The Axis forces 2

by Massimiliano Afiero

  The Miliz Regiment De Maria

  Among the first Italian troops to be integrated to complete the Waffen Miliz was the Miliz Regiment De Maria, under the command of the Militia Consul Paolo de Maria. Prior to 8 September, the Consul was in Split, the head of the 89th Etruscan Blackshirts Legion: the unit included about 1,500 men distributed in 89th Blackshirts Battalion of Volterra, in the 97th Blackshirts Battalion of Siena and in a machine-gun company. The 97th Battalion was under the command of the Primo Seniore della Milizia Carlo Federigo degli Oddi, the future commander of the Italian units of the Waffen SS on the Anzio-Nettuno front. On the 8th of September, the Legion units were in the area of Drnis, along the Dalmatian coast, tactically attached to the Bergamo Infantry Division. On September 9, the Bergamo headquarters issued the order to fall back on Sibenik and resist any attack by the Germans.

  Soldiers of Prinz Eugen Division, check vehicles and equipment abandoned by Italians after 8 September 1943.

  In that area there were units of the SS Prinz Eugen Division and 114.Jäger-Division. After discussing the situation with his men, the entire Legion went to the side of the Germans: on that same day, De Maria met General Stahl, commander of 114.Jäger-Division to discuss the conditions of the transfer of his unit to the German armed forces. De Maria asked and obtained assurance that his unit was not to be used against other Italian troops and the promise that his men would be armed and refitted properly in order to continue the fight against the enemy. The German commander agreed and so the Legion was incorporated into the 114.Jäger-Division. Following the example of the militiamen, other groups of soldiers of Bergamo and other Italian units in the area, also made the same choice, voluntarily deciding to continue the war on the side of the Germans.

  Italian soldiers in Yugoslavia, having laid down their arms, waiting to be taken away, September 1943.

  About three thousand Italians were thereby placed in a Polizei-Freiwilligen-Verbände (Police Volunteer Troop) of the German Ordnungspolizei, under the command of Colonel (Oberst) De Maria. The men continued to wear their old uniforms, with a white band on the left sleeve of the jacket with the words “Ordnungspolizei“. Along with the German units, the unit was immediately engaged as a security force against the partisan groups.

  Balkan front, September 1943, Italian soldiers “negotiating” their surrender to their German ex-allies.

  On September 27, the units of Miliz Regiment De Maria were ordered to leave the area of Drnis, and to move in the direction of Knin, still in the hands of the Italian units. The Italian garrison joined the Regiment. From Knin, units moved by truck to Bihac and from Bihac, by train to Belgrade. From the capital of Serbia, again by train, following a series of erroneous orders along the march, the Italian troops went first to Austria and then to Berlin, where they arrived on October 5th. Due to the great confusion of the moment and especially the anti-Italian climate that was prevalent in the Germanic areas after the turnaround by Badoglio, members of the Regiment were transferred to a prison camp.

  Oberst De Maria, left, while discussing with other Italian officers at Münsingen camp, Autumn 1943 (Corbatti e Nava).

  The disappointment was great among the men, and when on 12 October they were again asked if any of them wanted to continue the fight alongside the Germans, many refused the offer: there were more than a thousand defections. On 15 October, the Miliz Regiment De Maria, left with two thousand men, was moved to Münsingen, where it arrived two days later. Due to the overcrowding of the camp, of De Maria’s militiamen were accommodated at the nearby camp of Gensewak. When in November 1943, the Regiment returned to Italy, officially it became the 1st Regiment of Milizia Armata, based in Milan, again under the command of Waffen-Standartenführer De Maria. The First Battalion was under the command of Waffen-Obersturmbannführer Federigo degli Oddi, the Second of the Waffen-Ostubaf. Vittorio Gori and the Third of the Waffen-Ostubaf. Giorleo.

  Federigo degli Oddi in 1944.

  The Battaglione Fedelissimo

  Another unit of the militia that chose in its entirety to join the Waffen Miliz was the XIX Battalion Fedelissimo stationed in the Balkans and mainly made up of volunteers from Lombardy. In early September, the Battalion was deployed in the area of Preveza, along the Ionian coast of Greece, integrated in the Acqui Infantry Division. The commander, the Primo Seniore della Milizia, Gilberto Fabris, on the day of the armistice, gathered his men to announce his will to continue the fight alongside the Germans. The Battalion followed him unanimously. In the area was the 1.Gebirgs-Division under General Stettner, who was immediately contacted by Fabris to discuss the fate of his unit. The Battalion, renamed as the Bataillon Fabris, was assigned to 98.GebirgsJäger Regiment and engaged along the coast as a security force against the partisan bands and in the defense of the coastline. The unit remained assigned to the German mountain division until early November, when it began the transfer to Italy in the Waffen Miliz, which was completed only on 1 December. Grouped in Aosta, the unit became the XI Battalion of the Waffen Miliz.

