SS-Heimwehr Danzig
by Jason Long
In June 1939 the Senate of the Danzig Freistadt (Free City of Danzig) voted to create a home defense force (Heimwehr) and Himmler volunteered to raise it. He chose III./SS-Totenkopfstandarte 4 Ostmark in Berlin to be the basis for what was to become SS-Heimwehr Danzig. Commanded by Ostauf. Götze, it began to transfer to Danzig almost immediately. Himmler also added the SS-Totenkopf-Panzer-Abwehr-Ersatz(?)-Sturm (anti-tank training company).
Reinforced by some 500 Danziger volunteers the Heimwehr Danzig had approximately 1550 men when it was formally enrolled in the armed SS on 18 August 1939. It was structured as a reinforced infantry battalion with four rifle companies (Schützen-Stürmen), a machinegun company, an infantry gun company, two anti-tank companies, and an engineer platoon.
In the Polish Campaign it fought under the command of the Eberhard Polizei Brigade in Danzig and the Westerplatte during which it lost about fifty men killed in action. After the end of the campaign it was absorbed into the new SS-Totenkopf-Division. Most of the unit formed II. and part of III./SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Rgt. 3, but the anti-tank companies formed the cadre for either the division's anti-tank battalion or its artillery regiment; my sources differ.
The traditions of the SS-Heimwehr Danzig were perpetuated by III./Schützen-Polizei-Rgt. 3 of the SS-Polizei-Division although I haven't found any connection between the units yet.
Europa
FtF, Initial: 0-1-4 Static II Danzig (SS)
Oct II 39: Withdraw
FtF, 2nd Edition, Initial: 0-1-4 Static II Danzig (SS)
Oct II 39: Convert (along with a buch of other units) to Forming: 1x 8-10 Verf (SS)
Recommendation:
The movement factor seems a bit low and I'm not sure about the characterization as static, but these are very minor quibbles. What is more important is that it should be converted on Oct II 39 to the forming 8-10 mot Inf XX TK (SS) rather than Verfungstruppen.
Bibliography:
Landwehr, Richard. "The SS Heimwehr Danzig" Siegrunen. Vol. 5:4, Jan 82
Snydor, Charles W. Jr. Soldiers of Destruction: The SS Death's Head Division, 1933-45; 2nd edition
Tessin, Georg. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945
Return to Obscure Combat Formations of the SS.
Return to Panzerkeil.