Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland
Encyclopedia
The Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland was an élite German Heer
ceremonial and combat unit which saw action during World War II. The regiment served in the campaigns in France and the Low Countries in 1940. It then served exclusively on the Eastern Front
until the end of the war. It was annihilated near Pillau in May 1945.
Großdeutschland is sometimes mistakenly perceived to be part of the Waffen-SS
, whereas it was actually a unit of the regular German Army (Heer). In 1942 it was expanded to become the Großdeutschland Division
, the best-equipped division in the Wehrmacht
, which received equipment before all other units (including some Waffen-SS units).
, Germany's armed forces (the Reichswehr
), was limited to just 100,000 men. The Weimar Republic
was far from secure. Veterans were forming private groups with their own political agendas (see Freikorps
for an example). Communist and Fascist groups battled in the streets, and the threat of political overthrow was to be taken seriously.
To offset the threat of revolution, the Wachregiment Berlin was founded in early 1921. Besides defending the fledgling republic, the Wachregiment was used for ceremonial and representative duties such as parades and guard duties in the capital. The Wachregiment was short-lived, and was disbanded in June 1921. However, the unit was soon reformed as Kommando der Wachtruppe (lit. Guard Troop Command), a unit with the same duties as the Wachregiment.
The Wachtruppe comprised seven companies, each drawn from one of the seven divisions permitted Germany by the treaty
. Each company served for three months before returning to their parent division. In this way, the Wachtruppe represented the whole Reichswehr.
The Kommando was based at Moabit Barracks, and every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, performed a changing of the guard
ceremony for the public. This ceremony was quite modest, but on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursdays the entire Wachtruppe, accompanied by the regimental band, marched from the barracks through the Brandenburg Gate
and to the War Memorial at the Neue Wache
, similar to the changing of the Queen's Guard
at Buckingham Palace
.
The Wachtruppe was left in place by the NSDAP leadership after Adolf Hitler
's appointment
as Chancellor
in 1933. In 1934, the unit was renamed Wachtruppe Berlin and in 1936 the addition of a headquarters and administration company raised the unit size to eight companies.
In June 1937, the unit was again renamed, this time to Wach Regiment Berlin. The recruitment system was reworked, with postings no longer on divisional lines, but instead individual soldiers were posted to the unit for 6-month tours of duty. A supply company was also added to the Regiment's order of battle
.
In World War I, Germany had been more of a political concept than a nation, and most divisions were still named for their region (e.g. Saxon
, Prussia
n, Bavaria
n, Baden
etc.). Under the NSDAP, the country had been finally united
as a true Deutschland, but this was only a part of the Party's plans for a Greater Germany, encompassing all Germanic peoples under one banner, and with its capital in Berlin, to be renamed Germania
it was to become a Großdeutschland
.
The Wach Regiment Berlin provided escorts and guards of honour for state visits, conferences and even the Olympic Games
.
Despite the fact that Hitler's personal security was in the hands of the SS
Leibstandarte, on the outbreak of World War II a small detachment was drawn from the Wach Regiment to become Hitler's official state bodyguard. This unit was called the Führer Begleit ("Führer Escort") battalion, and was to eventually be expanded to divisional size (see Führer-Begleit Division).
Strasse every Sunday. However they were not to stay out of the front lines for long.
In the first week of 1939, Hitler ordered that the Wach Regiment be renamed Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland. The unit was now to have a permanent cadre, and unlike other regiments of the German Army (which were raised from a particular region), the recruits of the Großdeutschland were to be drawn from across the nation. The unit was officially activated on 14 June 1939, and the occasion was marked by a parade through the streets of the capital.
The regiment was being reorganized in September 1939, and did not take part in Fall Weiss, a fact that dented the pride of the regiment which bore the name of the nation on their sleeves. However, in May 1940, the Regiment was attached to Generalfeldmarschall
Ewald von Kleist
's Panzergruppe Kleist and saw combat from the beginning of Fall Gelb, the invasion of the West, on 10 May 1940.
On the first day of the invasion, the majority of the Großdeutschland regiment was attached to the 10th Panzer Division and engaged fighting its way through Luxembourg
in an attempt to outflank southern Belgian fortifications. Meanwhile, III. Battalion was involved in an airborne attack further north in Belgium. The regiment was then involved in the successful crossing of the Meuse
river. Near the town of Stonne
, the regiment was involved in heavy fighting with French armoured forces, and acquitted itself well.
The regiment then marched north towards Dunkirk, and was involved in defeating the British counterattack at Arras
. Großdeutschland was then involved in holding the Dunkirk pocket, before being transferred south to join the attack across the Seine
. The French surrender found the regiment in Lyon
. After a stopover in Paris to take part in the German victory parade, the regiment was then sent north to Celsace in preparation for Operation Sea Lion, the projected invasion of Britain. After Sea Lion was called off, the regiment was moved to the south of France in preparation for Operation Felix
, the planned invasion of Gibraltar
.
, before the regiment was moved back north into Poland in preparation for Operation Barbarossa
.
For the invasion of the Soviet Union, the regiment was attached to Generalfeldmarschall Fedor von Bock
's Heeresgruppe Mitte
. After crossing the border on 27 June 1941, the regiment was involved in the battles around Minsk
and the creation of the Minsk pocket. Großdeutschland then crossed the Dnieper and advanced on Yelnya
, where it was involved in heavy fighting and suffered heavy losses. After the reduction of the Yelnya salient, the regiment advanced again and took part in the Battle of Kiev
. The end of the year saw Großdeutschland providing support to three Infantry divisions engaged holding the Oka River
line near Orel
.
The Soviet winter offensive cost the regiment dearly, and in early February the skeletal II. Battalion was dissolved and the survivors used to bolster the other battalions. Later in the month, the two Grenadier Battalions were reformed into a single under strength battalion. After over 9 months of heavy fighting, Großdeutschland was pulled out of the line and reinforced. The disbanded battalions were reinstated and the regiment was allowed a few weeks rest.
