Ask a German officer in World War II for a map. thank you

Before World War II, cavalry was still an elite force in many European countries. Although it is the industrial age, the benefits of cavalry are obvious. The mobility of cavalry troops in complex terrain such as mountains and forests is no less than that of mechanized troops, but the equipment consumption and dependence on logistics are far lower than the latter. On the eve of World War II, European countries were obsessed with developing mechanized troops and reducing or even abolishing cavalry units. Only Eastern European countries such as the Soviet Union and Poland retained a large number of cavalry divisions. During World War II, the Soviet Cossack cavalry division from Siberia played a considerable role in the war. As we all know, the SS armored forces in Nazi Germany had strong combat effectiveness. But perhaps not many people know that the SS also has a cavalry unit, and this cavalry division has made outstanding achievements. * * * 23 people won the Knights Iron Cross, and the total number of medals won by officers and men ranked sixth among 38 SS divisions (the top five were: 1. Dasrecht; 2. Wikipedia; 3. Hitler's Guard Division (Guard Flag Team); 4.Totenkopf5. nordland)

If there is one person whose name can represent the whole SS cavalry, it is Fei Gerling. Fei Gellein became the first commander of the SS cavalry in September 1939, and retired in October 1944 10, and led this team to achieve great success in more than three years (1942- 1943 was transferred to other posts). Fei Gellai was awarded the Iron Cross of Oak Leaf Double Sword Knight for his bravery and good command. Only 24 senior SS generals won this honor during World War II. Fegelin is also a legend among SS generals. Hitler's mistress, eva braun, worships Fei Green very much. She married her sister to him in order to keep him around. However, this brother-in-law relationship did not let Fei Gellein escape Hitler's clutches in the end.

1. SS Skull Cavalry

Otto Gellein (1906 10) was born in a Catholic family in ansbach, southern Germany. His father works in a military riding school in Munich. Fei Gehrlein joined the Bavarian police force in April 1927 and retired in June 1929. Because of his father's example, Fei Gellein liked riding since he was a child, and he participated in riding competitions all over Europe as an adult, with good results. 1933 In May, Fei Gehrlein joined the southern branch of the SS and became the commander of the cavalry of the branch the following year.

1June, 936, Himmler selected Fei Gellai as the principal of the SS Riding School to organize the equestrian performance for the opening ceremony of 1936 Berlin Olympics. Riding school is frequented by high-ranking SS figures. Fegelein was favored by Nazi leaders for his superb riding skills and gentle temperament, and became the most famous young talent of SS. He rose rapidly in his official career and continued to be promoted until 1937 when he became an official of the SS colonel. 1September, 939, Germany invaded Poland. Because the Polish army was quickly defeated and scattered in various villages, posing a great threat to the authorities, Himmler ordered the formation of SS Totenkopf Reiterstandarte to take charge of public security in the occupied areas of Poland. Fei Geling naturally became the commander of this unit.

When the Skull Cavalry Corps was first formed, there were only four cavalry companies, including 27 officers, 424 soldiers and 399 horses. By the end of 1939, the regiment had expanded to 12 cavalry company, with officers and men 1998. The main task of Skull Cavalry Corps is to maintain public order in rural Poland, collect weapons and destroy guerrillas. At this time, Nazi Germany immigrated to Poland in large numbers, confiscated the land of Polish farmers and distributed it to these German immigrants for farming, and moved the Polish farmers who lost their land to other places. This policy of ethnic cleansing was resisted by Polish farmers, and German immigrants were often harassed by local people. The Skull Cavalry Corps was responsible for protecting German immigrants, arresting Polish farmers who refused to move and handing them over to the Nazi security police (Sicherheitsdienst). The fate of these people is self-evident.

1940 In April, German security forces such as Skull Cavalry surrounded more than 300 Polish guerrillas in Kamienna forest, and the fighting lasted for a week. This is the largest military operation the Skull Cavalry Corps participated in in in Poland. The reconnaissance team sent by the "Skull" Cavalry Corps has covered the whole area and thoroughly grasped the whereabouts of the guerrillas. Then the Germans forcibly transferred all the residents of nearby villages and towns and cut off the guerrilla forces. On April 8, the Germans launched a general attack on the guerrillas. All the guerrillas were killed in the battle and no one surrendered.

