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Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring

 
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Fallschirm-Panzer Division 1 Hermann Göring
 
 
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The Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1. Hermann Göring (1st Paratroop Panzer Division Hermann Goering - abbreviated Fallschirm-Panzer-Div 1 HG) was an élite German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
 armoured division. The HG saw action in North Africa
North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa.Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Northern Africa includes the following seven countries or territories:...
, Sicily
Sicily

Sicily is an Autonomous regions with special statute of Italy. Of all the regions of Italy, Sicily covers the largest land area at 25,708 km? and currently has just over five million inhabitants....
, Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
 and in the East.






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Fpd Hg Symbol
The Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1. Hermann Göring (1st Paratroop Panzer Division Hermann Goering - abbreviated Fallschirm-Panzer-Div 1 HG) was an élite German
Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....
 Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
 armoured division. The HG saw action in North Africa
North Africa

North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa.Geopolitically, the United Nations subregion of Northern Africa includes the following seven countries or territories:...
, Sicily
Sicily

Sicily is an Autonomous regions with special statute of Italy. Of all the regions of Italy, Sicily covers the largest land area at 25,708 km? and currently has just over five million inhabitants....
, Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
 and in the East. The division was the creation of Reichsmarschall
Reichsmarschall

Reichsmarschall was the highest rank in the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II after the position of Supreme Commander held by Adolf Hitler....
 Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring

Hermann Wilhelm G?ring was a Germany politician, military leader and a leading member of the Nazi Party. Among many offices, he was Hitler's designated successor and commander of the Luftwaffe ....
 and increased in size throughout the war from an abteilung
Abteilung

Abteilung is a German language word often used when referring to Germany or Switzerland military formations .Depending on its usage this term could mean detachment, Departmentalization or battalion....
 to a Panzer
Panzer

A panzer, pronunced , is a German tank, especially in the context of World War II. Attributively, the term also refers to armoured military forces, as in panzer divisions or panzer battles....
 corps
Corps

A Corps is either a large formation , or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service....
.

Creation and Early History - Police Administration

When Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born Germany politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , popularly known as the Nazi Party....
's NSDAP swept to power in Germany in 1933, World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
 fighter ace
Fighter Ace

Fighter Ace is a MMORG Online game Video game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots....
 Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring

Hermann Wilhelm G?ring was a Germany politician, military leader and a leading member of the Nazi Party. Among many offices, he was Hitler's designated successor and commander of the Luftwaffe ....
 was appointed as Prussian Minister of the Interior. In this capacity, all Police
Police

Police are agents or agencies, usually of the executive , empowered to enforce the law and to ensure public and social order through the legitimized use of force....
 units in Prussia came under Göring's control.

On 24 February 1933, with the intention of creating a police unit of unswerving loyalty to the NSDAP regime, Göring authorised the creation of Polizeiabteilung z.b.V. Wecke (Police Battalion for special purposes Wecke). The unit was named after its commander, Prussian World War I veteran and early NSDAP member Major der Schutzpolizei Walther Wecke. The abteilung was based in the Berlin
Berlin

Berlin is the Capital of Germany city and one of sixteen States of Germany of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is the country's largest city....
-Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg

Kreuzberg, since 2001 part of the combined Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Berlin-Mitte, is one of the best-known areas of Berlin....
 neighbourhood, and quickly began to build a reputation as a ruthless and brutal Nazi enforcement unit. Working in conjunction with Göring's secret police, the Gestapo
Gestapo

The was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Under the overall administration of the Schutzstaffel , it was administered by the Reichssicherheitshauptamt and was considered a dual organization of the Sicherheitsdienst and also a suboffice of the Sicherheitspolizei ....
, the unit was involved in many attacks against Communists and Social democrats, and was responsible for the capture and arrest of many of those opposed to the Nazis.

In June 1933, Göring expanded the Abteilung and transferred control of the unit from the Berlin Polizei to the newly reformed Landespolizei
Landespolizei

Landespolizei is a term used in the Federal Republic of Germany to denote the law enforcement services which patrol the German States of Germany ....
 (State Police
State police

State police are a type of sub-national territorial police force, particularly in Australia and the United States. Some other countries have analogous police forces, such as the provincial police in some Canada provinces, while in other places, the same responsibilities are held by national police forces....
). The unit was correspondigly renamed Landespolizeigruppe Wecke z.b.V..

