Panzergrenadier Divisions of the Waffen-Ss

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 22. Chapters: 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking, 3rd SS Division Totenkopf, 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland, 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Gotz von Berlichingen, 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, 4th SS Polizei Division. Excerpt: The 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking was one of the elite Panzer divisions of the thirty eight Waffen SS divisions. It was recruited from foreign volunteers, from Scandinavia, Finland, Estonia, The Netherlands, and Belgium under the command of German officers. During the course of World War II, the division progressed from a motorised infantry division to a Panzer division and served on the Eastern Front during World War II. It surrendered in May 1945 to the advancing American forces in Austria. After the success of the Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, SS-Verfugungstruppen-Division and the SS-Division Totenkopf during the early war campaigns in Poland and the West, it was decided to expand the number of Waffen SS divisions. Due to the influx of foreign volunteers, particularly from Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway, a decision was made to form a volunteer division of the Waffen SS under the command of German officers. This unit, originally organized as the Nordische Division (Nr.5), was to be made up of Nordic volunteers mixed with ethnic German Waffen SS veterans. To this end, the SS Infantry Regiment Germania in the SS Verfugungstruppe Division was transferred in late 1940 and used as the cadre for a new division . In December 1940, the new SS motorized formation, was to be designated SS-Division (mot.) Germania. but during its formative period, the name was changed, to SS-Division (mot.) Wiking. in January 1941. The division was formed around three motorised infantry regiments: Germania, formed mostly from ethnic Germans...