Thomas Müller (SS officer)

Thomas Müller (born February 2, 1902, date of death unknown) was a German Waffen-SS Colonel who commanded the SS-NCO Training School (Waffen-SS-Unterführerschule) in Radolfzell, 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen, 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen and the 27. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division Langemarck during World War II. He saw action on the East and the West, finishing the war on the Oder front.

Biography
Müller was born in Munich, Bavaria on February 2, 1902. He served with the Freikorps in 1920. Little is known about Müller during the early stages of the war. Between February 1941 and February 1943 Thomas Müller was commander and tactics instructor of the SS-NCO Training School (Waffen-SS-Unterführerschule) in Radolfzell. After that, he commanded the 2. SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment (renumbered in October 1943: SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 20) of 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen (February 20, 1943 - June 29, 1944). He assumed command of 9th SS Panzer Division for a brief period stretching from June 30 to July 10, 1944&mdash;one of the bloodiest periods for the division as they tried to stem the incoming British and Canadian soldiers bound for Caen. The Panzer division took an unprecedented 1200 casualties during these weeks.

Following this, he briefly took command of a new division Hitler had ordered, the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division, which had been named for Götz von Berlichingen. He only controlled the group as a substitute leader for a brief period in September, after its previous commander, Eduard Deisenhofer, was wounded in fighting and ordered back to Berlin to rest and recuperate. He was replaced by Gustav Mertsch as another temporary commander and finally command passed to Hans Lingner.

Apparently then being transferred from the SS to the army, he became a Colonel and received command of the 6th SS Volunteer Sturmbrigade Langemarck immediately following its promotion to a Division of its own, on October 19, 1944. This new Division was made possible due to the merging of the Brigade with new Flemish and Finnish volunteers that could be attached to the division.

The Langemarck acted primarily as support for the German Ardennes offensive, but following the Soviet campaign to capture the Oder River&mdash;realizing they couldn't hold out any longer, Müller gave his troops the option to surrender to the Allies or try to evade capture on their own. After burning the Division's records, Müller and the majority of his men surrendered to the allies at Schwerin.

Dates of rank

 * SS-Untersturmführer: September 11, 1934
 * SS-Obersturmführer: June 1, 1935
 * SS-Hauptsturmführer: November 11, 1936
 * SS-Sturmbannführer: October 31, 1939
 * SS-Obersturmbannführer: April 20, 1942
 * SS-Standartenführer: June 21, 1943

Notable decorations

 * Iron Cross Second (1940) and First (1940) Classes
 * Infantry Assault Badge in Bronze (?)