I have an interest in the 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking Grenadier, essentially recruited from foreign volunteers (danish, dutch, norwegian), which was attached to the German 6th Army: IV SS Panzer Corps. For a background to this interest, please refer to my queries under the topic "Dutch Foreign Volunteer" in the forum "Foreign Volunteers, Collaboration and Axis Allies".
Apart from a general overview of the Division's structure and operations, I am particularly interested in its role during the Battle for Vienna, in early April 1945, and what happened to those remnants of the Division which fell back toward the Graz area.
Where exactly was the Division's final engagement, and what was the fate of the surviving foreign nationals?
Hendrik
Foreign Volunteers in the SS
Re: Foreign Volunteers in the SS
If you can read German, by ALL means check to see if books by Friedrich Brettner are still available!
His research and books specifically focused on German units involved in action between Vienna and Graz at the very end of the war, based on memoirs of those who were there at the time, soldiers as well as civilians. Absolutely invaluable stuff, wish I'd bought every book he wrote when I was there nine years ago.
I have the book "Die Letzten Kaempfe des II. Weltkrieges, Pinka-Lafnitz-Hochwechsel, 1. Gebirgsdivision, 1.Panzerdivision, Divisionsgruppe Krause, 117. Jaegerdivision, Kampfgruppe Arko 3"
Other books he'd written by that time are listed inside the front cover:
"Die letzten Kaempfe des 2. Weltkrieges im Semmering-Gebiet"
"Schicksale mahnen 1938-1955"
"Hurra Fliergeralarm"
"Diensthund DINGO"
"Fuer Heimat, Volk und Ehre"
"Die letzten Kaempfe des 2. Weltkrieges im suedlichen Niederoesterreich"
Good luck!
His research and books specifically focused on German units involved in action between Vienna and Graz at the very end of the war, based on memoirs of those who were there at the time, soldiers as well as civilians. Absolutely invaluable stuff, wish I'd bought every book he wrote when I was there nine years ago.
I have the book "Die Letzten Kaempfe des II. Weltkrieges, Pinka-Lafnitz-Hochwechsel, 1. Gebirgsdivision, 1.Panzerdivision, Divisionsgruppe Krause, 117. Jaegerdivision, Kampfgruppe Arko 3"
Other books he'd written by that time are listed inside the front cover:
"Die letzten Kaempfe des 2. Weltkrieges im Semmering-Gebiet"
"Schicksale mahnen 1938-1955"
"Hurra Fliergeralarm"
"Diensthund DINGO"
"Fuer Heimat, Volk und Ehre"
"Die letzten Kaempfe des 2. Weltkrieges im suedlichen Niederoesterreich"
Good luck!