ABOUT 2. KOMPANIE
2. Kompanie is a re-enactment group based in the Mid-west and Central Plains of the United States. Our goal is to accurately portray soldiers from an Infanterie Kompanie of the III SS Division “Totenkopf” on the Eastern Front during the Second World War.
We represent infantrymen of what would later be known as the 3. SS-Panzer-Division “Totenkopf”. We wear historically correct uniforms and accoutrements, and carry original weapons from World War Two. We set up displays and the camp of a typical German unit of our type. We participate in public living history events, as well as private battle re-enactments all throughout the United States.
2. Kompanie differs from many other German units, and SS units by portraying a unit that fought almost exclusively on the Eastern Front throughout the entire war. Therefor we prefer to attend mainly Eastern Front themed events. We are trying to remind the community that there was a war before Normandy in 1944. There were units other than the 506th Airborne and the 2nd Rangers during World War Two. Instead of basing our impression for the Western Front 1944-45 like most units, we portray an early to mid war unit, ranging from France in 1940 to the Battle of Kursk on the Russian Front in 1943.
Our uniforms and equipment vary from what you see in a late-war SS unit., and most other impressions done based during that time period. The 3.SS Division received most of it's uniforms from one source, and therefor as we have found by looking at thousands of photos, the division was quite uniform in comparison to other German units of the time. Also, as we are portraying early-war Totenkopf, our uniforms and equipment are even more specific, as less items are historically correct. It is an impression that is more difficult than your standard late-war Kampfgruppe troop, but it is also that much more rewarding to do it properly.
2. Kompanie uses a large allotment of Czech weapons, alongside our standard German weapons. When the Division was first formed and preparing for the Invasion of France, they had not proven themselves in the field as a successful unit. The Waffen-SS was still a new idea, and therefor SS troops did not recieve the newest and best supplies, which at this time were going to the Heer. Totenkopf received old outdated sub-machine guns, such as MP-28's and MP-34's, and instead of the common MG-34, the Division used a Czech Machinegun known as a ZB-26 or ZB-30. For heavy machine guns the Division used Czech ZB-37's, which can be seen in many of our photos. Many of the riflemen of the Totenkopfdivision were armed with a Czech variant of the Mauser 98k known as a Vz. 24. In order to have the most accurate impression possible, 2. Kompanie encourages the use of Vz.24's and ZB machine guns by it's members.
We chose the to represent the 3. SS-Totenkopf for a variety of reasons. The SS-Totenkopf division is not often portrayed because of it’s reputation for brutality, and because many people make the misconception that members of the 3.SS "Totenkopf" Division were concentration camp guards. Although the division was formed in the town of Dachau, and some of the original cadre came from the Pre-War Dachau camp, the great majority of the men serving in the 3.SS throughout the war had no experience in the camps. The camps were run by the SS-Totenkopfverbande, which many people confuse with the SS-Totenkopfdivision. The 3.SS also wears the same collar tabs as concentration camp guards, which leads to more assumptions and misconceptions. For more info on this topic, please read our F.A.Q.'s page.
The men of the 3.SS fought hard throughout World War Two, and saw almost constant combat. They were respected and feared by any who opposed them. They were the most requested unit on the Eastern Front, because of their tenacity in combat. The men of the 3.SS survived the Russian winters, the most brutal campaigns in Russia, and they survived surrounded and outnumbered for months on nothing but air supplies! Not many unit share the victories of SS-Totenkopf, and for a division that faught with such success and tenacity to not be represented, is wrong. Therefore, 2. Kompanie will wear the infamous skull on our collar, to educate on the truth of the SS-Totenkopfdivision.
For more information on our history please refer to our history page. For detailed accounts of the SS-Totenkopfdivision during and before World War Two, please read Soldiers of Destruction, by Charles Snydor.
We represent infantrymen of what would later be known as the 3. SS-Panzer-Division “Totenkopf”. We wear historically correct uniforms and accoutrements, and carry original weapons from World War Two. We set up displays and the camp of a typical German unit of our type. We participate in public living history events, as well as private battle re-enactments all throughout the United States.
2. Kompanie differs from many other German units, and SS units by portraying a unit that fought almost exclusively on the Eastern Front throughout the entire war. Therefor we prefer to attend mainly Eastern Front themed events. We are trying to remind the community that there was a war before Normandy in 1944. There were units other than the 506th Airborne and the 2nd Rangers during World War Two. Instead of basing our impression for the Western Front 1944-45 like most units, we portray an early to mid war unit, ranging from France in 1940 to the Battle of Kursk on the Russian Front in 1943.
Our uniforms and equipment vary from what you see in a late-war SS unit., and most other impressions done based during that time period. The 3.SS Division received most of it's uniforms from one source, and therefor as we have found by looking at thousands of photos, the division was quite uniform in comparison to other German units of the time. Also, as we are portraying early-war Totenkopf, our uniforms and equipment are even more specific, as less items are historically correct. It is an impression that is more difficult than your standard late-war Kampfgruppe troop, but it is also that much more rewarding to do it properly.
2. Kompanie uses a large allotment of Czech weapons, alongside our standard German weapons. When the Division was first formed and preparing for the Invasion of France, they had not proven themselves in the field as a successful unit. The Waffen-SS was still a new idea, and therefor SS troops did not recieve the newest and best supplies, which at this time were going to the Heer. Totenkopf received old outdated sub-machine guns, such as MP-28's and MP-34's, and instead of the common MG-34, the Division used a Czech Machinegun known as a ZB-26 or ZB-30. For heavy machine guns the Division used Czech ZB-37's, which can be seen in many of our photos. Many of the riflemen of the Totenkopfdivision were armed with a Czech variant of the Mauser 98k known as a Vz. 24. In order to have the most accurate impression possible, 2. Kompanie encourages the use of Vz.24's and ZB machine guns by it's members.
We chose the to represent the 3. SS-Totenkopf for a variety of reasons. The SS-Totenkopf division is not often portrayed because of it’s reputation for brutality, and because many people make the misconception that members of the 3.SS "Totenkopf" Division were concentration camp guards. Although the division was formed in the town of Dachau, and some of the original cadre came from the Pre-War Dachau camp, the great majority of the men serving in the 3.SS throughout the war had no experience in the camps. The camps were run by the SS-Totenkopfverbande, which many people confuse with the SS-Totenkopfdivision. The 3.SS also wears the same collar tabs as concentration camp guards, which leads to more assumptions and misconceptions. For more info on this topic, please read our F.A.Q.'s page.
The men of the 3.SS fought hard throughout World War Two, and saw almost constant combat. They were respected and feared by any who opposed them. They were the most requested unit on the Eastern Front, because of their tenacity in combat. The men of the 3.SS survived the Russian winters, the most brutal campaigns in Russia, and they survived surrounded and outnumbered for months on nothing but air supplies! Not many unit share the victories of SS-Totenkopf, and for a division that faught with such success and tenacity to not be represented, is wrong. Therefore, 2. Kompanie will wear the infamous skull on our collar, to educate on the truth of the SS-Totenkopfdivision.
For more information on our history please refer to our history page. For detailed accounts of the SS-Totenkopfdivision during and before World War Two, please read Soldiers of Destruction, by Charles Snydor.
DISCLAIMER: 2. Kompanie is a non-political organization We do not support naziism, or fascism. We are not associated with nor do we condone the actions of the Third Reich or the actual 3.SS Division.