The 19th Waffen-Grenadier SS Division (Latin No. 2) ( German 19.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr.2) ) was a division within the SS forces . Took part in hostilities on the territory of the Pskov region and all five battles on the territory of Kurland ; after the surrender, the soldiers mostly surrendered to Soviet captivity.
| 19th SS Grenadier Division (2nd Latvian) | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of the 19th (2nd Latvian) Waffen-SS division | |
| Years of existence | January 1944 - 1945 |
| A country |  Germany  Latvia |
| Subordination | 6th (Latvian) SS building |
| Enters into | Latvian Volunteer SS Legion |
| Type of | grenadiers |
| Motto | My honor is called “loyalty” ( Meine Ehre heisst Treue ) |
| March | 19. Divizijas dziesma |
| Participation in | World War II : Courland Cauldron |
| Commanders | |
| Famous Commanders | Heinrich Schuldt Friedrich-Wilhelm Bock Bruno Streckkenbach |
Content
History
Latvian Brigade
The headquarters of the 2nd SS motorized infantry brigade ( German 2. SS-Infanterie-Brigade (mot) ) subordinated from 1942 various units of the North and West European volunteers of the SS , who were part of the Army Group North. Then, in 1942 , two already existing Latvian police battalions (19th and 21st) were added to the brigade. In 1943, the brigade was reinforced by another Latvian police battalion (16th) and renamed the Latvian volunteer brigade . Together with 1000 conscripts, all three Latvian police battalions formed the 1st Infantry Regiment ( German SS Freiw. Rgt. 1 (lett.) ). Later from three more battalions (18th, 24th, 26th) they formed the 2nd Infantry Regiment ( German SS Freiw. Rgt. 2 (lett.) ). Later on, the Latvian Volunteer Brigade was renamed the 2nd Latvian Volunteer Brigade [1] .
The brigade participated in the 18th Army in battles south of Leningrad , in the Battle of Volkhov , at Oranienbaum and in battles during the retreat in the direction of Pskov / Ostrov .
The formation of the division. "Volunteers or appeal?"
In February 1944, the aforementioned brigade was reorganized into the 19th Waffen-Grenadier SS Division (Latvian No. 2). The division consisted of three infantry regiments, an artillery regiment and auxiliary units. Most of the soldiers and officers, up to the regimental commanders, were Latvians.
In accordance with the order of May 18, 1943 , units of the legion that were not part of the 15th division of the SS troops were included in the 2nd brigade [2] [3] . The principle of formation of the division is forced [4] and voluntary [5] . According to the quotation from the book by S. Drobyazko and A. Karaschuk “Eastern volunteers in the Wehrmacht, Police and SS” cited by reference, the first recruits to the 19th division of the SS troops (then the Latvian Brigade) came from the March 1943 recruitment. As indicated in historical sources, the first appeal was quite fast, about 1000 people were selected. The announcement of the oath-taking event was published on March 27 in the newspaper Tēvija :
| Tomorrow at 11 o'clock in the Dome Square, the first volunteers will give a solemn promise, which will be received by the head of the SS brigade, Major General Hansen. The radio ceremony will also transmit the ceremony [3] . |
Modern Western and Latvian sources [1] [4] provide information - the formation of the 19th division of the SS troops was mostly the result of direct mobilization and there was a so-called “voluntary-compulsory” call, also used by the Germans against Volksdeutche in other parts of Europe . And only a very small and accurately unknown number of Latvians entered the service voluntarily.
