View source for 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen

{{short description|German armored division}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name = 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen
| image = 9th SS Division Logo.svg
| image_size = 145
| caption = Divisional insignia
| dates = February 1943 – May 1945
| country = {{flag|Nazi Germany}}
| branch = {{flagicon|Schutzstaffel}} [[Waffen-SS]]
| type = [[Panzer]]
| role = [[Armoured warfare]]
| size = [[Division (military)|Division]]
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| battles = {{tree list}}
*[[World War II]]
**[[Kamenets–Podolsky pocket]]
**[[Falaise pocket]]
**[[Operation Market Garden]]
**[[Battle of the Bulge]]
**[[Operation Spring Awakening]]
{{tree list/end}}
| anniversaries = 
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| battle_honours = <!-- Commanders -->
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| notable_commanders = [[Wilhelm Bittrich]]<br />[[Sylvester Stadler]]
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}}
The '''9th SS Panzer Division "Hohenstaufen"''' ({{langx|de| 9. SS-Panzerdivision "Hohenstaufen"}}){{efn|Official designation in German language as to "Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv“ in [[Freiburg im Breisgau]], stores of the [[Wehrmacht]] and [[Waffen-SS]].}} was a [[Waffen-SS]] armoured division of [[Nazi Germany]] during [[World War II]]. It participated in battles on both the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern]] and [[Western Front (World War II)|Western Fronts]].<ref>Reynolds P.3-312</ref> The division was activated in December 1942.<ref>Reynolds P.1</ref> Many of the men of the division were young German conscripts, with a cadre of NCOs and staff from the [[SS Division Leibstandarte]] and other Waffen SS divisions.<ref>Reynolds P.2</ref> Hohenstaufen took part in the relief of German forces in the [[Kamenets-Podolsky pocket]], the [[Operation Overlord|Normandy battles]], [[Operation Market Garden]], the [[Ardennes Offensive]] and [[Operation Spring Awakening]].<ref>Reynolds P.4,90,262</ref> The division surrendered to the United States Army on 8&nbsp;May 1945, at [[Steyr]].<ref name=wb15>Windrow & Burn, p.15</ref>

==Formation and Eastern Front==
The SS Division Hohenstaufen was formed, along with its sister formation [[SS Division Frundsberg|10th SS Division Frundsberg]], in France in February 1943. The division was mainly formed from [[Reich Labour Service]] conscripts. Originally, Hohenstaufen was designated as a {{Lang|de|[[Panzergrenadier]]|italic=no}} division, but in October 1943 it was upgraded to Panzer division status, with an estimated manpower of about 19,000. At its formation, Hohenstaufen was commanded by SS-Obergruppenführer [[Wilhelm Bittrich]].<ref name=wb15/> The title Hohenstaufen came from the [[House of Hohenstaufen|Hohenstaufen]] dynasty, a German noble family who produced a number of kings and emperors in the 12th and 13th centuries AD.<ref>DiNardo, p.37</ref>

After the encirclement of General [[Hans-Valentin Hube]]'s [[1st Panzer Army]] in the [[Kamenets-Podolsky pocket]] in [[Ukraine]], Field Marshal [[Erich von Manstein]] requested that the Hohenstaufen and Frundsberg divisions be sent to attempt to link up with the encircled force.<ref>Ripley, pp. 181–182</ref> Arriving in late March 1944,<ref name=wb15/> the divisions were formed into the [[2nd SS Panzer Corps|II SS Panzer Corps]] and were sent into the attack near the town of [[Tarnopol]].<ref>Ripley, p. 182</ref> In three days of combat, the Hohenstaufen destroyed 74 Soviet tanks, 84 self propelled assault guns, 21 anti tank guns, and 12 mortars.<ref name="Reynolds P.11">Reynolds P.11</ref> After heavy fighting in the season of ''[[rasputitsa]]'' ("roadlessness"), the division effected a link-up with Hube's forces near the town of [[Buchach]]. The division's actions helped prevent the encirclement of the [[1st Panzer Army]].<ref name="Reynolds P.11"/> During these battles, Hohenstaufen had suffered 1,011 casualties.<ref name="Reynolds P.12">Reynolds P.12</ref> The [[II SS Panzer Corps]] was to act as reserve for [[Army Group North Ukraine]].<ref name="Reynolds P.12"/> After the Allied invasion of northern France on 6 June 1944, the II SS Panzer Corps, including Hohenstaufen, was sent west on 12 June, to defend [[Caen]] in [[Normandy]].<ref name=wb15/>

