Facinating read on Soviet citizens in German uniform.

Hi;
800,000 Soviets in the Wehrmacht and 100,000 in the navy? The numbers could have been much much higher but for NAZI ideology. Stalin must have had nightmares about the Germans throwing off the fascist yoke and pursuing a more sensible policy in terms of the peoples of the East.
Russian Volunteers in the German Wehrmacht in WWII
JeffinMNUSA

 

As the article points out the Germans did of course make use of russians but not nearly as much as they should have, because Hitler began the war with the wrong attitude towards the soviet people. Regarding the Russians as slavish subhumans he ordered the "war of extermination" - if he had instead played a different tune as "liberator", embraced the russkis instead of treating them with utter contempt, and used all those millions of prisoners against their hated Communist leaders, the Russo-german war might have turned out differently altogether.

 

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"At the end of April, 1943 the formation of the Ukrainian Division began. This deviation from Hitler's policy was the result of the deterioration of the general situation on the Eastern Front, and the appearance of Soviet partisans in the southeastern territories of Poland. The decision to form the Ukrainian Division did not meet with the general approval of the Ukrainian population which, discouraged by the German administration, was divided into two camps. The leaders of the underground movement were against the recruitment, but one main consideration turned the scales in its favor: the fear that if the venture was boycotted, the Ukrainian youth would be deported to Germany as laborers or enrolled in German auxiliary formations.(22)

The Germans, on their part, did not grant special concessions to the Ukrainians. The formation was called the 14th SS Grenadier Division (Galician No.1), which meant that it was under Himmler's control and formally deprived of its national character. However, the Ukrainians received an assurance that the division would be used only on the Soviet front. In June, 1944 the division was engaged, was encircled, and suffered heavy losses fighting its way out. Voluntary enlistment was later replaced by conscription.(23)"

A simplistic overview, generally accurate, but missing many key points.

Collar Patch for The 14th-Ukrainians did not wear the SS Runes. Germans in the Division did.

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Division symbol. See second picture above.

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NCO's of the 14th training at Hilversum, Holland, Winter 43.

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As above.

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Above pictures not previously made public. I have more, along with personal history of a member of the Division.

 

I'm very interested in more pictures.

 

Wolfy, I would seriously recomend the book To Battle,The formation and history of the Galacian Waffen SS Divison, by Michael James Melnyk. published by Helion. see helion.co.uk

 

I believe the amount of volunteers was closer to 1 million. These were obviously considered traitors and their casualty rate was about 1 million.

 

Wolfy is right more pictures more interesting.

 

OK, here's more- All related to the group of NCO's training at Hilversum in winter of 43.

Grenadier on the far right had, prior to enlisting with the 14th SS, fought at Stalingrad. Hard to discern, but has service award on his left chest pocket.

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Another shot at the signpost showing the various Wermacht training areas in Hilversum.

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Group standing in front of a Panzer-I don't know the type, perhaps someone can identify.

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Two more group photos-


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They now have their "stripes".

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How many I wonder were ethnically Russian. "800,000" is that offical ?

 

Skywalker;
There are no final numbers on this subject-the cult of secrecy in the USSR, NAZI racism on the subject of "untermenschen slavs" serving in the Wehrmacht, Wehrmacht officers covering for their men, the destructiveness of the war in the East, soldiers switching sides and then maybe switching sides again, the passage of time... it is possible that no definitive number CAN ever be reached.

 

Nothing like a "Welcome Home" firing squad........cigarettes to the left blindfolds to the right keep it moving comrade we've a lot of work to do.

 

Former;
It sounds like the GULAG was a more common sentence than out and out execution; Don Cossacks
At least for the rank and file. This would have made more economic sense as the USSR was desperately short on manpower. It is interesting that many of these warriors were alledged to have disguised their Soviet origins and immigrated West. and not revealed their parts in WWII until after the Fall of the Soviet Empire.
JeffinMNUSA

 

For anyone interested, at the link there is a 2 minute newsreel clip of Cossacks in the Wehrmacht...

YouTube - Kuban' cossacks volunteers in Wehrmacht ( SS)

 

I am sure the Gulag was the preferred method; it's just not as dramatic as a firing quad.

 

If the Germans would have played their cards right they could have mustered a "Russia Liberation Army" from the local populace with the rewards being granted autonomy or something like that. But for them with Hitler ruling, had so many things working against them. If they would have followed that plan Germania still might exist today.

But personally I prefer the color blue over gray

 

Totenkopf;
There was indeed a Russian Liberation Army led by one General Vlasov; Vlasov's forgotten army They recieved at best lukewarm support even in the desperate final days of the Reich. Of course Hitler may have had good reason to distrust Russian formations later in the war what with the mass desertions and all. The time to have formed an Anti Stalinist Russian Army was early on-but NAZI ideology made anything like this impossible.
JeffinMNUSA

 

Repatriation -- The Dark Side of World War II, Part 1

Repatriation — The Dark Side of World War II
excerpts:
When Hitler's forces invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, millions of Russians welcomed and embraced the Nazi military forces. In many instances, Russian soldiers willingly surrendered to the Germans. The German invasion of the Soviet Union was the beginning of what would ultimately become one of the darkest episodes of World War II — the forcible repatriation and mass murder of millions of anticommunist, anti-Stalinist Russians.

ps : was a regular poster on Freeper Foxhole for many years.....a while back : )

 

Thanks, panzer. I'm honestly not sure what that tank is- it looks like a T-34 but it's a bit too large.

 

I just missed out on 2 pis offered that showed Russians wearing some German gear but obviously helping them out. These were effectionately known as HiWis. I see that there is another one offered that clearly shows a few Russians helping the Germans out. I might try for that one tomorrow.

 

That looks to be a Wound Badge in Black