Operation Niwi

Operation Niwi proved that panzergrenadiers were well suited for a variety of tasks, not just armoured support. One battalion of the Grossdeutschland, the 3rd, was removed from the armoured thrust through the Ardennes and given the task of capturing the Belgian towns of Nives and Witry (hence the codename for the operation) to facilitate the drive of the 1st and 2nd Panzer Divisions through the Belgian lines. To reach their objectives, the men of the 3rd Battalion, commanded by Lt Col Eugen Garski, would be transported behind the lines by a fleet of light Fieseler

Storch aeroplanes. Once in place the men would be resupplied by the Luftwaffe’s Ju-52 transport aircraft.

The men on Operation Niwi trained hard for the operation and received a personal visit from Hitler, who assured them of his faith in their abilities. As is so often the way, nothing on Operation Niwi went according to plan. The Fieseler Storch aircraft got lost and dispersed, and only a small number of men reached their objective. However, the dislocation and surprise of the Belgians allowed the Germans to gather their forces and block Belgian troop movements. Operation Niwi was not a great success but it proved that panzergrenadiers in units such as the Grossdeutschland could be used as special forces. It also shows that it is wrong to assume that panzergrenadiers only fought in close support of armour. Panzergrenadiers could be employed in a variety of tasks not classically associated with the role of motorised infantry. For instance, the Brandenburg Panzei Grenadier Division started life as a special forces unit designed for clandestine operations, and as such was involved in some of the most daring special commando-style operations of the war.