2. SS Panzer Division Das Reich

History

Das Reich was formed in October 1939 from the Deutschland, Germania and Der Führer regiments of the SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT). The regiment Germania was removed from the division in 1940 to form the 5. SS Wiking Division.

It took part in the campaign in the West in 1940 and after spending some time guarding the border with Vichy France, it was transferred to the Netherlands. It took part in the campaign in the Balkans where a small detachment led by SS-Hauptsturmführer Klingenberg managed to get the mayor of Belgrade to surrender the city without a fight.

Das Reich took part in the invasion of the USSR and fought on the frontlines until August 1941 when it was withdrawn for refitting. It was sent back to the front in September and in December 1941 it took part in the failed offensive against Moscow. It was transferred to France in March 1942, with the exeption of a small Kampfgruppe, where it was upgraded to a SS Panzergrenadier Division. It was sent back to the Eastern front in January 1943 where it took part in the capture and recapture of Kharkov as well as fighting at Kursk.

Das Reich was transferred back to France, this time to be upgraded to an SS Panzer Division, and was sent to Normandy when the Allies invaded in June 1944. It took part in the heavy fighting around Normandy before being pulled back to Germany. It later took part in the fighting in the Ardennes, Hungary, and Austria.

Before surrendering to the US Army on May 10, 1945, elements of Das Reich helped large numbers of civilians in Prague escape the Red Army.


Lineage

Panzer-Division Kempf (Sep 1939 - Oct 1939)
SS-Division Verfügungstruppe (Oct 1939 - Apr 1940)
SS-Division Deutschland (Apr 1940 - Dec 1940)
SS-Division (mot) Reich (Dec 1940 - May 1942)
SS-Division (mot) Das Reich (May 1942 - Nov 1942)
SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Das Reich (Nov 1942 - Oct 1943)
2. SS-Panzer-Division Das Reich (Oct 1943 - May 1945)


Area of Operations

Czechoslovakia & Germany (Oct 1939 - May 1940)
Netherlands & France (May 1940 - Apr 1941)
Romania, Yugoslavia, Austria & Poland (Apr 1941 - June 1941)
Eastern front, central sector (June 1941 -June 1942)
Germany (June 1942 - July 1942)
France (July 1942 - Jan 1943)
Eastern front, central sector (Jan 1943 - Feb 1944)
France, Belgium & Western Germany (Feb 1944 - Dec 1944)
Ardennes (Dec 1944 - Jan 1945)
Hungary & Austria (Jan 1945 - May 1945)


Commanders

SS-Oberstgruppenführer Paul Hausser (19 Oct 1939 - 14 Oct 1941)
SS-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Bittrich (14 Oct 1941 - 31 Dec 1941)
SS-Obergruppenführer Matthias Kleinheisterkamp (31 Dec 1941 - 19 Apr 1942)
SS-Obergruppenführer George Keppler (19 Apr 1942 - 10 Feb 1943)
SS-Brigadeführer Hebert-Ernst Vahl (10 Feb 1943 - 18 Mar 1943)
SS-Oberführer Kurt Brasack (18 Mar 1943 - 29 Mar 1943)
SS-Obergruppenführer Walter Krüger (29 Mar 1943 - 23 Oct 1943)
SS-Gruppenführer Heinz Lammerding (23 Oct 1943 - 24 Jul 1944)
SS-Standartenführer Christian Tychsen (24 Jul 1944 - 28 Jul 1944)
SS-Brigadeführer Otto Baum (28 Jul 1944 - 23 Oct 1944)
SS-Gruppenführer Heinz Lammerding (23 Oct 1944 - 20 Jan 1945)
SS-Standartenführer Karl Kreutz (20 Jan 1945 - 29 Jan 1945)
SS-Gruppenführer Werner Ostendorff (29 Jan 1945 - 09 Mar 1945)
SS-Standartenführer Rudolf Lehmann (09 Mar 1945 - 13 Apr 1945)
SS-Standartenführer Karl Kreutz (13 Apr 1945 - 08 May 1945)


Notable Members

Ernst Barkmann (usually credited with 82+ destroyed tanks but the exact number is unknown)

Hermann Behrends (SS-Gruppenführer, Reichstag deputy, deupty head of the Volksdeutsche Mittelstelle, VOMI, Höhere SS und Polizeiführer Serbien, Sandschack und Montenegro 1944)

Fritz Darges (Adjutant to Adolf Hitler 1943-1944 and to Martin Bormann 1936-1939)

Rudolf Lehmann (one of the four Waffen-SS divisional commanders who started the war as a platoon commander)

