SS Cavalry Brigade

SS Cavalry brigade
SS Cavalry Brigade of the Waffen-SS, September 1941
Active	1940–1942
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Waffen SS
Type	Cavalry
Size	Brigade
Commanders
Notable commanders	Hermann Fegelein

The SS Cavalry Brigade (SS-Kavallerie-Brigade) was a unit of the Waffen SS formed from cavalry regiments created for occupation duties in German-occupied Poland. Later, while serving in German-occupied areas of the Soviet Union, the brigade was involved in the and anti-partisan operations. It also filled gaps in the front line when called upon in emergencies. In 1942, the brigade was disbanded and became the cadre of the 8th SS Cavalry ("Florian Geyer") Division.

The SS Cavalry Brigade was based on the SS Totenkopf Horse Regiment (German: Reiterstandarte), which was raised in September 1939, for internal security duties in Poland, under the command of Hermann Fegelein.

By April 1940, it consisted of 8 Saber Squadrons, 9th Replacement, 10th Heavy and 11th Technical Squadrons and a 12th Horse Battery of four 80mm guns. In May it was divided into two regiments, SS Totenkopf Horse Regiments 1 & 2, each of four squadrons, 5th Heavy and 6th Horse Battery also included were Signals, Engineer and Motorcycle platoons.

In March 1941 they were renamed SS Cavalry Regiments (German: Kavallerie-Regimenter) 1 and 2 and reformed again into 1st, 2nd and 3rd Saber Squadrons, 4th (Machine Gun), 5th (Mortar and Infantry Gun), 6th (Technical), 7th (Bicycle) and 8th (Horse Battery) Squadrons.

In early August 1941, Himmler ordered the SS Cavalry Brigade to be formed under the command of Hermann Fegelein from the 1st and 2nd SS cavalry regiments. Personnel were taken from the saber squadrons to form the brigade's Artillery, Engineer and Bicycle (Reconnaissance) Squadron's. They were also given a Light Anti-Aircraft Battery. The brigade now had a strength of 3,500 men 2,900 horses and 375 vehicles.

After the German invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa), the SS cavalry regiments, along with the 1 SS Infantry Brigade were assigned to pacify what was seen as the main trouble spots in the occupied territories. On 19 July 1941, the SS cavalry regiments were transferred to the general command of HSSPF Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski for action in the area of the Pripet marsh, a large area of land that covered parts of Belorussia and the Northern Ukraine. Thereafter the regiments combined to become the SS Cavalry Brigade. They were ordered to perform the "systematic combing of the Pripyat swamps". The SS Cavalry Brigade was assigned because it was more mobile and better able to carry out large-scale operations; the brigade played a pivotal role in the transition from "selective mass murder" to the wholesale extermination of the Jewish population of the occupied part of the Soviet Union.