On 1 Apr 1942, While resting and refitting near Orel, the Regiment reorganized and expanded to become Infanterie-Division Großdeutschland (mot)
. The existing Regiment was renamed Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland 1, and was joined in the Division by Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland 2, which had been formed in Berlin. Supporting units in the form of a Panzer
battalion, an assault gun
battalion and increased flak, artillery
and engineers were added with the upgrade to divisional status.
The veterans of "GD 1" had a very poor relationship with the new infantry regiment from the outset, as no cadre personnel of the existing Infantry Regiment GD were used to form the new organization. Little contact took place between the two units, and they were known to each other by derogatory nicknames. When Oberst Lorenz left GD 1 to command the division, this rocky relationship deteriorated even more as he apparently paid little attention to the second GD regiment and favoured his old unit.
After the reorganization, the Großdeutschland Division was assigned to XLVIII.Panzerkorps
during the opening phases of Fall Blau, the assault on Stalingrad. The division took part in the successful attacks to cross the upper Don river and to capture Voronezh
. In August, the division was pulled back to the north bank of the Donets and held as a mobile reserve and fire-brigade counterattack force.
, the Regiment was involved in heavy winter fighting with the rest of the Division near Rzhev
. The exhausted division then took part in Generaloberst Erich von Manstein
's abortive Operation Wintergewitter
, the operation to relieve Stalingrad.
took part in the Third Battle of Kharkov
. The division fought alongside the 1.SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, 2.SS Division Das Reich and 3.SS Division Totenkopf during these battles. After the fall of Kharkov, the Großdeutschland was pulled back and refitted. This included equipping the division with a company of Tiger I
tanks.
The 1st Battalion of Grenadier Regiment GD was re-equipped at this time with a handful of Sd Kfz 251 vehicles, mainly command vehicles but also some troop carriers (SPW
), and by the fighting at Kharkov, the battalion under Major Otto-Ernst Remer was fully mechanized in 83 Sd.Kfz 251s - and the battalion became very prominent in regimental and even divisional operations. The Füsilier Regiment did not receive SPWs until the spring of 1944.
of Generaloberst Hermann Hoth
, and was to take a major role (again paired with the SS-Panzerkorps) in Operation Citadel, the battles to sever the Kursk
salient. During the buildup period, a battalion of new Panther Ausf. D
tanks came under the operational control of Großdeutschland. After the launch of Citadel, the division was heavily engaged in the fight to penetrate the southern flank of the salient. The new Panthers did not perform very well, suffering from engine fires and many breaking down before reaching the battle. Despite this, the division fought on until it was pulled back to Tomarovka on 18 July 1943.
before being transferred back to XLVIII Panzerkorps in late August. For the rest of 1943, Großdeutschland was engaged in the fighting withdrawal from the eastern Ukraine, taking part in battles around Kharkov, Belgorod
, and finally on the Dnieper, ending the year fighting strong enemy forces near Michurin-Rog, east of Kryvyi Rih
. It was during this period that the division earned the nickname "die Feuerwehr" (The Fire Brigade).
The Panzergrenadier Regiment GD was a 4-battalion organization in 1944, though by June it was reduced to three.
Over the next months, the division continued moving from crisis-point to crisis-point across the front. The division, less the Panzer Regiment, was involved in heavy fighting from the Dniester
to Northern Bessarabia
. In early May 1944, the division, as a part of LVII.Panzerkorps took part in the Battle of Târgul Frumos, near Iaşi
in Romania
, an impressive defensive action which was the focus of several NATO studies during the Cold War
. The 1st Company of the regiment, under Leutnant Dieter Bernhagen, was wiped out to the last man during a Russian armoured attack. Oberst Lorenz, the regimental commander, led from the front in his command vehicle and played a very personal role in these actions, earning the Oakleaves to his Knight's Cross.
The division was next involved in the fighting around Podul. After a brief rest in early July, the division was again committed to heavy fighting in northern Romania
. In late July, the division was transferred to East Prussia
. Over the next months, Großdeutschland was involved in heavy fighting in both East Prussia and the Baltic States
, suffering immense casualties in both men and materiel. At Wilkowischken
, a moderately successful counter-attack from East Prussia into Lithuania, the Panzergrenadier Regiment GD mounted a frontal attack with the SPWs of the 1st Battalion battling into the village itself, as the Panzer Regiment and Panzerfüsiliers effected a flanking attack.
The success was short lived, and the division was forced to withdraw into Germany, where it was virtually annihilated during the battles in the Memel
bridgehead.
and surrendered to British forces. The majority of the men were left behind and were forced to surrender to the Russians where they were to face an often fatal and indefinite amount of time in Russian forced labor camps (Gulags).
As a celebration of their elite status, the Großdeutschland was permitted to wear unique insignia. An intertwined GD was displayed on the shoulder straps, and a cuff title, of the type granted to Waffen-SS units, was also distributed. The original version, which was silver writing on a green background left the unit unimpressed. Silver on green was the same colour as the LANDZOLL (Customs Service) cuff title
. In 1940, a new cuff band, this one silver on black (like the SS) was greeted happily. The cuff titles may be one reason that the Großdeutschland is often mistakenly identified as Waffen-SS formation.
To distinguish between the two, the Großdeutschland was ordered to wear their cuff title on the right sleeve, while the SS wore theirs on the left.
The cuff band was not awarded until after a soldier had completed his trade training and was accepted into the division. In one instance, the cuff bands were removed from a unit for poor performance in combat; the 17th (Motorcycle) Company of Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland lost the privilege of wearing the cuff band for a brief period after the beginning of the invasion of the Soviet Union, but earned for themselves the right to wear it again with a successful attack on an enemy position.
As with all items of German military dress, older patterns were permitted to be "worn out" once newer patterns were available, and the older green cuff titles could still be seen worn in Russia by veterans of the original GD Regiment.
