ϟϟ-Division Wiking: Caucasian Forests to Northeast Caucasus

Young SS-Scharführer of the Wiking with his men in the Caucasus

Award Ceremony of Regiment Germania of the Wiking

Corps order-of-the-day: SS-Division Wiking to Northeast Caucasus

The SS-Division Wiking was soon far ahead of the other mechanized formations that had remained in the south of Maykop. The Wiking was all by itself in the Caucasus forest and had to secure the Maykop oilfields until the expected arrival of the mountain forces, the 97.Jäger-Divison. Naturally, only strongpoints could be held. Ambushes and attacks by enemy formations were the order of the day. Orders from the OKH for Wiking's redeployment to the Chechen-Ingush region were instigated on Sept. 16 1942. The Wiking was needed badly in the Northeast Caucasus where the offensive of Generaloberst Ewald von Kleist's 1.Panzer-Armee in the direction of Grozny, the capital city of the Chechen Republic, was bogged down in the Terek Valley around Mozdok. When the chief of staff of the 1.Panzer-Armee explained the objectives to Wiking Commander Felix Steiner - a march on Grozny to be followed by a crossing of the Caucasus Mountains to strike Baku - the SS general was openly skeptical of the whole enterprise. The chief of staff agreed with Steiner's misgivings but emphasized that these were orders from OKH and were to be obeyed. This disjuncture between Hitler and his staff and the generals at the front would become ever greater, directly contributing to the failure of the campaign. Corps order-of-the-day: Effective Sept. 19 1942, SS-Division Wiking leaves my area of command. I would like at this time to express my thanks and recognition for their first-rate accomplishments and brave operations during the advance on Rostov and the Caucasus. My best wishes go with the division for the future. /signed/ General der Panzertruppe Friedrich Kirchner. The transfer to the Chechen-Ingush region took four days. The Soviet accounts of war concerning the transfer are quite laconic: Despite their losses of the past three weeks, the Fascists had achieved no decisive success and saw themselves forced to pull one of their best divisions, SS-Division Wiking, out of the Tuapse sector and direct it to the Mozdok area of operations. Credit: Wiking veteran Peter Straßner. Top image: Wikingers during a brief lull in the fighting in North Caucasus. Photo by SS-KB Willi Altstadt. Credit: Karl Mensburg. U.S. NARA. Middle image: SS-Ustuf. awarding Iron Crosses 2nd Class and Merit Crosses to Germania. Photo by unofficial SS-KB Ernst Baumann. Credit: Jakob Lagerweij. c. Bundesarchiv. Bottom image: Wiking pushing forward deep into enemy territory in Northeast Caucasus. Volunteers from all over Europe were forming the southernmost vanguard of the German Heeresgruppe Süd. Photo by Altstadt. U.S. NARA.