6.SS-Gebirgs Division NORD
6th SS-Mountain Division NORD
Kampfgruppe Nord was formed officially on 24 February, 1941. The primary units that made up the KG were SS-Infanterie Regimenten 6 & 7, or the 6th and 7th SS-Infantry Regiments. Both of these regiments had been in Norway since April 1940.
Commanded by SS-Brigadeführer Richard Hermann, KG NORD also had attached a staff, a cartography section, two combat engineer companies, a reconnaissance battalion, and the required service and support elements. There was another SS-Infantry Regiment, the 9th, that was also assigned to KG NORD, at least administratively. This regiment, however, spent most of its combat time alongside the Army’s 2nd Mountain Division until it was disbanded in August 1942. Totenkopfstandarten K had been formed on 12 November for security in the Kirkenes area. When this unit was later disbanded, elements would be filtered into NORD as reinforcements.
By 6 June, the Kampfgruppe had completed the movement from southern Norway to the Kirkenes area. The following day, they were ordered to Rovaniemi, Finland. Here they were to be expanded to brigade size and prepare for the upcoming invasion of the Soviet Union. Three days later, they had completed the march, and were bivouacked outside Rovaniemi.
On 17 June, the Kampfgruppe was officially upgraded to a motorized infantry division, designated SS-Division NORD. At the same time, they were ordered to the vicinity of Salla, near the Finnish/Russian border. Originally, they were not to be a part of the operation, but this decision was changed when the planners realized that NORD was the only motorized unit in the area.
Although the invasion of Russia was launched on 22 June, operations in Finland did not. NORD'S attack on Salla did not commence until 1 July. This battle was a disaster for NORD, and for Himmler. Battalions got lost, and missed rally points. The preparatory artillery and air bombardment started fires that filled the area with dense smoke. Russian emplacements and defensive positions, previously undetected, held up advances. At one point, a rumor flew that Soviet tanks had broken through SS-I.R. 7’s lines. This led to literally a rout, with almost the entire regiment leaving the line in retreat. Salla finally fell on 8 July.
Nord detraining
After this disastrous first engagement, NORD became the only SS unit ever to be commanded by non-German personnel. The division was split up, and the elements sent to various Finnish units. While it was embarrassing to many, it proved to be highly beneficial. The Germans learned many lessons from their Finnish comrades, which would show in their later combat. The men would see further combat alongside the Finns, but the division was not reformed until September.
In September and October, Nord fought in the area around Kiestinki. As it turned out, the division would spend the remainder of its combat time in this area. Although the positions were relatively static, it was not quiet. The Germans conducted raids and patrols behind the Russian lines. The intent was still to disrupt the Murmansk railway, although this was never fully realized. There were also partisans to deal with. While they may not have been as troublesome as other areas of the Eastern Front, they still managed to cause problems.
On 15 January 1942, the division was reconstituted. SS-Gebirgs Division Nord was now a full-fledged mountain division, the first in the Waffen-SS. This led to re-equipping the unit, providing equipment that was better suited to combat in northern Karelia.
Towards the end of April, a major Russian offensive was stopped in NORD’S area. Two Russian divisions, and two Ski Brigades took part in the attacks. Although they met with some success, Nord and their Finnish comrades were able to stop the attack.
During October 1943, there was another reorganization of sorts. Until this point, none of the Waffen-SS divisions had been numbered. Now, both the divisions and the regiments were numbered according to forming dates. The division was now known as 6.SS-Gebirgs Division NORD, and the two regiment were renumbered the 11th and 12th. Additionally, the 11th Regiment also received the honorific of “Reinhard Heydrich,” in honor of SS-Gruppenführer Heydrich, who had been killed the previous year. The 12th Regiment would have to wait until June of 1944 to receive their honorific title, “Michael Gaissmair.”
Victims of Norwegian Schijagers position near Kaprolat Hill still there to day
Near the end of June 1944, the Soviets launched another major attack in NORD’S vicinity. It began with an assault on the Norwegian Schijagers position near Kaprolat Hill, near NORD’S northern flank. SS-Motorized Rifle Battalion 6 (Hstuf Gottlieb Renz) and Army Ski Battalion 82 (Hauptmann K.W. Lapp) were sent to reinforce the position, which was cleared up after several days of vicious fighting.