After expansion to a division, the Regiment wore a white numeral "1" on the shoulder strap, later replaced with the wearing of white loops across the straps, to distinguish from the second GD regiment who wore red loops. Even after redesignation as a Panzergrendier regiment, the white waffenfarbe (branch colour) was retained.
Part of the photographic presentation of the book included the photo of an officer where the GD cuff title is clearly visible. The official GD history by Helmuth Spaeter mentions only that "Draconian measures were occasionally required to halt looting by the civilian population" in Belgrade. The events of 21 April in Pančevo are not discussed directly, though many references are made to "security duties" in Yugoslavia.
The subject of Grossdeutschland's complicity in war crimes was the subject of the book by Omer Bartov
The Eastern Front, 1941–45, German Troops, and the Barbarization of Warfare (1986, ISBN 0-312-22486-9). The link, however, between GD's and atrocities is never fully realized. A complete discussion is available at the GD for CM website.
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
ceremonial and combat unit which saw action during World War II. The regiment served in the campaigns in France and the Low Countries in 1940. It then served exclusively on 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...
until the end of the war. It was annihilated near Pillau in May 1945.
Großdeutschland is sometimes mistakenly perceived to be part of the Waffen-SS
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...
, whereas it was actually a unit of the regular German Army (Heer). In 1942 it was expanded to become the Großdeutschland Division
Großdeutschland Division
The Großdeutschland Division was an elite Heer combat unit of the Wehrmacht. The Großdeutschland was considered to be the premier unit of the German Army and as such it was one of best-equipped unit of the German Armed Forces, receiving equipment before all other units.- Early history -...
, the best-equipped division in the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The 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:...
, which received equipment before all other units (including some Waffen-SS units).
Creation and early history -
Wachregiment Berlin After the Treaty of VersaillesTreaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
, Germany's armed forces (the Reichswehr
Reichswehr
The Reichswehr formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935, when it was renamed the Wehrmacht ....
), was limited to just 100,000 men. The Weimar Republic
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic is the name given by historians to the parliamentary republic established in 1919 in Germany to replace the imperial form of government...
was far from secure. Veterans were forming private groups with their own political agendas (see Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
for an example). Communist and Fascist groups battled in the streets, and the threat of political overthrow was to be taken seriously.
To offset the threat of revolution, the Wachregiment Berlin was founded in early 1921. Besides defending the fledgling republic, the Wachregiment was used for ceremonial and representative duties such as parades and guard duties in the capital. The Wachregiment was short-lived, and was disbanded in June 1921. However, the unit was soon reformed as Kommando der Wachtruppe (lit. Guard Troop Command), a unit with the same duties as the Wachregiment.
The Wachtruppe comprised seven companies, each drawn from one of the seven divisions permitted Germany by the treaty
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
. Each company served for three months before returning to their parent division. In this way, the Wachtruppe represented the whole Reichswehr.
The Kommando was based at Moabit Barracks, and every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, performed a changing of the guard
Guard Mounting
Guard Mounting, or Changing the Guard , refers to a formal ceremony in which sentries providing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries...
ceremony for the public. This ceremony was quite modest, but on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursdays the entire Wachtruppe, accompanied by the regimental band, marched from the barracks through the Brandenburg Gate
Brandenburg Gate
The Brandenburg Gate is a former city gate and one of the most well-known landmarks of Berlin and Germany. It is located west of the city centre at the junction of Unter den Linden and Ebertstraße, immediately west of the Pariser Platz. It is the only remaining gate of a series through which...
and to the War Memorial at the Neue Wache
Neue Wache
The Neue Wache is a building in central Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is located on the north side of the Unter den Linden, a major east-west thoroughfare in the centre of the city. Dating from 1816, the Neue Wache was designed by the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel and is a leading example...
, similar to the changing of the Queen's Guard
Queen's Guard
The Queen's Guard and Queen's Life Guard are the names given to contingents of infantry and cavalry soldiers charged with guarding the official royal residences in London...
at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
.
The Wachtruppe was left in place by the NSDAP leadership after Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's appointment
Machtergreifung
Machtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
as Chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
in 1933. In 1934, the unit was renamed Wachtruppe Berlin and in 1936 the addition of a headquarters and administration company raised the unit size to eight companies.
In June 1937, the unit was again renamed, this time to Wach Regiment Berlin. The recruitment system was reworked, with postings no longer on divisional lines, but instead individual soldiers were posted to the unit for 6-month tours of duty. A supply company was also added to the Regiment's order of battle
Order of battle
In modern use, the order of battle is the identification, command structure, strength, and disposition of personnel, equipment, and units of an armed force participating in field operations. Various abbreviations are in use, including OOB, O/B, or OB, while ORBAT remains the most common in the...
.
In World War I, Germany had been more of a political concept than a nation, and most divisions were still named for their region (e.g. Saxon
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....
, Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n, Baden
Baden
Baden is a historical state on the east bank of the Rhine in the southwest of Germany, now the western part of the Baden-Württemberg of Germany....
etc.). Under the NSDAP, the country had been finally united
Gleichschaltung
Gleichschaltung , meaning "coordination", "making the same", "bringing into line", is a Nazi term for the process by which the Nazi regime successively established a system of totalitarian control and tight coordination over all aspects of society. The historian Richard J...
as a true Deutschland, but this was only a part of the Party's plans for a Greater Germany, encompassing all Germanic peoples under one banner, and with its capital in Berlin, to be renamed Germania
Welthauptstadt Germania
Welthauptstadt Germania refers to the projected renewal of the German capital Berlin during the Nazi period, part of Adolf Hitler's vision for the future of Germany after the planned victory in World War II...
it was to become a Großdeutschland
Großdeutschland
Großdeutschland is German for "Greater Germany" or "Big Germany." It can refer to:* Kleindeutschland and Großdeutschland, two competing ideas for unifying German-speaking lands in the 19th century; advocates of Großdeutschland wished for a single German state that included Austria as the answer to...
