Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Panzergrenadier Division "Großdeutschland" (Greater Germany)


caption=Divisional insignia of Infantry Regiment "Großdeutschland"
country= flagicon|Germany|Nazi Germany
type=Motorized Infantry
branch=Infantry
dates=Raised 1939, Surrendered 1945
command_structure=Created as Infantry Regiment, expanded to Motorized Infantry Division 1942 and Panzergrenadier Division 1943.
garrison=Berlin, Cottbus, Akhtyrka
nickname="die Feuerwehr" (The Fire Brigade)
battles=France 1940, Barbarossa, Orel, Kursk
notable_commanders= Oberst Otto-Ernst Remer
associated units=Führer Begleit Battalion/Brigade, Führer Grenadier Battalion/Brigade, Panzergrenadier Division "Kurmark", Panzerkorps "Großdeutschland"

Wachregiment Berlin
Kommando der Wachtruppe
Wachtruppe Berlin
Wach-Regiment Berlin
Infanterie Regiment "Großdeutschland" (mot)
Infanterie Regiment "Großdeutschland 1"
Grenadier Regiment "Großdeutschland"
Panzergrenadier Regiment "Großdeutschland"

Infantry Regiment "Großdeutschland" (lit. Greater Germany Regiment) was an élite German Heer combat unit which saw action during World War II.

Großdeutschland is sometimes mistakenly perceived as being a part of the Waffen-SS, whereas it was actually a Heer unit. It was a very well equipped unit and after expansion to become the Großdeutschland Division, was the best equipped division in the Wehrmacht, receiving equipment before all other units (including Waffen-SS units). The regiment served in the campaigns in France and the Low Countries in 1940, then served exclusively on the Eastern Front. It was annihilated near Pillau in May 1945.

Creation and Early History - Wachregiment Berlin

After the Treaty of Versailles, Germany's armed forces (the "Reichswehr"), was limited to just 100,000 men. The Weimar Republic was far from secure. Veterans were forming private groups with their own political agendas (see Freikorps for an example). Communist and Fascist groups battled in the streets, and the threat of political overthrow was one to be taken seriously.

To offset the threat of revolution, the Wachregiment Berlin was founded in early 1921. Besides defending the fledgling republic, the "Wachregiment" was used for parades and guard duties in the capital. The Wachregiment was short-lived, and was disbanded in June 1921. However, the unit was soon reformed as Kommando der Wachtruppe (lit. Headquarters Guard Troop), a unit with the same duties as the Wachregiment.

The Wachtruppe comprised seven companies, each drawn from one of the seven divisions permitted Germany by the treaty. Each company served for three months before returning to their parent division. In this way, the Wachtruppe represented the whole Reichswehr.

The "Kommando" was based at Moabit Barracks, and every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, the Kommando performed a changing of the guard ceremony for the public. This ceremony was quite modest, but on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursdays the entire "Wachtruppe", accompanied by the regimental band, marched from the barracks through the Brandenburg Gate and to the War Memorial. This parade had all the pomp of the changing of the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace.

The Wachtruppe was left in place by the NSDAP leadership after Adolf Hitler's election as Chancellor in 1933. In 1934, the unit was renamed Wachtruppe Berlin and in 1936 the addition of a headquarters and administration company raised the unit size to eight companies.

In June 1937, the unit was again renamed, this time to Wach Regiment Berlin. The recruitment system was reworked, with postings no longer on divisional lines, but instead individual soldiers were posted to the unit for 6-month tours of duty. A supply company was also added to the Regiment's order of battle.

In World War I, Germany had been more of a political concept than a nation, and most divisions were still named for their region (e.g. Saxon, Prussian, Bavarian, Baden etc). Under the NSDAP, the country had been finally united as a true "Deutschland", but this was only a part of the Party's plans for a Greater Germany, encompassing all Germanic peoples under one banner, and with its capital in Berlin, to be renamed "Germania" it was to become a " Großdeutschland ".

The Wach Regiment Berlin provided escorts and Guards of Honour for State Visits, Conferences and even the Olympic Games.

