2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich
No Commander Took office Left office Time in office
1 Hausser , Paul SS-Obergruppenführer Paul Hausser ( 1880-1972 ) 19 October 1939 14 October 1941 1 year , 360 days
2 Bittrich , Wilhelm SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Bittrich ( 1894-1979 ) 14 October 1941 31 December 1941 78 days
3 Kleinheisterkamp , Matthias SS-Brigadeführer Matthias Kleinheisterkamp ( 1893-1945 ) 31 December 1941 19 April 1942 109 days
4 Keppler , Georg SS-Gruppenführer Georg Keppler ( 1894-1966 ) 19 April 1942 10 February 1943 297 days
5 Vahl , Herbert SS-Brigadeführer Herbert-Ernst Vahl ( 1896-1944 ) 10 February 1943 18 March 1943 36 days
6 Brasack , Kurt SS-Standartenführer Kurt Brasack [ de ] ( 1892-1978 ) 18 March 1943 3 April 1943 16 days
7 Krüger , Walter SS-Gruppenführer Walter Krüger ( 1890-1945 ) 3 April 1943 23 October 1943 203 days
8 Lammerding , Heinz SS-Brigadeführer Heinz Lammerding ( 1905-1971 ) 23 October 1943 20 January 1945 1 year , 89 days
- Tychsen , Christian SS-Obersturmbannführer Christian Tychsen ( 1910-1944 ) Acting 24 July 1944 28 July 1944 † 4 days
- Baum , Otto SS-Oberführer Otto Baum ( 1911-1998 ) Acting 28 July 1944 23 October 1944 87 days
9 Kreutz , Karl SS-Standartenführer Karl Kreutz ( 1909-1997 ) 20 January 1945 4 February 1945 15 days
10 Ostendorff , Werner SS-Gruppenführer Werner Ostendorff ( 1903-1945 ) 4 February 1945 9 March 1945 33 days
11 Lehmann , Rudolf SS-Standartenführer Rudolf Lehmann ( 1914-1983 ) 9 March 1945 13 April 1945 35 days
( 9 ) Kreutz , Karl SS-Standartenführer Karl Kreutz ( 1909-1997 ) 13 April 1945 8 May 1945 25 days
Commanders
Walter Krüger , Heinrich Himmler and Paul Hausser near Kharkov , Soviet Union , April 1943
The 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich () was one of 38 divisions of the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II. Das Reich served during the invasion of France and took part in several major battles on the Eastern Front, including in the Battle of Prokhorovka against the 5th Guards Tank Army at the Battle of Kursk. It was then transferred to the West and took part in the fighting in Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge, ending the war in Hungary and Austria. Das Reich committed the Oradour-sur-Glane and Tulle massacres.