/kloc-at the end of 0/940, Fei Gellein got approval from SS headquarters and began to expand his army. The focus of the expansion is to enhance firepower and maneuverability. By the summer of 194 1, the expansion was completed, and the Skull Cavalry Regiment was renamed as the SS Cavalry Brigade, with two cavalry regiments and a bicycle reconnaissance battalion under its jurisdiction. The cavalry regiment consists of two battalions. The first battalion consists of four cavalry companies, and the second battalion is an artillery unit, including mortars, anti-aircraft guns, howitzers and engineers. The cavalry brigade has 3,500 officers and men, 2,900 war horses and 375 motor vehicles. Soon, the SS cavalry brigade was transferred to Pripyat swamp to carry out the task of eliminating Soviet guerrillas.

2. Puri Piater Swamp

Pripyat Piati swamp is located at the border of Belarus and Ukraine. It is about 600 kilometers long from east to west and 200 kilometers wide from north to south. Pripyat River rises in northern Ukraine, flows eastward through southern Belarus, then turns south, and joins Dnieper River in northern Kiev. The Pripyat River basin is mostly swamp, covered with dense virgin forest, and railways and highways are built on several "ground bridges" with higher terrain in the swamp. The residents here are mainly Ukrainians, followed by Belarusians, and Poles and Jews are a minority. Jews mainly live in big cities and towns, monopolizing technical industries such as doctors and craftsmen.

1941In mid-July, the German Central Army Group invaded Belarus and captured 300,000 Soviet troops in the panic attack in Minsk. Because the German encirclement was too big, many Soviet troops successfully broke through. On the night of July 25th, the 36th and 37th cavalry divisions and 12 1 infantry divisions of the Soviet army broke through the German encirclement and entered the Pripyat swamp area. These troops quickly got in touch with the Soviet high command and were ordered to wage guerrilla warfare against the German logistics forces based on the forest and swamp terrain. Himmler immediately ordered the SS cavalry brigade to enter the Pripyat swamp area to cooperate with other Germans in encirclement and suppression of Soviet guerrillas.

Nazi Germany made a strict distinction between the front and the rear in the Soviet battlefield in World War II. German generals at all levels have indisputable command at the front, but the occupied area behind the front is absolutely under the control of the SS, and the Wehrmacht generals cannot cross the border. According to Hitler's "living space" theory, large areas of land occupied by the Soviet Union will be allocated to German immigrants for farming, while Russians will be sent to collective farms or factories to serve Germany. Russians who can't do heavy manual labor will be eliminated. This policy was mainly implemented by the SS troops in the occupied areas. Therefore, in the vast occupied area in the central part of the Eastern Front, what Gerlein once said was the law, and the war crimes committed by the Eighth Cavalry Division during this period were even more numerous.

In the action instructions sent to the SS cavalry brigade, Himmler clarified the SS "United front" policy: "We must understand that the villages in the swamp area are either our strongholds or the enemy's strongholds. Our stronghold should not only destroy any hostile elements, but also be composed of Ukrainian residents who sympathize with us and are hostile to Russians and Poles. If a village meets such conditions, we must ensure that these residents can resist the invasion of bandits and eventually develop into our stronghold. We must appoint the local chief executive and form and arm the security forces. Every time the troops go to a village, they should put up notices everywhere to publicize the three chapters of the contract. The seized materials must be shared with local residents after meeting the needs of the German army. "

