The Division Hermann Göring was formed in October 1942 when Brigade Hermann Göring was upgraded with the addition of 5.000 Luftwaffe volunteers and Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 5 (remnants of three separate parachute units that had fought on Crete and on the Eastern front).
The main body of the division was sent to Tunisia January - March 1943 (Jäger-Regiment HG was sent to Africa in November 1942). The HG-units were known as Kampfgruppe Schmid (named after Generalmajor Schmid, commander of the advance section of the staff) and were sent to the southern sector of the front in February were they replaced Korps-Gruppe Weber.
It fought with distinction in Tunisia but was forced to surrender with the rest of the Axis troops in North Africa in May 1943 and only a few men from the units managed to escape.

It was reformed in May 1943 as Panzer-Division Hermann Göring.

Commanders

Generalmajor Paul Conrath (15 Oct 1942 - 20 May 1943)

Area of operations

France & Italy (Oct 1942 - Jan 1943)
North Africa (Jan 1943 - May 1943)

Holders of high awards

Holders of the German Cross in Gold (12)
- Bühl, Ernst, 05.02.1944, Leutnant, I./Jäg.Rgt. "HG" [also designated (per Kartei-Karte and DRK-Suchdienst) Fsch.Jg.Rgt. "HG" ]
- Franz, ??, 27.05.1943, Oberfeldwebel, 10./Jäg.Rgt. "HG"
- Jungwirt, Hans, 01.04.1943, Hauptmann, I./Jäg.Rgt. "HG"
- Kempa, Werner, 25.01.1943, Leutnant, Zugführer im Jäg-Rgt. “HG”
- Quednow, Fritz, 22.05.1943, Oberleutnant, 9./Jäg.Rgt. "HG"
- Schirmer, Gerhart, 25.06.1943, Hauptmann, Kdr. III./Jäg.Rgt. "HG"
- Spieler, Christian, 05.02.1944, Hauptmann, I./Jäg.Rgt. "HG"
- Wendelken, Heinz, 22.05.1943, Feldwebel, 12./Jäg.Rgt. "HG"
- Werner, Wilhelm, 16.03.1944, Major i.G., Ia Pz.Div. "HG" [officially] [for service as Ia Div. "GG" in North Africa]
- Wezel, Dr. Rudolf, 01.04.1943, Stabsarzt, x/Jäg.Rgt. "HG"
- Wöhler, Werner, 29.04.1943, Oberleutnant, 12./Jäg.Rgt. "HG"
- Zimmermann, Julius, 05.02.1944, Leutnant, I./Jäg.Rgt. "HG"
Holders of the Honor Roll Clasp of the Heer (1)
- [Heer] Jungwirt, Hans, 26.01.1943, Hauptmann, I./Jäg.Rgt. “HG” [a late war photo shows him (Major) wearing the Lw version]
Holders of the Knight's Cross (8)
- Hoefeld, Robert 18.05.1943 Oberleutnant Führer 4./Jäg.Rgt "HG"
- Kiefer, Eduard-Heinrich 18.05.1943 Hauptmann Chef 2./Pz.Aufkl.Abt „HG“
- Quednow, Fritz 05.04.1944 Hauptmann Chef 5./Jäg.Rgt „HG“
- Schäfer, Heinrich 08.08.1944 Oberfeldwebel Zugführer i. d. 4./Jäg.Rgt „HG“
- Scheid, Johannes 21.06.1943 Oberfeldwebel Zugführer i. d. 11./Gren.Rgt 1 „HG“
- Schmid, Joseph („Beppo“) 21.05.1943 Generalmajor Kdr der in Tunesien eingesetzten Teile der Division „General Göring“ [also called Kampfgruppe Schmid]
- Schreiber, Kurt 21.06.1943 Hauptmann Kdr II./Gren.Rgt 1 „HG“
- Witte, Heinrich 18.05.1943 Obergefreiter Richtkanonier i. d. 7./Flak-Rgt „HG“

