歷來名稱

師團簡史

The 2.SS first took part in the Campaigns in the West against the Low Countries and France in 1940, and did so as the SS-V.T.-Division. It first saw action in the main drive for Rotterdam. After Rotterdam the Division, along with other Divisions, intercepted a French Force and pushed them back to the area of Zeeland. Next, it was used to mop-up small pockets of resistance in the areas already captured by the Germans. The Division was then transfered to France and helped breach a stiffly defended canal line, and then participated in the drive on Paris. At the end of the Campaign, it had advanced all the way to the Spanish Frontier.

第二SS首次上戰場是在1940西線戰場上以SS-VT師團名義對抗低地國家與法國，而首次戰術行動則是向鹿特丹衝刺。在到達鹿特丹之後與其他師團攔截一小股法軍並將他們趕回西蘭區域，接著並執行一些包圍掃蕩小股殘餘敵軍的行動。該師團後來移動至法國去協助擴張那堅強防禦的AA運河戰線，還參加了往巴黎的衝刺。戰役結束時，該師團正在往西班牙與法國國境的路上。

Originally, the SS-V.T.-Division was composed of three of the original four SS-Standarten. LAH was the other SS-Standarten, and it was developed on its own. The other three SS-Standarten were Deutschland, Germania and Der Fuhrer. After the Western Campaign was over, the SS-V.T.-Division was reorganized. The SS-Standarten Germania was transfered out of the Division and along with the SS-Standarten, Nordland and Westland, formed the backbone of a different SS-Division, Germania, which was soon to become the Wiking Division. For the loss of Germania, the SS-V.T.-Division was given a SS-Totenkopfstandarte designated as SS-Infanterie Regiment 11. Soon after, the Division changed its title from V.T. to Deutschland, and soon after that, to Reich.

原本的SS-VT師團是由四個SS步兵團當中的三個所組成，另外一個就是有名的LAH（希特勒親衛隊），這三個分別名為-德意志、日耳曼尼亞以及元首。在西線戰役結束後，SS-VT師團進行改組，日耳曼尼亞團被移出並與另外兩個步兵團-北地與西地去組成另一個師團日耳曼尼亞的骨幹，後來這師團改組成有名的維京師團。為了補償被移出的日耳曼尼亞，SS-VT增編一個SS骷髏團（後改為第11SS步兵團），而師團也改名為德意志，接著「國家」。

During the period after the fall of France, the Division was stationed in France preparing for the invasion of England. The Division, now called Reich, was moved to Roumania to take part in the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece in March of 1941. In April, 1941, Reich took part in the successful capture of Belgrade, the Capital of Yugoslavia. After the capture of Belgrade, the Division was moved to Poland to take part in the upcoming invasion of the Soviet Union.

在打敗法國後的那段期間，該師團在法國駐地準備著入侵英國的各項事宜，不過很快的該行動取消了。接著國家師團移至羅馬尼亞參與1941三月進攻南斯拉夫與希臘的戰役準備，在四月該師團成功的參與佔領南斯拉夫首都貝爾格勒的行動。戰役結束後又轉往波蘭準備接下來的戰役-入侵蘇聯。

During the invasion of the Soviet Union, Reich fought with Army Group Center, taking part in the Battle of Yalnya near Smolensk, and then in the spearhead to capture Moscow. Reich came within a few miles of the Soviet Capital in November, 1941, reaching a sort of "High Water Mark" of the Germanadvance in the Soviet Union. With the Soviet Capital within sight of the Division, weather, massive losses and a major Soviet Winter Counter-Offensive pushed the Division back. After a period of very bloody losses for the Division, Reich was pulled out of the fighting and sent to France to refit as a Panzer-Grenadier Division. Part of the Division was left in the East, and they were titled Kampfgroup Ostendorf. Ostendork was sent to join Reich on June, 1942.

在進攻蘇聯期間該師團隸屬於中央集團軍並且參與了葉爾拿突出部之戰（靠近斯摩稜斯克），接著則是在進攻莫斯科的最前鋒之中。1941年11月當德軍到達推進的極限時，該師團僅僅距離莫斯科幾英里。而當蘇聯首都近在眼前時，天氣、嚴重損失和俄軍冬季反攻將該師團打了回去。在戰線上受到相當嚴重的損失之後，該師團從戰場上抽回至法國，並改編成為裝甲擲彈兵師團。而該師團一小部分留下來在東線奮戰（奧斯騰多夫戰鬥群），直到1942六月才送回法國與其他部隊會合。

In November, 1942, portions of the Division took part in an attempt to prevent the scuttling of the French Fleet at Toulon. Soon after, the Division was retitled again, this time to SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Das Reich".

1942年11月，該師團的一部份協助阻止了位在土倫港的法國艦隊自沈，接著該師團再度改名為SS裝甲擲彈兵師團「國家」。

Early in 1943, Das Reich was transferd back to the Eastern Front where it helped reclaim the crumbling central front around Kharkov. After helping recapture the city of Kharkov, Das Reich along with many other Divisions was thrown into a massive assault into the Kursk Salient, a huge bulge in the Soviet Front line around the area of Kursk. Das Reich pushed upwards of 40 miles into the southern sector of the bulge, but was pulled out of the battle along with the other SS-Division when the offensive was called off. After a period of brief encounters, Das Reich was refit once again, this time as SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich". In doing so, it left a portion the Division in the East titled Kampfgroup Das Reich, and officially know as Kampfgroup Lammerding. The rest of the Division was transferd to the West to refit, and while doing so also took part in anti-partisan operations in France.

