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{{Infobox military unit
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name= Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS
|unit_name= Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS
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|type=[[Infantry]]
|type=[[Infantry]]
|role=
|role=
|size=[[Battalion]] 1408 volunteers (in all)<ref>Jokipii 2002, pp. 184–189</ref>
|size=[[Battalion]] (1408 men)<ref>Jokipii 2002, pp. 184–189</ref>
|garrison=
|garrison=
|nickname=
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The '''Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS''' ({{lang-de|Finnisches Freiwilligen-Bataillon der Waffen-SS}}) was a [[motorized infantry]] [[battalion]] of the [[Nazi Germany|Nazi German]] [[Waffen-SS]]. It was formed from [[Finnish people|Finnish]] volunteers and fought on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] during [[World War II]]. For most of its existence it was attached to [[SS-Regiment Nordland]] of the [[SS Division Wiking]]. The battalion participated in the [[Battle of the Caucasus]] in mid-1942 and the subsequent [[Third Battle of Kharkov]] in early 1943, after the German defeat during the [[Battle of Stalingrad]] in late 1942 forced the Germans to evacuate the Caucasus. It was disbanded in mid-1943 as the two-year commitment of the volunteers had expired and the Finnish Government was unwilling to allow more men to volunteer.
The '''Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS''' ({{lang-de|Finnisches Freiwilligen-Bataillon der Waffen-SS}}) was a [[motorized infantry]] [[battalion]] of the German [[Waffen-SS]] during [[World War II]]. It was formed from Finnish volunteers and fought on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] as part of the [[SS Division Wiking]]. The unit was disbanded in mid-1943 as the two-year commitment of the volunteers had expired and the Finnish Government was unwilling to allow more men to volunteer. About 1,400 men served in the battalion during its existence.


==Operational history==
==Formation==
The Finnish Government recruited men for service with the Waffen-SS for a two-year term in early 1941, although negotiations over the details lasted until the end of April. This delayed their arrival until May and the roughly 400 men who had military experience in the [[Winter War]] were sent to ''Wiking'' in mid-June where they were dispersed throughout the division. The inexperienced volunteers were held back for training and were formed into the SS-Volunteer Battalion Northeast (motorized) {{lang-de|SS-Freiwilligen-Battalion Nordost (mot.)}} on 1 June. By the end of the month the battalion had about 1,000 men. It was renamed the Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS on 13 September and additional volunteers arrived over the next several months to bring its strength up to around 1,180 men. The unit was sent to the front at the beginning of January 1942 where it was attached to [[SS-Regiment Nordland]] of the [[SS Division Wiking]], serving as its third battalion.<ref>Ueberschär (1996), pp. 1072–73; Tessin (1980), pp. 89, 186</ref> While many Finns were already serving with ''Wiking'', the battalion differed in that it was staffed with Finnish officers and NCOs (''Wiking'' being commanded by Germans).{{fact|date=March 2017}}
The Finnish Government recruited men for service with the Waffen-SS for a two-year term in early 1941, although negotiations over the details lasted until the end of April. This delayed their arrival until May and the roughly 400 men who had military experience in the [[Winter War]] were sent to the [[SS Division Wiking]] in mid-June where they were dispersed throughout the formation. The inexperienced volunteers were held back for training and were formed into the SS-Volunteer Battalion Northeast (motorized) {{lang-de|SS-Freiwilligen-Battalion Nordost (mot.)}} on 1 June. By the end of the month, the battalion had about 1,000 men. It was renamed the Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS on 13 September and additional volunteers arrived over the next several months to bring its strength up to around 1,180 men. The unit was sent to the front at the beginning of January 1942 where it was attached to the SS-Regiment Nordland of the [[SS Division Wiking]], serving as its third battalion.<ref>Ueberschär (1996), pp. 1072–73; Tessin (1980), pp. 89, 186</ref> The battalion participated in the [[Battle of the Caucasus]] in mid-1942 and the subsequent [[Third Battle of Kharkov]] in early 1943, after the German defeat during the [[Battle of Stalingrad]] in late 1942 forced the Germans to evacuate the Caucasus.{{cn}}


The mathematician [[Rolf Nevanlinna]] was chairman of the Committee for the Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS.<ref>{{cite book | last = Lehto | first = Olli |authorlink= Olli Lehto | year = 2001 |title = Korkeat maailmat. Rolf Nevanlinnan elämä |publisher= [[Otava (publisher)|Otava]] |oclc= 58345155 |nopp=yes|page= |trans-title=High Worlds. The life of Rolf Nevanlinna |language = Finnish }}</ref>{{page needed|date=March 2017}} The unit lost 255 men killed in action, 686 wounded and 14 missing during its service.<ref>{{cite book | last = Kustannus |first= Atena |year= 1991 |title= Jatkosota Kronikka |publisher= [[Gummerus|Gummerus Kustannus Oy]] |isbn= 951-20-3661-4 |page= 130 |language= Finnish }}</ref>
The mathematician [[Rolf Nevanlinna]] was chairman of the Committee for the Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS.<ref>{{cite book | last = Lehto | first = Olli |authorlink= Olli Lehto | year = 2001 |title = Korkeat maailmat. Rolf Nevanlinnan elämä |publisher= [[Otava (publisher)|Otava]] |oclc= 58345155 |nopp=yes|page= |trans-title=High Worlds. The life of Rolf Nevanlinna |language = Finnish }}</ref>{{page needed|date=March 2017}} 1408 men served in the battalion during its existence.<ref>Jokipii 2002, pp. 184–189</ref> The unit lost 255 men killed in action, 686 wounded and 14 missing during its service.<ref>{{cite book | last = Kustannus |first= Atena |year= 1991 |title= Jatkosota Kronikka |publisher= [[Gummerus|Gummerus Kustannus Oy]] |isbn= 951-20-3661-4 |page= 130 |language= Finnish }}</ref>


