Special Sub-Topic: History of the Waffen-SS Click Here To Play: History of the Waffen-SS

Who formed the "Stosstrupp (shock troop) Adolf Hitler", the unit that later expanded into the SS?

Julius Schreck. Julius Schreck was Hitler's bodyguard and chaffeur. The "Stosstrupp Adolf Hitler" was formed in 1923 to protect Hitler at public events, and initially was a very small body of men and was a part of the SA (Stormtroopers).

Who originally put forward the name "Schutz-Staffel" ("protection squad") for this new organisation?

Hermann Goering. Goering got the name from the time he spent in Richthofen's fighter squadron at the end of World War I. The "Schutz-Staffel" were aircraft that flew escort duties for bomber aircraft over the front lines.

The SS-Verfugüngstruppe (SS-VT or "special disposal troop") was formed in October 1936. It initially comprised of the Leibstandarte, Deutschland and Germania standartes [Standarten] as well as the Totenkopfverbände battalions. Who was placed in overall command of these units?

Paul Hausser. Hausser was a former Reichswehr officer who had transferred to the SS. The SS-VT, the first officially armed section of the SS, later grew into the Waffen-SS and fought on almost every front in World War II.

Which was the only SS-Totenkopf unit to take an active part in the 1939 invasion of Poland?

SS-Heimwehr Danzig. SS-Heimwehr Danzig was a home defence unit that was used to capture vital installations in the port of Danzig.

On the 13th April 1941, an SS officer captured the Yugoslav capital Belgrade with only 10 men. Who was he?

Fritz Klingenberg. Klingenberg was awarded the Knight's Cross for this exploit while commanding the reconnaissance battalion of the "Das Reich" division. After arriving at the German embassy in Belgrade, he telephoned the city's mayor and told him he was the advance group of a large assault force. The mayor surrendered the city when Klingenberg threatened to call up a heavy air raid by the Luftwaffe. Klingenberg later went on to command the 17th SS Panzer-Grenadier division "Götz von Berlichingen". He was killed in action in April 1945.

Who was the first non-German, European volunteer in the Waffen-SS to win the Knight's cross?

Gerardes Mooyman. The Waffen-SS were restricted by the army in the number of German recruits they could enlist, so the SS began to recruit volunteers from the occupied countries of Europe to fight in the "crusade against Bolshevism". Thousands of men volunteered to fight in Russia from countries such as Holland, Denmark, Belgium, France, Norway, Italy, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, the Ukraine and Russia itself. Mooyman was an anti-tank gunner with the "Niederlande" volunteer legion. He destroyed 13 Russian T-34 tanks single-handed with his anti-tank gun, after the rest of his crew were killed or disabled.

The first SS division to face the Allied invasion in Normandy was the 12th SS panzer division "Hitlerjugend". But who was its commanding officer?

Fritz Witt. As its name implies, the "Hitlerjugend" division was formed from volunteers from the Hitler youth. It gained a reputation, by the Allies, as an exteremely tough unit in Normandy. It later fought in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. Fritz Witt was killed in action on the 14th June 1944 and the division was then taken over by the famous Kurt "Panzer" Meyer.

Who was the leading SS tank ace of World War II?

Michael Wittmann. Wittmann single-handedly stopped the advance of the British 7th Armoured division at Villers Bocage in Normandy with his lone Tiger tank on the 13th June 1944. At the end of the day, he had destroyed 23 tanks and a similar number of other vehicles. He was killed in action on the 8th August 1944. His total "kill" tally included 138 tanks and 132 anti-tank guns.

Who commanded the defences of the "Zitadelle" (Citadel) area of Berlin in April/May 1945?

Wilhelm Mohnke. Mohnke failed in his mission to defend the Reichs Chancellery and the Reichstag from the Russians. He was captured by the Russians on the 2nd May 1945 after he led an attempted breakout towards the British lines.

In December 1944, Kampfgruppe Peiper smashed through the American lines in the Ardennes and headed for Antwerp. Where did its journey finally end in disaster?

La Gleize. Kampfgruppe Peiper were forced to destroy all their tanks and heavy equipment in the small village of La Gleize after they had run out of fuel. They managed to break through the surrounding American forces and reached German lines, but the unit was finished as an effective fighting force.