Editorial
Here we are again to present a new magazine dedicated to the history of the Axis formations during the Second World War, with most of the same group of employees who previously were involved in producing the magazine ‘The European Volunteer’. We hope that this new project will be positively received by our readers, who already subscribed to the previous magazine so that we can continue our research and our studies on this particular subject of the Second World War, focusing our attention primarily on foreign voluntary formations of the Axis, but also expanding our discussion to the national military unitsof Germany, Italy and other European satellite states. Send us your comments and your impressions, so you can meet your needs and improve the content of our magazine. Wishing everyone a pleasant reading experience, see you all in the next issue.
Massimiliano Afiero
The publication of The Axis Forces deals exclusively with subjects of a historical military nature and is not intended to promote any type of political ideology either present or past,
as it also does not seek to exalt any type of political regime of the past century or any form of racism.
The Editor hereby declares that every effort has been made to trace the owner’s right of the photographic material published on this issue. Unfortunately every search and query has been unsuccessful. If and whenever the proprietor(s) of the these rights would contact us producing documentation testifying such rights the Editor will recognise the appropriate fee.
Contents
April 1941: SS motorcyclists in Belgrade
SS cavalry units on the Eastern Front, Autumn-Winter 1941-42
LAURITS JENSEN - Free Corps Denmark
The French volunteers of the N.S.K.K. Motorgruppe Luftwaffe
The SS-Division Wiking in the Caucasus: Autumn 1942
FOREIGN VOLUNTEER LEGION STAMP PROPAGANDA IN THE THIRD REICH
COLOPHON
April 1941: SS motorcyclists in Belgrade
by Charles Trang
Amongst the feats of arms of the Waffen SS one of the most known is clearly the conquest of Belgrade by a fistful of motorcyclists headed by SS-Hstuf. Fritz Klingenberg. The majority of historians focused on the audacious coup but this wouldn’t have been possible without the preliminary bombing by the Luftwaffe nor without the threat of the imminent arrival in the Jugoslav capital of the units from the SS “Reich” and 11th Panzer Divisions. The photo reportage we are proposing shows how the motorcyclist battalion of the Reich reached the city by… waterway.
SS-Hstuf. Fritz Klingenberg.
The SS Kradschschützen-Bataillon “Reich”
On the 22nd of February 1941, the SS-FHA ordered the formation of a motorcyclist battalion for the SS division “Reich”, from which the 2nd SS “Das Reich” later originated. It’s interesting to find that this new battalion was formed from the SS-Totenkopf-Standarte 11, a unit consisting of personnel previously in charge of prison camps but re-designated as SS-Infanterie-Regiment 11 at the moment of being integrated in the Reich Division, this to compensate the loss of the “Germania” Regiment, transferred on December 1940 to the newly formed “Wiking“ Division. In this month of February 1941, the Reich Division was quartered in the region of Vesoul, France.
August Zehender with the Ritterkreuz.
The headquarters staff off the new battalion was formed in Vitrey from Stab I./SS-IR 11; the 1st Kompanie was constituted at Vernois from the transformation of the 15.Kp./SS-IR “Deutschland”; the 2nd Kompanie was formed the same way at Rosières but from the 15.Kp/SS-IR “Der Führer”; the 3rd Kompanie, based at Betoncourt, was the former 3.Kp/SS-Aufkl.-Abt. “Reich”; the 4th Kompanie, which was in Pisseloup, was formed from the previously named 4.Kp./SS-IR 11 just like the 5th Kompanie, based at Ouge, that was originally the 1.Kp./SS-IR 11.
SS-Stubaf. Wilhelm Kment.
