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The 3rd SS Panzer Division ''Totenkopf'' (Skull and Crossbones), also known during its existence as the 3rd SS Panzergrenadier Division ''Totenkopf'' or the 3rd SS Division ''Totenkopf'', was one of 38 divisions of the ''Waffen-SS'' – the armed wing of the German Nazi Party that served alongside the Wehrmacht army during World War II without being formally part of it. Prior to achieving division status, the formation was known as ''Kampfgruppe'' (battlegroup) "Eicke". The division is infamous due to its insignia and the fact that most of the initial enlisted soldiers were SS-''Totenkopfverbände'' (SS concentration camp guards), and as such it is sometimes referred to as the "Death's Head Division". Members of the division participated in several war crimes. The ''Totenkopf'' division was one of the "Germanic" divisions of the ''Waffen''-SS. These included 1st SS Panzer Division ''Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler'', 2nd SS Panzer Division ''Das Reich'', and 5th SS Panzer Division ''Wiking''. ==Formation and ''Fall Gelb (Case Yellow)''== The SS Division ''Totenkopf'' was formed in October 1939. The ''Totenkopf'' was initially formed from concentration camp guards of the 1st (''Oberbayern''), 2nd (''Brandenburg'') and 3rd (''Thüringen'') ''Standarten'' (regiments) of the ''SS-Totenkopfverbände,'' and soldiers from the ''SS-Heimwehr "Danzig"''. The division had officers from the ''SS-Verfügungstruppe'' (''SS-VT''), of whom many had already seen action in Poland. The division was commanded by ''SS-Obergruppenführer'' Theodor Eicke. Through the Battle of France, the division was generally equipped with ex-Czech weapons.〔Niehorster, Leo W. G. ''German World War II Organizational Series, Vol. 2/II: Mechanized GHQ units and Waffen-SS Formations (10 May 1940)'', 1990〕 Having missed the Polish campaign, ''Totenkopf'' was initially held in reserve during the assault into France and the Low Countries in May 1940. The division was committed on 16 May to the front in Belgium, where it suffered heavy casualties. Later, to the northeast of Cambrai the division took 16,000 French prisoners. Whilst subsequently trying to drive through to the coast they encountered a major Anglo-French force which they had difficulty stopping and came close to panic. ''Totenkopf'' fired field artillery against tanks and were saved only by the intervention of Luftwaffe dive-bombers. It then suffered heavy losses during the taking of the La Bassée Canal. Further stiff resistance was then encountered at Béthune and Le Paradis. The Le Paradis massacre was a war crime committed by members of the 14th Company, ''SS Division Totenkopf'', under the command of ''Hauptsturmführer'' Fritz Knöchlein. It took place on 27 May 1940, during the Battle of France ''Fall Gelb'', at a time when the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was attempting to retreat through the Pas-de-Calais region during the Battle of Dunkirk. The French surrender found the division located near the Spanish border, where it was to stay, resting and refitting, until April 1941. ''Totenkopf'' had suffered heavy losses during the campaign, including over 300 officers. Replacement personnel came from ''Waffen-SS'' recruits, as opposed to from the camps. Flak and artillery battalions were added to its strength. Local vehicles were also commandeered from the French, much of the division's transport during ''Barbarossa'' was of French origin. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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