♦ Infantry Regiment "G.D." 1939-45 ♦

The German Army in World War II
 

 

Panzer IV medium tank of Panzergrenadier-Division "Großdeutschland" in Russia, 1944 (World War Photos)
 


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Infantrie-Regiment “Großdeutschland” (Infantry Regiment “Greater Germany” or "G.D.") was the elite formation of the German Army, and during World War II it was progressively expanded into a brigade, a division and finally into an improvised panzer corps of two divisions. Großdeutschland was in effect the Army counterpart and rival of the senior formation of the Waffen-SS, the Liebstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, which underwent a similar wartime expansion. Because its uniform incorporated a cuff title similar to those worn by the Waffen-SS, Großdeutschland is sometimes misidentified as an SS formation. It was, however, a unit of the Army, albeit with special status.

Großdeutschland originated as the Wach-Regiment Berlin (Berlin Guard Regiment), a unit of the Reichswehr charged with the security of the government and national capital plus ceremonial duties, somewhat similar to the US Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) in Washington DC. The Wach-Regiment Berlin was formed in early 1921, after the Kapp Putsch, an unsuccessful attempt by right-wing factions to topple the republican government and set up an authoritarian regime. It it did not last long in its original form, being disbanded in June 1921, but was soon replaced by the Kommando der Wachtruppe (Guard Troop Command) with similar duties.
 

The Wachtruppe Berlin being inspected by a visiting dignitary in 1929 (Bundesarchiv)

The reestablished Wachtruppe consisted of seven companies, one from each of the seven infantry divisions of the Reichswehr, plus the Musikkorps der Wachtruppe (military band). The companies were rotated in and out of Berlin, serving a three months’ tour of duty; a small command staff and the band were the only permanently assigned units. When Hitler and his Nazi Party came to power in January 1933 this arrangement was left in place. In 1934, however, the unit’s name was changed to Wachtruppe Berlin and in 1936, after Hitler’s rearmament proclamation, it was expanded by the addition of a headquarters and administration company. In 1937 it reverted to its original name: Wach-Regiment Berlin. By this time it was the size of a battalion, various supply and transportation elements having been added.

Traditionally the units of the German Army had been raised and maintained on a territorial basis. The country was divided into a number of Wehrkreise (Military Districts), each of which was responsible for the peacetime command and administration of the Army units stationed in its area. The Wehrkreise were also responsible for wartime mobilization and the raising of new units, whose personnel, reservists and conscripts, were drawn from its area. But the personnel of the reorganized Wach-Regiment Berlin were specially selected individual soldiers who served a six-month tour of duty, thus representing the Army and the nation as a whole.

In January 1939, Hitler ordered the Wach-Regiment to be expanded to an actual regiment of three battalions under a new name: Infantrie-Regiment “Großdeutschland,” whose personnel were to be recruited on a nationwide basis. It was officially activated as such in June 1939 and was still undergoing reorganization when the war began in September of that year. Thus Großdeutschland missed the Polish campaign, and it would have its baptism of fire the following year in the invasion of France and the Low Countries.

Großdeutschland was organized as a motorized infantry regiment, thus bearing the suffix (motorisiert). Organizationally it was similar to a standard motorized infantry regiment, but instead of regimental infantry gun (IG) and antitank gun (ATG) companies it had a fourth “heavy” battalion of four companies: assault gun (StuG III assault guns), light IG (75mm), heavy IG (150mm), and ATG (37mm). Großdeutschland was one of the first units to be equipped with the StuG III, which was to become Germany’s  second-most produced armored fighting vehicle of the war.
 

Monograms badges and cuff title of Infantrie-Regiment "Großdeutschland" The cuff title is one of several different styles that were worn at different times. The monogram badges were worn on officer and NCO shoulder straps. (iCollector.com)

For the 1940 campaign in the west, Großdeutschland, less its III Battalion, was assigned to XIX Motorized Corps, Panzer Group von Kleist, Army Group A, and was attached to the 10th Panzer Division. The III Battalion was detached to participate in airborne operations in Belgium, its troops being carried into action by light aircraft. Between 15 and 17 May, the regiment was involved in heavy fighting around the village of Stonne on the Meuse River, the village changing hands seventeen times before the French defense collapsed. Großdeutschland suffered 570 casualties in this battle. Next came the Battle of Arras, another sharp action in which a British armored counterattack was parried. The regiment then advanced to the Dunkirk perimeter and after the British evacuation it was transferred south to participate in the second phase of the campaign—in the course of which some of its troops massacred a number of captured black soldiers and their French officers.

After the French capitulation, Großdeutschland was moved to the south of France in preparation for Operation Felix, the planned occupation of Gibraltar. When this was canceled the regiment was transferred to XXXXI Motorized Corps, First Panzer Group, Twelfth Army, for the Balkan campaign (April 1941). Thanks to the swift collapse of the Yugoslavian Army, Großdeutschland was not heavily engaged—though once again some of its troops were involved in a war crime, this time the reprisal shooting of 35 civilians.

