SS-Verfügungstruppe
Encyclopedia
The SS-Verfügungstruppe (SS-VT) was formed in 1934 as combat troops for the NSDAP. By 1940 these military SS
units had become the nucleus of the Waffen-SS
.
On 17 August 1938 Adolf Hitler
decreed that the SS-VT was neither a part of the police
nor the German Wehrmacht
but military-trained men at the disposal of the Führer
in war or peace.
The SS-VT was formed on 24 September 1934 from a merger of various Nazi and paramilitary formations such as the SS Special Detachments (SS-Sonderkommandos) and the Headquarters Guard (SS-Stabswache) units. The recruits were trained to be combat-ready infantry according to the German Army (Heer) regulations. The unit was officially designated SS-Verfügungstruppe ("Dispositional troops", i.e. troops at the personal disposal of the Führer). The existence of the SS-Verfügungstruppe (known as SS-VT) was publicly declared on 16 March 1935.
The SS-VT trained alongside Hitler's personal body guard the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (LAH), which after 13 April 1934, was known as the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). The LSSAH continued to serve exclusively as a personal protection unit and honor guard during this timeframe.
By 1937 the SS was divided into three branches: the Allgemeine-SS (General SS), the SS-Verfügungstruppe, and the SS-Totenkopfverbände
(SS-TV) which administered the concentration camps
.
The military formations under Himmler's command on 1 September 1939 consisted of several subgroups:
Elements of the SS-VT served with the Wehrmacht during the occupation of the Sudetenland
, Austria
, and Czechoslovakia
. The SS-VT regiments Deutschland and Germania along with the Leibstandarte participated in the invasion of Poland, with Der Führer (recruited in Austria after the Anschluss
) in reserve at Prague. In September 1939, a combined unit of SS-VT and Heer (Army) troops conducted operations as Panzer Division Kempf during the invasion of Poland
. It fought alongside Army units at Rozan
, Modlin
, Łomża and Kmiczyn
. The division was disbanded near the Polish city of Nidzica
on 7 October 1939.
Events during the invasion of Poland raised doubts over the combat effectiveness of the SS-VT. Their willingness to fight was never in any doubt; at times they were almost too eager to fight. The OKW or Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
(High Command of the Armed Forces) reported that the SS-VT had unnecessarily exposed themselves to risks and acted recklessly, incurring heavier losses than Army troops. They also stated that the SS-VT was poorly trained and its officers unsuitable for command. In its defence the SS-VT insisted that it had been hampered by its fighting piecemeal instead of as one formation, and being improperly equipped to carry out what had been required of it. Heinrich Himmler insisted that the SS-VT should be allowed to fight in its own formations, under its own commanders, while the OKW tried to have the SS-VT disbanded altogether. Hitler, unwilling to upset either the Army or Himmler, chose a different path. He ordered that the SS-VT form its own Divisions but the Divisions would be under Army command.
were organized into the Totenkopf-Division under Eicke's command. A further division, the Polizei-Division
, was created from the Ordnungspolizei
. These formations took part in Operation Fall Gelb against the Low Countries and France in 1940.
The SS-VT troops first saw action in the main drive for the Dutch central front around Rotterdam
. After the city had been captured, the Division, along with other divisions, intercepted a French force and forced them back to the area of Zeeland
and Antwerp. They were next used to mop-up small pockets of resistance in the areas already captured by the German advance.
The SS-VT was renamed the "Waffen-SS
" in a speech made by Adolf Hitler
in July 1940; on 1 August Himmler established the Kommandoamt der Waffen-SS (Waffen-SS Command Office) within the new SS-Führungshauptamt (FHA) under Gruppenführer Hans Jüttner
. The Totenkopf Division and other SS-TV combat units were transferred to FHA control.
In December 1940 the Germania Regiment would be removed from the Verfügungs-Division and used to form the cadre of a new division, SS-Division Germania, comprising mostly "Nordic" volunteers from the newly-conquered territories, Danes, Norwegians, Dutch and Flemings; it was soon renamed Wiking. At the start of 1941 the Verfügungs-Division would be redubbed "Reich" (in 1942 "Das Reich"), and the Polizei division brought under Waffen-SS administration. The Leibstandarte would be expanded to a division for Operation Barbarossa
.
When the Waffen-SS divisions were assigned numbers much later in the war these first formations, Leibstandarte, Das Reich, Totenkopf, Polizei and Wiking would be recognized as SS divisions 1 through 5.
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
units had become the nucleus of the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
.
