SS Führungshauptamt

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SS-FHA
SS Führungshauptamt
The SS-FHA was the operations office of the Waffen-SS and Allgemeine-SS.
Agency overview
Formed1940
Preceding agency
DissolvedMay 8, 1945
JurisdictionGermany Germany
HeadquartersPrinz-Albrecht-Straße, Berlin
Employees~4,000 c.1941
Agency executives
Parent agency SS
Child agencies

The SS-Führungshauptamt (English: SS Leadership Main Office) (SS-FHA) was the operational headquarters of the SS.

It was responsible for the administration of SS-Junkerschulen (SS-Junker Schools), medical services, logistics, and rates of pay. It was also the administrative and operational headquarters for the Waffen-SS that was responsible for its organisation and equipment and Order of battle of SS combat units.

Formation

The SS-Führungshauptamt, which was under the command of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, was formed in August 1940 from certain departments of the SS-Hauptamt (SS-HA) and the Allgemeine SS.[1] Its main duty was the operational and administrative control of the Waffen-SS, including developing general policy on recruiting and handling special personnel requirements. It also oversaw the Kommandoamt der Allgemeine SS (General SS HQ).[2] Hans Jüttner was promoted to the position of chief-of-staff of the SS-FHA and handled the day-to-day operations. When Himmler stepped down as SS-FHA chief in 1943, Jüttner took over as chief of the department till the end of the war.

Recruiting members for the Waffen-SS was handled through the SS-HA and its chief, Gottlob Berger. This caused overlapping jurisdiction and friction between the two SS branches.[3] Berger's SS-HA had a problematic relationship with the SS-FHA, which was responsible for organising, training and equipping the Waffen-SS. Jüttner's initial efforts at integrating the recruits from western Europe and Scandinavia were inadequate with insufficient emphasis on training and appointing officers and non-commissioned officers from the ranks of the new recruits. The SS-FHA also wanted the Waffen-SS to be a small elite corps, but Berger and Himmler knew that Adolf Hitler needed as many divisions as possible, even if that meant some Waffen-SS formations would be of lesser quality.[4] During the war years, to meet the high casualty rates and expansion needs of the Waffen-SS, members of the Allgemeine SS and other personnel working for SS organisations were used for compulsory recruitment drives by the SS-HA to meet the manpower needs of the Waffen-SS.[5]

Organisation

Departmental Group A (Amtsgruppe A) Organisation, Personnel and Supply (Organisation, Personal, Versorgung)[6]

  • Amt I - Command Department of the Allgemeine SS (Kommandoamt der Allgemeinen-SS)
  • Amt II - Command Department of the Waffen-SS (Kommandoamt der Waffen-SS)
  • Amt III - Central Chancellery (Zentralkanzlei)
  • Amt IV - Administration Department (Verwaltungsamt)
  • Amt V - Personnel Department (Personalamt)
  • Amt VI - Office for (Horse) Rider and Driver Training (Reit- und Fahrwesen)
  • Amt VII - Office for Logistics Planning (Nachschubwesen)
  • Amt VIII - Weapons Department (Waffenamt)
  • Amt IX - Department for Technical and Mechanical Development (Technische Ausrüstung und Maschinen)
  • Amt X - Motor Vehicle Administration (Kraftfahrzeugwesen)

Departmental Group B (Amtsgruppe B) Training (Ausbildung)[6]

  • Amt XI - Officer Training (Führer-Ausbildung) and SS-Officer Cadet Schools (mit SS-Junkerschulen)
  • Amt XII - NCO Training (Unterführer-Ausbildung) and SS-NCO Training Schools (mit SS-Unterführerschulen)

Departmental Group C (Amtsgruppe C) Inspection (Inspektionen)[6]

  • Insp. 2 Infantry and Mountain Troops (Infanterie- und Gebirgstruppen)
  • Insp. 3 Cavalry (Kavallerie)
  • Insp. 4 Artillery (Artillerie)
  • Insp. 5 Engineers / Technicians (Pioniere/Techniker)
  • Insp. 6 Panzer troops (Panzertruppen)
  • Insp. 7 Signals Troops (Nachrichtentruppen)
  • Insp. 8 Field Maintenance Troops (Feldzeug- und Instandsetzungstruppen)
  • Insp. 9 Service Support Troops (Versorgungstruppen)
  • Insp. 10 Motor Pool Troops (Kraftfahrparktruppen)
  • Insp. 11 Unknown
  • Insp. 12 Technical Training (Technische Lehrgänge)
  • Insp. 13 Anti-Air Artillery (Flakartillerie)

Departmental Group D (Amtsgruppe D) Medical Arm of the Waffen-SS (Sanitätswesen der Waffen-SS)[6]

  • Amt XIII - Administration (Verwaltung)
  • Amt XIV - Dental (Zahnwesen)
  • Amt XV - Supply (Versorgung)
  • Amt XVI - Medical Treatment (Ärztliche Behandlung)

References

Citations

  1. ^ Wegner 1990, pp. 293, 296.
  2. ^ McNab 2009, p. 46.
  3. ^ Wegner 1990, pp. 296–298.
  4. ^ Weale 2010, pp. 118–119.
  5. ^ Wegner 1990, p. 306.
  6. ^ a b c d McNab 2009, p. 52.

Bibliography

  • McNab, Chris (2009). The SS: 1923–1945. London: Amber Books. ISBN 978-1-906626-49-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Weale, Adrian (2010). The SS: A New History. Little, Brown. ISBN 978-1-4087-0304-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
  • Wegner, Bernd (1990). The Waffen-SS: Organization, Ideology and Function. Blackwell. ISBN 0-631-14073-5. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
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