Published in „Siegrunen“ Magazine – Volume XI, Number 3, Whole Number 65,
Spring 1998
Photos provided by Erik Rundkvist
To the ancient Norse, the mythic locale of Thule was known as the northernmost habitable place in the world. The name was later given to a town in Greenland. But on 14 December 1941 the title „Thule“ was bestowed upon an obscure independent Waffen-SS infantry regiment as a „battle honor” by the German Führer Adolf Hitler. Forged from diverse elements and struggling somewhat at first, the SS Hgt. „Thule” eventually gained a solid combat reputation in battles above the Arctic Circle and on the Volkhov Front in 1941 and 1942. It would later be reformed as a „rapid rifle“ regiment and be absorbed by the 3.SS-Panzer Division „Totenkopf“, and its title would briefly be borne by the SS- Panzergrenadier Rgt. 5, (in early 1944), before ultimately disappearing from the scene.
„Thule“ had its roots in the SS-Totenkopf Standarten 5 and 9, but it also absorbed elements of the SS-Standarte „Germania“ and the famous „Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler“. The unit came about following the German conquest of Norway in April 1940. The effort to guard Norway’s enormous coastline and borders proved to be a difficult task. German Army mountain troops were thinly spread over the vast region of Arctic Norway and the eastern portion of Finnmark Province, bordering on Finland and Russia, was particularly undermanned and vulnerable.
There was a great concern over the infiltration into Norway by terrorists and saboteurs sponsored by the British and their Norwegian exile puppet regime. And of course the Soviet Reds could never be trusted despite the existence of a „non-aggression“ pact. As a result, in June 1940 Adolf Hitler ordered the dispatch of a „reinforced SS infantry battalion” to Kirkenes in northeastern Norway on the Barents Sea, adjacent to the Soviet Union.
Thus, on 24 June 1940, the SS Main Office commenced the formation of the requested unit. Selected as its nucleus was the III. Btl./SS-“T“- Inf. Standarte 5, located at the SS Barracks in Stralsund under the command of SS-Obersturmbannführer (Lt. Col.) Reitz. This unit itself had only been recently formed and it consisted of mostly of partially-trained 18 and 19 year old recruits who had joined it in May 1940. To supplement the small battalion and bring it up to strength for its new assignment, the following additional elements were added:
Experienced NCO’s and men from the SS-“Totenkopf“ recruit training Standarte stationed at Stralsund.
An Infantry-Gun (dose support artillery) Platoon
Above: SS-Oberscharführer (Sgt.) Ulmer, a platoon leader in 5. Heavy Company/Sonder Btl. „Reitz“ on board the coastal patrol boat M/105 en route to Kirkenes on 14 July 1940.
the SS IG Replacement Company
SS-Standarte „Germania“in Hamburg.
An Anti-tank Platoon from the Anti-tank Replacement Detachment of the SS-Verfiigungstruppe.
A Motorized Transport Column from the „LSSAH“
By the end of June 1940, the reinforced battalion, under the designation SS-Sonderbataillons „Reitz“, (after its commander), was assembled and on 28 June 1940 was shipped from the port of Stettin, Germany to Oslo, Norway. Following its arrival in Oslo, the battalion was sent secretly by train north through Norway to the town of Mosjoen, just south of the Arctic Circle. Upon arrival at Mosjoen on 12 July 1940, the soldiers of SS-Sonder Btl. „Reitz: were transferred to small coast guard vessels of the German Navy which carried them the rest of the way to Kirkenes, following closely to the rugged Norwegian Arctic Sea coast in the process.
The battalion, with a strength of 13 officers, 62 NCO’s and 871 men, (total strength: 946), arrived at its destination on 16 July 1940. It was initially selected to serve as a reserve and replacement unit for the SS- „T“ Standarten 6 and 7, which had been in Norway since early May 1940. These regiments would later form the nucleus for SS-Kampfgruppe
Above: Men of the light infantry gun platoon of 5th Heavy Company/SS-Sonder Btl. Reitz after arriving in northern Norway, August 1940. Some of them wear the SS-Standarte „Germania“ collar patch with the numeral ‘2’ on it.
„Nord“ and the 6.SS-Gebirgs Div. „Nord“. However the Sonderbataillon remained independent of those two regiments. It instead came under the jurisdiction of the Higher SS and Police Leader for Norway, (SS- Gruppenführer Wilhelm Rediess), but was under the daily operational control of the regular army Gebirgs Korps „Norwegen“, (Mountain Corps „Norway“).
