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Fallschirmpanzerkorps "Hermann Göring"
Welcome to a brief history on the Hermann Göring Panzer Korps.
Created as a Polizeiabteilung by the order of General Göring in 1933 to combat the Communist cells within Berlin and Prussia. The unit became Germany’s first state Police force with military training. The unit also provided Honor Guards on the behalf of General Göring. On the 23rd September 1935 was placed under the command of the luftwaffe, thus began this Historical unit. 11th November 1935 the unit became known as the Regiment General Göring or RGG, being formed into various Flack batteries and the first troops for the Fallschirmjager.
These units fought in Poland, Norway, France, and Balkans and onto Russia, being cited numerous times in dispatches for gallantry, and in Russia stopping the Major Soviet attack with the New T34 tank at Radziechow on 23rd June 1941, and stopping several attempts to break out by Russian Armour from the Uman Pocket.
After the Victories in Western Europe the HG formed a replacement battalion in Holland and became the training for the Hermann Göring and the Fallschirmjager, after being withdrawn from Russia refitting and training was in Southern France and Holland, during this spell Reichsmarshall Göring received orders to turn the RGG into the Hermann Göring Panzer Division.
During the refit the Allies launched operation Torch and the HG were given orders to move to the Mediterranean. The exploits of the HG are now legendary, including giving the British Para's their nickname the “Red Devils” whilst in Tunisia, completing the only successful counter attack in Sicily against the American Big Red1, giving such major concerns the Allies made plans to withdraw the Big Red1 from the beach head, only to be prevented in pushing the Allies back into the sea by Allied Paratroopers of the American 82nd and British 6th Airborne, allied airpower and Naval bombardments and finally let down by their own Allies the Italians.
In Italy fighting the Allies to the Gothic line, saving the artifacts at Monte Cassino, despite allied propaganda of the HG plundering the Monastery, stopping allied attacks in the 1st battle of Monte Cassino and stopping the Allies at Anzio beach head, including the annihilation of a US Rangers battalion, of 767 men only 6 Rangers returned to allied lines.
In 1944 the HG was withdrawn from the Italian front and transferred to the Eastern Front, now formed into a Panzer Korps, on arrival to the Eastern Front linked forces with the 5th SS “Wiking” Division and stopped the Russian advance into Poland and prevented the taking of Warsaw, and destroyed the Russian 3rd Tank Corps. In the October of 1944 the Russians launched the offensive against Northern Prussia and the HG was transferred to Prussia. On arrival in Prussia the HG launched their counterattack and pushed the Russians back out of Prussia and then held the Russians for a further 3 months with the Grossduetchland only for other fronts to give and leave these units to be circled in Northern Prussia, both units suffered heavy losses and were withdrawn by sea, all areas that were held by these units did not fall into Russian hands until they had departed!
On arrival back into Germany the HG was quickly reformed and sent back to the Eastern front and launched the final successful counter attack against Russian forces in Upper Silesia and re took Pomerainia were the full Russian horror on German civilians was discovered, in this attack the HG wiped out the 1st Polish Guards with no survivors.
Once again the HG was transferred to appose the Russian forces pushing towards the Oder River and Berlin. Once again the HG managed to delay the Russian forces including on withdrawing across the Oder surprised a Russian artillery battalion and destroyed the unit including 40+ artillery pieces. The HG was finally pushed towards Dresden where it made its final stand.
The majority of the HG was captured by the Russians, because of being an Elite unit, they were in turned for 25 years hard labor.
These Battles produced 3 members of the HG getting the Oak leaves and Swords to their Knights Crosses.
5 with the Knights Cross and Oak leaves.
81 Knights Crosses
86 receiving the German Cross in Gold.
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