28–29 November, elements of the 17th SS Division successfully defended Farébersviller
Farébersviller
Farébersviller is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.It is located only 3 km from the German border.-Location:...
against an attack by the U.S. 80th Infantry Division. By 1 December, the SS division was deployed along a line extending from the Rosselle River to just south of Puttelange
Puttelange-lès-Thionville
Puttelange-lès-Thionville is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Moselle department...
. The Götz von Berlichingen was caught by surprise when the U.S. forces attacked again on 4 December, capturing both Farébersviller and Puttelange. Seriously weakened, the SS division fell back to Sarreguemines
Sarreguemines
Sarreguemines is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.It is the seat of an arrondissement.-Geography:...
, which it defended for five days before the town's liberation by U.S. forces on 11 December.
Subsequently, the 17th SS Division retreated across the German border and went into a defensive posture along the Blies River. Attacks by the U.S. 35th Infantry Division against this line started on 12 December, resulting in heavy fighting for the control of Habkirchen (southeast of Frauenberg
Frauenberg, Rhineland-Palatinate
Frauenberg is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Birkenfeld district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
) and the high ground overlooking the valley of the Blies. The U.S. 134th Infantry loss half its strength in this clash with the 17th SS Division, but captured Habkirchen by 15 December. Under serious pressure because of infantry losses, the SS division was granted a reprieve when the Americans moved into defensive posture on 18 December. The Ardennes Offensive by Germany had begun to the north and U.S. 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
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
.
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 infantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
) and 20 armoured vehicles. Throughout the early months of December 1944, the Götz von Berlichingen received resupply and reinforcement, although the armored strength was only 17 assault guns by 10 December 1944, with a further 17 that were sent from Germany on 28 December. The Panzergrenadier regiments were brought up to full strength with the addition of Volksdeutsche
Volksdeutsche
Volksdeutsche - "German in terms of people/folk" -, defined ethnically, is a historical term from the 20th century. The words volk and volkische conveyed in Nazi thinking the meanings of "folk" and "race" while adding the sense of superior civilization and blood...
replacements. The quality of these replacements was far below that of the division's original cadre. Despite this, 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
Operation Nordwind
Operation North Wind was the last major German offensive of World War II on the Western Front. It began on 1 January 1945 in Alsace and Lorraine in northeastern France, and it ended on 25 January.-Objectives:...
, the ill-fated last German offensive in the West. The Götz von Berlichingen, together with 36th Volksgrenadier Division, attacked the U.S. 44th and 100th Infantry Divisions around the town of Rimling
Rimling
Rimling is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France....
. For this attack the division had been reinforced with a Panther tank
Panther tank
Panther is the common name of a medium tank fielded by Nazi Germany in World War II that served from mid-1943 to the end of the European war in 1945. It was intended as a counter to the T-34, and to replace the Panzer III and Panzer IV; while never replacing the latter, it served alongside it as...
company from 21st Panzer-Division, two companies of Flammpanzer 38(t)s (Panzer-Flamm Companies 352 & 353), and the 653rd Heavy Panzerjäger
Panzerjäger
Panzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
Battalion, equipped with Jagdtigers. The German attacks did not gain much terrain and were fought in extreme weather conditions. After engaging in heavy combat with the U.S. 7th Army, with little success and having the divisional commander replaced five times, the majority of the divisional staff was relieved on 3 January. Replacements, in the form of Heer
Heer
Heer is German for "army". Generally, its use as "army" is not restricted to any particular country, so "das britische Heer" would mean "the British army".However, more specifically it can refer to:*An army of Germany:...
officers, were received on the next day. On 10 January, the divisional commander, Standartenführer
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
Hans Lingner, was captured by a patrol from the 114th Infantry, 44th Infantry Division, when his car overturned on the slippery roads. The driver was machine gunned on the spot and Lingner, his aide-de-camp Untersturmführer Jund and another of his staff brought to U.S. lines where they were interrogated. Oberst
Oberst
Oberst is a military 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 rank överste is a direct translation, as are the Finnish rank eversti...
Gerhard Lindner
Gerhard Lindner
Gerhard Lindner was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
, one of the Heer officers recently transferred to the division, took command on 15 January. The division remained engaged with the divisions of the U.S. XV Corps until Operation Nordwind
Operation Nordwind
Operation North Wind was the last major German offensive of World War II on the Western Front. It began on 1 January 1945 in Alsace and Lorraine in northeastern France, and it ended on 25 January.-Objectives:...
ended on 25 January.