Soon after that, the Motorized Rifle Battalion found itself encircled near Ssenozero. SS-Infanterie Regiment 11 began to send relief to the pocket. However, it would not be until the end of July that the 12th Regiment would breakthrough to the pocket, and the Russians ceased the attack.
On 7 September, NORD received their orders for Operation BIRKE. This was to be the retreat from Finland. NORD ended up being the rear guard for almost the entire retrograde. During this retreat, the division would see combat against both the Soviet and the Finnish armies. It took until the night of 7/8 November before they crossed the border into Norway. By the time they reached the northern terminus of the railroad, at Mo-i-Rana, they had marched 1600 kilometers.
There was a short stay in Denmark, where the men received new clothing and equipment. Their MG-34s were replaced with MG-42s. There was no Christmas leave for the men. They were entrained for their next battle, in Alsace. The lead elements of the Division arrived in Pirmasens and Zweibrucken on the 29th, then made their way on foot to their billets, arriving on the 30th.
This was just in time for Operation NORDWIND. This assault was intended to open away to the Alsace Plain, allowing Panzer and Panzergrenadier divisions to break out from behind the mountains into better terrain. Had the operation succeeded, the war in Southern France would have gone much differently.
The houses still bear the scars today
Nord ended up having the only real success in this operation. Their objective was the town of Wingen-sur-Moder, and establish a bridgehead over the Moder River. This they were to accomplish, though only for a short while. The assault group was made up of 1st and 3rd Battalions of SS-Infantry Regiment 12, SS-Panzer Grenadier Battalion 506, the third battalion of the Artillery Regiment, a Panzerjäger company, a Signals company, a combat engineer platoon, and a medical platoon. Since the senior officer was Standartenführer Schreiber, Regimental Commander of SS-Mountain Infantry Regiment 12, this battlegroup was designated Kampfgruppe Schreiber.
KG Schreiber began moving towards their objective mid-morning on 1 January 1945. Their route took them through mountainous terrain, and they began the attack on Wingen on 4 January. They managed to take the town, capturing a number of Americans in the process. For a week, they battled American troops and tanks. The fighting was terrific, and caused considerable casualties on both sides. When higher command finally realized that the operation had failed, they ordered KG Schreiber to withdraw. They had held the town until 8 January, when they pulled out under cover of darkness.
Over the next few days, both sides launched small attacks. None of them made any major headway. However, the American attack towards Hill 420 on the 14th, this situation changed. The attack was composed of six companies from the 157th Infantry Regiment. Around noon on the 16th, the 11th SS-Mountain Infantry Regiment launched an attack against the 157th. This rapidly turned into a full-scale battle, including artillery and rockets being called in on the Americans, who had been encircled by late in the afternoon. Multiple attempts were made to relieve the pocket, but they were unsuccessful. On the evening of the 19th, the Americans finally surrendered, with 26 officers and 456 enlisted going into captivity. For a short time after this, the Americans were retreating. The men of Nord followed them, eagerly picking up food, clothing, and other supplies, even weapons, as they went.
During the night of 23/24 January, the 11th SS-Mountain Regiment launched an attack on Rothbach. The following night, their sister regiment took Schillerdorf. However, they were thrown out by a tank/infantry task force, making it back to their own lines a day later. These were NORD’S last major successes.
February would find them holding defensive positions along the Moder River near Bitche. They would find themselves continually on the move, usually at night to avoid American aircraft. For the rest of the war, they would find themselves more reactive, and less proactive. They would participate mostly in fighting withdrawals.
They fought in defensive battles in the Saarland, around Trier, and through the retreat along the Hunsrück Highroad. After heavy fighting around Boppard, the 12th SS-Mountain Infantry Regiment was ordered to the area of Trarbach. This was the last time they operated with the rest of the Division. The 2nd and 3rd Artillery Battalions also got left behind, when they ran out of fuel. They assisted a local unit, and were destroyed in defensive fighting. By this time, the American advance was unstoppable. All NORD was capable of was delaying actions, and fighting withdrawals.
