Wiking1

The SS Division"Wiking" was called to life in Dezember 1940. It was first named SS Division "Germania" but after a few days it was renamed into SS Infanterie Division "Wiking".

1940 large numbers of volunteers from Denmark, Norway, Holland and Flanders joined SS. The idea with the SS Division "Wiking" was to create a Division only for the germanic volunteers.

The SS Division "Wiking" had 3 infantery regiments, were the majority of the German and Germanic volunteers were placed according to their nationality:

SS Infanterie Regiment "Germania"	German volunteers
SS Infanterie Regiment "Westland"	German, Dutch and Flemish volunteers
SS Infanterie Regiment "Nordland"	German, Danish and Norwegian volunteers

Although the majority of the Danish and Nordschleswig volunteers were placed in the Nordland Regiment, a large number served in the Germania regiment and in the subunits of the Wiking Division

Beside the 3 infantery regiments, the SS Division "Wiking" contained the following subunits:

SS-Panzer-Regiment 5

SS-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 5

SS-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 5

SS-Sturmgeschütz-Batterie 5

SS-Artillerie-Regiment 5

SS-Flak-Abteilung 5

SS-Werfer-Abteilung 5

SS-Nachrichten-Abteilung 5

SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 5

SS-Pionier-Batallion 5

SS-Divisions-Nachschubführer 5

SS-Instandsetzungs-Abteilung 5

SS-Wirtschafts-Batallion 5

SS-Sanitäts-Abteilung 5

SS-Feldlazarett 5

SS-Kriegsberichter-Zug 5

SS-Feldgendarmerie-Trupp 5

SS-Feldersatz-Bataillon 5

A volunteer from Nordschleswig serving with the

SS-Divisions-Nachschubführer 5

During the entire war, the Wiking Division fought on the eastern front.

The Division fought its' way through Ukraine and deep into Caucasus before forced to retreat back through Polan, Hungary and into Austria,were the majority of the Division surrender to US troops.

Time line for the Wiking Division

1941	-Offensive through Galizia into Ukraine
	-Defending the bridgehead at Dnjepropetrowsk
	-Offensive into the Donez area
	-Holding the line at the Mius possition
1942	-Battle of Rostow
	-Offensive deep into Caucasus through Kuban, Maikop, Malgobek and Terek area
1943	-Retreat into the positions at Mius and Donetz.
	-Retreat through Charkow, Kiew and over the river Dnjepr
	-Fightings and escape oout of the Tscherkassy Pocket
1944	-Regrouping in Poland
	-Retreat through Poland and defending Warzawa
	-Transfer to Hungary
1945	-Attempt to liberate Budapest
	-Retreat through Hungary, fightings at Stuhlweissenburg.
	-Retreat into Austria and American captivity

Wedding photo of a volunteer from the Wiking Division and his young bride