According to Western studies, in particular, the investigations of the Commission for the Investigation of War Crimes, established and existing under the National Archives of the United States in 1945-1950, disputes could be fought over the voluntary or forced participation in the national legions of any state that participated in the hostilities of the Second World War, with the exception of the formations of the SS troops of the Baltic States, since the commission received evidence of the absolute predominance of the forced nature of enrollment in the units [6]
| The commission’s policy includes consideration of whether voluntary or forced participation in the SS forces, with the exception of the Baltic SS troops, since it received evidence that admission to these units took place as a compulsory conscription, which was the usual method of the Hitler regime, and that the SS troops for the most part were called for war on the Eastern Front. After very careful consideration, the commission finally determined that the Baltic SS troops did not constitute a hostile movement. ” [6] |
Division Anthem
Since the division was formed in 1944, the words of the hymn of this division are associated with revenge for the motherland.
| Original | Transfer | |
1. Zem mūsu kājām lielceļš balts, Piedziedājums: Mēs sojojam droši un lepni, Mēs nāksim drīz, Latvija, gaidi Un mēs ejam un ejam, 2. Mums viena doma sirdī kvēl: Piedziedājums: Mēs šautenēm liksim tad liesmot, Mēs ticam trīs Latvijas zvaigznēm, Un mēs ejam un ejam, 3. Zem mūsu kājām lielceļš balts, Piedziedājums: Mēs sojojam droši un lepni, Mēs nāksim drīz, Latvija, gaidi Un mēs ejam un ejam, | 1. We have a white road under our feet, Chorus: We stride boldly and proudly We will come soon, Latvia, wait And we go, and we go, 2. One thought burns our hearts: Chorus: And then our rifles will glow, We believe in Three Stars of Latvia. And we go, and we go, 3. We have a white road under our feet, Chorus: We stride boldly and proudly We will come soon, Latvia, wait And we go, and we go, |
Application
In February-March 1944, the 19th Latvian SS division, together with the 15th, within the Army Group Center, defended a plot at the turn of the New Path - Pushkin Mountains along the Great River. According to the testimonies of combat reports, both Latvian divisions offered fierce resistance to Soviet troops [2] . From March to July 1944, the division led heavy defensive battles south of Pskov, sometimes together with its twin division, the 15th Waffen-Grenadier SS division (Latvian No. 1) . Both divisions suffered heavy losses. In the retreat that followed until October 1944 through the eastern part of Latvia, the division reached Kurland , where it took part in all five battles of Courland . After the surrender in May 1945, most of the division was in Soviet captivity.
Commanders
- September 5, 1943 - March 15, 1944 - SS brigadeführer Heinrich Schuldt
- March 15, 1944 - April 13, 1944 - Standartenführer SS Friedrich-Wilhelm Bock
- May 26, 1944 - May 1945 - SS Gruppenführer Bruno Streckkenbach
Awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (11)
- Bruno Streckenbach - August 27, 1944 - SS Brigadeführer and Major General Waffen SS, Commander of the 19th Waffen-Grenadier SS Division
- Janis Butkus - September 21, 1944 - Waffen-Hauptsturmführer, commander of the company of the 19th SS reserve battalion
- Janis Ansons - January 16, 1945 - Waffen-Haupscharführer, platoon commander of the 3rd company of the 44th Waffen-Grenadier Regiment of the SS
- Miervaldis Adamsons - January 25, 1945 - Waffen-Untersturmführer, Commander of the 6th Company of the 44th Waffen-Grenadier SS Regiment
- Roberts Anzans - January 25, 1945 - Waffen-Untersturmführer, commander of the melee school of the 19th Waffen-Grenadier SS Division
- Nikolas Galdins - January 25, 1945 - Waffen-Oberschurtmbannführer, Commander of the 42nd Waffen-Grenadier Regiment of the SS "Voldemars Weiss"
- Alfreds Rikstins - April 5, 1945 - Waffen-Unterscharführer, platoon commander of the 1st company of the 19th Waffen-Fusilier SS battalion
- Roberts Gaigals - May 5, 1945 - Waffen-Obersturmführer, commander of the 6th company of the 42nd Waffen-Grenadier SS regiment "Voldemars Weiss"
- Andrejs Freimanis - May 5, 1945 - Waffen-Obersturmführer, Commander of the 13th Company of the 44th Waffen-Grenadier SS Regiment
- Waldemars Reynolds - May 11, 1945 - Waffen-Sturmbannführer, Commander of the 43rd Waffen-Grenadier Regiment of the SS " Hinrich Schuldt "
- Karlis Sensbergs - May 11, 1945 - Waffen-Unterscharführer, squad leader in the disturbing unit of the 19th Waffen-Grenadier SS Division
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (1)
- Bruno Streckkenbach (No. 701) - January 16, 1945 - Gruppenführer SS and Lieutenant General of the SS troops, commander of the 19th Waffen-Grenadier SS Division
Division soldiers in Soviet captivity
Legal Status
Since Latvian soldiers were considered Soviet citizens, they were deprived of the status of prisoners of war . After serving the sentence, many of the division’s servicemen returned to their homeland.
