8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer
Encyclopedia
The 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer was a Waffen-SS
cavalry
Division during World War II
. It was formed in 1942 from a cadre of the SS Cavalry Brigade
which was involved in anti partisan operations behind the front line and was responsible for the extermination of tens of thousands of the civilian population.
About 40% of the division were Volksdeutsche
from Siebenbürgen
(Transylvania) and Banat
(Serbia). The Training and Replacement Battalion of the 8th SS Cavalry Division was involved in suppressing the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
.
In March 1944, it was named after Florian Geyer
(1490–1525), the Franconian nobleman who led the Black Company
during the Peasants War.
The Division was destroyed during the fighting in Budapest
in early 1945.
The newly created division was soon sent back to the Eastern Front
and fought in the Rzhev
and Orel
sectors in central Russia until the spring of 1943. The division was then moved to the area around Bobruisk, on internal security and anti partisan duties
until September 1943. In September the division was moved again to the Southern front and took part in the German retreat to the Dnieper river.
The division was then sent to Hungary
in October 1943, where the Panzerjager
and Sturmgeschütz
Battalions were combined and the Reconnaissance Battalion became a Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion. Following this reorganization the division was posted to Croatia
. In April 1944, they returned to Hungary and took part in the fighting in Transylvania
after the Romania
n front collapsed.
The Division was trapped in Budapest
with the IX SS Mountain Corps when the Russians surrounded the city in December 1944. The 8th SS Cavalry Division was then involved in the fierce fighting to hold the city often engaged in hand to hand combat and fighting house to house. The Division was destroyed in the fighting for Budapest and by the end of the siege of the 30,000 men of the SS Corps only about 800 survived to reach the German lines.
Waffen-SS
The 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...
cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
Division 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...
. It was formed in 1942 from a cadre of the SS Cavalry Brigade
SS Cavalry Brigade
The SS Cavalry Brigade was a unit of the Waffen SS formed in 1940, from cavalry regiments created for occupation duties in German-occupied Poland. Later, while serving in German-occupied areas of the Soviet Union, the brigade was involved in the genocide of the Jewish population and anti-partisan...
which was involved in anti partisan operations behind the front line and was responsible for the extermination of tens of thousands of the civilian population.
About 40% of the division were 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...
from Siebenbürgen
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
(Transylvania) and Banat
Banat
The Banat is a geographical and historical region in Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania , the western part in northeastern Serbia , and a small...
(Serbia). The Training and Replacement Battalion of the 8th SS Cavalry Division was involved in suppressing the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was the Jewish resistance that arose within the Warsaw Ghetto in German occupied Poland during World War II, and which opposed Nazi Germany's effort to transport the remaining ghetto population to Treblinka extermination camp....
.
In March 1944, it was named after Florian Geyer
Florian Geyer
Florian Geyer , also known as "Florian Geier from Giebelstadt", was a Franconian nobleman, diplomat and knight...
(1490–1525), the Franconian nobleman who led the Black Company
Black Company
The Black Company or the Black Troops was a unit of Franconian mercenaries during the Peasant's Revolt in the 1520s during the Protestant Reformation in Germany.The original German name of the Black Company was "Schwarzer Haufen"...
during the Peasants War.
The Division was destroyed during the fighting in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
in early 1945.
Deployment
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...
and fought in the Rzhev
Rzhev
Rzhev is a town in Tver Oblast, Russia, southwest of Staritsa and from Tver, on the highway and railway connecting Moscow and Riga. It is the uppermost town situated on the Volga River. Population:...
and Orel
Oryol
Oryol or Orel is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast, Russia, located on the Oka River, approximately south-southwest of Moscow...
sectors in central Russia until the spring of 1943. The division was then moved to the area around Bobruisk, on internal security and anti partisan duties
Anti-partisan operations in World War II
Anti-partisan operations were operations against the various resistance movements during World War II by the Axis powers...
until September 1943. In September the division was moved again to the Southern front and took part in the German retreat to the Dnieper river.
The division was then sent to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
in October 1943, where the Panzerjager
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...
and Sturmgeschütz
Sturmgeschütz
Sturmgeschütz 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...
Battalions were combined and the Reconnaissance Battalion became a Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion. Following this reorganization the division was posted to Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. In April 1944, they returned to Hungary and took part in the fighting in Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
after the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n front collapsed.
The Division was trapped in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
with the IX SS Mountain Corps when the Russians surrounded the city in December 1944. The 8th SS Cavalry Division was then involved in the fierce fighting to hold the city often engaged in hand to hand combat and fighting house to house. The Division was destroyed in the fighting for Budapest and by the end of the siege of the 30,000 men of the SS Corps only about 800 survived to reach the German lines.
