MY father was there! He was part of third Panzer Group. Started out trained on a BMW sidecar. Then retrained on a kettenkrad. The deeper they got into Russia- they were moved around and he ended the war in back of a half track- communications- as part of a probe unit. This story and pictures are very accurate from my fathers accounts. He was part of a quick response unit that would fill holes as needed along the front so they were in vehicles alot! The spring mud! The winter! Russians shooting at you. How he survived and got to america- and thus me!- is a miracle This account is correct too- as the war ended they were told to get rid of all their insignias. If caught it was automatic execution. My father was scared shitless of the russians. So were most towns and farm and villagers. The Stalin russians were ruthless!! They didnt dare take any equipment or clothing off Russians either. If caught it was automatic execution as well. So many stories my father had of those few years along that god forsaken front. What a waste of life!
This was a specific unit designation and insignia. Americans confuse it with all SS frequently. The Totenkopf was used only by concentration camp Soldiers and this unit. All SS did use this on their hat, but only this init had it for a unit mark, along with camp guards
@@Wolf-hh4rv a good story is about a swedish commander those was a platon chief of 11th ss nordland he survived because he change clothes from ss uniforms to a normal grey/green wehrmacht jacket in Berlin 1945
This is exactly what I needed, had one of my worst days ever and to come home and see that you posted is a blessing. Thank you for all your hard work on these videos
The complete history of the Wafffen SS division Totenkopf took Massimiliano Afiero 2 volumes of his series of books on the SS divisions, other divisions took only one volume. Yet your ‘complete’ history took a massive 13 minutes. WOW !!
The 4th SS Division called ''Poliei'' made up of burgomeisters and police cadets fought up in Narva on the Finnish-Leningrad front .I remember it was not converted to Pzr-Gren status? though like to see a video on that when there is time .Thanks.
Polizei division was only a panzergrenadier division because it was mediocre in combat while Leibstandarte, Das Reich, Totenkopf and Wiking were converted to full panzer divisions due to their outstanding performance in battle and later in the war the new SS divisions Hitlerjugend, Frundsberg and Hohenstaufen were built as panzer divisions from the beginning.
I always wondered what this division was, because my grandpa fought in the Lapland war and one of the SS Obersturmführer that surrendered to him 219 men was found out to be a former Totenkopf officer leading a "special unit" called Einsatzkommando. The captive kept saying that he is not of a standard division, and documents revealed that this man trained in Dachau 1938 at the age of just 18 before being moved to Poland, not only killing those who were Jews, but also those families who had an old testament bible.
Dietrich commanded the Leibstandarte as a divisional commander and then later i believe he was commander of the SS Panzer Army I'm not sure if he was a Corps Commander or went from Division to Field Army commander as by then promotions were easier to come by especially for Dietrich who was always one of Hitler's favorites and after the July bomb plot being a loyal Nazi was more important than abilities
At the end of the war when Hitler sent Dietrich to defend the polesti oil fields, I've read that Dietrich sent a sleeve of the SS panzer division to Hitler because Hitler was complaining that the SS panzer wasn't doing enough to stop the Russians from taking the oil fields.the first as panzer division never stood a chance and all that was left was one panzer"dietrich's factual opinion".
The video says in the title that it is the complete history of the division. At no point in this video is there any mention of war crimes, fanaticism regarding National Socialism and its racial theory, or the concentration camps for which the personnel were provided by the "Totenkopf" division. It is shown here as a normal fighting unit. The members of the “Totenkopf” division in particular can never be called soldiers like everyone else.
Wait a minute. Your ignorance is beyond belief. Of course, they were soldiers, what do you think they did ? Babysit the "real soldier's" children ? These were valiant men fighting for their fatherland, and they died heroically in brutal battle against godless communism. You should understand that the victors write the history books. You obviously don't have a clue what you are talking about.
Excellent point. There is a WW2TV prog now about Leibstandarte and the same comment applies to that mockery of history. TheTexasmick reply below is a post of wonderment.
The French general who was chief of staff said of the French collapse on the battle front, "Every bit of this is the result of socialism." He was right. Just look at the American armed forces today which represent militarized socialism in real time. We'd be hard pressed in a war against Monaco.
