A prewar ss vt collar patch for a signals unit as indicated by the lightning flash in front of the runes. Ss panzerdivision totenkopf was one of 38 divisions of the waffen ss of nazi germany during world war ii. For this operation, the division was supplied with a panzer regiment and redesignated 3. All wear the ssvt pattern field cap and collar patch with numeral 3 alongside the runes. Sspanzerdivision totenkopf was formed october 1939 from concentration camp guards of the sstotenkopfverbande with the addition of officers from the ssverfugungstruppe ssvt and men from ssheimwehr danzig. The division is infamous due to its insignia and the fact that most of the initial. It was transferred to the west and fought in the battle of france, in may 1940, and the german invasion of the balkans in april 1941. The panzer abteilung was upgraded to a regiment, and the two panzergrenadier regiments were given the honorary titles theodor eicke and thule. Sspanzerdivision totenkopf was one of 38 divisions of the waffenss of nazi germany during world.
Sspanzerdivision totenkopf was formed october 1939 from. Also, malkomes did not have the allgemeinessturmabzeichen. In march 1938 in vienna the ssstandarte 3 was founded, later on transformed into. What made the 3rd ss totenkopf panzer division notable. Original photos of the ss division totenkopf this album has photos covering from the divisions formation in 1939, all the way through the end of the war in 1945. Organisation of a ss panzer division military wiki fandom. A waffen ss trooper, most likely of the hitlerjugend ss panzer division.
Star by on deviantart biker back patches, apps for teachers, totenkopf. Prior to achieving division status, the formation was known as kampfgruppe battlegroup eicke. He never served with totenkopf, whereas the unidentified officer clearly wears the totenkopf patch on his right collar. Tiger tank number 223 of the schwere heeres panzer abteilung 505 mid production version a tiger 1 ausf e nr. Its name, totenkopf, is german for deaths headthe skull and crossbones symboland it is thus. During a blitzkrieg the sstotenkopfdivision sst went to the front on may 16, 1940 as rommels 7th tank divisions supporting unit. It participated in battles on both the eastern and western fronts. Both collar patches show some general use, and signs of been removed from a tunic. The division was formed through the expansion of kampfgruppe eicke, a battle group named in keeping with german military practice. To the best of our knowledge, all the examples shown are original pre1945 manufacture. Find great deals on ebay for totenkopf patch when you shop the largest online selection at. It was organized as a reinforced panzergrenadier formation, but the detail is unknown. Panzerdivision coat of arms, wwii uniforms, uniform insignia. Its name, totenkopf, is german for deaths head the skull and crossbones symbol and it is thus sometimes referred to as the deaths head division.
Sspanzerregiment totenkopf received their first tiger ie tanks. Asilda store embroidered sew or ironon patch out to live. It was one of the thirtyeight divisions fielded by the waffen ss. Description 3rd ss panzergrenadier totenkopf division patch.
Its name, totenkopf, is german for deaths headthe skull and crossbones symboland it is thus sometimes referred to as the deaths head division. However, not two ss divisions out of 38 contained that manpower number. I wounder who the commander of tank 731 is, i have looking at many pictures. The book covers the history of i ss panzer regiment 3 when it was equipped with panther tanks. Panther 3 ss panzer division totenkopf with schurzen panther ausf g tank number 302 of 1st ss panzer division leibstandarte ss adolf hitler, hosingen in northern luxembourg panther number 215 of the panzer regiment 4 italy 1944 panther number 143 with smoke dischargers on side of turret panther ausf d tank photo panther ausf d tank on flatbed. Third reich depot, military collectables, world war ii, nazi. The division was formed by reorganising the 3rd light division in january 1940. Tiger i code 921 of the 9th company3rd ss panzer regiment, 3rd ss panzergrenadier division totenkopf.
Sspanzerdivision hohenstaufen was a waffenss armoured division of nazi germany during world war ii. It was one of the 38 divisions fielded by the waffen ss during world war ii. Hi i wonder if we all could contribute to a lets build for the 3. The 3rd ss panzer regiment was part of the totenkopf divisionone of the 38 waffen ss divisions active during world war ii. Prewar ss vt patches featured blacksilver twist piping. The 3rd ss panzer division totenkopf skull, also known as the 3rd ss panzergrenadier division totenkopf and 3rd ss division totenkopf during its existence, was one of 38 divisions of the waffen ss, the armed wing of the german nazi party that served alongside but was never formally part of the wehrmacht during world war ii. Involvement in the battle of france including the le paradis massacre was followed by the division joining army group north in the invasion of russia in 1941, where heavy losses were suffered. A group of personnel from the sstotenkopf division on field exercises prewar. Ss totenkopfstandarte 5 brandenburg ss infanterie regiment 5 brandenburg 25241 raised 12939 in berlin and oranienburg with 3 sturmbannen from elements of the totenkopf division and ss tkstd. The ss division totenkopf deaths head or skull is also known as 3. Some portions of the 3rd ss division were formed from elements of ss heimwehr danzig which was originally ss totenkopf sturmbann gotze, renamed heimwehr danzig and formed into. Ss panzerdivision totenkopf, woods short history of i. Totenkopf symbol a skull or runic symbols ss on the collar patches.
