In June 1921 (the year of its creation) Wachregiment Berlin was disbanded and a new unit called Kommando der Wachtruppe (Headquarters Guard Troop) took over the ceremonial parades and guard duties of the old unit.
Kommando der Wachtruppe was stationed at Moabit Barracks, and every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, the unit performed a changing of the guard ceremony for the public. This ceremony was rather a low key event but on Tuesday’s, Thursday’s and Sunday’s the entire Kommando der Wachtruppe accompanied by its regimental band marched from the barracks through the Brandenburg Gate and on to the Imperial War Memorial near by.
After Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 Kommando der Wachtruppe was re-titled in 1934 to “Wachtruppe Berlin” (Berlin Guard Troops).
By the summer of 1937 the unit was again renamed, this time to “Wach Regiment Berlin” (The Berlin Guard Regiment) from this Guard Regiment an official 20 man escort team called the Führer Begleit ( Führer Escort) was placed on permanent readiness standby to accompany Hitler on trips and state visits. Contrary to what most people believe, as well as Hitler’s personal Leibstandarte SS bodyguards the Führer Begleit unit accompanied Hitler everywhere right up until he lost faith in the Wehrmacht following the attempt on his life in July 1944.
In the months prior to WW2 when the Wehrmacht marched into the Sudetenland, Austria and Czechoslovakia the men of the Wach Regiment Berlin continued with their ceremonial and parade duties in the capital then in early January 1939 Hitler had ordered the Wach Regiment Berlin to be reorganised, strengthened and have its name changed once more to “Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland” who’s new members would be volunteers drawn from the length and breath of the Germanic provinces. The new unit was officially activated on June 14th 1939 and the occasion was marked by a parade through the streets of Berlin.
Performing ceremonial duties.
At the outbreak of hostilities with Poland on September 1st 1939 Grossdeutschland’s pride took a knock when they were informed that they would not be taking part in the opening assault on Poland (Fall Weiss) which they felt was their duty and right as they bore the nation’s name in their title and on their sleeve. On May 10th 1940 the campaign in the west opened which put Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland in Guderian’s Corps which was part of Kleist’s Panzer Group 2. The advancing spearheaded had punched through Luxembourg and through the Ardennes into Belgium and while this was happening soldiers from 3rd battalion Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland were taking part in a top secrete mission (Operation Nivi) to air lift 400 Grossdeutschland Infantry troops behind enemy lines and capture strategic positions in Belgium ahead of the main assault.
After this successful operation the regiment was then involved in the successful crossing of the Meuse River near the town of Stonne where the regiment was involved in heavy fighting with French armoured vehicles. The regiment then marched north close to Dunkirk and was involved in defeating a British counterattack at Arras. Großdeutschland was then involved in holding the Dunkirk pocket, before being transferred south to join an attack across the river Seine. When France surrendered the Grossdeutschland Regiment was in Lyon and after taking part in the Paris victory parade the regiment was then sent north to Celsace for training and preparation for “Operation Sealion” (the invasion of Britain).
After the subsequent cancellation of Operation Sealion the regiment was then moved to the South of France in preparation for “Operation Felix” (the invasion of Gibraltar).This operation was also cancelled and Großdeutschland was then moved east to Romania to take part in the Yugoslavian campaign which had already begun. Großdeutschland’s area of operations in this campaign were mostly pursuing the defeated Yugoslavian forces while 1st Battalion was involved in the occupation of the capital Belgrade and acted acting as security troops. Following this Großdeutschland was moved north into Poland in preparation for “Operation Barbarossa” the invasion of the Soviet Union.
1st Battalion Belgrade Yugoslavian 1941.
"When Barbarossa begins, the world will hold its breath!"
Adolf Hitler February 1941
From this period 1941 to the closing stages of the war in April 1945, Großdeutschland spent the vast majority of its time continuously fighting the Red Army in the east and for Operation Barbarossa the regiment was attached to Army Group Centre. After crossing the border on June 27th 1941 just north of Brest Litovsk the regiment took part in the battles around Minsk and the creation of the Minsk pocket.
Großdeutschland then crossed the Dnieper River and then advanced on Yelnya, where it was involved in heavy fighting and suffered heavy losses. After Yelnya, the regiment advanced again and took part in the Battle of Kiev and by the end of the year Großdeutschland was providing support to three infantry divisions engaged in holding the Oka River line near Orel. Early successes were achieved on all three sectors in the opening stages of the campaign due to the speed, tactics and communication skills of the attacking armies and successes continued for Army Group Centre with the battle for Karnchev on the 14th/15th of October. By the end of October Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland was teamed up with 3rd Panzer Army to assault on the town of Tula which began on the 29th.
Searching Soviet POWs
Tula which had a key road and rail junction lay to the south of Moscow and its capture was important for further advances on the capital. By now Tula had been turned into a fortress and was being heavily defended by soldiers of the 50th Red Army who were backed up with the Soviet 4th Tank Brigade. At this stage in Operation Barbarossa German supply lines had been overrun and tanks which ran out of fuel where abandoned and then destroyed to prevent them from falling into Russian hands. The Russian winter of 1941 cost dearly for Grossdeutschland when hundreds died from exposure due to inadequate clothing and thousands suffered limb amputations after succumbing to frostbite. Such was the bitter fighting and weather conditions by February Infantry Regiment Grossdeutschland’s frontline force had been reduced to three officers and 30 other ranks with the remaining 2ed Battalion being dissolved and the survivors used to bolster the other battalions. Later in the month two battalions were reformed into a single under strength battalion, then after over nine months of heavy fighting Großdeutschland was finally pulled off the line for rest and refitting.