.
The Wach Regiment Berlin provided escorts and guards of honour for state visits, conferences and even the Olympic Games
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
.
Despite the fact that Hitler's personal security was in the hands of the SS
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...
Leibstandarte, on the outbreak of World War II a small detachment was drawn from the Wach Regiment to become Hitler's official state bodyguard. This unit was called the Führer Begleit ("Führer Escort") battalion, and was to eventually be expanded to divisional size (see Führer-Begleit Division).
Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland - France and The Low Countries In the months leading up to War, while the rest of the Wehrmacht Heer marched into The Saarland, Austria and Czechoslovakia, the men of Wach Regiment Berlin marched up and down Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden is a boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is named for its linden trees that line the grassed pedestrian mall between two carriageways....
Strasse every Sunday. However they were not to stay out of the front lines for long.
In the first week of 1939, Hitler ordered that the Wach Regiment be renamed Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland. The unit was now to have a permanent cadre, and unlike other regiments of the German Army (which were raised from a particular region), the recruits of the Großdeutschland were to be drawn from across the nation. The unit was officially activated on 14 June 1939, and the occasion was marked by a parade through the streets of the capital.
The regiment was being reorganized in September 1939, and did not take part in Fall Weiss, a fact that dented the pride of the regiment which bore the name of the nation on their sleeves. However, in May 1940, the Regiment was attached to 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...
Ewald von Kleist
Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist
Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist was a leading German field marshal during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
's Panzergruppe Kleist and saw combat from the beginning of Fall Gelb, the invasion of the West, on 10 May 1940.
On the first day of the invasion, the majority of the Großdeutschland regiment was attached to the 10th Panzer Division and engaged fighting its way through Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
in an attempt to outflank southern Belgian fortifications. Meanwhile, III. Battalion was involved in an airborne attack further north in Belgium. The regiment was then involved in the successful crossing of the Meuse
Meuse
Meuse is a department in northeast France, named after the River Meuse.-History:Meuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
river. Near the town of Stonne
Stonne
Stonne is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France.-History:This small village, consisting of only a handful of farmsteads, was heavily contested during the invasion of France in the Second World War...
, the regiment was involved in heavy fighting with French armoured forces, and acquitted itself well.
The regiment then marched north towards Dunkirk, and was involved in defeating the British counterattack at Arras
Arras
Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...
. Großdeutschland was then involved in holding the Dunkirk pocket, before being transferred south to join the attack across the Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
. The French surrender found the regiment in Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
. After a stopover in Paris to take part in the German victory parade, the regiment was then sent north to Celsace in preparation for Operation Sea Lion, the projected invasion of Britain. After Sea Lion was called off, the regiment was moved to the south of France in preparation for Operation Felix
Operation Felix
Operation Felix was the codename for a proposed German seizure of Gibraltar during World War II. It never got beyond the staff study stage, even though planning continued into 1944, primarily because of Francisco Franco's reluctance to commit Spain to enter the war on the Axis...
, the planned invasion of Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
.
Yugoslavia - Barbarossa
After the cancellation of Felix, the Großdeutschland was moved east to Romania to take part in the Yugoslav campaign then in progress. The regiment's operations in this campaign were mostly pursuing the broken Yugoslav forces. I. Battalion was involved in the occupation of BelgradeBelgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, before the regiment was moved back north into Poland in preparation for Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
.
For the invasion of the Soviet Union, the regiment was attached to Generalfeldmarschall Fedor von Bock
Fedor von Bock
Fedor von Bock was a German Generalfeldmarshall who served in the Wehrmacht during the Second World War. As a leader who lectured his soldiers about the honor of dying for the German Fatherland, he was nicknamed "Der Sterber"...
's Heeresgruppe Mitte
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
. After crossing the border on 27 June 1941, the regiment was involved in the battles around Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
and the creation of the Minsk pocket. Großdeutschland then crossed the Dnieper and advanced on Yelnya
Yelnya
Yelnya is a town and the administrative center of Yelninsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Desna River from Smolensk. Population: -History:...
, where it was involved in heavy fighting and suffered heavy losses. After the reduction of the Yelnya salient, the regiment advanced again and took part in the Battle of Kiev
Battle of Kiev (1941)
The Battle of Kiev was the German name for the operation that resulted in a very large encirclement of Soviet troops in the vicinity of Kiev during World War II. It is considered the largest encirclement of troops in history. The operation ran from 23 August – 26 September 1941 as part of Operation...
. The end of the year saw Großdeutschland providing support to three Infantry divisions engaged holding the Oka River
Oka River
Oka is a river in central Russia, the largest right tributary of the Volga. It flows through the regions of Oryol, Tula, Kaluga, Moscow, Ryazan, Vladimir, and Nizhny Novgorod and is navigable over a large part of its total length, as far upstream as to the town of Kaluga. Its length exceeds...
line near 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...
.
The Soviet winter offensive cost the regiment dearly, and in early February the skeletal II. Battalion was dissolved and the survivors used to bolster the other battalions. Later in the month, the two Grenadier Battalions were reformed into a single under strength battalion. After over 9 months of heavy fighting, Großdeutschland was pulled out of the line and reinforced. The disbanded battalions were reinstated and the regiment was allowed a few weeks rest.
Infantry Regiment
Großdeutschland 11 April 1942Großdeutschland Division
The Großdeutschland Division was an elite Heer combat unit of the Wehrmacht. The Großdeutschland was considered to be the premier unit of the German Army and as such it was one of best-equipped unit of the German Armed Forces, receiving equipment before all other units.- Early history -...
