ϟϟ-Division „Reich“

SS-Regiment (mot.) Der Führer

SS-Division Reich

During the invasion of the Soviet Union, the SS-Division Reich fought with Heeresgruppe Mitte, taking part in the Battle of Yelnya near Smolensk, and then in the spearhead to capture Moscow. The war in the Soviet Union was going well but the cost to the Waffen-SS was extreme. With the Soviet capital in sight of the division, weather, massive losses and a major Soviet Winter Counter-Offensive pushed the division back. The Soviet numerical advantage was considerable and the Red Army proved it could replace huge losses quickly. The first winter in Russia came as a shock to the Waffen-SS with night temperatures at times registered -50 °C. They had to strip the fallen for warm clothing. For the rest of the war in the Soviet Union, Waffen-SS and the Wehrmacht would be short of infantry and support services. The distinguished veteran of World War I, SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Matthias Kleinheisterkamp assumed command of the Reich on January 1 1941 until April 1942, earning the Knight's Cross during his tenure. Later in the war, Kleinheisterkamp became a corps commander and achieved the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer before committing suicide on May 8 1945. In May 1942, Reich was renamed as SS-Division Das Reich. Top image: a reconnaissance patrol from the SS-Regiment Der Führer of the Reich with improvised winter camouflage clothing in the Rzhew sector in March 1942. Due to the high losses in the area of Rzhew suffered by the Red Army, the battles became known by veterans and historians as the "Rzhev Meat Grinder". Bottom image: Grenadiers of the Reich in Jan. 1942. The harsh Russian winter in 1942 tested the strength and endurance of the Waffen-SS to the limit. c. Bundesarchiv.