In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, Großdeutschland was expanded to brigade size, though it continued to be called a regiment. A fifth composite battalion with reconnaissance, engineer, flak (antiaircraft) and signal companies was added, along with an artillery battalion—the latter with 8 x 105mm light howitzers and 4 x 150mm howitzers. The three rifle battalions acquired a heavy company (additional to the existing machine gun company) with two AT platoons, a light flak platoon and an engineer platoon. Finally, the supply column was expanded to battalion size.
 

Officers of Großdeutschland, circa 1942. Note the cuff titles and the shoulder strap monogram. Visible behind the officer in the foreground is the division's tactical sign: a steel helmet (Stalhelm) in outline. (Bundesarchiv)

For the initial stage of Barbarossa, Großdeutschland was assigned to the XXXXVI Motorized Corps, Second Panzer Group, Army Group Center. The regiment suffered heavy casualties from June to November 1941, and lost even more heavily during the Red Army's 1941-42  winter counteroffensive. By late February, Großdeutschland had been reduced to the strength of a single battalion, and shortly thereafter it was taken out of the line for rest and reorganization.

During March and April 1942 Großdeutschland was raised from brigade to divisional strength, becoming Infantrie-Division “Großdeutschland” (motorisiert) with two infantry regiments, an artillery regiment, a panzer battalion, an assault gun battalion, motorized reconnaissance, AT and engineer battalions, and full divisional services. All sub-units were identically identified, e.g. Panzer-Abteilung “Großdeutschland"; only the two infantry regiments bore numbers. In October 1942 when all Army infantry regiments were renamed grenadier regiments, they shed their numbers, becoming Grenadier-Regiment Großdeutschland and Füsilier-Regiment Großdeutschland—traditional titles recalling the army of Frederick the Great.

Though it retained its infantry identity, the new Großdeutschland division was equipped almost on a par with the panzer divisions. In this form it participated in the summer 1942 offensive in southern Russia, again suffering heavy casualties. By the time the Stalingrad debacle had run its course, Großdeutschland had lost so heavily as to be rendered combat ineffective. Sufficient manpower and material replacements were subsequently received to enable the division to participate in the successful February-March counteroffensive that recaptured the key city of Kharkov. It was then taken out of the line for rebuilding.
 

Command Flag of the Großdeutschland Division 1942-45

By May 1943 Großdeutschland was back up to strength, having received picked manpower and the latest equipment in preparation for the Battle of Kursk, For Operation Citadel, as the Kursk offensive was code-named, the division was assigned to the XXXXVIII Panzer Corps, Fourth Panzer Army, Army Group South. By then it had been retitled Panzergrenadier-Division “Großdeutschland,” its two infantry regiments receiving the titles Panzergrenadier and Panzerfusilier. By this time one battalion of the Panzergrenadier regiment was equipped with armored halftracks instead of trucks, and the divisional order of battle included a heavy panzer company with Panzer VI (Tiger) tanks.

After the premature termination of Citadel, in which it suffered significant casualties, Großdeutschland was employed as a mobile reserve during the 1944-45 defensive battles on the Eastern Front. In March 1944, the OKH ordered the creation of Panzerkorps “Großdeutschland,” which was supposed to consist of two divisions plus the usual corps troops. In fact the corps was cobbled together with various odds and ends, including the staff of the dissolved 18th Artillery Division and remnants of the dissolved XIII Corps. The additional division was the new Panzergrenadier-Division “Brandenburg.” However, the corps never actually fought as a unit and in the last months of the war Großdeutschland shrank to a strength of some 4,000 men. Most of them surrendered to the Red Army, though around 800 were able to make their way west, surrendering to the British Army in Schleswig-Holstein.

There were a number of other Army units associated with Großdeutschland. One was the Wach-Regiment Berlin, which was reestablished early in the war to provide security in and around the capital. This unit and its commander, Major Otto Remer, played a key role in the suppression of the July 20 putsch attempt by dissident Army officers. Another was the Führer-Begleit-Bataillon (FBB; Escort Battalion of the National Leader). Raised in early 1939, its mission was to provide security for Hitler when he was traveling near the front or was resident in his East Prussian field headquarters. In 1943 the FBB was joined by the Führer-Grenadier-Bataillon (FGB) with similar duties and ultimately both formations were raised to brigade strength and participated in the Ardennes offensive (Battle of the Bulge) in late 1944-early 1945. By the end of the war they had divisional status, but probably neither ever had more than the strength of a brigade.

Right to the end and despite the heavy casualties it repeatedly suffered, Großdeutschland maintained its status as an elite unit. Like the Waffen-SS it received the pick of available replacements and the latest available equipment, and its combat record was indeed impressive. But like the German Army as a whole, that record was stained with the guilt of atrocities committed against prisoners of war and civilians. If these were not as extensive and bestial as those perpetrated by the SS, they should nevertheless be borne in mind when assessing Großdeutschland’s legacy.

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