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The 5th SS Panzer Division ''Wiking'' was one of the elite Panzer divisions of the thirty eight ''Waffen SS'' divisions. It was recruited from foreign volunteers in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, the Netherlands and Belgium under the command of German officers. During the course of World War II, the division progressed from a motorised infantry formation to a ''Panzer division'' and served on the Eastern Front during World War II. It surrendered in May 1945 to the advancing American forces in Austria. ==Formation and training== After the success of the ''Infanterie-Regiment (mot.) "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"'', ''SS-Verfügungs-Division'' (later renamed ''Das Reich'') and the ''SS-Division "Totenkopf"'' during the early war campaigns in Poland and the West, it was decided to expand the number of ''Waffen SS'' divisions. Due to the influx of foreign volunteers, particularly from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands and Belgium, a decision was made to form a volunteer division of the ''Waffen SS'' under the command of German officers.〔Ripley, p. 51〕〔McNab, pp. 167, 178〕 This formation, originally organised as the ''Nordische Division'' (''Nr. 5''), was to be made up of Nordic volunteers mixed with ethnic German ''Waffen SS'' veterans. To this end, the ''SS'' Infantry Regiment ''Germania'' in the ''SS-Verfügungs-Division'' was transferred in late 1940 and used as the nucleus of a new division.〔Ripley, p. 52〕〔McNab, p. 167〕 In December 1940, the new ''SS'' motorised formation, was to be designated SS-Division (mot.) "Germania", but after its formative period, the name was changed, to ''SS-Division (mot.) "Wiking".'' in January 1941.〔Stein, p. 107〕 The division was formed around three motorised infantry regiments: ''Germania''; formed mostly from ethnic Germans; ''Westland'', consisting mainly of Dutch and Flemish volunteers; and ''Nordland'', composed mostly of Danes, Norwegians and Swedes.〔 Command of the newly formed division was given to ''Brigadeführer'' Felix Steiner,〔Ripley, p. 53〕 the former commander of the ''Verfügungstruppe SS Regiment "Deutschland"''. After formation the division was sent to Heuberg in Germany for training and by April 1941, ''SS Division "Wiking"'' was deemed ready for combat. It was ordered east in mid-May, to take part with Army Group South's advance into the Ukraine during Operation ''Barbarossa'', (the invasion of the Soviet Union).〔McNab, p. 178〕 In June 1941 the Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the ''Waffen-SS'' was formed from volunteers from that country. After training, this unit was attached to the ''SS Regiment "Nordland"'' in January 1942. About 430 Finns who were veterans of the Winter War served within the ''SS Division "Wiking"'' division since the beginning of Operation ''Barbarossa''. In spring 1943, the Finnish battalion was withdrawn and replaced by the Estonian infantry battalion "Narwa". 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「5th SS Panzer Division Wiking」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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