38th SS Division Nibelungen
Encyclopedia
The 38th SS Division Nibelungen. was formed in March 1945 from the staff and students of the SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tölz
.
It was first given the title of the SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz Division, but was renamed the SS-Division Junkerschule and finally the 38th SS Grenadier Division Nibelungen. This name was selected by the commander of the cadet school Richard Schulze-Kossens.
The name Nibelungen comes from German mythology, which was the name of a lineage of dwarves, who were defeated by Siegfried
.
never consisted of more than around 6,000 men, the strength of a normal Brigade
.
Alongside the men of the Junkerschule, the division also received some additional units, one being the SS special use Begleitkommando-SS
and two Zollgrenzschutz
(Customs Border Guards) battalions. Soldiers from the 6th SS Mountain Division Nord
, a company from 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen
, officers from the 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Russian)
and a battalion of Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) were also taken on strength.
The first Divisional commander was Richard Schulze-Kossens, who at the time was the Commanding officer of the SS-Brigade Nibelungen and the Junkerschule at Bad Tölz. He was followed by Martin Stange on 12 April, (Heinz Lammerding
and Karl von Oberkamp
were also assigned as commanders, but never took up the post).
The division had two Grenadier regiments, the 95th SS Grenadier Regiment, under the command of Obersturmführer
Markus Faulhaber
and the 96th SS Grenadier Regiment commanded by Obersturmführer (First Lieutenant) Walter Schmidt
.
The divisions 38th Panzerjäger
(Tank Hunter) Battalion received the majority of its men from the Prinz Eugen division and officers from Nord. The Abteilung (detachment) received about 10 Jagdpanzer 38(t) tank destroyers on 15 April, it also had some 75 mm towed PaK 40
anti-tank guns (the Abteilung served under 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Götz von Berlichingen from 17 to 24 April, until it came under its parent division).
on the Danube
river Front, facing American forces on the southern bank of the river.
The Nibelungen was supposed to hold the Corps right wing from Vohburg
to Kelheim
, but the line was too long for the Divisions' strength, so they withdrew to a new front on 26 April, which it held until the 28th. On 29 April they had to retreat again across the Isar
river to a new position south of Landshut
, while coming under strong pressure on its flanks. The next day the Division retreated once again, this time to a defensive line northwest of Pastetten
and on 1 May they had to withdraw almost 20 km to Wasseburg. The US 20th Armored Division then breached the division front on 2 May, forcing the Nibelungen to retreat once more to Chiemsee
. The remains of the division regrouped on 4 May and established a new line west of Oberwoessen. They surrendered to the American forces on 8 May 1945.
The German actor Hardy Kruger
was among the members of the Hitler Youth battalion that was incorporated into the division. He was later captured by advancing units of the US Army.
Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.- History :Since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age, archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz...
.
It was first given the title of the SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz Division, but was renamed the SS-Division Junkerschule and finally the 38th SS Grenadier Division Nibelungen. This name was selected by the commander of the cadet school Richard Schulze-Kossens.
The name Nibelungen comes from German mythology, which was the name of a lineage of dwarves, who were defeated by Siegfried
Sigurd
Sigurd is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. The earliest extant representations for his legend come in pictorial form from seven runestones in Sweden and most notably the Ramsund carving Sigurd (Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of...
.
Formation
The DivisionDivision (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...
never consisted of more than around 6,000 men, the strength of a normal Brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
.
Alongside the men of the Junkerschule, the division also received some additional units, one being the SS special use Begleitkommando-SS
Begleitkommando-SS
Begleitkommando-SS were elite SS bodyguards created to provide close security protection for high-ranking members of the Nazi Party and visiting state dignitories.-Formation:...
and two Zollgrenzschutz
Zollgrenzschutz
Zollgrenzschutz was from 1937 to 1945 an organization under the German Finance Ministry charged with guarding Germany's borders, acting as a combination Border Patrol and Customs & Immigration service....
(Customs Border Guards) battalions. Soldiers from the 6th SS Mountain Division Nord
6th SS Mountain Division Nord
The 6th SS Mountain Division "Nord" was a German unit of the Waffen SS during World War II, formed in February 1941 as SS Kampfgruppe Nord ....
, a company from 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen
7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen
The 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen. was formed on March 1942 from Volksdeutsche volunteers from Vojvodina, Croatia, Hungary and Romania, it was initially called the SS-Freiwilligen-Division Prinz Eugen....
, officers from the 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Russian)
30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Russian)
The 30th SS Grenadier Division was a German Waffen SS infantry division formed largely from Belarussian, Russian and Ukrainian personnel of the Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling in August 1944 at Warsaw, Poland. The division was moved by rail to southeastern France by mid-August 1944 to combat the...
and a battalion of Hitlerjugend (Hitler Youth) were also taken on strength.
The first Divisional commander was Richard Schulze-Kossens, who at the time was the Commanding officer of the SS-Brigade Nibelungen and the Junkerschule at Bad Tölz. He was followed by Martin Stange on 12 April, (Heinz Lammerding
Heinz Lammerding
Heinz Lammerding was aBrigadeführer in the Waffen-SS and a commander of 2...
and Karl von Oberkamp
Karl von Oberkamp
SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Karl Ferdinand Reichsritter von Oberkamp was a German Heer and Waffen-SS officer who commanded the 7. SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division Prinz Eugen, 38. SS-Division Nibelungen and the V.SS-Gebirgs-Korps...
were also assigned as commanders, but never took up the post).
