#1st SS panzer division leibstandarte SS adolf hitler

[carbone14]

Tigre I Ausf. H de la 1ère Division SS Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler – Troisième bataille de Kharkov – Kharkov – Union soviétique – Février 1943

[captain-price-unofficially]

A Red Army soldier destroys a Nazi sign on Dzerzhinsky Square in liberated Kharkov. During the German occupation from 1942 it was called “German Army Square”. From the end of March to August 23, 1943, it was called “Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler Square” after the name of the 1st SS Panzer Division

[desperateambrose]

On December 17, 1944 elements of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, commanded by Obersturmbannführer Joachem Peiper, massacred 84 U.S. Army prisoners of war at a crossroads near the village of Malmédy in Belgium.

[mav-it]

My honor WAS loyalty. “Leibstandarte”.

[theworldatwar]

US soldiers are taken prisoner by the 1st SS Panzer-Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler near Poteau - Battle of Bastogne 1944

[greatworldwar2]

• Battle of the Bzura

The Battle of the Bzura (or the Battle of Kutno) was the largest battle of the 1939 German invasion of Poland, fought, between Polish and German forces.

The Polish plan for defense against the German invasion, Plan West, called for the defense of the borders. This was dictated more by political than military concerns, as Poles feared that the Germans, after taking over territories they lost in the Treaty of Versailles, would try to end the war and keep those territories. While defending the borders was riskier, the Poles were counting on the British and French counteroffensive (that never came). Due to this, Army Pomorze under general Władysław Bortnowski found itself in the Polish Corridor, surrounded by German forces on two fronts, and Army Poznań under general Tadeusz Kutrzeba was pushed to the westernmost fringes of the Second Polish Republic, separated both from its primary defensive positions, and from other Polish Armies. The German offensive proved the folly of the border defense plan in the first days of the war. Army Pomorze was defeated in the battle of Bory Tucholskie, and forced to retreat towards the south-east. Army Poznań, meanwhile, although not facing heavy German assaults, was forced to retreat east due to defeats of its neighbours. meaning that Army Poznań was in danger of being flanked and surrounded by the German forces. On September 4th, Army Poznań moved through Poznań and abandoned it to the enemy, although at this point it was not in contact with any significant German forces. By September 6th, Armies Pomorze and Poznań had linked, forming the strongest Polish operational unit in the campaign, and general Bortkowski accepted the command of general Kutrzeba.

On September 7th, Polish forces became aware of the German push towards Łęczyca, which if successful could cut off the retreat route of Polish forces. By September 8th, advanced German troops reached Warsaw, marking the beginning of the siege of Warsaw in 1939. At the same time, German forces had lost contact with Army Poznań, and German command assumed that the army must have been transported by rail to aid Warsaw's defense; they were unaware that in fact Army Poznań had merged forces with Army Pomorze, which they considered, since its defeat at Bory Tucholskie, no longer a significant threat.

Polish forces consisted of Army Poznań and Army Pomorze. German forces included the 8th Army under Johannes Blaskowitz and 10th Army under Walther von Reichenau of Army Group South, elements of the 4th Army under Günther von Kluge of the Army Group North and air support (Luftflotte 1 and Luftflotte 4). The battle can be divided into 3 phases: Phase I, Polish offensive towards Stryków, aiming at the flank of the German 10th Army, Phase II, Polish offensive towards Łowicz, Phase III, German counterattack and eventual defeat of the Poles, with the latter's withdrawal towards Warsaw and Modlin. On the night of September 9th, the Polish Poznań Army commenced a counterattack from the south of the Bzura river, its target being the German forces from the 8th Army advancing between Łęczyca and Łowicz, towards Stryków. The commander of Poznań Army, Tadeusz Kutrzeba noticed that the German 8th Army, was weakly secured from the north by only the 30th Infantry Division stretched over a 30 kilometre defensive line while the rest of the army was advancing towards Warsaw. The main thrust of the Polish offensive were the units under general Edmund Knoll-Kownacki, known as the Knoll-Kownacki Operational Group. The right wing of the offensive, in the area Łęczyce, included the Podolska Cavalry Brigade under Col. L. Strzelecki, and on the left, advancing from Łowicz to the area of Głowno, the Wielkopolska Cavalry Brigade under general Roman Abraham. These groups inflicted considerable losses on the German defenders from the 30th Infantry Division and the 24th Infantry Division, with some 1,500 German soldiers killed or wounded and an additional 3,000 lost as prisoners during the initial push. The cavalry brigades supplemented with TKS and TK-3 reconnaissance tanks moved to threaten the flanks and rear of the advancing German units.

