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18th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Horst Wessel
18th SS Division Logo.svg
Active 1944–1945
Country Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Allegiance Adolf Hitler
Branch Flag Schutzstaffel.svg Waffen SS
Type Panzergrenadier
Size Division

The 18th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Horst Wessel was formed in 1944 around a cadre from the 1 SS Infantry Brigade and included mainly Hungarian ethnic Germans or Volksdeutsche (Volksdeutsche is a historical term which arose in the early 20th century to apply to Germans living outside of the German Empire). It was used for anti-partisan duties until it was sent to the Eastern front, with the exception of one regiment that fought the Slovak National Uprising in August 1944. It later fought as a single unit in Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia where it was destroyed.

The Division was named after the SA or (Sturmabteilung) hero Horst Wessel, a German Nazi known for being the author of lyrics to the song "Die Fahne hoch" (Horst Wessel Lied) and for being glorified by the Nazi regime as a martyr of the early years of the Nazi party.

Contents

Commanders

Knight's Cross recipients

Knight's Cross with Swords

SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 40

  • Julius Riepe

SS Flak Battalion 18

  • Hans Lipinski

Battles

  • Hungary (January 1944 – July 1944)
  • Eastern front, central sector (July 1944 – October 1944)
  • Poland & Czechoslovakia (October 1944 – May 1945)

Order of battle

  • 39th SS-Panzer Grenadier Regiment
  • 40th SS-Panzer Grenadier Regiment
  • 18th SS-Artillery Regiment
  • 18th SS-Panzerjäger Battalion
  • 18th SS-Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion
  • 18th SS-Panzer Battalion
  • 18th SS-Sturmgeschütz Battalion
  • 18th SS-Panzerjäger Battalion
  • 18th SS-Flak Battalion
  • 18th SS-Signals Battalion
  • 18th SS-Pionier Battalion
  • 18th SS-Administration Battalion
  • 18th SS-Wirtschafts Battalion
  • 18th SS-Supplies Troop
  • 18th SS-Instandsetzungs Battalion
  • 18th SS-Feldgendarmerie Battalion
  • 18th SS-Reserve BattallIon
  • 18th SS-Sanitäts Battalion

References

SS runes — The divisions of the Waffen-SS — Flag of Germany 1933
Panzer
Panzergrenadier
Mountain
Cavalry
Infantry

14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Galizien (1st Ukrainian) · 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) · 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) · 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) · 25th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Hunyadi (1st Hungarian) · 26th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Hungarian) · 27th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Langemarck (1st Flemish) · 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien · 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS RONA (1st Russian) · 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian) · 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Russian) · 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Belarussian) · 31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division · 32nd SS Volunteer Grenadier Division 30 Januar · 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French) · 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Landstorm Nederland · 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS · 38th SS Division Grenadier Nibelungen
Police
Deception Divisions


18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Horst Wessel was formed around a cadre from 1. SS-Infanterie-Brigade (mot) and included mainly Hungarian volksdeutsche.

It was used for anti-partisan duties until it was sent to the Eastern front, with the exeption of one regiment that fought the Slovak uprising August 1944. It later fought as a single unit in Hungary and later in Czechoslovakia where it was destroyed.

It was named after the SA hero Horst Wessel.

Lineage



18. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division (Jan 1944)

18. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Horst Wessel (Jan 1944 - May 1945)

Commander



SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Trabant (25 Jan 1944 - 3 Jan 1945)

SS-Gruppenführer Josef Fitzthum (3 Jan 1945 - 10 Jan 1945)

SS-Oberführer Georg Bochmann (10 Jan 1945 - ? Mar 1945)
SS-Standartenführer Heinrich Petersen (? Mar 1945 - 8 May 1945)

Chief of staff

SS-Sturmbannführer Emil Stürzbecher (? Jan 1944 - ? Aug 1944)

Major i.G. Günter Wind (? Aug 1944 - ? Mar 1945)

Quartermaster

SS-Obersturmführer August-Heinrich Berner (1 July 1944 - ?)

SS-Hauptsturmführer Helmut Meyer (? - 1 Mar 1945)

Area of operations



Hungary (Jan 1944 - July 1944)

Eastern front, central sector (July 1944 - Oct 1944)
Poland & Czechoslovakia (Oct 1944 - May 1945)

Manpower strength

30 June 1944 8.530

20 Sep 1944 10.063

Dec 1944 11.000


Knight's Crosses awarded



2



Holders of high awards

Holders of the Knight's Cross



Order of battle



SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 39

SS-Panzergrenadier Regiment 40

SS-Artillerie Regiment 18

SS-Panzerjäger Abteilung 18

Panzer-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 18

SS-Panzer Abteilung 18

SS-Sturmgeschütz Abteilung 18

SS-Panzerjäger Abteilung 18

SS-Flak Abteilung 18

SS-Nachrichten Abteilung 18

SS-Pionier Battalion 18

SS-Verwaltungstruppen Abteilung 18

SS-Wirtschafts Battalion 18

SS-Nachschub-Truppen 18

SS-Instandsetzungs-Abteilung 18

SS-Feldgendarmerie-Abteilung 18

SS-Feldersatz-Bataillon 18

SS-Sanitäts-Abteilung 18
















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