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Allgemeine-SS regional commands

See "Waffen-SS divisions" for the Waffen-SS order of battle

The Allgemeine-SS regional commands were titled SS-Oberabschnitte (SS Main Districts) and first were established on November 16, 1933. They replaced the earlier command structure composed of five SS-Gruppen and comprised the regional component of the Allgemeine-SS command structure. They reported to the SS-Amt (SS Office), in 1935 renamed the SS-Hauptamt (SS Main Office). Their commanders carried the title of SS-Oberabschnitte Führer and usually held the rank of SS-Gruppenführer or SS-Obergruppenführer. Beginning in November 1937, when the Higher SS and Police Leaders were established, the SS-Oberabschnitte were subordinated to them. However, in nearly every instance, the SS-Oberabschnitt Führer held both positions simultaneously. The Oberabschnitt Führer's staff was headed by a Stabschef (Chief of Staff) who oversaw departments encompassing administration, training, personnel, medical affairs, as well as specialty units such as signals and engineer battalions.[1]

SS-Oberabschnitte in 1944 are displayed in the third inset of the top row, right.

These regional commands originally existed only in Germany and Austria and generally conformed to the existing Wehrkreis (Military Districts) of the Wehrmacht. During the Second World War, additional Oberabschnitte were established for six conquered areas (Baltic States & Byelorussia, Bohemia and Moravia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Ukraine). Other occupied territories, however, did not have Oberabschnitte established, and SS personnel there were directly under the jurisdiction of the Higher SS and Police Leader for that area. By 1944, there were a total of 23 active Oberabschnitte.[2]

Oberabschnitte Commands

The following table lists, by date of formation, the existing Oberabschnitte commands that were established from November 1933 through April 1944.[3][4]