The German forces were thrown back approximately 20 kilometres and the Poles recaptured several towns, including Łęczyca and Piątek, and the village of Góra Świętej Małgorzaty. On September 10th, the Polish 17th Infantry Division met the German 17th Infantry Division at Małachowicze. The following day Polish forces continued their attack, advancing on Modlna, Pludwiny, Osse and Głowno. Initially underestimating the Polish advance, the Germans decided on September 11th, to redirect the main force of the German 10th Army, the German 4th Army, the reserves of the Army Group South, and aircraft from 4th Air Fleet towards the Bzura. These forces included the German 1st Panzer Division, German 4th Panzer Division and the newly formed SS Infantry regiment Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler. German air superiority had a significant impact, making it very costly and difficult for the Poles to move units during the day. The following day the Poles reached the line Stryków-Ozorków. That day General Tadeusz Kutrzeba learned that units of Army Łódź had retreated to the Modlin Fortress, and decided to stop the offensive, instead looking to try to break through Sochaczew and the Kampinos Forest to reach Warsaw. On the morning of September 14th, General Władysław Bortnowski's 26th and 16th Infantry Divisions crossed the Bzura near Łowicz. The Polish 4th Infantry Division reached the road linking Łowicz with Głowno. At this point however, Bortnowski ordered the 26th Infantry Division to retreat. He had learned of the withdrawal of the German 4th Panzer Division from the outskirts of Warsaw, and was concerned that this Panzer division posed a threat to his men.

On the 15th and 16th September, Army Pomorze took up defensive positions on the north bank of the Bzura. General Stanisław Grzmot-Skotnicki's group was between Kutno and Żychlin, General Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski's units near Gąbin, and parts of Army Poznań by the Bzura near Sochaczew, were ready to begin their drive towards Warsaw. To encircle and destroy the Polish forces, the Germans used most of their 10th Army, including two armoured, one motorized, and three light divisions, equipped with some 800 tanks altogether. The attack from all sides on Polish positions started on September 16th, with the support of the Luftwaffe. On September 15th, Poles were forced out of Sochaczew, a town on the Bzura river, and trapped in a triangle of Bzura, Vistula and German forces. The German 1st Panzer Division, after crossing the Bzura between Sochaczew and Brochów and engaging the Polish 25th Infantry Division managed to capture Ruszki, but its advance was then halted. Poles began to cross the Bzura near the Vistula, north of Sochaczew, and retreat towards Warsaw. Polish forces were forced to abandon most of their heavy equipment while crossing the river. On September 17th, German heavy artillery was shelling the crossing north of Brochów, and the largest air operation of the campaign began, with the Luftwaffe attacking the retreating Polish forces. During the night of September 17th, the main forces of Army Poznań attacked the German forces in order to break out of the German encirclement between Witkowice and Sochaczew. The 15th Infantry Division and Podolska Cavalry Brigade again crossed the Bzura in Witkowice. In Brochow, the 25th and 17th Infantry Divisions crossed the Bzura river. The 14th Infantry Division was concentrated in Łaziska. At the same time, Army Pomorze marched towards the villages of Osmolin, Kierozia and Osiek.

