30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Russian)
Encyclopedia
The 30th SS Grenadier Division was a German
Waffen SS infantry
division formed largely from Belarussian, Russian and Ukrainian personnel of the Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling
in August 1944 at Warsaw
, Poland. The division was moved by rail to southeastern France by mid-August 1944 to combat the French Forces of the Interior
(FFI). The division's performance in combat was poor, and two battalions mutinied, murdered their German leaders, and defected to the FFI. Other troops of the division crossed the Swiss border and were interned. The remainder of the division saw little subsequent combat and eventually relocated in January 1945 to Grafenwoehr, a large military training camp north of Nürnberg. Finally, some of the division's personnel were transferred to the Russian Liberation Army
while others were retained to form the SS "White Ruthenian" infantry brigade from January 1945. This brigade in its turn was retitled as the 30th SS Grenadier Division in March 1945, but was disbanded in April 1945 before the unit saw combat.
, who were subsequently organized into four infantry regiments (numbered 1 through 4). The initial organization of the division also included an artillery battalion, a cavalry battalion, and a training battalion. At this time, the division's full name was 30. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (russische Nr. 2). The term "Waffen-Grenadier" was used to denote SS infantry divisions manned by personnel of other-than-German ethnicity.
At the end of August 1944, division strength was estimated as 11,600 with the bulk originating from Belarussia. The leadership cadre of the division was primarily German.
In mid-August 1944, the division was moved by rail to southeastern France in the region of Belfort
and Mulhouse
. By October, the organization of the division had been altered to three infantry regiments of three battalions each, a motorcycle (reconnaissance) battalion, an artillery battalion, and a field replacement battalion. The artillery battalion consisted of two batteries of captured 122-mm Soviet artillery pieces.
with two bars equal in length and parallel to each other. After January 29, 1945, a white-red-white stripe on right side was adopted with the phrase "Weissruthenien" (White Ruthenia) emblazoned. The symbol chosen for the division insignia was an ancient double cross of St. Euphrosyne of Polatsk
with two bars equal in length and parallel to each other.
Elements of the division arrived in Vesoul
on 20 August 1944 and were charged with the security of the Belfort Gap
, particularly against operations conducted by the French Forces of the Interior
(FFI). The same day, other elements of the division occupied the area around Camp Valdahon, about thirty kilometers southeast of Besancon
.
On 27 August 1944, a battalion of the division at Vesoul shot their German leadership cadre and defected to an FFI unit in the Confracourt Woods, bringing 1,200 men, 45-mm antitank guns, 82-mm and 50-mm mortars, 21 heavy machine guns, as well as large amounts of small arms and small-caliber ammunition. A similar defection occurred the same day near Camp Valdahon brought over hundreds of men, one antitank gun, eight heavy machine guns, four mortars, and small arms and ammunition. The defectors were subsequently inducted into the FFI as the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Battalions and many were later amalgamated into the 13th Demi-Brigade of the French Foreign Legion
, itself subordinated to the 1st Free French Division
.
On 29 August 1944, the first and third battalions of the division's 4th Regiment deserted and crossed the border into Switzerland.
On 2 September, two squadrons (companies) of the division's cavalry battalion (formerly Kosaken-Schuma-Abteilung 68 and redesignated the Waffen-Reiter-Abteilung der SS 30) were surrounded and destroyed in a surprise attack at Melin by the Ukrainians who had defected in the Confracourt Woods.
The subsequent investigation of these events by German authorities resulted in some 2,300 men in the division being deemed "unreliable". As punishment, these personnel were transferred to two field entrenchment construction regiments subordinated to the Karlsruhe Transport Commandant, leaving some 5,500 men still in the division. The extraordinary events in the division also led to it being placed in Army Group G reserve and being viewed by senior German leadership in Alsace as an unreliable unit.
On 24 October 1944, the division had reorganized into three regiments, numbered 75 to 77, each of two infantry battalions. This organization accorded with the orders for formation of the division that had been issued in August 1944 by the SS Führungshauptamt
. Because of losses, however, the 77th Regiment was disbanded on 2 November.
starting on 13 November 1944 created a crisis in the German defenses from Belfort to Mulhouse. With defending units under severe pressure by the French advance, the Germans committed the 30th SS Division to counterattack the French attack at Seppois
. The advance of the SS division on 19 November reached a point roughly a mile north of Seppois, but was held there and pushed back by French counterattacks.
The 30th SS Division went on the defense in the area around Altkirch
, forcing the French 1st Armored Division
to fight a sharp action in order to capture the town on 21 November. On 22 November 1944, Army Group G issued a report which noted the achievement of the 30th Division in destroying six French tanks and inflicting significant losses on advancing French forces.
