33rd Waen Grenadier Division of the SS

Charlemagne (1st French)

The 33rd Waen Grenadier Division of the SS
Charlemagne (1st French) and Charlemagne Regiment
are collective names used for units of French volunteers in
the Wehrmacht and later Waen-SS during World War II.
From estimates of 7,400 to 11,000 at its peak in 1944,[2]
the strength of the division fell to just sixty men in May
1945.
They were one of the last German units to see action during World War II, when they participated in the defence
of central Berlin and the Fhrerbunker. They were among
the last to surrender during the nal days of the Battle in
Berlin.

Formation and history

The Charlemagne division was formed in 1944, combining troops serving in other French units of the German
armed forces, as well as from the paramilitary FrancGarde of the Milice.[3] Its crest is a representation of the
dual empire of Charlemagne, which united the Franks in
what would become France and Germany. The Imperial
eagle on the dexter side represents East Francia (Germany) and the eurs-de-lys on the sinister side represents
West Francia (France).

1.1

Soldiers of the Lgion des Volontaires Franais, when still part

of the Wehrmacht

LVF

The original French unit in the German army was

the Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism
(French: Lgion des Volontaires Franais contre le Bolchvisme, or LVF). The LVF was also known by its ofcial German designation, the 638th Infantry Regiment
(Infanterieregiment 638). The LVF was mainly recruited
from Pro-Fascist Frenchmen and elements among French
prisoners of war. The LVF received 13,400 applicants,
but many were weeded out and 5,800 were placed on the
rolls. The LVF while in France wore a French army style
khaki uniform and on their collar was their battalion number below an inverted chevon or the LVF emblem.[4] Outside France they had to wear the standard German Army
uniform with only a shield on the right upper arm with the
colors of the French ag with the word France or LVF to
distinguish it.[5] By October 1941, there were two battalions of 2,271 men which had 181 ocers and an additional sta of 35 German ocers. They fought near
Moscow in November 1941 as part of the 7th Infantry

Division. The LVF lost half their numbers in action or

through frost-bite.[6] In 1942 the men were assigned to
anti-partisan duties in the Byelorussian SSR (Belarus). At
the same time, another unit was formed in France, La Lgion Tricolore (Tricolor Regiment) but this unit was absorbed into the LVF six months later.[7]
The LVFs French commander, Colonel Roger Labonne,
was relieved in mid-1942, and the unit was attached to
various German divisions until June 1943 when Colonel
Edgar Puaud took command.[8] The LVF saw action in
the Ukraine during this period. In early 1944, the unit
again took part in anti-partisan duties. In June 1944, the
LVF was called into action when Army Group Centre's
front collapsed under the Red Army's summer oensive.
The LVF was attached to the 4th SS Police Regiment and
fought in a delaying action.[9]
A new recruiting drive in Vichy France attracted 3,000
applicants, mostly members of collaborationist militia
1

DEFENCE OF BERLIN

and university students. The ocial requirements were

that the recruit had to be free of Jewish blood and between 20 to 25 years old.[10] This formation, known as the
8th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade France, was led by a former Foreign Legionnaire SS-Obersturmbannfhrer Paul
Marie Gamory-Dubourdeau. The approximately 1,600
men of the Sturmbrigade was attached to the SS Division
Horst Wessel and sent to Galicia. In heavy ghting against
the Red Army, 7 ocers and 130 men were killed, while
8 ocers and 661 men were wounded.[11]

