Wiking officers Müller, Geissler, Massell and Nedderhof

[panzerschreck]

Hello,

I'm looking for information/corrections on:

SS-Sturmbannführer(?) Helmut Müller
- From 21-1-45 until 25-3-45 he led the Germania regiment
#DoB, DoD, other assignments

SS-Standartenführer Paul Geissler
- Born: 6-2-1899
- From 1-4-42 until ?-42 he led the Westland regiment
#DoD, other assignments

SS-Obersturmbannführer Paul Massell (DKiG 8-2-45)
- Born: 30-5-1909
- Kdr SS-Gren.Rgt. 8/37/39 (1. SS-Inf.Brig.) from ? until 1943
- Kdr SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt. 10 "Westland" from 17-10-43 until 8-3-44
- Kdr SS-Frw.-Pz.Gren.Rgt. 48 "General Seyffardt" from ? until 2-2-45
#DoD, other assignments, corrections on dates

SS-Sturmbannführer Alfred Nedderhof
- Born: 15-12-1912
- KIA or MIA: 3-1945
- Kdr SS-Feldersatzbataillon 5 in 1942
- Kdr SS-Feldersatzbataillon 5 from ? until 1944
- Kdr III./"Westland" from ? until 21-3-45
- Kdr SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt. 10 "Westland" from 45 until 21-3-45
#additions to/corrections on assignments (for instance: did he command both the 3rd battalion and the regiment at once?)

Any help is appreciated!

/Henrik

[Phil Nix]

Here is a brief note on Paul Geissler
Phil Nix

[Phil Nix]

Helmut Müller born 19.2.1914 No Party Nr SS Nr 260019 Graduated from JS Braunschweig 1936 Usf 20.4.37 Osf 9.11.38 Hsf ? Sbf 20.4.44 beim ORPO 1938 Kdr Feld Ersatz Bat der 5 SS Pz Div 1944
Phil Nix

[Mikedc]

Paul Massell: Volksdeutscher.
Born on 30-5-1909 in Stolp/Pommeren(Poland).
No party-member.
Member SS(nr. 261.914).
On 10-3-1935 he got promoted to SS-Untersturmführer.
On 20-4-1937 he got promoted to SS-Obersturmführer.
On 30-1-1939 he got promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer.
He served with II. Sturmbann from SS-Standarte ‘Deutschland’.
In 1941 he was sent to Treskau to take care of the military training from the Danish volunteers from Freikorps Danmark.
SS-Sturmbannführer.
From 11(or 27)2-942 till 5-10-1942 he was commander(he succeeded H. Garthe)from the
SS-Begleit-Bataillon ‘Reichsführer-SS’.
On 9-11-1943 he got promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer.
Between 17-10-1943 and 8-3-1944 he was commander(he succeeded A. Dieckmann)from SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 10 ‘Westland’ with the 5. SS-Panzer-Division ‘Wiking’.
In 1944 he served with the III.(germ.)SS-Panzer-Korps.
At the beginning of 1945 he was commander from the SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 48 ‘General Seyffard’ within the 23. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division ‘Nederland’(niederländische Nr. 1).
He received the 1939 EK II, the 1939 EK I, the Reichssportabzeichen in Bronze and
the SA-Sportabzeichen in Bronze.
Died(KIA)on 1(or on 2)-2-1945 at Flederborn/Pommeren(Poland).


Greetings,
Mike

[Mikedc]

Alfred Nedderhof.
Born on 15-12-1912 in Hamburg.
Member NSDAP(nr. ??).
Member SS(nr. ??).
SS-Hauptsturmführer.
In 1942 he was the first commander from SS-Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 5 within the
SS-Division(mot.)‘Wiking’.
In 1944 he was again commander(he succeeded Müller)from SS-Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 5. SS-Sturmbannführer.
At the beginning of 1945 he was commander(he succeeded Silberleitner)from the
III. Bataillon with SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 10 ‘Westland’ from the 5. SS-Panzer-Division ‘Wiking’.
Between ?? 1945 and 21-3-1945 he was commander(he succeeded F. Hack)from the
SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Regiment 10 ‘Westland’.
Died(KIA)on 21-3-1945 at Stuhlweissenburg.



Greetings,
Mike

[Jan-Hendrik]

I have 1.2.45 as DoD for Massell, thank your info on his PoB!

Jan-Hendrik

[Mikedc]

Hey Jan-Hendrik,

The VDK-site also has 1-2-1945 as his DoD.
And there you also could have found his place of birth....

Nachname: Massell
Vorname: Paul
Dienstgrad: Oberstleutnant
Geburtsdatum: 30.05.1909
Geburtsort: Stolp
Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 01.02.1945
Todes-/Vermisstenort: Podgaje=Flederborn



Greetings,
Mike

[panzerschreck]

thank you! Just what I was looking for!

Henrik

[Helly Angel]

Hey Phil, I´m not gay but I love each day that you post your notes here hehehe... thanks!

[Giorgio]

Henrik wrote:

SS-Obersturmbannführer Paul Massell (DKiG 8-2-45)
- Born: 30-5-1909
- Kdr SS-Gren.Rgt. 8/37/39 (1. SS-Inf.Brig.) from ? until 1943
- Kdr SS-Pz.Gren.Rgt. 10 "Westland" from 17-10-43 until 8-3-44
- Kdr SS-Frw.-Pz.Gren.Rgt. 48 "General Seyffardt" from ? until 2-2-45.

And http://www.frontkjemper.info/show_person.php?P_ID=474 gives him as SS-Sturmbannführer & CO of SS-Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung 5 in 1943. Was really P. Massell assigned to that unit ? If so, from-to ?