As the German situation in lower Alsace solidified into what would become known as the Colmar Pocket
, the 30th SS Division remained in the German front line north of Huningue and west of the Rhine River. In late December 1944, with its manpower down to 4,400 men, the division was withdrawn from the front and ordered to the Grafenwöhr
training area deep inside of Germany.
.
On 15 January 1945, the non-Russian personnel of the division were organized into the 1st White Ruthenian SS Grenadier Brigade, a unit that had only a single regiment of infantry (the 75th) with three battalions as well as some other units such as an artillery battalion and a cavalry battalion. While still organizing, the brigade was retitled the 30th SS Grenadier Division (1st White Ruthenian) on 9 March 1945, but it still had only a single regiment of infantry. Finally, in April 1945, this iteration of the division was also disbanded, with the German cadre being sent to the 25th
and 38th SS Grenadier Divisions
.
, France on 27 September 1944, in retaliation of the support given by villagers to the French partisans. An additional 27 were taken from the village to Germany; of them seven were shot ten days later.
As of September 12, 1944:
As of October 24, 1944:
As of November 2, 1944:
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Waffen SS infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
division formed largely from Belarussian, Russian and Ukrainian personnel of the Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling
Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling
Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling - was a Nazi German auxiliary police brigade formed by 31 July 1944 at East Prussia from the retreated from Belarus dozen remnants of the SiPo, SD, Ordnungsdienst units, Kommandanturas personnel and BKA units composed from the Ukrainians, Belarusians,...
in August 1944 at Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland. The division was moved by rail to southeastern France by mid-August 1944 to combat the French Forces of the Interior
French Forces of the Interior
The French Forces of the Interior refers to French resistance fighters in the later stages of World War II. Charles de Gaulle used it as a formal name for the resistance fighters. The change in designation of these groups to FFI occurred as France's status changed from that of an occupied nation...
(FFI). The division's performance in combat was poor, and two battalions mutinied, murdered their German leaders, and defected to the FFI. Other troops of the division crossed the Swiss border and were interned. The remainder of the division saw little subsequent combat and eventually relocated in January 1945 to Grafenwoehr, a large military training camp north of Nürnberg. Finally, some of the division's personnel were transferred to the Russian Liberation Army
Russian Liberation Army
Russian Liberation Army was a group of predominantly Russian forces subordinated to the Nazi German high command during World War II....
while others were retained to form the SS "White Ruthenian" infantry brigade from January 1945. This brigade in its turn was retitled as the 30th SS Grenadier Division in March 1945, but was disbanded in April 1945 before the unit saw combat.
Formation and initial organization
On 31 July 1944 orders were issued to form a division from the personnel of the Schutzmannschaft-Brigade SieglingSchutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling
Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling - was a Nazi German auxiliary police brigade formed by 31 July 1944 at East Prussia from the retreated from Belarus dozen remnants of the SiPo, SD, Ordnungsdienst units, Kommandanturas personnel and BKA units composed from the Ukrainians, Belarusians,...
, who were subsequently organized into four infantry regiments (numbered 1 through 4). The initial organization of the division also included an artillery battalion, a cavalry battalion, and a training battalion. At this time, the division's full name was 30. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (russische Nr. 2). The term "Waffen-Grenadier" was used to denote SS infantry divisions manned by personnel of other-than-German ethnicity.
At the end of August 1944, division strength was estimated as 11,600 with the bulk originating from Belarussia. The leadership cadre of the division was primarily German.
In mid-August 1944, the division was moved by rail to southeastern France in the region of Belfort
Belfort
Belfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-...
and Mulhouse
Mulhouse
Mulhouse |mill]] hamlet) is a city and commune in eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. With a population of 110,514 and 278,206 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2006, it is the largest city in the Haut-Rhin département, and the second largest in the Alsace region after...
. By October, the organization of the division had been altered to three infantry regiments of three battalions each, a motorcycle (reconnaissance) battalion, an artillery battalion, and a field replacement battalion. The artillery battalion consisted of two batteries of captured 122-mm Soviet artillery pieces.
Insignia
The symbol chosen was an ancient double cross of St. Euphrosyne of PolatskEuphrosyne of Polatsk
Euphrosyne of Polotsk was the granddaughter of a prince of Polotsk, Vseslav....
with two bars equal in length and parallel to each other. After January 29, 1945, a white-red-white stripe on right side was adopted with the phrase "Weissruthenien" (White Ruthenia) emblazoned. The symbol chosen for the division insignia was an ancient double cross of St. Euphrosyne of Polatsk
Euphrosyne of Polatsk
Euphrosyne of Polotsk was the granddaughter of a prince of Polotsk, Vseslav....
with two bars equal in length and parallel to each other.
