3 Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 3rd Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade was a formation of the German Waffen SS during World War II
. It was formed in May 1943, when the Estonian SS Legion
(Estnische SS Legion), which was still undergoing formation in Dębica
, (called Heidelager in 1943), was upgraded. The first name chosen for the brigade was the Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade, until October 1943, when all SS brigades were numbered so it finally became the 3rd Estonian Volunteer Brigade.
The brigade was renamed the 20th Estonian SS Volunteer Division on January 23, 1944. It was returned to Estonia after the general conscription call where it was reformed into the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) established on May 26, 1944, when it absorbed all the other Estonian formations in the German military and some Estonian police units. The Finnish Infantry Regiment 200
was also assimilated.
Battalion, to the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking to replace the departing Finnish Battalion who's members had come to the end of their contracts.
The new 3rd Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade had by November 1943, 5,099 men and was ready for active service. The Estonian conscripts had been promised that the brigade would only be used in the defense of Estonia. This promise was not kept; in October the brigade was first allocated anti-partisan
duties in northern Belarus
where it dealt a crushing blow to the Rossony Partisan Republic. At the end of October, the Red Army
managed to break through the German lines after intense fighting in the nearby Nevel section of the front. Since the German command had no reserves in the area, the Estonian Brigade was rushed to the front-line where it managed to push the Soviets back 5-15 kilometers by 13 November.
The Brigade was put under command of the VIII Corps
of Army Group North
. The brigade suffered severe losses fighting against numerous Red Army assaults and was eventually forced back to Opochka
and transferred to the I Army Corps. It was then decided to create an Estonian Division and use the Brigade to form the cadre of the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division der SS (Estonian Number 1).
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...
. It was formed in May 1943, when the Estonian SS Legion
Estonian Legion
The Estonian Legion was a military unit within the Combat Support Forces of the Waffen SS Verfügungstruppe during World War II, mainly consisting of Estonian soldiers.-Creation:...
(Estnische SS Legion), which was still undergoing formation in Dębica
Debica
Dębica is a town in southeastern Poland with 46,693 inhabitants, as of 2 June 2009. It is the capital of Dębica County. Since 1999 it has been situated in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship; it had previously been in the Tarnów Voivodeship .-Area:...
, (called Heidelager in 1943), was upgraded. The first name chosen for the brigade was the Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade, until October 1943, when all SS brigades were numbered so it finally became the 3rd Estonian Volunteer Brigade.
The brigade was renamed the 20th Estonian SS Volunteer Division on January 23, 1944. It was returned to Estonia after the general conscription call where it was reformed into the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) established on May 26, 1944, when it absorbed all the other Estonian formations in the German military and some Estonian police units. The Finnish Infantry Regiment 200
Finnish Infantry Regiment 200
Infantry Regiment 200 or Soomepoisid was a unit in the Finnish army during World War II made up mostly of Estonian volunteers, who preferred to fight against the Soviet Union in the ranks of the Finnish army instead of the armed forces of Germany....
was also assimilated.
Formation
The Estonian SS Legion had by April 1943, increased its numbers enough to form a brigade sized formation and was even able to dispatch a battalion, the NarvaNarva
Narva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
Battalion, to the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking to replace the departing Finnish Battalion who's members had come to the end of their contracts.
The new 3rd Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade had by November 1943, 5,099 men and was ready for active service. The Estonian conscripts had been promised that the brigade would only be used in the defense of Estonia. This promise was not kept; in October the brigade was first allocated anti-partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
duties in northern Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
where it dealt a crushing blow to the Rossony Partisan Republic. At the end of October, 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...
managed to break through the German lines after intense fighting in the nearby Nevel section of the front. Since the German command had no reserves in the area, the Estonian Brigade was rushed to the front-line where it managed to push the Soviets back 5-15 kilometers by 13 November.
The Brigade was put under command of the VIII Corps
VIII Corps
List of military corps — List of military corps by numberA number of countries have Eighth, or VIII, Corps:* VIII Corps * VIII Corps * U.S. VIII Corps involvement in the American Civil War...
of Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
. The brigade suffered severe losses fighting against numerous Red Army assaults and was eventually forced back to Opochka
Opochka
Opochka is a town and the administrative center of Opochetsky District of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on the Velikaya River, south of Pskov, in the proximity of Alexander Pushkin's family home Mikhaylovskoye. Population:...
and transferred to the I Army Corps. It was then decided to create an Estonian Division and use the Brigade to form the cadre of the 20th Waffen Grenadier Division der SS (Estonian Number 1).
Commander
- 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 AugsbergerFranz AugsbergerFranz Xaver Josef Maria Augsberger was a Brigadeführer of the Waffen-SS.-Early life:Franz Augsberger was the son of a hotel owner in Vienna, then the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire...
(22 October 1943 - 21 January 1944)
Order of battle
- SS Volunteer Regiment 42 (renumbered 45 in November 1943)
- I Battalion
- 3 x Companies
- 1 x Heavy Company
-
- II Battalion
- 3 x Companies
- 1 x Heavy Company
- 13th (7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 187.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18The 7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18 was an infantry support gun of the German Wehrmacht used during World War II.- History :...
) Kompanie - 14th (5 cm PaK 38 anti tank) Kompanie
- SS Volunteer Regiment 43 (renumbered 46 in November 1943)
- I Battalion
- 3 x Companies
- 1 x Heavy Company
-
- II Battalion
- 3 x Companies
- 1 x Heavy Company
- 13th (7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18) Kompanie
- 14th (5 cm PaK 38 anti tank) Kompanie
- 15th Pionier Kompanie
- SS Flak Battalion 53
- 1 Battery (2 cm FlaK 302 cm FlaK 30The Flak 30 and improved Flak 38 were 20 mm anti-aircraft guns used by various German forces throughout the Second World War. It was not only the primary German light anti-aircraft gun, but by far the most numerously produced German artillery piece throughout the war...
) - 2 Battery (3.7 cm FlaK 433.7 cm FlaK 43The 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/43 were series of anti-aircraft cannon produced by Nazi Germany, which saw widespread service in the Second World War. The cannon was fully automatic and effective against aircraft flying at altitudes up to 4200 meters. The cannon was produced in both towed and...
) - 3 Battery (88 mm gun88 mm gunThe 88 mm gun was a German anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun from World War II. It was widely used by Germany throughout the war, and was one of the most recognizable German weapons of the war...
)
- 1 Battery (2 cm FlaK 30
- 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...
Batallion 53
- SS Signals Company 53
- SS Field Medical Battalion 53
- SS Artillerie Battalion 53
- Headquarters Battery
- 3 x Batteries
- SS Training and Reserve Regiment 33