The Battalion command was assigned to an officer that had served almost all his military career before the war in the “Deutschland” Regiment. He was the SS-Sturmbannführer August Zehender, who officially took office on the 10th of March 1941. Seen as an irreproachable officer by his superiors, he didn’t have the look of the archetype of the Aryan proposed by the National-Socialist propaganda. With Brown hair, dark skin, bushy eyebrows and the eyes with a slight almond shape, he didn’t look much like the majority of the members of the Division. Nevertheless, he imposed himself by the strength of his character and his conduct on the battlefield during the French campaign, when he was the commander of the SS-Fla-MG-Abteilung. On December 1940, he was assigned to the command post of I./SS-IR 11, replacing SS-Sturmbannführer Kurt Eimann, judged unfit to lead an Infantry Battalion. A distinguished horseman, having won many equestrian competitions, in March 1942, he was logically transferred to the SS-Kavallerie Brigade. Decorated with the Knight Cross with Oak Leaves, he fell during combat in February 1945 in Budapest as commander of the 22.SS-Freiwillingen-Kavalerie-Division “Maria Theresia”.
SS-Ustuf. Fritz Klingenberg.
The first company of the Battalion was entrusted to the SS-Hstuf. Wilhelm Kment. Opposite to Zehender, Kment was the archetype of the Prussian Officer: his hair was so blond that it looked almost white, clear eyes, an imposing figure and a blade shaped mouth. For a soldier with such a great initiative spirit it was almost natural to be commissioned with the headquarters of the motorcyclist’s 15.Kompanie of the “Deutschland” Regiment. Enrolled as a volunteer, he joined the SS in 1934 as a soldier and seven year later was Hauptsturmführer. On the 14th of October 1941, he took command of the division’s reconnaissance section replacing Johannes Mühlenkamp, wounded in combat. He himself was later wounded in action and assigned to the SS-Junkerschule of Bad Tölz as an instructor before serving in Himmler’s General Staff as officer in charge of decorations and awards.
SS-Stubaf. Christian Tychsen.
The 2.Kompanie of the motorcyclist battalion was under command of SS-Hauptsturmführer Fritz Klingenberg. Contrary to the previous two officers, Klingenberg belonged to a number of different units before the war, from Leibstandarte, Regiment Deutschland and Germania, to the inspectorate of SS-Verfügunstruppe. In September 1939, he was assigned as adjutant (IIa) to the Panzerdivision “Kempf” before taking command of the 15.(Kradsch.)Kp/SS-IR “Der Führer” from the 1st of August 1940. One year later exactly he replaced Zehender as the Battalion commander. In April 1942, after a serious illness, he was transferred to Bad Tölz as an instructor, to return then briefly to the Division in July 1943 and subsequently assuming command of the famous SS-Junkerschule in March 1944. He was killed in action in January 1945, while in command of the 17.SS-Pz.Gren.Div. Götz “von Berlichingen”.
SS motorcyclists ‘Reich’, April 1941.
The 3.Kompanie of the Battalion was assigned to the SS-Hauptsturmführer Christian Tychsen, a “clone” in physical appearance of Wilhelm Kment. He was without doubt a fine soldier with excellent qualities: energetic, conscientious but daring as well. Before the war he served in the “Germania” Regiment, as an anti-tank and reconnaissance officer. He took command of the Battalion in April 1942, replacing Klingenberg, then from autumn ’42 was assigned to the II./SS-Pz.rgt.2. He was killed in action on the 28th of July 1944 at Gavray, while in command of the SS-Pz.Rgt.2 and of the entire “Das Reich” Division on a temporary basis.
The 4.Kompanie of the Battalion was assigned to a recently promoted officer, SS-Untersturmführer Gerhard Hinze. Although he didn’t have as brilliant a military career when compared to the other company commanders, he died during combat action on the 20th of August 1944 in Normandy as commander of the 3.Kp./SS-Pz.Aufkl.-Abt.10.
The 5.Kompanie was commanded by SS-Obersturmführer Joachim Wü
stenberg. This officer was born in Guatemala and, contrary to the others, was not coming from the SS-Verfügungs-Division but from the Totenkopf where he has been serving as platoon commander in the 9.Kp./SS-T.IR 2. He too was killed in action in August 1941 in the Jelnja sector. As per the general organization of the Battalion, the first three companies were motorcyclists ones, the fourth a machine gun company and the fifth was designated “heavy” because it included one infantry gun (I.G.), an anti-tank (Pak) and a pioneer platoon.