A history of the 3rd ss panzer division totenkopf karl ullrich on. The 3rd ss panzer division totenkopf was one of 38 divisions of the waffenss of nazi germany during world war ii. Instead of wearing standard ss rune collar tabs, the men of the totenkopfdivision wore collar tabs featuring the totenkopf insignia. Ss panzerregiment 3 attempted a counterattack to the south of baracska, reaching the southern edge of the village, but during the action, the regiment lost one panzer iv, one befehlspanther, and five stugs, along with a tiger ii from 509, which had been hit twice by largecaliber rounds. Waffen ss totenkopf patch this patch is three inches across. The use of insignia of organizations that have been banned in germany like the. While in france, the division took part in case anton, the takeover of vichy france in november 1942. Waffen sssa wehrmacht gestickt embroidered ricamate r. We offer original and reproduction militaria for collectors, reenactors or anyone with an interest in military history, with a strong emphasis on wwii german items. Theodor eicke, commander of the totenkopf division had his motto realized, to carry. The 3rd waffenss panzer division totenkopf, 19431945. He was formerly the commander of the ss totenkopfverbande, which were in charge of the camps.
It consists usually of the human skull with or without the mandible and often includes two crossed long bones most often depicted with the crossbones being behind some part of the skull. The ss totenkopf deaths head sturmbann were guards at the concentration camps who eventually formed the 3rd ss panzer division totenkopf. Tiger i code 921 of the 9th company3rd ss panzer regiment totenkopf next photo tiger part 1 image 99 of 179 previous photo. The 3rd ss division was formed from the totenkopf units that took part in the polish campaign and with other members of the totenkopfverbande and the allgemeine ss. An ssuntersturmfuhrer of panzer black wraparound jacket from sspanzerregiment 12, 12. Eastern front 194345 casemate illustrated by pierre tiquet may 29, 2020. The ss gained control over its own recruitment, logistics, and supply systems for its armed formations at this time. Notorious for its brutality, most notably a mass execution of british prisoners in the battle of france, totenkopf had a fearsome reputation. Apr 14, 2010 muhlenkamp ordered to return to germany to begin forming new panzer regiment for wiking division.
The structure and organisation of the 12th ss panzer division hitlerjugend is equivalent to the table above and served as a standard for all other ss panzer divisions during world war ii. Sspanzerdivision totenkopf was one of 38 divisions of the waffenss of nazi germany during world war ii. Its name, totenkopf, means deaths head in german, and it is thus sometimes referred to as the deaths head division. This is the most extensive collection of photos of the totenkopfdivision available anywhere on the internet. The book covers the history of i ss panzer regiment 3 when it was. The number obtained from the last two nonzero digits of 90.
The totenkopf was then moved north, back to kharkov. Using various veterans testimonies and memoirs, the reader plunges into the daily life of a unit, the sspanzer regiment 3 totenkopf, which only fought on the eastern front. Hard cover, large format 9 x 12, 327 pages, 27 pages of color maps and 20 plus black and white maps most full page. We are not associated with nor do we condone the actions of the third reich or the actual 3.
List of knights cross recipients 3rd ss panzer division. Schwertertrager sssturmbannfuhrer of panzer georg bochmann wearing the officer black panzer jacket with aluminum piping around the collar. Kelleys has been a family owned military distributor for over 40 years. Sspanzerregiment 3 on 8 march 1942, the german leadership ordered the establishment of a panzerabteilung tank battalion for the totenkopf division. The sturmkompanie or later sturmbataillon was the special feature of hg panzer formation. The krieges tagbuch log book of this units tank pointer is the main thread of this book, interspersed with never before. Only in february 1942, this division received the prefix ss and therefore. Formation of the tank battalion and the tiger company. Tiger i number 9 ss panzer regiment 3 totenkopf kursk panzerkampfwagen vi tiger i and crew. The basic organization of panzergrenadier regiment hg was the same as that of the ss panzer division after feb 1944. Finally, malkomes already had the ritterkreuz when promoted to ss. In march 1945, the 3rd ss panzer division totenkopf takes part in the fruehlingserwachen spring awakening offensive, the last major german attack on the eastern front. Ss cuff title identification guide this is an identification guide for the many different cuff titles worn by the ss during the 3rd reich period.
