SS Volunteer Grenadier Brigade Landstorm Nederland
Encyclopedia
The 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Landstorm Nederland. was a Waffen SS Division during World War II
. It was formed by the converting the SS Volunteer Grenadier-Brigade Landstorm Nederland into a division. It comprised volunteers of Dutch
background and saw action on the Western Front, but its strength never reached more than a brigade.
Their logo features the Wolfsangel
rune.
encouraged his followers to join the new formation.
In 1940 Arthur Seyss-Inquart
, the Reichskommissar
for the Netherlands
, had approved the creation of an NSB paramilitary police formation named Landwacht Niederlande. The Landwacht served as an auxiliary police force and was involved in the rounding up of Jews
, Communists and other groups deemed undesirable by the Seyss-Inquart and the NSB.
On 12 March 1943, the Waffen SS ordered the formation of a Dutch volunteer regiment, the SS-Grenadier Regiment 1 Landwacht Niederlande. Unlike the Nederland brigade, the Landwacht Niederlande was to be a territorial defence unit, and so recruits did not have to fear service on the Eastern Front
. Recruits for the Landwacht Niederlande flowed in. Service in the regiment meant a job, money, food and an escape from forced labour in munitions factories. Added to this, the regiment was not officially a part of the SS, and so the SS runes were not present on the volunteers uniforms, with the traditional grenade of Landwacht units being worn in its place.
While many recruits were drawn from the paramilitary formation of the same name, a recruitment drive resulted in 130 Dutch veterans from the 5.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking and 11.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland
transferring to the new formation. While these veterans provided the cadre of NCOs
for the new formation, the formation was officered by German SS men, and no Dutchman was ever promoted to a higher rank than company commander.
On 16 October 1943, the regiment's title was changed to SS-Grenadier-Regiment 1 Landstorm Nederland. By this time the regiment numbered 2,400 men and was still growing. Mussert was pleased, and together with the Nederland Brigade, he saw the Dutch SS as the forerunners of a new Dutch army. However, Hanns Albin Rauter
, head of the SS and Police for the Netherlands planned to firmly bring the NSB under SS control, and the Nederland and Landstorm formations were steps in this direction.
Bernard Montgomery's 21st Army Group began its advance along the Channel Coast towards Germany. In early September, two battalions of the Landstorm were rushed to the front in Belgium. The formation was tasked with defending the Albert Canal
around the areas of Merksem
and Hasselt
. Poorly armed and with minimal combat experience, the two battalions fared poorly during a battle with the Free-Dutch Koninklijke Nederlandse Brigade "Prinses Irene" and was soon forced to withdraw.
On 17 September, Montgomery launched Operation Market Garden
an airborne offensive aimed at securing a crossing over the Rhine at Arnhem
, in the central-eastern part of the Netherlands. The Landstorm's III. Battalion was completing its training near Hoogeveen
. The partially trained and equipped formation was attached to the 9.SS-Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen
and sent into combat against the British 1st Airborne Division
in Arnhem. Having little faith in the Dutch volunteers' combat ability, the Hohenstaufen's commander held them back from action for as long as possible. On 21 September, the III./Landstorm was committed to action near the town of Elst
on the Arnhem-Nijmegen highway (in the Eastern part of the Betuwe
, then known as men's island or "Manneneiland" due to it being enclosed by large rivers and all civilians having been evacuated). After holding the town for several days, the Landstorm was finally pushed back by the British 43rd (Wessex) Division. The battalion was pulled out of the line on 25 September.
On 10 February 1945, the Landstorm again had its status raised. It was now to be designated 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Landstorm Nederland.. Despite this fact, the unit could hardly muster the strength of a weak brigade. The Division was almost immediately ordered to relieve Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 7, at that time defending the Rhine, in the area between Betuwe
and Rhenen
. Much of the area had been flooded to assist the overstretched German forces in their defence. Facing the division was the Koninklijke Nederlandse Brigade "Prinses Irene", the British 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division
and several Canadian formations. The morale
of the Division suffered when facing the Princess Irene, as the men were hesitant to fight their own countrymen, and several members had relatives serving with the Princess Irene.
Despite this, the division fought well, capturing a British strong point near Zetten
. However, under sustained combat, morale continued to drop and desertions increased. A plot to assassinate several officers and surrender leaked, and the responsible men were court martialed and shot. As the war drew to a close, attacks on the civilian population by the division increased, and the men of the 84th SS Volunteer Grenadier Regiment in particular were involved in several atrocities. Forced back to the area near Oosterbeek
, the remnants of the division surrendered on 5 May 1945.
A small unit of fanatics held out in the village of Veenendaal, engaging in combat with the Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten
until surrendering on 9 May to the 49th (West Riding) Division.
As collaborators, the majority of the survivors were imprisoned, and several were murdered in acts of revenge.
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 by the converting the SS Volunteer Grenadier-Brigade Landstorm Nederland into a division. It comprised volunteers of Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
background and saw action on the Western Front, but its strength never reached more than a brigade.