==Allegations of war crimes==
The battalion was praised by many Waffen-SS commanders, even [[Heinrich Himmler]], for its combat performance. Himmler said "Where a Finnish SS-man stood, the enemy was always defeated."<ref>Reichsführer-SS [[Heinrich Himmler]], Order of the day, July 11, 1943</ref> Neither the unit nor any of its members were ever accused of any [[war crime]]s.<ref>{{cite book | last = Jokipii |first= Mauno |authorlink= Mauno Jokipii |year= 1996 |title= Panttipataljoona : suomalaisen SS-pataljoonan historia |publisher= Veljesapu |page= 216 |isbn= 952-90-7363-1 |language= Finnish }}</ref>
Neither the unit nor any of its members were ever accused of any [[war crime]]s.<ref>{{cite book | last = Jokipii |first= Mauno |authorlink= Mauno Jokipii |year= 1996 |title= Panttipataljoona: suomalaisen SS-pataljoonan historia |publisher= Veljesapu |page= 216 |isbn= 952-90-7363-1 |language= Finnish }}</ref> Research by Finnish historian Andre Swanström identified at least six members of the unit who admitted to committing crimes, including shooting Jews, while in the occupied Soviet Union. In one letter, an SS private wrote to an officer and military chaplain, {{illm|Ensio Pihkala|fi|Ensio Pihkala}}, objecting to being on the shooting detail because "for the execution of Jews, less skilled personnel would have sufficed." In 2018, in response to a request from the [[Simon Wiesenthal Center]], the Finnish authorities announced a committee of inquiry into the activities of the battalion. The committee's work, including by researchers of the [[National Archives of Finland]], is expected to conclude by the end of 2018.<ref>CNAAN LIPHSHIZ (14 July 2018): [https://www.timesofisrael.com/ahead-of-trump-putin-summit-5-things-you-didnt-know-about-finland-and-the-jews/ Ahead of Trump-Putin summit, 5 things you didn’t know about Finland and the Jews], ''[[The Times of Israel]]''</ref><ref>Olli Koikkalainen: ''"Juutalaisten teloittamiseen riittää kehnompikin ampumataito"''. Aamulehti 3. kesäkuuta 2018, s. A20. Alma Media.</ref>

==See also==
* [[Continuation War]]
* [[Oy Insinööritoimisto Ratas]]


== Footnotes ==
== Footnotes ==
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*{{cite book|last1=Tessin|first1=Georg|title=Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945|volume=14: Die Landstreitkräfte: Namensverbände/Die Luftstreitkräfte (Fliegende Verbände)/Flakeinsatz im Reich 1943–1945|date=1980|publisher=Biblio-Verl.|location=Osnabrück|isbn=3-7648-1111-0|edition=1.udg.}}
*{{cite book|last1=Tessin|first1=Georg|title=Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945|volume=14: Die Landstreitkräfte: Namensverbände/Die Luftstreitkräfte (Fliegende Verbände)/Flakeinsatz im Reich 1943–1945|date=1980|publisher=Biblio-Verl.|location=Osnabrück|isbn=3-7648-1111-0|edition=1.udg.}}
*{{cite book|last1=Ueberschär|first1=Gerd R.|title=Germany and the Second World War|date=1996|publisher=Clarendon Press|volume=IV: The Attack on the Soviet Union|location=Oxford, UK|isbn=0-19-822886-4|pages=1070–80|chapter=Volunteers From Northern Europe at the Beginning of the War Against the Soviet Union}}
*{{cite book|last1=Ueberschär|first1=Gerd R.|title=Germany and the Second World War|date=1996|publisher=Clarendon Press|volume=IV: The Attack on the Soviet Union|location=Oxford, UK|isbn=0-19-822886-4|pages=1070–80|chapter=Volunteers From Northern Europe at the Beginning of the War Against the Soviet Union}}

==Literature==
* {{cite journal
* {{cite journal
| author = George H. Stein, H. Peter Krosby
| author = George H. Stein, H. Peter Krosby

Revision as of 01:17, 25 August 2018

Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS
Members of the battalion in 1943 in Finland
Active1941 – July 1943
Country Nazi Germany
BranchWaffen SS
TypeInfantry
SizeBattalion (1408 men)[1]
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Hans Collani

The Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS (German: Finnisches Freiwilligen-Bataillon der Waffen-SS) was a motorized infantry battalion of the German Waffen-SS during World War II. It was formed from Finnish volunteers and fought on the Eastern Front as part of the SS Division Wiking. The unit was disbanded in mid-1943 as the two-year commitment of the volunteers had expired and the Finnish Government was unwilling to allow more men to volunteer. About 1,400 men served in the battalion during its existence.

