Waffen-Grenadier-Brigade der SS (italienische Nr. 1)

Background

The Kingdom of Italy on 8 September 1943 signed an armistice with the Allies. In response, the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) and the Waffen-SS disarmed Italian troops unless they were fighting for the German cause. The new Italian Social Republic was founded on 23 September 1943 under dictator Benito Mussolini and this allowed Italians to be recruited to fight against the Allies. On 2 October 1943, Heinrich Himmler and Gottlob Berger devised the Programm zur Aufstellung der italienischen Milizeinheiten durch die Waffen-SS which was approved by Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

Training

In October 15,000 volunteers started training at Truppenübungsplatz Münsingen, but 9,000 of them were unsuitable and released for training in Police units, the Black Brigades or for labor. The soldiers wore Sig rune (SS Runes) on red rather than black, and the left sleeve had a Reichsadler, not with a swastika, but with fasces.

On 23 November 1943, 13 Miliz-Battalions pledged their loyalty before being moved to SS-Ausbildungsstab Italien under SS-Brigadeführers Peter Hansen who led them in a "bloody war among brothers" against partisans. The unit was commanded by SS-Obergruppenführer Karl Wolff and called Italienische SS-Freiwilligen-Legion, but soon renamed 1. Sturmbrigade Italienische Freiwilligen-Legion.

Soon the unit was called Legionari in Italy, also in official reports.

Combat

In April 1944 three battalions fought against Allied bridgeheads of Anzio and Nettuno with surprisingly good results, for which Heinrich Himmler on 3 May 1944 allowed them to wear SS-Runes on black rather than red and be fully integrated into the Waffen SS. On 7 September 1944 renamed to Waffen-Grenadier-Brigade der SS (italienische Nr. 1) under Generalkommando Lombardia of Heeresgruppe C. New recruits allowed the unit grow in December 1944 to 15,000 men. In Spring 1945 the Division under command by SS-Oberführer Ernst Tzschoppe as Kampfgruppe Binz fought against French units in Lombardy and Resistenza in Piemont.

On 30 April 1945 the last elements of the Division surrendered to US troops in Gorgonzola, Lombardy.