Quote:
Originally Posted by Von Poop  The SS-Kavalrie seem an interesting example of the successful use of an apparent military anachronism. In the 'anti-partisan' and lines of comms/supply protection role they proved handy in Russia's rough terrain against such a fluid target.
Wasn't all horses though, as the Florian-Geyer was the first to be issued with the Jg.Pzr.38t (Hetzer).
Fegelein must have been one of Hitler's last executions of a high ranking aide (28th April '45)?
Interesting that Geyer himself (Lutheran anti-catholic knight of the 16th century) was chosen as a hero for both the Marxist movement and an SS unit!
The obligatory 'Signal!' shot of the unit:  |
Here is an excerpt from a website about SS anti-partisan activities Waffen-SS: The Partisan War:
In Russia, the Higher SS and Police Leaders soon became key figures in the partisan war. As far as Himmler and the SS were concerned, the campaign to eliminate the Jews was identical to the struggle against the partisans. In July 1941 Himmler appointed a top SS officer, Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, to be Higher SS and Police Leader in the Army Group Centre rear operations zone. His first job was to comb the Pripet Marshes looking for Jews. In September 1941 he declared his philosophy, stating that "where there is a Jew, there is a partisan, and wherever there is a partisan there is a Jew".
Bach-Zelewski basically took over all anti-partisan operations in central Russia during 1941 and into 1942, organizing joint sweeps of partisan-controlled territory with Waffen-SS troops and army units.
He was provided with a number of Waffen-SS units, including a motorized infantry brigade and the cavalry brigade led by Hermann Fegelein. Along with assorted police units, the SS general had some 36,000 men under his direct command and could also call on several thousand army soldiers. Fegelein was particularly zealous in his work, launching a series of killing actions in the Pripet Marshes that left 1000 suspected partisans, 699 Red Army soldiers and 14,178 Jews dead.