  The SS-Bataillon Debica

  At the training camp in Debica near Krakow, in the then General Government of Poland, the most combat capable battalion of the Waffen Miliz was formed, which was designated using the name of the Polish town. The history of this unit began in October 1943, in the camp of Feldstetten, twenty kilometers north-east of Münsingen. There, a group of interned Italian prisoners accepted the proposal by Major Guido Fortunato (former commander of the XIX Battalion of the 6th Bersaglieri with the CSIR) to set up a special unit of the Italian SS. Fortunato, one of the first Italian officers to throw in his lot with the Germans, had been authorized to move to the various camps to look for volunteers.

  Waffen-Stubaf. Fortunato.

  Out of 400 soldiers who responded to his call, only 38 were considered suitable and transferred to Münsingen for initial training. In early December, Fortunato with the core of Feldstetten volunteers, reinforced by several hundred other volunteers (20 officers and 571 men), were transferred to SS-Truppen-Übungsplatz Heidelager, east of Debica: it was a special school for the German SS, where they were training the reconnaissance groups in support of the divisions, and where many foreign units were also being trained.

  SS soldiers at Debica, 1943.

  The volunteer training was much harder and intense than that given in Münsingen, which transformed the Italian volunteers into true Waffen SS combatants. For this reason, the unit was called from the beginning “SS-Bataillon Debica” (the official name was Italienische Freiwilligen SS-Bataillon), while all other units of the Waffen Miliz could not use the term SS. The volunteers wore German uniforms and wore black collar badges.

  Training with an MG-34 at SS-Truppen-Übungsplatz Heidelager (Reimo Leol Collection).

  Organization of units

  The Italian volunteers in Münsingen were organized into twelve battalions. The first three, formed the 1st Regiment of Milizia Armata, born from the transformation of Miliz Regiment De Maria. Due to the high number of available officers, a battalion of officers was also formed. The personnel considered unfit for combat were grouped in a work battalion.

  Vittorio Mussolini visits the Italian soldiers in training in Germany (Collezione Privata Saronno).

  A supervisory unit consisting of ex-Carabinieri was also formed for safety in the camp. As for the equipment and the supply of weapons, the Italian volunteers continued to wear their old uniforms. The German High Command distributed a metal skull insignia to all the volunteers, to be applied on the lapel of the jacket or cap, as a unique symbol of official identification of the Waffen Miliz members. On 11 November 1943, the Italian volunteers swore the oath of loyalty to Adolf Hitler:

  Davanti a Dio presto questo sacro giuramento:

  che nella lotta per la mia patria italiana

  contro i suoi nemici sarò in maniera assoluta

  obbediente ad Adolf Hitler,

  supremo comandante dell’esercito tedesco,

  e quale soldato valoroso sarò
pronto in ogni momento

  a dare la mia vita per questo giuramento

  (Before God I make this sacred oath: that in the struggle for my Italian homeland against its enemies will be in an absolute obedience to Adolf Hitler, the supreme commander of the German army, and as a brave soldier will be ready at all times to give my life for this oath).

  SS-Hstuf. Thaler and Waffen-Stubaf. Fortunato.

  Following the ceremony the volunteers were informed of their imminent return to Italy. At the same time they were offered the opportunity to be transferred into the armed forces of the Italian Social Republic or to other formations of the Waffen SS. And so, a thousand volunteers chose to go in RSI units while only a hundred chose to be transferred to other units of the Waffen SS. There were also some defections: about 500 volunteers preferred to return to prison camps after the circulation of false news of a possible transfer of Italian troops to the Eastern Front. Before returning to Italy, some personnel of the Waffen Miliz, several hundred men, were sent to specialized schools at Dachau, Weimar, Dresden and Szczecin (Stettin).

  Bibliography

  S.Corbatti, M.Nava, “Sentire-Pensare-Volere: storia della Legione SS italiana“, Ritter Edizioni

  AA.VV. “Italiani nella Waffen SS, numero speciale Ritterkreuz I/2009“, Associazione Culturale Ritterkreuz

  Foreign Volunteer Legion Military Award & Insignia

  by Rene Chavez

  I’m writing this article relating to a very important WWII military history subject about foreign volunteers that joined the German Wehrmacht and were allowed to wear by the Germans, military decorations that were provided by their own collaborationist political parties that existed during German occupation.

  Vidkun Quisling and Norwegian Volunteers, 1942.

  This article provides a brief history relating to Western Europeans that joined the German army and I will illustrate by country the military insignia and some of the important military decorations that were awarded to these volunteers. When Operation Barbarossa started already foreigners from neutral and occupied European countries were either already in a German formation such as the Spanish Blue Division or were going to German recruiting centers around occupied Europe and enlisted to join the German Wehrmacht. Most of the Europeans that came from Scandinavian countries (Denmark, and Norway) and Western Europe such as the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch speaking Belgium) ended up being recruited by the Waffen-SS and formed their own formations referred by the Germans as Legions. Meanwhile Europeans from France and Wallonie (French speaking Belgium) were being recruited by the German Army to form their own Legions.

  Volunteers of the Légion des Voluntaires Français, 1941.

  Neutral Spain ended up forming a whole German designated infantry division. These Legions formation were popular with the collaborationist pro-Nazi parties that supported them during German occupation.