Mutiny and desertion
Subsequent events proved the division to have serious issues of disaffection and even outright disloyalty to the Nazi cause. German leadership failed to realize that while anti-communist, former Red Army soldiers might engage in ruthless combat on the eastern front, the same behavior on the part of these soldiers was not guaranteed in the notably different ideological situation of the western front.Elements of the division arrived in Vesoul
Vesoul
Vesoul is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France.The town is the capital of the department, its inhabitants are known in French as Vésuliens.-Notable people:...
on 20 August 1944 and were charged with the security of the Belfort Gap
Belfort Gap
The Belfort Gap is a plateau located between the northern end of the Jura Mountains and the southernmost part of the Vosges mountains. Its altitude varies between 345 meters at its lowest and a little more than 400 meters in the area of the watershed between the catchment areas of the Rhine and...
, particularly against operations conducted by the French Forces of the Interior
French Forces of the Interior
The French Forces of the Interior refers to French resistance fighters in the later stages of World War II. Charles de Gaulle used it as a formal name for the resistance fighters. The change in designation of these groups to FFI occurred as France's status changed from that of an occupied nation...
(FFI). The same day, other elements of the division occupied the area around Camp Valdahon, about thirty kilometers southeast of Besancon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
.
On 27 August 1944, a battalion of the division at Vesoul shot their German leadership cadre and defected to an FFI unit in the Confracourt Woods, bringing 1,200 men, 45-mm antitank guns, 82-mm and 50-mm mortars, 21 heavy machine guns, as well as large amounts of small arms and small-caliber ammunition. A similar defection occurred the same day near Camp Valdahon brought over hundreds of men, one antitank gun, eight heavy machine guns, four mortars, and small arms and ammunition. The defectors were subsequently inducted into the FFI as the 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Battalions and many were later amalgamated into the 13th Demi-Brigade of the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
, itself subordinated to the 1st Free French Division
1st Free French Division
The 1st Free French Division was one of the principal units of the Free French Forces during World War II, and the first Free French unit of divisional size.-World War II:...
.
On 29 August 1944, the first and third battalions of the division's 4th Regiment deserted and crossed the border into Switzerland.
On 2 September, two squadrons (companies) of the division's cavalry battalion (formerly Kosaken-Schuma-Abteilung 68 and redesignated the Waffen-Reiter-Abteilung der SS 30) were surrounded and destroyed in a surprise attack at Melin by the Ukrainians who had defected in the Confracourt Woods.
The subsequent investigation of these events by German authorities resulted in some 2,300 men in the division being deemed "unreliable". As punishment, these personnel were transferred to two field entrenchment construction regiments subordinated to the Karlsruhe Transport Commandant, leaving some 5,500 men still in the division. The extraordinary events in the division also led to it being placed in Army Group G reserve and being viewed by senior German leadership in Alsace as an unreliable unit.
On 24 October 1944, the division had reorganized into three regiments, numbered 75 to 77, each of two infantry battalions. This organization accorded with the orders for formation of the division that had been issued in August 1944 by the SS Führungshauptamt
SS Führungshauptamt
The SS-Führungshauptamt was the operational headquarters of the SS.It was responsible for the administration of Officer Schools , Medical services, logistics, and rates of pay...
. Because of losses, however, the 77th Regiment was disbanded on 2 November.
Combat
The success of the French breakthrough in the Belfort GapBelfort Gap
The Belfort Gap is a plateau located between the northern end of the Jura Mountains and the southernmost part of the Vosges mountains. Its altitude varies between 345 meters at its lowest and a little more than 400 meters in the area of the watershed between the catchment areas of the Rhine and...
starting on 13 November 1944 created a crisis in the German defenses from Belfort to Mulhouse. With defending units under severe pressure by the French advance, the Germans committed the 30th SS Division to counterattack the French attack at Seppois
Seppois-le-Bas
Seppois-le-Bas is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
. The advance of the SS division on 19 November reached a point roughly a mile north of Seppois, but was held there and pushed back by French counterattacks.
The 30th SS Division went on the defense in the area around Altkirch
Altkirch
-See also:* Château d'Altkirch - destroyed castle in the town.* Communes of the Haut-Rhin department-References:* -External links :* * * * * * * *...
, forcing the French 1st Armored Division
1st Armored Division (France)
The 1st Armored Division was an armored unit of the French Army. The division fought during World War II as a part of the First French Army and was active during the Cold War...
to fight a sharp action in order to capture the town on 21 November. On 22 November 1944, Army Group G issued a report which noted the achievement of the 30th Division in destroying six French tanks and inflicting significant losses on advancing French forces.
As the German situation in lower Alsace solidified into what would become known as the Colmar Pocket
Colmar Pocket
The Colmar Pocket ; in Alsace, France, was the site of an operation during the Second World War, between 20 January and 9 February 1945, where the French First Army and the U.S...