Operational history

The Finnish Government recruited men for service with the Waffen-SS for a two-year term in early 1941, although negotiations over the details lasted until the end of April. This delayed their arrival until May and the roughly 400 men who had military experience in the Winter War were sent to the SS Division Wiking in mid-June where they were dispersed throughout the formation. The inexperienced volunteers were held back for training and were formed into the SS-Volunteer Battalion Northeast (motorized) German: SS-Freiwilligen-Battalion Nordost (mot.) on 1 June. By the end of the month, the battalion had about 1,000 men. It was renamed the Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS on 13 September and additional volunteers arrived over the next several months to bring its strength up to around 1,180 men. The unit was sent to the front at the beginning of January 1942 where it was attached to the SS-Regiment Nordland of the SS Division Wiking, serving as its third battalion.[2] The battalion participated in the Battle of the Caucasus in mid-1942 and the subsequent Third Battle of Kharkov in early 1943, after the German defeat during the Battle of Stalingrad in late 1942 forced the Germans to evacuate the Caucasus.[citation needed]

The mathematician Rolf Nevanlinna was chairman of the Committee for the Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS.[3][page needed] 1408 men served in the battalion during its existence.[4] The unit lost 255 men killed in action, 686 wounded and 14 missing during its service.[5]

Allegations of war crimes

Neither the unit nor any of its members were ever accused of any war crimes.[6] Research by Finnish historian Andre Swanström identified at least six members of the unit who admitted to committing crimes, including shooting Jews, while in the occupied Soviet Union. In one letter, an SS private wrote to an officer and military chaplain, Ensio Pihkala [fi], objecting to being on the shooting detail because "for the execution of Jews, less skilled personnel would have sufficed." In 2018, in response to a request from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, the Finnish authorities announced a committee of inquiry into the activities of the battalion. The committee's work, including by researchers of the National Archives of Finland, is expected to conclude by the end of 2018.[7][8]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Jokipii 2002, pp. 184–189
  2. ^ Ueberschär (1996), pp. 1072–73; Tessin (1980), pp. 89, 186
  3. ^ Lehto, Olli (2001). Korkeat maailmat. Rolf Nevanlinnan elämä [High Worlds. The life of Rolf Nevanlinna] (in Finnish). Otava. OCLC 58345155. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |nopp= ignored (|no-pp= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Jokipii 2002, pp. 184–189
  5. ^ Kustannus, Atena (1991). Jatkosota Kronikka (in Finnish). Gummerus Kustannus Oy. p. 130. ISBN 951-20-3661-4.
  6. ^ Jokipii, Mauno (1996). Panttipataljoona: suomalaisen SS-pataljoonan historia (in Finnish). Veljesapu. p. 216. ISBN 952-90-7363-1.
  7. ^ CNAAN LIPHSHIZ (14 July 2018): Ahead of Trump-Putin summit, 5 things you didn’t know about Finland and the Jews, The Times of Israel
  8. ^ Olli Koikkalainen: "Juutalaisten teloittamiseen riittää kehnompikin ampumataito". Aamulehti 3. kesäkuuta 2018, s. A20. Alma Media.

References

  • Jokipii, Mauno (2002). Hitlerin Saksa ja sen vapaaehtoisliikkeet: Waffen-SS:n suomalaispataljoona vertailtavana (in Finnish). Helsinki: SKS. ISBN 951-746-335-9.
  • Jokipii, Mauno (1996). Panttipataljoona : suomalaisen SS-pataljoonan historia (in Finnish). Veljesapu. ISBN 952-90-7363-1.
  • Tessin, Georg (1980). Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939–1945. Vol. 14: Die Landstreitkräfte: Namensverbände/Die Luftstreitkräfte (Fliegende Verbände)/Flakeinsatz im Reich 1943–1945 (1.udg. ed.). Osnabrück: Biblio-Verl. ISBN 3-7648-1111-0.
  • Ueberschär, Gerd R. (1996). "Volunteers From Northern Europe at the Beginning of the War Against the Soviet Union". Germany and the Second World War. Vol. IV: The Attack on the Soviet Union. Oxford, UK: Clarendon Press. pp. 1070–80. ISBN 0-19-822886-4.
  • George H. Stein, H. Peter Krosby (October 1966). Hans Rothfels, Theodor Eschenburg (ed.). "Das finnische Freiwilligen-Bataillon der Waffen-SS" [The Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS] (pdf). Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte (in German). 14 (4). Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt: 413–453. Retrieved 2010-04-20.
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