Hobby Master Archive

Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH) was founded in 1933 as Hitler’s personal bodyguard regiment. In 1939 the LSSAH became a separate unit of the Waffen-SS and spent the latter part of 1942 refitting as a panzergrenadier division. In late 1942 the entire German Eastern Front was close to collapse and General Feldmarschall Erich von Manstein requested reinforcements to stop the Soviet Army at Karkov. The LSSAH arrived in Karkov in January 1943 and fought many battles defending the city and surrounding area only be forced out. More German forces arrived and by March 21, 1943 Karkov was back in German control.