Volunteer Legion Netherlands

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Volunteer Legion Netherlands
A detachment from the Volunteer Legion parades at The Hague in 1941
Active1941–1945
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Branch Waffen-SS
TypePanzergrenadier
SizeBrigade
Division
EngagementsEastern Front (World War II)

The Volunteer Legion Netherlands (

Waffen SS alongside similar formations from other parts of German-occupied Western Europe
. It was the largest Dutch SS unit.

The Volunteer Legion was renamed the 4th SS Panzer Grenadier Brigade Netherlands in October 1943. It was officially re-designated as a division in February 1945 but never grew to larger than a brigade.

Background

When the

anti-democratic ideals of Nazi Germany. The most important was the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands (Nationaal-Socialistische Beweging in Nederland, NSB), led by Anton Mussert, founded in 1931 on the example of the Nazi Party
in Germany. It initially gained limited interest from the Dutch lower-middle class but never gained widespread support. It polled only three percent in 1939.

After the

SS, sought to expand the Waffen-SS
with "Germanic" volunteers from other countries. The enrollment began in April 1940 with the creation of two regiments: the Waffen-SS Regiment Nordland (for Danish, Norwegian and Swedish volunteers), and the Waffen-SS Regiment Westland (for Dutch and Flemish volunteers).

Recruitment in the Netherlands was given an air of respectability by the support of Dutch General Staff officer Lieutenant-General Hendrik Seyffardt. By April 1941, volunteers began arriving in Hamburg. By July 1941, the Dutch were organized into SS Volunteer Unit Niederlande. The formation was the size of a reinforced infantry battalion, with five motorized companies. The unit was again redesignated, this time as SS Volunteer Legion Niederlande under General Seyffardt. In November 1941, the legion was ordered to the front near Leningrad, under the overall command of Army Group North Rear Area.

Northern Russia and Yugoslavia

Further information: Bandenbekämpfung

The Legion arrived at the

Sinyavino Offensive. The Legion was then moved south near Lake Ladoga. At the end of 1942, it was merged with the 2nd SS Infantry Brigade
.

In January 1943, Dutch troops were heavily involved in defending against Soviet attempts to lift the siege at Leningrad. One 19-year old Dutch gun crew leader, Gerardus Mooyman, destroyed 23 Russian tanks with his Pak 40 in about a month of fighting. He became the first foreigner to be awarded Knight’s Cross. [1] On 6 February, General Seyffardt, while campaigning for new recruits in Amsterdam, was assassinated by the Dutch resistance.

In April 1943, the unit was sent to Germany to be reformed as the SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland. The brigade was to consist of two

SS Division Wiking. During its time there, elements of the brigade were engaged in rear-security operations. During this period, the brigade was redesignated 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland. At this time, its strength stood at 9,342 men.[citation needed
]

Retreat

Further information: Battle for Narva Bridgehead

On 25 December 1943, the brigade was transferred, along with Steiner's SS Corps, to

Narva River in Estonia, where it took part in the Battle of Narva deployed on the Ivangorod
bridgehead.

The launch of

SS Brigade Wallonien
was placed under the command of Nederland.

The unit arrived in the area near Gumi-Wolmar in mid-October. The Soviet forces cut off Army Group North in the Courland area, creating the

Stettin area to participate in the defence of the Oder
line. The brigade arrived in German territory on 4 February.

End of war and aftermath

Man in a uniform of the Freiwilligen Legion Niederlanden shortly after World War II.

On 10 February, the brigade was redesignated 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland, with a strength of 1,000 men. The new division was attached to Steiner's

Altdamm
in February 1945.

In April 1945, the division was split into two battle groups. The Soviet offensive of 16 April had broken the German lines by 25 April, cutting the lines of communication between the two units. One of the battle groups broke out to the west, surrendering to the

Halbe pocket
.

After the war, the unit personnel were tried in the Netherlands, with several death sentences handed down. Wagner was extradited to Yugoslavia in 1947 to stand trial for

war crimes
. Found guilty before the Yugoslav military tribunal, he was sentenced to death and executed on 27 June 1947.

Commanders

  • SS-Sturmbannführer Herbert Garthe (? November 1941 – ? February 1942)
  • SS-Oberführer Otto Reich (? February 1942 – 1 April 1942)
  • SS-Obersturmbannführer Arved Theuermann (1 April 1942 – ?)
  • SS-Standartenführer Josef Fitzthum (? – ?)
  • SS-Brigadeführer Jürgen Wagner (20 April 1944 – 1 May 1945)

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ Gilbert pp. 194.

Bibliography

  • Van Roekel, Evertjan (2021). As Political Soldiers We Face Moscow's Hordes: Dutch Volunteers in the Waffen-SS. Wilmington, DE: Vernon Press.
    ISBN 9781648893346
    .


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