==Western Front==
===Normandy===
Hohenstaufen suffered losses from Allied [[fighter bomber]]s during its move to Normandy, delaying its arrival until 26 June 1944.<ref name="Reynolds P.17">Reynolds P.17</ref> Approximately 50% of the division's tanks broke down during its movement to Normandy. The division's armored forces would be reinforced by the newly attached [[102nd SS Heavy Panzer Battalion]].<ref name="Reynolds P.17"/> This would provide Hohenstaufen with 127 additional combat vehicles including 79 [[Panther tank]]s.<ref name="Reynolds P.17"/> The original plan for Hohenstaufen to attack towards the Allied beachhead was made impossible by a British offensive to take Caen. The II SS Panzer Corps was instead put into the line to support the weakened forces defending Caen, where Hohenstaufen suffered 1,891 casualties.<ref>Reynolds P.43</ref> On 10 July, the division was pulled back into reserve, to be replaced by the [[277th Infantry Division (Wehrmacht)|277th Infantry Division]]. The division's depleted Panzergrenadier regiments were eventually merged to form Panzergrenadier Regiment Hohenstaufen. The division saw much action defending against British armour during [[Operation Goodwood]].<ref>Reynolds P.52</ref> During [[Operation Jupiter (1944)|Operation Jupiter]] Hohenstaufen destroyed 58 British tanks with many of them being [[Churchill tank]]s.<ref>Reynolds P.48,49</ref>

After the launch of the Canadian [[Operation Totalize]], Hohenstaufen avoided encirclement in the [[Falaise pocket]] and kept the narrow escape route from this pocket open. By 21 August, the [[operation Overlord|Battle of Normandy]] was over, and the German forces were in full retreat. Obersturmbannführer [[Walter Harzer]] was placed in command of the division. It fought several rearguard actions during the retreat through France and Belgium and in early September 1944, the exhausted formation was pulled out of the line for rest and refit near the Dutch city of [[Arnhem]].<ref name=wb15/> By this time, Hohenstaufen was down to approximately 7,000 men, from 15,900 at the end of June.
[[File:9ss-StuG-III-Arnhem-2-copy-768x501.jpg|thumb|Soldiers ride a [[Sturmgeschütz III]] through the streets of Arnhem during Market Garden ]]

===Arnhem===
Upon arriving in the Arnhem area, the majority of the remaining armoured vehicles were loaded onto trains in preparation for transport to repair depots in Germany. On Sunday, 17 September 1944, the Allies launched [[Operation Market-Garden]], and the division fought in the [[Battle of Arnhem]].<ref name=wb15/> The British [[1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)|1st Airborne Division]] was dropped in [[Oosterbeek]], to the west of Arnhem. Only the division's reconnaissance battalion, equipped mostly with wheeled and [[half-track|half tracked]] vehicles, was ready for action.
[[File:Waffen SS POWS Netherlands Sep 1944 IWM BU 1159.jpg|thumb|Members of the 9. SS Div. captured by British forces after the Battle of Arnhem]]
Bittrich ordered Hohenstaufen to occupy Arnhem and secure a vital metal girder bridge (later torn down, rebuilt in concrete and named [[John Frost Bridge]]).<ref>Reynolds P.66-81</ref> The division encountered stiff resistance from the British [[1st Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom)|1st Parachute Brigade]].<ref>Reynolds P.67</ref> The Reconnaissance Battalion, a 40-vehicle unit commanded by Hauptsturmführer [[Viktor Eberhard Gräbner]], was sent south over the bridge to scout the area around [[Nijmegen]].<ref name="Reynolds P.72">Reynolds P.72</ref> The bridge had already been captured by the Germans.<ref name="Reynolds P.72"/> Meanwhile, Colonel [[John Dutton Frost]]'s 2nd Battalion of the British 1st Airborne Division had advanced into Arnhem and prepared defensive positions at the northern end of the bridge. They destroyed Gräbner's unit, which lost 12 vehicles out of 22 in the assault and around 70 men killed, including Gräbner.<ref name="Reynolds P.77">Reynolds P.77</ref> This action is depicted in the film [[A Bridge Too Far (1977 film)|''A Bridge Too Far'']].<ref name="Reynolds P.77"/> An examination of the aerial photograph taken after the battle appears to show around double the dozen destroyed reconnaissance vehicles, which is the more commonly accepted number. <ref>{{Cite web |date=1944-10-01 |title= ParaData.org.uk |url= https://www.paradata.org.uk/media/2868 |access-date= 16 June 2024 |website= AERIAL RECONNAISSANCE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE WRECKAGE AT ARNHEM BRIDGE AFTER THE BATTLE.|language=en}}</ref>

