1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS
Adolf Hitler

Photos

The Army

Infantry Guns

Army List 

Dan Wade used this army at Call to Arms 2003.

The organisation below is based on the defensive battles in the Donets region early 1942 before the LSSAH was transferred back to France and reorganised as Panzer Grenadiers. I have used the Grenadier Lists as they were lorried Infantry at this stage. Due to lack of suitable models I have substituted  Marder III (7.62cm) Sdkfz 139 instead of Marder II (7.62cm) Sdkfz 132 which were received sometime early 1942.

HQ

Co & 2iC = 45

Combat Platoons

Platoon 1 Grenadiers 3 x squads = 165
Platoon 2 Grenadiers 3 x squads = 165

Weapons platoons

Heavy Infantry Guns 2 x 15 cm Sig 33 &  2 x Limbers = 170
Tank Hunters 4 x Marder III (7.62cm) = 420
Assault Guns 3 x Stug D = 375
Light AA 3 x Sdkfz 10/5 = 120
1 x Command Kubel Wagon = 5 

Total = 1500

Note: SS-Oberscharfuhrer Micheal Wittmann was a platoon Commander of the LSSAH Sturm Batterie and by this point had received his Iron Cross First and Second Class and also Panzer Assault Badge for destroying 6 tanks in an engagement. He had also received a wound badge. He was transferred to the Officer training school in Bad Tolz on June 5th 1942. 

History

17 March 1933 1SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler was formed  as SS Stabswache Berlin, by Josef Seppö Dietrich (Divisional sign taken from Sepp which means skeleton key) as body guard to Adolf Hitler. Dietrich hand picked 120 men, some of whom had served in Stoss Trupp Adolf Hitler. The entry requirements were that they had to be paragons of the SS ideal, 25 years old, taller than 1.8 meters tall and no criminal record.

April 1933 first 12 man guard under Wilhelm Mohnke posted to the Reich Chancellery. April 8th first published appearance as an Honor Guard for the Fuhrer during a SA rally at the Berlin Sports Palace. The unit was then renamed SS-Sonder Kommando Zossen and was combined with SS-Sonder Kommando Juterbog to form SS-Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler. (LAH)

9th November 1933 members of LAH took an oath of loyalty to Adolf Hitler in front of the Feldherrnhalle War Memorial in Munich which was the 10th anniversary of the failed Beer Hall Putsch (and also received its first colours).

1934 LAH was renamed Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH). Sepp Dietrich and other members of LAH along with Landespolizie Gruppe General Georing took a leading part in the Night of Long Knives which removed Ernst Rohm and other leaders of the SA from power. Leaving Adolf free from rivals to his claim to leadership of Germany.

October 1934 LSSAH was motorised (lorried Inf) and expanded in size.

1938 LSSAH took part in the Annexation of Austria as part of XVI Armee under General Heinz Guderian and paticipated in the Invasion of Czechoslovakia.

Sept 1939 LSSAH was attached to Heeresgruppe SUD during the Invasion of Poland and later took part in the Invasion of France (5th May 1940) and the low Countries where it was held in reserve till it was used against the British at Dunkirk and then attached to XIV Armee Korps during the final part of the Invasion of France.

After the Armistice the LSSAH was rested and upgraded to a brigade whilst training for the Invasion of Britain , Operation Seelow. After the cancellation of Seelow it was transferred to Romania (March 1941 Joining Gross Deutchland Div and Herman Georing Brigade) for the Balkans Invasion (April 6th),it then fought its way through Yugoslavia and Greece pursuing the Allied troops to Kalamata ,from where they were evacuated by sea to Crete.8th May a Victory Parade was held in Athens ,in which the LSSAH was involved and was then transferred back to Czechoslovakia.

22 June 1941 LSSAH takes part in the  Invasion of Russia Operation Barbarossa attached to Heeres Gruppe South and saw action at Kiev and Rostov. Unit strength now 10,796 men and average age of the troops 19 years old.

From December 1941 to 2nd July 1942 mainly defensive battles in the Donetz area.

 QUOTE: III Panzer Corp Commander General Eberhard Von Mankensen writes to Himmler.

Every unit wants to have the Leibstandarte as its adjacent unit . The units internal discipline , its refreshing eagerness ,its cheerful enthusiasm ,its unshakable calmness in a crises and its toughness are examples to us all..... this is truly an Elite unitö

June 1942 LSSAH pulled back to Paris and takes part in a Ceremonial Parade in Paris in front of Field Marshall Von Rundstedt.