The "United front" policy of the SS is quite targeted, and the Germans are generally welcomed by Ukrainian residents. According to the report of the 22nd Cavalry Corps, Ukrainians put up white cloth, bread and salt on the table wherever they go, and a small band played Ukrainian folk songs to welcome them. Although these Ukrainians lived peacefully with local Jews for many years, they still worked very hard to help Germans catch Jews. Himmler ordered that "all Jewish men, women and children must be shot and rushed to the swamp." After this order was handed down, many officers and men were shocked and asked Fei Gerling for verification. Maggier, the company commander of the cavalry, wrote in a report in early August: "The vast majority of Jewish vagrants were executed, leaving only a few coolies to work for the army. It is useless to drive women and children into the swamp, because the swamp water is too shallow to drown people. Since August, our cavalry battalion has killed 6526 Jewish vagrants. On the whole, the action was successful. " The massacre of civilians affected the morale of the officers and men of the cavalry brigade. Fei Gellein specially asked the SS headquarters to commend the outstanding performance of the cavalry brigade in carrying out "special tasks". 16 In August, 162 infantry division commander awarded 1 iron cross first-class medal and 27 iron cross second-class medals to cavalry brigade officers and men. The SS cavalry brigade always slaughtered more than 20,000 Jewish civilians in this area.

On July 29, the SS cavalry brigade set out from the western end of Pripyat swamp in company, and carried out dragnet clearing to the east, while the German 252nd Infantry Division attacked from east to west. Almost all cavalry companies fought against small groups of Soviet guerrillas along the way. On August 5th, the vanguard battalion of the cavalry brigade met the Soviet guerrillas in Sabolo Jie. The next morning, the Forward Battalion and the 45th German Infantry Regiment launched an attack on Saporog. The Soviet army was defeated, 400 people were captured and 200 people were killed. On August 16, when a company of the Second Cavalry Corps arrived in Turoff, it was ambushed by Soviet guerrillas, causing more than a dozen casualties. There are about 800 guerrillas, one third of whom are regular Soviet troops. They have strong firepower, including heavy machine guns, Grenade launchers and several infantry guns, and frequently launch signal flares to contact other Soviet troops in the east. Feigl reinhard immediately ordered other ministries and reconnaissance battalions of the Second Cavalry Corps to gather in Turoff, ready to panic in the Soviet Union. Due to the poor road conditions in this area, it took four days for the companies scattered in the forest to reach the designated attack positions one after another. At 4: 00 a.m. on August 2 1 day, the Germans launched a general attack and opened the way for the commandos with heavy artillery fire. The commandos fired red flares every time they advanced a certain distance to guide the artillery fire to extend. Soviet troops fought fierce street battles with Germans who entered the city. The battle lasted until 3 pm, when the Germans conquered Turoff. More than 600 Soviet soldiers were killed in the battle of Turoff, and only 10 was captured. German losses were 6 deaths 18 injuries. According to the report of the SS Cavalry Brigade, during the clearance operation in August, the cavalry brigade killed a total of 5878 Soviet guerrillas/KLOC-0, captured 830 people, and seized more than 20 guns, more than 30 machine guns, more than 500 rifles and about 900 war horses. The Soviet guerrillas in this area suffered heavy losses one after another and their morale was low. The Soviet base camp had to airborne dozens of political commissars to maintain the combat effectiveness of the troops.

It can be seen from this series of battles that the SS cavalry brigade is very different from the traditional cavalry in tactics. SS cavalry conforms to the concept of modern European dragoons. Riding a horse is to enhance its mobility. Infantry tactics are still used in combat, and they are basically not charged in groups like classical cavalry. The artillery proportion of each cavalry regiment of the SS cavalry brigade is higher than that of the infantry regiment, which embodies a concept of "assault troops". In the battle with the guerrillas, the casualties of the SS cavalry brigade were significantly lower than those of other Germans who cooperated. Fei Gehrlein attributed this to persistent high-intensity training all the year round.

10 10/25, the ss cavalry brigade received a new instruction from the headquarters of the central army group and moved 500 kilometers eastward to protect the German logistics supply line between Toropez and Rshev. In the following months, the cavalry brigade fought dozens of battles with Soviet guerrillas, and thousands of Soviet troops were wiped out. After the winter, the mechanized equipment of other German troops was seriously damaged, and the advantages of cavalry brigade appeared. According to reports, during this period, the SS cavalry brigade had 3 138 horses. In the last week of June of 65438+ 10, only four horses died of fatigue, and another 5/kloc-0 horses were ill and needed treatment. In the first week of June, three more horses died 1 1, and army veterinarians treated 102 sick horses. Such a low rate of war damage kept the SS cavalry brigade highly mobile.

