SS Gebirgs-Division "Nord"

6. SS Gebirgs-Division "Nord" was formed as SS-Kampfgruppe "Nord" in February 1941 in Norway but it was turned into a division in September 1941. The division was composed of SS men used for garrison duties in Norway. It was transferred to Finnish Lapland prior to Operation Barbarossa as part of the German XXXVI Corps under AOK Norwegen. In July 1941 the division took part in Operation Silberfuchs with the German 169th Division and the Finnish 6th Division. Due to lack of training the soldiers were routed in the first attack against the Soviet forces at Salla. The division was later attached to the Finnish III Corps operating in the Kiestinki area.

In September 1942 the division was renamed as the SS Gebirgs Division "Nord" (SS Mountain Division "the North") and in October 1943 finally as the 6th SS Gebirgs Division "Nord".

In 1944 the division took part in the Lapland War against Finland. After pulling out of Finland the division was transferred to Denmark and later to Germany. "Nord" fought against US forces during Operation Nordwind in winter 1944-45. The division surrendered in May 1945 to US forces in Bavaria.

SS Gebirgsjäger Regiment 12 "Michael Gaißmair"

Formed in Brünn, Bohemia-Moravia on the 12th September 1939 as the SS-Totenkopf-Standarte 7. On April the 27 1940 it was sent to Drammen Norway and was re titled the SS-Infanterie Rgt 7 on the 27th February 1941. The unit handed in its "deaths head" collar patches for SS runic ones. 22 October1943 it was finally re-numbered SS Gebirgsjäger Rgt 12. It did not receive its name Michael Gaißmair until June 21 1944. It was in a simple ceremony that divisional commander SS-Obergruppenführer Friedrich Wilhelm Krüger presented the first Michael Gaißmair cuff title to regimental commander SS-standartenführer Franz Schreiber. Obergruppenführer Kruger all so gave a brief speech on the life and deeds of Michael Gaissmair.

Michael Gaißmair was born in Sterzing in 1491 and was to become the secretary to the Bishop of Brixen. Later he was to become a customs official in Klausen. In 1525 he joined the "Peasants revolt " and led the rebels in Tyrol. He developed a Tyrol Land Ordinance which could have created a farmers free state had the revolt succeeded. But when the rebellion was crushed Gaißmair fled to Italy (Padua). Sadly he was not safe and was murdered in the april of 1532 by enemies still fearfull of his ideas and influence.

SS Gebirgsjäger Regiment 11 "Reinhard Heydrich"

This regiment was formed and stationded in Prauge as SS-Totenkopf-Standarte 6 but it was transferred to Sanderfjord, southern Norway on the 27th April 1940. On February 25th 1941 it transformed into the SS Infanterie Regiment 6 Mot (Motorized)

The Death's Head collar patches were replaced by SS Runes at the same time. June the 4th 1942 the regiment received the name "Reinhard Heydrich" in a order-of-the-day issued by RF-SS Himmler: "On 4 June 1942, the Führer has bestowed the name "Reinhard Heydrich" on the 6 SS Infanterie Rgt in memory of the day on wich SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich died of wounds he suffered in the battle for Germany "May the regiment always prove itself to be worthy of his honorable name"

Reinhard Heydrich had been the chief administrator "Reichsprotector" of Bohemia-Moravia, whose assassination was carried out by Czech terrorists. SS-IR 6 received the RH title by virtue of it once been a garrison regiment in Prague. It was officially retitled the SS Gebirgsjäger RGT 11 "Reinhard Heydrich" on the 22 October1943 but the cuff title was not issued to the Rgt untill 15 February 1944.

"Nord" order of battle (late 1944)

Stab der Division

SS-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 11 "Reinhard Heydrich"
SS-Gebirgsjäger-Regiment 12 "Michael Gaissmair"
SS-Panzer-Grenadier Battalion 506 *
SS-Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regiment 6
SS-Strumgeschutz-Batterie-6
SS-Infanterie-Regiment(mot)5
SS-Infanterie-Regiment 9 (until 1943)
SS-Schutzen-Abteilung (mot) 6
SS-Gebirgs-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 6
SS-Flak-Abteilung 6
SS-Gebirgs-Nachrichten-Abteilung (mot) 6
SS-Gebirgs-Aufklärungs-Abteilung (mot) 6
SS-Gebirgs-Pionier-Abteilung 6
SS-Dina 6
SS-Bekleidungs-Instandsetzungs-Kompanie 6
SS-Sanitäts-Kompanie 6
SS-Veterinär-Kompanie 6
SS-Kriegsberichter-Zug 6
SS-Feldgendarmerie-trupp 6

* Formed from the SS-Skijegerbataljon Norge after the arrival in Oslo late in 1944 and was part of the Nord advance elements that had arrived in the Pirasens-Ludwigswinkel-Eppenbrunn assembly area .This was for the operation "Nordwind". The advance unit was made up of thr following units: 1st and 3rd Battalions Michael Gaissmair, SS Panzer-Gren Battalion 506, 3rd Battery, SS-Gebirgs Artillerie Reg-6, 1 Company of Panzerjägers, 1 company of Signal Battalion 6 Nord, 1 Platoon of Pionier and a Medical Platoon. The above was commanded by Standartenfuhrer Franz Schreiber the CO of SS Gebirgs Reg 12 "Michael Gaissmair"

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.

Knight's Cross winners

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

SS-Untersturmführer Hans Mayer

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

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