  Norway

  Norway was occupied by the Germans as early as April 1940 during the German invasion. Norway already had a pro-Nazi political party called the Nasjonal Samling (“National Gathering”) that was formed in 1933 and was under the leadership of Vidkun Quisling.

  Norwegian volunteers with the flag of Den Norske Legion.

  Quisling wanted to persuade Hitler that the Norwegian government would support the German occupation. Hitler remained unreceptive to the idea. Hence, on the first day of invasion, Quisling burst into the NRK studios in Oslo and made a nationwide broadcast declaring himself prime minister and ordering all resistance halted at once. This did not please the Germans who wanted the legitimate government to remain in place.

  Above is a locally made Norwegian National Flag sleeve patch worn on the SS uniforms by legion volunteers.

  Nevertheless, when it became obvious that the Norwegian parliament would not surrender, the Germans quickly came to recognize Quisling. They demanded that the Royal legitimate King Haakon formally appoint him as prime minister and return his government to Oslo; in effect, giving legal sanction to the invasion. However Quisling was removed in favor of a German administration led by Reichskommissar Josef Terboven who took over power by forming his own cabinet. Quisling was consequently re-instituted as head of state on 20 February 1942, although Terboven still had all the power. Under Quisling pro-Nazi party and German support represented by Reichskommissar Terboven united to create a Norwegian volunteer legion. A massive recruiting rally was held on the University Square in Oslo on 4 July 1941. The Legion was sent to Bjolsen Skole camp in Norway where uniforms were received. The Legionnaires were surprised to receive German SS uniforms since they had expected to wear Norwegian or Finnish uniforms. On 29 July 1941, the first 300 Norwegian volunteers arrived in Kiel, Germany, and were sent to Fallingbostel Training Camp. By August 1941 the total number of recruits had grown to over 700.

  By the end of 1941, it had the strength of 1218 men, with an additional reserve battalion provided for replacement. The officers were sent to Lauenburg training camp. The Legion was officially named “Den Norske Legion” (The Norwegian Legion). In December 1941, after completing six months enlistment, Legionnaires re-enlisted for another six months. Originally the plan was to have them serve in the Finnish sector of the Eastern Front but because of the critical situations elsewhere in Russia, the Legion was sent by train to the Leningrad Front. This Legion had no contacts with their compatriots in the Wiking Division who were considered full Waffen-SS cadre personnel.

  The Hird Arm-Shield: Members of the “Nasjonal Samling” and its para-military arm “Hird” were allowed to wear their emblem, a circular St Olaf’s Cross with upright swords in silver and black as a sleeve patch.

  Den Norske Legion Collar Tab: Above is a locally made Norwegian Legion collar patch (right collar only) displaying a Norwegian lion holding an axe tied to a black wool collar tab.

  By the end of December, the Legion’s strength dropped to 20 officers and 678 other ranks. On 1 March 1943, the Legion including the 1st Police Company, was withdrawn from the Front lines and sent to Norway on home leave. In May 1943, about 600 veterans were sent to the Grafenwöhr training camp in Germany where the III.SS-Pz.Korps was being formed. The Legion was disbanded and the Norwegian volunteers were offered to re-enlist in the new SS-Pz.Gr.Rgt.24 ‘Norge’. Norwegians that fought in the Eastern Front were awarded German combat decorations, however, in spite of the strict German regulations, many volunteers were tolerated by the Germans and allowed to wear their political party military awards.

  Arthur Quist, Kdr of DNL.

  Frontkjemper

  One of the most recognizable awards was the “Frontkjemper” Front Fighter award shown. This badge was instituted in October 1943 by Vidkun Quisling and awarded for bravery to Norwegian volunteers and German cadre who saw action on the Eastern Front. This badge was made by the Norwegian firm in Oslo “Holmsen” and was issued in one class only, silver. The badge shows a Nordic warrior holding a shield and drawn sword, and is standing in an archway, which bore the letters “FRONT KJEMPER” (Front Fighter) in pseudo runic script.

  The “Brave and Faithful” Order

  Another interesting award was the so-called “Brave and Faithful” Order. The cross with crossed swords was awarded to Norwegian members of Quisling’s political party “Hird.” The award was given for merit and bravery and was only issued once but immediately was removed Hitler forbid it to be worn on German uniforms.

  Above are two crosses. The first one being produced in 1942/43, which shows the date “1941” marked in the center of the cross. The reverse is marked with the inscription “TAPPER OG TRO” (Brave and Loyal). The cross is missing its ribbon, which has two red stripes on each edge and a yellow gold color stripe in the center. Later in 1944 the date was removed or covered up by adding in the center the Hird emblem an eagle clutching the sun cross. The cross has the ribbon, which was also attached to the earlier “1941” cross.

  Denmark

  On April 1940, the Germans invaded Denmark with virtually no resistance encountered by the
defending Danes. With the events taking place during Operation Barbarossa, the Germans started a recruitment of Danish and Norwegian volunteers for the Nordland Regiment. This regiment was sent to the eastern front in June 1941 and remained there until March 1943. Meanwhile, a separate inclusive Danish volunteer formation was in the plans by the Germans with the approval of the Danish Government.