Commanders
- SS-Brigadeführer Gustav LombardGustav LombardGustav Lombard was an SS Brigadeführer who served in World War II. During World War II, Lombard commanded the 8. SS-Division Florian Geyer, 23. SS-Mountain Division Kama and the 31. SS-Volunteer Grenadier Division...
, (March 1942 - April 1942) - SS-Gruppenführer Hermann FegeleinHermann FegeleinSS-Obergruppenführer Hans Georg Otto Hermann Fegelein was a General of the Waffen-SS in Nazi Germany, a member of Adolf Hitler's entourage, brother-in-law to Eva Braun through his marriage to her sister, Gretl, and husband of the sister-in-law to Adolf Hitler through Hitler's marriage to Eva...
, (April 1942 - August 1942) - SS-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm BittrichWilhelm BittrichWilhelm Bittrich was an SS-Obergruppenführer and Waffen-SS General during World War II.-Overview:...
, (August 1942 - 15 February 1943) - SS-Brigadeführer Fritz FreitagFritz FreitagFritz Freitag was a Brigadeführer in the Waffen SS during World War II. He was the commander of the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division Galicia and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He committed suicide at the end of the war in May 1945.-Early years:Fritz Freitag was born on 28 April 1894,...
, (15 February 1943 - 20 April 1943) - SS-Brigadeführer Gustav LombardGustav LombardGustav Lombard was an SS Brigadeführer who served in World War II. During World War II, Lombard commanded the 8. SS-Division Florian Geyer, 23. SS-Mountain Division Kama and the 31. SS-Volunteer Grenadier Division...
, (20 April 1943 - 14 May 1943) - SS-Gruppenführer Hermann FegeleinHermann FegeleinSS-Obergruppenführer Hans Georg Otto Hermann Fegelein was a General of the Waffen-SS in Nazi Germany, a member of Adolf Hitler's entourage, brother-in-law to Eva Braun through his marriage to her sister, Gretl, and husband of the sister-in-law to Adolf Hitler through Hitler's marriage to Eva...
, (14 May 1943 - 13 September 1943) - SS-Gruppenführer Bruno StreckenbachBruno StreckenbachBruno Heinrich Streckenbach held the rank of SS-Brigadeführer , when he was the head of Amt I : Administration and Personnel of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt , but eventually achieved the rank of SS-Gruppenführer both in Allgemeine-SS and Waffen-SS...
, (13 September 1943 - 22 October 1943) - SS-Gruppenführer Hermann FegeleinHermann FegeleinSS-Obergruppenführer Hans Georg Otto Hermann Fegelein was a General of the Waffen-SS in Nazi Germany, a member of Adolf Hitler's entourage, brother-in-law to Eva Braun through his marriage to her sister, Gretl, and husband of the sister-in-law to Adolf Hitler through Hitler's marriage to Eva...
, (22 October 1943 - 1 January 1944) - SS-Gruppenführer Bruno StreckenbachBruno StreckenbachBruno Heinrich Streckenbach held the rank of SS-Brigadeführer , when he was the head of Amt I : Administration and Personnel of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt , but eventually achieved the rank of SS-Gruppenführer both in Allgemeine-SS and Waffen-SS...
, (1 January 1944 - 14 April 1944) - SS-Brigadeführer Gustav LombardGustav LombardGustav Lombard was an SS Brigadeführer who served in World War II. During World War II, Lombard commanded the 8. SS-Division Florian Geyer, 23. SS-Mountain Division Kama and the 31. SS-Volunteer Grenadier Division...
, (14 April 1944 - 1 July 1944) - SS-Brigadeführer Joachim RumohrJoachim RumohrJoachim Rumohr was a Brigadeführer und Generalmajor in the Waffen SS, during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves...
, (1 July 1944 - 11 Feb 1945)
Order of battle
- SS-Cavalry Regiment 15
- SS-Cavalry Regiment 16
- SS-Cavalry Regiment 17
- SS-Cavalry Regiment 18
- SS-Artillery Regiment 8
- 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 8 - SS-Reconnaissance Battalion 8
- SS-Signals Battalion 8
- SS-Pionier Battalion 8
- SS-Flak Battalion 8
- SS-Reserve Battalion 8
- 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 8 - SS-Radfahr Reconnaissance Battalion 8
- SS-Ski-Battalion
- SS-Verwaltungsstruppen 8
- SS-Medical Battalion 8
- SS-Veterinary Company 8
- SS-Field post troop
- SS-Kriegsberichter platoon (mot) 8
- SS-FeldgendarmerieFeldgendarmerieThe Feldgendarmerie were the uniformed military police units of the armies of the German Empire from the mid 19th Century until the conclusion of World War II.- Early history :...
-Troop 8 - SS-Krankenkraftwagen platoon
See also
External links
- Marcus Wendel, Axis History Factbook, Waffen SS units (8. SS-Kavallerie-Division Florian Geyer)