On 17 August 1938 Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
decreed that the SS-VT was neither a part of the police
Ordnungspolizei
The Ordnungspolizei or Orpo were the uniformed regular police force in Nazi Germany between 1936 and 1945. It was increasingly absorbed into the Nazi police system. Owing to their green uniforms, they were also referred to as Grüne Polizei...
nor the German Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
but military-trained men at the disposal of the Führer
Führer
Führer , alternatively spelled Fuehrer in both English and German when the umlaut is not available, is a German title meaning leader or guide now most associated with Adolf Hitler, who modelled it on Benito Mussolini's title il Duce, as well as with Georg von Schönerer, whose followers also...
in war or peace.
Formation
The SS-VT trained alongside Hitler's personal body guard the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (LAH), which after 13 April 1934, was known as the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). The LSSAH continued to serve exclusively as a personal protection unit and honor guard during this timeframe.
By 1937 the SS was divided into three branches: the Allgemeine-SS (General SS), the SS-Verfügungstruppe, and the SS-Totenkopfverbände
SS-Totenkopfverbände
SS-Totenkopfverbände , meaning "Death's-Head Units", was the SS organization responsible for administering the Nazi concentration camps for the Third Reich....
(SS-TV) which administered the concentration camps
Nazi concentration camps
Nazi Germany maintained concentration camps throughout the territories it controlled. The first Nazi concentration camps set up in Germany were greatly expanded after the Reichstag fire of 1933, and were intended to hold political prisoners and opponents of the regime...
.
The military formations under Himmler's command on 1 September 1939 consisted of several subgroups:
- Hitler's bodyguard unit the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler under Obergruppenführer Josef "Sepp" DietrichSepp DietrichJosef "Sepp" Dietrich was a German SS General. He was one of Nazi Germany's most decorated soldiers and commanded formations up to Army level during World War II. Prior to 1929 he was Adolf Hitler's chauffeur and bodyguard but received rapid promotion after his participation in the murder of...
. - The Inspectorate of Verfügungstruppe under Gruppenführer Paul HausserPaul HausserPaul "Papa" Hausser was an officer in the German Army, achieving the high rank of lieutenant-general in the inter-war Reichswehr. After retirement from the regular Army he became the "father" of the Waffen-SS and one of its most eminent leaders...
, which commanded the Deutschland, Germania and Der Führer regiments. - The Concentration Camps InspectorateConcentration Camps InspectorateThe Concentration Camps Inspectorate was the central SS administrative and managerial authority for the concentration camps of the Third Reich. Created by Theodor Eicke, it was originally known as the "General Inspection of the Enhanced SS-Totenkopfstandarten, after Eicke's position in the SS...
(Inspektion der Konzentrationslager) under Gruppenführer Theodor EickeTheodor EickeTheodor Eicke was a SS Obergruppenführer , commander of the SS-Division Totenkopf of the Waffen-SS and one of the key figures in the establishment of concentration camps in Nazi Germany. His Nazi Party number was 114,901 and his SS number was 2,921...
, which fielded four militarized Death's-Head Standarten3rd SS Division TotenkopfThe SS Division Totenkopf , also known as 3. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf and 3. SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf, was one of the 38 divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS during World War II. Prior to achieving division status, the formation was known as Kampfgruppe Eicke...
comprising camp guards of the SS-TotenkopfverbändeSS-TotenkopfverbändeSS-Totenkopfverbände , meaning "Death's-Head Units", was the SS organization responsible for administering the Nazi concentration camps for the Third Reich....
. These would be formed into a division after the conquest of Poland, and folded into the Waffen-SS in August 1940. These troops wore the SS-TV skull and crossbones rather than the SS-VT "SS" runes. - There were in addition combat-trained non-SS police units of Obergruppenführer Kurt DaluegeKurt DaluegeKurt Daluege was a German Nazi SS-Oberstgruppenführer and Generaloberst der Polizei as chief of the Ordnungspolizei and ruled the Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia as Deputy Protector after Reinhard Heydrich's assassination.-Early life and career:Kurt Daluege, a son of a Prussian state official,...
's OrdnungspolizeiOrdnungspolizeiThe Ordnungspolizei or Orpo were the uniformed regular police force in Nazi Germany between 1936 and 1945. It was increasingly absorbed into the Nazi police system. Owing to their green uniforms, they were also referred to as Grüne Polizei...
which reported to Himmler in his capacity as Chief of German Police. For the 1940 campaigns these also would be formed into a division4th SS Polizei DivisionThe SS Polizei Division was one of the thirty-eight divisions fielded as part of the Waffen-SS during World War II.The division was formed in 1939 as part of the Ordnungspolizei...
, which would be placed under Waffen-SS control in January 1941 and merged into it in February 1942.
