SS units in Norway

ak74u · Post by **ak74u** » Sat Jun 19, 2004 3:18 pm

where there any SS units stationed in Norway, except for the norweigan volounters ?

Björn · Post by **Björn** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 11:12 am

Yes, but not Waffen SS. The Norwegian volunteers from W SS were not either stationed here. What would you be looking for?

B.

Tom Houlihan · Post by **Tom Houlihan** » Sun Jun 27, 2004 6:06 pm

Well, there were the SS-Infanterie Regimenten stationed there just before the war started. However, when the war started, they were in Finland. I believe the detachment at Kirkenes may have been there a little longer as a security measure, but that unit was disbanded as well.

Björn · Post by **Björn** » Mon Jun 28, 2004 12:42 pm

Hello!
Correct, and not so correct in another manner, as the regiments you are refering to, were from so-called "Totenkopf-Standarten". Those were light infantry, poorly military trained, and poorly equipped. Later, as we know, these rgts became the cores of the 6th SS´s infantry elements. That was not in Norway, and they were not stationed here either.

If "ak74u" would specify the question; it would be easier to answer. Of course there were Waffen SS soldiers in Norway, but not in combat formations.

B.

B Hellqvist · Post by **B Hellqvist** » Tue Jun 29, 2004 9:32 am

The 6th SS-Gebirgsjäger Division "Nord" passed through Norway en route from Finland to Denmark late in 1944. OK, they weren't posted to Norway, but at least they were there for a short while.

ak74u · Post by **ak74u** » Fri Jul 02, 2004 1:19 pm

Was'nt there a SS regiment at Rjukan for protection of the heavywater plant. I belive they where sent there after the sabotage attack

Björn · Post by **Björn** » Wed Jul 07, 2004 12:42 am

Hello!
Yes, the 6th SS did pass through Norway, but I got the impression that the question was on Waffen SS units stationed in Norway, not those who passed.
At Rjukan there were, apart from the German forces, men from "Hirdens Bedriftsvern" (HBV), and they are not regarded as SS.

Bjørn!

agricola · Post by **agricola** » Mon Apr 25, 2005 4:28 am

What funny is that the 23rd SS Pz-Gren. Regiment 'Norge', of which my Opa was a rifleman, was meant to be a unit of Norwegen volenteers, but it was set up in Croatia and consisted of mostly Yugoslavians, such as my grandfather.

Frank.

Björn · Post by **Björn** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 1:13 pm

Hello!

"What funny is that the 23rd SS Pz-Gren. Regiment 'Norge', of which my Opa was a rifleman, was meant to be a unit of Norwegen volenteers, but it was set up in Croatia and consisted of mostly Yugoslavians, such as my grandfather."

Well, there were quite a lot of Norwegians in "Norge", even if many preferred to serve in "Schijägerbtl Norge" instead.

It is not correct that the unit consisted of mostly Yugoslavians, as about 50% were Germans, and - apart for the Norwegians - most of the rest were "Volksdeutsche" (often referred to as Banat-Germans or "Siebenburger".

B

agricola · Post by **agricola** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 5:02 pm

Sorry, I didn't mean mostly, I meant there were a lot... In ratio to the Norwegians, anyway (for a supposedly 'Norwegian' unit).

I believe the bulk of the Norwegian volenteers in the war were in the Skijager battalion. Can anyone verify this?

Cheers.

Frank.

Jason Long · Post by **Jason Long** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 5:40 pm

Totenkopf-Standarten 6, 7 and 9 were all stationed in Norway after the conquest of that country until sent to Finland.

Jason

KlemenL · Post by **KlemenL** » Sun May 01, 2005 4:58 pm

"What funny is that the 23rd SS Pz-Gren. Regiment 'Norge', of which my Opa was a rifleman, was meant to be a unit of Norwegen volenteers, but it was set up in Croatia and consisted of mostly Yugoslavians, such as my grandfather."

Agricola, where (was) is your grandfather from? Was he a Croatian Volksdeutsche or Banater German? I didn't know that many of them have ended in the 23rd SS Pz-Gren. Regiment 'Norge'.

Totenkopf-Standarten 6, 7 and 9 were all stationed in Norway after the conquest of that country until sent to Finland.

Jason, can you tell me more about these Totenkopf-Standarten? I am looking for some info about which German units conducted the occupation of Northern Norway from June 1940 to June 1941. What I mean here, to be more precise, are the names of the first German units which have entered and occupied the northern parts of Norway (Harstad, Kirkenes, Tromsø, Vardø, Tana bro, Karasjok, Lakselv, Hammerfest, Alta etc.) after Norway had surrendered itself in 1940?

Jason Long · Post by **Jason Long** » Mon May 02, 2005 8:30 am

KlemenL,
Right now I can only confirm that 9. SS-Inf-Rgt. was sent to Kirkenes/Vardö as SS-Totenkopf-Standarte K in 1940 and later expanded into a full regiment. According to my map of German units in Norway for 12 Dec 40 SS-TK-Standarten 6 and 7 were deployed in the far south of Norway in Drammen and Sandefjord at that time.

It must have been elements of 2. and 3. Gebirgs Divisionen that occupied northern Norway/Finnmark after the Allies abandoned Narvik.

Jason

Björn · Post by **Björn** » Tue May 03, 2005 2:07 am

Hello!

"I believe the bulk of the Norwegian volenteers in the war were in the Skijager battalion. Can anyone verify this?"

Well, there were Norwegians in very many units, but often serving as individuals. If you are referring to almost "norwegian" units, the Norwegian Legion with 1900 men (totally) probably was the largest. Then the Skibatallion, Wiking etc.

B

KlemenL · Post by **KlemenL** » Tue May 03, 2005 4:10 pm

Right now I can only confirm that 9. SS-Inf-Rgt. was sent to Kirkenes/Vardö as SS-Totenkopf-Standarte K in 1940 and later expanded into a full regiment.

Thank you for this info, Jason. However what I wanted to know here is when did these SS-Standarte arrived in Northern Norway? or let me re-phrase my question differently: Which German units arrived in Northern Norway after Norway's surrender and which units were this? I know that harstad was occupied by a force from the 3rd Gebirgs-Division, but what about other towns in extreme north like Hammerfest, Kirkenes, Alta, Lakselv and especially Karasjok? When did Germans take over these places?

Also why weren't Spitsberge Islands immediately occupied by the Germans? The Island of Jan Mayen - if I am not mistaken - housed a small German weather station, which was then soon destroyed by the British..

It must have been elements of 2. and 3. Gebirgs Divisionen that occupied northern Norway/Finnmark after the Allies abandoned Narvik.

Well, certainly not by the 3rd Gebirgs-Division. I think they moved to the Northern Norway (Kirkenes-Neiden area) just spring 1941, only several months before the operation "Barbarossa".

Thanks again for your reply.