Soon after its arrival in Kirkenes, the Sonderbataillon was redesignated SS-Totenkopf Bataillon „K“ (for Kirkenes). But to further complicate matters it was also known as the SS-Totenkopf Bataillon „Norwegen”. One of the unit’s first tasks was to observe and help supervise the peaceful dissolution of the still intact Royal Norwegian Army garrison for Finnmark in Kirkenes. The battalion was then given a security sector to man around Tana and Jacobselven, about 100 kilometers to the west of Kirkenes proper in the Tana Fiord peninsula.
With an eye to the threat posed by the Soviet Union, it was decided by higher authorities to further reinforce the German troop strength in the Norwegian Arctic in August 1940. As a result, the SS Main Office ordered the enlargement of SS-T-Btl. „K“ to a full Standarte (Regment), to take effect on 1 September 1940. The second battalion for the SS-T- Standarte ”K“ was then formed at the Posen-Treskau SS Training Camp under SS-Sturmbannführer (Major) Paul Herms, (born 29 September 1903/SS Nr. 129135), who would later be killed in action as an SS- Standartenführer (Col.), leading the Waffen-Grenadier Rgt. der SS 31 of the 14.Waffen-Grenadier Division der SS (Ukrainian Nr.1) at the battle of Brody in July 1944. Most of ll./SS-T-Standarte „K“‘s troops came from the newly dissolved SS-T-Standarte 12 but others came from the
Above: SS-Gruppenführer Wilhelm Rediess, the Higher SS and Police Leader for Norway with an unknown Standartenführer and a German Police Officer.
Training and Replacment Battalion of SS-Standarte „Der Führer“ stationed at Graz-Wetzelsdorf and from the SS-Standarte „Germania“, which provided another Infantry Gun Platoon.
With the establishment of a second battalion, a regimental commander was required. Selected for this position was SS-Obersturmbannführer Ernst Deutsch, (born 5 July 1906/SS Nr.6116), who had been commanding III. Btl. of SS-“T“ Standarte 7, which was also serving in Norway. Deutsch would later become a longtime regimental commander in 7.SS-Gebrigs Div. „Prinz Eugen“.
II. Battalion traveled to Stettin from Posen-Treskau in the course of 25/26 September 1940. From here it was placed on a troop ship for the Swedish port of Lulea. The troops were then sent on a two-day railroad trip across Sweden to the Norwegian town of Narvik, which was reached on 5 October 1940. Since Sweden was a „neutral“ country, troop moving activity had to be kept secret. From the town of Narvik, II. Battalion was transported by the German Navy to Kirkenes, which was reached three days later on 8 October 1940.
After the disembarkation of II. Battalion in Kirkenes, the new regiment was fully established and the SS-Sonderbataillon „K“ („Reitz“/“Norwegen“) became I. Btl./SS-’T’-Standarte „K”. The regiment was now made responsible for the defense of the Varanger Peninsula and the Tana Fiord (to the west) and the Varanger Fiord (to the east). II. Btl. was given a security zone on the eastern part of the peninsula from Vardö to Vadsö. The regiment’s mission was to guard against enemy landings and protect shore facilities and strategic locations.
SS-“T“-Stan. „K“ was then further reinforced over the next several weeks. On 15 October 1940, a half-platoon from the SS Flak-MG (2cm) Company at Arolsen was assigned to the regiment and this was followed by a light field howitzer battery from the SS-Artillery Replacement Rgt. at Berlin-Lichterfelde West under SS-Untersturmführer (2nd Lt.) Nickmann. The most important new contribution to the regiment came in November, when the entire regimental staff of the 9. SS-’T’-Standarte in Prague was dissolved (ordered on 12 November; taking effect on 15 November), and reassigned to SS-“T“-Stan. „K“. Along with this staff came the signals platoon from 9. SS-“T”-Standarte and a band (music platoon) from the 15.SS-“T-Standarte. These elements were assembled in Berlin on 15 November 1940 and then sent from there on a long journey to Kirkenes.
Ostubaf. Deutsch was now replaced as the regimental commander by SS-Staf. Wilhelm Sacks, (SS Nr. 365192), although Deutsch would eventually reassume command. Staf. Sacks would later be killed in action leading the SS-lnf.Rgt.8/1.SS-lnf.Brigade (Motorized) in Russia. With the addition of the staff from 9.SS-“T“-Standarte, the SS-’T“- Standarte „K“ now also assumed the regimental number „9“, becoming SS-“T“-Standarte 9 („K“), and that would not be its last title change! On 27 January 1941, the SS Main Office approved a third battalion for the regiment effective 1 February 1941, and following this the regimental title changed twice, becoming 9.SS-Standarte on 8 February 1941 (on paper) and finally becoming the SS-Infanterie Rgt. 9 (Motorized) in March 1941.
