A Brief History of the Hermann Göring Division

Of all the units in existence from 1935 to 1945, the Hermann Goring was arguably the fastest-growing and probably the most complex of all Luftwaffe formations. It was established on 23 February 1933 as a Special Police Battalion (when Goring was Chief of Police for the Berlin district), and gained notoriety for its brutality. On 1 April 1935 it was retitled Regiment "General Göring", and in October was officially incorporated into the Luftwaffe. The Regiment acted as bodyguard for Goring, provided AA units that protected Hitler's headquarters, and later provided the first units of the Fallshirmjägers.


Most of the regiment remained in Berlin during the Polish campaign, providing anti-aircraft cover and guards for Göring's headquarters. A company of the Wachbattalion (Guard, i.e. infantry battalion), along with a light Flak-Batterie and a motorcycle company, took part in the Norwegian campaign, taking part in the seizure of the airfield and radio station at Esbjerg. The main body of the Regiment took part in the assault on Belgium and saw service during the invasion of the Netherlands. The Regiment was divided into a number of small independent Kampfgruppen, operating in close co-operation with the Panzer spearheads of the Army. The Flak units of the Regiment were particularly appreciated, the 88mm dual-purpose guns of the heavy batteries taking a deadly toll on British and French armour (including an action at Mormal Wood, where 88s of the Regiment engaged French tanks at ranges of literally a few yards. It was here that the Regiment gained a reputation for steadfastness in combat.) After the fall of France, the Regiment was stationed on the Channel coast, and later assigned to anti-aircraft duties around Paris. Later in 1940 the Regiment returned to Germany, where it was incorporated into the air defense of Berlin.


Prior to the invasion of Russia in 1941, the regiment was upgraded to a motorized regiment and was retitled Regiment (mot) "Hermann Göring". It took part in the invasion of Russia alongside the 11th Panzer Division, where the Flak regiments excelled in action against Soviet tanks. In May 1942, the regiment was upgraded to Brigade status and redesignated Brigade "Hermann Göring". In October 1942, it was decided to expand the formation even further, this time to divisional strength. The division, now designated Division "Hermann Göring", was to be formed along the same lines as an Army Panzer division. Army personnel (including a number of experienced Army tank crews) were taken on strength, along with personnel from the Luftwaffe, including elements of the 5th Fallshirmjäger Regiment, which had been decimated at Crete.


Still not fully organized, the bulk of the "HG" Division was dispatched piecemeal to Tunisia, where they were in direct support of the 10th Panzer Division. The bulk of the Division sent to Tunisia went into captivity following the Allied victory in North Africa; those elements that did manage to escape joined a newly reformed division, now designated Panzer-Division "Hermann Göring", which was built up around the scattered elements that were still working up in France, Holland and Germany. All these disparate elements were brought together, and went into action against the Allies in Sicily. They again fought tenaciously, forming the rearguard of the retreating German forces, and were among the last elements to leave Sicily.


The Division was moved to the area around Naples for rest and refitting; however, it was thrown back into battle almost immediately, opposing the Allied landings in Italy. It was during the fighting in Italy that the Division gained its most noteworthy (and most unusual) honour: the division's Repair Workshop unit offered his assistance to the monks of Monte Cassino in evacuating the priceless treasures of the abbey to safety in Rome. As the sounds of battle drew nearer, the abbot accepted, and over three weeks many truckloads of treasures made the journey to Rome. However, the units commander, Oberstleutnant Schlegel, had not secured permission from the divisional commander, who knew nothing of the operation; use of military vehicles for what was essentially civilian business could result in his court-martial and execution. The situation was further complicated by an Allied radio broadcast accusing the Division of looting the abbey (a not unreasonable charge, given Reichmarschall Göring's reputation for plundering Europe's art treasures). A detachment of SS field police were sent to the abbey to arrest Schlegel, and it was only through the persuasion of the monks and the intervention by the divisional commander on his behalf that the Oberstleutnant escaped punishment, and the operation continued. In thanks, the monks celebrated a special mass, and presented Schlegel with an illuminated scroll recognizing his efforts. (After the war, however, Schlegel was arrested and charged with looting by the Allies. He was held in prison for seven months before the intervention of Field Marshall Alexander himself secured his release.)


The Division took part in containing the landings at Anzio. In February 1944 the "HG" was redesignated  Fallschirm-Panzer-Division "Hermann Göring"; however, this was merely a "paper" change, and did not involve any change in structure. In July 1944, the Division was pulled out of Italy for good, and sent to the Russian front. It went into action north-east of Warsaw, defending the Vistula line. On 1 October 1944 the order was given to expand further into a Fallschirm-Panzerkorps; this was to be done by raising a new division using fresh intakes from both the Army and Luftwaffe. (The virtual elimination of much of the Luftwaffe meant that large numbers of Luftwaffe personnel found themselves fighting as infantry late in the war.) The process turned out to be difficult, however, because the elements for the new division were needed simply to replace losses in the existing units.

The Division continued to fight on the Eastern Front for the remainder of the war, ending its days fighting near Dresden. Though the troops were ordered to make their way as rapidly as possible west to surrender to the US Army, the majority never made it and were captured by the Red Army. Members of the Division were to be held by the Soviets until as late as 1956.