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.
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