Final Designation Headquarters Years of Operation Last permanent commander Notes
Elbe Dresden November 16, 1933 – May 8, 1945 SS-Gruppenführer
Ludolf von Alvensleben		 Part of former SS-Gruppen Ost and Südost
Renamed Mitte June 1934 – April 1936.
Wehrkreis IV
Mitte Braunschweig November 16, 1933 – May 8, 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer
Rudolf Querner		 Part of former SS-Gruppe Nord.
Formed as Oberabschnitt Nordwest.
Renamed Mitte April 1, 1936.
Wehrkreis XI
Nord Hamburg November 16, 1933 – April 1, 1936 SS-Obergruppenführer Werner Lorenz
 Part of former SS-Gruppe Nord.
Divided into SS-Oberabschnitte Nord (later Ostsee) and Nordwest (later Nordsee).
Wehrkreise II & X.
Spree Berlin November 16, 1933 – May 8, 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer
Sepp Dietrich[notes 1]		 Part of former SS-Gruppe Ost.
Formed as Oberabschnitt Ost. Renamed Spree November 14,1939.
Wehrkreis III
Süd Munich November 16, 1933 – April 20, 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer
Karl von Eberstein		 Part of former SS-Gruppe Süd.
Wehrkreis VII
Südost Brieg;
Breslau		 November 16, 1933 – May 8, 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer
Richard Hildebrandt		 Former SS-Gruppe Südost.
Wehrkreis VIII
Südwest Stuttgart November 16, 1933 – May 8, 1945 SS-Gruppenführer
Otto Hofmann		 Part of former SS-Gruppe Süd.
Wehrkreis V
West Düsseldorf November 16, 1933 – May 8, 1945 SS-Gruppenführer
Karl Gutenberger		 Part of former SS-Gruppe West.
Wehrkreis VI
Nordost Königsberg December 15, 1933 – May 8, 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer
Hans-Adolf Prützmann[notes 2]		 Part of former SS-Gruppe Ost.
Formed from a portion of Oberabschnitt Nord.
Wehrkreis I
Rhein Koblenz January 1, 1934 – September 11, 1943 SS-Gruppenführer
Theodor Berkelmann		 Part of former SS-Gruppe West.
Formed from a portion of Oberabschnitt West.
Merged with Westmark in September 1943 to form Oberabschnitt Rhein-Westmark.
Wehrkreis XII
Donau Vienna February 15, 1934 – May 8, 1945 SS-Gruppenführer
Walter Schimana		 Formed as Oberabschnitt Österreich.
Renamed Donau May 1938.
Wehrkreis XVII
Main Nuremberg April 1, 1936 – May 8, 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer
Benno Martin		 Formed from a portion of Oberabschnitt Süd.
Wehrkreis XIII
Nordsee Altona April 1, 1936 – May 8, 1945 SS-Gruppenführer
Georg-Henning Graf von Bassewitz-Behr
Formed from division of the first Oberabschnitt Nord and named Nordwest.
Renamed Nordsee April 20, 1940.
Wehrkreis X
Ostsee Stettin April 1, 1936 – May 8, 1945 SS-Gruppenführer
Emil Mazuw
Formed from division of the first Oberabschnitt Nord and also named Nord.
Renamed Ostsee February 1, 1940.
Wehrkreis II
Fulda-Werra Arolsen January 1, 1937 – May 8, 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer
Josias Erbprinz zu Waldeck-Pyrmont		 Formed from portions of Oberabschnitte Rhein & Elbe.
Wehrkreis IX
Alpenland Salzburg June 1, 1939 – May 8, 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer
Erwin Rösener[notes 3]		 Formed from a portion of Oberabschnitt Donau.
Wehrkreis XVIII
Warthe Posen October 26, 1939 – May 8, 1945 SS-Gruppenführer
Willy Schmelcher		 Oberabschnitt in Wartheland.
Wehrkreis XXI
Weichsel Danzig November 9, 1939 – May 8, 1945 SS-Gruppenführer
Fritz Katzmann		 Oberabschnitt in Danzig-West Prussia.
Wehrkreis XX
Nord Oslo April 20, 1940 – May 8, 1945 SS-Gruppenführer
Wilhelm Rediess		 Oberabschnitt in Reichskommissariat Norwegen.
Third Oberabschittt named Nord.
Nordwest The Hague May 23, 1940 – May 8, 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer
Hanns Albin Rauter		 Oberabschnitt in Reichskommissariat Niederlande.
Westmark Saarbrücken; Neustadt; Metz August 1, 1940 – September 11, 1943 SS-Gruppenführer
Theodor Berkelmann		 Formed as Oberabschnitt Lothringen-Saarpfalz. Renamed Westmark October 15, 1941.
Merged with Rhein in September 1943 to form
Oberabschnitt Rhein-Westmark.
Wehrkreis XII
Ostland Riga December 1, 1941 – March 3, 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer
Friedrich Jeckeln		 Oberabschnitt in Reichskommissariat Ostland.
Ukraina Kiev December 1, 1941 – April 20, 1944 SS-Obergruppenführer
Hans-Adolf Prützmann		 Oberabschnitt in Reichskommissariat Ukraine.
Ost Krakau September 15, 1942 – May 8, 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer
Wilhelm Koppe		 Oberabschnitt in the General Government.
Rhein-Westmark Wiesbaden September 11, 1943 – March 24, 1945 SS-Gruppenführer
Jürgen Stroop		 Formed by merger of
Oberabschnitte Rhein and Westmark.
Wehrkreis XII
Böhmen-Mähren Prague April 1, 1944 – May 8, 1945 SS-Obergruppenführer
Karl Hermann Frank[notes 4]		 Oberabschnitt in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

Notes

  1. ^ From November 1939, SS-Gruppenführer Max Schneller substituted for Dietrich who continued to hold titular command.
  2. ^ From December 1944, SS-Gruppenführer Otto Hellwig substituted for Prützmann who continued to hold titular command.
  3. ^ From November 1944, SS-Brigadeführer Hermann Harm substituted for Rösener who continued to hold titular command.
  4. ^ From February 1945, SS-Oberführer Emanuel Sladek substituted for Frank who continued to hold titular command.

References

  1. ^ Yerger 1997, pp. 82–83.
  2. ^ McNab 2009, p. 41.
  3. ^ Yerger 1997, pp. 83–115.
  4. ^ McNab 2009, pp. 34–35.

Sources

  • McNab, Chris (2009). The SS: 1923–1945. London: Amber Books. ISBN 978-1-90662-649-5.
  • Yerger, Mark C. (1997). Allgemeine-SS: The Commands, Units and Leaders of the General SS. Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-7643-0145-4.

Further reading

  • Höhne, Heinz (2001) [1969]. The Order of the Death's Head: The Story of Hitler's SS. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-14139-012-3.
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