1943年初，該師團被送回東線協助將卡爾可夫附近崩落的戰線穩定下來，在將卡爾可夫奪下之後該師團與其他SS師團投入了於庫斯克突出部周遭發生的大會戰。該師團在南段戰線向北推進了40英里，但是不久與其他SS師團一同撤出（因為盟軍登陸北非而迫使戰役終止）。在一連串短暫的接戰中，該師團再次整補並且改名為武裝親衛隊裝甲師「國家」。同時留下了一個戰鬥群又名「藍馬丁戰鬥群」於東線，其餘部分則送回法國整補並且協助剿平法國境內的游擊隊。

In Winter, 1943/1944, another massive Soviet Winter Counter Offensive managed to encircle German units in the center of the front. The Kamfgroup that Das Reich left behind was one of the units encircled by the Soviet Offensive, and an assault by II. SS Panzer Korps managed to rescue the trapped elements of Das Reich. The Kampfgroup was then transfered to France to join the rest of the Division already station there. The remaining small portion of Das Reich left in the East was renamed Kampfgroup Weidinger and was envolved in the retreats through Proskurow abd Tarnopol.

在1943與1944之間的冬季，蘇聯再次發動大規模的冬季攻勢，意圖將東線中段的德軍包圍起來。被留下來的國家師團戰鬥群也是被包圍起來的單位之一，第二SS裝甲軍發動了一個突擊將被包圍的單位援救出來。後來該戰鬥群送至德國與其他部分會合，而仍有一小部分被留在東線，改名為魏丁格戰鬥群並從Proskurow撤退至Tarnopol。

After the D-Day invasion in Normany, France, Das Reich was comitted to stop the Allied advance, and took part in the many attempts to stop the Allies near Caen and St. Lo. The Division recaptured Mortain, but was forced to retreat when it became apparent the Allies were going to encircle the Division along with a large number of other German units in the Falises Pocket. Thanks to the efforts of Das Reich along with the 9th SS-Panzer Division, a large number of German were able to escape the pocket and retreat to the east.

當諾曼地登陸發生時，該師團被投入去阻止盟軍在克恩與聖羅之間的推進，該師團後來參與了奪回莫爾坦的作戰，但是當盟軍從側翼包圍上來時被迫撤退還與一堆德軍單位困在法萊斯包圍圈中。也由於該師團與第9SS裝甲師的努力頂住，才讓被圍的大部分德軍能夠向東撤出整補。

Pulled back across the Seine River and then to behind the West Wall fortifications in France, the 2nd SS Panzer Division then took part in the operations to punch through the Ardennes Forest in December, 1944. Coming within sight of the River Meus, the Division was halted, and then slowly smashed by fierce Allied counter-attacks. Pulled out of the offensive, Das Reich was transfered into Germany to again refit, and then to take part in the last German offenisve of the war in Hungary to attempt to break the seige around Budapest. This offensive also ground to a halt, and Das Reich spent the rest of the war more-or-less fighting in parts from Dresden, to Prague to Vienna. In the end, most of the Division managed to escape to the West to surrender to the Americans.

接著該師團撤過塞納河並駐紮在西牆防線後頭，直到1944年12月著名的突出部之役當中從亞爾丁森林穿出。當繆斯河就在眼前時，該師團停住並且被凶猛盟軍反攻給消耗掉了。後來又從戰線中抽回至德國整補，接著參與最後一次的德軍攻勢，這是在匈牙利的作戰，意圖要解救布達佩斯的圍城。不過該攻勢也很快的終止了。於是該師團在最後階段中，於德勒斯登到布拉格和維也納之間作戰。最後該師團的大部分於西方向美軍投降。

歷來師團指揮官

Oberstgruppenführer Paul Hausser, 10.19.39 - 10.14.41
Obergruppenführer Wilhelm Bittrich, 10.14.41- 12.31.41
Obergruppenführer Matthias Kleinheisterkamp, 12.31.41 - 4.19.42
Obergruppenführer George Keppler, 4.19.42 - 2.10.43
Brigadeführer Hebert-Ernst Vahl, 2.10.43 - 3.18.43
Oberführer Kurt Brasack, 3.18.43 - 3.29.43
Obergruppenführer Walter Krüger, 3.29.43 - 10.23.43
Gruppenführer Heinz Lammerding, 10.23.43 - 7.24.44
Standartenführer Christian Tychsen, 7.24.44 - 7.28.44
Brigadeführer Otto Baum, 7.28.44 - 10.23.44
Gruppenführer Heinz Lammerding, 10.23.44 - 1.20.45
Standartenführer Karl Kreutz, 1.20.45 - 1.29.45
Gruppenführer Werner Ostnedorff, 1.20.45 - 3.09.45
Standartenführer Rudolf Lehmann, 3.09.45 - 4.13.45
Standartenführer Karl Kreutz, 4.13.45 - 5.08.45