| The campaign against the Soviet Union attracted a number of foreign nationals of neutral countries. In addition, Finland and Italy committed troops to the war against Russia. Mussolini actually sent a whole army to the Eastern Front, while Spain's Franco sent enough troops to show Hitler his good faith.
Finland Finland is a unique case with regard to its relations with Germany during World War II. When tensions between Germany and the Soviet Union increased during the spring of 1941, Finland made overtures to Germany but did not conclude a formal agreement. That said, she did allow the transit of German troops, and Finland participated in Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. Helsinki termed this campaign the "War of Continuation", an important title as the Finns wanted to retake all their territory lost in the earlier Winter War. But the Finnish population had no desire to join Nazi Germany in an ideological crusade; those Finns who were committed fascists made their way into the Waffen-SS. First, however, let us look at the neutrals.
Swiss volunteers Switzerland was the only country of Central Europe that managed to remain neutral in World War II. There were several reasons for this: she was well defended and the mountainous terrain gave her certain advantages. More importantly, perhaps, Switzerland had a long tradition of neutrality and was also useful to both sides as an informal meeting place. But the most important reason for the Germans not molesting the Swiss was that the latter were virtually surrounded by Axis territory anyway. From the German-speaking part of Switzerland, about 700 to 800 volunteers found their way into the Waffen-SS. Considering the long border around Lake Constance, on the border of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and the natural exchange between the two countries, it is surprising that the number was not larger. The greatest concentration of Swiss volunteers was in the Wiking Division, which had its own all-Swiss company. In the course of the war, 33 Swiss SS men were commissioned as officers. Swiss volunteers could also be found in the Kurt Eggers Regiment of the Waffen-SS. This war correspondents' unit was the first truly "Germanic" formation of the SS, since it included not only Swiss but also British, Danes, Norwegians, Finns, Dutch, Flemings, Swedes and Icelanders. It was named after its first commander, SS-Standartenführer Kurt Eggers. Not all Swiss volunteers served in the Waffen-SS; some fought in the Wehrmacht. In all, it is reckoned that 300 Swiss men were killed during the war.
Sweden's position The neutrality of Sweden during World War II was both precarious and questionable for, in many ways, the Germans dominated the country. During the 1940 invasion of Norway, for example, Sweden was forced to allow trainloads of German soldiers to travel through her territory on their way to and from the Narvik area, although this was agreed only after the British and Norwegian troops had finally left the area. Sweden also allowed some rescued German seamen to pass through her territory; a clear if insignificant breach of international law which she had little option but to permit. Officially, Sweden did not permit recruiting by belligerents within her neutral frontiers, and this policy was successfully upheld until the start of the Nazi campaign against the Soviet Union in June 1941. Thereafter, German pressure and Swedish anti-communist sentiment caused the government to turn a blind eye to clandestine recruitment by the German Legation in Stockholm and by the German Auslands Organization (the Nazi Party agency concerned with the care and supervision of Germans living in foreign countries). Volunteers interested in serving proceeded via occupied Norway to Germany. A supposedly top secret questionnaire was circulated among senior officers of the Swedish Army seeking to discover how many would be prepared to serve actively in the German armed forces should recruitment be made legal. The response was decidedly negative, and thereafter neither the Swedes nor the Germans sought to pursue the matter. The Swedish Government, however, took a more relaxed line with regard to its nationals joining the Finnish Army. This occurred on a sufficient scale to make possible the creation of an all-Swedish battalion, the Hangö Battalion, within the 13th Infantry Regiment of the Finnish Army. This unit saw action against the Soviets on the Svir Front. There was even an official "Finland Volunteers" department within the Swedish High Command. The precise number of Swedes who served in the German forces may never be known accurately, but the SS Statistical Department lists only 39 Swedish volunteers in 1942. By the end of the war, this figure may have increased to 130, of whom perhaps 30 were killed in action. There were certainly never enough men for a Swedish legion, although the Germans would have liked to have founded one.
Swedes in the Wiking Division Swedish volunteers were trained at Graz and Klagenfurt in Austria, as well as at the international SS camp at Sennheim in Alsace. When the Nordland Regiment was separated from the Wiking Division to form a new Nordland Division, only about 40 Swedes remained in the Wiking Division, the bulk being transferred to the Nordland. The closest to an all-Swedish unit was the 3rd Company, Reconnaissance Abteilung (Battalion) 11, of the Nordland Division. Since the use of mortars was a speciality in the Swedish Army, and many of the volunteers were ex-army soldiers skilled in this art, some Swedes were formed into a motorized heavy mortar platoon, the Schwedenzug, within the division. Swedes were scattered throughout the other sections of this division, as well as serving in the supposedly all-Dutch 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland. They had their first "blooding" against the partisans in Yugoslavia, and then they were dispatched to the Leningrad Front. There they participated in the Battle of the European SS at Narva in Estonia in mid-1944. They suffered heavy losses before finally taking part in the last-ditch defence of Berlin in April 1945.