During the winter months, I. Btl. was fully winterized and the men were equipped with snow shoes and skis. Special sleds were used for the machine-guns belonging to the 4th Heavy Weapons Company led by Ostuf. Sattler, (in the unit’s incarnation as an independent battalion, a 5th Company which was no longer in I. Btl., had been the ‘heavy weapons’ company). In March 1941, a motorcycle messenger platoon was formed for the regiment from the SS-Motorcycle Replacement Btl. at Ellwangen; it arrived in Kirkenes in April 1941. III. Btl. and a light field howitzer battery would not join the regiment until early May. In the meantime, on 24 April 1941, SS-IR 9 was temporarily assigned to the SS-Kampfgruppe „Nord“ (SS-IR 6 and SS-IR 7), and came under the tactical control of the 702nd Army Infantry Divison on 1 May 1941.
On 21 April 1941, the troop transport ship „Blendheim“ carrying 8.C0./SS-IR 6 in transit to Norway, burst into flames, killing 80 of the 144 men in the company. Because of this tragedy, the 12th Heavy Weapons Company from III./SS-IR 9 was redirected to join SS-IR 6 to serve as its new 8th Company and subsequently a new 12th Company was ordered to begin formation for SS-IR 9. The regiment was further supplemented by an engineer platoon in June 1941. Led by Ustuf. Eichhorn, it had originally served with the now defunct SS-“T“-Standarte 14 and had been assigned to the SS Replacement Btl. „Nord“ in Goslar. On 6 June 1941, the new 12./SS-IR 9 began forming at the SS Barracks in Stettin from troops belonging to the SS Guard Company „Obersalzburg“ under SS- Hstuf. Keidel.
Above: Three NCO’s from Sth Heavy Company/SS-Sonderbattailon. „Reitz“ in July 1940.
INTO ACTION
With the outbreak of the war against the Soviet Union, SS-IR 9 consisted of 3,071 men in three battalions stationed as follows: I. Btl. in Kirkenes; II. Btl. in Vardö; III. Btl. in Vardsö. All were engaged in the defense of coastal strongpoints. As of 15 June 1941, the regiment came under the direct control of the German Army. However the regimental assignment remained the same until 14 August 1941, when SS-IR 9 received its „marching orders“. It was to serve under Gebirgs Korps „Norwegen“ for the German offensive against Murmansk.
Initially only I.Btl. and a portion of the regimental staff, again led by Ostubaf. Deutsch, was readied for action. II. and III. Battalions had to remain on security duty respectively in Kirkenes and Vardsö until they could be relieved at a later date by Infantry Rgt. 193. The activated portion of the regiment was subordinated to 2nd Mountain Division on 21 August 1941, and I./SS-IR 9 was deployed in the Lvostari area near the juncture of the borders of Norway, Russia and Finland. The battalion was being led by SS-Stubaf. Dr. Eduard Deisenhofer, (Born 27 June 1909/SS Nr. 3642). Deisenhofer later received the Knight’s Cross while on duty with the 3.SS-Pz.Div. „Totenkopf”.
Above: Members of the light infantry gun platoon from SS-Sonderbataillon „Reitz“ in August 1940. This would later be part of 13th Co./SS-IR 9. The individual under the ‘X’ is SS-Mann Körner.
On 23 August 1941, l./SS-IR 9 received orders to attack the entrenched Soviets between the town of Liza and the „New Russian Highway“. This was part of a pincher assault to be carried out in conjunction with the Army Infantry Rgt. 388. Late in the day the order was countermanded and instead the SS battalion was ordered to proceed to the Salla area in Finnish Karelia via Rovaniemi. This was a 400 kilometer journey to the south. I./SS-IR 9 was then supposed to join l./SS-IR 7 (SS-KGr.“Nord), in reinforcing the 6th Finnish Division of the XXXVI. Army Corps in Kairala.
The battalion was
immediately trucked to the Kairala area, arriving on 26 August 1941, it was then
ordered to continue on along the road and railroad line to the east, towards
Alakurtti. I./SS-IR 9 reached Nurmitunturi and the road crossroads to the east
of Nurmijärvi on the 27th of August. The SS troops engaged in some skirmishing
with the enemy along the Ahkioja Creek on 28/29 August 1941 and this slowly grew
into a major battle. On 30 August, Stubaf. Deisenhofer personally led his men in
an attack on Soviet blocking positions to the west of Alakurtti. The Waffen-SS
soldiers succeeded in breaking through the enemy positions and managed to
recapture the former Finnish church- village of Tuntsajok. But it came at a
heavy price. During four days of fighting, the battalion had lost 2 officers and
50 NCO’s and men killed with another 52 NCO’s and men being wounded. It was a
very high ratio of killed to wounded and indicated a lack of combat experience
by these troops. Unfortunately this inexperience would be further demonstrated
in the days ahead.