. The existing Regiment was renamed Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland 1, and was joined in the Division by Infanterie-Regiment Großdeutschland 2, which had been formed in Berlin. Supporting units in the form of a 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, an assault gun
Assault gun
An assault gun is a gun or howitzer mounted on a motor vehicle or armored chassis, designed for use in the direct fire role in support of infantry when attacking other infantry or fortified positions....
battalion and increased flak, artillery
Artillery
Originally 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...
and engineers were added with the upgrade to divisional status.
The veterans of "GD 1" had a very poor relationship with the new infantry regiment from the outset, as no cadre personnel of the existing Infantry Regiment GD were used to form the new organization. Little contact took place between the two units, and they were known to each other by derogatory nicknames. When Oberst Lorenz left GD 1 to command the division, this rocky relationship deteriorated even more as he apparently paid little attention to the second GD regiment and favoured his old unit.
After the reorganization, the Großdeutschland Division was assigned to XLVIII.Panzerkorps
German XLVIII Panzer Corps
The XLVIII Panzer Corps , originally called the XLVIII Motorized Corps, was a corps level formation of the German Heer which saw extensive action on both the eastern and western fronts during World War II.-History:The corps was originally formed on 15 December 1940 in Germany as the XLVIII Motorized...
during the opening phases of Fall Blau, the assault on Stalingrad. The division took part in the successful attacks to cross the upper Don river and to capture Voronezh
Voronezh
Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway...
. In August, the division was pulled back to the north bank of the Donets and held as a mobile reserve and fire-brigade counterattack force.
Grenadier Regiment
Großdeutschland 1 October 1942 On 1 Oct 1942, the Regiment was renamed "Grenadier Regiment Großdeutschland". Their counterparts became Füsilier Regiment GD. After the Soviet Operation UranusOperation Uranus
Operation Uranus was the codename of the Soviet strategic operation in World War II which led to the encirclement of the German Sixth Army, the Third and Fourth Romanian armies, and portions of the German Fourth Panzer Army. The operation formed part of the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad, and was...
, the Regiment was involved in heavy winter fighting with the rest of the Division near 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:...
. The exhausted division then took part in Generaloberst Erich von Manstein
Erich von Manstein
Erich von Manstein was a field marshal in World War II. He became one of the most prominent commanders of Germany's World War II armed forces...
's abortive Operation Wintergewitter
Operation Wintergewitter
Operation Winter Storm was a German offensive in World War II, undertaken between 12–23 December 1942, in which the German 4th Panzer-Armee failed to break the encirclement of Axis forces during the Battle of Stalingrad....
, the operation to relieve Stalingrad.
Kharkov
In January–February 1943, Großdeutschland and XLVIII.Panzerkorps, along with the II SS Panzer CorpsII 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 :...
took part in the Third Battle of Kharkov
Third Battle of Kharkov
The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of offensive operations on the Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by the German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov , between 19 February and 15 March 1943...
. The division fought alongside the 1.SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, 2.SS Division Das Reich and 3.SS Division Totenkopf during these battles. After the fall of Kharkov, the Großdeutschland was pulled back and refitted. This included equipping the division with a company of Tiger I
Tiger I
Tiger I is the common name of a German heavy tank developed in 1942 and used in World War II. The final official German designation was Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. E, often shortened to Tiger. It was an answer to the unexpectedly formidable Soviet armour encountered in the initial months of...
tanks.
The 1st Battalion of Grenadier Regiment GD was re-equipped at this time with a handful of Sd Kfz 251 vehicles, mainly command vehicles but also some troop carriers (SPW
SdKfz 251
The Sd.Kfz. 251 half-track was an armored fighting vehicle designed and first built by Hanomag company during World War II. The largest and best armored of the wartime half-tracks, the Sd.Kfz. 251 was designed to transport the panzergrenadiers of the German mechanized infantry corps into battle....
), and by the fighting at Kharkov, the battalion under Major Otto-Ernst Remer was fully mechanized in 83 Sd.Kfz 251s - and the battalion became very prominent in regimental and even divisional operations. The Füsilier Regiment did not receive SPWs until the spring of 1944.
Panzergrenadier Regiment Großdeutschland
In June 1943, with the addition of armoured personnel carriers and a company of Tiger tanks, the division was redesignated Panzergrenadier-Division Großdeutschland, and Großdeutschland 1 was renamed "Panzergrenadier Regiment "Großdeutschland". Their counterpart in the division was named "Panzerfüsilier Regiment Großdeutschland".Kursk
The newly re-equipped division was attached to the 4.Panzer-ArmeeGerman Fourth Panzer Army
The 4th Panzer Army was, before being designated a full army, the Panzer Group 4 , a German panzer army that saw action during World War II. Its units played a part in the invasion of France, and then on the Eastern Front.-Early history:The 4th Panzer Group's predecessor was the XVI Corps formed...
of Generaloberst Hermann Hoth
Hermann Hoth
Hermann "Papa" Hoth was an officer in the German military from 1903 to 1945. He attained the rank of Generaloberst during World War II. He fought in France, but is most noted for his later exploits as a panzer commander on the Eastern Front...
, and was to take a major role (again paired with the SS-Panzerkorps) in Operation Citadel, the battles to sever the Kursk
Kursk
Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history...
salient. During the buildup period, a battalion of new Panther Ausf. D
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...
tanks came under the operational control of Großdeutschland. After the launch of Citadel, the division was heavily engaged in the fight to penetrate the southern flank of the salient. The new Panthers did not perform very well, suffering from engine fires and many breaking down before reaching the battle. Despite this, the division fought on until it was pulled back to Tomarovka on 18 July 1943.
Defensive battles
After the disastrous Kursk offensive, the division was transferred back to Heeresgruppe Mitte, and resumed its role as mobile reserve. GD saw heavy fighting around KarachevKarachev
Karachev is an old town in Karachevsky District of Bryansk Oblast, Russia. In the Middle Ages, it was the capital of one of the Upper Principalities, until its rulers moved their seat to Peremyshl. Its old architecture was heavily damaged during the World War II...
before being transferred back to XLVIII Panzerkorps in late August. For the rest of 1943, Großdeutschland was engaged in the fighting withdrawal from the eastern Ukraine, taking part in battles around Kharkov, Belgorod
Belgorod
-Twin towns/sister cities:Belgorod is twinned with: Wakefield, England, United Kingdom Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Palembang, South Sumatra, Indonesia Opole, Poland Vyshhorod, Ukraine Kharkiv, Ukraine-External links:...
