3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf
The 3rd SS Panzer Division "Totenkopf" (German: 3. SS-Panzerdivision "Totenkopf") was an elite division of the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II, formed from the Standarten of the SS-TV. Its name, Totenkopf, is German for "death's head" – the skull and crossbones symbol – and it is thus sometimes referred to as the Death's Head Division.
| 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf | |
|---|---|
| 3. SS-Panzerdivision "Totenkopf" | |
Divisional insignia | |
| Active | 1939–45 |
| Country | Nazi Germany |
| Branch | Waffen-SS |
| Type | Panzer |
| Role | Armoured warfare |
| Size | Division |
| Nickname(s) | Death's Head Division |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | |
The division was formed through the expansion of Kampfgruppe Eicke, a battle group named – in keeping with German military practice – after its commander, Theodor Eicke. Most of the battle group's personnel had been transferred to the Waffen-SS from concentration camp guard units, which were known collectively as SS-Totenkopfverbände; others were former members of Selbstschutz: ethnic German militias that had committed war crimes in Poland.
The division became notorious for its brutality, and committed numerous war crimes, including the Le Paradis and Chasselay massacres. The remnants of the division surrendered on 9 May 1945 to American forces in Czechoslovakia.