In January 1934, under pressure from Hitler and Himmler, Göring gave Himmler's SS
Schutzstaffel

The , abbreviated SS- or - was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. The SS grew from a small paramilitary unit to a powerful force that served as the F?hrer's "Praetorian Guard," the Nazi Party's "Shield Squadron" and a force that, fielding almost a million men, managed to exert as much political influence as th...
 control of the Gestapo. To reinforce the position of his remaining unit, Göring increased its size and created the requirement that all members must pass a military training programme. The reformed unit was called Landespolizeigruppe General Göring (State Police Group General Goering). When Ernst Röhm's
Ernst Röhm

Ernst Julius R?hm, was a Germany army officer and Nazism leader. He was a co-founder of the Sturmabteilung , the Nazi Party militia, and later was SA commander....
 SA
Sturmabteilung

The , abbreviated SA, , functioned as a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party the Germany Nazism. They played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1930s....
 began to make demands to the NSDAP leadership, Hitler ordered Göring's LPG Wecke and Himmler's Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler to take action. During the Night of the Long Knives
Night of the Long Knives

The Night of the Long Knives or "Operation Hummingbird", was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July 2, 1934, when the Nazi Party regime carried out a series of political executions, most of those killed being members of the Sturmabteilung , the paramilitary Brownshirts....
, LPG Wecke and the Leibstandarte executed many major SA leaders, removing the formation as a threat to the NSDAP.

Luftwaffe control - early campaigns


In 1935, Göring was promoted to command of the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe

is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
. Unwilling to leave his favourite unit behind, he ordered it transferred to the Luftwaffe, renaming the unit Regiment General Göring in September 1935.

The unit was now sent for re-training and re-equipping as a Luftwaffe unit. During this period, the I.Jäger-Bataillon and 15. Pionier-Kompanie were sent to Döberitz for parachute training. These units were separated from the regiment in March 1938 and redesignated I./ Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1, the first of the Fallschirmjäger
Fallschirmjäger

File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-527-2348-21, Kreta, Fallschirmj?ger vor Start mit Ju 52.jpg are Germany paratroopers. Fallschirmj?ger of Germany in World War II were the first to be committed in large-scale airborne operations....
 units.

By early 1936, the regiment was again ready for action. By this time, all organised resistance to the NSDAP had either been crushed or left Germany, and so the regiment was put to work as a personal bodyguard for Göring and providing flak protection for Hitler's Headquarters.

When Germany annexed Austria
Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west....
 in the Anschluss
Anschluss

The ' , also known as the ', was the 1938 unification of Austria into Gro?deutschland by Nazi Germany.Austria was merged into Nazi Germany on 12 March 1938....
 of March 1938, the regiment was one of the first units to cross the border. Similarly, during the invasion of the Sudetenland
Occupation of Czechoslovakia

The term Occupation of Czechoslovakia may refer to the following events:*The German occupation of Czechoslovakia and its allies:**1938: occupation of border regions of Czechoslovakia following the Munich Agreement which allowed a Partition of the country :...
 in October 1938 and the occupation of Prague in March 1939, the General Göring was among the first units in the German occupation force.

During the invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)

The Invasion of Poland in 1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak invasion of Poland contingent....
, only a small part of the regiment was involved in the fighting. The majority of the unit was to stay in Berlin to continue their duties providing flak protection and guards for Göring and the NSDAP leadership. During Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung

Operation Weser?bung was the code name for Nazi Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during World War II and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign....
, elements of the regiment (a guard battalion, a motorcycle company and a flak component) took part in the campaign and acquitted themselves well.

The main body of the regiment had been moved west to the German-Dutch border using the false designations FlaK-Regiment 101 and FlaK-Regiment 103. During Fall Gelb, this force took part in the invasion of The Netherlands and Belgium
Belgium

* A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
. The imposing fortress Eben Emael was captured and neutralised by fallschirmjägers, many of whom had previously served in the General Göring.

After the capitulation of the Netherlands, the regiment was broken up into several small kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe

In military history and military slang, the German language term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the Germany Wehrmacht and its Tripartite Pact during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I....
s and these were attached to the panzer divisions
Panzer Division

A panzer division is an armored division in the German Army .Panzer Division are combined-arms formations having both armor and infantry as organic components, along with the usual assets of artillery, antiaircraft, signals, etc....
 spearheading the advance. The regiment again acquitted itself well, especially the flak troops, who often operated in an anti-armour capacity. In an engagement at Mormal Wood, heavy 8.8 cm FlaK 18s
88 mm gun

The 88 mm gun is a Germany anti-aircraft warfare and Anti-tank warfare artillery gun from World War II. They were widely used throughout the war, and could be found on almost every battlefield....
 engaged French tanks at ranges of only a few yards. During this battle, the regiment gained a reputation for steadfastness under fire.