3. Rousseff fought back.

194 1, 12 At the end of the year, the SS cavalry brigade was incorporated into the Ninth Army and was ordered to assemble in the south of Volga, while the reconnaissance battalion directly under the brigade was temporarily attached to the 253rd Infantry Division. At this time, the Soviet army launched a powerful offensive, and the reconnaissance battalion was at the forefront, bearing the brunt of the fierce attack by the Soviet army. After a month of hard fighting, the whole army was wiped out, and only a few officers and men of 465 and 438+08 escaped. This is the worst loss since the SS cavalry brigade became an army.

The German Ninth Army established a defense line along the southwest bank of the Volga River, with the Soviet Third Commando in front of it. 19421On the evening of October 4th, the Soviet army attacked across the frozen Volga River, broke through the defense zone of the German 256th Infantry Division, and tore a hole 15km wide on the defense line of the 9th Army, while the Soviet vanguard troops had entered the city of Rasef. The SS cavalry brigade was ordered to act quickly to plug the gap. Along the way, the cavalry brigade encountered a large number of routed troops and discarded materials. After feigl Rein arrived at the designated position, he soon found that the 206th Infantry Division of the German left was weak, the right-wing portal was wide open, Soviet reconnaissance troops were present, and the cavalry brigade was in danger of being annihilated. Feigl reinhard asked the army headquarters to retreat 7 kilometers for protection, and decisively led the army to retreat without approval. Sure enough, in the afternoon, several Soviet divisions launched a fierce attack on the positions abandoned by the cavalry brigade from the east and north. Soon, Adolf Strauss, commander of the Ninth Army, issued an order: "The Fuehrer strictly ordered all ministries to stick to their posts. Even if the enemy's attack cannot be stopped, the 206th Infantry Division and Figlin Brigade are not allowed to leave their positions without authorization. " 65438+1October 15 The 206th Infantry Division, which lost its combat effectiveness, was ordered to leave its position and was taken over by the SS cavalry brigade. At this time, the command of the cavalry brigade is to stick to the defense line of more than ten kilometers and not retreat, and must fight to the last person. The next day, the cavalry brigade went to Rasef to rescue the remnants of the 102 infantry division.

By 65438+1October 2 1, the Soviets had broken through the junction of 1 1 and the 23rd Army of the Ninth Army of the German Army, and went deep into the German defense line southward, and the defense line of the Ninth Army was in jeopardy. Commander Strauss left due to illness, and Mo Deer, the famous commander of the Third Armored Division, took over the command. Mo Deer came to the headquarters and saw a face of frustration and despair. The chief of staff asked him how many reinforcements he had brought, and Mo Deer replied, "Just me." Mo Deer immediately set out to decorate the counter-offensive, intercept the breakthrough Soviet troops, and stabilize the defense line. The 256th Infantry Division cooperated with the head group of SS imperial divisions to attack from the gap from east to west; The SS Cavalry Brigade and the 206th Infantry Division attacked from west to east. 654381October 23, the cavalry brigade braved the cold of MINUS 45 degrees to launch an attack. After a day of hard work, the advance team of the first cavalry regiment and the officers and men of the sixth company of the Fuehrer regiment met in Solomino, and the gap was finally bridged. The cut-off Soviet troops insisted on surrendering a few days later. 654381October 26th, Soviet troops attacked the north of Rasef again under the cover of tank clusters and attack planes, and the German defense line was once again in jeopardy. On 3 1 day, the cavalry brigade was ordered to attack along the railway line with the 25 1 infantry division to stop the Soviet breakthrough, and finally the Soviet army returned in vain.

Mo Deer reversed the situation, commanded Lasseff to win the counterattack, and became Hitler's favorite and dependent German general. Mo Deer's Knight Iron Cross was later added with oak leaves, double swords and diamonds. Later, Mo Deer was promoted to the position of commander of the central collective army group, and committed suicide as commander of the collective army group B in April of 1945. Fei Gellein was also awarded the Knight Iron Cross for his outstanding performance in the cavalry brigade. By February 1, the SS cavalry brigade reported 370 casualties, with frostbite, a decrease of 500. 16 February, cavalry brigade report shows that since February, a certain * * has killed 1, 150 people, captured 178 people, seized 7 guns, machine guns 16 and 635 rifles. On February 17, three Iron Cross first-class medals and 33 Iron Cross second-class medals were awarded to cavalry brigade officers and men.