Their logo features the Wolfsangel
Wolfsangel
The Wolfsangel is a symbol. It is also known as the Wolf's Hook or Doppelhaken. The upright variant is also known as "thunderbolt" and the horizontal variant as "werewolf"....
rune.
Concept and Formation
After the successful formation of the 4.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland, it was decided that a second Dutch SS formation should be raised. The recruits were drawn mostly from the Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging (the Dutch Nazi Party). The NSB leader, Anton MussertAnton Mussert
Anton Adriaan Mussert was one of the founders of the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands and its de jure leader. As such, he was the most prominent national socialist in the Netherlands before and during the Second World War...
encouraged his followers to join the new formation.
In 1940 Arthur Seyss-Inquart
Arthur Seyss-Inquart
Arthur Seyss-Inquart was a Chancellor of Austria, lawyer and later Nazi official in pre-Anschluss Austria, the Third Reich and for wartime Germany in Poland and the Netherlands...
, the Reichskommissar
Reichskommissar
Reichskommissar , in German history, was an official gubernatorial title used for various public offices during the period of the German Empire and the Nazi Third Reich....
for the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, had approved the creation of an NSB paramilitary police formation named Landwacht Niederlande. The Landwacht served as an auxiliary police force and was involved in the rounding up of Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
, Communists and other groups deemed undesirable by the Seyss-Inquart and the NSB.
On 12 March 1943, the Waffen SS ordered the formation of a Dutch volunteer regiment, the SS-Grenadier Regiment 1 Landwacht Niederlande. Unlike the Nederland brigade, the Landwacht Niederlande was to be a territorial defence unit, and so recruits did not have to fear service 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...
. Recruits for the Landwacht Niederlande flowed in. Service in the regiment meant a job, money, food and an escape from forced labour in munitions factories. Added to this, the regiment was not officially a part of the SS, and so the SS runes were not present on the volunteers uniforms, with the traditional grenade of Landwacht units being worn in its place.
While many recruits were drawn from the paramilitary formation of the same name, a recruitment drive resulted in 130 Dutch veterans from the 5.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking and 11.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland
11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
The 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, also known as Kampfverband Waräger, Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 or 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland, was a Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers...
transferring to the new formation. While these veterans provided the cadre of NCOs
Non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
for the new formation, the formation was officered by German SS men, and no Dutchman was ever promoted to a higher rank than company commander.
On 16 October 1943, the regiment's title was changed to SS-Grenadier-Regiment 1 Landstorm Nederland. By this time the regiment numbered 2,400 men and was still growing. Mussert was pleased, and together with the Nederland Brigade, he saw the Dutch SS as the forerunners of a new Dutch army. However, Hanns Albin Rauter
Hanns Albin Rauter
Johann Baptist Albin Rauter was a high-ranking Austrian Nazi war criminal. He was the highest SS and Police Leader in the occupied Netherlands and therefore the leading security and police officer there during the period of 1940-1945...
, head of the SS and Police for the Netherlands planned to firmly bring the NSB under SS control, and the Nederland and Landstorm formations were steps in this direction.
Battles in Belgium and the Netherlands - Market Garden
After the Allied breakout from Normandy, Field MarshalField Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Bernard Montgomery's 21st Army Group began its advance along the Channel Coast towards Germany. In early September, two battalions of the Landstorm were rushed to the front in Belgium. The formation was tasked with defending the Albert Canal
Albert Canal
The Albert Canal is a canal located in northeastern Belgium, named after King Albert I of Belgium. It connects the major cities Antwerp and Liège and the Meuse and Scheldt rivers. It has a depth of , a free height of and a total length of...
around the areas of Merksem
Merksem
Merksem is a district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It has almost 41,000 inhabitants.-History:The history of Merksem goes back to Gallo-Roman times. During that period the region was mentioned as Merk and Heim being part of the diocese Kamerijk...
and Hasselt
Hasselt
Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg...
. Poorly armed and with minimal combat experience, the two battalions fared poorly during a battle with the Free-Dutch Koninklijke Nederlandse Brigade "Prinses Irene" and was soon forced to withdraw.
On 17 September, Montgomery launched Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
an airborne offensive aimed at securing a crossing over the Rhine at Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
, in the central-eastern part of the Netherlands. The Landstorm's III. Battalion was completing its training near Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands.- Population centres :Elim, Fluitenberg, Hoogeveen and Noordscheschut, which still have the canals which used to be throughout the town...
. The partially trained and equipped formation was attached to the 9.SS-Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen
9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen
The 9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen", also known as SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 9, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 9 Hohenstaufen or 9. SS-Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen, was a German Waffen-SS Armoured division which saw action on both the Eastern and Western Fronts during World War II. The...
and sent into combat against the British 1st Airborne Division
British 1st Airborne Division
The 1st Airborne Division was a division of the British airborne forces during the Second World War. The division was formed in 1941, after British Prime Minister Winston Churchill demanded an airborne force...
in Arnhem. Having little faith in the Dutch volunteers' combat ability, the Hohenstaufen's commander held them back from action for as long as possible. On 21 September, the III./Landstorm was committed to action near the town of Elst
Elst (Overbetuwe)
Elst is a town in the municipality of Overbetuwe in the Dutch province of Gelderland. Elst is situated in the Betuwe, between the cities of Nijmegen and Arnhem. Elst has 19,743 inhabitants....
on the Arnhem-Nijmegen highway (in the Eastern part of the Betuwe
Betuwe
The Betuwe is an area in the Netherlands in the province of Gelderland...