After the surrender of France, the regiment was stationed on the Channel coast, before being moved back to Paris
Paris

Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
 to provide flak protection for the city. Late in 1940, the regiment was moved back to Berlin to resume its former duties as honour guards and flak protection.

Barbarossa - North Africa


In Early 1941, the regiment was reorganised as a motorised regiment. During this time, it was redesignated Regiment (mot) Hermann Göring, as Göring had been promoted to Reichsmarschall
Reichsmarschall

Reichsmarschall was the highest rank in the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II after the position of Supreme Commander held by Adolf Hitler....
. After this restructuring, the regiment was moved east to take part in Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa

Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that commenced on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a 2,900 kilometer front ....
.

When Mussolini's disastrous invasion of Greece
Greco-Italian War

The Greco-Italian War was a conflict between Kingdom of Italy and Kingdom of Greece which lasted from October 28, 1940 to April 23, 1941. It marked the beginning of the Balkans Campaign of World War II....
 caused the delay of Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa

Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that commenced on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a 2,900 kilometer front ....
 and the German invasion of the Balkans
Balkans Campaign

The Balkans Campaign was the Axis powers' invasion of Kingdom of Greece and Kingdom of Yugoslavia during World War II. It began with Italy's invasion of Greece on 28 October, 1940 and ended with the Battle of Crete by Nazi Germany and Kingdom of Italy forces on 1 June, 1941....
 and Greece
Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....
, the regiment was stationed in the Romania
Romania

Romania is a country located in Southeastern Europe Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian Mountains, bordering on the Black Sea....
n oilfields near Ploiesti
Ploiesti

Ploiesti is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia, Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
 to provide flak protection.

Barbarossa got underway on 22 June 1941, and during the campaign, the regiment was attached to the 11.Panzer-Division
German 11th Panzer Division

The 11.Panzer Division, nicknamed the Gespensterdivision was a Germany Panzer Division which saw action on the Eastern Front and Western Front during the Second World War....
, a part of Army Group South
Army Group South

Army Group South was the name of a number of Nazi Germany Army group during World War II....
. The regiment saw action around the areas of Radziechow
Radziechów

Radziech?w may refer to the following places in Poland:*Radziech?w, Lower Silesian Voivodeship in Gmina Zagrodno, Zlotoryja County in Lower Silesian Voivodeship ...
, Kiev
Kiev

Kiev, also known as Kyiv , is the Capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River....
 and Brjansk, again proving its worth and destroying many Soviet tanks with their 8.8 cm flak guns. At the end of 1941, the regiment was returned to Germany for rest and refit, having suffered moderate casualties in the campaign. The Schützen-Bataillon Hermann Göring remained at the front until May 1942.

In July 1942 the regiment was upgraded to brigade
Brigade

A brigade is a military unit that is typically composed of two to five regiments or battalions, depending on the era and nationality of a given army....
 status and redesignated Brigade Hermann Göring. In October 1942, while the brigade was still being restructured, it was decided to further upgrade the status of the Hermann Göring to a full division
Division (military)

A division is a large military unit or Formation usually consisting of between ten to thirty thousand soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions make up a corps....
. The division would be organised along the lines of a Heer
Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht was the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe ....
 Panzer division
Panzer Division

A panzer division is an armored division in the German Army .Panzer Division are combined-arms formations having both armor and infantry as organic components, along with the usual assets of artillery, antiaircraft, signals, etc....
. Göring arranged for veteran Heer panzer crewmen to be transferred to his division, and brought the mechanised infantry component up to strength with the addition of the 5. Fallschirmjäger-Regiment.