Swedish officers Some 20 Swedes graduated from the SS officers' school at Bad Tölz, in two instances at the top of their class. Swedes were also prominent in the multi-national Kurt Eggers Regiment of the Waffen-SS, in which at least five Swedes of officer grade served. Although almost all of the Swedish volunteers who served with the German forces did so in the Waffen-SS, and enlistment continued until February 1945, there are two recorded instances of Swedes serving in other branches of Hitler's armed forces. One was in the 3rd Panzer Division of the army, the other in the 8th Field Division of the Luftwaffe.
Franco's Spain Spain was also a neutral country, though one much closer ideologically and politically to Nazi Germany than was Sweden. Hitler was desirous that Franco's Spain should join the Axis. For his part, the Spanish dictator was not unwilling, but his price was high. He wanted Gibraltar, French Morocco and Oran, the former Spanish province that was part of French Algeria. Following the German armistice with France in the summer of 1940, Hitler was unwilling to take any action that might jeopardize the agreement. That said, he was prepared to grant French Morocco to Spain in return for German bases and mining rights in the area, a request Franco refused. He also refused a request for one of the Canary isles as a German base. Hitler forcefully reminded Franco of the debt he owed Germany for the military support she had supplied him during the Spanish Civil War, but this had little effect. However, with the outbreak of war in the East, Franco willingly allowed Spaniards to serve as volunteers in the "crusade against Bolshevism". Within hours of the German invasion of Russia, for example, Minister for Foreign Affairs von Ribbentrop received a Spanish offer of aid, and on 24 June 1941 he secured Hitler's approval for the participation of a Spanish volunteer legion in the campaign.
A flood of recruits In Spain there was no lack of recruits, although initially only 4000 volunteers were called for. However, 10 times that number, most of them veterans of the civil war, presented themselves for enlistment in the legion. It was quite apparent to the Spanish authorities that they could do much better than a mere token legion and that they would have no difficulty in raising a full division which, in Spanish terms, meant in the region of 19,000 men. This response suited Franco, who saw it as tangible evidence of his good faith and support for Hitler's aims, without being drawn into the Axis proper.
Spanish uniforms Volunteer regiments were raised in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville and other main cities. With the legion thus formed, it was announced on 27 June 1941 that the commander would be General Augustin Munoz Grandes, later described by Hitler as a "man of energy". Since Spain was not at war with any nation, let alone the Soviet Union, there was a problem of how the volunteers should be dressed. What uniform should they wear, as it would not be possible to be attired in the dress of the Spanish armed forces? This gave Franco the opportunity to produce what was to be a symbolic Spanish uniform consisting of the red beret of the Carlist movement (Spanish traditionalists of the nineteenth century), the blue shirt of the Falangist movement (an extreme nationalist political group founded in Spain in 1933 by José Antonio Primo de Rivera) and the khaki trousers of the Spanish Foreign Legion, while officers wore a khaki tunic with a blue collar and cuffs. Before being sent to the front, though, the Spanish troops were obliged to dress in the field-grey German Army uniform. On the right upper arm they wore a shield in the Spanish national colours surmounted by the word "Espana".
The 250th Infantry Division On 13 July 1941, the first batch of volunteers left Madrid for Grafenwöhr in Bavaria, where they became officially the 250th Infantry Division of the German Army, with a strength of 17,924 officers and men divided into four infantry regiments. This presented immediate problems as it was Spanish practice to have four regiments to a division, but German organization specified only three, which meant that one of the Spanish regiments had to be disbanded and its personnel reallocated among the three remaining regiments. The three resultant regiments were numbered the 226nd Infantry Regiment, with its members being mainly from Barcelona; the 263rd Infantry Regiment, with members drawn from the Valencia region; and the 269th Infantry Regiment, with its personnel being predominantly from Seville. Each regiment had three battalions, each of which had four companies. The 250th Artillery Regiment was also attached. It consisted of three batteries of 105mm guns and one battalion equipped with 150mm heavy guns.
