From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer
Insignia of 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer
Active	1942 - 1945
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Waffen-SS
Type	Cavalry
Commanders
Notable commanders	Gustav Lombard Bruno Streckenbach Hermann Fegelein

The 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer was a Waffen-SS cavalry Division during World War II. It was formed in 1942 from a cadre of the SS Cavalry Brigade which was involved in anti partisan operations behind the front line and was responsible for the extermination of tens of thousands of the civilian population. ^[1]
About 40% of the division were Volksdeutsche from Siebenbürgen and Banat. The Training and Replacement Battalion of the 8th SS Cavalry Division was involved in suppressing the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. ^[2]
In March 1944, it was named after Florian Geyer (1490-1525), the Franconian nobleman who led the Black Company during the Peasants War.
The Division was destroyed during the fighting in Budapest in early 1945.

Return to the front

SS Cavalry, Russia, June 1942

The newly created division was soon sent back to the Eastern Front and fought in the Rzhev and Orel sectors in central Russia until the spring of 1943. The division was then moved to the area around Bobruisk, on internal security and anti partisan duties until September 1943. In September the division was moved again to the Southern front and took part in the German retreat to the Dnieper river. ^[3]

The division was then sent to Hungary in October 1943, where the Panzerjager and Sturmgeschütz Battalions were combined and the Reconnaissance Battalion became a Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion. Following this reorganization the division was posted to Croatia. In April 1944, they returned to Hungary and took part in the fighting in Transylvania after the Romanian front collapsed. ^[3]

The Division was trapped in Budapest with the IX SS Mountain Corps when the Russians surrounded the city in December 1944. The 8th SS Cavalry Division was then involved in the fierce fighting to hold the city often engaged in hand to hand combat and fighting house to house. ^[3] The Division was destroyed in the fighting for Budapest and by the end of the siege of the 30,000 men of the SS Corps only about 800 survived to reach the German lines. ^[3][4]

Commanders

SS Cavalry Division on anti partisan sweep May 1943

• SS-Brigadeführer Gustav Lombard, (March 1942 - April 1942)
• SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein, (April 1942 - August 1942)
• SS-Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Bittrich, (August 1942 - 15 February 1943)
• SS-Brigadeführer Fritz Freitag, (15 February 1943 - 20 April 1943)
• SS-Brigadeführer Gustav Lombard, (20 April 1943 - 14 May 1943)
• SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein, (14 May 1943 - 13 September 1943)
• SS-Gruppenführer Bruno Streckenbach, (13 September 1943 - 22 October 1943)
• SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Fegelein, (22 October 1943 - 1 January 1944)
• SS-Gruppenführer Bruno Streckenbach, (1 January 1944 - 14 April 1944)
• SS-Brigadeführer Gustav Lombard, (14 April 1944 - 1 July 1944)
• SS-Brigadeführer Joachim Rumohr, (1 July 1944 - 11 Feb 1945) ^[2]

Order of Battle

Panzerjager "Hetzer" from 8th SS Division Hungary 1944

• SS-Cavalry Regiment 15
• SS-Cavalry Regiment 16
• SS-Cavalry Regiment 17
• SS-Cavalry Regiment 18
• SS-Artillery Regiment 8
• SS-Panzerjäger Battalion 8
• SS-Reconnaissance Battalion 8
• SS-Signals Battalion 8
• SS-Pionier Battalion 8
• SS-Flak Battalion 8
• SS-Reserve Battalion 8
• SS-Sturmgeschütz Battalion 8
• SS-Radfahr Reconnaissance Battalion 8
• SS-Ski-Battalion
• SS-Verwaltungsstruppen 8
• SS-Medical Battalion 8
• SS-Veterinary Company 8
• SS-Field post troop
• SS-Kriegsberichter platoon (mot) 8
• SS-Feldgendarmerie-Troop 8
• SS-Krankenkraftwagen platoon

See also

• List of Knight's Cross Recipients 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer

References

• Charles Trang, Florian Geyer Division, 2000, ISBN 2840481413

External links

• Marcus Wendel, Axis History Factbook, Waffen SS units (8. SS-Kavallerie-Division Florian Geyer)

— The divisions of the Waffen-SS — Panzer 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler · 2nd SS Division Das Reich · 3rd SS Division Totenkopf · 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking · 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen · 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg · 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend · SS Heavy Panzer Battalions Panzergrenadier 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland · 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS · 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen · 18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Horst Wessel · 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland Mountain 6th SS Mountain Division Nord · 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen · 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian) · 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg · 23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama (2nd Croatian) · 24th Waffen Mountain (Karstjäger) Division Cavalry 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer · 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Division Maria Theresia · 33rd Waffen Cavalry Division of the SS (3rd Hungarian) · 37th SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Lützow · 1st Cossack Division 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 4th SS Polizei Division · 35th SS and Police Grenadier Division Deception Divisions 26th SS Panzer Division · 27th SS Panzer Division