The
21st SS Division Skanderbeg was a Waffen SS MountainA mountain is a large landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill. The adjective montane is used to describe mountainous areas and things associated with them...
division set up by Heinrich HimmlerHeinrich Luitpold Himmler , one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany, served as Chief of the German Police and Minister of the Interior...
in March 1944, officially under the title of the 21. Waffen-Gebirgs Division der SS Skanderbeg (Albanische Nr. 1). It was named after
George Kastrioti SkanderbegGjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg , or Iskander Beg, was a prominent historical figure in the history of Albania and of the Albanian people...
, the national hero of Albanians who resisted
OttomanThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
invasion for 25 years.
Formation
The 21st SS Division Skanderbeg was created following the Nazi invasion of
Kingdom of YugoslaviaThe Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a kingdom stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
in 1941. Throughout 1942 and 1943 both the
WehrmachtWehrmacht was the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe ....
and SS sought to utilise local manpower to maintain law and order, and fight off Yugoslav Partisan and communist Albanian Resistance activity in the region. For their part
AlbanianAlbanian may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to the country of Albania* Albanians, a people living in Albania, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Italy and elsewhere* The Albanian language...
leaders hoped to form an "army, which will be able to safeguard the borders of Kosovo and Metohija and liberate the surrounding regions"
In 1943 a number of Albanians from
KosovoKosovo is a disputed territory in the Balkans. Its majority is governed by the partially-recognised Republic of Kosovo , a self-declared independent state which has de facto control over the territory; the exceptions are some Serb enclaves...
and the
SandžakSandžak is a historical region lying along the border between Serbia and Montenegro...
region were recruited into the
Waffen-SSThe Waffen-SS was the combat arm 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 the Wehrmacht Heer regular army, but was never formally part of it...
Handschar Division. They were teamed up into Battalion I/2 (later I/28) and received first rate training in Neuhammer,
GermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
. This was perhaps the best trained and equipped Nazi Albanian military formation during the war but, ironically, was transferred directly from combat in Bosnia to
KosovoKosovo is a disputed territory in the Balkans. Its majority is governed by the partially-recognised Republic of Kosovo , a self-declared independent state which has de facto control over the territory; the exceptions are some Serb enclaves...
via rail on 17 April 1944 following the creation of Skanderbeg. The head of Waffen SS recruitment, SS
ObergruppenführerObergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...
Gottlob BergerGottlob Berger was a German general who held the rank of Obergruppenführer during World War II.In 1939, he was Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler's main recruiting officer. From 1940, he was Chief of Staff for the Waffen-SS and head of SS-Hauptamt .-Earlier career:He was born at Gerstetten,...
reported to Himmler that the Albanians "...were quite sad about leaving."
In February 1944 the decision was taken, following the modest success of the Handschar Division in Bosnia, to raise a parallel unit inside Albania. According to Bernd Fischer, the Division included 1500 Pows, "natives of Kosovo who had served in the Yugoslav army, plus remnants of the failed Albanian army and gendarmerie, volunteers from both old and new Albania."
Xhafer DevaXhafer Ibrahim Deva was a World War II government Minister of Albania during the period between October 1943 and June 1944.-Biography:...
, an Albanian from
KosovoKosovo is a disputed territory in the Balkans. Its majority is governed by the partially-recognised Republic of Kosovo , a self-declared independent state which has de facto control over the territory; the exceptions are some Serb enclaves...
and periodically the Interior Minister under the Nazi puppet regime, helped with recruitment. The Division was called SS Skënderbeu in
AlbanianAlbanian may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to the country of Albania* Albanians, a people living in Albania, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Italy and elsewhere* The Albanian language...
.
Ultimately the names of 11,398 possible recruits were submitted to
BerlinBerlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Of these, 9,275 were deemed suitable for drafting, and about 6,000 were actually inducted into the Waffen SS. The 21st Waffen SS Mountain Division was the only fully ethnic Albanian division to be recruited by the
GermansThe German people are an ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent, and speaking the German language as a mother tongue. Within Germany, Germans are defined by citizenship , distinguished from people of German ancestry...
during the Second World War. It was established originally to combat partisan activity with the promise that the territories with a majority Albanian population were to become an independent and unified state to include Albania, Kosovo and Western Macedonia, or what is sometimes called
Greater AlbaniaThe term Greater Albania or Great Albania refers to an irredentist concept of lands outside the borders of the Republic of Albania which are considered part of a greater national homeland by some Albanians, based on the present-day or historical presence of Albanian populations in those areas...