The Blue Division in Russia On 20 August 1941, the division was considered adequately trained after its five weeks at Grafenwöhr and it was transported by train to the German-Soviet border. At this time, the frontline was more than 1000km (625 miles) to the east, and to reach it the division had to proceed on foot. Upon arriving at Smolensk, where it had expected to join Army Group Centre in its offensive against Moscow, it found itself instead redirected north to Leningrad where it became part of the German Sixteenth Army. The Spaniards saw their first action on 12 October 1941 when they were put into the line between Lake Ilmen and the west bank of the River Volkhov. A major German offensive against Leningrad opened four days later. Both the fighting and the bitter cold took their toll on the Spaniards. Death, wounds and frostbite so seriously depleted the Spanish ranks that there was alarm in Madrid that the Blue Division was about to disintegrate. Since the honour of Spain rather than just the fate of one division was at stake, replacements were rapidly rushed to the front. The division was to remain as part of the force besieging Leningrad for the rest of its time in Russia. At times, the Soviets mounted counteroffensives and then the Germans would launch another assault in an attempt to break into the city. The Spaniards were always in the vanguard of these actions, but as the war situation deteriorated for the Axis the British put increasing pressure on Franco to declare Spain's absolute neutrality and remove his forces from Russia.
Legion Espanola de Voluntarios By the spring of 1943, the Spaniards had begun negotiations with the Germans for the withdrawal of the Blue Division, although the order to do so was not given to General Emilio Esteban-Infantes until 14 October 1943 (he had replaced Munoz Grandes as the division's commander in December 1942). With repatriation of the division under way, officers called for volunteers from the single men to remain with the so-called Volunteer Legion, or Blue Legion as it was unofficially known. The Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Army were unable to agree on the size of the proposed legion. In desperation, Esteban-Infantes despatched Lieutenant-Colonel Diaz de Villegas by aircraft to Madrid where, on the morning of 4 November, he was granted a meeting with General Franco who gave him a decision within 20 minutes. To mollify the resentment of the Germans, and indeed of many of the volunteers themselves, it was announced that a "Spanish Legion" consisting of some 1000 to 1500 men would be allowed to stay on and continue the battle against communism. This meant that there were volunteers to spare. The legion was commanded by Colonel Navarro and known as the Legion Espanola de Voluntarios (LEV), and was assigned to the 121st Division of the German Army. Leaving Diaz de Villegas in command of the remnants of the division, Esteban-Infantes flew to Berlin on 16 November to conclude arrangements with the German High Command regarding the division, the legion and the many Spanish service organizations in Russia. By 20 November 1943, while the Blue Division was continuing its process of repatriation, the 1500 volunteers for the Blue Legion had assembled in barracks at Yamberg on the Latvian frontier.
The legion fights on The legion was commanded by Colonel Antonio Garcia Navarro and consisted of a headquarters staff, the 1st and 2nd Infantry Banderas (battalions) commanded by Comandantes Ibarra and Navarro respectively. There was also a 3rd Mixed Banderas with three companies of artillery, anti-tank guns, plus sappers, signallers and reconnaissance elements under the command of Comandante Virgili. Following initial operations against partisans either side of the roads leading to Narva, the legion was transported eastwards to Begolovo, Schapki and Kostovo where it was attached to the German 121st Division. Manning an 11km (6.8-mile) front, the Spanish repulsed two strong Soviet assaults on 24 and 25 December in bitter winter weather. Earlier, on 23 December, General Esteban-Infantes flew home to Madrid, and the following morning Lieutenant-Colonel Diaz de Villegas boarded a Junkers Ju 88 at Nikolayevka - the last soldier of the Blue Division to leave the front. During the latter period of its service on the Eastern Front, the Blue Division was not made up entirely of volunteers. Conscription had to be applied to keep up the numbers. Although the nominal strength of the division was 18,000 men, the system of regular rotation of troops and replacements for battle losses meant that as many as 45,000 Spaniards may have seen service with the 250th Infantry Division between June 1941 and October 1943. In just over two years of war, the Blue Division had suffered a total of 12,726 casualties comprising 3934 dead, 8466 wounded and 326 missing, together with many invalided out of Russia with frostbite or taken prisoner by the Soviets.
The final withdrawal As 1944 began, the entire northern front was collapsing under relentless Red Army pressure. The encirclement of Leningrad was abandoned and a general retreat westwards began. On 19 January, the legion was ordered to withdraw southwards, and commenced a slow, hard march through freezing wind and snow, fighting off partisan attacks as it did so. Passing through Ljuban, Sapolgje and Oredesch, the legion's retreat continued until it reached Luga on the last day of January. From Luga the unit left by train for the Taps-Aiguidu zone in Estonia. There, the Spaniards were re-equipped to defend the Narva coast against possible Soviet landings, only to find that an agreement had been reached between the Spanish and German governments to repatriate the legion to Spain. On 21 March, the legion departed in trains towards Königsberg from where it continued by rail until, on 17 April 1944, the Blue Legion crossed the frontier into Spain. So ended the official Spanish participation in Hitler's war against Russia. In April, General Franco closed the frontier with France to deter any would-be volunteers enlisting in the German armed forces.