===Ardennes Offensive===
After the battle of Arnhem, Hohenstaufen moved to [[Paderborn]] for a much-needed rest and refit. On 12 December 1944, the division moved south to the Munstereifel. It was to act as a reserve for [[Sepp Dietrich]]'s [[6th Panzer Army|6th SS Panzer Army]], a part of the [[Ardennes]] offensive (''[[Unternehmen: Wacht am Rhein]]''). The 6th Panzer Army was to attack in the north, along the line [[St. Vith]]–[[Vielsalm]]. Initially, only the divisional reconnaissance and artillery units were involved in the fighting but on 21 December, the entire division was committed.<ref name=wb15/> The 9th SS Division tried to breakthrough defensive positions of the [[82nd Airborne Division]] but failed.<ref>LoFaro G., “The Sword of St. Michael: The 82nd Airborne Division in World War II” 2011, p. 481</ref>

When the attack in the north stalled, the division was sent south to assist in the attacks on [[Bastogne]], where it took heavy casualties from the American defenders and lost much of its equipment to Allied ground attack aircraft. On 7 January 1945, Hitler called off the operation and ordered all forces to concentrate around Longchamps, Belgium.

==Hungary and surrender==
Throughout the rest of January 1945, Hohenstaufen retreated to the German border. At the end of the month, the division was transferred to the Kaifenheim-Mayen area to be refitted. At the end of February, the division was sent east to [[Hungary]] as a part of the reformed 6th SS Panzer Army under Sepp Dietrich.<ref name=wb15/> The division, along with the majority of the SS Panzer units available, was to take part in [[Operation Spring Awakening]], the offensive near [[Lake Balaton]], which was aimed at relieving the forces encircled in [[Budapest]] by the Red Army.<ref>Reynolds P.262-277</ref>

The attack got under way on 6 March 1945. Due to the condition of the roads, the division had not reached its jump-off position when the attack began. A combination of mud and stiff Soviet resistance brought the offensive to a halt and on 16 March a Soviet counter-offensive threatened to cut off the 6th SS Panzer Army. Hohenstaufen was involved in the fighting to escape the Soviet encirclement.<ref name="Reynolds P.284-285">Reynolds P.284-285</ref> During these actions, Hohenstaufen destroyed 80 Soviet [[T-34]] and [[IS tank family|IS]] tanks.<ref name="Reynolds P.284-285"/> On 1 May, the greatly depleted division was moved west to the Steyr–Amstetten area. On 8 May 1945, Hohenstaufen surrendered to the Americans.<ref name=wb15/>

==Commanders==
{{Officeholder table start
| showorder          = y
| showimage          = y
| officeholder_title = Commander
| showtermlenght     = y
| showparty          = n
| showdefencebranch  = n
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 1
| image             = Bundesarchiv Bild Wilhelm Bittrich.jpg
| military_rank     = ''SS-Obergruppenführer''
| officeholder      = [[Wilhelm Bittrich]]
| officeholder_sort = Bittrich, Wilhelm
| born_year         = 1894
| died_year         = 1979
| term_start        = 15 February 1943
| term_end          = 29 June 1944
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1943|02|15|1944|06|29}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 2
| image             = 
| military_rank     = ''SS-Standartenführer''
| officeholder      = [[Thomas Müller (SS officer)|Thomas Müller]]
| officeholder_sort = Müller, Thomas
| born_year         = 1902
| died_year         = ?
| term_start        = 29 June 1944
| term_end          = 10 July 1944
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1944|06|29|1944|07|10}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 3
| image             = Bundesarchiv Bild 101III-Zschaeckel-192-24A, Russland, Sylvester Stadler.jpg
| military_rank     = ''SS-Brigadeführer''
| officeholder      = [[Sylvester Stadler]]
| officeholder_sort = Stadler, Sylvester
| born_year         = 1910
| died_year         = 1995
| term_start        = 10 July 1944
| term_end          = 31 July 1944
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1944|07|10|1944|07|31}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 4
| image             = Friedrich-Wilhelm Bock.jpg
| military_rank     = ''SS-Oberführer''
| officeholder      = [[Friedrich-Wilhelm Bock]]
| officeholder_sort = Bock, Friedrich
| born_year         = 1897
| died_year         = 1978
| term_start        = 31 July 1944
| term_end          = 29 August 1944
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1944|07|31|1944|08|29}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = 5
| image             = 
| military_rank     = ''SS-Oberführer''
| officeholder      = [[Walter Harzer]]
| officeholder_sort = Harzer, Walter
| born_year         = 1912
| died_year         = 1982
| term_start        = 29 August 1944
| term_end          = 10 October 1944
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1944|08|29|1944|10|10}}
}}
{{Officeholder table
| order             = (3)
| image             = Bundesarchiv Bild 101III-Zschaeckel-192-24A, Russland, Sylvester Stadler.jpg
| military_rank     = ''SS-Brigadeführer''
| officeholder      = Sylvester Stadler
| officeholder_sort = Stadler, Sylvester
| born_year         = 1910
| died_year         = 1995
| term_start        = 10 October 1944
| term_end          = 8 May 1945
| timeinoffice      = {{ayd|1944|10|10|1945|08|05}}
}}
{{Officeholder table end}}

