The Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH) was founded in September 1933 as Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard formation. It was given the title Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (LAH) in November, 1933.[1] On 13 April 1934, by order of Himmler, the regiment became known as the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH).[1] In 1939 the LSSAH became a separate unit of the Waffen-SS aside the SS-TV and the SS-VT.[2]
The LSSAH independently participated in combat during the Invasion of Poland (1939). Elements of the LSSAH later joined the SS-VT prior to Operation Barbarossa in 1941 and by the end of World War II they had been increased in size from a Regiment to a Panzer Division.[3]
SS-Stabswache Berlin February 1933
edit117 Men under Sepp Dietrich
Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler November 1933 - September 1939
edit- 1st Battalion
- 1st Company
- 2nd Company
- ?
- 2nd Battalion
- 1st Company
- 2nd Company
- ?
Infantry Regiment Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler September 1939
edit- Regimental Headquarters (Josef Dietrich)
- 1st Infantry Battalion
- 1st Company
- 2nd Company
- 3rd Company
- 4th (MG) Company
- 2nd Infantry Battalion
- 5th Company
- 6th Company
- 7th Company
- 8th (MG) Company
- 3rd Infantry Battalion
- 9th Company
- 10th Company
- 11th Company
- 12th (MG) Company
- Panzerabwehrkanone Company (Kurt Meyer)
- Reconnaissance Company
- Motor Cycle Company
- Engineer Company
- Signals Company
- Artillery Battalion
- 4th Wach Battalion (Ceremonial and Guard Duties) [4]
Infantry Regiment (mot) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler—April 1941
edit(Brigade size formation)
- Regimental Headquarters Staff (Josef Dietrich)
- 1st SS Infantry Battalion (mot): (Fritz Witt)
- 2nd SS Infantry Battalion (mot): (Theodor Wisch)
- 3rd SS Infantry Battalion (mot): (SS-Sturmbannführer Wilhelm Weidenhaupt)
- 4th SS Infantry Battalion (mot): (SS-Sturmbannführer Jahnke)
- 5th SS Infantry Battalion (mot): (SS-Sturmbannführer Van Bibber)
- SS Heavy Infantry Battalion (mot) LSSAH: (SS-Sturmbannführer Steineck)
- SS Anti-aircraft Battalion 1 LSSAH: (Bernhard Krause)
- SS Assault gun (Sturmgeschütz) Battalion 1LSSAH: (Georg Schönberger)
- SS Engineer Battalion 1 LSSAH (Christian Hansen)
- SS Reconnaissance Battalion 1 LSSAH: (Kurt Meyer)
1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler - Normandy 1944
edit
- Divisional Headquarters Staff (Theodor Wisch)
- 1st SS Panzer Regiment (Joachim Peiper)
- I/1st Panzer Battalion (67x Panthers)
- II/1st Panzer Battalion (103x Panzer IVs)
- 1st SS Panzergrenadier Regiment (Albert Frey)
- I/1st SS Panzergrenadier Battalion
- II/1st SS Panzergrenadier Battalion
- III/1st SS Panzergrenadier Battalion
- 2nd SS Panzergrenadier Regiment (Rudolf Sandig)
- I/2nd SS Panzergrenadier Battalion
- II/2nd SS Panzergrenadier Battalion
- III/2nd SS Panzergrenadier Battalion
- 1st SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion (Gustav Knittel)
- 1st SS Sturmgeschütz Battalion (45x Sturmgeschütz III)(Heinrich Heimann)
- 1st SS Artillery Regiment (Franz Steineck)
- 1st SS Artillery Battalion (2x 105mm Wespe Bty ,1x 150mm Hummel Bty)
- 2nd SS Artillery Battalion (2x 105mm Bty [towed])
- 3rd SS Artillery Battalion (2x 150mm Bty [towed], 1x 100mm Kanon Bty [towed])
- 1st SS Werfer Regiment (Klaus Besch) (3x 150mm Bty [towed])
- 1st SS Anti Aircraft Battalion (Hugo Ullerich) (3x 88 mm guns, 2x 37 mm guns)
- 1st SS Panzer Pioneer Battalion (Gerd Steinert)
- 1st SS Panzer Signal Battalion (Eugene Metz)
- 1st SS Medical Battalion (Dr Liebrich)
- 1st SS Admin Battalion (Obersturmbannführer Paul Tauber)
- 1st SS Repair Battalion (Alfred Gilles)
- 1st SS Supply Battalion (Klaus Stamp)
Note: a SS Panzer Regiment had two Panzer Battalions and a SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment had three Pz-Gren Battalions.[5]
See also
editReferences
editCitations
editBibliography
edit- Cook, Stan and Bender, Roger James. (1994). Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler: Uniforms, Organization, & History, San Jose, CA: R. James Bender Publishing. ISBN 978-0-912138-55-8.
- Reynolds, Michael (1997). Steel Inferno: I SS Panzer Corps in Normandy, Spellmount. ISBN 1-873376-90-1.
External links
edit- 1.SS-Panzer-Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler at Feldgrau.com.
- 1. SS-Panzer-Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler at Axis History Factbook.
- Leibstandarte "Adolf Hitler" - Waffen SS, miscellaneous photos and Information.
- 1.SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte the premier LAH reenacting unit.