Fighting till the end Even after Spain had declared her neutrality, some former members of the Blue Division and Blue Legion could not forget the struggle being waged in the East by their erstwhile German comrades-in-arms. Spanish volunteers thus continued to fight in the German forces. These were both members of the LEV who refused to return home after the official withdrawal of the legion, together with fresh volunteers who managed to get across the Pyrenees to Lourdes in France, where Sonderstab F, a special army unit, collected these illicit warriors and passed them on to the Waffen-SS. In June 1944, the Spaniards were formed into a special unit at the Stablack Camp near Königsberg. Taking its name from the camp, this formation was known as Volunteer Unit Stablack. At this time, it was only company strength, but by March 1945 a second Spanish SS company had been formed. These two units were then known as SS Freiwilligen Kompanie 101 (span.) and SS Freiwilligen Kompanie 102 (span.). In addition, a Spanish volunteer battalion commanded by SS-Hauptsturmführer Miguel E. Sanchez served with the Waffen-SS to the bitter end, taking part in the final defence of Berlin in April and May 1945.
Hitler's assessment In general, the Spanish volunteers fought well, though their leadership often left a lot to be desired. Hitler provided a succinct summary regarding Spanish soldiers: "Extraordinarily brave, tough against partisans but wildly undisciplined. What is lamentable with them is the difference in treatment between officers and men. The Spanish officers live in clover, and the men are reduced to the most meagre pittance."
Spanish pilots on the Eastern Front The Blue Division was not the only Spanish military unit to serve on the Russian Front. One of Spain's leading civil war fighter aces, Comandante Salas Larrazabal Salvador, formed a fighter formation from veterans of the civil war. It consisted of five squadrons, which relieved one another consecutively at the front. Not surprisingly, this unit was promptly nicknamed the Blue Squadron. It left Madrid on 27 July 1941, two weeks after the departure of the Blue Division. The Spanish pilots flew Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters until the end of 1942, when the 3rd Squadron was supplied with Focke-Wulf Fw 190s. The Blue Squadron was numbered 15/JG 27, i.e. the 15th Squadron of Jagdgeschwader (Fighter Group) 27 and later JG 51. The squadron operated in support of Army Group Centre, its principal mission being the protection of German bombers. The most outstanding action of the 1st Squadron was in the advance on Moscow and the subsequent retreat, while the 4th Squadron fought in the retreat from Kharkov and the fighting at Kursk and Smolensk in 1943. In March 1942, most of the Spanish aircrews were replaced by a fresh batch of volunteers from the homeland. In October of the same year, a further exchange of personnel took place. In general, the morale and effectiveness of the Spanish pilots remained high. For example, they shot down a total of 156 Soviet aircraft. Comandante Salas Larrazabal personally scored 7 kills; and Comandante Cuadra, 10. But, like the Blue Division, the Blue Squadron was pulled out of frontline service before the end of 1943 and returned to Spain in the early months of the following year. A total of 22 squadron personnel were reported dead or missing, one of whom was eventually repatriated as a prisoner of war.
Spanish nurses As well as the "teeth" arms, the Spanish sent a large number of support personnel to the Eastern Front. In 1937, General Franco had appointed Mercedes Mil Nolla inspector general of women auxiliaries of the Sanidad Militar (the Spanish Army's medical branch). Lieutenant-Colonel Pellicer was appointed inspector of hospitals. The Spanish Army nurses of the Sanidad Militar in Germany wore a uniform that comprised a khaki blouse which had an unusual pocket design, dark brown leather buttons, and white collar and cuffs. Displayed at the throat was the emblem of the Spanish Red Cross, while other nursing badges and decorations could be worn on the pocket. They also wore a black belt with a silver-grey Sanidad Militar buckle-plate, a pleated khaki skirt, light brown stockings and dark brown shoes. Headdress consisted of a khaki wimple and white coif, upon which was pinned a silver-grey metal badge of the Sanidad Militar.
