Everything about Ss Volunteer Grenadier Brigade Landstorm Nederland totally explained
The
SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Brigade Landstorm Nederland was a
German Waffen SS volunteer brigade comprising volunteers of
Dutch background. It saw action on the
Western Front during
World War II.
In February 1945, the Grenadier-Brigade was ordered to begin reorganisation as a grenadier division, however its strength never reached more than a brigade.
Concept and Formation
After the successful formation of the
4.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland, it was decided that a second Dutch SS formation should be raised. The recruits were drawn mostly from the
Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging (the Dutch Nazi Party). The NSB leader,
Anton Mussert encouraged his followers to join the new formation.
In 1940
Arthur Seyss-Inquart, the
Reichskommissar for
The Netherlands, had approved the creation of an NSB paramilitary police formation named
Landwacht Niederlande. The Landwacht served as an auxiliary police force and was involved in the rounding up of
Jews,
Communists and other groups deemed undesirable by the Seyss-Inquart and the NSB.
On
12 March 1943, the Waffen SS ordered the formation of a Dutch volunteer regiment, the
SS-Grenadier Regiment 1 Landwacht Niederlande. Unlike the
Nederland brigade, the
Landwacht Niederlande was to be a territorial defence unit, and so recruits didn't have to fear service on the
Eastern Front. Recruits for the
Landwacht Niederlande flowed in. Service in the regiment meant a job, money, food and an escape from forced labour in munitions factories. Added to this, the regiment wasn't officially a part of the SS, and so the SS runes were not present on the volunteers uniforms, with the traditional grenade of Landwacht units being worn in its place.
While many recruits were drawn from the paramilitary formation of the same name, a recruitment drive resulted in 130 Dutch veterans from the
5.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Wiking and
11.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland transferring to the new formation. While these veterans provided the cadre of
NCOs for the new formation, the formation was officered by German SS men, and no Dutchman was ever promoted to a higher rank than company commander.
On
16 October 1943 the regiment's title was changed to
SS-Grenadier-Regiment 1 Landstorm Nederland. By this time, the regiment numbered 2,400 men and was still growing. Mussert was pleased, and together with the
Nederland Brigade, he saw the Dutch SS as the forerunners of a new Dutch army. However,
Hanns Albin Rauter, head of the SS and Police for the Netherlands planned to firmly bring the NSB under SS control, and the
Nederland and
Landstorm formations were steps in this direction.
Battles in Belgium and The Netherlands - Market Garden
After the Allied breakout from Normandy,
Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery's 21st Army Group began its advance along the Channel Coast towards Germany. In early September, two battalions of the
Landstorm were rushed to the front in Belgium. The formation was tasked with defending the
Albert Canal around the areas of
Merksem and
Hasselt. Poorly armed and with minimal combat experience, the two battalions fared poorly during a battle with the
Free-Dutch Koninklijke Nederlandse Brigade "Prinses Irene" and was soon forced to withdraw.
On
17 September, Montgomery launched
Operation Market Garden an airborne offensive aimed at securing a crossing over the
Rhine at
Arnhem, in the central-eastern part of The Netherlands. The
Landstorm's III. Battalion was completing its training near
Hoogeveen. The partially trained and equipped formation was attached to the
9.SS-Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen and sent into combat against the
British 1st Airborne Division in Arnhem. Having little faith in the Dutch volunteers' combat ability, the
Hohenstaufen's commander held them back from action for as long as possible. On
21 September, the III./
Landstorm was committed to action near the town of
Elst on the Arnhem-
Nijmegen highway (in the Eastern part of the
Betuwe, then known as
men's island or
"Manneneiland" due to it being enclosed by large rivers and all civilians having been evacuated). After holding the town for several days, the
Landstorm was finally pushed back by the
British 43rd (Wessex) Division. The battalion was pulled out of the line on
25 September.
Brigade - Division - Final Battles
On
1 November, the
Landstorm was redesignated
SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Brigade Landstorm Nederland. The existing three battalions were to form the 83.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment, and the
SS-Wachbataillon Nordwest to form the 84.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment. Many of the new recruits were members of the
Jeugdstorm, the NSB's youth organisation. After a brief period of refitting, the
Landstorm was ordered to take up defensive positions near the
Waal and
Rhine rivers.
On
10 February 1945, the
Landstorm again had its status raised. It was now to be designated
34.SS Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division Landstorm Nederland. Despite this fact, the unit could hardly muster the strength of a weak brigade. The Division was almost immediately ordered to relieve
Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 7, at that time defending the Rhine, in the area between
Betuwe and
Rhenen. Much of the area had been flooded to assist the overstretched German forces in their defence. Facing the division was the
Koninklijke Nederlandse Brigade "Prinses Irene", the
British 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division and several Canadian formations. The
morale of the Division suffered when facing the Princess Irene, as the men were hesitant to fight their own countrymen, and several members had relatives serving with the Princess Irene.
Despite this, the division fought well, capturing a British strongpoint near
Zetten. However, under sustained combat, morale continued to drop and desertions increased. A plot to assassinate several officers and surrender leaked, and the responsible men were court martialed and shot. As the war drew to a close, attacks on the civilian population by the division increased, and the men of 84.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment in particular were involved in several atrocities. Forced back to the area near
Oosterbeek, the remnants of the division surrendered on
5 May 1945.
A small unit of fanatics held out in the village of
Veenendaal, engaging in combat with the
Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten until surrendering on
9 May to the 49th (West Riding) Division.
As
collaborators, the majority of the survivors were imprisoned, and several were murdered in acts of revenge.
Commanders
Orders of Battle
34.SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division Landstorm Nederland
Division Stab
SS-Feldersatz-Battalion 60
Grenadier-Regiment Nr.1
SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment 83 (Niederlandische Nr.3)
SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment 84 (Niederlandische Nr.4)
SS-Artillerie-Regiment 60
SS-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 60
SS-Pionier-Kompanie 60
SS-Nachrichten-Kompanie 60
SS Vet-Kompanie 60
SS Feldpostamt 60
SS Sanitäts-Kompanie 60Further Information
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