The race for Belgrade, April 1941.
The Balkan war
On the 31st of March 1941, the Battalion left Haute Savoie heading to the Donaueschingen Region via Belfort. Despite some difficulties with fuel supply, the unit reached Munich on the 2nd of April and on the 4th crossed the Hungarian border. Two days later it was in Arad, Romania. The following day all the units regrouped in the sector north of Temesvar. It has been planned for the Division to attack with the bulk of the forces the position of Satul Mic, from both sides, eight kilometres south-west of Denta, towards Alibunar, Pancevo and the bridge on the Danube that led to Belgrade. Some elements were to be left as a rear guard around Vrsac. On the 9th of April, at about 11am, some patrols from the Motorcyclist Battalion and the Reconnaissance Group crossed the Romanian-Hungarian border without encountering much of a resistance. Soon they contacted the other units to warn that the roads were not suitable for passage by the other vehicles. The Division then sent an engineer unit to solve the problem but this would have needed some time. The XXXXI.Armee-Korps, to which the “Reich” Division was subordinated, issued orders for the following day to be transmitted to the various units: the Motorcyclist Battalion had the task to reach Alibunar and follow up at the head of the Division to conquer the bridge on the Danube with a quick coup. On the 11th of April, Good Friday, at 09:05hrs the Division attacked. Despite the marshy ground, the units advanced quickly. The vehicles dove into the mud, the men proceeded on foot. Around 15:15hrs the canal south of Sv. Jovan was crossed: the road to Alibunar was finally opened. By 17:30hrs the town was within reach of the “Deutschland” Regiment. Until then the enemy resistance had been practically non-existent. But to conquer Alibunar the SS had to fight hard. SS-Hstuf. Paul Rode was among the firsts to fall under enemy fire that day.
The divisional commander Paul Hausser with Adjutant SS-Hstuf. Weidinger and SS-Ustuf. Hinze, commander of 4th Company, Motorcycle Battalion, cross the Danube.
Around 20:00hrs all the sector was secured and the Motorcyclist Battalion received the order to exploit this occasion. The following day, just after 09:00hrs, Pancevo was conquered by Kampfgruppe “Keller” (composed of cyclists from the “Deutschland” Regiment) and by August Zehender’s Battalion. The north shore of the Danube was soon after reached. The two units asked then the authorisation to cross the river, where it looked like there were no defending enemies deployed.
The SS-Kradschützen-Bataillon ‘Reich’ arriving in Pancevo, 12 April, at about 9:10, with the Kampfgruppe of SS-Hstuf. Baldur Keller.
On board vessels of various types, the Battalion motorcyclists reached Belgrade on April 16, four days after the action by Klingenberg.
SS Motorcyclists aboard a commandeered boat. Note that the battalion was at that time not attached to Division ‘Reich’ but the Regiment ‘Grossdeutschland’, the famous German army’s elite units.
The SS-Hstuf. Wilhelm Kment, at left, supervises the embarkation of his Company.
Four men are needed to take on the side-car: it was true that a BMW R75 or Zündapp KS750 weighed at least 670 kg!
Yugoslavia capitulated on April 18. This photo was taken two days later, when the fighting had already ended in the Belgrade area.
The 1.Kompanie of SS-Hstuf. Wilhelm Kment sails on the Danube in the direction of Belgrade.
But the headquarters of the XXXXI.Armee-Korps had decided to give some rest to the troops before launching the final assault against the Yugoslav Capital. As a matter of fact, after the march through the marshes of Margita-Seleus-Alibunar sector the men were exhausted. Anyway, even before the negative answer from the headquarters reached the motorcyclist battalion, Fritz Klingenberg took the personal decision to go and have a look on the opposite shore. He seized a small motorboat and headed to Belgrade, accompanied by just 10 men. The following is known. Once in the city, Klingenberg went to the German Embassy to meet the Wehrmacht military attaché, Oberst Toussaint. Thanks to him, Klingenberg managed to meet the Major of Belgrade.