Medical care The Blue Division's seriously sick and wounded were treated at hospitals in Mestelevo, Riga, Vilna, Königsberg, Berlin and Hof (Saale), which were operated principally by Spanish medical staff, who included many volunteer nurses from the Spanish Army and the Falange's feminine section. Foreign volunteers in general were cared for in the regular German Army reserve hospitals, and they usually received the same care given to Germans. When artificial limbs were required, for example, the German Government supplied them. When going on convalescent leave in their homelands, volunteers received some monetary assistance from the Wehrmacht money service office located in their country of origin. Most of the travel costs, however, were borne by the volunteers themselves. While on convalescent leave in Germany, the German Government augmented their leave money, but when they left Germany they could take only 10 Reichmarks with them. The notable exception were Spanish volunteers returning to Spain, who were allowed to carry twice as much as the normal allowance for other foreign volunteers.
Mussolini's bid for glory As Europe's first fascist dictator, it was inevitable that Mussolini would commit troops to the "anti-Bolshevik crusade". However, up to June 1941, World War II had gone badly for Il Duce. He had nothing to show in comparison with Hitler's territorial gains. In May 1940, Mussolini's frustration was further heightened when the German armies drove the British forces off the continent and brought France to her knees. It now seemed certain that Germany would win the war. Desperate to share in the spoils of war, Mussolini announced on 10 June 1940 to an enormous crowd gathered in the Piazza Venezia that Italy was at war with Britain and France. Unfortunately, Il Duce was caught in what his Foreign Minister Ciano ironically called "an outbreak of peace" which left Mussolini in a state of limbo. His ego and thirst for power drove him subsequently to invade the Balkans. The Italians invaded Greece in October 1940, only to be militarily humiliated by the Greeks. However, fascist honour was restored by the German Blitzkrieg in the Balkans in April 1941. Greece and Yugoslavia were quickly conquered, and a British expeditionary force was expelled from the mainland. It found refuge on Crete, which was then taken by a German airborne assault in May. This was followed by Turkey signing a formal treaty with Berlin that granted the Germans passage through the Dardanelles.
Italians in Russia These factors convinced Mussolini of the Führer's invincibility and that the impending German attack on the Soviet Union would be an unqualified success. He was convinced he would gain the prestige that he longed for, and Italy would share in the spoils of war. He thus joined the war against Russia and committed a force of 60,000 men to the struggle, known as the Corpo di Spedizione Italiano (CSI - Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia). This force comprised three divisions: Pasubio and Torino, which were 1938-type binary divisions (two infantry regiments and an artillery regiment each plus support services), and the 3rd Mobile Division Principe Amedeo Duca d'Aosta. The latter had two mounted cavalry regiments, a Bersaglieri cycle regiment, a light tank group with obsolete L-3s, an artillery regiment and service units. Later, he sent the 63rd Assault Legion Tagliamento to represent his fascist Blackshirts.
The CSI on the Eastern Front In July 1941, the supposedly motorized CSI followed the German Army through the Ukraine, mainly on foot. Morale was high at the prospect of an easy campaign, and the Germans were impressed with their Italian allies. Unfortunately, this initial euphoria soon disappeared. Inadequate leadership, armour and transport, plus shortages of artillery and anti-tank weapons, revealed the corps to be ill-equipped for the fighting it was to encounter. Undeterred, in March 1942, Mussolini sent II Corps comprising the Sforzesca, Ravenna and Cosseria Infantry Divisions, together with the élite Alpine Corps comprising the Vicenza Infantry and Tridentina, Julia and Cuneense Alpine Divisions. Further Blackshirt units were also sent, formed into the 3 Gennaio and 23 Marzo Groups to reinforce the CSI, now designated XXXV Corps. This force of 227,000 men became the Italian Eighth Army. In August 1942, it was guarding the Don Front north of Stalingrad with German liaison officers and formations attached to ensure its reliability. Although a Russian attack had been expected, the Italians were unable to resist the massive armoured thrust that was hurled against them on 11 December 1942. II and XXXV Corps crumbled almost immediately, leaving the Alpine Corps stranded and resulting in a huge gap in the Don defences. The lack of anti-tank guns and medium tanks was keenly felt in this rout. The Italians were left to fend for themselves during their retreat, in which they were harassed continually by the Red Army. In January 1943, the survivors regrouped in the Ukraine but the Italian Eighth Army had ceased to exist. The disillusioned Germans sent the survivors back to Italy.