1.2

Charlemagne

In September 1944, a new unit, the Waen-GrenadierBrigade der SS Charlemagne, was formed out of the
remnants of the LVF and French Sturmbrigade, both of
which were disbanded. Joining them were French collaborators eeing the Allied advance in the west, as well as
Frenchmen from the German Navy, the National Socialist
Motor Corps (NSKK), the Organisation Todt and the detested Milice security police.[12] SS-Brigadefhrer Gustav
Krukenberg took command, while Puaud (now a WaenSS Oberfhrer) was the nominal French commander.[13]
The two main infantry regiments were Waen-Grenadier
Regiment der SS 57 and 58. Members of the LVF were
the nucleus of Regiment 57 and Sturmbrigade formed the
core of Regiment 58.[14] The LVF also manned the artillery battalion, the headquarters company and the engineer company.
A French volunteer
In February 1945, the unit was ocially upgraded to a
division and renamed 33. Waen-Grenadier-Division der
SS Charlemagne (franzsische Nr.1). At this time it were reorganized as Sturmbataillon (assault battalion)
had a strength of 7,340 men.[15] The Charlemagne Di- Charlemagne. As the men assembled at the Marktplatz
vision was sent to ght the Red Army in Poland, but on of Alt-Strelitz, a black Mercedes fast approached. As the
25 February it was attacked at Hammerstein (present day car went passed the column of men, Krukenburg and sevCzarne) in Pomerania, by troops of the Soviet 1st Be- eral other ocers quickly stood at attention, recognising
lorussian Front. The Soviet forces split the French force Reichsfhrer-SS Himmler, who had just come from a priinto three pockets. One group commanded by Kruken- vate meeting with Count Folke Bernadotte at the Swedish
berg survived. It was evacuated from the coast by the consulate in Lbeck to oer surrender terms to the westthat Himmler
German Navy to Denmark and later sent to Neustrelitz ern allies. The SS men were disappointed
[19]
did
not
stop
and
instead
sped
on
past.
for retting; the second group with Oberfhrer Puaud
was destroyed by Soviet artillery and the third group tried Between 320 and 330 French troops arrived in Berlin
ghting its way back westward, but by 17 March all had on 24 April after a long detour to avoid Soviet advance
been captured or killed in action.[16]
columns.[20] The soldiers noted that the rst night in
Berlin was unnaturally quiet.[21] On 25 April, Krukenberg was appointed the commander of (Berlin) Defence Sector C which included the Nordland Division,
2 Defence of Berlin
whose previous commander, Joachim Ziegler, was relieved of his command earlier the same day.[22] SturmbatBy early April 1945, Krukenberg commanded only about aillon Charlemagne was attached to the 11th SS Vol700 men organized into a single infantry regiment with unteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland. The arrival
two battalions (Battalions 57 and 58) and one heavy sup- of the French bolstered the Nordland Division whose
port battalion without equipment. He released about 400 Norge and Danmark Panzergrenadier regiments had
men to serve in a construction battalion; the remainder, been decimated in the ghting. Both equaled roughly a
numbering about 350, had chosen to go to Berlin.[17][18] battalion.[23] The Frenchmen walked from West to East
On 23 April the Reich Chancellery in Berlin ordered Berlin, to a brewery near the Hermannplatz. Here ghtKrukenberg to proceed to the capital with his men, who ing began, with Hitler Youth ring Panzerfausts at Soviet