, and finally on the Dnieper, ending the year fighting strong enemy forces near Michurin-Rog, east of Kryvyi Rih
Kryvyi Rih
Kryvyi Rih or Krivoy Rog is a city in central Ukraine. It is situated in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, to the southwest of the oblast's administrative center, Dnipropetrovsk, at the confluence of the Inhulets and Saksahan rivers...
. It was during this period that the division earned the nickname "die Feuerwehr" (The Fire Brigade).
1944
Großdeutschland continued fighting in the area of Krivoi-Rog early in January 1944 until it was transferred west for rest and refit. During this period, 1./Panzer Regiment 26 (Panther) joined the Panzer Regiment GD, and GD's I. Battalion moved to France to refit and train with the new tanks; they did not rejoin the Division until after the Normandy invasion.The Panzergrenadier Regiment GD was a 4-battalion organization in 1944, though by June it was reduced to three.
Over the next months, the division continued moving from crisis-point to crisis-point across the front. The division, less the Panzer Regiment, was involved in heavy fighting from the Dniester
Dniester
The Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe. It runs through Ukraine and Moldova and separates most of Moldova's territory from the breakaway de facto state of Transnistria.-Names:...
to Northern Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
. In early May 1944, the division, as a part of LVII.Panzerkorps took part in the Battle of Târgul Frumos, near Iaşi
Iasi
Iași is the second most populous city and a municipality in Romania. Located in the historical Moldavia region, Iași has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Romanian social, cultural, academic and artistic life...
in 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...
, an impressive defensive action which was the focus of several NATO studies during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. The 1st Company of the regiment, under Leutnant Dieter Bernhagen, was wiped out to the last man during a Russian armoured attack. Oberst Lorenz, the regimental commander, led from the front in his command vehicle and played a very personal role in these actions, earning the Oakleaves to his Knight's Cross.
The division was next involved in the fighting around Podul. After a brief rest in early July, the division was again committed to heavy fighting in northern 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...
. In late July, the division was transferred to East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
. Over the next months, Großdeutschland was involved in heavy fighting in both East Prussia and the Baltic States
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
, suffering immense casualties in both men and materiel. At Wilkowischken
Vilkaviškis
Vilkaviškis Until 1940 the city had a large Jewish Community which was annihilated by the Nazis and their local collaborators. The whole Jewish population was killed in a single day,, after the entry of the Germans into the city.-Names:...
, a moderately successful counter-attack from East Prussia into Lithuania, the Panzergrenadier Regiment GD mounted a frontal attack with the SPWs of the 1st Battalion battling into the village itself, as the Panzer Regiment and Panzerfüsiliers effected a flanking attack.
The success was short lived, and the division was forced to withdraw into Germany, where it was virtually annihilated during the battles in the Memel
Battle of Memel
The Battle of Memel or the Siege of Memel took place when the Soviets launched their Memel Offensive Operation in late 1944. The offensive led to a three-month siege against German forces in a small bridgehead in the town and its port....
bridgehead.
1945
By March 1945, the Division Großdeutschland had been reduced to around 4,000 men. These escaped by ferry from the collapsing Memel bridgehead. They landed at Pillau and were put straight back into combat. By 25 April 1945, the division ceased to exist, having been completely destroyed in the battles around Pillau. Of the few survivors a few hundred were able to make their way to Schleswig-HolsteinSchleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
and surrendered to British forces. The majority of the men were left behind and were forced to surrender to the Russians where they were to face an often fatal and indefinite amount of time in Russian forced labor camps (Gulags).
Großdeutschland Insignia
 |
 |
As a celebration of their elite status, the Großdeutschland was permitted to wear unique insignia. An intertwined GD was displayed on the shoulder straps, and a cuff title, of the type granted to Waffen-SS units, was also distributed. The original version, which was silver writing on a green background left the unit unimpressed. Silver on green was the same colour as the LANDZOLL (Customs Service) cuff title
Cuff title
A cuff title is a form of insignia placed on the sleeve, near the cuff of German military and paramilitary uniforms, most commonly seen in the Second World War but also seen postwar....
. In 1940, a new cuff band, this one silver on black (like the SS) was greeted happily. The cuff titles may be one reason that the Großdeutschland is often mistakenly identified as Waffen-SS formation.
To distinguish between the two, the Großdeutschland was ordered to wear their cuff title on the right sleeve, while the SS wore theirs on the left.
The cuff band was not awarded until after a soldier had completed his trade training and was accepted into the division. In one instance, the cuff bands were removed from a unit for poor performance in combat; the 17th (Motorcycle) Company of Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland lost the privilege of wearing the cuff band for a brief period after the beginning of the invasion of the Soviet Union, but earned for themselves the right to wear it again with a successful attack on an enemy position.
As with all items of German military dress, older patterns were permitted to be "worn out" once newer patterns were available, and the older green cuff titles could still be seen worn in Russia by veterans of the original GD Regiment.
After expansion to a division, the Regiment wore a white numeral "1" on the shoulder strap, later replaced with the wearing of white loops across the straps, to distinguish from the second GD regiment who wore red loops. Even after redesignation as a Panzergrendier regiment, the white waffenfarbe (branch colour) was retained.