The fall of Mussolini Once in Italy, the survivors bitterly blamed both Mussolini and Hitler for the suffering they had endured. This, in part, influenced the events that were to follow in Italy when, on 25 July 1943, Mussolini was voted out of office by his own Fascist Grand Council and subsequently placed under arrest. On 8 September, Italy officially quit the war. After the fall of the fascist regime, the liberated areas of the country turned to the Allies. On 12 September, Mussolini was rescued from captivity on Gran Sasso by a German commando unit under the leadership of Otto Skorzeny and then evacuated to Germany. Later, in the town of Salo on the shores of Lake Garda, Il Duce set up a puppet fascist state, the so-called Italian Social Republic or, as it is sometimes referred to, the Republic of Salo. The official foundation of the armed forces of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana (RSI) was on 28 October 1943.
Italian units in Wehrmacht service A virtual civil war had broken out in Italy after Mussolini's deposition and Italy's exit from the Axis camp. Some of the Italian forces actively resisted the Germans and were defeated and made prisoner; others deserted to swell the ranks of the resistance; and a few remained loyal to fascism. The Germans were anxious to utilize the pro-fascist elements in the struggle against the now greatly augmented resistance. Above all, they were determined to keep open the vital lines of communication between Austria and northern Italy. Mussolini's republic cannot be considered anything but a puppet state of the greater German Reich. Four infantry divisions were formed and trained in Germany: the Italia, Littorio, San Marco and Monterosa Divisions. These and other units were under German control. For example, a unit that was formed in France after the fall of Mussolini from two battalions of the Blackshirt militia wore Italian Army uniforms with the Wehrmacht eagle and swastika above the left breast pocket and as a cap badge. It returned to Italy in October 1943 to fight the partisans and later the Allies at Anzio. It was granted the title, 1st Battaglione 9 Settembre, by Mussolini in August 1944. In October 1944, it was attached to the German Brandenburg Division and, as part of this unit, fought against the Red Army on the Eastern Front from October 1944 to January 1945, when it was brought back to Italy to take part once again in anti-partisan fighting.
Bersaglieri units The Germans also raised a unit composed of Bersaglieri personnel. Before the RSI was proclaimed, this formation was called the Voluntary Battalion of the Waffen-SS. It should not be confused with the 29th Grenadier Division of the Italian SS, which appeared later and was formed by more than 15,000 Italian recruits who joined the Waffen-SS. From September 1943 to the end of February 1944, a separate SS battalion was being formed at the SS Heidelager Training Centre at Debica, Poland. Major Fortunato, a former Bersaglieri officer who had served in Russia, was tasked in the selection of new recruits loyal to the Germans. Most of the volunteers came from the Italian 31st Tank Battalion of the Lombardia Division and the élite alpine Julia Division. The formation, which had 20 officers and 571 men, was referred to as the SS Battalion Debica. For the most part, these troops were considered as Waffen-SS men; and by early March 1944, the men of the SS Battalion Debica had been kitted out in German paratrooper uniforms.
The SS Battalion Debica On 21 March 1944, the SS Battalion Debica was deployed to carry out anti-partisan operations around the Pellice Valley, southwest of Turin. On 12 April, the SS Battalion Debica was incorporated into SS Battle Group Diebitsch. However, it was not deployed to the Anzio frontlines. During April and May, the battalion fought around Nocera Umbra, Assisi and San Severino Marche against Italian partisans, suffering 50 casualties. New volunteers were able to keep the battalion's strength at 500 men and 20 officers. In early June 1944, SS Battalion Debica, now subordinated to the German I Parachute Corps, was in action to the north of Rome along the Tyrrhenian coast. It suffered heavy losses while fighting American tank units in this area and against partisans behind the German lines. The 200 or so survivors were then dispersed among small battle groups. On 16 June, the SS Battalion Debica was ordered to Florence to help guard the defensive positions of the Gothic Line under Army Group von Zangen. Because the battalion was understrength, it was sent to Pinerolo for refitting. By August, the battalion was back to full strength and ordered to take part in Operation Nightingale against partisan strongpoints in the Chisone and Susa Valleys. On 7 September the SS Battalion Debica became part of the new Waffen Grenadier Brigade der SS (Italian nr. 1), being converted into the new 59th Waffen-SS Reconnaissance Battalion.
The Karstjäger Division The 24th Waffen Gebirgs Division Karstjäger was a mixed German Volksdeutsche and pro-fascist Italian formation. To combat Tito's partisans in the Carso and Julian Alps, the SS Karstwehr Company had been formed in the summer of 1942, initially to combat partisans in the Karst alpine regions bordering Austria, Italy and Slovenia. Out of this special anti-partisan mountain combat company grew a division (after Mussolini's removal made Himmler decide that the Karstwehr Battalion should be strengthened with locally recruited Volksdeutsche from the South Tyrol, and subsequently by Italian fascist "loyalists"). A divisional headquarters was set up in the town of Moggio in the province of Udine. The division consisted of two mountain infantry regiments and one mountain artillery regiment. Apart from one brief encounter with the British in the latter stages of the war, all the actions fought by this unit were against the partisans. General Paul Hausser, a Waffen-SS corps commander, referred to the non-German part of the division as, "a mixture of Italians, Slovenes, Croats, Serbs and Ukrainians". The division began to fall apart in the closing weeks of the war, with only the German component fighting on to the end. The remnants surrendered to the British 6th Armoured Division in Austria at the beginning of May 1945.
