15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian)

February 2016 German infantry division 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) 15. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr. 1)15. SS grenadieru divīzija (latviešu Nr. 1) 15divss.svg 195 Insignia of 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) February 1943 – 1945 Nazi Germany 23px Waffen-SS Infantry Division VI SS Army Corps (Latvian) 125px Armshield of the Latvian legionnaires World War II The 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) (de 15. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr. 1),Official designation in German language as to „Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv“ in Freiburg im Breisgau, stores of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS. lv 15. SS grenadieru divīzija (latviešu Nr. 1)), originally called the Latvian SS-Volunteer Division (de Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Division, lv Latviešu SS brīvprātīgo divīzija) was an infantry division of the Waffen-SS during World War II. It was formed in February 1943, and together with its sister unit, the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) formed the Latvian Legion. Background During Operation Barbarossa, German Army Group North occupied the Baltic states. Germany began taking heavier manpower losses throughout 1942. To make up for this, the Waffen-SS was expanded, and on 23 January 1943, Adolf Hitler gave his approval to Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler to form a Latvian Legion. He wanted to make use of the Latvians, who were strongly opposed to Bolshevism.Baxter 2021 27–29 World War II thumb|right|300px|15th SS Division parade through Riga before deployment to Eastern Front. December 1943 After the formation of Latvian Police Battalions in Reichskommissariat Ostland, Heinrich Himmler formed the Latvian SS-Volunteer Legion (Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Legion) in January 1943. It participated in the siege of Leningrad briefly before being withdrawn from the front again. In February 1943 the legion was expanded as the Latvian SS-Volunteer Division (Lettische SS-Freiwilligen-Division), which later received the numerical designation, becoming the 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian).Baxter 2021 27–29 Unlawful conscription of Latvians for military service by the Germans was based on Alfred Rosenberg's compulsory labor decree of 19 December 1941. It was carried out by the Department of Labor of the Latvian Self Administration, commencing in early 1943 with the compulsory recruitment of Latvian citizens born between 1919 and 1924.Bender Taylor 1971 14 The 15th Waffen SS, together with the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) formed the Latvian Legion. The 15th Waffen SS was swept up in the chaos of the collapse of the Eastern Front and lost much of its manpower fighting in districts surrounding Leningrad (Ostrov, Novosokolniki and Novgorod Oblast). In September 1944 the surviving elements of the division were sent by boat to Danzig. The division fought on the Pomeranian Wall defences and then retreated through Pomerania and Germany to Berlin. Part of the division, with a total of 824 men under Waffen-Standartenführer Vilis Janums, surrendered on 27 April 1945 to the advancing Americans at Güterglück near the Elbe River. Other elements of the division, amounting to approximately 4,500 men, surrendered to the Americans south of Schwerin on 2 May 1945.Latviešu Leģions Silgailis Arturs 12 February 2016 Riga Apvienība Timermanis un Vējiņš 4th 15. Divizijas pēdejās gaitas 207–213 978-9984-01-045-8 Latvian On 22 January 1945, Red Army soldiers killed over 100 unarmed men of the 5th Battalion of the 1st Construction Regiment in the Dąbrówka Nowa Massacre after mistakenly assuming that they were armed. In popular culture The Waffen Füsilier Battalion of SS 15 of the 15th Waffen Grenadier Division (1st Latvian) is notably featured as a playable unit in the game Enlisted.https://enlisted.net/en/about/campaigns/#!/ Enlisted Commanders SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor Peter Hansen (25 February – 1 May 1943) SS-Gruppenführer und Generalmajor Carl Graf von Pückler-Burghauss (1 May 1943 – 17 February 1944) SS-Oberführer Nikolaus Heilmann (17 February – 21 July 1944) SS-Oberführer Herbert von Obwurzer (21 July 1944 – 26 January 1945) SS-Oberführer Adolf Ax (26 January – 15 February 1945) SS-Oberführer, later Brigadeführer und Generalmajor Karl Burk (15 February – 2 May 1945)Rickmenspoel, M. Waffen-SS Encyclopedia. Aberjona Press, 2004.September 2018 Order of battle Infantry 32nd Waffen Grenadier Regiment of the SS (3rd Latvian) lv 32. ieroču SS grenadieru pulks 33rd Waffen Grenadier Regiment of the SS (4th Latvian) lv 33. ieroču SS grenadieru pulks 34th Waffen Grenadier Regiment of the SS (5th Latvian) lv 34. ieroču SS grenadieru pulks 15th SS Füsilier Battalion lv 15. ieroču SS fizilieru bataljons Artillery 15th Waffen Artillery Regiment of the SS (2nd Latvian) - 15th Waffen Artillery Regiment of the SS (2nd Latvian) (1943–1945) first lv 15. (1.) ieroču SS artilērijas pulks and 15th Waffen Artillery Regiment of the SS (2nd Latvian) (1944–1945) second lv 15. (2.) ieroču SS artilērijas pulks formations. 15th SS Anti-aircraft Battalion lv 15. ieroču SS zenītartilērijas divizions 15th SS Panzerjäger Battalion lv 15. ieroču SS prettanku divizions Training units 15th SS Field Replacement Battalion lv 15. SS lauka papildinājumu bataljons 15th SS Grenadier Training and Reinforcement Battalion lv 15. SS-grenadieru apmācības un papildinājumu bataljons (1943; 1944–1945) 15th SS Grenadier Training and Reinforcement Brigade lv 15. SS-grenadieru apmācības un papildinājumu brigāde (1943–1944) 3rd SS Volunteer and Training Regiment lv 3. SS-brīvprātīgo un apmācības pulks (1943; 1944–1945) Construction Regiments 1st Latvian Construction Regiment 2nd Latvian Construction Regiment 3rd Latvian Construction Regiment Support units 15th Waffen Pionier Battalion of the SS lv 15. ieroču SS sapieru bataljons 15th Waffen Signals Battalion of the SS lv 15. ieroču SS sakaru bataljons 15th SS Medical Battalion 15th SS Nachschub Troop 15th SS Field Post Department 15th SS Veterinary Company 15th SS Wirtschafts Battalion 15th SS Waffen Feldgendarmerie Troop 15th SS War Reporter Troophttp://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=1958 15. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (lettische Nr. 1) Wendal, Marcus Axis History https://web.archive.org/web/20100102034152/http://axishistory.com/index.php?id=1958 2 January 2010 live 2009-03-15 See also List of Waffen-SS units Ranks and insignia of the Waffen-SS Waffen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts Vilis Hāzners Dąbrówka Nowa Massacre References Literature Uniforms, Organization and History of the Waffen-SS 5 Bender Roger James Taylor Hugh Page 1971 R. James Bender Publishing 1st 978-0-912138-25-1 Baxter Ian SS Foreign Divisions & Volunteers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, 1941–1945 2021 Pen & Sword Barnsley 978-1-39901-298-0 y Category:15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) June 2017 Category:Generalbezirk Lettland Category:Latvian Legion Category:Military history of Latvia during World War II Category:Military units and formations established in 1943 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 Category:Foreign conscript units of the Waffen-SS #15