The 22. SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division Maria Theresa was formed in May 1944 in the area around Kisber, Hungary, with SS-Kavallerie Regiment 17 (from Florian Geyer) serving as its nucleus. The bulk of the soldiers in the division were Hungarian volksdeutsche originally drafted by the Hungarian Armed Forces, who were transferred to the Waffen-SS following an agreement between Germany and Hungary.

In September, a kampfgruppe from Maria Theresa consisting of SS-Kavallerie-Regiment 52 along with supporting troops, commanded by SS-Hauptsturmführer Toni Ameiser and entitled SS-Kampfgruppe Ameiser was sent to Romania. There it failed to link up with LVII Panzerkorps and instead fought alongside Hungarian troops. The advance of the Red Army led to the encirclement of the Kampgruppe on October 2nd and soon thereafter it was split into two groups. One part of it was led by SS-Hauptsturmführer Harry Vandieken, which managed to fight its way to the Harmas river where they managed to swim across to join the German forces on the other side.

The other part, led by Ameiser, was not so lucky, but managed to survive behind enemy lines until it could reach the German lines south of Budapest on October 30th. The battle ready parts of the division, which was still in training, were sent into Budapest in November 1944. There it was encircled along with the rest of the Axis troops in the Hungarian capital and later destroyed, with 170 men making it out of the encirclement.

The survivors, along with those who had not been sent into Budapest were used to form 37. SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division Lützow, with the remnants of the Flak units being transferred to 32. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division on January 30th, 1945. The symbol of this division was a cornflower, adopted as it was the favourite flower of the Austro-Hungarian Empress Maria Theresia.

Pictured here is a set of German SS Cavalry Division figures then deployed to the Eastern Front during 1942. Now in stock!

Release Date: July 2007

• Pre-posed
• Pre-painted