== Organisation ==
Structure of the division:

* Headquarters: [[Berlin-Lichterfelde]]
** 9th Panzer Regiment
** 19th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment
** 20th SS Panzergrenadier Regiment
** 9th SS Panzer Artillery Regiment
** 9th SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion
** 9th SS Panzer Tank Destroyer Battalion
** 9th SS Panzer Assault Gun Battalion
** 9th SS Panzer Engineer Battalion
** 9th SS Panzer Signal Battalion
** 9th SS Panzer Anti-Aircraft Battalion
** 9th SS Panzer Rocket Launcher Battalion
** 9th SS Panzer Divisional Supply Group

==War crimes==

Heinz Hagendorf, a medical NCO, was prosecuted at the [[Dachau trials]] for firing shots at American soldiers from an ambulance marked with a [[Red Cross]] emblem in [[Belgium]] on 15 January 1945. In August 1946, Hagendorf was found guilty and sentenced to six months in prison. The verdict and sentence were upheld on appeal.<ref>{{Cite web |title=United States v. Hagendorf, Judgment, N/A (U.S. Intermed. Gov. Ct. (Dachau, Germany), Aug. 09, 1946) |url=http://www.worldcourts.com/imt/eng/decisions/1946.08.09_United_States_v_Hagendorf.htm |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=www.worldcourts.com}}</ref>

In 1946, Markus Lienhart, a lieutenant, was prosecuted for the murders of three American airmen in [[Straßgang]], [[Austria]], in March 1945. After their planes were shot down, the airmen had surrendered. An SS officer, Wilhelm Schweitzer, arrived and ordered one of police officers escorting the airmen to kill them. After the officer refused, Markus arrived and personally shot two of the airmen. The other airman was assaulted by Markus's father, Franz Lienhart. However, the attack was interrupted by an air raid. Afterwards, the airman was handed over to the SS and shot by unknown men.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Youngs |first=Kelvin |title=Aircrew Remembered Aviation Personal Histories and Databases |url=http://aircrewremembered.com/crockett-james.html |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=Aircrew Remembered site |language=UK}}</ref>

Markus was found guilty of shooting the two airmen and sentenced to death. Franz, who was also prosecuted, was found guilty of assaulting the third airman and sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour. Markus was hanged in [[Salzburg]] on 26 October 1946. Due to crippling injuries that he suffered from an accident while in custody, Franz's sentence was reduced to three years. He died in 1957.<ref name=":0" /> Schweitzer was put on trial in 1948, found guilty of war crimes, and sentenced to death. However, in light of the controversy surrounding the [[Malmedy massacre trial]], and that Markus Lienhart appeared to have shot two of the airmen entirely of his own volition, Schweitzer's sentence was commuted to life in prison. He was released in the 1950s, and died in 1993.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.aup.nl/en/book/9789089644893/justiz-und-ns-verbrechen-band-12 |first1=C.F. |last1=Rüter |first2=D.W. |last2=de Mildt |title=Justiz und NS-Verbrechen |date=January 2013 |isbn=978-90-8964-489-3 |language=de |trans-title=Justice and Nazi Crimes}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Schweitzer, Willi 'Tuck' (Waffen SS) - TracesOfWar.com |url=https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/50706/Schweitzer-Willi-Tuck-Waffen-SS.htm |access-date=2022-10-04 |website=www.tracesofwar.com}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Waffen-SS units]]
* [[SS Panzer Division order of battle]]

==References==
===Notes===
{{notelist}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{cite book|last=DiNardo|first=R L|year=1997|title=Germany's panzer arm Issue 166 of Contributions in military studies|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=0-313-30178-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Ripley|first=Tim|year=2004|title=The Waffen-SS At War: Hitler's Praetorians 1925-1945|publisher =Zenith Imprint|isbn=0-7603-2068-3}}
* {{cite book|last1=Windrow|first1=Martin|last2=Burn|first2=Jeffrey|year=1992|title=The Waffen-SS Volume 34 of Men-at-arms series|publisher=Osprey Publishing|isbn=0-85045-425-5}}
* Paras: An Illustrated History of Britain's Airborne Forces by David Reynolds
* {{cite book |last1=Reynolds |first1=Michael |title=Sons of the Reich : 2nd SS Panzer Corps |date=2002 |publisher=Pen & Sword |location=Barnsley |isbn=9781848840003}}

{{SS Divisions}}
{{German Armoured Divisions of World War II}}

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[[Category:Panzer divisions of the Waffen-SS]]
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