(or Ethnic Albania).
doubtful, add reference
The Division was placed under the command of SS-Standartenführer
August SchmidthuberAugust Schmidthuber was an SS-Brigadeführer of the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen from 20 January 1944 to 8 May 1945, and the 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg from May 1944 onwards.-Biography:...
, later promoted to SS-Oberführer. It fought against the Communist partisan forces of
Enver Hoxha' was the Communist leader of Albania from the end of World War II until his death in 1985, as the First Secretary of the Party of Labour of Albania...
who were on the increase and consolidating their actions, both in Albania and Yugoslavia as the Second World War was drawing to an end. The Division was very poorly led with a serious dearth of instructors, Albanian officers or NCOs.
The Division was operational for only a few months (February 1944 – November 1944), with a strength of about 6,000 - 6,500 rather than the normal strength of a division (10,000-20,0000). Many recruits deserted with their new weapons and boots, and by October 1944 their number had dwindled to around 3500. It appears they often refused to fight or to take orders, and it never became a significant force.
"The Germans were forced to disarm battalions at Pec and Prizren, arresting the Albanian officers and sending them to the camp at Prishtina."
SS-Brigadefűhrer
August SchmidthuberAugust Schmidthuber was an SS-Brigadeführer of the 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen from 20 January 1944 to 8 May 1945, and the 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg from May 1944 onwards.-Biography:...
, one of the commanders of the 21st SS Mountain Division "Skanderbeg”, was captured in 1945 and turned over to Yugoslav authorities. He was put on trial in February 1947 by a Yugoslav military tribunal at
BelgradeBelgrade Belgrade Belgrade (Serbian Cyrillic: Београд, Serbian Latin: Beograd (meaning "White City" in Serbian) is the capital and largest city of Serbia. The city lies on two international waterways, at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where Central Europe's Pannonian Plain meets...
, on charges of participating in massacres, deportations and atrocities against civilians. The tribunal sentenced him to death by hanging. He was executed on 27 February 1947.
Insignia
The division arm patch consisted of a white double-headed eagle on a black background. The recruits wore the white traditional Albanian highlander cap (
pileusThe pileus — also pilleus or pilleum — was, in Ancient Greece and in Rome, a brimless, felt cap, somewhat similar to a fez. The pilleolus was a smaller cap, similar to a skullcap.The pileus was especially associated with the manumission of slaves who wore it upon their liberation...
), and later the SS issued grey headgear in the same style, with the
TotenkopfTotenkopf or Totenschädel is the German word for "skull of a dead man" and is used to describe a military insigne featuring a skull suprapositioned upon crossed long bones; when used in this context it is commonly known as the "death's head" in English...
sewn on the front.
Participation
Led by German officers, in May 1944, some troops from the division were stationed in the Gjakova area to guard the mines there. In the middle of the month, under German direction, they participated in rounding up 281 Jews who were subsequently deported north to certain death..
Lasting just a few months, this Waffen-SS division was "militarily useless" and declared a "fiasco". Insubordination, poor discipline, looting and violence against unarmed civilians (especially
SerbsSerbs are a South Slavic people living in the Central Europe and the Balkans , between the Balkan- and Carpathian mountains in the east and the Adriatic sea in the west. They are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and, to a lesser extent, in Croatia...
but also
AlbaniansAlbanians are a people from southeast Europe who live in Albania and neighboring countries. They speak the Albanian language. About half of them live in Albania, with other large groups residing in Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, and Montenegro...
deemed Communistic) were constant problems. Members of the division were used, either as attachments to regular
WehrmachtWehrmacht was the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe ....
units conducting sweeps for partisans, or to terrorize the local non-Albanian population in the areas of
Greater AlbaniaThe term Greater Albania or Great Albania refers to an irredentist concept of lands outside the borders of the Republic of Albania which are considered part of a greater national homeland by some Albanians, based on the present-day or historical presence of Albanian populations in those areas...
which are not part of Albania.
