Hello. I searched the forum looking for information about the Italian units in the Waffen-SS but I could not find any. As far as I know, there is a book dedicated to them "Italiani nella Waffen-SS" by Massimiliano Afiero (223 pages). I managed to get some information from Italian sources on the Internet which I would like to share with you.
On September 18th, 1943 the Repubblica Sociale Italiana was created and, one week later, Himmler ordered the formation of an Italienische Waffenverbande der SS known to the Italians as Legione SS Italiana. The idea was to assemble and organize, as quickly as possible, all the Italians willing to carry on fighting alongside Germany. By October 1943 the military base of Münsingen housed nearly 15.000 volunteers. The officer in charge of the training and the Legion's first commander was the SS-Brigadeführer Peter Hansen. In February 1944 the Italienische Waffenverbande der SS is renamed 1. Surmbrigade der Italienische Freiwilligen Legionen. The men wore Italian uniforms but with the Waffen-SS collar patches which were red instead of black.
In March 1944 the "Vendetta" battalion was sent to Anzio where it fought heroically during 70 days losing 340 men out of 650. In July the Italians took positions on the "Gothic Line". On September 7th, 1944 the assault brigade was renamed Waffen Grenadier Brigade der SS (Italienische Nr.1) In December 1944 the brigade was taken out of the front and employed in anti-partisan operations. In March 1945 the brigade was renamed 29 Waffen Grenadier Division der SS (Italienische 1) and fought against the Americans until the end of the war in Italy.
Other Italians served in different SS units, like 300 who joined the Leibstandarte in 1943. In Greece, nearly 300 Italians joined the 4th SS Division Polizei and about 1.000 enlisted in the 7th SS Division Prinz Eugen. Finally, around 500 Italians joined the 17th SS Division Goetz von Berlichingen and fought in France and Germany.
Italian Waffen-SS
Discussions on all (non-biographical) aspects of the Freikorps, Reichswehr, Austrian Bundesheer, Heer, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Fallschirmjäger and the other Luftwaffe ground forces. Hosted by Christoph Awender.
Post Reply
1 post
• Page 1 of 1
Return to “Heer, Waffen-SS & Fallschirmjäger”
Jump to
- Axis History
- ↳ Life in the Third Reich & Weimar Republic
- ↳ Propaganda, Culture & Architecture
- ↳ Music of the Reich
- ↳ Women in the Reich
- ↳ Heer, Waffen-SS & Fallschirmjäger
- ↳ Model building
- ↳ U-Boats
- ↳ Kriegsmarine surface ships and Kriegsmarine in general
- ↳ Luftwaffe air units and Luftwaffe in general
- ↳ Model building
- ↳ Legion Condor
- ↳ German Strategy & General German Military Discussion
- ↳ NSDAP, other party organizations & Government
- ↳ The Phil Nix SS & Polizei section
- ↳ The Dieter Zinke Axis Biographical Research Section
- ↳ Japan at War 1895-1945
- ↳ Italy under Fascism 1922-1945
- ↳ Minor Axis Nations
- ↳ Finland
- ↳ Foreign Volunteers & Collaboration
- ↳ Holocaust & 20th Century War Crimes
- Axis Equipment
- ↳ Aircraft
- ↳ Fortifications, Artillery, & Rockets
- ↳ Model building
- ↳ The Ron Klages Panzer & other vehicles Section
- ↳ Model building
- ↳ Panzer & other vehicles - Photo threads
- ↳ Model building
- ↳ Small Arms
- ↳ Other Equipment
- Militaria & Collecting
- ↳ Axis Awards
- ↳ Militaria for sale
- ↳ Axis Documents, Feldpost numbers, Postcards & Other Paper Items
- ↳ Militaria for sale
- ↳ Axis Uniforms, Headgear & Insignia
- ↳ Militaria for sale
- ↳ Other WW1 & WW2 Militaria
- ↳ Militaria for sale
- ↳ For Sale & Wanted
- ↳ Reproductions Sales
- The Allies & the Neutral States
- ↳ China at War 1895-1949
- ↳ France 1919-1945
- ↳ Poland 1919-1945
- ↳ The Soviet Union at War 1917-1945
- ↳ The United Kingdom & its Empire and Commonwealth 1919-45
- ↳ USA 1919-1945
- ↳ The Allies and the Neutral States in general
- World War II and Inter-War Era
- ↳ WW2 in Africa & the Mediterranean
- ↳ WW2 in Eastern Europe
- ↳ WW2 in Western Europe & the Atlantic
- ↳ WW2 in the Pacific & Asia
- ↳ Winter War & Continuation War
- ↳ Spanish Civil War & Legion Condor
- ↳ Economy
- Other Eras
- ↳ First World War
- ↳ Imperial Germany
- ↳ German Colonies and Overseas Expeditions
- ↳ Austria-Hungary 1867–1918
- ↳ The end of the Ottoman Empire 1908-1923
- ↳ Other eras
- Research Help
- ↳ Translation help: Breaking the Sound Barrier
- ↳ Books & other Reference Material
- ↳ Archives
- Other areas
- ↳ Model building
- ↳ Movies, games & other fiction
- ↳ What if
- ↳ Reenactment
- ↳ The Lounge