MG 34 machine guns in the air-raid. Contrary to what you may think, the Yugoslav air force was not totally absent from the skies: when the Reich came to Temesvar April 7, it suffered heavy bombing.
Photography often incorrectly described: as you can see these are not Kurt Meyer’s scouts crossing the Gulf of Patras!
The 1.Kompanie, piled on board a single vessel. It would seem unlikely that it could take on all of its vehicles.
The local civilian population looks at the curious spectacle of troops being ferried on requisitioned boats.
To be able to take on much material as possible, two boats were united with the wooden plates on which the motorbikes were arranged.
It ‘s time to land on the southern bank of the Danube, a task more difficult than boarding.
During this encounter, Fritz Klingenberg succeeded in obtaining the surrender of the capital, threatening more and heavier bombing from the Luftwaffe.. It was 18:45hrs. One thousand soldiers from the Yugoslav Royal Army were to be made prisoners by a handful of SS. During the night, the forward elements of the 11.Panzerdivision entered in the city, finalising the conquest of Belgrade.
Civilians are forced to lend a hand. Some soldiers, including a nurse, have already set foot on the ground.
Motorcyclists go through a district of the city devastated by the bombs of the Luftwaffe.
The German bombings caused numerous victims among the civilian population.
The 1.Kompanie quickly reach the city center to join Fritz Klingenberg.
SS-Hstuf. Klingenberg talking with Waffen SS Kriegsberichter about his audacious thrust on Belgrade, April 17, 1941.
A great media operation
The successful coup by Fritz Klingenberg, a daring operation indeed, was full of risks. But it was quite clear that the city garrison didn’t have much intention to oppose a fierce resistance in a battle that all considered already lost. It would have been overwhelmed by the armoured and motorised units that invested the capital just after the formal surrender from the north and the south. Furthermore, they had to think about the civil population and try to spare them more suffering: the inhabitants of Belgrade having already paid a high tribute under the Luftwaffe massive bombings. Klingenberg succeeded in obtaining a surrender that the city’s mayor had already prepared. This coup had the undoubted merit of saving many human lives but certainly it was not the decisive action, as it was later described by the Third Reich’s propaganda. For Himmler was an unexpected opportunity: making of Klingenberg a National Hero, recruitment in the SS reached one of its peaks, with them acquiring the image of elite units full of courage, prestige and initiative.
Knight’s Cross presentation ceremony for SS-Hstuf. Klingenberg, at the Berghof.
Bombs on Belgrade. From the magazine ‘Der Adler‘.
SS motorcyclists in Belgrade, April 1941.
SS-Hstuf. Fritz Klingenberg with the Ritterkreuz.
Employment of SS cavalry units on the Eastern Front
Autumn-Winter 1941-42
by Massimiliano Afiero
On 2 September 1941, 2.Schwadron was involved in an attack against the position at Sawerchlessesje, about thirty kilometers northwest of Sosny. SS-Ostuf. Erich Krell and his platoon led the attack against the village, quickly finding themselves under enemy fire. But instead of falling back, the SS cavalrymen continued to move forward towards a farm from which the shooting was coming. After having neutralized the source of fire, they moved on to the village where several civilians reported the presence of a
Soviet cavalry unit a few miles inside the forest.
Operations in the Pripet sector, September 1941.
The platoon led by SS-Ustuf. Georg Veith took it upon itself to challenge the enemy force, quickly seeking it out. The Soviet cavalry were soon intercepted and following a brief firefight were completely wiped out. During the action, 31 fine horses were seized. Beginning on 30 August, the regiment resumed its march to the east along with other units ofKommandostab “RF-SS”, arriving on 6 September along the road that linked Bobruisk and Mosyr and concluding the second cycle of operations in the Pripet Marshes. On 5 September, thirty-six Iron Crosses Second Class were awarded to the men of the brigade, and one First Class to SS-Stubaf. Lombard.
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