4. Eighth SS Cavalry Division

/kloc-in the spring of 0/942, Fei Gellein left the cavalry brigade and transferred to the headquarters of the SS as the transportation director of the military horse. During his resignation, the SS cavalry brigade suffered severe attrition due to continuous hard fighting, and the exhausted troops were gradually transferred to Poland to rest. 1June, 942, the cavalry brigade began to expand, and finally reached the division system. In order to improve the quality of the newly formed troops, the cavalry division specially built a riding school in Poland. The expansion was completed in the autumn of 1942, and the cavalry division belonged to three cavalry regiments and 1 artillery regiments. The cavalry regiment has four cavalry companies, 1 machine gun company and 1 heavy company (equipped with horse-drawn light infantry guns). The artillery regiment is under the jurisdiction of 1 battalion of anti-aircraft guns, mortars and self-propelled howitzers. After joining the army, the cavalry division * * * has 15000 officers and men, and its first division commander is Brigadier General Bitrich. It was not until April of the following year that Fei Gehrlein returned to the army and took over the command, and was promoted to Major General in May. 1943, 10 In June, the cavalry division officially accepted the designation of the 8th SS cavalry division. In the last two years of the war, the Eighth Cavalry Division has been fighting on the Eastern Front, mainly responsible for clearing the occupied areas.

1943, the Soviet guerrillas in the occupied area of the eastern front were generally able to change their clothes and began to cooperate with the Soviet troops at the front to strengthen their attacks on the German logistics supply line. Therefore, the cavalry division fought fiercely with the guerrillas in the summer of 1943. Fegrai was wounded three times because he took the lead in commanding the battle, and was awarded the Germanic Golden Cross on June 1943+065438+ 10/. In the commendation announcement of the SS, the story of Fei Gerling is described as follows:

"1943, 17 in may, when fighting the guerrillas under the command of Soviet captain-general Kolpak, the attack organized by SS Major General Fegellein dealt a heavy blow to the enemy and defeated it. Fei Gellein set an example and personally destroyed a powerful enemy bunker. On May 24, in the battle with an enemy reinforced battalion, Fei Gellein personally led the commandos to attack the enemy through the swamp. Fei Gehrlein's courage in the subsequent battle inspired his men, and the enemy's position was quickly captured. On May 3 1 day, according to the prisoner's account, Fei Gellein led the commandos to attack a guerrilla camp deep in the swamp. Although the enemy was dominant and resisted tenaciously, the battle lasted only 20 minutes and captured the camp. The enemy fled after suffering heavy casualties. "

"On August 26th, the Soviet Union's 353rd, 394th and 409th infantry divisions, together with the 6th and 24th police divisions, broke through the encirclement near Beth Pallocca under the cover of tanks. Fei Gellein commanded the troops to defend tenaciously, often appearing in the most dangerous areas, and accomplished the task brilliantly. On August 28th, after strong artillery preparation, the Soviet army launched a wave of charge to the position of 1 cavalry regiment with a strength advantage of 3: 1, and broke through our defense lines everywhere, developing in depth, threatening Virgin-Bishkin, and the last reserve of the first cavalry regiment was at 168. Later, other cavalry units came to reinforce from the nearby highlands, and a new defense line was established between 168.4 and 177.7 highlands. In the 18 hour battle, Fegrai always appeared in the most important position, and resolved one crisis after another with his firm and brave decision. Due to the stubborn resistance of the cavalry division, the Soviet army had to find another breakthrough. "

Due to his outstanding performance in the summer of 1943, Fegrai was given the double sword badge for the Knight Iron Cross of Oak Leaf. He is the 83rd German general to win this honor. 1944 1, Fei Gellein left the cavalry division and transferred to Hitler's headquarters as Himmler's liaison officer. The 8th SS cavalry division was awarded the honorary title of "florian Geyer" on March 1944, and then a number of key figures were drawn out to form the 22nd SS cavalry division "maria theresia" and the 37th SS cavalry division "Lv Cuo".

