15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian)

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15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) was formed 1943 when the newly formed Lettische SS-Freiwilligen Legion was upgraded to a division.

It was sent to the front Nov 1943 where it fought the Red Army's winter offensive.

It was sent to West Prussia to recover from the losses suffered during the Soviet offensive in the autumn of 1944. It returned to the front Jan 1945 and continued fighting the Red Army until the end of the war when it managed to surrender to the western allies.

Contents 1 Lineage 2 Commanders 3 Area of operations 4 Knight's Crosses awarded 5 Order of battle

[edit] Lineage

Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Division (Feb 1943 - Oct 1943)

15. Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Division (Oct 1943 - June 1944)

15. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr. 1) (June 1944 - May 1945)

[edit] Commanders

SS-Brigadeführer Peter Hansen (25 Feb 1943 - ? May 1943)

SS-Gruppenführer Carl Graf von Pückler-Burghauss (? May 1943 - 17 Feb 1944)

SS-Brigadeführer Nikolas Heilmann (17 Feb 1944 - 21 July 1944)

SS-Brigadeführer Herbert von Obwurzer (21 July 1944 - 26 Jan 1945)

SS-Oberführer Arthur Ax (26 Jan 1945 - 15 Feb 1945)

SS-Oberführer Karl Burk (15 Feb 1945 - ? 1945)

Chief of Staff

SS-Sturmbannführer Knebel (? 1943 - ? 1944)

SS-Haupsturmführer Hahn (? 1944 - ? 1944)

Major Erich Wulff (1 Aug 1944 - 3 Feb 1945)

SS-Sturmbannführer Adolf Kopp (1 Mar 1945 - ? May 1945)

Quartermaster

SS-Hauptsturmführer Fritscher (? 1943 - ? 1944)

SS-Hauptsturmführer Egbert Hochhauser (1 Aug 1944 - ?)

SS-Hauptsturmführer Edler von Zenetti (1 Mar 1945 - ?)

[edit] Area of operations

Eastern front, northern sector (Aug 1943 - Jan 1945)

Pomerania & Berlin (Jan 1945 - May 1945)

Manpower strength

Dec 1943 20,291 1212?

June 1944 18.413

Dec 1944 16.870

[edit] Knight's Crosses awarded

3

[edit] Order of battle

Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 32

Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 33

Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 34

Waffen-Artillerie Regiment der SS 15

Waffen-Fusilier Battalion der SS 15

Waffen-Flak Abteilung der SS 15

Waffen-Nachrichtung Abteilung der SS 15

Waffen-Pionier Battalion der SS 15

Waffen-Panzerjäger Abteilung der SS 15

SS-Sanitäts Abteilung 15

SS-Nachschub Truppen 15

SS-Feldpostamt 15

SS-Veterinär-Kompanie 15

SS-WirtschaftsBtl. 15

SS-Bau-Regiment 1 der 15. SS-Division

SS-Bau-Regiment 2 der 15. SS-Division

SS-Feldersatz-Battalion 15

SS-Waffen-Feldgendarmerie-Trupp 15

SS-Kriegsberichter-Trupp

Divisionen der Waffen- Divisions of the Waffen-SS (see complete list)

1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler 2nd SS Division Das Reich 3rd SS Division Totenkopf 4th SS Polizei Division 5th SS Panzergrenadier Division Wiking 6th SS Mountain Division Nord 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian) 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Galizien (1st Ukrainian) 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen 18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Horst Wessel 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg (1st Albanian) 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Division Maria Theresia 23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland 24th Waffen Mountain (Karstjäger) Division 25th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Hunyadi 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 (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 Cavalry Division of the SS (3rd Hungarian) 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French) 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Landstorm Nederland 35th SS and Police Grenadier Division 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS 37th SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Lützow 38th SS Division Grenadier Nibelungen