The 5. SS-Panzer-Division „Wiking“ was formed in late 1940 on the orders of Heinrich Himmler as a motorised infantry division intended to incorporate Germanic volunteers from the Netherlands, Flanders, Denmark and Norway alongside German cadres, initially designated SS-Division „Germania“ before being renamed SS-Division „Wiking“ by Führerbefehl of 21 December 1940. Its core consisted of the experienced SS-Regiment „Germania“ drawn from the SS-Verfügungs-Division, together with the newly raised SS-Regiment „Nordland“ and SS-Regiment „Westland“, plus supporting artillery, reconnaissance, pioneer and anti-tank units; command was given to SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner, former commander of the SS-Standarte „Deutschland“. Although propaganda emphasised the foreign contingent, German personnel always formed the large majority of its strength. After training at Truppenübungsplatz Heuberg the division entered combat in June 1941 with Heeresgruppe Süd during Operation Barbarossa, advancing through Galicia and taking part in the encirclements at Uman and Kiev before fighting for the Dnepropetrovsk bridgehead and Rostov, then holding the Mius line through the winter of 1941–42. In summer 1942 it received its first Panzer-Abteilung and participated in Fall Blau, capturing Rostov and advancing into the Caucasus foothills as far as the Terek and Malgobek before the Stalingrad disaster forced a fighting withdrawal covering the retreat of the 1. Panzerarmee. Redesignated SS-Panzergrenadier-Division „Wiking“ on 9 November 1942 and later 5. SS-Panzer-Division „Wiking“ on 22 October 1943, it fought in the Third Battle of Kharkov, served as reserve during Operation Citadel, and suffered catastrophic losses in the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket of early 1944, from which only remnants escaped. After reconstitution it defended at Kovel and Maciejow, where its Panzer-Regiment destroyed hundreds of Soviet tanks, then fought near Warsaw and in the relief attempts of Budapest during Operations Konrad before taking part in Operation Frühlingserwachen in Hungary. Successive commanders after Steiner included SS-Obergruppenführer Herbert Gille, SS-Oberführer Eduard Deisenhofer, SS-Standartenführer Johannes Mühlenkamp and finally SS-Oberführer Karl Ullrich. The division ended the war in Austria, where the bulk of its remaining personnel surrendered to American forces near Radstadt in May 1945.
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EICHENLAUBTRÄGER
SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner (1896-1966) was born on 23 May 1896 in Stallupönen, East Prussia, and entered the Preußische Armee in March 1914 as Fahnenjunker in the Infanterie-Regiment „von Boyen“ (5. Ostpreußisches) Nr. 41 at Tilsit, serving through the First World War where he was severely wounded, rose to Oberleutnant, and received the Eisernes Kreuz first and second class together with the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz. After the war he joined an East Prussian Freikorps, was absorbed into the Reichswehr, and left active service in 1933 as Major before entering the NSDAP and SA and transferring in 1935 to the SS as Obersturmbannführer, soon commanding the newly formed SS-Standarte „Deutschland“ of the SS-Verfügungstruppe. As SS-Oberführer he led this Standarte through the occupation of Czechoslovakia, the Polish campaign and the Westfeldzug of 1940; for his decisive leadership in the three-day advance that captured the island group of Zeeland from French forces, the rapid thrust to Vlissingen, the storming of strong positions at the Beveland Canal and the causeway to Walcheren Island, and subsequent fighting in northern France, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 15 August 1940, becoming the first member of the Waffen-SS to receive the decoration. Promoted SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS, he formed and commanded the SS-Division „Wiking“ from December 1940, leading it with marked success yet also harsh methods during the invasion of the Soviet Union; for outstanding performance on the Eastern Front, particularly the fighting along the Terek river, the relief of the 13. Panzer-Division near Gisel and the destruction of a Soviet Guards division that threatened the sole supply road near Tschikola, he received the Eichenlaub to the Ritterkreuz on 23 December 1942 while holding the rank of SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS. In 1943 he assumed command of the newly created III. (germanisches) SS-Panzerkorps, organising the Division „Nordland“ and the Brigade „Nederland“ under its banner, conducting successful defensive operations against breakout attempts from the Oranienbaum pocket, and preserving the integrity of his forces during the withdrawal from Leningrad and their redeployment on the Narva front, achievements for which he was awarded the Schwerter to the Ritterkreuz on 10 August 1944 as SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS. After illness, brief command of the 11. SS-Panzerarmee and the theoretical Armeegruppe Steiner in the final defence of Berlin—orders he declined to execute—he surrendered to American forces in May 1945, was released in 1948, later helped found HIAG and published apologetic works on the Waffen-SS, dying in Munich on 12 May 1966.
Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5th_SS_Panzer_Division_Wiking
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