On 2 April, SS-Gruppenführer Brenner, and an estimated 800 survivors of the Division finally surrendered to the Americans near Wittgenborn. NORD ceased to exist. "
SS Nords Grave yard
Death card of a Nord soldier
Unit strenghts
Jun 1941 10,373
Dec 1942 21,247
Dec 1943 20,129
Jun 1944 19,355
Jan 1945 15,000
Divisional commanders
SS-Brigadefuhrer Karl Herrmann (28.2.1941)
SS-Oberguppenfuhrer Karl-Maria Demelhuber (15 .5.1941)
SS-Oberguppenfuhrer Matthias Kleinheisterkamp(1.4.1942)
SS-Oberfuhrer Hans Scheider (20.4.1942)
SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Matthias Klinheisterkamp (14.6.1942)
SS-Gruppenfuhrer Lothar Debs (15.1.1943)
SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Friedrich-Wilhelm Kruger (14 .1.1943)
SS-Brigadefuhrer Gustav Lombard (23 .8.1943)
SS-Gruppenfuhrer Karl Brenner (9.1.1944)
SS-Standartenfuhrer Franz Schreiber (3.4.1945 until the end of war) *
* According to some sources SS-Standartenführer Schreiber was not assigned as commender of the whole division,
but only "Kampfgruppe Schreiber" which consisted most parts of the division. In late stages of the war transportation difficulties had
dispersed the division around Germany and western front.
KIGHTS CROSS WINNERS OF NORD
SS-Hauptstumführer Gottlieb Renz
Born 12.9.1911 in Pfullingen, KIA 3.1.1945 in Bitsch, Elsass
EK II 1.11.1939, EKI 13.7.1941
Knights Cross 12.8.1944 as SS-Hauptsturmführer and Battalion CO, SS Gebirgsjäger-Rgt 11 "Reinhard Heydrich"
SS-Obergruppenführer Friedrich Wilhelm Kruger
Born 8.5.1894 in Strassburg, suicide May 1945 in Austria
EK II (Spange*) July 1943, EK I (Spange*) May 1944
Knights Cross 30.9.1944 as SS-Obergruppenführer, Divisional CO of "Nord"
SS-Hauptsturmführer Günther Degen
Born 30.8.1917 in Bispingen, KIA 13.3.1945 in Pfaffenbeck, Hunsrück
EK II 15.9.1939, EK I 1.8.1940
Knights Cross 7.10.1944 as SS-Hauptsturmführer and CO of 1. Battalion, SS Gebirgsjäger-Rgt 11 "Reinhard Heydrich"
SS-Standartenführer Franz Schreiber
Born 8.5.1904 in Dresden, died 26.2.1976 in Hamburg
EK II 27.5.1940, EK I 20.8.1940, German Cross in Gold 19.1.1942
Knights Cross 26.12.1944 as SS-Standartenführer and CO of SS Gebirgsjäger-Rgt 12 "Michael Gaißmair"
SS-Gruppenführer Karl Heinrich Brenner
Born 19.5.1895 in Mannheim, died 14.2.1954 in Karlsruhe
EK II (Spange*) 4.8.1941, EK I (Spange*) 17.8.1941, German Cross in Gold 16.6.1944
Knights Cross 31.12.1944 as SS-Gruppenführer, Divisional CO of "Nord"
* Spange = Iron Cross clasp, ie soldier was awarded Iron Cross in WW1 and suseqently in WW2.
SS-Oberstrumführer Hans Bauer
Born 12.3.1919 in Hamburg, died 30.3.1983 in Hamburg
EK II 8.7.1944, EK I 4.11.1944
Knights Cross 5.4.1945 as SS-Obersturmführer and company CO, SS-Panzer-Grenadier Battalion 506
Born 20.8.1920 in Penzberg/Oberbayern
EK II, EK I, German Cross in Gold as Hauptscharführer in Lappland
Knights Cross 30.4.1945 as CO of SS-Gebirgs-Aufklärungs-Abteilung (mot) 6
There are only two units that reenact SSNord this one in Finland http://www.gaissmair.net and the other in the US
this link is a First class one for the The Battlefields of
Kaprolat & Hasselmann http://www.frontkjemper.com/index_files ... elmann.htm
here is one to the Field research in Kiestinki carried out by our Spiess http://www.gaissmair.net/kiestinki.htm
ops sorry here is the one for the US group http://www.6ssnord.com