The Division participated in the
WehrmachtWehrmacht was the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe ....
Operation "Fuchsjagd", known to the Communists as the "Battle of Dibra", over 18 to 27 August 1944 (during the first week of
RamadanRamadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and indulging in anything that is in excess or ill-natured; from dawn until sunset...
). The Division fought alongside Albanian government soldiers, tribal bands from the Roman Catholic Mirdita clan, a
AlbanianAlbanian may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to the country of Albania* Albanians, a people living in Albania, Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Italy and elsewhere* The Albanian language...
nationalist četa from Dibra itself and approximately 800 men from Colonel Abaz Kupi's Zogist-Legality (Royalist) faction. The town of Dibra was not cuptured and the campaign against Communist partisans in central
AlbaniaAlbania , officially the Republic of Albania , is a Mediterranean country in South Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Montenegro to the north, Kosovo to the northeast, Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south-east...
was a failure, only leading to further desertions.
The only other action partaken was assisting the orderly
WehrmachtWehrmacht was the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe ....
withdrawal over October to November 1944. Over 700 men of this SS Division, along with approximately 5000 local Kosovo-Albanians recruited by
Xhafer DevaXhafer Ibrahim Deva was a World War II government Minister of Albania during the period between October 1943 and June 1944.-Biography:...
, aided the Germans evacuating through
KosovoKosovo is a disputed territory in the Balkans. Its majority is governed by the partially-recognised Republic of Kosovo , a self-declared independent state which has de facto control over the territory; the exceptions are some Serb enclaves...
and successfully resisted incursions by both Communist partisans and
BulgariaBulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a country in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe. Bulgaria borders five other countries: Romania to the north , Serbia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, and Greece and Turkey to the south...
n incursions.
Order of battle
- Waffen Gebirgsjäger
Gebirgsjäger, in English Mountain Huntsmen, is the German designation for mountain infantry. The word Huntsman is the traditional German term for rifleman . The mountain infantry of Austria have their roots in the three "Landesschützen" regiments of the Austro-Hungarian Empire...
Regiment of SS 50
- Waffen Gebirgsjäger Regiment of SS 51
- Waffen Gebirgs Artillery Regiment 21
- SS Reconnaissance Battalion 21
- SS Panzerjäger
Panzerjäger are German armoured fighting vehicles of the Second World War.-Origin of the name:The designation "Panzerjäger" is derived from the branch of service going by the same name. "Jäger" was the common labeling for highly mobile infantry troops in German armies...
Battalion 21
- SS Gebirgs Pionier Battalion 21
- SS Versorgungs Battalion 21
- SS Signals Battalion 21
- SS Medical Battalion 21
Further reading
- List of German divisions in WWII
- Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was the combat arm 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 the Wehrmacht Heer regular army, but was never formally part of it...
- Hermann Neubacher, Sonderauftrag Sudost (1953)
- Haroey Samer, Rescue In Albania: One Hundred Percent Of Jews In Albania Rescued From Holocaust, Brunswick Press, California (1997). Available at: http://www.aacl.com/index11.html
- Noel Malcolm
Noel Robert Malcolm FBA FRSL is an English historian, writer, and columnist.-Life:Malcolm was educated at Eton College, read History at Peterhouse, Cambridge, wrote his doctorate dissertation at Trinity College, Cambridge, and was for a time Fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.He is a...
, Kosovo: A Short History, New York University Press; New Update edition (November 2000).
- Chris Bishop, Hitler's Foreign SS Divisions (2005)
- Bernd Jürgen Fischer, Albania at War, 1939-1945, (Purdue University Press, West Lafayette 1999), ISBN 1-55753-141-2.
- George Lepre, Himmler's Bosnian Division: The Waffen-SS Handschar Division 1943-1945, (Atlgen, PA: Schiffer Military History, 1997) ISBN 0-7643-0134-9, page. 165.