04 May 2019

A Change of Command Ceremony of SS Division Wiking


Image size: 1600 x 1072 pixel. 450 KB
Date: Saturday, 20 May 1944
Place: Lublin, Poland
Photographer: Unknown

A change of command ceremony for the III.Bataillon of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Germania" / 5.SS-Panzer-Division "Wiking" on 20 May 1944. The entire battalion is present in a U-shaped formation, only partially visible in this photograph taken on the football field at the Lublin army barracks in Poland. The ceremony is seconds away from starting, and waiting in the wings at stage right to begin the transfer before their men are three commanding officers: The center officer is SS-Sturmbannführer Hans Dorr (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Germania"). On the left is SS-Sturmbannführer Franz Hack, the out-going battalion commander who was moving up to take command of Wiking’s Westland Regiment. On the right is SS-Sturmbannführer Paul Kümmel, the new commander of the III. Bataillon, who was a commander of I.Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 5 "Wiking" before. Starting with Dorr, each of the officers in turn addressed the men of the III.Bataillon, who were fresh off from participating in the battles for the relief of the surrounded city of Kovel. The two halftracks is Sd.Kfz.251/1 Ausf.D.


Source :
https://reibert.info/threads/5-ja-tankovaja-divizija-ss-viking-ss-division-wiking-5-ss-panzer-division-wiking.24489/page-31

2 comments:

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  2. The photographer's name is Ernst BAUMANN. Please update it. Thanks.

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