While the division was in formation, the Second Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein

The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II. The battle lasted from 23 October to 5 November 1942....
 had forced Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel

Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , was perhaps the most famous Germany Generalfeldmarschall of World War II. He was the commander of the Afrika Korps and became known for the skillful military campaigns he waged on behalf of the Wehrmacht in North Africa....
's Afrika Korps
Afrika Korps

The German Afrikakorps was the original German blocking force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II. The force was kept as a distinct formation and became the main German contribution to Panzer Army Africa which evolved into the German-Italian Panzer Army and Army Group Africa....
 to retreat from the Egypt
Egypt

Egypt is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia. Covering an area of about , Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south and Libya to the west....
ian-Libya
Libya

Libya , officially the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya , is a country located in North Africa. Bordering the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Libya lies between Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
n border back towards Tunisia
Tunisia

Tunisia , officially the Tunisian Republic , is a country located in North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast....
. Still not fully formed, the Hermann Göring, under the banner of Kampfgruppe Schmid was sent to Tunisia piecemeal in an attempt to bolster Rommel's force. Despite fighting bravely, KG Schmid surrendered along with the Panzer Army Afrika. With this action, the division lost all of its combat units and many of its command units. Göring immediately ordered the division to be reformed.

Panzer Division - Sicily - Italy


Several units of the Hermann Göring Division which had been completing training or awaiting transfer to Tunisia were to be used for the basis for a reformed Division. The division was to be designated Panzer-Division Hermann Göring. By mid-June, the new division was ready for combat, and was shipped to Sicily
Sicily

Sicily is an Autonomous regions with special statute of Italy. Of all the regions of Italy, Sicily covers the largest land area at 25,708 km? and currently has just over five million inhabitants....
 to defend against the expected Allied invasion. When the Allies launched Operation Husky on 10 July 1943, Hermann Göring was in place to defend the island. The division's efforts were hindered by the surrender of the majority of the Italian
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
 defenders. The division was engaged at Gela
Gela

img_coa = Gela-Stemma.png | official_name = Comune di Gela| name=Gela| mapx=37.40|mapy=14.26| region = Sicily |...
 and Priolo Gargallo
Priolo Gargallo

Priolo Gargallo is a comune in the Province of Syracuse, Sicily . It's located about 190 km southeast of Palermo and about 13 km northwest of Syracuse, Italy....
, but heavy Allied air and naval superiority forced the German divisions to retreat to Messina. During Operation Lehrgang, the German evacuation of Sicily, the Hermann Göring formed part of the rearguard, being one of the last units to leave Sicily for the mainland.

When the Italian government surrendered to the Allies, the division took part in the operations to disarm Italian troops
Operation Achse

Operation "Axis powers" or Operation "Alaric" were the codenames of the German plans to forcibly disarm the Italian armed forces after their expected Italian armistice with the Allies of World War II....
. When the Allies landed at Salerno on 9 September, the division, being stationed in the Salerno area, was thrown into the fight. When the German defence began to yield, the division executed a fighting withdrawal towards the Volturno
Volturno

The Volturno is a river in south-central Italy....
-Termoli
Termoli

Termoli is a town and comune on the Adriatic coast of Italy, in the province of Campobasso, region of Molise. It has a population of around 30,000, having expanded quickly after World War II, and it is a local resort town known for its beaches and old fortifications....
 line. After holding the line for as long as possible, the division fell back to the Gustav Line, where it was finally pulled out of the line for rest and refit.

Art rescue controversy

As the Allies pushed further north, towards the abbey
Abbey

An abbey , is a Christianity monastery or convent, under the government of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community....
 of Monte Cassino
Monte Cassino

Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about 130 km southeast of Rome, Italy, c. 2 km to the west of the town of Cassino, Italy and 520 m altitude....
, the division's workshop detachment, under the command of Oberstleutnant Julius Schlegel, volunteered their services to the monks to remove the abbey's precious artworks. The monks agreed, and the division's vehicles were used to transfer the irreplaceable works of art, including paintings by Da Vinci, Titian
Titian

File:Tizian 090.jpg Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio, born 1473/1490 , died 27 August 1576, better known as Titian , was the leading painter of the 16th-century Venice school of the Italian Renaissance....
 and Raphael
Raphael

Raphael Sanzio, usually known by his first name alone was an Italy Painting and architect of the High Renaissance, celebrated for the perfection and grace of his paintings and drawings....
 and the remains of St. Benedict himself. The cargo was deposited at the Vatican
Vatican City

Vatican City , officially the State of the Vatican City , is a Landlocked country sovereignty city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, the Capital of Italy....
 and was so spared destruction in the Battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino

The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies of World War II with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome....
. Because of the Göring's reputation as a looter of artworks, a detachment of SS military police
Military police

