Waffen-SS: Arnhem, 1944

Background

The battles in and around Arnhem in the autumn of 1944 were clashes between élites. On one side were the highly motivated Allied airborne formations; on the other were masters of mechanized warfare - two panzer divisions of the Waffen-SS, albeit weakened by the fighting in France. The result was an epic battle that has since entered military folklore.

II SS Panzer Corps at Arnhem

In the first week of September 1944, Willi Bittrich's II SS Panzer Corps was ordered to move to a reorganizing and refitting area north of the Dutch town of Arnhem. The unit had been in action continuously for just over two months, and was now desperately in need of a quiet period to get itself ready for battle again.

Plans were already in train to bring Bittrich's two divisions, the Hohenstaufen and Frundsberg, back up to strength, and Arnhem seemed like a good place to begin this time-consuming task. No longer worthy of the title "division", the Hohenstaufen and Frundsberg were dubbed divisional kampfgruppen. It was doubtful if the whole of the corps would be able to put more than 30 tanks or assault guns into the field.

The Frundsberg Division

Walther Harzer's Hohenstaufen was then ordered to move to Germany to be rebuilt there. Before it left, it was to hand over its remaining operational vehicles and heavy weapons to Heinz Harmel's Frundsberg, which was to remain in Holland. At the same time as this reorganization process was under way, contingency orders were issued stating that the two units were to be prepared to dispatch "alarm" kampfgruppen to crisis zones. Not believing intelligence reports that the Allied advance had run out of steam, Harzer decided to keep hold of many of his precious remaining tanks and heavy weapons until the very last minute, in case he had to send his men into battle. He simply ordered their tracks to be removed so they would be classed as non-operational and therefore exempt from the transfer instructions.

Kampfgruppe Heinke

What new equipment had arrived - mainly 15 Panzerjöger IV self-propelled guns - had been dispatched to the Dutch-Belgian border, under the command of Kampfgruppe Heinke. This was formed around one of Frundsberg's panzergrenadier battalions, an engineer and reconnaissance company. Hohenstaufen was ordered to provide an additional panzergrenadier battalion for this force, which was helping to build up the front south of the Dutch city of Eindhoven. It was increasingly involved in a series of inconclusive engagements along the border, and was sent into action in a futile attack against the Neerpelt bridgehead on 15 September, in which three of the Panzerjäger IVs were knocked out.

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