Iii germanic ss panzer corps
Steiner’s regiment, SS-Deutschland, fought effectively in the invasions of Poland and Western Europe, and Steiner was one of the first Waffen-SS members to earn the Knight’s Cross on 17 June 1940. Camouflage clothing later spread to the rest of the Waffen-SS and eventually to armies around the world. Steiner also popularized the use of the camouflage smock, developed by his subordinate, Dr. The continued success of his training methods earned the approval of Paul Hausser, who spread them throughout the early units of the burgeoning Waffen-SS. Here, with carefully screened volunteers under his leadership, he at last was able to demonstrate the validity of his ideas. He first sought this through joining the SA, but on in April 1935, he switched to the SS. He was frustrated by what he considered a lack of innovation, and sought a venue for his concept of an elite soldier-athlete. He came away from the war convinced that such highly-trained, flexible units could be successful on a much greater scale in future warfare.Īfter service in a Freikorps in Lithuania, Steiner found a place in the Reichswehr, but retired as a Hauptmann at the end of 1933. He then participated in similar actions on the Western Front during the spring of 1918. He was assigned to Stosstrupp (“strike troop”) formations that broke the deadlock on the Eastern Front during the 1917 Riga campaign. He was quickly promoted to NCO, and was commissioned in January 1915, less than a year after entering the service. His military service began shortly before the Great War with his enlistment in the German Army. Felix Martin Julius Steiner was born on in East Prussia.