29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian)

Legione SS Italiana 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian)
Insignia of the 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian)
Active	1943 - 1945
Country	Italian Social Republic
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Branch	Waffen-SS
Size	Division
Nickname(s)	"Italia"
Engagements	World War II Operation Shingle Piedmont

The 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian) or Legione SS Italiana was created on 10 February 1945 as the second SS-Division numbered 29. The first, the 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Russian), was disbanded. The new unit created in November 1943, was based on the Waffen-Grenadier-Brigade der SS (italienische Nr. 1). The division is also called "Italia".

Background

The Kingdom of Italy on 8 September 1943 signed an armistice with the Allies. In response, the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) and the Waffen-SS disarmed Italian troops unless they were fighting for the German cause. The new Italian Social Republic was founded on 23 September 1943 under dictator Benito Mussolini and this allowed Italians to be recruited to fight against the Allies. On 2 October 1943, Heinrich Himmler and Gottlob Berger devised the Programm zur Aufstellung der italienischen Milizeinheiten durch die Waffen-SS^[1] which was approved by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

Training

In October 15,000 volunteers started training at Truppenübungsplatz Münsingen, but 9,000 of them were unsuitable and released for training in Police units, the Black Brigades or for labor.^[2] The soldiers wore Sig rune (SS Runes) on red rather than black, and the left sleeve had a Reichsadler, not with a swastika, but with fasces.

On 23 November 1943, 13 Miliz-Battalions pledged their loyalty before being moved to SS-Ausbildungsstab Italien under SS-Brigadeführers Peter Hansen who led them in a "bloody war among brothers"^[3] against partisans. The unit was commanded by SS-Obergruppenführer Karl Wolff and called Italienische SS-Freiwilligen-Legion, but soon renamed 1. Sturmbrigade Italienische Freiwilligen-Legion.

Soon the unit was called Legionari in Italy, also in official reports.

Combat

In April 1944 three battalions fought against Allied bridgeheads of Anzio and Nettuno with surprisingly good results, for which Heinrich Himmler on 3 May 1944 allowed them to wear SS-Runes on black rather than red and be fully integrated into the Waffen SS.^[4] On 7 September 1944 renamed to Waffen-Grenadier-Brigade der SS (italienische Nr. 1)^[5] under Generalkommando Lombardia of Heeresgruppe C. New recruits allowed the unit grow in December 1944 to 15,000 men. In Spring 1945 the Division under command by SS-Oberführer Ernst Tzschoppe as Kampfgruppe Binz fought against French units in Lombardy and Resistenza in Piemont.

On 30 April 1945 the last elements of the Division surrendered to US troops in Gorgonzola, Lombardy.

Units

• Waffen-Grenadier-Regiment of the SS 81
  • I. Waffen-Grenadier Battalion
  • II. Waffen-Grenadier Battalion
  • III. Waffen-Grenadier Battalion
• Waffen-Grenadier-Regiment of the SS 82 "Vendetta"
  • I. Waffen-Grenadier Battalion
  • II. Waffen-Grenadier Battalion
  • III. Waffen-Grenadier Battalion
• Waffen-Artillery-Regiment of the SS 29
  • I. Artillery Battalion
  • II. Artillery Battalion
• Füsilier-Battalion 29 "Debica"
• Panzerjäger Battalion 29
• SS-Pionier-Company 29
• SS-Signal-Company 29
• SS-Reserve Battalion 29
• Officers Battalion

Commanders

• 13 November 1943 – March 1944: SS-Brigadeführer Peter Hansen
• March 1944 – September 1944: SS-Obergruppenführer Karl Wolff
• September 1944 – September 1944: SS-Brigadeführer Pietro Mannelli
• September 1944 – October 1944: SS-Brigadeführer Christian Hansen
• October 1944 – November 1944: SS-Standartenführer Gustav Lombard
• 9 November 1944 – January 1945: SS-Standartenführer Constantin Heldmann
• January 1945 – April 1945: SS-Oberführer Erwin Tzschoppe

See also

• Waffen-SS
• Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts
• Pio Filippani Ronconi

References

1. RF-SS, Tgb.Nr. 35/143/43 g. vom 2. Oktober 1943
2. Der Chef der OrdPol, Kdo I O (3) 1 Nr. 578/43 vom 2. Oktober 1943
3. Rolf Michaelis Die Grenadier-Divisionen der Waffen-SS, II, S.179
4. The Waffen-SS (4): 24. to 38. Divisions, & Volunteer Legions, Gordon Williamson, p. 19, Osprey Publishing, 20/03/2012
5. SS-FHA, Amt II Org.Abt. Ia/II, Tgb.Nr. 2940/44 g.Kdos. 07.09.1944

• Stein, G (1966) The Waffen SS: Hitler's Elite Guard at War 1939-1945. Cornel Uni. Press, London.
• Guerra, N (2012) I volontari italiani nelle Waffen-SS. Il pensiero politico, la formazione culturale e le motivazioni al volontariato. Una storia orale. Annales Universitatis Turkuensis, Turku.
• Guerra, N (2014) I volontari italiani nelle Waffen-SS. Pensiero politico, formazione culturale e motivazioni al volontariato. Solfanelli Editore, Chieti.
• Guerra, N (2013) "«La guerra è una brutta bestia e non andrebbe mai fatta, ci si trova sotto le bombe con la paura di morire e ci si trova in postazione per ammazzare». La guerra e la morte: il destino nell’esperienza dei volontari italiani nelle Waffen-SS",Chronica Mundi - Volume 6-8,