The German front is shattered

Bittrich and Gille now joined forces to hold open an escape route for I SS Panzer Corps, which was pulling back north as fast as it could to avoid encirclement. It managed to get out of the trap, but had to leave most of its damaged and bogged-in vehicles behind. By 20 March 1945, I SS Panzer Corps could only muster 80 tanks, assault guns and self-propelled guns fit for service. The remainder of Dietrich's army now mustered fewer than 100 tanks and assault guns. All the Waffen-SS divisions had suffered grievously during Spring Awakening, and most were below 50 percent strength without much prospect of any reinforcements to replace losses.

The German front in Hungary was shattered wide open by the Soviet offensive. It was never re-established. Dietrich's army started to fall back to Austria in the hope of defending the capital, Vienna. The Waffen-SS divisions were now constantly retreating, though every so often a handful of tanks and panzergrenadiers would turn to form a rearguard. However, they were soon outflanked and the retreat would begin again.

When news reached Hitler's bunker about the retreat of the Waffen-SS, the Führer flew into a rage. He sent a signal to Dietrich ordering the soldiers of the Sixth SS Panzer Army to remove their honorific Nazi armbands. In his eyes they were no longer fit to wear the Führer's name on their uniforms.

A crumbling front

The effect on the morale of the Waffen-SS divisions in Austria was catastrophic. Senior commanders ripped off their medals in disgust and ordinary grenadiers started to desert in large numbers. The men of Dietrich's army could see that the war was lost. They tried to stage a rearguard action to defend Vienna, but it was futile. Soon they were heading westwards again. Once back on German soil, many of the conscripts now serving in the ranks of the Waffen-SS began to drift away. The hardcore officers started to concentrate on getting themselves and their remaining men away from the vengeful Soviets. Fighting the Führer's war was no longer their priority.

The Waffen-SS panzer divisions were all in Czechoslovakia or Austria in the first week of May. The Leibstandarte and Das Reich Divisions found themselves in central Czechoslovakia, amid an uprising against German rule. Their commanders negotiated a truce with the rebels and escorted several thousand German civilians out of Prague towards the advancing Americans. As they approached the American lines, the rump of the two divisions just melted away into small groups to try to find a way past the US Army outposts.

prev | next