SS Squad advancing cautiously – Kampfgruppe Hansen

Waffen SS Panzer Grenadier Squad advancing cautiously

8 metal figures for German Waffen SS Panzer Grenadier Squad advancing cautiously in winter order:

Machine Gun Team:

• NCO with camo smock (second type), M43 cap, advancing with MP40 sub-machine gun.
• LMG gunner with reversible quilted suit, M43 cap, advancing with MG42 machine gun on shoulder.
• Ammunition loader with camo smock (second type), advancing with Kar98 rifle.

Panzer Grenadier Squad:

• Corporal with camo smock (second type), helmet with camo cover, advancing with StG44 assault rifle.
• Private First with camo smock (first type), helmet with camo cover, kneeling at ready with G43 automatic rifle.
• Grenadier with reversible quilted suit, helmet with camo cover, standing at ready with Kar98 rifle.
• Grenadier with reversible quilted suit, advancing with Kar98 rifle.
• AT specialist with reversible quilted suit, helmet with camouflage cover, standing at ready with Panzerfaust and Kar98 rifle.

The miniature figures of the Waffen SS Panzer Grenadier Squad advancing cautiously are inspired by the famous film shot by an SS propaganda team on December 18 during the opening fights of the Battle of the Bulge. The footage captures the advance of the SS troops on the secondary roads through the Belgian forests and also includes the ambush on the Poteau to Recht road by the Kampfgruppe Hansen to the 14th US Cavalry Group. Probably these 4 rolls of film, which ended up in the hands of the 3rd American Armored Division a few days later, constitute the best known graphic document of this battle.

The Battle of the Bulge

Officially codenamed “Wacht am Rhein” or Guard on the Rhine, the German counteroffensive in the Ardennes in December 1944 is considered to be the last major operation on the Western Front designed by the German High Command capable of changing the course of the war in Europe. Indeed it was designed to deal a decisive blow by launching a surprise attack on the weak American lines in the very Belgian forests of the Ardennes, which in fact facilitated the conquest of the Netherlands and France during the Blitzkrieg of 1940.

Kampfgruppe Hansen and the VI Panzer Army

The Kampfgruppe Hansen was one of the 4 battle groups or Kampfgruppen of the 1st Panzer Division Leibstandarte of the Waffen SS during the Battle of the Bulge. The unit was commanded by SS-Standartenführer Max Hansen who was the commander of the First SS Regiment of Tank Grenadiers of the First SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte “Adolf Hitler”. This elite armored division was also commanded by SS-Oberführer Wilhelm Monhke and was part of the First SS Panzer Corps commanded by SS-Gruppenführer Herman Priess.

Additionally this armored corps also included the sister division 12th SS Panzer Division “Hitler Jugend”. Both divisions, as well several support units attached for the operation, also formed a powerful armored corps that was integrated into the 6th Panzer Army under the command of SS-Oberstgruppenführer Josep “Sepp” Dietrich. Consequently, this army was in charge of the northern sector of the Teutonic offensive with the mission of quickly overcoming the vulnerable American lines to capture the bridges over the Meuse River before their destruction. These bridges were therefore the key to ensuring a rapid advance to take the strategic port of Antwerp, which was in fact the final objective of the German attack, but without them the offensive would be doomed to failure.

Order of Battle for the Kampfgruppe Hansen in December 1944

The Kampfgruppe Hansen in December 1944 was finally constituted by the bulk of the motorized infantry in trucks of the Leisbtandarte division and therefore was organized as follows:

• I Battalion of the 1st SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment.
• 13 Assault Gun Company (Sturmgeschütz Kompanie) of the 1st SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, with 6 self-propelled Sd.Kfz. 138/1 Ausf. M “Grille” with 15 cm. guns.
• 14 Flak Kompanie of the 1st SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, with 12 Flak 2 cm antiaircraft guns.
• 15 sapper company (Pionier Kompanie) of the 1st SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment.
• II Battalion of the 1st SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment.
• III Battalion of the 1st SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment.
• IV Battalion of the 1st SS Artillery Regiment, with 6 15 cm. towed field guns.
• First SS Panzer Rocket Launcher Group with 18 x 15 cm Nebelwerfer and 6 x 6 cm Nebelwerfer, all towed.
• First SS Panzerjäeger Abteilung, with 20 Sd.Kfz.162/1 Jagdpanzer IV/70 “Lang” and 11 towed 7.5 cm Pak 40 anti-tank guns.

Related Links

• Sdkfz 251/3 Ausf. D Funkpanzerwagen, Kampfgruppe Peiper
• Sdkfz 251/9 Ausf. D Stummel, Kampfgruppe Peiper

Bibliography

• The battle of the Bulge, Then and Now – Jean-Paul Pallud
• Men of Steel, I Panzer Corp. The Ardennes and Eastern Front 1944 – 45 – Michael Reynolds
• The Ardennes Offensive VI Panzer Armee, Northern Sector – Bruce Quarrie
• Waffen-SS Uniforms in Colour Photographs – Andrew Steven & Peter Amodio
• Ardennes 1944: Peiper and Skorzenny – Colour plates by Ron Volstad y David Parker