Arno Giesen (usually credited with 111 destroyed tanks but the exact number is unknown)

Ludwig Kepplinger (received the Knight's Cross on 4 September 1940 as the first Waffen-SS NCO)

Roland Paul (usually credited with 37+ destroyed tanks but the exact number is unknown)

Erich Rossner (panzerjäger usually credited with 16+ destroyed tanks but the exact number is unknown)

Emil Seibold (usually credited with 69 destroyed tanks but the exact number is unknown)

Franz Six (served in Das Reich in 1941, SS-Brigadeführer, head of Sonderkommando 7c/Vorkommando Moskau of Einsatzgruppe B, head of Amt VII of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA), appointed as head of the planned state police operations in German-occupied UK)

Oberst i.G. Peter Sommer (with the right of wearing the uniform of a SS-Standartenführer, was of partial Jewish descent and served as chief of staff)

Hilmar Wäckerle (first SS commandant of Dachau)


Order of battle - SS-Division Verfügungstruppe (1939-1941)

SS.VT-Standarte Der Führer

SS.VT-Standarte Deutschland

SS.VT-Standarte Germania

SS.VT-Artillerie-Standarte

SS.VT-Artillerie-Standarte

SS.VT-Aufklärung-Abteilung

SS.VT-Panzerjäger Bataillon

SS.VT-Flak-Abteilung

SS.VT-Pioneer-Abteilung

SS.VT-Nachrichten-Abteilung

SS.VT-Panzerabwehr-Abteilung

SS.VT-Flak-Abteilung

SS-Ersatz-Abteilung


Order of battle - SS-Division Reich (1941-1942)

SS-Infanterie Regiment Deutschland

SS-Infanterie Regiment Der Führer

SS-Infanterie Regiment 11

Artillerie Regiment

Sturmgeschütz Batterie Messbatterie

Krad Schützen Bataillon

Aufklärungs Abteilung

Leichte Aufklärungskolonne

Panzerjäger Abteilung

Pionier Abteilung

Brückenkolonne

Leichte Pionier Kolonne

Nachrichten abteilung

Leichte Nachrichten Kolonne

Wirtschafts Bataillon

Verpflegungsamt

Bäckerie Kompanie

Schlachterie Kompanie

Nachschubdienste

Nachschubkompanie

Instandsetzungsdienst

Ersatz Kolonne

Sanitätsabteilung


Order of battle - SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Das Reich (1942-1943)

SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment Deutschland

SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment Der Führer

Artillerie Regiment

Kradschützen Bataillon Langemarck

Panzer Regiment

Schwere Panzer Kompanie

Panzer Pionier Kompanie

Panzer Werkstatt Kompanie

Sturmgeschütz Abteilung

Aufklärungs Abteilung

Leichte Aufklärungskolonne

Panzerjäger Abteilung

Flak Abteilung

Leichte Artillerie Kolonne

Pionier Abteilung

Brückenkolonne

Leichte Pionier Kolonne

Nachrichten Abteilung

Leichte Nachrichten Kolonne

Wirtschafts Bataillon

Verpflegungsamt

Bäckerie Kompanie

Schlachterie Kompanie

Nachschubdienste

Nachschubkompanie

Waffen Werkstattkompanie

Instandsetzungsdienst

Ersatz Kolonne

Sanitätsabteilung

Stabskompanie

Feldgendarmerie Kompanie

Feldpostamt

Kriegsberichter Kompanie


Order of battle - SS-Panzer Division Das Reich (1943-1945)

SS-Panzer Regiment 2

SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment Deutschland

SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment Der Führer

SS-Panzer Artillerie Regiment 2

SS-Kradschützen Bataillon 2

SS-Sturmgeschütz Abteilung 2

SS-Aufklarungs Abteilung 2

Leichte Aufklärungskolonne

SS-Panzerjäger Abteilung 2

SS-Flak Abteilung 2

Leichte Artillerie Kolonne

SS-Panzer Pionier Abteilung 2

Brückenkolonne

Leichte Pionier Kolonne

SS-Nachrichten Abteilung 2

Leichte Nachrichten Kolonne

SS-Wirtschafts Bataillon 2

Verpflegungsamt

Bäckerie Kompanie

Schlachterie Kompanie

SS-Nachschubdienste 2

Nachschubkompanie

Waffen Werkstattkompanie

Ersatz Kolonne

2. SS-Sanitätsabteilung

Stabskompanie

Feldgendarmerie Truppe

Feldpostamt

SS-Kriegsberichter Zug 2