Führerbegleitbrigade
| Führer-Begleit-Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1939 - 30 April 1945 |
| Country |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Standard for the "Führer Escort Battalion" (reverse) |  |
| Disbanded | 1945 |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Erwin Rommel, Otto Ernst Remer |
The Führerbegleitbrigade (FBB: Führer escort brigade) was a German armoured brigade and later armoured division (Panzer-Führerbegleitdivision), in World War II. It was formed in November 1944 and destroyed in April 1945.
Before the 1 September 1939 attack on Poland, Adolf Hitler's personal military bodyguard came from two distinct, independent units based in Berlin: the Chancellery Guards, originally assigned by the army, and then the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler ("SS bodyguard regiment 'Adolf Hitler'"; LSSAH), which replaced the Chancellery Guards. When hostilities started, Hitler ordered the LSSAH to participate in the campaign against Poland, leaving him with no military bodyguard unit (except for a small formation from the Leibstandarte), in Berlin.
At the time, an infantry instructor, Oberst (colonel) Erwin Rommel, came to Hitler's attention. Hitler saw to it that Rommel was appointed in charge of a new battalion being organized to function as his personal escort to the front in the absence of the Leibstandarte and other appropriate frontline units. This led to the formation of the FBB in 1939. It had the task of protecting Hitler's military headquarters and accompanying him when visiting battlefronts. It also was responsible for all luggage that travelled with Hitler and his staff. By the time of the invasion of France and the Low Countries, Rommel was promoted to major general, and he left the FBB to take command of the army's 7th Panzer Division.
With the expansion of the elite Großdeutschland Infantry Regiment into a division on 3 March 1942, the number of subunits under its control was expanded. Among these subunits was a new Führerbegleit-unit, as well as another unit with Führer in its name, the Führergrenadierabteilung.. Although the new Führerbegleit-unit had practically the same purpose as the original and still-existing Führerbegleitbattalion, and was approximately the same size, it was different from the FBB in that it was motorized. The newer unit was further distinguished by nomenclature: it was known as the Führerbegleitabteilung (FBA: Führer escort detachment). This is because battalion-sized Wehrmacht (and even Waffen-SS) ground units were designated according to class, with Abteilung for motorized, mechanized, armoured, or self-propelled battalion-sized units controlled by a battalion headquarters, and Battalion for infantry units.
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