The Danes decided to contribute a unit of anti-communist volunteers. This was to be commanded by Danes, fight only against the Soviets, and would fly the Danish flag. The volunteers swore an oath only to the commander of the German Armed Forces rather than the usual oath of loyalty to Adolf Hitler.
Despite only accepting men of "good character" the first 600 volunteers were shipped to the barracks at Hamburg-Langenhorn on 19 July 41. 300 more joined them on 10 August. As originally organized the Freikorps consisted of 3 infantry companies, a machine-gun company and a replacement company. However, shortly afterwards, the machine-gun platoons were distributed among the line companies and the company was reorganized into a heavy weapons company with two platoons of light infantry guns, an anti-tank platoon, and an engineer platoon. Some of the extra men came from the SS-Freiwilligen-Regiment Nordwest. On 15 September the Freikorps was transferred to Posen-Treskau where the training facilities were better and there was more room to maneuver.
It was alerted to deploy to the Russian Front at the end of April 1942. It shipped out on 7 May for Heiligenbeil airfield south of Königsberg where it was to be airlifted into the Demyansk Pocket to strengthen the defense of the supply corridor connecting the pocket to the German front lines. Shortly afterwards the Soviets launched an attack on their positions, apparently unaware of the Freikorps' presence. They were easily rebuffed as they'd only expected to encounter weak outposts of the SS-Totenkopf Division. This was to be the last attack dealt with so easily as the Soviets continually tried, at great cost, to cut the corridor and isolate the Pocket again.
They were repeatedly rebuffed, but at great cost to the Danes and the other units in the Pocket. So too did the Germans try to enlarge the corridor enough so that artillery couldn't take the main "road" under fire. The Germans were moderately successful, but at a very high cost as the swampy terrain negated most of the mobile tactics that the Germans excelled in. The Freikorps was a key participant in these actions and paid dearly for the price of admission. So much so that by 16 July line company strength was at about 75 men each. It was withdrawn to be completely rebuilt on 5 August after a costly defensive battle in mid-to-late July.
It was railed to Mitau and went on a long home leave on 7 September, not to return to until 12 October. Once back at Mitau it went through refresher training until it was transferred to Bobruisk on 21 November where its replacement company would henceforth be based. It was shipped to Nevel, not very far from the scene of its previous tour of duty, on 2 December. Its task was to replace some units that were attempting to relieve the garrison of Velikie-Luki, which had been cut-off by the Soviets some time previously. Its second tour was quite a bit quieter than the first as the Soviets never seriously tested its defenses, except on Christmas Day, before it was withdrawn beginning on 24 March 43.
It transferred to the Grafenwöhr training camp in Bavaria, although the reserve company was retained in Bobruisk for anti-partisan operations until 1 May. It wasn't formally dissolved until 20 May although the 24. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier Regiment Danmark was established 6 May. This absorbed nearly all of the Freikorps soldiers as well as some 1200 Romanian Volksdeutsche. It was part of the newly organized 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, but that's a story to be told elsewhere.
Commanders:
Ostubaf. Christian Peter Kyssing (19 July 41-23 February 42
Ostubaf. Christian Frederick von Schalburg (1 March 42-2 June 42)
Ostubaf. Hans von Lettow-Vorbeck (9 June-11 June 42)
Ostubaf. Knud Børge-Martinsen (11 June 42-21 February 43)
Stubaf. P. Neergard-Jacobsen (21 February 43-20 May 43)
Strength:
| 1/9/41 | 38/858 |
| 31/12/41 | 1066 |
| 1/5/42 | approx. 1200 |
| 26/7/42 | 300 |
| 2/12/42 | approx. 1000 |
| 31/12/42 | 12/630 |
| 1/5/43 | approx. 1150 |
Return to Obscure Combat Formations of the SS.
Return to Panzerkeil.