SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade France
| SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade "France" | |
|---|---|
| Brigade d'Assault des Volontaires Français Französische S.S. Freiwilligen Sturmbrigade | |
| Active | July 1943–September 1944 |
| Country |  Vichy France |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch |  Waffen-SS |
| Type | Infantry brigade |
| Size | 1,688 men (June 1944[1])[a] |
| Nickname(s) | Brigade Frankreich |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Paul Gamory-Dubourdeau |
The SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade "France" (Template:Lang-de, Template:Lang-fr), most commonly known as Brigade Frankreich, was a unit of the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II. It was formed in 1943 after a change in the admission standards of the Waffen-SS allowed Frenchmen to enlist for the first time. After training in Alsace, the brigade served on the Eastern front before merging with the survivors of the LVF to form the "Charlemagne" Division.
Formation
The Assault Brigade was formed in July 1943 as the Französische SS-Freiwilligen Sturmbrigade, it was established following a decree enabling direct enlistment of Frenchmen within the Waffen-SS, and a subsequent recruiting drive took place in the Zone Libre.[2] The training took place at the camp of Sennheim (now Cernay, in Alsace) under former Swiss army instructor SS Major Heinrich Hersche. Lieutenant Colonel Paul Marie Gamory-Dubourdeau, received a commission as major at the end of the training and returned to the brigade as its commander. By early 1944, five infantry companies of 200 men each were formed.[2]
On 29 July 1944, under the command of former militia leader Captain Pierre Cance, the first battalion was sent to Galicia on the Russian Front;[3] in August it was attached as a reinforcement to the 18th SS Division "Horst Wessel".[4] In less than two weeks the brigade lost about one hundred men in combat.[3]
In September 1944 it was merged with the Legion of French Volunteers (L.V.F), which went on to form the core of a Waffen Grenadier Division known as the Charlemagne Waffen SS Division.[5]
Commanders
Notes
References
- ^ a b Forbes 2010, p. 62.
- ^ a b c Forbes 2010, p. 55.
- ^ a b Carrard 2017, p. 80.
- ^ Forbes 2010, p. 66.
- ^ Littlejohn 1987, p. 161.
Sources
- Forbes, Robert (2010) [2006]. For Europe: The French Volunteers of the Waffen-SS. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3581-0.
- Littlejohn, David (1987). Foreign Legions of the Third Reich Vol. 1 Norway, Denmark, France. Bender Publishing. ISBN 978-0912138176.
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