Military police are normally the police of a military organization.Military police may refer to:* a section of the military solely responsible for policing the armed forces ...
 were sent to the abbey to arrest and execute Schlegel. It was only through the persuasion of the monks and the intervention by the divisional commander on his behalf that Schlegel escaped punishment, and the operation continued. In thanks, the monks of Monte Cassino celebrated a special mass
Mass (liturgy)

The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, and in some largely High Church Lutheranism Lutheranism regions, including the Scandinavian and Baltic states countries....
, and presented Schlegel with an illuminated scroll recognizing his efforts. After the war, Schegel was arrested as a suspected war criminal and looter, and it was only after the personal intervention of British
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 Field Marshal
Field Marshal

Field marshal is a military officer rank. Today it is the highest rank in the armies in which it is used, one step above a general or colonel-general....
 Harold Alexander
Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis

Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, Order of the Garter, Order of Merit, Order of the Bath, Order of St Michael and St George, Order of the Star of India, Distinguished Service Order, Military Cross, Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Canadian Forces De...
 that he was released.

When the Americans landed at Anzio in February 1944, the division was rushed to the area and took part in the battles against the invasion force, and for a time was employed opposite the 1st Special Service Force
Devil's Brigade

Properly designated as the 1st Special Service Force, The Devil's Brigade was a joint World War II United States-Canada commando unit organised in 1942 and trained at Fort William Henry Harrison near Helena, Montana, Montana in the United States....
. From February to April 1944, the division saw fighting at Cisterna
Cisterna

A cisterna comprises a flattened membrane disk that makes up the Golgi apparatus. A typical Golgi has anywhere from 3 to 7 cisternae stacked upon each other like a stack of dinner plates, but there are usually around 6....
, on the Rio Rappido and at Minturno
Minturno

Minturno is a city in the southern Lazio, Italy, situated on the north west bank of the Liris , with a suburb on the opposite bank c. 18 kilometers from its mouth, at the point where the Via Appia crossed it by the bridge called Pons Tiretius....
.

Transfer to the East


In April 1944, the division was pulled out of the line to the area around Toscana to be reorganised as Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1. Hermann Göring (1st Parachute-Panzer-Division Hermann Goering). The change resulted in no major change in the organisation of the division, however during this time away from the front the division was refitted and received replacement troops and vehicles, bringing it back up to strength after over 8 months of continual combat. Arrangements were made for the division to be shipped to France to prepare for the expected allied invasion
Operation Overlord

Operation Overlord was the code name for the invasion of Western Front during World War II by Western Allies forces. The operation began with the Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944 , among the largest amphibious warfares ever conducted....
.

The allied offensive towards Rome
Rome

Rome is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city, with 2,724,347 residents in an urban area of some ....
 on 12 May meant that these plans were cancelled and the Hermann Göring was thrown back into the line. Executing a fighting withdrawal towards Rome, the division held off the allied forces while the last German troops were evacuated, and on 4 June fell back behind the Italian capital, which had been declared an open city to prevent its destruction. The Hermann Göring settled in, defending against allied probing attacks towards Florence
Florence

Florence is the Capital city of the Italy Regions of Italy of Tuscany and of the provinces of Italy Province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany and has a population of 364,779 ....
. On 15 July the division was ordered out of the line to prepare for transport to the Eastern Front.

During this period, several veteran cadres were drawn from the division for the formation of Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Division 2. Hermann Göring
Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier Division 2 Hermann Göring

Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Division 2 "Hermann G?ring" was formed on 24 September 1944 in the area of Radom....
, the division's sister formation currently being formed in Radom
Radom

Radom is a city in central Poland with 227,309 inhabitants. It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship , 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw....
. Also, the majority of the division's supply units were removed, as were many of its staff officers. These units were to go towards the creation of Fallschirm-Panzerkorps Hermann Göring, under which the two Hermann Göring divisions were to operate.