Fortunately, my grandfather's battlefield deployment in the Totenkopf Oberbayern ended at Opotchka, Russia on or around July 25th. He was schwehrverwundert before getting stuck with the rest of the TK in the meat-grinder; the Demyansk Pocket. He had been stationed out of Dachau military base from 1937 - 1939. At that time the military dissident camp at Dachau was not a "concentration camp". There was a LOT more to do in and around Munchen in those years than "staff a concentration camp". I have photos of my grandfather guarding the Ehrentempel, I am currently in possession of his marching and marksmanship awards and he also trained extensively at the athletics center there at Dachau. What's that?? Didn't know there was so much more going on at Dachau than "concentration" huh? That said, I sure would not have wanted to be detained there.
Thank you for sharing, My father was there as well- 3rd Panzer group. So many lives affected. So many misconceptions about those years. You read all sorts of comments on these sites from armchair commanders assuming Wehrmacht were all bloodthirsty killers. Such bullshit. My father HATED being there as they all did and just wanted to go home!!! Which by the way they had no idea what was going on at home with bombing of germany into rubble either
I would not call it 'elite". This division was special, most fanatical for sure. They were not some super soldiers. It was "death division" - it means that it was as dangerous to the enemy as to it's own soldiers. If you joined 'Totenkopf" you had a very little chance to survive. The amount of casualties they suffered was enormous. This division "died" five times during the war - when fighting on the eastern front they were losing like 3000 men a month (the size of the division was around 17000 men)
I would have to agree with you they certainly were known for fanatical resistance and definitely had that fighting spirit but completely wreckless. That said when they were attached to the SS Panzer Corps under Hauser alongside Leibstandarte and Das Reich this increased their combat value to such a degree that at least until Citadel they could certainly be considered elite
Generally Waffen SS major flaw was the willingness of their officers to accept high casualties regardless of the value of the objective. If Wehrmacht officers had led those divisions they would have been much greater contributors to the military power of Germany
Really NEED to get pronunciation of names correct! Not sure if this is real person pronouncing the words or artificial language. Part of retelling history is getting names pronounced correctly.
It is a war crime to turn captured enemy soldiers over to other countries. Yet Eisenhower did this on more than one occasion. Word is that when he came home after the war he returned as a very rich man. He was paid well for his crimes.
If this is true, yes, he is outright guilty of criminal actions against soldiers who had already surrendered. It's a shame, but the victors write the history.
I got an SS patch (supposedly) that has a totenkopf symbol with shield but it's wearing a German army hat with two daggers behind it. Any idea of it's origins?
I dont know...but easily decifered. Hold onto it..quick story...when the war was ending and everyone in my fathers unit knew it...including commanders...they were told to turn the trucks around and head west. When you run out of gas start walking. DO NOT get captured by the Russians. Youll get captured by Allied forces if you want to live. Stay away from roads or you will be picked up by German units and folded back into the front. Get rid of all insignias. Emblems that show your units. That emblem that you have would be a certain death squad if caught with it by Russians. Do not wear any Russian clothing- theyll assume you got it off dead Russians and youll be executed. Even villagers and towns were scared of the Russians. So they did not want to help Germans. Plus...it was not until my father was heading West back through what the SS had done in these villages that herealized what had taken place there. It was appalling. How my father survived all that is beyond comprehension. But I am here.
The Totenkopf division was instrumental in defeating the Allied counter attack at Arras May 1940. In two days of fighting 109 tanks were knocked out , 49 were credited to Totenkopf. At the final surrender Pregarten 1945, divisional strenght was about 9000 men not 1000. Multiple pictures exist of the various units assembling in meadows.. Interesting that when the Division was handed over to the Soviets they were divided into small groups and heavily gaurded by American tanks and infantry. Some members tried to escape and many were shot dead with more wounded, those wounded were picked up by Americian ambulances, treated in American hospitals and then released. Also any Totenkopf wounded recovering in various hospitals throughout Germany were released.
"The Skull Division" I have never heard of this reference, your history is incorrect, the "Totenkopf" division goes well further back in German history into the early 1800's.
Say it as it really was the German invasion of Poland and German invasion of France. Starting off by saying campaign battle of Poland and France is historical revisionism and vague. Which campaign in Poland? The Warsaw Ghetto? Which battle of France? The one with French resistance? The guilt can never be washed, it can only be admitted.
