O SPREY Men-at-Arms PUBLISHING The ‘Hermann Göring’ Division Gordon Williamson Illustrated by Stephen Andrew • Men-at-Arms • 385 The ‘Hermann Göring’ Division Gordon Williamson Illustrated by Stephen Andrew • Series editor Martin Windrow THE ‘HERMANN GÖRING’ DIVISION INTRODUCTION I N EACH BRANCH of the German ground forces during World War II there was one major combat unit which more than any other could truly be considered to have earned the title of an élite, and which was allowed to grow and develop into a much larger and more powerful force than was ever originally envisaged. In the Army this was the Infanterie-Regiment ‘Grossdeutschland’; in the Waffen-SS, the ‘Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler’; and in the Luftwaffe it was, without doubt, the Regiment ‘General Göring’. Hermann Göring was immensely proud of the unit which bore his name, and justifiably so. This force grew from its humble origins as a 400-man police detachment into a full armoured corps, and developed an enviable reputation for combat reliability. The Luftwaffe was effectively a ‘Nazi’ creation, being formed in 1935, two years after Hitler had come to power: Hitler himself once declared, ‘I have a National Socialist air force, a Prussian army and a Christian navy’. Despite the ‘National Socialist’ tag, the premier ground combat Reichsmarschall Hermann unit of the Luftwaffe – though it no doubt had many convinced party Göring, Minister for Aviation and supporters within its ranks – fought a relatively clean war, unlike many commander-in-chief of the other combat units which owed strong political allegiances. Indeed, one Luftwaffe, and founder of the of the ‘Hermann Göring’ Division’s greatest claims to fame during Landespolizeigruppe ‘General World War II was not a military exploit at all, but the saving from almost Göring’ from which ultimately grew the Fallschirm-Panzerkorps certain destruction of the historic treasures of the Benedictine abbey ‘Hermann Göring’. His personal at Monte Cassino. uniform is cut at the collar like the Luftwaffe Waffenrock; above his Pour le Mérite and Knight’s PRE-WAR ORIGINS Cross he displays his unique award of the huge Grand Cross of the Knight’s Cross. In February 1933, immediately after the National Socialist party was voted into power, Captain Hermann Göring, a Great War fighter ace and long-time collaborator with Adolf Hitler, was appointed to the position of Prussian Minister of the Interior, a post that gave him control of the Prussian State Police and brought him general’s rank. He imme- diately set about creating a new detachment, to be staffed from policemen whose reliability and loyalty to the National Socialist regime was unquestionable. Just over 400 men were taken on strength of the new unit, to be commanded by Major der Schutzpolizei Wecke. The unit, based in the Kreuzberg district of Berlin – a notoriously left-wing working-class area – was named after its commander, as Polizei- Abteilung zbV Wecke (‘Police Special Duties Battalion Wecke’). Within just one month the new unit was in action against armed Communist cells in Berlin. In July 1933 the detachment was renamed as 3 Landespolizeigruppe Wecke (‘State Police Group Wecke’); and shortly thereafter once again as Landespolizei- gruppe General Göring. The detachment grew rapidly under Göring’s patronage, and in April 1935 it was formally expanded to regimental status as the Regiment ‘General Göring’, under the command of Oberst- leutnant der Landespolizei Friedrich Wilhelm Jakoby. Just six months after its creation, Göring had his regiment transferred from the Polizei – control of which would pass ultimately to his bitter rival, The driving permit of Jäger Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler – into the newly formed Luftwaffe, Wilhelm Damaske from of which Göring was named commander-in-chief. At that time the I.Abteilung, Regiment ‘General Göring’; these documents regiment consisted of the following elements: were printed on tough oilcloth Regimentstab (HQ staff) material. Note the white Musikkorps (band) edge-piping to the collar of I. & II.Jäger-Bataillonen (light infantry) his four-pocket service tunic, 13.Kradschützen-Kompanie (motorcyclists) and the distinctive white collar patches. (Private collection) 15.Pionier-Kompanie (engineers) Reiterzug (mounted troop) Nachrichtenzug (signals platoon) At the time when Regiment ‘General Göring’ was transferred to the air force, orders were given for the raising of a paratroop battalion. All volunteers for this unit, which was heavily oversubscribed by eager applicants, were concentrated in I.Jäger-Bataillon. At the end of 1937 attempts to disguise the intended use of these troops were abandoned and