5th SS Pz. Div. Wiking

5th SS Panzer Division “Wiking”

On the 12^th January 1941, Minister President Quisling asked for the first Norwegians to volunteer for service under German command. A total of 291 responded and volunteered for service in Regiment “Nordland”. At the Hippodromen in Oslo, a ceremony was held about 3 weeks later where these initial volunteers were welcomed among the ranks of the Waffen SS by among other Reichsfuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler.

During the winter of 1941, these young men were sent to Graz and Sennheim for training. But the majority became very disappointed when they found out that instead of fighting among other Norwegians and Danes in Regiment “Nordland”, they were instead scattered among all three regiments in Wiking.

Division “Wiking” was initially moved to Poland but was moved across the border to Russia in July 1941 when the Battles on the Eastern Front started. They fought hard battles throughout the Eastern Front towards the Black Sea and went all the way to Stalingrad. In late 1942 it was reformed as a Panzergrenadier Division and took part in the Battle of Kursk in July 1943. During this period, very few new Norwegians joined “Wiking” as the majority was being sent to “Frw. Legion Norwegen.”

In October 1943, “Wiking” was again reformed, now into a Panzer Division. In February 1944, they took part in the battle of Cherkassy and later that year they defended Warzaw against the Russian invasion from the East. It then participated in the battles of Budapest before being withdrawn to Austria where they fought the final battles around Vienna in 1945. The total number of Norwegians that served in “Wiking” during the war is unknown, but estimated to be about 1,000.

Text Box: Two Norwegians manning a MG on a tripod. Helmets and uniforms looks relatively new and clean, so this photo is most likely taken during training. Notice the helmet on left is a reversed decal SS helmet which were frequently found with foreign volunteers.

Text Box: A new Norwegian “Wiking” recruit going through the medical check. This was very strict, and many applicants were declined already at this stage.

Text Box: Norwegian volunteers wearing full camouflage manning a 7.5 cm light infantry gun (75mm le.I. G18)

Text Box: The new Norwegian volunteers for “Wiking” in Oslo 1941 prior to going in uniform. Notice the volunteer wearing a NS uniform with armband. The use of NS distinctions and badges was strictly prohibited among members of the “Wiking”, contrary to what was allowed for members of Frw. Legion Norwegen.(Photo Courtesy: Geir Brenden)

Text Box: Two well camouflaged Norwegian “Wiking” volunteers during training. (Photo Courtesy: Geir Brenden)

Text Box: A Norwegian volunteer carrying a MG34. Over the shoulder he has spare barrels for the MG34 in a container. The barrel of the MG34 would need to be changed after a certain number of rounds due to overheating, which would be done by the soldier wearing a special asbestos glove. On this photo, the soldiers foldable field shovel, his canteen and gasmask container are also clearly visible. (Photo Courtesy: Geir Brenden)

Text Box: Norwegian volunteers from regiment “Nordland” taking a break during their advances. Below “Nordland” frontline positions. Notice the two K98 rifles and five hand grenades ready for action. (Photo Courtesy: Geir Brenden)

In 1940, Hitler gave Reichsfuhrer Heinrich Himmler the order to establish a new SS division for the purpose of uniting all foreign volunteers into one single unit. Felix Steiner established this division on 1^st November 1940 under the name “Wiking”, just a few days before he was promoted to SS Brigadefuhrer. “Wiking” was initially divided up into three regiments, “Germania”, “Westland” and “Nordland”. The latter was earmarked for the Norwegian SS volunteers.