Despite the idea of Hitler's bodyguards being drawn from the SS, a small detachment was drawn from the Wach Regiment to become Hitler's private bodyguard. This unit was called the Führer Begleit (or Führer Escort), and was to eventually be expanded to divisional size (see Führer-Begleit Division).

"Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland" - France and The Low Countries

In the months leading up to War, while the rest of the Wehrmacht marched into The Saarland, Austria and Czechoslovakia, the men of "Wach Regiment Berlin" marched up and down Unter den Linden Strasse every Sunday. However they were not to stay out of the front lines for long.

In the first week of 1939, Hitler ordered that the Wach Regiment be renamed Infanterie Regiment "Großdeutschland". The unit was now to have a permanent cadre, and unlike other regiments of the Heer (which were raised from a particular region), the recruits of the Großdeutschland were to be drawn from across the nation. The unit was officially activated on 14 June 1939, and the occasion was marked by a parade through the streets of the capital.

The regiment was being reorganised in September 1939, and did not take part in Fall Weiss, a fact that dented the pride of the regiment which bore the name of the nation on their sleeves. However, in May 1940, the Regiment was attached to Generalfeldmarschall Ewald von Kleist’s Panzergruppe Kleist and saw combat from the beginning of Fall Gelb, the invasion of the west, on 10 May 1940.

On the first day of the invasion, the majority of the "Großdeutschland" regiment was attached to the 10th Panzer Division and engaged fighting its way through Luxembourg in an attempt to outflank southern Belgian fortifications. Meanwhile, III. Battalion was involved in an airborne attack further north in Belgium. The regiment was then involved in the successful crossing of the Meuse river. Near the town of Stonne, the regiment was involved in heavy fighting with French armoured forces, and acquitted itself well.

The regiment then marched north towards Dunkirk, and was involved in defeating the British counterattack at Arras. "Großdeutschland" was then involved in holding the Dunkirk pocket, before being transferred south to join the attack across the Seine. The French surrender found the regiment in Lyon. After a stopover in Paris to take part in the German victory parade, the regiment was then sent north to Celsace in preparation for Operation Seelöwe. After Seelöwe was called off, the regiment was moved to the South of France in preparation for Operation Felix, the planned invasion of Gibraltar.

Yugoslavia - Barbarossa

After the cancellation of Felix, the "Großdeutschland" was moved east to Romania to take part in the Yugoslav campaign then in progress. The regiment’s operations in this campaign were mostly pursuing the broken Yugoslav forces. I. Battalion was involved in the occupation of Belgrade, before the regiment was moved back north into Poland in preparation for Operation Barbarossa.

For the invasion of the Soviet Union, the regiment was attached to "Generalfeldmarschall" Fedor von Bock’s Heeresgruppe Mitte. After crossing the border on 27 June 1941, the regiment was involved in the battles around Minsk and the creation of the Minsk pocket. "Großdeutschland" then crossed the Dnieper and advanced on Yelnya, where it was involved in heavy fighting and suffered heavy losses. After the reduction of the Yelnya salient, the regiment advanced again and took part in the Battle of Kiev. The end of the year saw "Großdeutschland" providing support to three Infantry divisions engaged holding the Oka River line near Orel.

The Soviet winter offensive cost the regiment dearly, and in early February the skeletal II. Battalion was dissolved and the survivors used to bolster the other battalions. Later in the month, the two Grenadier Battalions were reformed into a single under strength battalion. After over 9 months of heavy fighting, "Großdeutschland" was pulled out of the line and reinforced. The disbanded battalions were reinstated and the regiment was allowed a few weeks rest.

Infantry Regiment "Großdeutschland " 11 April 1942

[

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right|thumb|350px|Map_courtesy_of_[http://www.deutschesoldaten.com deutschesoldaten.com] .] On 1 Apr 1942, While resting and refitting near Orel, the Regiment reorganized and expanded to become Infanterie-Division "Großdeutschland" (mot). The existing Regiment was renamed Infanterie-Regiment "Großdeutschland 1", and was joined in the Division by Infanterie-Regiment "Großdeutschland 2", which had been formed in Berlin. Supporting units in the form of a Panzer battalion, an assault gun battalion and increased flak, artillery and engineers were added with the upgrade to divisional status.

