SS Fortress Battalions

Hi,

Can anyone let me know what the OOB for an SS 'Fortress' Battalion was? I have read about the 'Besselein' Fortress Battalion in the defence of Breslau during 1945, and would like to know more....

Thanks in advance.

According to 'Handbook of German Military Forces' a *Permanent* Fortress Battalion (Festungsstammabteilung) was 'formed as a cadre personnel, [and] it is attached to corps manning fortifications in coastal sectors and now is found in the Westwall defences. The battalions carry the Roman numeral of the Corps to which they are attached, but also have been identified with Arabic numerals in the 300 series. These units may occur as Festugstammregimenter (permanent fortress regiments) or Festungsstammkompanie (permanent fortress companies) depending on the size of the sector to which they are assigned.'

Fortress Battalions (Festungsbattaillon) were 'Static Infantry battalions employed in the defence of fixed fortifications. It consists largely of Landesschuetzen personnel. It is often attached for tactical purposes to divisions operating in the same combat area.'

Take your pick.

I would guess that the former was a pretty variable affair depending on the nature and extent of the fortifications and that the latter was simply a standard Static Infantry Battalion.

<snipped>

So we're looking at something like 3 companies worth of troops plus a heavy company in a Festungsbattallion?

And the same would go for an SS Festungsbattallion?

Does anyone have any other info on SS-Festungsbattallion 'Besselein' used in the defence of Breslau, other than what is contained in Lucas's book 'Last Days of the Reich'? I did a web-search but came up empty.

Thanks in advance,

Does anyone have any other info on SS-Festungsbattallion 'Besselein' used in the defence of Breslau, other than what is contained in Lucas's book 'Last Days of the Reich'? I did a web-search but came up empty.

There is an excellent chapter in Obscure Combat Formations of the SS by A Munoz. Get it from www.axiseuropa.com

Cheers

Bob Mackenzie

Bob Mackenzie heeft geschreven in bericht

Waffen SS 1939 -1945 ther is no such unit as SS Festungsbattaillon Breslau. Maybe it it the SS Unterführerschule Breslau-Lissa you are searching for. It was formed in 1.9.44.

On the other hand, in some cases units were formed into Kampfgruppen. Those consited mostly of gesprengeten, soldier coming out of different units. For the sake ofidentification they were then named (not always) after the name of the commanding officer.

You had a Besslein Georg-Robert (SS-Ostubaf.). He commanded the SS-Festungsregiment 1 (00-00-45 - 30.04.45). In 1945 in the festung Breslau it was know as Regiment Besslein or Kampfgruppe Besslein. Before that he was commander of Infanterie-Geschütz-Ausbildungs- und Ersatz Bataillon 1 ( 01.10.43 - 15.03.45) his grad was then SS-Stubaf.

SS Festungsregiment 1 consited of I./SS Fest.Gr.Rgt. 1, II../SS Fest.Gr.Rgt, III./.SS Fest.Gr.Rgt end IV./SS Fest.Gr.Rgt

Regiment SS Besslein ( formerly known as Regiment D) was made from few