The huunt for Finnish recruits SS-Brigadeführer Gottlob Berger, head of the SS recruiting office, once stated: "If a minority is even passably well led, all will volunteer; those who do not volunteer will have their houses broken up." He could not send his SS thugs into Finland to break up the houses of locals, but he still coveted Finnish men for the Waffen-SS. In December 1940, more than 100 Finnish subjects had come forward to show their willingness to join the German armed forces. This whetted Berger's appetite, but he had a problem: these Finns were not strictly Germanic. He thus had to find another source of volunteers and so he concentrated on the minority of Finns of Swedish origin who passed Himmler's racial requirements for entry into the SS.
Recruitment in Finland The German military attaché in Helsinki reported to Berger at the start of 1941 that potential volunteers were available. There was one overriding problem, though: two sovereign powers were implicated. However, Hitler agreed to the recruitment programme and the German Foreign Office opened negotiations with Finland on 22 February 1941 for its approval. Berger was anxious to begin recruitment immediately, but the lack of urgency on the part of the German Foreign Office forced him to seek out the Finnish ambassador to Germany in Berlin directly. He suggested an SS recruiting team be dispatched to Finland immediately with the objective of finding 700 volunteers. As agreeable as the Finnish ambassador was, he was impotent because Berger had circumnavigated normal diplomatic channels. Undeterred, Berger pursued another avenue of endeavour and persuaded a German Foreign Office Scandinavian expert to draft an instruction to the German ambassador in Helsinki, which was given Ribbentrop's blessing. The document stated that 1000 Finns were to be recruited as workers for German industry, of whom at least half must have military experience. This was a cover to disguise the fact that they were to be recruits for the Waffen-SS, with officers and NCOs being accorded an equivalent rank in the SS and granted dual nationality.
Finnish misgivings The Finnish Government had grave misgivings about the undertaking, but had to consider it against the desire of keeping Germany's friendship in case of a Soviet attack. The Finnish Government insisted that it was inappropriate for Finns to serve alongside volunteers from countries that had been occupied by the Germans. In addition, it was eager for Finnish volunteers to serve in the German Army as opposed to the Waffen-SS. These issues caused further delays but were eventually resolved. It was agreed that a Finnish committee should handle recruiting, assisted by an SS doctor. The recruiting, as far as practicable, was to be clandestine, with "idlers and adventurers" being weeded out at the earliest opportunity. It was thought that in two months a target of 1000 volunteers with previous military experience would be feasible. The Finnish SS Committee laid down three further conditions in April. First, no Finnish volunteer was to fight against Britain or Greece in Africa or against any other state at war with Germany, except the Soviet Union. Second, no Finn was to swear loyalty to Adolf Hitler (a compromise was reached whereby an oath to the Führer of the Greater Germanic Reich was taken). Finally, in the event of another Russo-Finnish war in which Germany did not participate, the volunteers were to be returned home. These additional conditions were agreed, and the German ambassador in Helsinki was informed on 29 April 1941. As far as practicality allowed, they would be honoured in their entirety, thus signalling that recruitment could begin. The first draft of 1251 Finns had been shipped to Germany by the end of May 1941. Most were of Finnic rather than of Swedish stock and also included 33 Estonians, veterans of the Winter War.
The Finns in Russia On 5 June 1941, the fifth and final draft of volunteers set sail for Germany accompanied by members of the Finnish SS Committee. When they arrived, they met up with the first contingent, many of whom were veterans of the Winter War who had been assigned to units of the Wiking Division. This gave cause for some alarm, which was to some extent mollified by the sympathetic attitude extended to the Finns by Felix Steiner, the divisional commander. He gave them his personal assurance that once the Finns had mastered German tactics, they would join their compatriots in an all-Finnish battalion. This did the trick, and the 400 Finns in the Wiking Division advanced into the Soviet Union with the rest of their formation on 22 June 1941. In the subsequent fighting they acquitted themselves well. Meanwhile, the later drafts had gathered at Wien-Schönbrunn where, on 15 June 1941, they had been formed into the SS Freiwilligen Battalion Nordost under a German commander, SS-Hauptsturmführer Collani. At the beginning of August, it was transferred to Gross-Born, Pomerania, and was organized into three motorized infantry companies and a motorized machine-gun company.