In the morning the Germans started their drive towards the south along both banks of the Bzura, supported by more than 300 aircraft and heavy artillery. German howitzers, taking advantage of their position on the high ground of the Vistula's right bank, shelled Polish positions for the entire day. And after two days of heavy fighting, with no ammunition or food rations remaining, further attempts at a breakout for the Poles became impossible. Only a few Polish units managed to break out of the encirclement. These groups entered Warsaw and Modlin, mostly around the 19th and 20th September, crossing the Kampinos Forest, and fighting German units in the area. Among them were Generals Kutrzeba, Knoll-Kowacki and Tokarzewski, two cavalry brigades (Wielkopolska and Podolska) of General Abraham, and the 15th and 25th Infantry Divisions. The remainder (4th, 14th, 17th, 26th and 27th Infantry Divisions), which didn't manage to cross the river, with General Bortnowski, capitulated between the 18th and 22nd of September. Polish casualties were estimated at 20,000 dead, including three generals. German casualties are estimated at 8,000 dead. After the battle the remaining German divisions rushed towards Warsaw and Modlin and soon encircled both. The Bzura campaign ended in defeat for the Poles but because of the initial Polish local successes the German advance on Warsaw was halted for several days. The Wehrmacht was required to divert units from its push towards Warsaw. This enabled the Polish units defending Warsaw and its environs to better organize their own long-term, but ultimately failed, defense of the capital.

[abgael661]

Soldiers from 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler enjoying a smoke.

[stealth-skills]

Grenadiers from the reconnaissance detachment (Aufklärungs-Abteilung LAH) of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler watch the SS-Hauptsturmführer Kurt Meyer and a Soviet officer in a meeting. Ukraine, July 10, 1941. This episode became famous thanks to Meyer's memories.

[ww2photoarchive]

Destroyed combat vehicles from the SS 1st Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler

[carbone14]

Panzergrenadier lourdement armé pendant l'offensive allemande dans les Ardennes - Bataille des Ardennes - Poteau - Belgique - 18 décembre 1944

©US National Archives 111-SC-197561

Certaines sources indiquent que ce grenadier est Wally Armbrusch du Kampfgruppe Hansen (2e compagnie, I./SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt 1 LAH), l’un des quatre groupements tactiques de la 1ère Division SS Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler engagée dans la contre-offensive des Ardennes. D'autres affirment qu'il s'agit de Hans Tragarsky.

Plus que l'utilisation de ces images pour alimenter la propagande nazie en Allemagne, les nombreuses photos de ce soldat sur ce thé��tre d'opération et l'expression de son visage ont contribué à construire un mythe autour de ce soldat...

[captain-price-unofficially]

MG-34 team from 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler during fighting in the Battle of Mariupol. October 1941.

[mega-valiant]

SS Standartenführer Max Hansen (31 July 1908 - 7 March 1990) Commander in the 1st SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment on 1st SS Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler Division.

[warpicshistory]

Gustav Knittel, officer in the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler. He was awarded the Knight��s Cross of the Iron Cross and after the war was sentenced to life in prison for war crimes relating to the murder of American prisoners during the Battle of the Bulge. He was eventually released from prison in 1953 as part of a Christmas amnesty. He passed away in 1976. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9y3qjDpqP_/?igshid=r1dwsts3rzcy

[mav-it]

My honor WAS loyalty. “Leibstandarte”.

[aiiaiiiyo]

1st SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" troops in France, 1940 [1200 x 779] Check this blog!

[zenobiaofbyzantium]

Hello my fellow brethren

For last few days I’ve been trying to rest to recover both physically and emotionally. As you know from my previous posts, I’ve been trying to make decisions regarding when and where to get my master’s degree. I will apply to some universities for fall semester. I have a shortlist.

And currently I’m on winter break. Two weeks ago I had my finals of my history bachelor’s. The exam results are fine, thankfully. Considering I was sick...

I rested for a week and as of today I’ll continue my readings. I downloaded some of the books on to-read-list and started to read one on historiography.

In the meantime I am reading translation of a book named ‘Für Volk and Führer’. It’s a memoir of a veteran, Erwin Bartmann, of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler of the Third Reich. It’s deeply compelling and made me question many things by telling the events I know by heart as first hand account.

So there’s that... Sorry for the awkward end to the post 😅

Zee, out!