1944165438+10, the 8th SS cavalry division was transferred to Hungary and became a garrison in Budapest. 1 month later, Enemy at the Gates and the 3rd Ukrainian Army of the Soviet Union surrounded the German army. After seven weeks of fighting, 70,000 Budapest defenders, including the 8th and 22nd SS cavalry divisions, were wiped out, and only about 700 people escaped. Rumuher, commander of the Eighth Cavalry Division, committed suicide, and only 13000 soldiers survived.

5. Hitler's rival in love

For Fegelin, who returned to Berlin, life began a new chapter. As a war hero from the Eastern Front, the red man around Himmler, Fei Gellein, was a hot figure in SS headquarters, but he was not satisfied and tried his best to break into Hitler's social circle. 1in March, 944, Fei Gerling was introduced by a friend and met Hitler's mistress eva braun. Eva fell in love with this tall and handsome war hero at first sight, and Fei Gerling soon became a frequent visitor to Hitler's Berghoff in the Bavarian mountains. Fei Gehrlein, with elegant manners, witty words and elegant dancing, is the star of Berghoff Salon Party and is deeply favored by female guests. It won't be long before everyone in this social circle can see that Eva and Fei Gerling are not just friends who appreciate each other.

The more attached Eva is to Fei Grane, the more worried she is that he will leave her one day and return to the front. Eva soon came up with a solution-Figuerine will marry her sister Margaret. Because Margaret and Eva have been inseparable since childhood, so that Fei Gerling can be with her, and her close relationship with Fei Gerling will not make people gossip. 1on June 3rd, 944, Margaret and Fei Gerling got married in Berghoff, and Hitler personally presided over the wedding.

Margaret is pregnant. Fearing for her safety, Fei Gehrlein advised her to leave Berlin and take refuge in Bavaria. In mid-April, Soviet troops arrived at the gates of Berlin. In Hitler's underground headquarters, Fei Gehrlein faced a dilemma. As an SS general, he must be unconditionally loyal to Hitler; But Eva insisted on being with Hitler, which was tantamount to suicide. Fei Green is determined to persuade Eva to change her mind and leave Berlin. Himmler was in secret contact with Count Bernadotte of Sweden at this moment, and Bernadotte came forward to discuss the armistice with the Allies, and Fegelein was also involved. On April 25, Fei Gehrlein left the underground headquarters and drove out of the city to furstenberg to meet with Jutner, one of the leaders of the SS, to discuss the future. After returning to Berlin, Fei Gellein, who was extremely depressed, did not go to Hitler's underground bunker, but kept calling Eva in his apartment, begging her to leave Berlin to save her life. Eva flatly refused, but advised Fei Gehrlein to return to Hitler immediately, and Fei Gehrlein refused to obey. On April 27th, the police chief Johann Rattenhuber sent a team to Fei Gehrlein's apartment to pick him up. The gang entered Gerling's room and found him drunk with a woman with red hair, Hu Tian Alakazam. After Fegelein was arrested, Hitler's first reaction was to eliminate his rank and let him go to the front immediately. At this point, the security police searched Fei Gellaine's apartment and found that his letters involved secret peace talks, which was a high treason. A temporary military court quickly sentenced Fegelein to death. On 28th, two security policemen shot and killed Fei Gerling in a secret room in an underground bunker.

After the military court sentenced Fei Gehrlein, Eva begged Hitler to release Fei Gehrlein for her pregnant sister, but Hitler didn't agree. However, Eva soon understood Hitler's decision and said sadly, "Poor Adolf, they all betrayed you." Eva doesn't have much time to mourn Fei Green. Two days later, she committed suicide with Hitler. Fei Gehrlein's wife Margaret lived in Bavaria until the end of the war, and a few years later returned to her hometown in northern Germany with her children.

See the information: /3676 14 13.html for details.