10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg, War Diary & Photos + SS Div Wiking - Waffen SS Training Pt. 1

SUPPORT THE CHANNEL and get access to exclusive film footage
Patreon.com/Military1945

Episode 164
This Dutch Waffen SS footage is from a recruitment film. It fits in well with the first video in the series covering a soldier named Gottfried’s war diary who served first in the 5. SS Division Wiking and then the 10. SS PzD Frundsberg. Gottfried, a German, was drafted into the Waffen SS in the spring of 1942 and went through basic training with Dutch volunteers in the Netherlands. Using plenty of background information to give context, we’ll follow his story during the advance into the Caucasus in 1942 and then, as a member of Frundsberg, during their defense around Normandy, their escape out of the Falaise Pocket, Operation Market Garden and other battles.

Using entries from his war diary, associated rare film footage, his personal photographs, graphic translations, and at the end of the video we’ll take a look at a situational map showing the SS Div. Wikings positioning as Gottfried was finishing basic training so stick around, it’s worth it.

On May 4th 1942 I joined the Waffen SS. I said goodbye to my parents at the train station and took an express train west traveling over Frankfurt am Order, Berlin, Braunschweig, Hannover, Bielefeld, and ending up in Unna, where we stayed for three days. Crossing the border at Emmerich in Holland, we then travelled on to Arnhem. There we were assigned to Companies, with me going to the 3rd that was heading for Doesberg. This is a photograph of the Maurits Kazerne in Doesburg that Gottfried took just as he arrived and this photograph was taken of him that day.

In Doesburg I went through 10-weeks of basic infantry training which presented no difficulties whatsoever for me. The basic military training of the Waffen SS during the war was the same as that of the normal German Heer. Heavy emphasis put on instilling military discipline, physical fitness, weapons proficiency, close combat and group tactics. Waffen SS soldiers did however generally receive considerably more political and racial indoctrination, or “Weltanschaulicer Unterricht”. Complete obedience to the hierarchy of command was strictly enforced. As with all armies, individuality was systematically replaced by group-think. The SS Motto was Meine Ehre heisst Treue, or My Honor is Loyalty.

Physical fitness, like obedience, was of high priority from the very beginning. The exercise was often competition based and in groups which developed the soldiers will to win and built the camaraderie and aggressiveness that would eventually be necessary for involvement during in-formation maneuvering and combat. This photograph from Gottfried's collection shows the handball team.

And of course plenty of time was spent by the soldiers getting acquainted to and becoming proficient with the weapons they would be using. Notice how they balance a beanbag on the butt of the rifle to get a feel for the weapon. Here we see Gottfried and his squad with a light machine-gun. The typical squad was made up of 9 infantrymen and one squad leader.

In this lecture the Waffen SS trainees are being introduced to Germanic cultural roots shared by north European countries. Here, specifically, they are learning about the similarities between the related Germanic languages. The young soldiers were also indoctrinated with the theories of so-called racial hygiene and the racial hierarchy. Leaflets such as “Der Untermensch” were published by the SS and used in lectures as teaching materials. They tended to be filled with photographs contrasting people with exaggerated physical features. The idea was to secure an "us vs them" mentality.

Each man in the squad, except for the machine gunner, his assistant and the squad leader was armed with a Karabiner 98 Short. The squad leader had an Mp 40. Each of these stacks is made up of the weaponry of one squad. The Squad in offensive actions would not act alone, but rather in cooperation with the other 3 squads in the platoon. Set offensive and defensive maneuvers were drilled repeatedly until each member of the squad knew his role instinctively. Here we see Gottfried with his squad during field exercises.

This rare clip from 1943 shows graduates of Dutch training facility of the Waffen SS being sworn in. They are swearing personal allegiance to Adolf Hitler. And here we can see Gottfried at his swearing in ceremony.

In June of 1942 the advance into the Caucasus had begun. The SS Div Wiking was tasked with taking Rostov and Gottfried would soon be heading East.