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3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf

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3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf

The 3rd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf" (German: 3. SS-Panzerdivision "Totenkopf") was an elite division of the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II, formed from the Standarten of the SS-TV. Its name, Totenkopf, is German for "death's head" – the skull and crossbones symbol – and it is thus sometimes referred to as the Death's Head Division. The division was formed through the expansion of Kampfgruppe Eicke, a battle group named – in keeping with German military practice – after its commander, Theodor Eicke. Most of the battle group's personnel had been transferred to the Waffen-SS from concentration camp guard units, which were known collectively as SS-Totenkopfverbände; others were former members of Selbstschutz: ethnic German militias that had committed war crimes in Poland. The division became notorious for its brutality, and committed numerous war crimes, including the Le Paradis and Chasselay massacres. The remnants of the division surrendered on 9 May 1945 to American forces in Czechoslovakia.

Infobox

Active
1939–45
Country
Nazi Germany
Branch
Waffen-SS
Type
Panzer
Role
Armoured warfare
Size
Division
Nickname
Death's Head Division
Engagements
mw- li World War II Eastern Front Budapest Offensive Operation Konrad III Operation Spring Awakening
Notablecommanders
mw- Theodor EickeMax Simon

Tables

· Commanders
1
1
No.
1
Commander
Eicke, TheodorSS-GruppenführerTheodor Eicke(1892–1943)
Took office
1 November 1939
Left office
7 July 1941
Time in office
1 year, 248 days
2
2
No.
2
Commander
Kleinheisterkamp, MatthiasSS-OberführerMatthias Kleinheisterkamp(1893–1945)
Took office
7 July 1941
Left office
18 July 1941
Time in office
11 days
3
3
No.
3
Commander
Keppler, GeorgSS-BrigadeführerGeorg Keppler(1894–1966)
Took office
18 July 1941
Left office
19 September 1941
Time in office
63 days
1
1
No.
1
Commander
Eicke, TheodorSS-ObergruppenführerTheodor Eicke(1892–1943)
Took office
19 September 1941
Left office
26 February 1943 †
Time in office
1 year, 160 days
4
4
No.
4
Commander
Priess, HermannSS-GruppenführerHermann Priess(1901–1985)
Took office
26 February 1943
Left office
27 April 1943
Time in office
60 days
5
5
No.
5
Commander
Lammerding, HeinzSS-GruppenführerHeinz Lammerding(1905–1971)
Took office
27 April 1943
Left office
1 May 1943
Time in office
4 days
4
4
No.
4
Commander
Priess, HermannSS-GruppenführerHermann Priess(1901–1985)
Took office
1 May 1943
Left office
20 June 1944
Time in office
1 year, 50 days
6
6
No.
6
Commander
Ullrich, KarlSS-StandartenführerKarl Ullrich(1910–1996)Acting
Took office
20 June 1944
Left office
13 July 1944
Time in office
23 days
7
7
No.
7
Commander
Becker, HellmuthSS-BrigadeführerHellmuth Becker(1902–1953)
Took office
13 July 1944
Left office
8 May 1945
Time in office
311 days
No.
Portrait
Commander
Took office
Left office
Time in office
1
Eicke, TheodorSS-GruppenführerTheodor Eicke(1892–1943)
1 November 1939
7 July 1941
1 year, 248 days
2
Kleinheisterkamp, MatthiasSS-OberführerMatthias Kleinheisterkamp(1893–1945)
7 July 1941
18 July 1941
11 days
3
Keppler, GeorgSS-BrigadeführerGeorg Keppler(1894–1966)
18 July 1941
19 September 1941
63 days
1
Eicke, TheodorSS-ObergruppenführerTheodor Eicke(1892–1943)
19 September 1941
26 February 1943 †
1 year, 160 days
4
Priess, HermannSS-GruppenführerHermann Priess(1901–1985)
26 February 1943
27 April 1943
60 days
5
Lammerding, HeinzSS-GruppenführerHeinz Lammerding(1905–1971)
27 April 1943
1 May 1943
4 days
4
Priess, HermannSS-GruppenführerHermann Priess(1901–1985)
1 May 1943
20 June 1944
1 year, 50 days
6
Ullrich, KarlSS-StandartenführerKarl Ullrich(1910–1996)Acting
20 June 1944
13 July 1944
23 days
7
Becker, HellmuthSS-BrigadeführerHellmuth Becker(1902–1953)
13 July 1944
8 May 1945
311 days

References

  1. Official designation in German language as to "Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv* in Freiburg im Breisgau, stores of the Wehrma
  2. SS-Totenkopf: The History of the 'Death's Head' Division, 1940–45 (Waffen-SS Divisional Histories)
  3. Stein 1984, pp. 32–35.
  4. Stein 1984, p. 259.
  5. Sydnor 1990, pp. 37, 44.
  6. Stein 1984, p. 34.
  7. Niehorster, Leo W. G. German World War II Organizational Series, Vol. 2/II: Mechanized GHQ units and Waffen-SS Formation
  8. Flaherty 2004, p. 152.
  9. "Soldiers of Destruction: The SS Death's Head Division, 1933–1945" p. 93
  10. "Hitler's Elite: The SS 1939–45" p. 170
  11. The Axis Forces 14
    https://books.google.com/books?id=slLsDwAAQBAJ
  12. Harman 1980, p. 100.
  13. Revue du Nord
    https://www.cairn.info/revue-du-nord-2001-4
  14. Cooper 2004.
  15. Jackson 2001, pp. 285–288.
  16. Thunder at Prokhorovka: A Combat History of Operation Citadel, Kursk, July 1943
    https://books.google.com/books?id=kahZBAAAQBAJ&q=Andreyevka+psel&pg=PA386
  17. Tamelander M, Zetterling, N, Avgörandets Ögonblick, p. 279.
  18. Stein 1984, p. 238.
  19. Dollinger 1967, p. 182.
  20. Soldiers of Destruction: The SS Death's Head Division, 1933–1945
    https://books.google.com/books?id=QYU4QJsUWLYC
  21. Był rok 1939. Operacja niemieckiej policji bezpieczeństwa w Polsce. Intelligenzaktion
    https://web.archive.org/web/20141129035451/http://pamiec.pl/download/49/34737/BYLROK1939.pdf
  22. Prof. Dietrich Eichholtz (2004), »Generalplan Ost« zur Versklavung osteuropäischer Völker. Archived 24 June 2008 at the
    http://www.rosalux.de/cms/fileadmin/rls_uploads/pdfs/167eichholtz.pdf
  23. Raffael Scheck: Hitler's African victims. The German Army massacres of Black French soldiers in 1940. Cambridge UP 2006,
    http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/ecip0515/2005018176.html
  24. SS-Oberführer Max Simon was the "official" commander (on paper) of the 3rd SS-Panzer Division from 26 February 1943 to 2
  25. Ullrich, Karl "Wie Ein Fels Im Meer" pg. 13
  26. GORDON WILLIAMSON: "The SS Hitler's Instrument of the power"; published by KAISER; appendix, page 244, "Schlachtordnung
  27. MILITÄRISCHES STUDIENGLOSAR ENGLISCH Teil II/ Teil III, Deutsch – Englisch, Abkürzung Begriff, Bundessprachenamt (Stand
  28. Official designation as to "Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv" in Freiburg im Breisgau, stores of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS.
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