On April 1st 1942 While resting and refitting near Orel, the Regiment reorganized and expanded to become “Infantry Division Großdeutschland” (mot). The existing Regiment was renamed “Infantry Division Großdeutschland 1', and was joined in the Division by “Infantry Division Großdeutschland 2', which had been formed in Berlin. Supporting units came in the form of a Panzer battalion, an assault gun battalion, and increased flak, artillery and engineers brought the regiment up to divisional strength. The veterans of Großdeutschland 1 had a poor relationship with the new infantry Großdeutschland 2, as no personnel of the existing unit where used to form the new Großdeutschland 2.Little contact took place between these two units who were known to each other by derogatory nicknames.
After the reorganization, the Großdeutschland Division was assigned to Army Group South during the opening phases of Fall Blau (the assault on Stalingrad).The division took part in the successful attacks to cross the upper Don river and to capture Voronezh. In August the division was pulled back to the north bank of the Donets and held as a mobile reserve counterattack force. On 1 Oct 1942, the Regiment was renamed "Grenadier Regiment Großdeutschland" and their mirror regiment became “Füsilier Regiment Großdeutschland".
After the Soviet “Operation Uranus” (the Soviet plan to encircle German forces in the Stalingrad pocket) the Regiment was involved in heavy winter fighting with the rest of the division near Rzhev. The division then took part in the aborted “Operation Wintergewitter” (the operation to relieve Stalingrad).
On January and February 1943, Großdeutschland and XLVIII.Panzerkorps, along with the II SS Panzer Corps took part in the third battle of Kharkov. The division fought alongside the 1.SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, 2.SS Division Das Reich and 3.SS Division Totenkopf, after the fall of Kharkov Großdeutschland was pulled back and refitted, and this included equipping the division with a company of Tiger 1’s.
In June 1943, with the addition of armoured personnel carriers and a company of Tiger 1’s the division was re-designated "Panzergrenadier Division "Großdeutschland" and their counterpart in the division was re-named "Panzerfüsilier Division Großdeutschland".
Grossdeutschland armour Russia 1942
The newly equipped division was then attached to 4th panzer Army and was to take a major part (again paired with the SS-Panzerkorps) in “Operation Citadel” (Kursk offensive), during the buildup period, a battalion of new Panther Ausf. D tanks came under the operational control of Großdeutschland. After the launch of Operation Citadel, the division was heavily engaged in the fight to penetrate the southern flank of the salient. The new Panthers were a disaster suffering from engine fires and mechanical failures and many broke down before reaching the battle. Despite this the division fought on until it was pulled back to Tomarovka on July 18th 1943.
Following the disastrous Kursk offensive, the division was transferred back to Heeresgruppe Mitte, (Army Group Centre) and resumed its role as a mobile reserve. Großdeutschland saw heavy fighting around Karachev before being transferred back to XLVIII Panzerkorps in late August.
For the rest of 1943, Großdeutschland was engaged in the fighting withdrawal from the eastern Ukraine, taking part in battles around Kharkov, Belgorod, and finally on the Dnieper, ending the year fighting strong enemy forces near Michurin-Rog, east of Kryvyi Rih. It was during this period that the division earned the nickname "die Feuerwehr" (The Fire Brigade).
Russia 1943
Großdeutschland continued fighting in the area of Krivoi-Rog in early January 1944 until it was transferred west for rest and refit. During this period, 1st. Panzer Regiment (Panthers) joined the Panzer Regiment Großdeutschland., and Großdeutschland’s. 1ST Battalion moved to France to refit and train with the new tanks; they did not rejoin the Division until after “Operation Overlord” had begun (Allied Normandy Invasion).
Panzer grenadier Division Großdeutschland was a 4-battalion organization but by June 1944 it was reduced to three. Over the next few months the division continued crisis- crossing the front bolstering the front lines, the division now lacking its Panzer Regiment was involved in heavy fighting from the Dniester to Northern Bessarabia.
In early May 1944 the division took part in the Battle of Târgul Frumos, near Iaşi in Romania. The 1st Company of the regiment, under Lieutenant Dieter Bernhagen, was wiped out to the last man during a Russian armoured attack. Oberst Lorenz, the regimental commander, led from the front in his command vehicle and played a very personal role in these actions earning himself the Oak leaves to his Knight's Cross.
The division was next involved in the fighting around Podul, after a brief rest in early July the division was again committed to heavy fighting in northern Romania.
In late July the division was transferred to East Prussia. Over the next few months Großdeutschland was involved in heavy fighting in both East Prussia and the Baltic States suffering immense casualties in both men and materiel. At Wilkowischken a moderately successful counter-attack was achieved from East Prussia into Lithuania, the Panzergrenadier Division Großdeutschland had mounted a frontal attack with the SPWs of the 1st Battalion battling into the village while Panzerfusiliers executed a flanking attack. The success was short lived and the division was forced to withdraw into Germany where it was virtually annihilated during the battles in the Memel bridgehead.
By March 1945, the Division Großdeutschland had been reduced to around 4,000 men. These escaped by ferry from the collapsing Memel bridgehead and after landing at Pillau in East Prussia were put straight back into combat.
By April 25th 1945 Großdeutschland ceased to exist having almost been completely destroyed in the battles around Pillau. Of the few survivors a few hundred were able to make their way to Schleswig-Holstein the northern German province and surrender to British forces while the majority of the men were left behind and forced to surrender to the Russians. From there they were forced marched back into Russia were they faced years in Soviet Gulags.
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