Early operations
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
, Austria
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
, and Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia
German occupation of Czechoslovakia began with the Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's northern and western border regions, known collectively as the Sudetenland, under terms outlined by the Munich Agreement. Nazi leader Adolf Hitler's pretext for this effort was the alleged privations suffered by...
. The SS-VT regiments Deutschland and Germania along with the Leibstandarte participated in the invasion of Poland, with Der Führer (recruited in Austria after the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
) in reserve at Prague. In September 1939, a combined unit of SS-VT and Heer (Army) troops conducted operations as Panzer Division Kempf during the invasion of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
. It fought alongside Army units at Rozan
Battle of Rózan
The Battle of Różan, otherwise known as defence of Różan bridgehead, took place between September 4 and September 6, 1939, in the fields before the town of Różan on the Narew River. A small Polish garrison of three World War I forts successfully defended the bridgehead against the entire German...
, Modlin
Battle of Modlin
The Battle of Modlin took place during the German invasion of Poland at the beginning of the Second World War. Modlin Fortress was initially the headquarters of the Modlin Army until its retreat eastwards. From 13 September to 29 September in 1939 it served as a defensive citadel for Polish forces...
, Łomża and Kmiczyn
Kmiczyn
Kmiczyn is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Łaszczów, within Tomaszów Lubelski County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately north-east of Łaszczów, north-east of Tomaszów Lubelski, and south-east of the regional capital Lublin.The village has a...
. The division was disbanded near the Polish city of Nidzica
Nidzica
Nidzica is a town in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship in Poland, between Olsztyn and Mława. It has a population of 14,798 . It is the capital of Nidzica County.-History:...
on 7 October 1939.
Events during the invasion of Poland raised doubts over the combat effectiveness of the SS-VT. Their willingness to fight was never in any doubt; at times they were almost too eager to fight. The OKW or Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.- Genesis :...
(High Command of the Armed Forces) reported that the SS-VT had unnecessarily exposed themselves to risks and acted recklessly, incurring heavier losses than Army troops. They also stated that the SS-VT was poorly trained and its officers unsuitable for command. In its defence the SS-VT insisted that it had been hampered by its fighting piecemeal instead of as one formation, and being improperly equipped to carry out what had been required of it. Heinrich Himmler insisted that the SS-VT should be allowed to fight in its own formations, under its own commanders, while the OKW tried to have the SS-VT disbanded altogether. Hitler, unwilling to upset either the Army or Himmler, chose a different path. He ordered that the SS-VT form its own Divisions but the Divisions would be under Army command.
Development of the Waffen-SS
In the wake of the Polish Invasion, there were four SS combat regiments: Leibstandarte, Deutschland, Germania and Der Führer. The latter three were reorganized into the SS-Verfügungs-Division, and the Leibstandarte was expanded into a motorized brigade. In addition there were the armed but ill-trained Totenkopfstandarten; three of these together with SS Heimwehr DanzigSS Heimwehr Danzig
SS Heimwehr "Danzig" was an SS unit established in the Free City of Danzig before the Second World War. It fought with the German army against the Polish Army during the invasion of Poland...
were organized into the Totenkopf-Division under Eicke's command. A further division, the Polizei-Division
4th SS Polizei Division
The SS Polizei Division was one of the thirty-eight divisions fielded as part of the Waffen-SS during World War II.The division was formed in 1939 as part of the Ordnungspolizei...
, was created from the Ordnungspolizei
Ordnungspolizei
The Ordnungspolizei or Orpo were the uniformed regular police force in Nazi Germany between 1936 and 1945. It was increasingly absorbed into the Nazi police system. Owing to their green uniforms, they were also referred to as Grüne Polizei...
. These formations took part in Operation Fall Gelb against the Low Countries and France in 1940.
The SS-VT troops first saw action in the main drive for the Dutch central front around Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. After the city had been captured, the Division, along with other divisions, intercepted a French force and forced them back to the area of Zeeland
Zeeland
Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...
and Antwerp. They were next used to mop-up small pockets of resistance in the areas already captured by the German advance.
The SS-VT was renamed the "Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
" in a speech made by Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
in July 1940; on 1 August Himmler established the Kommandoamt der Waffen-SS (Waffen-SS Command Office) within the new SS-Führungshauptamt (FHA) under Gruppenführer Hans Jüttner
Hans Jüttner
Hans Jüttner was head of the SS's Main Leadership Office and also an SS Obergruppenführer.-Early life and career:...
. The Totenkopf Division and other SS-TV combat units were transferred to FHA control.
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
.
When the Waffen-SS divisions were assigned numbers much later in the war these first formations, Leibstandarte, Das Reich, Totenkopf, Polizei and Wiking would be recognized as SS divisions 1 through 5.