The first 300 volunteers arrived at the Fallingbostel Training Area on 29 July 41 where they were joined by 62 Norwegians already working in Germany. On 1 August the Legion was officially formed as the SS-Freiwilligen Legion Norwegen. Recruits reported at a rapid rate, but many were siphoned off by other Waffen-SS units, notably the SS-Infanterie-Regt. "Nordland".
Norwegen was formed with three companies of infantry, a weapons company and an anti-tank company. These were numbered, respectively as 1.-4. and 14. They were somewhat overstrength compared to their German counterparts, but this didn't last despite the efforts of the replacement battalion organized to train new recruits and provide replacements for the Legion.
The successful Soviet winter counter-offensive forced the Germans to change their decision to send Norwegen to join the SS-Division Nord in Finland in January. It spent the entire month of January near Hannover waiting for transport to the East, but the chaotic situation and terrible weather prevented its transfer. In February it moved to Stettin and eventually in late February, was flown by Ju 52 to Gatschina on the Luga River near Leningrad to aid the over-strained German defenses against the Soviet attacks on the Volkhov River sector of the front.
Its sector was fairly quiet and, inevitably, it was transferred to a more active sector opposite Pulkovo in early April. The Soviets launched a major attack on the twentieth that was rebuffed at heavy cost to Norwegen. It was relieved in May and sent to Konstantinovka to recuperate after suffering some 50% casualties during its tenure in the front lines. It returned to the front in June. The expiration of the 6-month contracts caused the Legion's command some worries in July as a number of men didn't reenlist. Some thousand new recruits were accepted by the Legion to replace them, but only about half made it to the Legion, the others being grabbed by other Waffen-SS units.
On 3 September the 1. Politikompani (Norwegian Police Company) with a strength of 93 men arrived for service with the Legion. It was incorporated into the the under-strength 1. Kompanie. The Legion got another rest period at the end of November, but it was interrupted by a Soviet attack on 3/4 December that penetrated the German lines near the SS-Legion Niederlande. It successfully contained the Soviets and regained the original trench lines in short order. It was then reinserted into the front lines.
Late in February Norwegen was withdrawn to the rear in preparation for its return to Norway. The 1. Politikompani departed 1 March 43 and the rest of the Legion followed shortly thereafter, reaching Pskov on 12 March, then to Riga and by sea to Germany and then home. After two weeks of home leave Norwegen paraded in Oslo in early April before finally disbanding in May.
The survivors were offered the chance to enlist in the newly forming SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment Norge of the 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland, but, contrary to most reports, only a few hundred did so.
Commanders:
Col. Kjellerup (1 August-1 December 41)
Stubaf. Jorgen Bakke (1 December-15 December 41)
Stubaf. Arthur Quist (15 December 41-20 May 43)
Strength:
| 1/42 | 1218 |
| 7/4/42 | 1150 |
| 30/12/42 | 20/678 |
SF, Jul II 43, Convert: 1x 3-6 Inf X Norw (SS) and 1x 1-10 mot Inf II NO (SS) to:
WK XIII, Forming: 1x 12-10 PzG XX 11 NL (SS)
Return to Obscure Combat Formations of the SS.
Return to Panzerkeil.