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

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

Insignia of 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian)
Active 1943 - 1945
Country Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Branch Waffen-SS
Size Division
Part of VI SS Army Corps (Latvian)
Insignia
Identification
symbol
Identification
symbol		 Latvian legionnaires Armshield

The 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) was an Infantry Division of the Waffen SS during World War II. It was formed in February 1943, and together with its sister unit, the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) formed the Latvian Legion.

History

After a successful recruitment drive in the Reichskommissariat Ostland and forming of Latvian Police Battalions; Heinrich Himmler formed Latvian legion (Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Legion) in January 1943. However, the small size of these Legions were inadequate for widespread use and were soon merged into divisions. In February 1943 Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Division was formed which later received the numerical designation 15. The Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Legion was renamed the Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Brigade, with the numerical designation added soon after.

To bolster the numbers, Himmler enforced compulsory military service within the Baltic States during 1943 for those born between 1915-24. In 1944, the conscription dates were widened to 1904-26. These Latvian conscripts would form the 15th Waffen-Grenadier-Division just in time for the Soviet 1943 offensives. The 15th SS, together with the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) formed the Latvian Legion. The 15th SS was swept up in the chaos of the collapse of the Eastern Front and lost much of its manpower fighting in districts surrounding Leningrad (Ostrov, Novosokolniki, Ostrov and Novgorod Oblast). In September 1944 the surviving elements of the Division was sent by boat to Danzig for replenishment and training of new recruits. The Division fought on the Pomeranian Wall defences. The Division then fought an effective fighting retreat through Pomerania and Germany to Berlin. Some elements engaged Russians as far south as Leipzig.

In postwar Poland soldiers of the division had been accused in killing 32 Polish soldiers (bound with barbed wire and burned alive) of the 4th Company, 3rd Infantry Regiment of the Polish First Army's 1st Infantry Division on 2 February 1945, at Podgaje, Poland.[1][2][3] However the killing of Polish war prisoners (rather shooting than burning alive) is possibly done by the another units of SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division General Seyffard or Kampfgruppe Scheibe, SS-Ostubaf.[4]

The Division fought well in the last months of the war and took part in the defence of Berlin in mid-1945, the Füsilier Battalion was trapped defending Berlin's Air Ministry building. Part of the Division, under Waffen-Standartenführer Vilis Janums, surrendered to the advancing Americans at Güterglück near the Elbe River. Other elements of the Division surrendered to the Americans south of Schwerin in April 1945.

Commanders

Order of battle

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian).

References

  1. ↑ Majewski, Ryszard: Waffen SS. Mity i rzeczywistość. , Wrocław : Krajowa Agencja Wydawnicza, 1983, s. 247, ISBN 83-03-00102-7
  2. ↑ Polski czyn zbrojny w II wojnie światowej., Warszawa : Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, 1988, s.531 (tom 3), ISBN 83-11-07038-5
  3. ↑ Wirtualna Polska. "Wirtualna Polska - Wszystko co ważne - www.wp.pl". webpark.pl. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  4. ↑ "Podgaje, 1945 - Feldgrau.net". feldgrau.net. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  5. ↑ Rickmenspoel,M. Waffen-SS Encyclopedia. Aberjona Press, 2004.
  6. ↑ Wendal, Marcus. "15. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr. 1)". Axis History. Archived from the original on 2009-05-02. Retrieved 2009-03-15.