The last reason, lets say they were for the 9th ss pz dv, if this was the case, why would they commit their tanks crews, tank maintenance and logistics personnel as infantry under kampfruppe harder ss officer from the ss pz regt 9 which fought for the whole 9 days 17 26th sept 44 around the oosterbeek pocket. Dedicated to ss insignia, this category represents a good selection of collectable, ss sd, allgemeine ss, ss vt and waffen ss insignia, ranging from matchedpair ss uniform epaulettes, to highranking ss collar patch insignia, coveted sleeveshields and much more. Ss collar patches and tabs of nazi germany ww2 militaria. Prior to achieving division status, the formation was known as kampfgruppe eicke. Using various veterans testimonies and memoirs, the reader plunges into the daily life of a unit, the ss panzer regiment 3 toten kopf, which only fought on the eastern front. Ww2 original german militaria nazi ss panzer totenkopf. The term totenkopf is commonly associated with 19th and 20th century german military use. Other unit insignia collar patches included a standartenumber patch for most of the allgemeine ss, a blank collar patch worn by ss main office staffs and sicherheitsdienst and some sipo personnel, the sigrunes waffen ss patch adopted after 1943 as the standard unit collar patch for most of the ss, and a numbered skull patch which was used. The 3rd ss panzer regiment was part of the totenkopf divisionone of the 38 waffenss divisions active during world war ii. Many original members of this organization were later transferred into and became the core of a waffen ss division, the 3rd ss totenkopf panzer division. Kompanie is a nonpolitical organization we do not support naziism, or fascism. The sigrunes waffen ss patch adopted after 1943 as the standard unit collar patch for most of the ss, and a numbered deaths head patch which was used by personnel serving in. These came in two variations, known as vertical and horizontal.
Itself evolving from a short appendix to his research on the 3. I start how the division looked in late november 1939 to 31. The 3rd ss panzer division also had skull patches on their uniform collars. Most likely a member of the ss panzer division hitlerjugend which sustained casualties during the normandy the sweet lads of the hitlerjugend division also executed around 156 canadian soldiers after capturing them. In the same manner chapter 3 paints a clear picture of the units situation and locations during the desperate battles in the last stage of the war. The division was formed through the expansion of kampfgruppe eicke, a battle group named in keeping with german military practice after its commander, theodor eicke. The remnants of the division were pulled out of action in late october, 1942 and sent to france to be refitted. Tiger i code 921 of the 9th company3rd ss panzer regiment. Basic organization of panzergrenadierregiment in ss and. This book is the culmination of 15 years of research dealing with i ss panzer regiment 3, from its inception in 1942, when it was equipped with panzer iiis and ivs, until its conversion to the panther tank during late 1943. By the time the soviet bridgehead was eliminated, the division had lost 1500 men dead and the panzer regiment was reduced to 20 tanks. Waffen ss totenkopf infantry regiment dog tag stamped from the reverse in raised text 114 ss t. Soon after the division advanced towards leningrad under army group north in operation barbarossa, and would remain on.
Both the 3rd ss panzer division of the waffen ss, and the world war ii era luftwaffes 54th bomber wing kampfgeschwader 54 were given the unit name totenkopf, and used a strikingly similarlooking graphic skullcrossbones insignia as the ss units of the same name. The waffen ss collar patch insignia shows the unit patch with a handembroidered skull on black wool, and the rank patch with three pips and two silver rank bars condition report. The pzkpfw iii command tank of 1st battalion, 3rd sspanzer regiment, totenkopf division, in southern russia during november 1943. Ss schutzstaffel historical society of german military. Sspanzerdivision totenkopf totenkopf means deaths head and this division was named after the concentration camp guards of the totenkopfverbande deaths head units, from which it was built, with the addition of new recruits and transfers from ssvt units. This is a zinc alloy tag with some minor corrosion but the text is easily read. The division is infamous due to its insignia and the fact that most of the initial enlisted soldiers were sstotenkopfverbande ss concentration camp guards, and. History of the totenkopfs pantherabteilung peko publishing. Insignia of the ss polizei panzergrenadier division division, german soldiers. The officer on the left is hauptsturmfuhrer erwin meierdrees, holder of the knights cross with oakleaves, who was killed in action near dunaalmas, hungary, on 4 january 1945. I making a diorama of kharkov febmars 1943 and the tank i use as reference is 731 of 7th ss panzer regiment 3 totenkopf kampgruppe kunstmann who got winter wash. Nov 02, 2015 this book is the culmination of 15 years of research dealing with i ss panzer regiment 3, from its inception in 1942, when it was equipped with panzer iiis and ivs, until its conversion to the panther tank during late 1943. The 8th panzer division was a formation of the wehrmacht heer.
A second ss division, the ss totenkopf, was formed from ss tv concentration camp guards, and a third, the ss polizei, was created from police volunteers. This is an apolitical forum for discussions on the axis nations and related topics hosted by the axis history factbook in cooperation with christian ankerstjernes panzerworld and christoph awenders ww2 day by day. Ahnenerbe wikipedia irminsui symbol the third reich, types of art, occult, cool. Uniforms and insignia of the schutzstaffel wikipedia. During a blitzkrieg the sstotenkopf division sst went to the front on may 16, 1940 as rommels 7th tank divisions supporting unit. Ss panzer regiment totenkopf takes up the story from early 1943, when the division had been reformed and refitted to return to the eastern front.
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