Commanders
| Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland (12 June 1939- April 1942) | ||
| Oberstleutnant (later Oberst) Wilhelm-Hunert von Stockhausen | 12 June 1939 - 10 August 1941 | |
| Oberst Gerhard Graf von Schwerin Gerhard von Schwerin Gerhard Helmuth Detloff Graf von Schwerin was a German army General in World War II. As General der Panzertruppe, he was tasked with defending the city of Aachen while in command of the 116th Panzer Division "Windhund" .By the time the 3rd US Armored Division reached Aachen on 13 September 1944,... (Temporary Command) |
early May 1940 | |
| Oberst Walter Hörnlein Walter Hörnlein Walter "Papa" Hörnlein was a General der Infanterie in the Wehrmacht during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield... |
10 August 1941 - 1 April 1942 | |
| Infantry Regiment GD 1 (1 Apr 1942 - 1 Oct 1942) Grenadier Regiment GD (1 Oct 1942 - June 1943) Panzergrenadier Regiment GD (June 1943 - 8 May 1945) |
||
| Oberst Köhler | 1 Apr 1942 - 1 Dec 1942 (Killed in Action) | |
| Oberst Karl Lorenz | 1 Dec 1942 - 14 Dec 1942 | |
| Oberst Kurt Moehring | 14 Dec 1942 - 14 Jan 1943 | |
| Oberst Karl Lorenz | 14 Jan 1943 - 1 August 1944 | |
| Major Hugo Schimmel | 1 August 1944 - August 1944 | |
| Major Harald Kriegk (?) | October 1944 | |
| Major Wolfgang Heesemann | November 1944 - Feb 1945 (Killed in Action) | |
| Major Krützman | Feb 1945 - War's End | |
Infantry Regiment GD
- HANERT, Karl, Oberleutnant, 4th Company. Jeljna, Soviet Union, 23 Aug 1941.
- FRANTZ, PeterPeter FrantzPeter Ulrich Frantz was a highly decorated Major in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, Oberleutnant, 16th (Assault Gun) Company. Borisovka, Soviet Union, 4 Jun 1942. - GREIM, Alfred, Oberstleutnant, 2nd Battalion Commander. Kishkino/Tula, Soviet Union, 4 Jun 1942.
- BLUMENTHAL, Carl-LudwigCarl-Ludwig BlumenthalCarl-Ludwig Paul Max Rudolf Blumenthal was a highly decorated Hauptmann in the Wehrmacht during World War II and an Oberstleutnant in the Bundeswehr. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, Oberleutnant, 7th Company Commander, Infantry Rgt. Woronesh, Soviet Union, 18 Sep 1942.
Infantry Regiment GD 1
- KLEMM, Hans, Unteroffizier, 2nd Company. Belogurovo, Soviet Union, 10 Dec 1942.
Grenadier Regiment GD
- GEHRKE, Kurt, Oberstleutnant, 1st Battalion Commander. Kusovlevo, Soviet Union, 8 Feb 1943.
- REMER, Otto-ErnstOtto Ernst RemerOtto-Ernst Remer was a German Wehrmacht officer who played a decisive role in stopping the 1944 20 July Plot against Adolf Hitler. During the war he was wounded nine times in combat...
, Major 1st Battalion Commander. Kharkov, Soviet Union, 18 May 1943.
Panzergrenadier Regiment GD
- KONOPKA, GerhardGerhard KonopkaGerhard Konopka was a highly decorated Major der Reserves 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 and was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
, Oberleutnant der Reserves, 2nd Battalion Commander. Alissova, Soviet Union, 29 Aug 1943. - SCHWARZROCK, Rudolf, Major, 1st Battalion Commander. Tragul Frumos, 19 Aug 1944.
- CZORNY, Wilhelm, Gefreiter, 2nd Company. Doblen, 4 Oct 1944.
- BIELIG, MartinMartin BieligMartin Bielig was a highly decorated Oberfeldwebel 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...
, Oberfeldwebel, 17th (Infantry Gun) Company. Schaulen, 7 Oct 1944. - PLICKAT, Fritz, Feldwebel, 2nd Battalion. Luoke, 9 Dec 1944.
- SOMMER, Clemens, Major, 2nd Battalion. Luoke, 18 Jan 1944.
- HEESEMAN, Wolfgang, Oberst, Regimental Commander. 17 Feb 1945.
- PFAU, Otto, Hauptmann, 1st Battalion. 23 Mar 1945.
Assault Gun Brigade GD
- Hans-Hermann SturmHans-Hermann SturmHans-Hermann Sturm was an Hauptmann in the Wehrmacht during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany....
, Oberleutnant, 3./SturmGeschBrig "Großdeutschland" , 9 June 1944
Panzer Füsilier Regiment GD
- Hans Roeger, Unteroffizier, 1./PzFüsRgt "Großdeutschland" , 24 September 1944
Holders of the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
- REMER, Otto-ErnstOtto Ernst RemerOtto-Ernst Remer was a German Wehrmacht officer who played a decisive role in stopping the 1944 20 July Plot against Adolf Hitler. During the war he was wounded nine times in combat...
, Major, 1st Battalion Commander, Panzer Grenadier Regiment GD. Dniepr, 12 Nov 1943. - LORENZ, Karl, Oberst, Regimental Commander, Panzer Grenadier Regiment GD. Krivoj Rog, 12 Feb 1944.
