Himmler's personal office

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JoeW
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#16

Post by JoeW » 08 Sep 2004, 18:19

Max, I should have checked Hoffmann's "Hitler's Personal Security" first. He points out that the Sonderzug "Heinrich" was renamed later in the war to Sonderzug "Steiermark". as well as a brief time in 1944 carrying the title "Transport 44". He also discusses Hochwald, though there is no indication it was used by Himmler after the Russian campaign turned for the worst.

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#17

Post by Max Williams » 08 Sep 2004, 19:27

Joe,
I know that Himmler abandoned his Hochwald HQ at the same time as Hitler moved out of Wolfsschanze.
Max.


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#18

Post by JoeW » 08 Sep 2004, 21:29

Max, do you have any indication whether it was a functional HQ until November '44? He didn't spend as much time there as Hitler did at Wolfschanze, did he? The Himmler book I mentioned indicated the HQ for his time as Commander of Army Group Rhine was a tunnel siding for his train near Triburg.

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#19

Post by Max Williams » 09 Sep 2004, 10:48

Joe,
Himmler maintained a HQ facility near to the Führerhauptquartier for obvious reasons. When Hitler vacated Wolfsschanze, there was no further need for Himmler to retain Hochwald, especially as the front line was moving nearer by the day. I'm afraid I don't have exact dates. You are quite correct in your assessment of Himmler's use of Hochwald --- he was certainly more mobile than Hitler!
Max.

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#20

Post by JoeW » 13 Sep 2004, 06:48

Gerald Reitlinger's "The SS-Alibi of a Nation" states that "Birkenwald" was another name for Himmler's villa HQ at Hochwald. Has anyone come across the Crössinsee mentioned earlier, where Lay had a fine villa at the Ordensburg?

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#21

Post by JoeW » 15 Sep 2004, 15:34

Sorry, I believe Reitlinger was mistaken, as I find Himmler visiting Birkenwald in February 1945, long after the Wolfschanze was abandoned.
It had to be somewhere north of Berlin.

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#22

Post by Max Williams » 15 Sep 2004, 15:52

Joe,
I have many 1941 / 1942 references to Bergwald, the RFSS HQ near the Berghof, but none so far to Birkenwald. What are your sources please?
Thanks,
Max.

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#23

Post by JoeW » 15 Sep 2004, 21:49

"Termine des Reichsführer-SS"

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Auseklis
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#24

Post by Auseklis » 20 May 2005, 23:48

Are you shure you are not mixing that up with the Begleitbatallion RFSS "Steiermark"?

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#25

Post by JoeW » 21 May 2005, 07:15

No, the source was specific as to the name of the train. Where did the Begleit-Btl. RFSS Steiermark fit in? Where was it located? Thanks

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Auseklis
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#26

Post by Auseklis » 21 May 2005, 10:28

It was Himmlers escort. A Ordnungs Polizei Motorcycle Bat. listet in the Fieldpostorder under Himmlers personel FPN. It was always with him.

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Luft300
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Begleit-Battalion Reichsfuhrer-SS

#27

Post by Luft300 » 24 May 2005, 02:03

after having been in combat on the Leningrad Front, was the building block for the 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Reichsführer-SS". By order of Hitler in February 1943, the escort battalion was upgraded to the status of an assault brigade and thus, Sturmbrigade "Reichsführer-SS" was formed.

Uniforms, Organizations and History of the Waffen-SS, Volume 4, page 107 by Roger Bender and Hugh Page Taylor.

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Auseklis
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#28

Post by Auseklis » 24 May 2005, 04:58

That is another unit (As you also can see from the Feldpostordnung).
Im not talking about the "SS-Begeleitbattalion" but about the "Ordnungspolizei-Begleitbattalion", confusing?
The only combat action OPo Batt. "Steiermark" saw in 1944-45 was a hunt for some sowjet parachute agents near the Hochwald HQ. They left Himmler on his order when he reached Dönitz HQ in Flensburg, shortly before he was captured.

Image
Image
Image

Please excuse the smal size of the pictures.

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freiwillige
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#29

Post by freiwillige » 24 May 2005, 07:58

Hello Auseklis, Luft300 and JoeW,

I'm confused about the RFSS Begleit Battalion. If the Battalion was upgraded to division level, what about the unit named Begleit Battalion RFSS z.b.v. attached to Nibelungen division at the end of the war?

About the ORPO Begleit Batt., Auseklis, do exist some source (book) about operations and organisation?

Thanks !

Ferran

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Auseklis
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#30

Post by Auseklis » 24 May 2005, 08:12

To my knowledge no written source.

The informations I have are first hand, from interviews with a veteran of this formation (as well as the photos).

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