The division had two Grenadier regiments, the 95th SS Grenadier Regiment, under the command of Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
Markus Faulhaber
Markus Faulhaber
Markus Faulhaber was a Sturmbannführer in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. It was given to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.-Life:Markus Faulhaber was born on 22 July...
and the 96th SS Grenadier Regiment commanded by Obersturmführer (First Lieutenant) Walter Schmidt
Walter Schmidt (SS officer)
Walter Schmidt was an Obersturmbannführer in the Waffen SS during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak leaves, an award that recognized extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.Walter Schmidt joined the...
.
The divisions 38th 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...
(Tank Hunter) Battalion received the majority of its men from the Prinz Eugen division and officers from Nord. The Abteilung (detachment) received about 10 Jagdpanzer 38(t) tank destroyers on 15 April, it also had some 75 mm towed PaK 40
PaK 40
The 7.5 cm PaK 40 was a German 7.5 centimetre anti-tank gun developed in 1939-1941 by Rheinmetall and used during the Second World War...
anti-tank guns (the Abteilung served under 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Götz von Berlichingen from 17 to 24 April, until it came under its parent division).
Active service
The 38th SS division was ready for battle on 24 April 1945, when it entered the ranks of the XIII SS Army CorpsXIII SS Army Corps
XIII SS Army Corps was formed August 1944 at Breslau. It was moved to France and the Western Front, where it remained until the end of the war, by which time it had retreated to the Alps...
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....
river Front, facing American forces on the southern bank of the river.
The Nibelungen was supposed to hold the Corps right wing from Vohburg
Vohburg
Vohburg is a town in the district of Pfaffenhofen, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Danube, 14 km east of Ingolstadt....
to Kelheim
Kelheim
Kelheim is a municipality in Bavaria, capital of the district Kelheim. It is situated at the confluence of Altmühl and Danube. As of June 30, 2005, the town had a population of 15,667....
, but the line was too long for the Divisions' strength, so they withdrew to a new front on 26 April, which it held until the 28th. On 29 April they had to retreat again across the Isar
Isar
The Isar is a river in Tyrol, Austria and Bavaria, Germany. Its source is in the Karwendel range of the Alps in Tyrol; it enters Germany near Mittenwald, and flows through Bad Tölz, Munich, and Landshut before reaching the Danube near Deggendorf. At 295 km in length, it is the fourth largest river...
river to a new position south of Landshut
Landshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
, while coming under strong pressure on its flanks. The next day the Division retreated once again, this time to a defensive line northwest of Pastetten
Pastetten
Pastetten is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany. It is a rural municipality in the south of the district. The town was founded about one thousand years ago along the road from Swabia to Erding.- History :...
and on 1 May they had to withdraw almost 20 km to Wasseburg. The US 20th Armored Division then breached the division front on 2 May, forcing the Nibelungen to retreat once more to Chiemsee
Chiemsee
Chiemsee is a freshwater lake in Bavaria, Germany, between Rosenheim, Germany, and Salzburg, Austria. It is often called the Bavarian Sea. The rivers Tiroler Achen and Prien flow into the lake; the river Alz, out of it...
. The remains of the division regrouped on 4 May and established a new line west of Oberwoessen. They surrendered to the American forces on 8 May 1945.
The German actor Hardy Kruger
Hardy Krüger
Hardy Krüger is a German actor. He is thought of as one of the greatest German actors of the 1960s. He was born in Wedding, Berlin, German Reich...
was among the members of the Hitler Youth battalion that was incorporated into the division. He was later captured by advancing units of the US Army.
Commanders
- SS-Standartenführer Hans KempinHans KempinSS-Standartenführer Hans Wilhelm Kempin was a German Waffen-SS combat and training officer who served in the SS-Standarte Deutschland, SS-Regiment Der Führer and later commanded the 547. Volksgrenadier-Division, 38...
- SS-Obersturmbannführer Richard Schulze-Kossens
- SS-Gruppenführer Heinz LammerdingHeinz LammerdingHeinz Lammerding was aBrigadeführer in the Waffen-SS and a commander of 2...
- SS-Obergruppenführer Karl von OberkampKarl von OberkampSS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Karl Ferdinand Reichsritter von Oberkamp was a German Heer and Waffen-SS officer who commanded the 7. SS-Freiwilligen-Gebirgs-Division Prinz Eugen, 38. SS-Division Nibelungen and the V.SS-Gebirgs-Korps...
- SS-Standartenführer Martin Stange
Order of battle (Apr 1945)
- 95th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment
- 96th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment
- 38th SS Artillery Regiment
- 38th 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 - 38th SS Pioneer Battalion
- 38th SS Flak Battalion
- 38th SS Information Battalion
- 38th SS Ausbildung Reserve Battalion
- SS Polizei Battalion Siegling
- 38th SS Wirtschafts Battalion