The battalion, (along with SS-IR 7), received an official acknowledgment of its accomplishments from the Commanding General of XXXVI. Army Corps, General of the Cavalry Feige, on 4 September 1941 in an „order of the day“. I./SS-IR 9 was then sent back to the Lvostari area and placed in the Corps reserve. On 6 September 1941, the unit marched back to this area along both sides of the Parkkiva-Titova Road and went into bivouac between Hill 189.3 and the Finnish- Russian border. The rest of the regiment, which had been 300 kilometers away, was trucked down through the tundra before proceeding, partially on foot, to the general area of I. Battalion.
II. and III./SS-IR 9 arrived near the Titova Bridge in Karelia on 4 September 1941, and by the evening of 5 September had assumed battle readiness positions to the east of the Liza Bridge. During the evening the battalions received orders to launch an attack to expand the bridgehead east of the Liza Fiord to commence at 02:30 on the morning of 6 September. The regiment, led by Ostubaf. Deutsch, was fully under the operational control of the 2nd Gebirgs (Mountain) Division. III./SS-IR 9 was directed to make its attack from the end of the Lopatkina Road to the Lopatkina Bay, a few kilometers away. However persistent bad weather in the form of heavy rain, thick clouds and fog set in on the morning of 6 September and held back the proposed assault for two days. The bad weather hindered resupply efforts and troop movements.
On the evening of 7 September 1941, the inexperienced SS troops again went into readiness positions alongside the veteran Army Gebirgsjäger. Despite a resumption of foul weather, the attack got underway following an artillery „softening up“ bombardment at 03:00 on 8 Septermber 1941. Under the protection of the artillery, the troops moved out into the hills along the Liza Fiord. II./SS-IR 9, operating to the right of III./Gebirgsjäger Rgt. 136, made a very vigorous assault against well- entrenched enemy positions. The battalion soon lost an inordinate number of officers to enemy sharpshooters, but by 09:00, the Waffen-SS soldiers had broken through the enemy lines and seized the high ground objectives. The vital Hill 120 was taken by SS-IR 9, but only after extremely high casualties had been absorbed in the process.
However the enemy soon regrouped and counterattacked, causing the troops of II./SS-IR 9 to retreat in a disorganized manner. It was dear that the SS men had not had enough combat experience or training to hold up well under intense enemy pressure. The battalion withdrew to a point northeast of Lake Langer, where it was reinforced by an Army engineer company at 13:40 hours. A little later, at 14:10 hours, the battalion commander, Stubaf. Herms, received an urgent directive from 2nd Gebirgs Div. HQ to hold his position „under all circumstances!“.
A crisis also developed on the far left flank of 2nd Gebirgs Division at Hill 173.7, which had been taken in the morning by III./SS-IR 9. The regimental HQ had subsequentially relocated there. But during the evening of 8 September, the elite Soviet Guards Rgt. 205 attacked the position in force and drove back the members of III./SS-IR 9 in what was described as a „complete panic“. Ostubaf. Deutsch could not get his infantry troops stabalized, so he was forced to use members of the regimental staff along with the regimental reserve motorcycle platoon to try and stop the foe. These troops did the job and blocked of any further enemy advance. For his efforts and personal courage, Ostubaf. Deutsch received mention in the 2nd Gebirgs Div. war diary.
Above: Motor vehicle drivers (!) from 2JIJSS-IR 9 in combat readiness at Salla, Finland, August or September 1941.
The 9th of September saw improved weather conditions and the increasing attacks by Russian fighter planes („Ratas“) on German rear area positions, particularly those of the artillery and supply units. The soldiers of SS-IR 9 remained in place as the day began. III./SS-IR 9 was then removed from the control of Gebirgsjäger Rgt. 137 and was sent to occupy Hill 173.7 In the security sector known as „Green Top Hill“. The SS men from the regiment managed to repulse a number of enemy attacks in dose combat in the course of the day. II./SS-IR 9 was also ordered to mop-up the enemy remnants on Hill 120, a task it performed efficiently. In the late afternoon the two SS battalions were finally brought together and had to be combined into one, as III./SS-IR 9 had been reduced to a combat strength of only about 150 men. This reinforced battalion was designated the Regimental Gruppe „Deutsch“.
On 10 September 1941, Gruppe „Deutsch“ repulsed two strong Russian attacks. The SS-IR 9 main medical dressing station, under SS- Hstuf. Dr. Triendl, was now operating just behind the lines treating men from both the Army and SS units in the vicinity. During the next several days the German offensive led by 2nd Gebirgs Division continued, with Gruppe „Deutsch“ being given the task of protecting the left flank of the attacking battalions.
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