The veterans of "GD 1" had a very poor relationship with the new infantry regiment from the outset, as no cadre personnel of the existing Infantry Regiment GD were used to form the new organization. Little contact took place between the two units, and they were known to each other by derogatory nicknames. When Oberst Lorenz left GD 1 to command the division, this rocky relationship deteriorated even more as he apparently paid little attention to the second GD regiment and favoured his old unit.

After the reorganization, the "Großdeutschland" Division was assigned to XLVIII.Panzerkorps during the opening phases of Fall Blau, the assault on Stalingrad. The division took part in the successful attacks to cross the upper Don river and to capture Voronezh. In August, the division was pulled back to the north bank of the Donets and held as a mobile reserve and "fire-brigade" counterattack force.

Grenadier Regiment "Großdeutschland" 1 October 1942

On 1 Oct 1942, the Regiment was renamed "Grenadier Regiment Großdeutschland". Their counterparts became Füsilier Regiment GD. After the Soviet Operation Uranus, the Regiment was involved in heavy winter fighting with the rest of the Division near Rzhev. The exhausted division then took part in "Generaloberst" Erich von Manstein’s abortive Operation Wintergewitter, the operation to relieve Stalingrad.

Kharkov

In January-February 1943, "Großdeutschland" and XLVIII.Panzerkorps, along with the II SS Panzer Corps took part in the Third Battle of Kharkov. The division fought alongside the 1.SS Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler", 2.SS Division "Das Reich" and 3.SS Division "Totenkopf" during these battles. After the fall of Kharkov, the "Großdeutschland" was pulled back and refitted. This included equipping the division with a company of Tiger 1s.

The 1st Battalion of Grenadier Regiment GD was re-equipped at this time with a handful of Sd Kfz 251 vehicles, mainly command vehicles but also some troop carriers (SPW), and by the fighting at Kharkov, the battalion under Major Otto-Ernst Remer was fully mechanized in 83 Sd.Kfz 251s - and the battalion became very prominent in regimental and even divisional operations. The Füsilier Regiment did not receive SPWs until the spring of 1944.

Panzergrenadier Regiment "Großdeutschland"

In June 1943, with the addition of armoured personnel carriers and a company of Tiger tanks, the division was redesignated Panzergrenadier-Division "Großdeutschland", and Großdeutschland 1 was renamed "Panzergrenadier Regiment "Großdeutschland". Their counterpart in the division was named "Panzerfüsilier Regiment Großdeutschland".

Kursk

The newly re-equipped division was attached to the 4.Panzer-Armee of "Generaloberst" Hermann Hoth, and was to take a major role (again paired with the SS-Panzerkorps) in Operation Citadel, the battles to sever the Kursk salient. During the buildup period, a battalion of new Panther Ausf. D tanks came under the operational control of "Großdeutschland". After the launch of Citadel, the division was heavily engaged in the fight to penetrate the southern flank of the salient. The new Panthers were a disaster, suffering from engine fires and many breaking down before reaching the battle. Despite this, the division fought on until it was pulled back to Tomarovka on 18 July 1943.

Defensive battles

After the disastrous Kursk offensive, the division was transferred back to Heeresgruppe Mitte, and resumed its role as mobile reserve. GD saw heavy fighting around Karachev before being transferred back to XLVIII Panzerkorps in late August. For the rest of 1943, "Großdeutschland" was engaged in the fighting withdrawal from the eastern Ukraine, taking part in battles around Kharkov, Belgorod, and finally on the Dnieper, ending the year fighting strong enemy forces near Michurin-Rog, east of Kryvyi Rih. It was during this period that the division earned the nickname "die Feuerwehr" (The Fire Brigade).

1944

"Großdeutschland" continued fighting in the area of Krivoi-Rog early in January 1944 until it was transferred west for rest and refit. During this period, 1./Panzer Regiment 26 (Panther) joined the Panzer Regiment GD, and GD's I. Bataillon moved to France to refit and train with the new tanks; they did not rejoin the Division until after the Normandy invasion.

The Panzergrenadier Regiment GD was a 4-battalion organization in 1944, though by June it was reduced to three.

