Einsatzstaffel der Deutschen Mannschaft
Ajnzacštafel
Vojnica njemačke narodne skupine
Stahlhelm decal of the Einsatzstaffel[1]
Active31 July 1941 — 1 May 1943
Disbanded1 May 1943
CountryIndependent State of Croatia Independent State of Croatia
BranchUstaše Militia
EngagementsWorld War II in Yugoslavia

The Einsatzstaffel der Deutschen Mannschaft[2] (EDM) (lit. 'Action squad of the German team') was a military unit of the Axis puppet state the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), whose members were ethnic Germans (Volksdeutsche) who lived in Slavonia and Syrmia (in modern-day Croatia and Serbia).[3] The EDM was part of the Ustaše Militia.[4]

Establishment and organization

The establishment of the Einsatzstaffel der Deutschen Mannschaft was proposed to Ante Pavelić by Branimir Altgayer, leader of the German population in the NDH.[5] The EDM was established based on the legislative provisions about establishment of the political army of members of German population (Croatian: Zakonska odredba o postrojenju vojnice „Njemačke narodne skupine“) adopted on 31 July 1941.[4] The EDM was part of the "Deutsche Mannschaft" organization composed of members of the Volksdeutsche community selected from men of age between 18 and 45 who were supporters of Nazism.[6] The "Deutsche Mannschaft" had two main bodies, general part and military formation - Einsatzstaffel.[7] Initially, their name was Waffenabteilung der Deutschen Mannschaft which was renamed to Einsatzstaffel der Deutschen Mannschaft.[8] The EDM was part of the Ustaše Militia, which was nominally under the command of the Ministry of the Croatian Home Guard.[9] The soldiers of the EDM took an oath of allegiance to both Ante Pavelić and Hitler.[10]

Altgayer, who had a title of Folksgruppenfuhrer, set initial organization of the EDM on 15 October 1941 when he issued military directives of organization and use of the EDM.[11] The organization of the EDM included:[12]

  • the General Staff (Headquarters)
  • two active companies
  • four reserve companies
  • staff guard

The first volunteer units were organized as battalion in October 1941[13] with three companies.[14]The directives issues by Altgayer were cancelled on 12 January 1942 and replaced with temporary directives of organization and use of the EDM.[15] At the beginning of 1943 the EDM consisted of four battalions.[16] The first battalion they established was named Prinz Eugen, followed by Ludwig von Baden, General Laudon and Max Emanuel von Bayern.[17] In the first half of 1943 in Osijek the Supplementary Battalion (German: Ersatzbatalion der Einsatzstaffel) of the EDM was established consisting of two companies with 277 soldiers and 3 officers.[18] In the same period the Motorized Battalion (German: Motorisierte Abteilung) of the EDM was also established.[19] Eventually, the EDM reached regimental size.[20]

The members of the EDM used grey uniforms similar to those worn by the Waffen SS, with SS badges of rank.[21][20][22] Germans who enlisted into the EDM were able to serve an army together with members of their community, close to their homes.[23] The SS was not satisfied with this arrangement because they needed new German recruits for the Eastern Front, so the NDH agreed to make 10% of all eligible members of Volksdeutsche available to be recruited into the Waffen SS.[23] In September 1942, the reorganization of the EDM began with the goal of incorporating them into the Waffen SS and the German police. By 1 May 1943, the EDM was disbanded and its members mostly joined the SS.[24] Of the 10,270 Germans enlisted in the SS and other German units at that time, the vast majority previously served in the EDM.[25]

Engagements

In the period between 27 June and 3 July 1941 about 1,500 EDM troops commanded by Jakob Lichtenberger participated in the operations against resistance members in eastern Syrmia (modern-day Serbia) east of the line Beočin - Voganj - Šimanovci - Progar.[26]

The EDM was in charge of the Lobor concentration camp and provided the commander of the camp, the staff and its guards.[27] They were also in charge of the Tenja concentration camp.[28]

At the beginning of September 1941 the representative of Germany, Siegfried Kache, leader of the German population of the NDH, Branimir Altagayer, the župan of Vuka, and other German and NDH representatives agreed to dispatch one company of the EDM with 300 soldiers to participate in the Mačva operation against Partisan and Chetnik forces in Serbian region of Mačva between 24 September and 7 November 1941.[29]

According to a 1944 list compiled by local German organizations, from May 1941 to mid-October 1943, a total of 441 members of the military unit were killed in action while fighting the Yugoslav Partisans.[30]

Ranks

Collar Insignia Shoulder Insignia Rank Translation
General General
Oberst Colonel
Oberstleutnant Lieutenant Colonel
Major Major
Hauptmann Captain
Oberleutnant Senior Lieutenant
Leutnant Lieutenant
Fähnrich Officer cadet
Stabsfeldwebel Regimental sergeant major
Oberfeldwebel Sergeant Major
Feldwebel Staff sergeant
Unteroffizier Corporal
Obergefreiter Lance corporal
Gefreiter Senior Private
Schütze Private
Source:[31]

References

  1. ↑ Littlejohn 1994, p. 231.
  2. ↑ (Lumans 2000, p. 237):"the Croatian army and even accepted the minority's paramilitary formation, the Einsatzstaffel der Deutsche Mannschaft, into the"
  3. ↑ Studije i grada o ucescu Jevreja u narodnooslobodilackom ratu. 1973. p. 269.
  4. 1 2 Obhođaš et al. 2013b, p. 100.
  5. ↑ Sarajevo u revoluciji: Komunistička partija Jugoslavije u pripremama i organizaciji ustanka. Istorijski arhiv. 1977. p. 286.
  6. ↑ Boban 1976, p. 1021.
  7. ↑ (Boban 1976, p. 1021):"Deutsche Mannschaft « sastojao se iz opšteg dela i vojne formacije » Einsatzstaffel « , .. , a u okviru Ustaške vojnice . » Folksdojčeri « sa područja severozapadne Hrvatske , ..."
  8. ↑ (Stuparić 1997, p. 233):"Proveo ustroj oružanih snaga folksdojčera u NDH (Waffenabteilung der Deutschen Mannschaft, poslije preimenovano u Einsatzstaffel der Deutschen Mannschaft) i bio..."
  9. ↑ Obhođaš et al. 2013, p. 45.
  10. ↑ (Terzić 1982, p. 575):"...formiraju ES ( Einsatzstaffel ) jedinice , s tim što su njihovi pripadnici polagali zakletvu na vernost Hitleru i Paveliću "
  11. ↑ Baranje, Historijski institut Slavonije i (1974). Zbornik. Historijski institut Slavonije i Baranje. p. 92.
  12. ↑ The Third Reich and Yugoslavia 1933-1945. Institute for Contemporary History. 1977. p. 568. Einsatzstaffel was as follows : the General Staff ( Headquarters ) two active companies , four reserve companies and the Staff guard .
  13. ↑ (Mollo 1976, p. 106):"In October 1941 , an action squad of the German community ( Einsatzstaffel der Deutschen Mannschaft ) was formed from ethnic Germans in Croatia . "
  14. ↑ Terzić 1982, p. 575.
  15. ↑ Baranje, Historijski institut Slavonije i (1974). Zbornik. Historijski institut Slavonije i Baranje. p. 92.
  16. ↑ Jugoslavije, Antifašističko veće narodnog oslobođenja (1967). Prvo zasjedanje Antifašističkog vijeća narodnog oslobodenja Jugoslavije, Bihać, 4-6. X 1966: Zbornik radova naučnog skupa. Muzej Avnoja i Pounja. p. 84. ...i 4 bataljona formirana od jugoslovenskih folksdojčera (Einsatzstaffel)
  17. ↑ Slavonije, Historijski institut (1966). Zbornik. p. 75.
  18. ↑ Baranje, Historijski institut Slavonije i (1974). Zbornik. Historijski institut Slavonije i Baranje. p. 94.
  19. ↑ Baranje, Historijski institut Slavonije i (1974). Zbornik. Historijski institut Slavonije i Baranje. p. 94.
  20. 1 2 Lumsden 2009, p. 99.
  21. ↑ (Mollo 1976, p. 106):" Volunteers were issued with field grey Waffen - SS uniform and SS badges of rank , with the ..."
  22. ↑ Littlejohn 1994, p. 228.
  23. 1 2 Lumans 2000, p. 237.
  24. ↑ Obhođaš et al. 2013b, p. 103.
  25. ↑ Jareb 2007, p. 210.
  26. ↑ The Third Reich and Yugoslavia 1933-1945. Institute for Contemporary History. 1977. p. 578.
  27. ↑ Studije i grada o ucescu Jevreja u narodnooslobodilackom ratu. 1973. p. 269. Prva dva logora nalazila su se u nadležnosti ustaša , a treći , Loborgrad , pod neposrednom upravom folksdojčera . Komandant tog logora , kao i ljudstvo za obezbeđenje , pripadali su vojnoj formaciji folksdojčera u Hrvatskoj - Einsatzstaffel.
  28. ↑ The Third Reich and Yugoslavia 1933-1945. Institute for Contemporary History. 1977. p. 591.
  29. ↑ Časopis za suvremenu povijest. Institut. 1999. p. 606. ...J. Elickera i drugih njemačkih i hrvatskih predstavnika, dogovoreno je da jedan sat Einsatzstaffela (oko 300 boraca) sudjeluje u njemačkoj operaciji protiv partizansko - četničkih snaga u Mačvi (od 24. rujna do 7. studenog 1941. godine).
  30. ↑ Jareb 2007, p. 212.
  31. ↑ Littlejohn 1994, pp. 229–230.

Sources

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