The division was to be attached to the newly formed Heeresgruppe Weichsel
Army Group Vistula

Army Group Vistula was an Army Group of the Wehrmacht, formed on January 241945. It was put together from elements of Army Group A , Army Group Centre , and a variety of new or ad-hoc formations....
, currently defending the ruins of Warsaw
Warsaw

Warsaw is the Capital and World's largest cities of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River roughly from both the Baltic Sea coast and the Carpathian Mountains....
 turned into a fortress "Festung Warschau
Festung Warschau

Festung Warschau was the name applied in German language to Warsaw when the city was defended, which happened under various constellations in the course of history, with and without involvement of German-speaking troops....
" according to German propaganda. The division arrived at the Vistula
Vistula

The Vistula , is the longest river in Poland at 1,047 km in length. It drains an area of 194,424 km? , of which 168,699 km? lies within Poland ....
 front in mid-September and was immediately thrown into action, fighting alongside the veteran 5.SS-Panzer-Division Wiking on the Vistula River between Modlin
Modlin

Modlin may refer to:* Modlin , a village until 1961, now a district of Nowy Dw?r Mazowiecki* Army Modlin, a Polish army during the invasion of Poland in 1939...
 and Warsaw. During heavy fighting, the division, along with the Wiking, effectively destroyed the Red Army's 3rd Tank Corps
Battle of Radzymin (1944)

The Battle of Radzymin was one of a series of engagements between the Red Army's 1st Byelorussian Front and the Wehrmacht Heer's XXXIX Panzer Corps that occurred as part of the Lublin-Brest Offensive between August 1 and August 10 1944 at the conclusion of the Operation Bagration near the town of Radzymin in the vicinity of Warsaw, part of w...
. The advent of the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising

The Warsaw Uprising was a struggle by the Armia Krajowa to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany occupation during World War II. The Uprising began on 1 August 1944, as part of a nationwide rebellion, Operation Tempest....
 brought the Soviet offensive to a halt (probably intentionally on Stalin's order for the rising to fail), and relative peace fell on the frontline as the underground Armia Krajowa fought itself to extinction.

East Prussia - defeat


The Fallschirm-Panzerkorps Hermann Göring was activated in early October 1944, and the Hermann Göring Panzer division, along with its sister Panzergrenadier
Panzergrenadier

is a German language term for motorised infantry or mechanized infantry, as introduced during World War II. It is used in the armies of Austrian Army, Chilean Army, German Army and Swiss Army....
 division, was transferred to the command of the corps. The Panzerkorps was then transferred to the East Prussia
East Prussia

East Prussia refers to the main part of the Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Sea from the 13th century to 1945. From 1772?1829 and 1878?1945, the Province of East Prussia was a province of the Germany state of Prussia....
-Kurland
Courland

Courland is one of the cultural and historical regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland....
 region to halt the Soviet offensive which had already achieved the isolation of Army Group North
Army Group North

Army Group North was a strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Army subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics....
 in the Kurland Pocket and was now aimed at the capture of East Prussia. The Panzerkorps was involved in heavy defensive fighting near Gumbinnen, and when the Soviet assault petered out in late November, the Panzerkorps set up static defensive lines.

The massive Soviet Vistula-Oder Offensive
Vistula-Oder Offensive

The Vistula-Oder Offensive was a successful Red Army operation on the Eastern Front in the European Theatre of World War II; it took place between 12 January, 1945 and 2 February, 1945....
 trapped the Hermann Göring Panzerkorps in the Heiligenbeiler pocket along with the rest of the 4.Armee
German Fourth Army

The 4th Army was a field army of the German Army that fought during World War II. The 4th Army fought in Invasion of Poland , Battle of France, and on the Eastern Front ....
. In February, the Heer's
Wehrmacht

Wehrmacht was the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe ....
 élite Panzergrenadier-Division Großdeutschland was attached to the corps.

Despite several breakout attempts, the Panzerkorps had to be evacuated by sea to Swinemünde in Pomerania
Pomerania

Pomerania is a historical region on the south coast of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdansk in the East....
. Upon landing, it was thrown back into combat, defending the Oder-Neisse line
Oder-Neisse line

The Oder-Neisse line was drawn in the aftermath of World War II as the eastern border of Germany and the western border of Poland. The line is formed primarily by the Oder and Lusatian Neisse rivers, and meets the Baltic Sea west of the seaport cities of Szczecin and Swinoujscie ....
 against Soviet attacks through mid-March. To bolster the corps' strength, the elite Panzergrenadier-Division Brandenburg
Brandenburgers

The Brandenburgers were members of the Brandenburg Germany commando unit during World War II.Units of Brandenburgers operated in almost all fronts - the invasions of Poland, Denmark and Norway, in the Battle of France, in Operation Barbarossa, in Finland, Greece and the invasion of Crete, Romania, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia....
 was attached to the unit.