, the 30th SS Division remained in the German front line north of Huningue and west of the Rhine River. In late December 1944, with its manpower down to 4,400 men, the division was withdrawn from the front and ordered to the Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr is a town in the district Neustadt , in the region of the Upper Palatinate in eastern Bavaria, Germany. It is widely known for the United States Army military installation and training area, called Grafenwöhr Training Area, located directly south and west of the town.- Early History:The...
training area deep inside of Germany.
Disbandment and second formation
Orders to disband the division were issued on 1 January 1945, and the division arrived at Grafenwöhr on 11 January. Russian personnel in the division were transferred to the 600th Infantry Division, a unit of Russians organized by Nazi Germany and belonging to the Russian Liberation ArmyRussian Liberation Army
Russian Liberation Army was a group of predominantly Russian forces subordinated to the Nazi German high command during World War II....
.
On 15 January 1945, the non-Russian personnel of the division were organized into the 1st White Ruthenian SS Grenadier Brigade, a unit that had only a single regiment of infantry (the 75th) with three battalions as well as some other units such as an artillery battalion and a cavalry battalion. While still organizing, the brigade was retitled the 30th SS Grenadier Division (1st White Ruthenian) on 9 March 1945, but it still had only a single regiment of infantry. Finally, in April 1945, this iteration of the division was also disbanded, with the German cadre being sent to the 25th
25th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Hunyadi (1st Hungarian)
The 25th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Hunyadi was a Hungarian unit of the Waffen-SS. It was established on November 2, 1944 in Hungary....
and 38th SS Grenadier Divisions
38th SS Division Nibelungen
The 38th SS Division Nibelungen. was formed in March 1945 from the staff and students of the SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tölz.It was first given the title of the SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz Division, but was renamed the SS-Division Junkerschule and finally the 38th SS Grenadier Division Nibelungen...
.
Ethnic composition
Although part of the German forces, the division's German cadre was always only a small part of the unit's strength with the bulk of the personnel originating from Belorussia, Russia, and the Ukraine.Known war crimes
Soldiers of the division together with an unspecified Italian unit killed 40 civilians in ÉtobonÉtobon
Étobon is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France.-References:*...
, France on 27 September 1944, in retaliation of the support given by villagers to the French partisans. An additional 27 were taken from the village to Germany; of them seven were shot ten days later.
Order of battle
As planned on August 1, 1944:- 75th SS Grenadier Regiment with two battalions
- 76th SS Grenadier Regiment with two battalions
- 77th SS Grenadier Regiment with two battalions
- 30th SS Reconnaissance Battalion
- 30th SS Artillery Regiment with two battalions
- Rear service regiment
- Pionier Company,
- Signals Company
- Training Battalion
As of September 12, 1944:
- 1st Regiment
- 2nd Regiment
- Battalion "Murawjew"
- Training Battalion
As of October 24, 1944:
- 75th SS Grenadier Regiment
- 76th SS Grenadier Regiment
- 77th SS Grenadier Regiment
- 30th SS Artillery Battalion
- 30th SS Reconnaissance Battalion
- 30th SS Pioneer Company
- 30th SS Signals Company
- 30th SS Medical Company
- 30th SS Field Hospital Battalion
As of November 2, 1944:
- 75th SS Grenadier Regiment
- 76th SS Grenadier Regiment
See also
- Schutzmannschaft-Brigade SieglingSchutzmannschaft-Brigade SieglingSchutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling - was a Nazi German auxiliary police brigade formed by 31 July 1944 at East Prussia from the retreated from Belarus dozen remnants of the SiPo, SD, Ordnungsdienst units, Kommandanturas personnel and BKA units composed from the Ukrainians, Belarusians,...
- 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS RONA (1st Russian)
Sources
- Jeffrey J. Clarke and Robert Ross Smith, Riviera to the Rhine, Washington: GPO, 1993.
- George Nafziger, The German Order of Battle Waffen SS and other units in World War II, Conshohocken, PA: Combined Publishing, 2001.
- Georg Tessin and Norbert Kannapin, Waffen-SS und Ordnungspolizei im Kriegseinsatz 1939-1945, Osnabrück: Biblio Verlag, 2000.
- Georg Tessin, Verbande und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 Vierter Band: Die Landstreitkrafte 15—30 Frankfurt/Main: Verlag E. S. Mittler & Sohn GmbH, 1970.
External links
- www.axishistory.com site
- Sorobey
- zweiter-weltkrieg-lexicon.de site
- Larousse
- Ю. Грыбоўскі — Беларускі легіён СС: міфы і рэчаіснасць
- «Белорусские коллаборационистские формирования в эмиграции (1944-1945): Организация и боевое применение» // Романько О.В. Коричневые тени в Польсье. Белоруссия 1941-1945. М.: Вече, 2008.