Infanterie Regiment "Großdeutschland" March 1942
Stab der Regiment
- First Battalion (I./Inf Rgt Grossdeutschland)
- 1.Kompanie
- 2.Kompanie
- 3.Kompanie
- 4.(MG) Kompanie
- Schwere Kompanie
- Second Battalion (II./Inf Rgt Grossdeutschland)
- 5.Kompanie
- 6.Kompanie
- 7.Kompanie
- 8.(MG) Kompanie
- Schwere Kompanie
- Third Battalion (III./Inf Rgt Grossdeutschland)
- 9.Kompanie
- 10.Kompanie
- 11.Kompanie
- 12.(MG) Kompanie
- Schwere Kompanie
- Fourth Battalion (IV./Inf Rgt Grossdeutschland)
- 13.(Light Infantry Gun) Kompanie
- 14.(Panzerjäger) Kompanie
- 15.(Heavy Infantry Gun) Kompanie
- 16.(Sturmgeschütz) Kompanie
- Fifth Battalion (V./Inf Rgt Grossdeutschland)
- 17.(Aufklärungs) Kompanie
- 18.(Pionier) Kompanie
- 19.(Nachrichten) Kompanie
- 20.(FlaK) Kompanie
- Artillery Battalion 400
- Supply Column 400
- Workshop Company
Panzergrenadier Regiment "Großdeutschland" September 1943
- Regimental Headquarters
- Headquarters Company
- signals platoon
- pioneer platoon
- motorcycle platoon
- Headquarters Company
- I. (SPW) Battalion (At the beginning of June 1943, 83 SPW halftracks arrived to equip the first battalion of the Grenadier Regiment.)
- Headquarters
- 1. Company
- Headquarters
- Rifle Platoon - light anti-tank rifle team, three squads, each with 2 LMGs
- Rifle Platoon
- Rifle Platoon
- Heavy Platoon - 4 HMGs, two 81 mm mortars, heavy anti-tank rifle team
- Headquarters
- 2. Company - as above
- 3. Company - as above
- 4. (MG) Company
- HQ Platoon
- Mortar Platoon
- Light Infantry Support Platoon
- 5. (Heavy) Company
- II. (Motorized) Battalion
- 6. Company - as 1 above
- 7. Company - as 1 above
- 8. Company - as 1above
- 9. (MG) Company - as 4 above
- 10. (Heavy) Company - as 5 above
- III. (Motorized) Battalion
- 11. Company - as 1 above
- 12. Company - as 1 above
- 13. Company - as 1 above
- 14. (MG) Company - as 4 above
- 15. (Heavy) Company - as 5 above
- IV. (Heavy) Battalion
- 16. (FlaK) Company
- 17. (Infantry Gun) Company
- 18. (Panzerjäger) Company
- 1st Platoon self-propelled
War Crimes
The book German Army and Genocide (ISBN 1565845250) mentions the following incident, from the invasion of Yugoslavia:When one German soldier was shot and one seriously wounded in PančevoPancevoPančevo is a city and municipality located in the southern part of Serbian province of Vojvodina, 15 km northeast from Belgrade. In 2002, the city had a total population of 77,087, while municipality of Pančevo had 127,162 inhabitants. It is the administrative center of the South Banat...
, Wehrmacht soldiers and the Waffen SS rounded up about 100 civilians at random... the town commander, Lt. Col. Fritz Bandelow conducted the courts martial... The presiding judge, SS-Sturmbannführer Rudolf Hoffmann, sentenced 36 of those arrested to death. On April 21, 1941, four of the civilians were the first to be shot... On the following day eighteen victims were hanged in a cemetery and fourteen more were shot at the cemetery wall by an execution squad of the Wehrmacht's Grossdeutschland regiment. (p. 42)
Part of the photographic presentation of the book included the photo of an officer where the GD cuff title is clearly visible. The official GD history by Helmuth Spaeter mentions only that "Draconian measures were occasionally required to halt looting by the civilian population" in Belgrade. The events of 21 April in Pančevo are not discussed directly, though many references are made to "security duties" in Yugoslavia.
The subject of Grossdeutschland's complicity in war crimes was the subject of the book by Omer Bartov
Omer Bartov
Omer Bartov is the John P. Birkelund Distinguished Professor of European History and Professor of History and Professor of German Studies at Brown University....
The Eastern Front, 1941–45, German Troops, and the Barbarization of Warfare (1986, ISBN 0-312-22486-9). The link, however, between GD's and atrocities is never fully realized. A complete discussion is available at the GD for CM website.
Printed references
- de Lannoy, François and Jean-Claude Perrigault La division Grossdeutschland ("The Grossdeutschland Division from Regiment to Panzerkorps 1939–1945") French edition, Editions Heimdal
- Lee, Cyrus A. Soldat: The World War Two German Army Combat Uniform Collector's Guide (Volume V: Uniforms and Insignia of Panzerkorps Grossdeutschland 1939–1945) (Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, Missoula, Montana, 1993) ISBN 0929521765
- Lucas, James Germany's Elite Panzer Force: Grossdeutschland (MacDonald's and Jane's, London, 1978) ISBN 0354011650
- Quarrie, Bruce Panzer-Grenadier Division "Grossdeutschland" (VANGUARD series book, Osprey Publishing Group, London, UK. 1977. US version published in 1978 by Squadron/Signal Publications, Warren, Michigan.) ISBN 0850450551
- Sajer, Guy The Forgotten Soldier (English translation of the title Le Soldat Oublié), Harper & Row, 1990 ISBN 0-08-037437-9
- Scheibert, Horst (Bruce Culver Editor) Panzer Grenadier Division Grossdeutschland (English version by Squadron Signal Publications, Carrollton, Texas, 1987) ISBN 089747061
- Sharpe, Michael and Brian L. Davis GROSSDEUTSCHLAND: Guderian's Eastern Front Elite, Compendium Publishing Ltd, 2001 ISBN 0-7110-2854-0.
- Solarz, Jacek. Division/Korps "Großdeutschland" 1943–1945 Vol. II. (Polish/English edition by Wydawnictwo "Militaria", Warsaw, 2005) ISBN 8372192375
Web resources
- Dorosh, Michael. Grossdeutschland for Combat Mission. Retrieved April 8, 2005.
- Pipes, Jason. "Panzergrenadier-Division Großdeutschland". Retrieved April 8, 2005.
- "Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. (Follow links for Infanterie Division Großdeutschland (mot).) Retrieved April 8, 2005.
- Brandenburg Historica (2006). " Grossdeutschland: Von der Wachtruppe zum Panzerkorps". Updated May 8, 2006.
- Wendel, Marcus (2005). "Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland". Retrieved April 8, 2005.