SS Divisions in Berlin

[Fritz]

Hi Fritz,

Don't think the 17th GvB was in the south-east - they were (as I remember) the only major W-SS division to fight exclusively in the west. And Horrido! is right about the 16th RFSS which was moved from Italy in early 1945 to reinforce the last German offensive in Hungary.

Mike

Hi Mike,
GvB surrendered in bavaria, I think Fürstenfeldbruck was the exact location which is close to munich. You are of cousre right that they never fought soviet troops but they were pushed so far to the east by the allied forces so in the end they had to surrender in the south eastern part of germany. Out of the top units and along with parts of Das Reich (saxony, other parts of DR surrendered in austria) they were the ones farthest in the west.

As for the 16th they wouldn't be in my "top list" but that is a matter of subjective obsevations and I can very well accpet if someone says that he'd consider them a very good ss division.

Cheers

Fritz

[Finnishlion178]

Battle Seelow Heights

Thank you for your help but what about seelow heights? What SS units were there?

[Fritz]

At the Seelower Höhen there was no large ss unit in combat, Nordland was supposed to support the troops fighting there when the battle was already on and it came from the north, from a small city with the name Strausberg. It got close but didn't manage to develop its full power and was pushed from there to Berlin. No other ss units of larger significance fought in the area of the Seelower Höhen, there were quite a few "late war ss units" and smaller units like SS-Werfer-Abteilungen etc. in the area but mainly Heer, RAD, Luftwaffe and Volkssturm.

Cheers

Frirtz

[awo41]

wasn't there an escort batt.of Himmlers in Berlin as well?

[Asper]

Nordland, was without a doubt one of the top SS combat divisions of the war, especially given its start late 43, sister division of Wiking and the most prominent waffen-SS Division in the defence of Berlin.

By the time it defended Berlin, it had heavy elements of many other smaller yet fierce companies from many other western countries; Belgians, French, Spanish/ Portuguese, Etc.

[Bob Hritz]

I have the sleeve shield of a Lithuanian volunteer who fought in the battle of Berlin. When we spoke, he said it was mostly non German soldiers fighting in Berlin as they had no where to go to escape the Russians. He was lucky to survive and through several organizations got to Spain and then to Argentina. His family emmigrated to the US.

Bob Hritz