2nd Division SS
Das Reich
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Waffen-SS
Type	Armoured Division
Motto	Meine Ehre heißt Treue ("My Honour is Faithfulness")
Engagements	World War II Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Operation Typhoon Battle of Kursk Operation Overlord Battle of the Bulge
Active	1939 - 1945

Commanders
Notable Commanders	Oberstgruppenführer Paul Hausser (19 October 1939 – 14 October 1941)

The 2nd SS Division Das Reich was one of thirty-eight divisions of the SS during World War II.

For the invasion of Poland , three regiments of the SS ("Deutschland," "Der Fuhrer", and "Germania") were grouped in one division , the SS-Verfügungstruppe ("Troops of special purpose"). After Poland , a regiment ("Germania") was sent to form another division (5th SS Panzer Division Wiking), and a third regiment was created (SS Regiment 11), later becoming the second division of the SS Reich. In November 1942 , the division became a Panzergrenadier division, having changed its name to 2.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Das Reich . In 1943, the division was reorganized as a Panzer division adding 2.SS Panzer Regiment, forming, so the Panzer-2.SS-Division "Das Reich". The remnants of the division surrendered to the Allies in May 1945. The symbol for the Das Reich division was the wolf's hook, or Wolfsangel. As a whole, the Waffen-SS was found guilty of war crimes in the Nuremberg tribunal, with Das Reich itself being notorious for the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre.

See AlsoEdit

• War Crimes of the Wermacht
  • Oradur-sur-Glane Massacre
• Schutzstaffel
• Waffen-SS