18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Horst Wessel

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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 exception 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 member Horst Wessel.

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

[edit] Lineage

18. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division (Jan 1944)

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

[edit] 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)

[edit] 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

[edit] Knight's Crosses awarded

2

Holders of high awards

Holders of the Knight's Cross

[edit] 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

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

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