the volunteers, along with 15.Pionier-Kompanie, were renamed as IV. Fallschirmschützen-Bataillon (‘Parachute Rifle Battalion’). These units remained part of Regiment ‘General Göring’ until March 1938, when they were detached and sent to the training grounds at Stendal to form the cadre for the first of the Luftwaffe’s paratroop units, I./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1. The Regiment ‘General Göring’ – like the Army’s élite Infanterie- Regiment ‘Gross-deutschland’ and the premier Waffen-SS regiment ‘Leibstandarte-SS Adolf Hitler’ – recruited throughout Germany, accepting only candidates of the highest calibre and in peak physical condition. They occupied a brand new purpose-built barracks complex at Berlin-Reinickendorf, constructed to the highest standards and with the most modern of facilities. The complex boasted over 120 buildings and included gymnasia, swimming pools both outdoor and indoor, sports areas, and even its own post office. ‘General Göring’ troops, in their distinctive uniforms with white collar patches and special unit 4 cuffband, soon became a regular sight on the streets of Berlin. Troops of the regiment took part in many of the great pre-war military parades through Berlin. They provided guards for Reichsmarschall Göring’s own headquarters, the changing of the guard often being performed with all due ceremony including the presence of the regiment’s own Musikkorps. The regiment also undertook guard duties at Göring’s private retreat, the sumptuous Karinhall estate (named after his deceased first wife). Among the criteria for acceptance into the regiment were the following: age of 18–25, minimum height of 1.68m (5ft 6ins), German citi- zenship, eligibility for military service, fitness for active service, Aryan ancestry, unmarried status, clean police record and no charges pending, and confirmed open support for the National Socialist state. During the war years a further requirement was added: that the potential volunteer must sign on for a minimum period of 12 years’ service. Such conditions were broadly analogous to those also demanded by the ‘Grossdeutschland’ and the ‘Leibstandarte’. Clearly, however, as the war pro- gressed the scale of combat losses would mean that such restrictive criteria could no longer be sustained in any of these élite formations. Many Luftwaffe personnel were, in effect, simply drafted into the Extract from the Soldbuch ‘Hermann Göring’ Division from other units to make up combat losses. (paybook) of a soldier of the Prior to the outbreak of war, personnel from Regiment ‘General division, showing the man Göring’ participated in the so-called Blumenkrieg (‘Flower Wars’). The passing through Ersatz regiment took part in the annexation of Austria, where it remained for u.Ausbildungs (replacement several weeks on duty in Wiener Neustadt; in the occupation of the training and holding) units in between front line postings; Sudetenland and the march into Prague, after which it undertook guard the last entry is dated 20 duty at the strategically important Skoda vehicle works. By the eve of October 1944. This man was World War II in 1939 the regiment had grown considerably, and had a veteran of the original the following establishment: regiment, as evidenced by Regimentstab the numerous stamps from the replacement battalion Musikkorps of Regt ‘General Göring’; Stabsbatterie (artillery HQ battery) I./Schützenbataillon, Regt I.(schwere) Flak-Abteilung (heavy AA artillery battalion) ‘Hermann Göring’; and II.(leichte) Flak-Abt (light AA battalion) the replacement regiment III.Scheinwerfer-Abt (searchlight battalion) of Div ‘Hermann Göring’. (Private collection) IV.(leichte) Flak-Abt Wachbataillon (Guard, i.e. infantry battalion) Reiterschwadron (mounted squadron) 9. Wachkompanie (infantry) 10. Wachkompanie 11. Wachkompanie Reserve-Scheinwerfer-Abteilung Ersatz-Abteilung (replacement training battalion) (schwere) Eisenbahn Flak-Batterie (heavy railway AA battery) (leichte) Flak-Batterie (light battery) 5 WARTIME DEVELOPMENT An early model StuG III armoured assault gun of the ‘Hermann Göring’. Note that the crew display cuffbands and the Luftwaffe-style white collar patches; from comparison of tones it is hard to tell if they are wearing the Army-style black Panzer vehicle uniform or the field-grey assault artillery equivalent. (Robert Noss) The deadly 8.8cm guns (‘eighty- eights’) which equipped the heavy batteries of the Flak units Blitzkrieg, 1940 proved equally effective in the Most of the regiment remained in Berlin during the Polish campaign anti-aircraft and ground roles of September 1939, providing anti-aircraft cover in the Reichshauptstadt during the May–June 1940 and guards for Göring’s