Defense of Germany
The Götz von Berlichingen took part in the defence of the West Wall until March 1945, when on the 18 March the Americans broke throughOperation Undertone
Operation Undertone was a large assault by the U.S. 7th and French 1st Armies as part of the Allied invasion of Germany in March 1945 during World War II. Opposing commanders were U.S. General Jacob L. Devers, commanding U.S. 6th Army Group and German SS General Paul Hausser, commanding German Army...
. Armored vehicle strength was high, with 62 assault guns (of which 47 were operational) as well as two Model IV medium tanks. On 22 March, division commander SS-Oberführer Fritz Klingenberg
Fritz Klingenberg
SS-Standartenführer Fritz Klingenberg was a German Waffen-SS officer who served with the 2.SS-Division Das Reich and was a commander of the 17.SS- Panzergrenadier-Division Götz von Berlichingen...
was killed in action. That day, the division abandoned all its vehicles and began a retreat, but only some 500 to 600 men escaped U.S. encirclement in the Pfaelzer Forest and reached Wiesloch
Wiesloch
Wiesloch is a city in Germany, in northern Baden-Württemberg. It is situated 13 kilometres south of Heidelberg.After Weinheim, Sinsheim and Leimen it is the fourth largest city of the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis and is in the north-central area near Heidelberg with its neighbouring town Walldorf...
on the east bank of the Rhine.
By 1 April, the division's strength was rebuilt to roughly 7,000 men. The division then took part in the Battle of Heilbronn
Battle of Heilbronn (1945)
The Battle of Heilbronn was a nine-day struggle in April 1945 during World War II between the United States Army and the German Army for the control of Heilbronn, a mid-sized city on the Neckar River located between Stuttgart and Heidelberg...
. Subsequently, the division defended the Jagst
Jagst
The Jagst is a right tributary of the Neckar in northern Baden-Württemberg. It is 189 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 Jagst, Langenburg, Krautheim, Möckmühl and Neudenau...
and Tauber River valleys, as well as Bad Mergentheim
Bad Mergentheim
Bad Mergentheim is a town in the Main-Tauber district in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.-History:Mergentheim is mentioned in chronicles as early as 1058, as the residence of the family of the counts of Hohenlohe, who early in the 13th century assigned the greater part of their estates in...
. Although greatly reduced in numbers, it then took part in the defence of Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, where the 38th SS Regiment was destroyed by 20 April. The rest of the division continued fighting until 24 April, and then fell back to Donauwörth
Donauwörth
Donauwörth is a city in the German State of Bavaria , in the region of Swabia . It is said to have been founded by two fisherman where the Danube and Wörnitz rivers meet...
on the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
.
The last organized engagement fought by the division was on 29 April at Moosburg
Moosburg
Moosburg an der Isar 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 . It has 17,275 inhabitants and covers an area of 44 km². It is easily reached by the A 92 autobahn and regional trains on...
, Germany. There, the division's commanders attempted to use Stalag VII-A
Stalag VII-A
During World War II, Stalag VII-A was Germany's largest prisoner-of-war camp, located just north of the town of Moosburg in southern Bavaria. The camp covered an area of 35 ha. . It served also as a transit camp through which prisoners, including officers, were processed on their way to other camps...
, the largest POW camp in Germany, as a sort of hostage to buy time to escape across the Isar River. Their effort was frustrated when the commander of the 14th Armored Division
U.S. 14th Armored Division
The 14th Armored Division was an armored division of the United States Army in World War II. It remains on the permanent rolls of the Regular Army as an inactive division, and is eligible for reactivation should the need ever arise...
learned of their 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 at all costs. 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. The town fell following a brief, but ferocious battle. That same day the 14th Armored Division took over 7,000 German POWs, mostly SS.
On 6 May 1945, the remaining division troops surrendered to the U.S. 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
at Rottach-Egern
Rottach-Egern
Rottach-Egern is a municipality and town located at Lake Tegernsee in the district of Miesbach in Upper Bavaria, Germany....
, south of Kufstein
Kufstein
Kufstein is a city in Tyrol, Austria, located along the river Inn, in the lower Inn valley, near the border with Bavaria, Germany, and is the site of a post World War II French sector United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Displaced Persons camp.Kufstein is the second largest city...
.