Attitudes toward the division and its veterans and crimes in our days in the interpretation of the Russian media
- In 1992, the exposition dedicated to the Standards Standard to the Führer SS Plensner , who served in the division, was opened in the Military Museum of the City of Riga. It was to him that the Latvian Nazi formations were subordinated, which, in his order in the summer of 1941, killed many thousands of Jewish citizens in Latvia, mainly women and children [7] .
Literature
- Arthur Silgailis "Latvian Legion" - RJ Bender Pub, San Jose 1986. ISBN 0-912138-35-1
- Rolf Stoves "Die gepanzerten und motorisierten deutschen Grossverbände: Divisionen und selbständige Brigaden: 1935-1945" - Podzun Pallas Verlag, Friedberg / H. 1986. ISBN 3-7909-0279-9
- George H. Stein "The Waffen-SS. Hitler's Elite Guard at War 1939 −1945 ” - Ithaca 1966. ISBN 0-8014-9275-0
- Rolf Michaelis "Die Grenadier-Divisionen der Waffen-SS" - Berlin 1994. ISBN 3-930849-04-6 (Teil 1)
Music
- Song of the 19th Division (inaccessible link from 05/25/2013 [2262 days] - history , copy )
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Arthur Silgailis Latvian Legion. - San Jose. : RJ Bender Pub, 1986. ISBN 0-912138-35-1
- ↑ 1 2 Shlyakhtunov A.G. Latyshi SS // Independent Military Review : Weekly Supplement to the Independent Newspaper . - M .: CJSC “Nezavisimaya Gazeta” Editorial Board, December 21-27, 2001. No. 47 (269) . - ISSN 1810-1674 .
- ↑ 1 2 Chapter V. The name of them - Legion (3) Website www.9may.lv
- ↑ 1 2 About the Latvian SS Volunteer Legion
- ↑ Quote from the book MILITARY AND HISTORICAL SERIES "SOLDIER" S. Drobyazko A. Karashchuk "Eastern volunteers in the Wehrmacht, the police and the SS" INTRODUCTION
- ↑ 1 2 (To the US Government. I. F., K. K.) // The Latvian Legion. Heroes, Nazis or victims? From the materials of the investigation of war crimes of the National Archives of the United States of America , 1945-1950 . Riga , 1998 , p.103-104. The quotation is given according to the publication on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia.
- ↑ SS march on Europe. Veterans of the Latvian SS units intend to visit the European Parliament . Lenta.ru (07/30/2004, 19:33:41). The appeal date was July 23, 2009. Archived February 22, 2012.
See also
- Latvian Volunteer SS Legion
- 15th SS Grenadier Division (1st Latvian)
- SS troops
- Latvia during the Great Patriotic War
- Butkus, Janis
- Reinhold, Voldemar Andrew
Links
- "On the Latvian SS Volunteer Legion"
- “On the amnesty of Soviet citizens who collaborated with the occupiers during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.”
- 19 Division SS Latvian № 2 (inaccessible link from 05/25/2013 [2262 days] - history , copy ) (rus.)
- “Museum of the Occupation of 1940–1991. in Riga (English)
- Axis History Factbook: 19. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr. 2) (Eng.)
- Lexikon der Wehrmacht: 19. Waffen-Grenadierdivision der SS (lettische Nr. 2) (Eng.)