4th SS Polizei Panzergrenadier Division The 4th SS " Polizei " Panzergrenadier Division was one of the thirty - eight divisions fielded as part of the " Waffen - SS " during World War II . The division was formed in 1939 as part of the " Ordnungspolizei " or Orpo ( uniformed national police ) . While all German police organizations were controlled by " Reichsführer - SS " Heinrich Himmler in his capacity as Chief of German Police in the Interior Ministry , they were not at this time considered part of the SS , nor was the " Polizei " Division on par with the true " Waffen - SS " Divisions . This status was reflected in the quality of the equipment they were issued and their retention of police insignia and rank structure . The division was transferred to the " Waffen - SS " in 1942 , and after a variety of splits and reunions it was eventually upgraded to a " Panzergrenadier " division , the 4th SS - Polizei - Panzergrenadier Division . It fought in France , Russia , Greece and Pomerania and finally surrendered to the Americans in May 1945 . Formation . The " Polizei " Division was formed in October 1939 , when 15 , 000 members of the " Ordnungspolizei " were drafted and placed together with artillery and signals units transferred from the army . These men were not enrolled in the SS and remained policemen , retaining their Orpo rank structure and insignia . Himmler ' s purpose in forming the division was twofold : in a period of heated bureaucratic infighting and competition for manpower , it permitted him to get around the recruitment caps the " Wehrmacht " had succeeded in placing on the SS , it also provided a means for his policemen to satisfy their military obligation and avoid army conscription . The first commander was " Generalleutnant der Polizei " ( Major - General ) Karl Pfeffer - Wildenbruch , a career police commander who had been a general staff officer during World War I ; simultaneous with his appointment he was also commissioned as an " SS - Gruppenführer " . The division was equipped largely with captured Czech materiel and underwent military training in the Black Forest combined with spells on internal security duties in Poland . France 1940 . The division , at this time a straight ' leg ' ( infantry ) formation with horse - drawn transport , was initially held in reserve with Army Group C in the Rhineland during the Battle of France until 9 June when it first saw combat during the crossing of the Aisne river and the Ardennes Canal . The division was engaged in heavy fighting and after securing its objectives , moved to the Argonne Forest , where it came into contact with the French and fought a number of actions with their rear guard . In late June 1940 , the division was pulled out of combat and transferred to the reserve of Army Group North in East Prussia . In January 1941 , administrative responsibility for the division passed from the police to the " SS - Führungshauptamt " , the materiel and training headquarters of the " Waffen - SS " ; its personnel however , remained policemen , not members of the SS . Eastern Front . During the invasion of the Soviet Union ( Operation Barbarossa ) , the " Polizei " Division was initially part of the reserve with Army Group North . In August 1941 , the division saw action near Luga . It was during heavy fighting for the Luga bridgehead ( held by seven Soviet divisions ) , that the " Polizei " Division lost over 2 , 000 soldiers including the commander , Arthur Mülverstadt , in bloody frontal assaults . The fighting across swamp and forest caused a number of problems and after a series of failed attacks the " Polizei " Division , along with the help of army formations , managed to fight into the northern part of Luga , encircling and destroying the Soviet defenders in the process . 1942 . In January 1942 , the division was moved to the Volkhov River sector , and on 24 February it was transferred to the " Waffen - SS " ; its personnel changing their police insignia to that of the SS . The new " Waffen - SS " formation was involved in some heavy fighting between January and March which resulted in the destruction of the Soviet 2nd Shock Army . The remainder of the year was spent on the Leningrad front . 1943 . In February 1943 , the division saw action south of Lake Ladoga and was involved in a number of Soviet offensives when it was forced to withdraw to a new defensive line at Kolpino where it was successful in holding the Red Army , despite suffering heavy casualties . It was at this point that units of the division were transferred to the west to retrain and upgrade to a " Panzergrenadier " Division ; leaving a small " Kampfgruppe " ( battlegroup ) in the east and a Dutch Volunteer Legion , the " Niederland " , to make up the numbers . The " Kampfgruppe " was disbanded in May 1943 , when the SS - Polizei - Panzergrenadier Division was ready for action . The " SS - Polizei " Division did not return to the Soviet Union but was sent to the Balkans , where it undertook anti - partisan operations in northern Greece . During this time , the Gestapo recorded that the division was involved in war crime s and atrocities against the civilian population of Klissura . and the village of Distomo in what became known as the Distomo massacre . 1944 . The division remained in Greece until August 1944 before being recalled to face the advancing Red Army at Belgrade . It was again involved in heavy fighting and suffered heavy losses . By September 1944 , the division was reduced to about half its strength and forced back into Slovenia . 1945 . The much reduced SS - " Polizei " Division was moved north to Pomerania where it saw action attempting to hold the Soviets back . Hitler assigned it to Army Detachment Steiner for the relief of Berlin , but the troops lacked heavy weapons and did not engage as planned . Moved to Danzig , it was trapped by the Red Army and after a dire battle it was shipped across the Hela Peninsula to Swinemünde . After a brief rest , what remained of the SS - " Polizei " Division fought its way across the Elbe river , surrendering to the Americans near Wittenberge - Lenzen .