July 1942 LSSAH is upgraded to a Panzer Grenadier Division and renamed SS Division (MOT) LSSAH.

August to September 1942 rest and refit with Tiger 1Æs being added to the Panzer Regiment .Entry conditions were now relaxed and Volksdeutsche allowed to join .

Dec 21 to 30th members transferred to form cadre for 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaaufen.

January 1943 the LSSAH are posted to the Ukraine to stop the Soviet Winter Offensive and was involved in the Battles for Kharkov (casualties 4500 men- 44% of its fighting strength) and later in July as part of Operation Citadel ( casualties 2753 men and over 30% of its armoured strength) as part of II SS Panzer Army. March 21 LSSAH Officers and NCOs transferred to form cadre for 12 SS Panzer Division Hitler Jugen.

July 1943 when the Italian Government disposed of Bennito Mussolini ,Hitler orders the LSSAH to Italy but leaves its Tanks behind for the 2nd and 3rd SS Divisions. The Division disarms Italian troops in the Po valley and is involved in some minor skirmishes and is then transferred to the Balkans and then back to Russia.

October 22 the unit is renamed 1SS Panzer Division LSSAH.

November to December heavy combat Zhomotir, division strength 19,867 with 160 plus tanks.

January to February 1944 heavy combat, only 3 tanks and 4 SP guns operational.

March 15 Division annihilated, less than 1250 men left. LSSAH transferred back to France to refit, over 2000 troops from 12SS Division transferred as replacements Strength approx 20,000 men, 42 to 45 SP guns, 48 to 50 Panzer IVEs, 38 Panthers, 29 Tiger Tanks.

June 6th D-Day Division in Belgium and starts to transfer to Normandy. Joins 12SS near Caen June 12th.

July 6 to 9 repulses Operation Charn Wood and then July 18 to 21 repulses Operation Goodwood.

August 6 Mortain counter attack. August 21 to 24 withdraws from Falaise Pocket with severe losses, no tanks or artillery and estimated casualties of 5 to 6000 men. Sepp Dietrich was promoted to Command the 6 SS Panzer Army leaving the LSSAH to be commanded by Wilhelm Mohnke. 1 SS LSSAH was part of the 6 SS Panzer Army. 

September 4 ordered back to Germany to refit, receives new equipment plus 3,500 men.

December 1944, Ardennes Offensive, Division strength approx 22000, 84 tanks and 20 SP guns. Kampfgruppe Pieper made some progress to the Meuse river but failed in the attempt to cross it. With the now failed Offensive stalled the LSSAH were now moved East to Hungary and then to take part in the last official Offensive by the Germans of the War in an attempt to rescue the besieged forces in Budapest ,but failing that were pulled back to Austria. After the Fuhrers suicide they surrendered to the Americans at Steyr ,although the rear guard was captured by the Soviets. The Fuhrer Begleit Battalion died in Berlin defending the Fuhrers ashes.

After the failure of the relief of Budapest Hitler in a towering rage felt that the Leibstandarte had turned traitor, ordered the Division to remove their Armbands. Dietrich and his officers removed all their Medals and Decorations and sent them back to Hitler in a bucket with the comments is that all the thanks we get

Commanders

Oberstgruppenfuhrer Joseph Sepp Dietrich 02/1933-07/1943
Brigadefuhrer Theodor Wisch 07/1943-08/1944
Brigadefuhrer Wilhelm Mohnke 08/1944-02/1945
Brigadefuhrer Otto Kumm 02/1945-05/1945

Awards

Knights Crosses 58

Note

Of the 117 of the men who formed the SS Stabwache the precursor to the LSSAH:

- 3 became Divisional Commanders;
- 8 or more became Regimental Commanders;
- 15 or more became Battalion Commanders:
- and 30 or more became Company Commanders.

Sources - books

Uniforms ,Organisation and history of the Waffen SS ,RJ Bender ,H P Taylor, Volumes 1-5.
The Leibstandarte,Rudolf Lehman ,4 volumes plus Bildband.
Micheal Wittman etc,Patrick Agte.
Hitlers Teutonic Knights ,Bruce Quarrie.
Hitlers Gladiator , Charles Messenger.

Sources - Online

The Third Reich Factbook.
Feildgrau.com.
Waffen SS Order of Battle Website. 

Disclamer : I am aware of the atrocities committed by this unit in Poland against Polish Jews ,in France against the British, in Russia against the Soviets , in Italy against Italians, and in France against the Americans and probably others that I am not aware of .

This is a disturbing part of history that I am neither condoning or apologising for.