History of the
Wikinger
5.SS Panzerdivision
"Wiking"
The following
annotated histories of the 5.SS Wiking Division, are taken
from the book "THE SS: HITLER'S INSTRUMENT OF
TERROR" by Gordon Williamson, published by Motorbooks
International. For a free catalog , write or call Motorbooks
International, P.O. Box 1, Osceola, WI 54020
1-800-826-6600.
Brought to you by:
2/
Initially established in May 1940 as SS Division
(motorisierte) Germania, the title was altered only days later to
SS Division (motorisierte) Wiking, being formed around a core of
Reichdeutsche personnel fron the Germania Regiment, who had been
transferred wholesale from the SS-Verfügungsdivision. To this core
was added the two existing Germanic volunteer regiments Nordland and Westland.
The first truly international division of the Waffen-SS, it numbered Germans
(the majority), Dutch, Danes, Norwegians, Finns, Walloons, and Flemings among
its personnel, together with a smattering of Volkdeutsche from the Balkans.
The division first went into action in the southern
sector of the Eastern Front, as far as possible from their countrymen fighting
in the volunteer legions around Leningrad. It took part in the drive through th
Caucausus and quickly earned itself a reputation for efficiency and dependability
under fire. In late 1942, it was formed as a panzergrenadier division and played
an important role in the ill-fated German armoured offensive at Kursk in July
1943. Although it suffered heavy losses, it
achieved an excellent reputation, even earning the grudging respect of the Soviets
in several battle reports for its pugnacious fighting spirit (Soviet commanders
were always concerned to learn that thier troops were facing the soldier of the
Wiking Division). In October 1943 the division was reformed yet again,
and emerged as a fully fledged panzer division. The significance of this should
not be under estimated. Considering the disdain shown for many of the foreign
volunteer units by their German masters, the fact that a predominantly 'foriegn'
division should be accorded panzer division status and equipped with the latest
tanks was a tribute to the regard in which it was held. The
'Wikinger' were fast attaining an elite status to equal the best of the
original Waffen-SS divisions. In February 1944, Wiking took part
in the furious fighting around Cherkassy and suffered heavy losses, though its
morale and espirit de corps remained high. Withdrawn into Poland, it took
part in the defensive battles around Warsaw in the autumn of 1944 before moving
south to assist in the attempt to relieve Budapest. When this failed the division
was withdrawn into Austria, where it fought in the final battles to defend Vienna
in 1945. The qualities of the Wiking
Division as a combat unit are ably testified to by the number of Knights Crosses
of the Iron Cross awarded to its soldiers. A total of 54 such gallantry awards
were made, a figure surpassed only by the 73 of the Das Reich Division.
The division was first commanded by SS-Obergruppenführer
Felix Steiner, one of the finest and most highly decorated soldiers of the
Waffen-SS, who went on to command III Panzer Corps and the 11th Panzer Army. Steiner
was followed by SS-Obergruppenführer Herbert Otto Gille, who was awarded
the Swords, Oakleaves and Diamonds to the Knight's Cross for both his own, and
his division's achievements in battle. The third commander was SS-Standartenführer
Johannes M¸hlenkamp, who had already been awarded the Knight's Cross as commander
of the division's panzer regiment, and was subsequently awarded the Oakleaves
in recognition of his distinguished leadership of the division as a whole. Karl
Ullrich, SS-Standartenführer and former Totenkopf Pioniere
commander, was the last to command Wiking; he kept the divsion a formidible and
equally high-moralled fighting force to the last. To
the end the men of the division fought like tigers. In defeat they retained their
pride in having given service above and beyond the call of duty, and to this day
the phenomenal espirit de corps engendered within this elite division lives
on through a thriving veterans organisation. The Wiking Division was without
a doubt the finest of all the SS volunteer formations, and indeed of of
the best units in the entire German armed forces.
Although a special collar patch
sowing the prow of a Viking longship (knarr) was produced for wear in
the division, no evidence has yet emerged to show that it was ever
worn, and the men of Wiking generally wore standard SS
runes. In addition, those who had first served with the volunteer
legions continued to wear their national arm shields. Members of the
Nordland, Westland, and Germania Regiments wore
cuffbands showing the names of their regiments, while soldiers not
attached to a named regiment wore the Wiking
cuffband.
It has been suggested that a special
version of the Wiking cuffband with the lettering in finely
executed gothic script, rather than the latin script normally used,
was specially made for Herbert Otto Gille. While Gille did indeed
wear such a cuff band, it was by no means unique, being indentified
in photograghs as having been worn by junior NCOs and other ranks of
the division.
More History:
