Ostlegionen
Ostlegionen or Ostgruppen (literally "Eastern Legion") were conscripts and volunteers that were POW or from occupied territories who fought in the German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) of the Third Reich during the Second World War. They were poorly paid, clothed, fed, armed and treated. Many Ostgruppen divisions were full of eastern Europeans that were guarding the inland region of Normandy during Operation Overlord (specifically Utah, Juno, and Sword.) The staff of the disbanded 162nd Infantry Division in Poland was charged with the raising and training of the six Eastern Legions. It eventually raised and trained 82 battalions. A total of 98 battalions were raised with 80 serving on the Eastern Front and in the Balkans. 12 were later transferred to France and Italy in 1943.
Most of these soldiers were from the Soviet Union,and Eastern Europe.
Ost units that fought in the Battle of Normandy were from the 243rd and 709th Static Infantry Divisions.
Strength
There were six legions:
- Armenian Legion - 11 Armenian Battalions
- Azerbaijani Legion - 14 Azeri Battalions
- Georgian Legion - 14 Georgian Battalions
- Caucasian Muslim Legion - 5 North Caucasian Battalions, consisted of Azerbaijanis, Chechens, etc
- Turkestan Legion - 34 Turkestani Battalions, comprised Turkomans, Uzbeks, Kazakhs etc.
- Volga-Tatar Legion - 8 Volga-Tatar Battalions
Ostbataillonen
These battalion size formations wore German uniforms and equipment and were used mainly for anti-partisan actions and rear guard duty. They were not independent, they were usually integrated into German units.
They began as private initiatives of military commanders, but eventually became formalized, by late 1943 they contained 427,000 volunteers, which was a force equivalent to 30 German divisions. Many were utilized in the west, e.g. Yugoslavia.
The battalions of the Turkistani Legion formed part of the 162nd Infantry Division and saw heavy action in Yugoslavia and Italy. Its commander considered it to be the equal of a normal German Division.
See also
External links
- HISTORICAL LESSONS FROM THE BRITISH AND GERMANS THE CASE FOR INTEGRATED INDIGENOUS FORCES AS A LOGICAL FORCE MULTIPLIER
- Korean volunteers