Poor treatment at German hands Rumours of inconsiderate treatment meted out to the Finish and other foreign volunteers almost immediately reached Berger's ears. The disproportionate quantity of Finnish officers and NCOs gave rise to a situation where many had not been given equivalent SS rank. To exacerbate the matter, the SS Führungshauptamt (the operational headquarters of the SS responsible for the training, organization and non-tactical employment of Waffen-SS divisions in the field) had discharged a number of superfluous Finnish officers, who then complained about their treatment at the hands of the SS on their return home. Added to this, inexperienced SS instructors were treating veteran Finnish NCOs like raw recruits at a time when their colleagues in Finland were training German officers in the art of winter warfare. The Finnish Government learnt of the situation and demanded the immediate return of its citizens, which did not bode well for future recruitment. Thus, a rapid improvement in the lot of foreign volunteers in the SS had to be achieved, and quickly. Berger made sure the improvements were carried out, and the Finnish battalion was permitted to continue its service.
Finns in the Nordland Regiment On 6 May 1941, the 3rd Battalion of the Nordland Regiment received its first contingent of 116 Finnish volunteers, with the second of 257 men following on 15 May. Among them were 10 regular officers, 66 reserve officers and 29 regular NCOs of the Finnish Army. These first two contingents were trained at Heuberg and were then distributed among practically all units of the Wiking, seeing service in Russia from the first day of Operation Barbarossa. Three further contingents - 326 men on 23 May 1941, 289 men on 2 June 1941 and 219 men on 5 June 1941 - were sent to Vienna to form the Finnish Volunteer Battalion. From September 1941, the Finnish unit was known as the Finnish Volunteer Battalion of the Waffen-SS, being sworn in on 15 October 1941. Despite the anti-Christian ideology of the SS, from the beginning the Finns had chaplains to look after their spiritual needs. The first was SS-Untersturmführer Ensio Pihkala and then, after his death, SS-Hauptsturmführer Kalervo Kurkiala.
On the Mius Front After training at Gross-Born, the Finns were dispatched to the Mius Front in February 1942. Here, they joined the Wiking Division and became the third battalion of the Nordland Regiment. They subsequently served in the Caucasus on the Terek, on the Mius in the western Caucasus, in the oil-bearing area of Grossny in the Kalmuck steppes and at Krasnoarmeyskoye. They fought well and as a result suffered heavy casualties, which to some extent were made good by replacements recruited by a new committee in Finland. On 16 September 1942, for example, a replacement battalion numbering 200 Finnish volunteers arrived. After their training in Vienna, the replacement company, commanded by SS-Obersturmführer Schröder, was distributed among the existing companies on 7 December 1942.
Writing on the wall By the end of 1942, as it became apparent to the Finns that Germany was not going to win the war in the immediate future, Helsinki began to look for an opportunity to conclude a separate peace with the Soviet Union. However, the existence of several hundred Finns in the Waffen-SS made it difficult to put out peace feelers to the Soviets. At the same time, the Finnish Government was having difficulties in making good the heavy losses sustained on the Eastern Front, but Berger struggled and intrigued to keep the unit up to strength even though many of the two-year engagements were about to expire. The battalion spent from 11 to 27 May 1943 in the Bavarian health resort of Ruhpolding for a period of rest and relaxation. On their arrival at the station, the Finns were cordially received by a big crowd and welcomed by the mayor of the town. They took up private quarters, and soon were making friends with the locals. They also made excursions into the beautiful alpine countryside. The director of the health resort, Dr Dengener, invited the officers of the battalion to a drinks function, which was recorded for propaganda purposes. On 1 June 1943, the Finnish volunteers started on their return home. The Finnish Government then explained that it could not continue to provide replacement personnel for the battalion. Moreover, Marshal Mannerheim, Finnish commander-in-chief, himself made it quite clear that he did not wish the volunteers to re-enlist. Rather than employ a force of considerably less strength than a battalion, therefore, the German authorities decided to put the best possible face on the matter. When the Finnish battalion re-assembled, its members were informed that their unit had been disbanded. Its personnel were subsequently distributed among units of the Finnish Army. While serving on the Eastern Front, 222 Finns were killed and a further 557 wounded. A few Finns continued in German uniform after the Finnish armistice of September 1944, but SS efforts to form a new Finnish volunteer regiment met with no success - only 5 Finnish officers and 60 other ranks volunteering. |
