The SS Division Totenkopf , also known as the Totenkopf Division , went on to become one of the most effective German formations on the Eastern Front , fighting during invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 , as well as the summer offensive in 1942 , the capture of Kharkov , in the Demyansk Pocket , during the Vistula – Oder Offensive , and the Battle of Budapest in 1945 . During the course of the war , Eicke and his division became known for their effectiveness but also brutality and war crimes , including the murder of 97 British POWs in Le Paradis , France , in 1940 , while serving on the Western Front . The division was also known for the frequent murder of captured Soviet soldiers and the widespread pillaging of Soviet villages
Le Paradis
Le Paradis massacre
Theodor Eicke