3
tanks belonging to advance guards near the Tempelhof lied prisons and camps. Fenet was sentenced to 20 years
Airport. The Sturmbataillon assisted in the defence of of forced labour, but was released from prison in 1959.
the district.
Others were shot upon capture by the French authorities.
Supported by Tiger II tanks and the 11th SS Panzer- General Philip Leclerc, the French divisional commanBattalion Hermann von Salza, the Sturmbataillon took der who had served under the Americans, was presented
a group of 11-12 captured Charlemagne Division
part in a counterattack on the morning of 26 April in with [Note
1]
men.
The Free French General immediately asked
Neuklln. The counterattack ran into an ambush by Sothem
why
they
wore a German uniform, to which one
viet troops using a captured German Panther tank. The
of them replied by asking the General why he wore an
regiment lost half of the available troops in Neuklln on
the rst day. It later defended Neukllns Town Hall. American one (French Army uniform stocks had been
plundered en masse by the Germans during the occupaGiven that Neuklln was heavily penetrated by Soviet
combat groups, Krukenberg prepared fallback positions tion).[32]The group of French Waen-SS men were later
shot.
for Sector C defenders around Hermannplatz. He moved
his headquarters into the opera house. As the Nordland
Division withdrew towards Hermannplatz, the French under Hauptsturmfhrer Henri Joseph Fenet and some at- 3 Commanders
tached Hitler Youth destroyed fourteen Soviet tanks; one
machine gun position by the Halensee bridge managed to
Colonel Roger Labonne (August 1941 - March
hold up Soviet forces for 48 hours.[24]
1942)
The Soviet advance into Berlin followed a pattern of massive shelling followed by assaults using house-clearing
battle groups of about 80 men in each, with tank escorts and close artillery support. On 27 April, the remnants of Nordland were pushed back into the central government district (Zitadelle sector) in Defence sector Z.
There, Krukenbergs Nordland headquarters was a carriage in the Stadtmitte U-Bahn station.[25] Fighting was
very heavy and by 28 April, one-hundred eight Soviet
tanks had been destroyed in the southeast of Berlin within
the S-Bahn. The French squads under Fenets command
accounted for about half of the tanks.[26] Fenet and his
battalion were given the area of Neuklln, Belle Alliance
Platz, Wilhelmstrasse and the Friedrichstrasse to defend.
Fenet, who was now wounded in the foot, withdrew with
the battalion to the vicinity of the Reich Aviation Ministry
in the central government district under the command
of SS-Brigadefhrer Wilhelm Mohnke.[27] For the success of the battalion during the Battle in Berlin, Mohnke
awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross to Fenet on
29 April 1945.[28]
On 28 April, the Red Army started a full-scale offensive into the central sector. Fighting was intense,
the Sturmbataillon Charlemagne was in the center of
the battle zone around the Reich Chancellery. SSUnterscharfhrer Eugene Vaulot, who had destroyed two
tanks in Neuklln, used his Panzerfausts to claim six
more near the Fhrerbunker. He was awarded the
Knights Cross of the Iron Cross by Krukenberg on 29
April.[29] Vaulot did not survive the battle being killed
three days later.[30] After Hitlers suicide on 30 April, the
small number of men left in the Sturmbataillon were part
of the last defenders in the area of the bunker complex.[31]
Reduced to approximately thirty able men, most members of the Sturmbataillon had been captured or escaped
Berlin on their own, or in small groups. Most of those
who made it to France were apprehended and sent to Al-

Majors Lacroix/Demessine (April 1942 - May

1943)
SS-Oberfuhrer Edgar Puaud (1 June 1943 - ?? August 1943)
SS-Obersturmbannfhrer
Paul
GamoryDubourdeau (?? August 1943 - 31 July 1944)
SS-Hauptsturmfhrer Erich Kostenbader (1 August
1944 - ?? August 1944)
SS-Oberfhrer Edgar Puaud (?? August 1944 - 28
February 1945)
SS-Brigadefhrer Gustav Krukenberg (28 February
1945 - 24/25 April 1945)
SS-Standartenfhrer Walter Zimmermann (24/25
April 1945 - 8 May 1945)[33]

4 Order of battle
SS-Waen-Grenadierregiment 57 (franzsisches Nr.
1)
I. Bataillon
II. Bataillon
SS-Sturm-Bataillon 58
SS-Waen-Grenadierregiment 58 (franzsisches Nr.
2)
I. Bataillon
II. Bataillon
SS-Artillerieabteilung 33 (Artillery Battalion)
SS-Panzerjger-Bataillon 33 (anti-tank Battalion)

REFERENCES

SS-Pionier-Kompanie 33 (Engineer Company)

[6] Littlejohn (1987) p. 149.

SS-Nachrichten-Kompanie 33 (Signals Company)

[7] Littlejohn (1987) pp. 149, 150, 155-157.