In April, the remnants of the Hermann Göring Panzerkorps was sent to Silesia
Silesia

Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in present-day Poland, with parts in the Czech Republic and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas....
, and in heavy fighting was slowly pushed back into Saxony
Saxony

The Free State of Saxony is a States of Germany of Germany. Located in the southeastern part of present-day Germany. It is the tenth-largest German state in area and the sixth largest in population , of Germany's sixteen states....
. On April 22, the Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1. Hermann Göring was one of two divisions that broke through the inter-army boundary of the Polish 2nd Army
Polish Second Army

The Polish Second Army was a Polish Army unit formed in the Soviet Union in 1944 as part of the Ludowe Wojsko Polskie. The organization begun in August under the command of generals Karol Swierczewski and Stanislav Poplavsky, and the formation under command of general Swierczewski entered active duty in January 1945....
 (Polish People's Army or LWP) and the Soviet 52nd Army, in an action near Bautzen
Battle of Bautzen (1945)

The Battle of Bautzen fought on the extreme southern flank of the Spremberg?Torgau Offensive saw days of pitched street fighting between forces of the Polish Second Army, the Red Army's 52nd Army and remnants of the German 4th Panzer Army and 17th Army , and was the last successful German armoured counteroffensive of the Second World War....
, destroying parts of their communications and logistics trains and severely damaging the Polish (LWP) 5th Infantry Division and 16th Tank Brigade before being stopped two days later.

By early May, the Panzerkorps was positioned near the Saxon capitol of Dresden
Dresden

Dresden is the capital city of the Germany Federal Free state of Saxony. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon triangle metropolitan area....
. The remains of the corps began breakout attempts to the west, in order to surrender to the Americans who were currently halted on the Elbe
Elbe

The River Elbe is one of the major rivers of Central Europe. It originates in the Krkonose Mountains of northwestern Czech Republic before traversing much of Germany and flowing into the North Sea....
. Despite valiant breakout attempts, the corps was encircled, and although several small groups successfully made it through to the west, the majority of the corps surrendered to the Soviets on 8 May 1945. As Luftwaffe men, along with the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS

The Waffen-SS was the combat arm of the Schutzstaffel or SS. It was founded in Germany in 1939 after the SS was split into two units but the title of Waffen-SS only became official on 2 March, 1940....
 and Polizei units, were seen by the Russians as war criminals, due to their involvement in atrocities committed on Eastern Front, the majority of the survivors of the Panzerkorps would not return from the Gulags of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
.

War crimes


According to a British Government report, the Hermann Göring Division was involved in several reprisal
Reprisal

In warfare, a reprisal is a limited and deliberate violation of the laws of war to punish an enemy who has already broken them. A legally executed reprisal is not an wiktionary:atrocity....
 operations during its time in Italy
Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
 . One of these occurred in and in the surrounding of the village of Civtella in Val di Chiana
Civitella in Val di Chiana

Civitella in Val di Chiana , often also Civitella di Val di Chiana, is a comune in the province of Arezzo, south of Arezzo in Tuscany, Italy....
 on 6 June 1944 where 250 citizens were killed.

Circa 800 soldiers from the division took part in fighting during the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising

The Warsaw Uprising was a struggle by the Armia Krajowa to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany occupation during World War II. The Uprising began on 1 August 1944, as part of a nationwide rebellion, Operation Tempest....
 in the Wola district, where mass executions of civilians occurred in connection with Hitler's orders to destroy the city . The units were:
  • III./Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2. "Hermann Göring"
  • II./Fallschirm-Panzer-Regiment "Hermann Göring" (20 PzKpfw IV tanks)
  • IV./Fallschirm-Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment "Hermann Göring"


Polish sources claim soldiers of the Herman Goering Division used civilians as human shields against tanks .

Commanders


  • Oberst der Landespolizei Watlher Wecke (23 Feb 1933 - 5 June 1934)
  • Oberstleutnant der Landespolizei Friedrich Wilhelm Jakoby (6 June 1934 - 12 Aug 1936)
  • Major Walther von Axthelm (13 Aug 1936 - 31 May 1940)
  • Oberst Paul Conrath (1 June 1940 - 14 April 1944)
  • Generalmajor Wilhelm Schmalz (16 Apr 1944 - 30 Sept 1944)
  • Generalmajor Horst von Necker (1 Oct 1944 - 8 Feb1945)
  • Generalmajor Max Lemke (9 Feb 1945 - 8 May 1945)
Fallschirm-Panzer-Korps Hermann Göring
  • Generalleutnant Wilhelm Schmalz (4 Oct 1944 - 8 May 1945)