headquarters. Elements of the regiment campaign in the West, where did take part in the spring 1940 campaign in the West; detached troops the Regiment ‘General Göring’ earned the praise of the Army participated in the invasions of Denmark and Norway in April, while units with which it served. This the bulk of the regiment waited near the Dutch border for the order crew are wearing the Zeltbahn to move against France and the Low Countries. The detached elements, camouflage shelter-half rigged under the command of Hauptmann Kluge, were created with a company as a rain poncho, and field from the Wachbataillon together with a 2cm self-propelled Flak-Batterie camouflage on their helmets. (Josef Charita) and a Kradschützen-Kompanie. They took part in the seizure of the airfield and radio station at Esbjerg and the securing of the coastline of Jutland. Subsequently they were transferred by sea to Oslo, where they fought alongside the Army first in the advance to Trondheim, then north up into the Arctic Circle to take the port of Bodo and relieve the pressure on the beleaguered Gebirgs- jäger further north at Narvik. After successfully completing its allotted tasks, Hauptmann Kluge’s detachment was trans- 6 ported home to Berlin. For the May/June 1940 campaign the Regiment ‘General Göring’ was divided into a number of small independent Kampfgruppen, operating in close co-operation with the rapidly advancing Panzer spearheads of the Army. The achievements of its Flak units were particularly appreciated; the superb 8.8cm dual purpose guns of the heavy batteries took a deadly toll of Allied tanks, many of which had heavier armour than their German counterparts. In Holland the unit took part in the crossing of the Maas and the advance into the eastern part of Belgium. There it crossed the Albert Canal against stiff resistance and took part in the capture of Brussels, before entering France. Once on French soil it fought in Flanders, and in a remarkable action at Mormal Wood, where ‘General Göring’ 8.8cm guns engaged French tanks at ranges of literally only a few yards. The regiment was rewarded for its excellent performance by forming part of the honour guard of the Führer-Begleit-Kompanie for the formal armistice ceremony at Compiègne on 21 June 1940. After the successful conclusion of the Western campaign troops from the regiment provided Flak defences in bunkers along the Channel Coast as well as contributing to the anti-aircraft ring around Paris. Eventually, in late 1940, the Regiment ‘General Göring’ returned to Berlin. To the East, 1941 When war erupted in the Balkans in April 1941 the regiment was An Oberfeldwebel from the despatched to Romania for intended attachment to 12. Armee; it was to division in tropical service dress be held in reserve, however, not seeing any combat although it did with the tropical Fliegermütze; the braid-edged NCOs’ version provide AA defences for the strategic Romanian oil fields at Ploesti. of the final pattern HERMANN Prior to the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941 the regiment GÖRING cuffband is just visible had been moved into positions along the River Bug, the dividing line on his lower right sleeve. The between German- and Russian-occupied areas of Poland. Here it formed ‘reporting book’ tucked into the part of II Flak Korps, itself attached to Panzergruppe von Kleist. Fighting tunic front identifies him as ‘der Spiess’– the first sergeant alongside 11. Panzer-Division, the ‘General Göring’ took part in the of his company. (Robert Noss) initial break-through and the advance via Radziechow, where the Flak crews once again excelled themselves in action against Soviet tanks. Then they drove onwards towards Dubno, and participated in the encir- clement of Kiev and Bryansk in the Ukraine. These were hard-fought battles, and the regiment took significant casualties, but once again reinforced its growing reputation for steadfastness in combat. At the end of 1941 the regiment was removed to Germany for rest and refitting; at the same time, however, a newly formed II.Schützen-Bataillon was sent to the Eastern Front, where it was eventually all but decimated in extremely heavy fighting around Juchnow and Anissowo-Goroditsche. Meanwhile, back in the Reich, the Flak elements moved into positions near Munich where they contributed to the city’s anti-aircraft defences for a short period, before being moved once again to locations near Paris, remaining there into the spring of 1942. ‘Hermann Göring’ Brigade & Division: Tunisia and Sicily, 1942–43 In May 1942, work began on upgrading the Regiment ‘General Göring’ to brigade status under the command of Generalmajor Paul Conrath, and during this period the unit served on general occupation and security duties in France. The main order of battle of the new brigade was as follows: 7 Stabskompanie I.Schützen-Regt (infantry – 4 companies, numbered 1.