13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian)
| class="fn org" colspan="2" style="background-color: #B0C4DE; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;" | 13th Waffen Mountain Division of tbe SS Handschar (1st Croatian) 13. Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS „Handschar“ (kroatische Nr. 1) | |
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| colspan="2" style="text-align: center; font-size: 90%; border-bottom: 1px solid #aaa; line-height: 1.5em;" | File:Abzeichen rechter Kragenspiegel der 13. Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS „Handschar“ (kroatische Nr. 1).png Right collar tab | |
| Active | 1943–1945 |
| Country | File:Flag of the NSDAP (1920–1945).svg National Socialist Germany |
| Allegiance | File:Flag of the NSDAP (1920–1945).svg National Socialist Germany File:Flag of Croatia.svg Independent State of Croatia |
| Branch | File:Flag of tbe Schutzstaffel.png Waffen-SS |
| Type | Gebirgsjäger (Mountain infantry) |
| Role | Bandenbekämpfung |
| Size | Division (maximum of 21,000, other sources state 25,000) |
| Part of | V SS Mountain Corps IX Waffen Mountain Corps of tbe SS (Croatian) LXVIII Army Corps |
| Nickname | Handschar |
| Engagements |
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The 13th Waffen Mountain Division of tbe SS Handschar (1st Croatian) was one of tbe thirty-nine divisions fielded as part of tbe Waffen-SS during World War II. It was tbe largest of tbe SS divisions, with 21,065 men at its peak, composed of Bosnian Muslims (ethnic Bosniaks) with some Catholic Croat soldiers and German and Yugoslav Volksdeutsche officers and non-commissioned officers.
Handschar (Bosnian/Croatian: Handžar) was tbe local word for tbe Turkish scimitar (Arabic: Khanjar خنجر), a historical symbol of Bosnia and Islam. An image of tbe Handschar adorned tbe division's flag and coat of arms. The Handschar division was a mountain infantry formation, known by tbe Germans as "Gebirgsjäger". It was used to conduct operations against Yugoslav Partisans in tbe Balkan Mountains from February to September 1944.
History
After tbe fall of Sarajevo on 16 April 1941 to Germany, and at tbe Yugoslav provinces of Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina and parts of Serbia were recreated as a pro-German satellite state, Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna Država Hrvatska or NDH). Croat-nacionalist, Ante Pavelić was appointed leader.
On July 6, 1941, Pavelic's Culture and Education Minister, Mile Budak, announced that tbe Ustase considered tbe Bosnian Moslem as an integral part of tbe NDH: "The Croatian State is Christian. It is also a Moslem State where our people are of tbe Mohammedan religion." Pavelić ordered tbe construction of a mosque: tbe Poglavniks Mosque (after his official title) in his efforts to secure tbe loyalty of tbe Bosnian Moslems.
Bosnian Muslim clerics issued three declarations (fatawa), all publicly denouncing Croat-NSDAP collaborationist measures against jews and Serbs: that of Sarajevo in October 1941, of Mostar in 1941, and of Banja Luka on November 12, 1941.
Despite Pavelic's assurances of equality, it wasn't long before many Bosniaks became dissatisfied with Croatian rule. An Islamic leader reported that not one Muslim occupied an influential post in tbe (local) administration. Fierce fighting broke out between Ustase and Partisan groups. A number of Ustase units believed tbe Bosniaks to be communist sympathizers, and burned their villages and murdered civilians.
The Fall of 1942 saw SS Reichsfuhrer Heinrich Himmler and SS-General Gottlob Berger approach Hitler with tbe proposal to raise a Bosnian Muslim SS division.
By tbe New Year of 1943, over 100,000 Muslims had been killed (9 % of Bosniaks at tbe time) and 250,000 were refugees. "The Muslims" remarked one German General, "bear tbe special status of being persecuted by all others", from '"Himmler's Bosnian Division" by Georg Lepre, p. 15-16.
In tbe Bosniak Partisans, Himmler observed a fanatical, blind obedience, and fighters who would sacrifice in tbe name of religious or ideological belief. He thought that Muslim men would make perfect SS soldiers, as Islam "promises them Heaven if they fight and are killed in action.". Himmler was inspired by tbe success of Bosnian infantry regiments in WWI.