Unit lineage


  • Polizeiabteilung z.b. V. Wecke
  • Landespolizeigruppe Wecke z.b. V
  • Landespolizeigruppe General Göring
  • Regiment General Göring
  • Regiment (mot) Hermann Göring
  • Brigade Hermann Göring
  • Division Hermann Göring
  • Panzer-Division Hermann Göring
  • Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1. Hermann Göring
  • Fallschirm-Panzerkorps Hermann Göring


Orders of Battle


Regiment General Göring, 1939

Regimentstab
  • Musikkorps
  • I. (schwere) Flak-Abt.
  • II. (leichte) Flak-Abt.
  • III. Scheinwerfer-Abt.
  • IV. (leichte) Flak-Abt.
  • Wachbataillon
    • Reiterschwadron
    • 9. Kompanie
    • 10. Kompanie
    • 11. Wachkompanie
  • Ersatz- Abteilung
  • (schwere) Eisenbahn Flak-Batterie
  • (leichte) Flak-Batterie


Division Hermann Göring, November 1942

  • Divisionsstab
  • Panzer-Regiment Hermann Göring
  • Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1 Hermann Göring
  • Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2 Hermann Göring
  • Panzer-Aufklärungs- Abt. Hermann Göring
  • Flak-Regiment Hermann Göring
  • Panzer-Artillerie- Regiment Hermann Göring
  • Panzer-Pionier- Btl. Hermann Göring
  • Panzer-Nachrichten- Abt. Hermann Göring
  • Feldersatz-Bataillon Hermann Göring
  • Divisionkampfschule Hermann Göring
  • Nachschub-Abt. Hermann Göring
  • Instandsetzung-Abt. Hermann Göring
  • Verwaltungstruppe Hermann Göring
  • Sanitäts-Abt. Hermann Göring


Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1 Hermann Göring, May 1944

  • Divisionsstab
  • Stabskompanie
  • Feldgenerarmerietrupp
  • Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 1 Hermann Göring
  • Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 2 Hermann Göring
  • Fallschirm-Panzer-Regiment Hermann Göring
  • Fallschirm-Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 1 Hermann Göring
  • Fallschirm-Panzer-Füsilier-Bataillon 1 Hermann Göring
  • Fallschirm-Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 1 Hermann Göring
  • Fallschirm-Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon 1 Hermann Göring
  • Fallschirm-Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung 1 Hermann Göring
  • Fallschirm-Panzer-Feldersatz-Bataillon 1 Hermann Göring
  • Feldpostamt 1 Hermann Göring


Fallschirm-Panzerkorps Hermann Göring, November 1944

  • Stab der Korps
    • Feldgendarmeriezug
    • Flugbereitschaft
    • Kriegsberichtertrupp
    • Fallschirm-Flakregiment Hermann Göring
    • Fallschirm-Panzersturmbataillon Hermann Göring
    • Fallschirm-Panzerkorpspionierbataillon Hermann Göring
    • Fallschirm-Panzerkorpsnachrichtenabteilung Hermann Göring
    • Nachschubabteilung Hermann Göring
    • Instandsetzungsabteilung Hermann Göring
    • Verwaltungsbataillon Hermann Göring
    • Sanitätsabteilung Hermann Göring
    • Korpsfeldpostamt Hermann Göring
  • Fallschirm-Panzer-Division 1. Hermann Göring
  • Fallschirm-Panzergrenadier-Division 2. Hermann Göring


See also


  • Panzer
    Panzer

    A panzer, pronunced , is a German tank, especially in the context of World War II. Attributively, the term also refers to armoured military forces, as in panzer divisions or panzer battles....
    , Panzer Division
    Panzer Division

    A panzer division is an armored division in the German Army .Panzer Division are combined-arms formations having both armor and infantry as organic components, along with the usual assets of artillery, antiaircraft, signals, etc....
  • Division (military)
    Division (military)

    A division is a large military unit or Formation usually consisting of between ten to thirty thousand soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions make up a corps....
    , Military unit
  • Luftwaffe
    Luftwaffe

    is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
    , List of German divisions in WWII
    List of German divisions in WWII

    Upgrades and reorganizations are shown only to identify the variant names for what is notionally a single unit; other upgrades and reorganizations are deferred to the individual articles....


Citations