, then known as men's island or "Manneneiland" due to it being enclosed by large rivers and all civilians having been evacuated). After holding the town for several days, the Landstorm was finally pushed back by the British 43rd (Wessex) Division. The battalion was pulled out of the line on 25 September.
Brigade - Division - Final Battles
On 1 November, the Landstorm was redesignated SS Volunteer Grenadier Brigade Landstorm Nederland.. The existing three battalions were to form the 83.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment, and the SS-Wachbataillon Nordwest to form the 84.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment. Many of the new recruits were members of the Jeugdstorm, the NSB's youth organisation. After a brief period of refitting, the Landstorm was ordered to take up defensive positions near the Waal and Rhine rivers.On 10 February 1945, the Landstorm again had its status raised. It was now to be designated 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Landstorm Nederland.. Despite this fact, the unit could hardly muster the strength of a weak brigade. The Division was almost immediately ordered to relieve Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 7, at that time defending the Rhine, in the area between Betuwe
Betuwe
The Betuwe is an area in the Netherlands in the province of Gelderland...
and Rhenen
Rhenen
Rhenen is a municipality and a city in the central Netherlands.The municipality also includes the villages of Achterberg, Remmerden, Elst and Laareind. The town lies at a geographically interesting location, namely on the southernmost part of the chain of hills known as the Utrecht Hill Ridge ,...
. Much of the area had been flooded to assist the overstretched German forces in their defence. Facing the division was the Koninklijke Nederlandse Brigade "Prinses Irene", the British 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division
British 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division
This military division was formed on 1 April 1908 as the West Riding Division in the Territorial Force of the British Army.- First World War :...
and several Canadian formations. The morale
Morale
Morale, also known as esprit de corps when discussing the morale of a group, is an intangible term used to describe the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others...
of the Division suffered when facing the Princess Irene, as the men were hesitant to fight their own countrymen, and several members had relatives serving with the Princess Irene.
Despite this, the division fought well, capturing a British strong point near Zetten
Zetten
Zetten is a village in the Overbetuwe municipality, Gelderland, Netherlands. The village is located in the Betuwe.This is also the base of the youth-clinic Ottho Gerard Heldringstichting, which was quite famous in the Netherlands.-History:...
. However, under sustained combat, morale continued to drop and desertions increased. A plot to assassinate several officers and surrender leaked, and the responsible men were court martialed and shot. As the war drew to a close, attacks on the civilian population by the division increased, and the men of the 84th SS Volunteer Grenadier Regiment in particular were involved in several atrocities. Forced back to the area near Oosterbeek
Oosterbeek
Oosterbeek is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is located in the municipality of Renkum, about 5 km west of Arnhem.The oldest part of the village of Oosterbeek is the Benedendorp , on the northern bank of the river Rhine...
, the remnants of the division surrendered on 5 May 1945.
A small unit of fanatics held out in the village of Veenendaal, engaging in combat with the Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten
Dutch resistance
Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized by its prominent non-violence, summitting in over 300,000 people in hiding in the autumn of 1944, tended to by some 60,000 to 200,000 illegal landlords and caretakers and tolerated knowingly...
until surrendering on 9 May to the 49th (West Riding) Division.
As collaborators, the majority of the survivors were imprisoned, and several were murdered in acts of revenge.
Commanders
- SS-Oberführer Viktor Knapp (11 May 1943 - 1 April 1944)
- SS-Obersturmbannführer Deurheit (1 April 1944 - 5 November 1944)
- SS-Standartenführer Martin KohlroserMartin KohlroserMartin Kohlroser was a SS-Oberführer in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the German Cross in Gold....
(5 November 1944 - 8 May 1945)
34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Landstorm Nederland
- Division HQ
- SS-Feldersatz-Battalion 60
- Grenadier-Regiment 1
- SS Volunteer Grenadier Regiment 83 (3rd Dutch)
- SS Volunteer Grenadier Regiment 84 (4th Dutch)
- SS Artillery Regiment 60
- 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 60 - SS Pionier Company 60
- SS Signals Company 60
- SS Veterinary Company 60
- S Field post Department 60
- SS Medical Company 60
See also
- Grenadier, The Netherlands in World War IIThe Netherlands in World War IIThe history of the Netherlands from 1939 to 1945 covers the events in the Netherlands that took place under the German occupation that started on May 10, 1940 with the Battle of the Netherlands. The Netherlands hoped to stay neutral when World War II broke out in 1939 but this failed to happen when...
, Waffen-SSWaffen-SSThe Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside... - Division (military)Division (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
, Military unit - WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
, List of German military units of World War II