Over the next months, the division continued moving from crisis-point to crisis-point across the front. The division, less the Panzer Regiment, was involved in heavy fighting from the Dniester to Northern Bessarabia. In early May 1944, the division, as a part of LVII.Panzerkorps took part in the Battle of Târgul Frumos, near Iaşi in Romania, an impressive defensive action which was the focus of several NATO studies during the Cold War. The 1st Company of the regiment, under Leutnant Dieter Bernhagen, was wiped out to the last man during a Russian armoured attack. Oberst Lorenz, the regimental commander, led from the front in his command vehicle and played a very personal role in these actions, earning the Oakleaves to his Knight's Cross.

The division was next involved in the fighting around Podul. After a brief rest in early July, the division was again committed to heavy fighting in northern Romania. In late July, the division was transferred to East Prussia. Over the next months, "Großdeutschland" was involved in heavy fighting in both East Prussia and the Baltic States, suffering immense casualties in both men and materiel. At Wilkowischken, a moderately successful counter-attack from East Prussia into Lithuania, the Panzergrenadier Regiment GD mounted a frontal attack with the SPWs of the 1st Battalion battling into the village itself, as the Panzer Regiment and Panzerfüsiliers effected a flanking attack.

The success was short lived, and the division was forced to withdraw into Germany, where it was virtually annihilated during the battles in the Memel bridgehead.

1945

By March 1945, the Division "Großdeutschland" had been reduced to around 4,000 men. These escaped by ferry from the collapsing Memel bridgehead. They landed at Pillau and were put straight back into combat. By 25 April 1945, the division ceased to exist, having been completely destroyed in the battles around Pillau. Of the few survivors a few hundred were able to make their way to Schleswig-Holstein and surrendered to British forces. The majority of the men were left behind and were forced to surrender to the Russians where they were to face an often fatal and indefinite amount of time in Russian forced labor camps (Gulags).

"Großdeutschland" Insignia

As a celebration of their elite status, the "Großdeutschland" was permitted to wear unique insignia. An intertwined GD was displayed on the shoulder straps, and a cuff title, of the type granted to Waffen-SS units, was also distributed. The original version, which was silver writing on a green background left the unit unimpressed. Silver on green was the same colour as the LANDZOLL (Customs Service) cuff title. In 1940, a new cuff band, this one silver on black (like the SS) was greeted happily. The cuff titles may be one reason that the "Großdeutschland" is often mistakenly identified as Waffen-SS formation.

To distinguish between the two, the "Großdeutschland" was ordered to wear their cuff title on the right sleeve, while the SS wore theirs on the left.

The cuff band was not awarded until after a soldier had completed his trade training and was accepted into the division. In one instance, the cuff bands were removed from a unit for poor performance in combat; the 17th (Motorcycle) Company of Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland lost the privilege of wearing the cuff band for a brief period after the beginning of the invasion of the Soviet Union, but earned for themselves the right to wear it again with a successful attack on an enemy position.

As with all items of German military dress, older patterns were permitted to be "worn out" once newer patterns were available, and the older green cuff titles could still be seen worn in Russia by veterans of the original GD Regiment.

After expansion to a division, the Regiment wore a white numeral "1" on the shoulder strap, later replaced with the wearing of white loops across the straps, to distinguish from the second GD regiment who wore red loops. Even after redesignation as a Panzergrendier regiment, the white waffenfarbe (branch colour) was retained.

Commanders

Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Infantry Regiment GD

* HANERT, Karl, Oberleutnant, 4th Company. Jeljna, Soviet Union, 23 Aug 1941.
* FRANTZ, Peter, Oberleutnant, 16th (Assault Gun) Company. Borisovka, Soviet Union, 4 Jun 1942.
* GREIM, Alfred, Oberstleutnant, 2nd Battalion Commander. Kishkino/Tula, Soviet Union, 4 Jun 1942.
* BLUMENTHAL, Carl-Ludwig, Oberleutnant, 7th Company Commander, Infantry Rgt. Woronesh, Soviet Union, 18 Sep 1942.