War crimes
File Number: US0018Review Date: 470404
Case Nr.: 11-18 (U.S. vs. Erwin Wilhelm Konrad Schienkiewitz)
Crime Category: War Crimes
Accused: Schienkiewitz, Erwin (Wilhelm Konrad) - Life Sentence
Court: General Military Government Court at Dachau, Germany 470213
Country where the crime had been committed: France
Crime Location: Montmartin en Craignes
Crime Date: 440617
Victim: POW’s
Nationality: American
Office: SS; 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division, 38th Regiment
Subject of the proceeding:
The accused participated in the execution of two American airmen out of a group of seventy, in retaliation of the death of German soldiers who had been killed a few days earlier. The accused was a member of an organization declared illegal by the International Military Tribunal.
Case Nr.111
Crime Category: Final Phase Crimes
Accused: Küster, Friedrich Erich 10 Years 3 Months
Court: LG Ellwangen 490120
OLG Stuttgart 490527
Country where the crime was committed: Germany
Crime Location: Ellwangen/Jagst
Crime Date: 4504
Victims: Prisoners, Civilians
Nationality: unknown, German
Agency: Waffen-SS SS-Bataillon 'Götz von Berlichingen'
Subject of the proceeding: Shooting of a number of foreign concentration camp prisoners, in part for trying to escape; mishandling of civilians, who had made derogatory remarks about Hitler, and demolition of the 'Josefinum' in Ellwangen
Case Nr.201
Crime Category: Final Phase Crimes
Accused: Ba., Nikolaus Acquittal, Bu., Heinz Acquittal
Court: LG Ellwangen 500316
Country where the crime was committed: Germany
Crime Location: Dalkingen
Crime Date: 450407
Victims: Prisoners
Nationality: unknown
Agency: Waffen-SS SS-Ersatz- und Ausbildungsbataillon 5 'Götz von Berlichingen'
Subject of the proceeding: Shooting of 8 exhausted concentration camp prisoners, who, while being part of a prisoners' transport, had stayed behind at the railway station grounds of Ellwangen
Case Nr.251
Crime Category: Final Phase Crimes
Accused: B., Peter Acquittal, E., Theodor Acquittal, H., Heinz Acquittal
Court: LG Ellwangen 501025
Country where the crime was committed: Germany
Crime Location: Dalkingen
Crime Date: 450407
Victims: Prisoners
Nationality: German
Agency: Waffen-SS SS-Ersatz- und Ausbildungsbataillon 5 'Götz von Berlichingen'
Subject of the proceeding: Shooting of 8 exhausted concentration camp prisoners, who, while being part of a prisoners' transport, had stayed behind at the railway station grounds of Ellwangen
Case Nr.466
Crime Category: Final Phase Crimes
Accused: M., Heinz Proceeding suspended
Court: LG Nürnberg-Fürth 581001
BGH 571022
Country where the crime was committed: Germany
Crime Location: Burgthann
Crime Date: 450417
Victims: Civilians
Nationality: German
Agency: Waffen-SS 17.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 'Götz von Berlichingen'
Subject of the proceeding: Shooting of the mayor of Burgthann, who, summoned by the Americans, had ordered to have white flags hoisted in the town
Case Nr.315
Crime Category: Final Phase Crimes
Accused: H., Walter Acquittal
Court: LG Regensburg 520505
Country where the crime was committed: Germany
Crime Location: Dietfurt (Mittelfranken)
Crime Date: 450425
Victims: Jews
Nationality: German
Agency: Waffen-SS SS-Division 'Götz von Berlichingen'
Subject of the proceeding: Shooting of a Jewish dentist during the final days of the war
Case Nr.243
Crime Category: Final Phase Crimes
Accused: H., Walter 5 Years, M., Ludwig 3 Years
Court: LG Landshut 500924
Country where the crime was committed: Germany
Crime Location: Ebrantshausen, Holz (near Bad Wiessee)
Crime Date: 450428, 450502
Victims: Civilians, Prisoners
Nationality: German, unknown
Agency: Waffen-SS SS-Division 'Götz von Berlichingen'
Subject of the proceeding: Killing of a civilian, who had a white flag held available in order to hoist it at the church at the arrival of the Americans, as well as summons to shoot concentration camp prisoners
The Götz von Berlichingen has also been accused of killing wounded American paratroopers
Battle of Graignes
The Battle of Graignes was fought during World War II. The story focuses on a German massacre of French civilians, and wounded US paratroopers, in retaliation for a battle at the village of Graignes, France.-Tuesday, 6 June 1944:...
as well as French civilians
Maillé massacre
The Maillé Massacre refers to the murder on 25 August 1944 of 124 of the 500 residents of the commune of Maillé in the department of the Indre-et-Loire. Following an ambush a few days before and in reprisals against activities of the French Resistance, Second Lieutenant Gustav Schlüter and his men...
during the summer of 1944.
