22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division

22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division
22. SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division
22. SS-Önkéntes-Lovashadosztály
Divisional symbol of the 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division, used as early as October 1944.[1][2]
Active29 April 1944 – 14 February 1945[3][4]
Country Nazi Germany
Branch Waffen-SS
TypeGrenadier
RoleCavalry
Size12,453 (20 September 1944)[5]
13,911 (25 October 1944)[6][7]
11,345 (26 December 1944)[7]
Part of
Garrison/HQBicske, Budapest, Győr, Kisbér, Rétság and Zsámbék.[8][9]
Nickname(s)'Maria Theresia'[3]
(Hungarian: 'Mária Terézia')[10]
'Wonder Weapon Division'[8][11]
(German: 'Wunderwaffe Division')[11]
Motto(s)"Meine Ehre heißt Treue!"
Engagements
Commanders
Notable
commanders
[12][13]

The 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division (German: 22. SS-Freiwilligen Kavallerie-Division)[14] (Hungarian: 22. SS-Önkéntes-Lovashadosztály)[5] was a German Waffen-SS cavalry division which was active on the Eastern Front during World War II. The division was composed primarily of Royal Hungarian Army Volksdeutsche conscripts who were transferred to the Waffen-SS following an agreement between Germany and Hungary. The division is commonly known under the Maria Theresia name in publications, although no documents have been found to confirm this name.[15]

  1. ^ Landwehr 1997, p. 29.
  2. ^ Tucker-Jones 2016, p. 45.
  3. ^ a b Mitcham 2007, p. 211.
  4. ^ Landwehr 1997, p. 21.
  5. ^ a b 17: 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division 'Maria Theresia' - Arcanum.
  6. ^ Pencz 2010, p. 155.
  7. ^ a b Battles of the 22nd SS Cavalry Division in Budapest - Arcanum.
  8. ^ a b Landwehr 1997, p. 13.
  9. ^ Landwehr 1997, p. 14.
  10. ^ Holčík 1986, p. 36.
  11. ^ a b Landwehr 1997, p. 15.
  12. ^ Bishop 2012, p. 182.
  13. ^ Landwehr 1997, p. 22.
  14. ^ Official designation in German language as to „Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv" in Freiburg im Breisgau, stores of the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS.
  15. ^ (in Polish) Jan-Hendrik Wendler: 22. ochotnicza dywizja kawalerii SS (22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division) in: "Militaria XX Wieku" No. 4/2009(31), pp. 74–75