SS-Feldersatz-Kompanie 33 (Field Hospital Company)

[8] Littlejohn (1987) pp. 149, 157.

SS-Nachschub-Bataillon 33 (Logistics Battalion)

[9] Littlejohn (1987) p. 157

[10] Littlejohn (1987) p. 159
[11] Littlejohn (1987) pp. 160, 161

Dierent names

[12] Littlejohn (1987) p. 169.

[13] Littlejohn (1987) p. 172.

During their existence the units were known by various

[14] Littlejohn (1987) p. 172.
names including:
Franzsisches Grenadier-Infanterie-Regiment 638 (Lgion
des Volontaires Franais)
Franzsische SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade
Franzsisches SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment
Waen-Grenadier-Brigade der SS Charlemagne (franzsische Nr.1)
33. Waen-Grenadier-Division der SS Charlemagne
(franzsische Nr.1)

See also
List of Knights Cross recipients 33rd Waen
Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st
French)
List of German divisions in World War II

[15] Littlejohn (1987) pp. 170, 172.

[16] Littlejohn (1987) p. 172.
[17] Forbes (2010) [2006] p. 394.
[18] Littlejohn (1987) p. 173.
[19] Forbes (2010) [2006] p. 394.
[20] Forbes (2010) [2006] pp. 396-398.
[21] Forbes (2010) [2006] p. 398.
[22] Beevor (2002) pp. 301, 302.
[23] Beevor (2002) pp 301, 302.
[24] Beevor (2002) p. 303.
[25] Beevor (2002) p. 323.
[26] Beevor (2002) p. 352.

Christian de la Mazire, a former member of the

Charlemagne Division interviewed in the documen- [27] Beevor (2002) p. 352.
tary The Sorrow and the Pity
[28] Forbes (2010) [2006] p. 439.
Waen-SS foreign volunteers and conscripts

[29] Forbes (2010) [2006] p. 439.

[30] Littlejohn (1987) p. 173.

Notes

[1] This incident took place 8 May 1945, at Bad Reichenhall

in Bavaria.

[31] Weale 2012, p. 407.

[32] Trigg (2009) p. 161.
[33] Bishop, Chris. The Essential Vehicle Identication Guide Waen-SS Divisions 1939-1945, Amber Books Ltd. 2007,
p 180.

References
8.2 Bibliography

8.1

Citations

[1] Herbert, Tint (1972). French Foreign Policy since the Second World War. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, p. 112, ISBN
978-0-297-99488-6.
[2] Bishop, Chris (2005) p. 186.
[3] Littlejohn (1987) p. 169.
[4] Littlejohn (1987) p. 146.
[5] Littlejohn (1987) p. 147.

Beevor, Antony (2002). Berlin The Downfall 1945. Viking-Penguin Books. ISBN 9780670030415.
Bishop, Chris (2005). SS Hitlers Foreign Divisions: Foreign Volunteers in the Waen-SS 19401945, ISBN 978-1904687375.
Forbes, Robert (2010) [2006]. For Europe: The
French Volunteers of the Waen-SS. Stackpole
Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3581-0.

5
Le Tissier, Tony (2010). Charlemagne - The 33rd
Waen-SS Grenadier Division of the SS. Pen &
Sword, ISBN 978-1-84884-231-1.
Littlejohn, David (1987). Foreign Legions of the
Third Reich Vol. 1 Norway, Denmark, France. Bender Publishing. ISBN 978-0912138176.
Trigg, Jonathan (2009). Hitlers Gauls: The History
of the 33rd Waen Division Charlemagne. History
Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-7524-5476-4.
Weale, Adrian (2012). Army of Evil: A History of
the SS. New York: Caliber Printing. ISBN 978-0451-23791-0.

Further reading
Carrard, Philippe (2010).
The French Who
Fought for Hitler: Memories from the Outcasts.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN
9780521198226.

10

10
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