-4.) II.Schützen-Regt (4 companies, 5.-8., plus 9th Infantry Gun Co) III.Schützen-Regt (3 companies: 10th Motorcycle, 11th Armoured Engineer, 13th Anti-Tank) Flak-Regt: I.Flak-Abt (3 heavy & 3 light batteries) II.Flak-Abt (3 heavy, 2 light & 1 howitzer batteries) III.Artillerie-Abt (3 batteries) IV.(Führer) Abt (3 batteries, provided Flak cover at Hitler’s headquarters) Musikkorps Wachbataillon (3 companies) Ersatz-Abteilung In October 1942, while the brigade was being worked up in Brittany, the decision was taken to expand the formation even further, to divisional size. The forming up of various divisional elements was carried out at numerous locations in France, Holland and back at the An Obergefreiter greets a regimental depot in Berlin. It was at this stage that many volunteers comrade riding in an SdKfz from the Army, and up to 5,000 new volunteers from the paratroopers – 7 halftrack prime mover; the dark blue HERMANN GÖRING including remnants of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5, which had been cuffband shows clearly on the decimated during the battle for Crete – were taken on strength. The new right sleeve of the tan tropical formation was named the Division ‘Hermann Göring’, and was intended tunic. The NCO in the vehicle to be formed along the same lines as an Army Panzer division. To that seems to carry a traffic end a number of experienced Army tank crews were drafted in, with direction wand – see Plate H1. (Robert Noss) an equal number of Luftwaffe personnel being detached to the Army for training with Panzer units. On paper, the main combat units were now: Grenadier-Regt 1 & 2 ‘HG’ (each 3 battalions plus an infantry gun company and an anti-tank company) Jäger-Regt ‘HG’ (the former FJ-Regt 5 – 2 bns) Panzer-Regt ‘HG’ (2 bns) Flak-Regt ‘HG’ (3 bns plus Führer-Flak-Abt) Artillerie-Regt ‘HG’ (4 bns plus V.Sturmgeschütz- Abt, later transferred to Pz-Regt ‘HG’ as III.Abt) Aufklärungs-Abt ‘HG’ Panzer-Pionier-Btl ‘HG’ Panzer-Nachrichten-Abt ‘HG’ plus the usual range of support and service units. In November 1942, in retaliation for the French garrison’s failure to put up sustained resistance to the Allied landings in Morocco and Algeria, Germany moved into the hitherto unoccupied areas of southern France. The bulk of the new division was located in the area around Mont-de-Marsan, where it continued its training and working up. Those sub-units nearest to being fully formed were gradually moved down into Italy while the remainder stayed in the 8 south of France. Meanwhile, in November 1942, the paratroopers who were in the process of transferring from Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 were moved directly to North Africa and assigned to support 10. Panzer-Division in Tunisia. The bulk of the ‘HG’ Division, still not fully organised, was despatched piecemeal to Tunisia in February/March 1943 under command of Oberst Schmid, who was promoted to Generalmajor shortly thereafter. It was under the title Kampfgruppe Schmid that these elements, finally totalling something between 7,000 and 11,000 men, fought the British, US and French forces, with considerable élan; they quickly earned a reputation for aggression in the attack and reliability under fire, despite often being committed to battle dispersed and attached to various Army units. It was under the title of Division ‘Hermann Göring’ that, in April 1943, they were commended in official Wehrmacht communiqués for their ‘exemplary fighting spirit and intrepid valour’. Some 400 ‘Hermann Göring’ soldiers were killed in the Tunisian battles; and when the German forces in North Africa were finally forced to surrender on 12 May, almost all of the remainder of the battle group, including its most experienced veterans, went into captivity. However, Generalmajor Schmid and a few of his men had escaped to the Italian mainland, on the Reichsmarschall’s express orders, before the final surrender; and these survivors joined a newly reformed division now entitled Panzer-Division ‘Hermann Göring’. The new division was built around those scattered elements that were still working up in France, Holland and Germany, which were now gathered in the Naples area. Efforts to mould these troops into cohesive fighting units went ahead at full speed; the Germans fully expected an Allied landing attempt on Sicily, and over the next few weeks ‘Hermann Göring’ troops were gradually Long-barrelled StuG III of the assembled on the island until, in June 1943, the division was ready for Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung