31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division

31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division
Insignia of the 31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division
Active	1944 - 1945
Country	Nazi Germany
Allegiance	Adolf Hitler
Branch	Waffen SS
Type	Grenadier
Size	Division
Nickname(s)	Corn Division Division Batschka Division Lombard

The 31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division was a unit of the German armed forces during World War II. It was formed from Germans, Hungarians and Volksdeutsche, mostly from the Bačka in September 1944. The division is sometimes given the title Batschka. By November 1944 it was in action on the Hungarian Front.

In January 1945 it was sent to Austria and reformed as a type 45 Division, with only two battalions in each regiment and only three platoons in each company.

The division then joined the 17th Army in Silesia where it was surrounded by the Red Army; it surrendered near Hradec Králové in May 1945. After surrendering, more than 4,000 members were massacred by Czech partisans and Soviet troops.

Commander

• SS Brigadeführer, Gustav Lombard 1 Oct 1944 to April 1945
• SS Brigadeführer Wilhelm Trabandt April 1945 to May 8, 1945 According to Pencz Lombard was O/C until the Divisions destruction in 1945. Trabandt was commander of SS kampfgruppe (sometimes referred to as Division Bohmen-Mahren). This is often confused with 31st SS but is not the same unit.

Order of battle

• SS Volunteer Grenadier Regiment 78
• SS Volunteer Grenadier Regiment 79
• SS Volunteer Grenadier Regiment 80 (this unit was destroyed and reformed using the Brizen SS Police Regiment in 1945)
• SS Artillerie Regiment 31
• SS Füsilier Battalion 31 (this unit was destroyed in Hungary and replaced using the 'Szálasi' Hungarian SS Grenadier Battalion in March 1945)
• SS Signals Battalion 31
• SS Nachschub Troop 31
• SS Panzerjäger Battalion 31
• SS Pionier Battalion 31
• SS Krankentransport Kompanie 31
• SS Vetinerary Company 31