Could also anyone tell me when did he take and leave command of SS-Regiment into 1.SS-Infanterie Brigade ?
Thanks in advance,
Giorgio

[Marc Rikmenspoel]

If Massell ever held command of SS-Stug. Abt. 5, I suspect it was only on paper. There never truly was such a unit. It began to form under Danish Stubaf. Knud Schock, but then its first organized battery instead formed the cadre of SS-PJA 54 for the Brigade Nederland. The rest of the unit, I believe, instead became the 4./SS-Panzer Regiment 5, and joined the original three companies of SS-Panzer Abteilung 5 (aka I./SS-PR 5) at the Dniepr near Korsun in late 1943.

[Jan-Hendrik]

Paul Massell: Volksdeutscher.
Born on 30-5-1909 in Stolp/Pommeren(Poland).

Just saw it now

How could he have been Volksdeutscher...Pommern...Poland did not exist at that time...and Pommern was []Preußen[/b] *aufreg* !!

Jan-Hendrik

[panzerschreck]

If Massell ever held command of SS-Stug. Abt. 5, I suspect it was only on paper. There never truly was such a unit. It began to form under Danish Stubaf. Knud Schock, but then its first organized battery instead formed the cadre of SS-PJA 54 for the Brigade Nederland. The rest of the unit, I believe, instead became the 4./SS-Panzer Regiment 5, and joined the original three companies of SS-Panzer Abteilung 5 (aka I./SS-PR 5) at the Dniepr near Korsun in late 1943.

Hello!
Here's a Führerstellenbesetzung from July 1943, showing Paul Massell as Kdr of SS-Stug.Abt. 5 (on paper):

http://forum.axishistory.com/download/f ... ?id=145049

/Henrik

[Ignacio]

Several documents in his personal file confirm Massell's service with SS-Stu.Gesch.Abt. 5 (attached scans from Massell's file in John Moore's Führerliste), so I suspect it was not a paper command as Marc supports

Ignacio

Massel, Paul - 6.1.jpg (169.34 KiB) Viewed 6262 times

Massel, Paul - 3.1.jpg (126.11 KiB) Viewed 6261 times

Massel, Paul - 14.1.jpg (158.41 KiB) Viewed 6251 times

[Marc Rikmenspoel]

It may not have been a paper command, but I doubt it was a command in the field. I still don't believe that SS-Stug. Abt. 5 ever existed as more than an idea and a plan. It was certainly partially formed, its 1. Batterie existed when on November 28, 1943 SS-Stug. Abt. 5 was ordered to become schwere SS-Panzerjäger Abt. 54, for Brigade Nederland. That order is reproduced in volume 3 of the Vincx/Schotanius history of the Dutch Waffen-SS. By that time, Marsell had moved on to replace Dieckmann as the commander of Westland (taking command on October 15, 1943, after Dieckmann was KIA five days earlier).

Meanwhile, the 4./SS-PR joined the I. Abteilung near Kharkov on July 16, 1943 (according to Verweht sind die Spüren). It had Stug. Where did this Stug. company come from? I would guess, but I can't yet prove, that it came from elements of the forming SS-stug. Abt. 5. I was wrong to suggest that this 4. Kompanie joined Wiking in late 1943. Marsell had already been assigned as commander of SS-Stug. Abt. 5 since April 15, 1943, as his file shows above.

On September 7, 1943, his file further shows that he was recommended for promotion to Obstubaf., and judged suitable for becoming a regimental commander. Who made this judgement? Johannes Rudolf Mühlenkamp, who was raising II./SS-PR 5 and the staff/headquarters elements for SS-PR 5 away from the front in Croatia. This suggests that Marsell was in proximity to Mühlenkamp, and makes me guess that SS-Stug. Abt. 5 began organizing after April 15, 1943 in the same areas in Croatia where the III.(germ.) SS-Panzerkorps and SS-PR 5 (minus I. Abt.) was forming. In this situation, it wouldn't be too surprising that the Stug. elements that became ready for service were combined to form a company of 17 vehicles (the Stug. batteries normally had 10 vehicles each), which was sent to join the orginal three companies of I./SS-PR 5 at the front. Marsell would then have held command of roughly one battery, and would be considered for other employment. Schock then replaced him in command of the rump of SS-Stug. Abt. 5, which as I mentioned, was converted into the cadre of sSS-PJA 54. That successor unit in late 1943 and during 1944 amounted to only one Stug. Batterie and one PAK Batterie. Essentially none of Schock's file has survived to check dates, unfortunately.

I don't swear I have it all comepletely correct, but it certainly makes sense now! Thanks for sharing those documents Ignacio!

As a side note to the above, it is interesting to examine the creation of the SS-PJA 54. In the spring of 1943, when the III.(germ.) SS-Panzerkorps first began to organize, it was intended to turn the regimental-sized Legion Nederland into the SS-PGR Nederland. The Legion of course had had a Pak Kompanie, the 14. (in which Gerardes Mooyman had won his RK). This company was carried over intially in the new regiment, but when that unit instead was detached to form the core of Brigade Nederland, the initial plan (from what I gather in the Vincx/Schotanius history) was to turn that Pak Kompanie into the cadre of SS-PJA 54. It seems to me that the eventual sSS-PJA 54, with one Stug. Batterie and one Pak Batterie, was the result of merging the rump of SS-Stug. Abt. 5 with the former 14./Legion Nederland (with the Stug. presumably being the cause of "schwere" being added to the title). In the event, Mooyman commanded a platoon in the towed Pak 2./sSS-PJA 54, while SS-FPGR 48 General Seyffardt and 49 De Ruyter both lacked organic Pak Kompanien, so this suggests to me that my imagined outline is indeed what came to pass.