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All Waffen-SS divisions were ordered in a single series of numbers as formed, regardless of type.[1] Those with ethnic groups listed were at least nominally recruited from those groups. Many of the higher-numbered units were divisions in name only, being in reality only small battlegroups (Kampfgruppen).
As a general rule, an "SS Division" is made up of mostly Germans, or other Germanic people, while a "Division of the SS" is made up of mostly non-Germanic volunteers.
Waffen-SS divisions by number
editNumber | Division Name (in German) |
Ethnic composition | Named after | Years Active | Insignia | Maximum Manpower |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st | Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler | Germans and 300 Italians after 8/9/1943 | Life Regiment Adolf Hitler | 1933–1945 | 22,000 (1944)[2] | |
2nd | Das Reich | Germans | Greater Germanic Reich | 1939–1945 | 19,021 (1941)[1] | |
3rd | Totenkopf | Germans | Totenkopf | 1939–1945 | 18,754 (1941)[1] | |
4th | Polizei | Germans | Ordnungspolizei | 1939–1945 | 17,347 (1941)[1] | |
5th | Wiking | Germans, Norwegians, Danes, Swedes, Icelanders, Finns, Estonians, Dutch, Flemish, Walloons, and Swiss[3] | Vikings | 1940–1945 | 19,377 (1941)[1] | |
6th | Nord | Germans | North cardinal direction (Operation Arctic Fox) |
1941–1945 | 15,000 (1943)[1] | |
7th | Prinz Eugen | Germans, ethnic Germans from Banat, Croatia, Hungary, and Romania, small numbers of ethnic Serbs, Croats and Albanians after 1943 | Prince Eugene of Savoy | 1941–1945 | 18,000 (1943)[citation needed] | |
8th | Florian Geyer | Germans | Florian Geyer | 1941–1945 | 15,000 (1944)[citation needed] | |
9th | Hohenstaufen | Germans | Hohenstaufen dynasty | 1943–1945 | 19,611 (1943) | |
10th | Frundsberg | Germans | Georg von Frundsberg | 1943–1945 | 19,313 (1943) | |
11th | Nordland | Germans, Romanian Germans, Swedes, Danes, and Norwegians | Northland | 1943–1945 | 11,749 (1943) | |
12th | Hitlerjugend | Germans and 50 italians after 8/9/1943 | Hitler Youth | 1943–1945 | 21,482 (1943) | |
13th | Handschar (Kroatische Nr. 1) |
Bosniaks; Croats; Albanians; ethnic Germans from Croatia | Khanjar dagger | 1943–1945 | 21,000 (1943)[4] | |
14th | Galizische Nr. 1 | Ukrainians | Galicia | 1943–1945 | 22,000 (1945) | |
15th | Lettische Nr. 1 | Latvians | 1943–1945 | 18,000 (1943) | ||
16th | Reichsführer-SS | Germans | Reichsführer-SS (Heinrich Himmler) |
1943–1945 | 17,500 (1943) | |
17th | Götz von Berlichingen | Germans and 500 italians after 8/9/43 | Götz von Berlichingen | 1943–1945 | 18,354 (1944) | |
18th | Horst Wessel | Ethnic Germans from Hungary | Horst Wessel | 1944–1945 | 11,000 (1944) | |
19th | Lettische Nr. 2 | Latvians | 1944–1945 | 11,000 (1944) | ||
20th | Estnische Nr. 1 | Estonians | 1944–1945 | 15,000 (1944) | ||
21st | Skanderbeg (Albanische Nr. 1) |
Albanians | Skanderbeg | 1944–1945 | 11,398 (1944) | |
22nd | Maria Theresia | Ethnic Germans from Hungary | Maria Theresa | 1944–1945 | 8,000 (1944) | |
23rd | Kama (Kroatische Nr. 2) |
Croats and Bosniaks | Kama dagger | 1944 | 2,199 (1944) | |
23rd | Nederland (Niederländische Nr. 1) |
Dutch | Netherlands | 1941–1945 | 6,000 (1944) | |