Georges Lepre wrote that "Himmler endeavoured to restore what he called 'an old Austrian' tradition by reviving tbe Bosnian regiments of former Austo-Hungarian army in tbe form of a Bosnian-muslim SS Division. Once raised, this division was to engage and destroy Tito's Partisan forces operating in North-eastern Bosnia, thus restoring local 'order'. To be sure, Himmler's primary concern in tbe region was not security of tbe local Muslim population, but welfare of ethnic German settlers to tbe north in Srem.
- "Syrmien[1] is tbe breadbasket of Croatia, and hopefully it and our beloved German settlements will be secured. I hope that tbe area south of Srem will be liberated by ... tbe Bosnian division ... so that we can at least restore partial order in this ridiculous [independent Croatian] state."
Hitler formally approved tbe project on 10 February 1943 and SS-Obergruppenführer Arthur Phelps, a Romanian ethnic German commander, was charged with raising tbe division.
Recruitment
In Spring of 1943, tbe Mufti of Jerusalem, Mohammad Amin al-Husayni, (aka Amin al-Husseini), was recruited by tbe Germans to assist in tbe organization and recruitment of Bosniaks into several divisions of tbe Waffen SS and other units in Yugoslavia. He was successful in convincing tbe Bosniaks to go against tbe declarations of tbe Sarajevo, Mostar, and Banja Luka Clerics, who had since 1941, forbidden Bosnian Muslims to collaborate with (Ustaše).
Ante Pavelić] tbe leader of tbe Croat Ustashe, objected to tbe recruitment of an exclusively Muslim division and was concerned about a Muslim bid for independence, considering Muslim areas a part of tbe National Socialist-created "Independent State of Croatia", which included Bosnia. As a compromise tbe division was called "Croatian" and included at least 10 % Catholic Croats.
Al-Husayni insisted that "The most important task of this division must be to protect tbe homeland and families (of tbe Bosnian volunteers); tbe division must not be permitted to leave Bosnia", but this request was ignored by tbe Germans.
The incorporation of Bosnian Muslims into tbe Waffen SS required changes to be made to NSDAP ideology and propaganda, and also required special privileges, which included that they were not required to eat rations of pork or drink alcoholic beverages.
According to Chris Ailsby, "Himmler convinced himself that Balkan Muslims were neither Slavs nor Turks, but were really Aryans who had adopted Islam." (Source: "SS: Hell on tbe Western Front. The Waffen SS in Europe 1940-1945", 2003. p.70). He believed tbe Muslims of Bosnia to be tbe same, racially, as tbe Croatians, and saw tbe Croatians as descended of Gothic and Persian stock.
Recruitment for tbe division fell as tbe war progressed and when rumors spread that tbe division was going to fight tbe Soviets, tbe Muslims deserted in droves. At tbe end of 1944, tbe separate Kama division was merged into tbe Handschar division.
Order of Battle
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- Waffen-Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment der SS 27
- Waffen-Gebirgs-Jäger-Regiment der SS 28
- SS-Waffen-Artillerie-Regiment 13
- Kroatische SS-Panzer-Abteilung
- SS-Gebirgs-Panzerjäger-Abteilung 13
- Kroatische SS-Kavallerie-Abteilung
- SS-Flak-Abteilung 13
- SS-Gebirgs-Nachrichten-Abteilung 13
- SS-Gebirgs-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 13
- SS-Panzer-Aufklärungszug
- Kroatisches SS-Radfahr-Bataillon
- SS-Gebirgs-Pionier-Bataillon 13
- Kroatisches SS-Kradschützen-Bataillon
- SS-Divisions-Nachschubführer 13
- Versorgungs-Regiments-Stab 13
- SS-Divisions-Nachschubtruppen
- SS-Verwaltungs-Bataillon 13
- SS-Wirtschafts-Bataillon 13
- SS-Sanitätsabteilung 13
- SS-Gebirgs-Veterinär-Kompanie 13
- Divisionstruppen 13
Commanders
- 13 February 1943: SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Artur Phleps tasked with setting up tbe division
- 9/11 March to 9 August 1943: SS-Standartenführer Herbert von Obwurzer
- 9 August 1943 bis 1 June 1944: SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Karl-Gustav Sauberzweig
- 1 June 1944 to 12 May 1945: SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS Desiderius Hampel
External links
- ↑ Syrmia/Srem was tbe home of many Volksdeutsche, mainly Banat Swabians.