23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama
Encyclopedia
The 23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama (2nd Croatian) was a military formation
composed of German
officers and Bosniak soldiers in the Waffen-SS
during World War II
. The numerical designation "23rd" was given to the 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland after the division was disbanded in September 1944. There is no mention of the division in the war diary of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
(OKW), which suggests that the 'Kama' never saw action or was ever fully established.
The Division was activated in January 1944 and on 28 May Adolf Hitler
gave his formal approval for the creation of a second Croatian
Waffen-SS
Division following the modest success of the Handschar Division against Partisans in Bosnia. The formation was initially to be created and trained in Bosnia but Heinrich Himmler
, the Reichsführer-SS
, following the advice of SS Gruppenführer
Karl-Gustav Sauberzweig
, agreed to station the men in neighbouring southern Hungary
instead. Sauberzweig believed Ustaše
interference and Communist subversion would undermine the morale of the recruits. Orders were given to the Handschar Division seconding personnel to the new formation. Hellmuth Raithel, commander of Regiment 28 of Handschar, was appointed the commanding officer.
On 24 September Himmler ordered the 2,000-man Division to Bosnia where it was to be reinforced with further draftees from the Handschar. However this move was delayed when the Russia
n army attacked southern Hungary and the men were thrown into the battle post-haste. On 17 October divisional personnel began to revolt and desert when they were not returned to their native Bosnia. The Division was formally disbanded on 31 October 1944.
In November, all of the men were sent to the Handschar Division. A few deserted along the way but the majority reported to strengthen Handschar.
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
composed of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
officers and Bosniak soldiers in the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The numerical designation "23rd" was given to the 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland after the division was disbanded in September 1944. There is no mention of the division in the war diary of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht
The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was part of the command structure of the armed forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.- Genesis :...
(OKW), which suggests that the 'Kama' never saw action or was ever fully established.
History
The Germans wished to establish a second Muslim SS division. Đuro Grujić, chief of Pavelić's Military Office, stated that recruitment for the 5,000 men already assigned and the additional 5,000 required to complete the division would be difficult during Pavelić's visit to Hitler in September.The Division was activated in January 1944 and on 28 May Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
gave his formal approval for the creation of a second Croatian
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
Division following the modest success of the Handschar Division against Partisans in Bosnia. The formation was initially to be created and trained in Bosnia but Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
, the Reichsführer-SS
Reichsführer-SS
was a special SS rank that existed between the years of 1925 and 1945. Reichsführer-SS was a title from 1925 to 1933 and, after 1934, the highest rank of the German Schutzstaffel .-Definition:...
, following the advice of SS Gruppenführer
Gruppenführer
Gruppenführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party, first created in 1925 as a senior rank of the SA.-SS rank:...
Karl-Gustav Sauberzweig
Karl-Gustav Sauberzweig
Karl-Gustav Sauberzweig was a German Wehrmacht General who transferred to the Waffen-SS during World War II and led the "13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar" over 1943 and 1944. Sauberzweig was a bespectacled Prussian career army officer who had earned an Iron Cross in his late teens...
, agreed to station the men in neighbouring southern Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
instead. Sauberzweig believed Ustaše
Ustaše
The Ustaša - Croatian Revolutionary Movement was a Croatian fascist anti-Yugoslav separatist movement. The ideology of the movement was a blend of fascism, Nazism, and Croatian nationalism. The Ustaše supported the creation of a Greater Croatia that would span to the River Drina and to the border...
interference and Communist subversion would undermine the morale of the recruits. Orders were given to the Handschar Division seconding personnel to the new formation. Hellmuth Raithel, commander of Regiment 28 of Handschar, was appointed the commanding officer.
On 24 September Himmler ordered the 2,000-man Division to Bosnia where it was to be reinforced with further draftees from the Handschar. However this move was delayed when the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n army attacked southern Hungary and the men were thrown into the battle post-haste. On 17 October divisional personnel began to revolt and desert when they were not returned to their native Bosnia. The Division was formally disbanded on 31 October 1944.
In November, all of the men were sent to the Handschar Division. A few deserted along the way but the majority reported to strengthen Handschar.
Commanders
- SS-Standartenführer Helmuth Raithel (Jul 1944- Sept 1944)
- SS-Oberführer Gustav LombardGustav LombardGustav Lombard was an SS Brigadeführer who served in World War II. During World War II, Lombard commanded the 8. SS-Division Florian Geyer, 23. SS-Mountain Division Kama and the 31. SS-Volunteer Grenadier Division...
(28 Sept - 1 Oct 1944)
Order of battle
- Waffen GebirgsjägerGebirgsjägerGebirgsjäger, in English Mountain Riflemen, is the German designation for mountain infantry. The word Jäger is the traditional German term for rifleman...
Regiment der SS 55 (kroatische nr 3) - Waffen Gebirgsjäger Regiment der SS 56 (kroatische nr 4)
- Waffen Gebirgs Artillerie Regiment der SS 23
- SS Reconnaissance Battalion 23
- SS Flak Batallion 23
- SS PanzerjägerPanzerjägerPanzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
Batallion 23 - SS Nachschub Batallion 23
- SS Pionier Batallion 23
- SS Signals Battalion 23
- SS Field Hospital 23
- SS Medical Battalion 23
- SS Sanitäts Batallion 23
- SS Verwaltungs Batallion 23
See also
- Alpine Infantry
- Waffen-SSWaffen-SSThe Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
- Division (military)Division (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
- WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
- List of German military units of World War II