24th | Karstjäger | Germans; ethnic German volunteers from Italy and Slovenia | Karst topography | 1942–1945 | 4,000 (1944) | |
25th | Hunyadi (Ungarische Nr. 1) |
Hungarians | John Hunyadi | 1944–1945 | 15,000 (1944) | |
26th | Hungaria (Ungarische Nr. 2) |
Hungarians | Hungary | 1944–1945 | 10,000 (1944) | |
27th | Langemarck (Flämische Nr. 1) |
Flemish | Battle of Langemarck (1917) | 1943–1945 | 8,000 (1944) | |
28th | Wallonien | Walloons | 1943–1945 | 5,000 (1944) | ||
29th | Italienische Nr. 1 | Italians | 1944–1945 | 11,000 (1944) | ||
30th | Russische Nr. 2 aka Weißruthenische Nr. 1 | Belarusians | White Ruthenia | 1944–1945 | 11,000 (1944) | |
31st | Batschka | Ethnic Germans mostly from Hungary and Yugoslavia | Bačka region | 1944–1945 | 11,000 (1944) | |
32nd | 30. Januar | Germans | Date of Hitler becoming Chancellor (also date of formation) | 1945 | 12,000 (1945)[5] | |
33rd | Ungarische Nr. 3 | Hungarians | 1944–1945 | |||
33rd | Charlemagne (Französische Nr. 1) |
French | Charlemagne | 1944–1945 | 11,000 (1944) | |
34th | Landstorm Nederland (Niederländische Nr. 2) |
Dutch | Netherlands Landsturm | 1943–1945 | ||
35th | Polizei-Grenadier | Germans | Ordnungspolizei | 1945 | ||
36th | Dirlewanger | Germans | SS-Oberführer Oskar Dirlewanger |
1940–1945 | 5,000 (1945) | |
37th | Lützow | Germans; ethnic Germans from Hungary |
Adolf von Lützow | 1945 | ||
38th | Nibelungen | Germans | Nibelung | 1945 | 7,000 |
Also
editNumber | Division Name (in German) |
Ethnic composition | Named after | Years Active | Insignia | Maximum Manpower |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
— | Kempf[a] | Germans | General der Panzertruppe Werner Kempf |
1939 | 164–180 tanks | |
— | Böhmen-Mähren[b] | Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia | 1944–1945 | |||
1st | Kosaken Nr. 1 | Cossacks | 1943–1945 | 17,500[citation needed] | ||
— | RONA (Russische Nr. 1) |
Russians | Russian National Liberation Army (RONA) | 1944 | 13,000 (1943) | |
— | Rumänische Nr. 1 | Romanians | 1944–1945 | 12,000 |
- ^ A temporary unit of mixed Heer and SS-Verfügungstruppe components.
- ^ A separate unit formed from training units in Bohemia and Moravia.
See also
edit- Allgemeine-SS regional commands (for General SS commands and formations)
- List of Waffen-SS division commanders
- List of Waffen-SS units
- Register of SS leaders in general's rank
- SS Panzer Division order of battle
Notes and references
edit- ^ a b c d e f George H. Stein (1984). "Operation Barbarossa". The Waffen SS: Hitler's Elite Guard at War, 1939–1945. Cornell University Press. pp. 119–120. ISBN 0801492750.
- ^ Kane, Steve (1997). The 1st SS Panzer Division in the Battle of the Bulge. Merriam Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-57638-068-0.
- ^ admin (2020-08-04). "5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking" (History, Battles, Org, Service)". Feldgrau. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
- ^ Lepre, George (1997). Himmler's Bosnian Division: The Waffen-SS Handschar Division 1943–1945. Atglen, Philadelphia: Schiffer Publishing. pp. 138–139. ISBN 978-0-7643-0134-6.
- ^ Williamson, Gordon (2012-03-20). The Waffen-SS (4): 24. to 38. Divisions, & Volunteer Legions. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 978-1-78096-578-9.