in action in its new positions around Caltagirone. The major component Sicily, 1943. Judging by its units of this extremely powerful new armoured division were as follows: ‘untactical’ appearance, with Divisionsstab (divisional HQ) a tarpaulin blinding the fighting Panzer-Regt ‘Hermann Göring’ (2 tank & 1 assault gun bns) compartment periscopes and the external machine gun Panzergrenadier-Regt 1 ‘HG’ (3 bns mechanised infantry) unmounted, this photo was Panzergrenadier-Regt 2 ‘HG’ (3 bns mechanised infantry) taken before the Allied Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung ‘HG’ (armoured recce bn) landings. (Robert Noss) Flak-Regt ‘HG’ (2, later 3 bns) Panzer-Artillerie-Regt ‘HG’ (3, later 4 bns plus attachments) Panzer-Pionier-Btl ‘HG’ (armoured engineers) Panzer-Nachrichten-Abt ‘HG’ (armoured signals) Feldersatz-Bataillon ‘HG’ (replacement training) Divisionskampfschule ‘HG’ (battle school company) Nachschub-Abt ‘HG’ (supply bn) Instandsetzungs-Abt ‘HG’ (repair workshop bn) Verwaltungstruppe ‘HG’ (admin troops) Sanitäts-Abt ‘HG’ (medical bn) * * * Operation ‘Husky’, the Allied invasion of Sicily, commenced on 10 July 1943. Surrounded by Italian units, most of which were of third line quality and only too happy to surrender, the ‘HG’ 9 Division and the Army’s 15. Panzergrenadier-Division fought well, OPPOSITE Hauptmann Hans despite coming under devastating fire from Allied naval vessels offshore; Sandrock of StuG-Abt ‘HG’, they even managed an initially successful counter-attack at Gela in the one of the experienced Army Panzer personnel who south of the island. They held their line tenaciously, but despite rein- transferred into the division forcements – in the shape of 29. Panzer grenadier-Division flown in from in 1943. As well as the divisional mainland Italy, and elements of 1. Fallschirm-Division from France – cuffband on his right sleeve overwhelming Allied superiority saw the Germans being pushed he wears the AFRIKA campaign inexorably north-east towards Messina. The ‘Hermann Göring’ provided cuffband on his left, earned during his service in North rearguard cover for other German units being evacuated to the Italian Africa with Panzer-Regt 5. mainland, and was indeed one of the last elements to leave Sicily. Despite the heavy fighting in which it had been involved, and the intensive Allied bombing of the port of Messina through which it was withdrawn, the bulk of the ‘HG’ Division’s personnel and most of its heavy equipment were successfully evacuated – an extraordinary achievement. It is perhaps indicative of the fighting qualities of the ‘Herman Göring’ that in his post-war memoirs Gen. Eisenhower maintained that the Panzer and paratroop units deployed in Sicily were amongst the best that the US forces encountered throughout the whole war. He also commented on the tenacity of the defenders, stating that each German position could only be taken once its defences had been utterly destroyed. Italy, 1943–44 The division was then moved to the area around Naples for an intended period of rest and refitting. Almost immediately, however, the ‘Hermann Göring’ was put onto the alert for further action. On 3 September the British 8th Army landed in Calabria; and on the 8th the Italian government surrendered. This came as no surprise, and Germany quickly implemented contingency plans to occupy strategic points and disarm the Italian armed forces. The following day, US 5th Army units Divisional personnel riding in an landed at Salerno and successfully established a beachhead. German SdKfz 7 halftrack somewhere in efforts to eliminate this foothold lasted for nine days; at first the ‘HG’ the Mediterranean theatre. Note Division’s efforts met with some success, but the sheer weight of that only the second from left, firepower available to the attackers from Allied warships gradually forced back row, seems to wear the the Germans to give ground. The division pulled back into Naples, where cuffband; this is not unusual – many photographs show ‘HG’ it held on tenaciously until finally relinquishing the devastated port on personnel without it. The slung 1 October, withdrawing to positions on the line Volturno–Termoli. M1935 steel helmets are finished in Here once again the ‘Hermann Göring’ and its brothers-in-arms sand-coloured paint. (Robert Noss) of 15. Panzergrenadier- Division put up a spirited defence, gaining essential time for the main defences on the Gustav Line to be prepared; this system ran right across Italy from Gaeta on the west coast to Ortona on the east, with its western end blocking the Liri Valley, the gateway to Rome. German delaying tactics were highly suc- cessful: sappers destroyed 10 bridges, mined roads and