Infantry Regiment GD 1

*KLEMM, Hans, Unteroffizier, 2nd Company. Belogurovo, Soviet Union, 10 Dec 1942.

Grenadier Regiment GD

*GEHRKE, Kurt, Oberstleutnant, 1st Battalion Commander. Kusovlevo, Soviet Union, 8 Feb 1943.
*REMER, Otto-Ernst, Major 1st Battalion Commander. Kharkov, Soviet Union, 18 May 1943.

Panzergrenadier Regiment GD

*KONOPKA, Gerhard, Oberleutnant, 2nd Battalion Commander. Alissova, Soviet Union, 29 Aug 1943.
*SCHWARZROCK, Rudolf, Major, 1st Battalion Commander. Tragul Frumos, 19 Aug 1944.
*CZORNY, Wilhelm, Gefreiter, 2nd Company. Doblen, 4 Oct 1944.
*BIELIG, Martin, Oberfeldwebel, 17th (Infantry Gun) Company. Schaulen, 7 Oct 1944.
*PLICKAT, Fritz, Feldwebel, 2nd Battalion. Luoke, 9 Dec 1944.
*SOMMER, Clemens, Major, 2nd Battalion. Luoke, 18 Jan 1944.
*HEESEMAN, Wolfgang, Oberst, Regimental Commander. 17 Feb 1945.
*PFAU, Otto, Hauptmann, 1st Battalion. 23 Mar 1945.

Holders of the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

*REMER, Otto-Ernst, Major, 1st Battalion Commander, Panzer Grenadier Regiment GD. Dniepr, 12 Nov 1943.
*LORENZ, Karl, Oberst, Regimental Commander, Panzer Grenadier Regiment GD. Krivoj Rog, 12 Feb 1944.

Orders of Battle

Infanterie Regiment "Großdeutschland" March 1942"'

Stab der Regiment
*First Battalion (I./Inf Rgt "Grossdeutschland")
**1.Kompanie
**2.Kompanie
**3.Kompanie
**4.(MG) Kompanie
**Schwere Kompanie
*Second Battalion (II./Inf Rgt "Grossdeutschland")
**5.Kompanie
**6.Kompanie
**7.Kompanie
**8.(MG) Kompanie
**Schwere Kompanie
*Third Battalion (III./Inf Rgt "Grossdeutschland")
**9.Kompanie
**10.Kompanie
**11.Kompanie
**12.(MG) Kompanie
**Schwere Kompanie
*Fourth Battalion (IV./Inf Rgt "Grossdeutschland")
**13.(Light Infantry Gun) Kompanie
**14.(Panzerjäger) Kompanie
**15.(Heavy Infantry Gun) Kompanie
**16.(Sturmgeschütz) Kompanie
*Fifth Battalion (V./Inf Rgt "Grossdeutschland")
**17.(Aufklärungs) Kompanie
**18.(Pionier) Kompanie
**19.(Nachrichten) Kompanie
**20.(FlaK) Kompanie
*Artillery Battalion 400
*Supply Column 400
*Workshop Company

Panzergrenadier Regiment "Großdeutschland" September 1943

*Regimental Headquarters
**Headquarters Company
***signals platoon
***pioneer platoon
***motorcycle platoon
*I. (SPW) Battalion (At the beginning of June 1943, 83 SPW halftracks arrived to equip the first battalion of the Grenadier Regiment.)
**Headquarters
**1. Company
***Headquarters
****Rifle Platoon - light anti-tank rifle team, three squads, each with 2 LMGs
****Rifle Platoon
****Rifle Platoon
****Heavy Platoon - 4 HMGs, two 81 mm mortars, heavy anti-tank rifle team
**2. Company - as above
**3. Company - as above
**4. (MG) Company
***HQ Platoon
***Mortar Platoon
***Light Infantry Support Platoon
**5. (Heavy) Company
*II. (Motorized) Battalion
**6. Company - as 1 above
**7. Company - as 1 above
**8. Company - as 1above
**9. (MG) Company - as 4 above
**10. (Heavy) Company - as 5 above
*III. (Motorized) Battalion
**11. Company - as 1 above
**12. Company - as 1 above
**13. Company - as 1 above
**14. (MG) Company - as 4 above
**15. (Heavy) Company - as 5 above
*IV. (Heavy) Battalion
**16. (FlaK) Company
**17. (Infantry Gun) Company
**18. (Panzerjäger) Company
***1st Platoon self-propelled