Commanders
- SS-Standartenführer Otto BingeOtto BingeOtto Binge, was an SS-Standartenführer during World War II and a commander of 17. SS-Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen and 4. SS-Polizei Division.-References:...
(October 1943 – January 1944) - SS-Gruppenführer Werner OstendorffWerner OstendorffWerner Ostendorff, was an SS-Gruppenführer and one of the youngest divisional commanders in the Waffen-SS...
(January 1944 – 15 June 1944) - SS-Standartenführer Otto BingeOtto BingeOtto Binge, was an SS-Standartenführer during World War II and a commander of 17. SS-Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen and 4. SS-Polizei Division.-References:...
(16 June 1944 – 18 June 1944) - SS-Brigadeführer Otto BaumOtto BaumOtto Baum, was an SS-Oberführer of the Waffen-SS. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
(18 June 1944 – 1 August 1944) - SS-Standartenführer Otto BingeOtto BingeOtto Binge, was an SS-Standartenführer during World War II and a commander of 17. SS-Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen and 4. SS-Polizei Division.-References:...
(1 August 1944 – 29 August 1944) - SS-Oberführer Dr. Eduard DeisenhoferEduard DeisenhoferDr. Eduard Deisenhofer was an officer and commander in the German Waffen-SS who served with several combat divisions on both the eastern and western fronts, earning several high grade distinctions, such as the Close Combat Clasp, and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
(30 August 1944 – September 1944)(MIA) - SS-Standartenführer Thomas Müller (September 1944 – September 1944)
- SS-Standartenführer Gustav Mertsch (September 1944 – October 1944)
- SS-Gruppenführer Werner OstendorffWerner OstendorffWerner Ostendorff, was an SS-Gruppenführer and one of the youngest divisional commanders in the Waffen-SS...
(21 October 1944 – 15 November 1944) - SS-Standartenführer Hans Lingner (15 November 1944 – 9 January 1945) (POW)
- Oberst Gerhard LindnerGerhard LindnerGerhard Lindner was a highly decorated Generalmajor in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
(9 January 1945 – 21 January 1945) - SS-Standartenführer Fritz KlingenbergFritz KlingenbergSS-Standartenführer Fritz Klingenberg was a German Waffen-SS officer who served with the 2.SS-Division Das Reich and was a commander of the 17.SS- Panzergrenadier-Division Götz von Berlichingen...
(21 January 1945 – 22 March 1945)(KIA) - SS-Obersturmbannführer Vinzenz KaiserVinzenz KaiserVinzenz Kaiser was an Obersturmbannführer in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
(22 March 1945 – 24 March 1945) - SS-Standartenführer Jakob Fick (24 March 1945 – 27 March 1945)
- SS-Oberführer Georg BochmannGeorg BochmannGeorg Bochmann, was an SS-Oberführer of the Waffen-SS. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
(27 March 1945 – 8 May 1945)
Order of battle
- 37th SS PanzergrenadierPanzergrenadieris a German term for motorised or mechanized infantry, as introduced during World War II. It is used in the armies of Austria, Chile, Germany and Switzerland.-Forerunners:...
Regiment - 38th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment
- 17th SS PanzerPanzerA 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 :...
Battalion - 17th SS ArtilleryArtilleryOriginally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
Regiment - 17th SS PanzerjägerPanzerjägerPanzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
Battalion - 17th SS SturmgeschützSturmgeschützSturmgeschütz is a German word for "assault gun", usually abbreviated StuG. The vehicle was a leading weapon of the Sturmartillerie, a branch of the German artillery tasked with close fire support of infantry in infantry, panzer, and panzergrenadier units...
Battalion - 17th SS Flak Battalion
- 17th SS Signal Battalion
- 17th SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion
- 17th SS Pionier Battalion
- 17th SS Divisions Nachschubtruppen
- 17th SS Panzer Instandsetzungs Battalion
- 17th SS Wirtschafts Battalion
- 17th SS Medical Battalion
See also
- List of Knight's Cross Recipients 17th SS Panzer Grenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen
- PanzerPanzerA 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 :...
, Panzer DivisionPanzer DivisionA panzer division was an armored division in the army and air force branches of the Wehrmacht as well as the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II....
, Waffen-SSWaffen-SSThe Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside... - Division (military)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...
, Military unit - WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, List of German military units of World War II