The Last Stand: The 11th SS Nordland Division in the Battle of Berlin

The Battle of Berlin, one of the last and most devastating battles of World War II, witnessed the final collapse of the Third Reich. At the epicenter of this cataclysm, the 11th SS Nordland Division, composed of volunteers from across Europe, stood out as a symbol of desperate resistance, fighting to the last man in the ruins of the German capital.

Founded in 1943, the Nordland Division was initially formed from the fusion of volunteers from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Estonia, and ethnic Germans from Romania. These soldiers, united by an oath of loyalty to Nazi Germany, underwent extensive training in Croatia before being sent to the Eastern Front. The division was tested in fierce battles along the Leningrad front, Estonia, and Latvia, where they played a crucial role in delaying the Soviet advance.

In Estonia, in particular, the forces of Nordland demonstrated their tenacity. A Danish soldier recalls: “We were surrounded on all sides, but there was no option to retreat. Our commanders constantly reminded us that retreat meant certain death. And we fought with that conviction to the bitter end.”

With the relentless Soviet advance, Nordland was forced to retreat to East Prussia, forming the Courland Pocket, a fortress where the German forces made their last significant stand in late 1944. During the winter months, the division faced several Soviet offensives but managed to hold their positions against all odds. On October 16, 1944, the exhausted and resource-depleted soldiers of Nordland repelled a massive attack, showing almost superhuman resilience.

After this battle, a Norwegian veteran wrote: “We knew we were fighting against time, and each day we survived was a victory in itself. We were no longer fighting for Hitler or the Reich, but for the comrades beside us, for those we knew we would never see again.”

In early 1945, with the eastern front collapsing, Nordland was transferred to Pomerania, where they participated in Operation Solstice, a desperate attempt to stem the Soviet advance towards Berlin. Despite some initial victories, the offensive failed, and the division was forced to withdraw to the German capital.

On April 16, 1945, Nordland received orders to reinforce defenses east of Berlin. However, many of the new recruits, coming from various parts of Europe, including the British Free Corps and the French SS Charlemagne, were inexperienced and poorly trained. Even so, the division continued to resist, armed with some of the last available King Tiger tanks.

As Soviet forces encircled Berlin, Nordland was pushed into the city’s center, where they faced a desperate battle in the capital’s streets. On April 25, General Gustav Krukenberg took command of Berlin’s Defense Sector C, where the remnants of Nordland, now reduced to mere battalions, prepared for the final confrontation.

One of the French soldiers of the SS Charlemagne who fought alongside Nordland recalls: “There was nowhere left to run. We were surrounded, with no hope of reinforcements. But at that moment, fighting was all we knew how to do. Not for Hitler, but for ourselves, for our comrades who had already fallen.”

The battle for survival continued in the ruins of Berlin, with Nordland’s defenders destroying Soviet tanks and delaying the enemy’s advance for 48 hours. However, the German forces were in complete disarray. The division, once powerful, had been reduced to less than 15 men per company. Even so, they resisted until the last moment, fighting street by street, house by house.

On April 30, with news of Hitler’s suicide, the final resistance began to dissipate. The few Nordland survivors were ordered to attempt an escape from the Soviet encirclement. On the night of May 1, small and scattered groups tried to cross enemy lines toward the west, hoping to surrender to the Americans. Few succeeded. Most, including the men of Krukenberg’s group, were captured or killed by the Soviets.

On May 2, Berlin fell, and hostilities ceased. The few remaining Nordland members who managed to survive were captured and marched as prisoners of war to the east. Many of them never returned. For those who survived and reached the Allied lines, the fate was equally cruel: judged as traitors in their home countries, some were sentenced to death, while others spent years in prison.

The legacy of the 11th SS Nordland Division is marked by their fierce loyalty and the brutal reality of war. They fought not just as soldiers of the Reich but as men united by desperation and camaraderie, facing the inevitable end with grim determination.