War Crimes

The book "German Army and Genocide" (ISBN 1565845250) mentions the following incident, from the invasion of Yugoslavia:

:"When one German soldier was shot and one seriously wounded in Pancevo, Wehrmacht soldiers and the Waffen SS rounded up about 100 civilians at random...the town commander, Lt. Col. Fritz Bandelow conducted the Court's Martial...The presiding judge, SS-Sturmbannführer Rudolf Hoffmann sentenced 36 of those arrested to death. On April 21, 1941, four of the civilians were the first to be shot...On the following day eighteen victims were hanged in a cemetery and fourteen more were shot at the cemetery wall by an execution squad of the Wehrmacht's Grossdeutschland regiment." (Page 42)

Part of the photographic presentation for the book included the photo at right. The GD cuff title on the officer is clearly visible. The official GD history by Helmuth Spaeter mentions only that "Draconian measures were occasionally required to halt looting by the civilian population" in Belgrade. The events of 21 April in Pancevo are not discussed directly, though many references are made to "security duties" in Yugoslavia.

The subject of Grossdeutschland's complicity in war crimes was the subject of the book by Omer Bartov "The Eastern Front, 1941-45, German Troops, and the Barbarization of Warfare" (1986, ISBN 0-312-22486-9). The link, however, between GD's and atrocities is never fully realized. A complete discussion is available at the [http://members.shaw.ca/grossdeutschland/crime.htm GD for CM website] .

Bibliography

Printed references

* de Lannoy, François and Jean-Claude Perrigault "La division Grossdeutschland" ("The Grossdeutschland Division from Regiment to Panzerkorps 1939-1945") French edition, Editions Heimdal

* Lee, Cyrus A. "Soldat: The World War Two German Army Combat Uniform Collector's Guide (Volume V: Uniforms and Insignia of Panzerkorps Grossdeutschland 1939-1945)" (Pictorial Histories Publishing Company, Missoula, MT, 1993) ISBN 0929521765

* Lucas, James "Germany's Elite Panzer Force: Grossdeutschland " (MacDonald's and Jane's, London, 1978) ISBN 0354011650

*

* Quarrie, Bruce "Panzer-Grenadier Division "Grossdeutschland" (VANGUARD series book, Osprey Publishing Group, London, UK. 1977. US version published in 1978 by Squadron/Signal Publications, Warren, MI.) ISBN 0850450551

* Sajer, Guy "The Forgotten Soldier" (English translation of the title "Le Soldat Oublié"), Harper & Row, 1990 ISBN 0-08-037437-9

* Scheibert, Horst (Bruce Culver Editor) "Panzer Grenadier Division Grossdeutschland" (English version by Squadron Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX, 1987) ISBN 089747061

* Sharpe, Michael and Brian L. Davis "GROSSDEUTSCHLAND: Guderian's Eastern Front Elite", Compendium Publishing Ltd, 2001 ISBN 0-7110-2854-0.

* Solarz, Jacek. "Division/Korps "Großdeutschland" 1943-1945 Vol. II". (Polish/English edition by Wydawnictwo "Militaria", Warsaw, 2005) ISBN 8372192375

*

*

Web resources

* Dorosh, Michael. " [http://members.shaw.ca/grossdeutschland/ Grossdeutschland for "Combat Mission"] ". Retrieved April 8, 2005.

* Pipes, Jason. " [http://www.feldgrau.com/gross2.html Panzergrenadier-Division "Großdeutschland"] ". Retrieved April 8, 2005.

* " [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Panzergrenadierdivisionen/PGDGD.htm Panzergrenadier Division "Großdeutschland"] ". German language article at www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. (Follow links for Infanterie Division "Großdeutschland" (mot).) Retrieved April 8, 2005.

* Wendel, Marcus (2005). " [http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=1064 Panzergrenadier Division "Großdeutschland"] ". Retrieved April 8, 2005.