Order of Battle

Stab
Musikkorps
Grenadier-Regiment 1 HG (Oberst Ewerth)
- I. Grenadier-Bataillon
- II. Grenadier-Bataillon
- III. Grenadier-Bataillon
- 13. (schwere) Infanteriegeschütz-Kompanie
- 14. Panzerjäger-Kompanie
Grenadier-Regiment 2 HG (Oberst Schmalz)
- I. Grenadier-Bataillon
- II. Grenadier-Bataillon
- III. Grenadier-Bataillon
Jäger-Regiment HG (Obest Koch)
- I. Jäger-Bataillon
- II. Jäger-Bataillon
Panzer-Regiment HG (Oberstleutnant Straub)
- I. Panzer-Abteilung
- II. Panzer-Abteilung
Flak-Regiment HG (Oberstleutnant Hullmann)
- I. Flak-Abteilung
- II. Flak-Abteilung
- III. Flak-Abteilung
- Führer-Flak-Abteilung
Artillerie-Regiment HG (Oberst Oering)
- I. Artillerie-Abteilung
- II. Artillerie-Abteilung
- III. Artillerie-Abteilung
- IV. Artillerie-Abteilung
- V. Sturmgeschütz-Abteilung
Aufklärungs-Abteilung HG (Hauptmann Brandenburg)
- Stabskompanie
- 1. Kradschützen-Kompanie
- 2. Volkswagen-Kompanie
- 3. Panzerspäh-Kompanie
- 4. Panzerjäger-Kompanie
- 5. (schwere) Kompanie
- 6. Flak-Kompanie (2 cm)
Panzer-Pionier-Bataillon HG
- 1. Panzer-Pionier-Kompanie
- 2. Panzer-Pionier-Kompanie
- 3. Panzer-Pionier-Kompanie
- 4. Panzer-Pionier-Kompanie
Panzer-Nachrichten-Abteilung HG (Major Bettlewski)
- Stabskompanie
- 1. Panzer-Nachrichten-Kompanie (Funk-Kompanie)
- 2. Panzer-Nachrichten-Kompanie (Fernsprech-Kompanie)
Sanitäts-Abteilung HG (Oberfeldarzt Dr. Blackstein)
- 1. Sanitäts-Bereitschaft
- 2. Sanitäts-Bereitschaft
- 3. Sanitäts-Bereitschaft
Nachschub-Regiment HG (Oberst Ritter)
- I. Nachschub-Abteilung (Oberstleutnant Rahlfs)
- II. Nachschub-Abteilung
- III. Nachschub-Abteilung (Oberstleutnant Schlegel)
Ersatz und Ausbildungs Regiment HG (Oberst Schultz)
Wach-Regiment (later redesignated Führer-Begleit-Regiment)
Feldgendarmerietrupp
Feldpostamt
Flygbereitschaft
Verwaltungsdienste
- Division-Verpflegungsamt
- Bäckerei-Kompanie
- Schlächterei-Kompanie

Notable members

Dr. jur. Heinz Göring (nephew of Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring; killed in action 29 July 1944 near Pogorzel, east of Warsaw; posthumously promoted to Hauptmann)
Eduard-Heinrich Kiefer (KC holder, post-war actor under the name Til Kiwe)

Insignia

The "Hermann Göring" cuff title was used by this unit.

The Kradschützen-Kompanie during a visit by Hermann Göring to the division in 1943

(From Der Adler 1943 #6)

Recruitment poster

(Courtesy of Daniel)

Sources used

Roger James Bender & George A. Petersen - Hermann Göring: From Regiment to Fallschirmpanzerkorps
George F. Nafziger - The Afrika Korps: An organizational history 1941-1943
Franz Kurowski - The history of the Fallschrim Panzerkorps Hermann Göring
Gordon Williamson - Afrikakorps 1941-43

Reference material on this unit

Roger James Bender & George A. Petersen - Hermann Göring: From Regiment to Fallschirmpanzerkorps
Franz Kurowski - The history of the Fallschrim Panzerkorps Hermann Göring
Alfred Otte - The HG Panzer Division
Bruce Quarrie - Fallschirmpanzerdivision ‘Hermann Göring’
Gordon Williamson - The ‘Hermann Göring’ Division