Die Bandenkämpfer - Holders of Bandenkampfabzeichen

[Michael Miller]

C.G.~

Just a quick note to recognize your contributions. Have read with much interest your other posts on the partisan/anti-partisan struggle in Italy and learned a great deal about an aspect of the war that has always fascinated me. You are a true asset to the Forums.

Thanks!

Best wishes,
~ Mike Miller / ABR

[Matt Gibbs]

Hey CG!
Thats an interesting unit I had not so far come across, now we know someting more about the Kriegsmarine units whose members may have recieved the BKA, I always wondered why there was a point to KM recipients getting it, and now I know !!!
Do you know of any other KM units who may have been involved in anti - partisan actions specifically..?

Kind regards

Matt Gibbs

[K.Kocjancic]

C.G.~

Just a quick note to recognize your contributions. Have read with much interest your other posts on the partisan/anti-partisan struggle in Italy and learned a great deal about an aspect of the war that has always fascinated me. You are a true asset to the Forums.

Thanks!

Best wishes,
~ Mike Miller / ABR

I agree. I would also thanks all the others who helped with the making of the list.

Thanks,
Kocjo

[List has been updated.]

[Peter]

I am pleased that my reply naming Heinz Bischoff of Marineeinsatzkdo 80 has caused so much interest, I think I do have the names of 2 more Kriegsmarine members who received the award also for Italy, I shall check my notes and post the names.

Pete

[K.Kocjancic]

I am pleased that my reply naming Heinz Bischoff of Marineeinsatzkdo 80 has caused so much interest, I think I do have the names of 2 more Kriegsmarine members who received the award also for Italy, I shall check my notes and post the names.

Pete

Please do that!

Again, thanks a lot for all your help!

Regards,
Kocjo

[K.Kocjancic]

The Anti-Partisans badge was instituted on January 30, 1944 by Adolf Hitler.

My question is: from whih date on the soldiers were "collecting" cobat days against Partisans? From 30.1.'44? Could BKA be awarded for former activities (before 30.1.'44)?

Regards,
Kocjo

[Peter]

Thats interesting, I have found reference to one of the Kriegsmarine awards and it was to

Kapitänleutnant (Marine Artillerie) der Res Dr Waldemar Krumhaar.

I had filed it away under the man I believe may have been his older brother SS-Oberf or Brigadef. Bruno Krumhaar. Both men were Kaiserliche Marine officers 1914/18, Bruno was a Kapitänleutnant, awarded EKI and Waldemar was a Fähnrich zur See from the Naval Academy Class of IV/1914. Bruno was born 21 Aug 1885 and became SS-Standartenf. on 20 Apr 1939 and Oberst der Schupo. Waldemar was born 7 Jul 1895 in Schleswig, he was promoted Kptltn d.Res (z.V) on 2 Sep 1939 and served with Marine Artillerie Abt 531 from Jan 43 to Mar 44 before a transfer to K.d.K.Verbände.

Many award documents and papers for 1914/18 and 1939/45 for both men were in a sale in Germany in 1977/79. Unfortunately all I have is the notes I made at the time as I had no money to buy them. I think that the awards for Waldemar were EK2, KVK2 m.S., Flak Abz, Bandek-abz. plus many promotion and career documents. There were only four or five papers for Bruno.


I also have a reference to an award of the Bandenkampfabz to

SanObMaat Hanns Dittrich in October 1944 for Adriatisches Küstenland but this is just a note and I cannot find my source.

[K.Kocjancic]

Thanks!

Regards,
Kocjo

[List has been updated.]

[Matt Gibbs]

Kocjo;
Days could be retrospectively added from January 1943 as far as I recall.
They were collected from the tagesbefel or similar communications I suspect and added to the individuals records as and when conditions alowed. Some are collected in a special page for it in the book, others are handwritten or typewritten slips added in and stamped and signed off.
This is why there is mention of Oskar Dirlewanger immediately ordering in Feb 44 20 applications for the Gold award, 30 for Silver and 200 for Bronze! Quite a few people would have qualified for the bronze almost straight away I suspect. I think the delays in gettign the award come in the process where an application is requested, filled in, signed, sent back ,records have to be checked, award approved and signed off, award ordered, certificate filled in, then awards ceremony scheduled or award sent for presentation, this process can take months! This is noted for things such as DK where application and date of reciept are 6 months or more apart! Sometimes the recipient has moved on completely to another posting etc!

Regards
Matt Gibbs

[c.g.]

Dear all,
Thanks very much indeed.
I have found some additional data that seems to confirm what Matt Gibbs has just written.
The Bundesarchiv in Berlin holds a few documents related to the conferrement of awards for antipartisan warfare in Italy. Some of those report the number of awards conferred by the staff of the HöSSPF Italian to members of OrPO, SiPO, SS, SS, Wehrmacht, Italians and civilians. The lists – at least the photocopies I have made a few years ago - go from January to October 1944.
According to those documents it seems that until August 1944 no BKAbz were conferred in Italy (only EK 1, EK 2, KVK 1 w.Sw. , KVK 2 w.Sw., Verw.Abz., Spange EK 2).
In September 1944 164 bronze and 14 silver were then conferred, all to members of the OrPo
In October 1944 it was 62 bronze, one silver to OrPo, one bronze, two silver to SiPo.

Two documents of the BdS Italien/Gruppe Obeitalien-West/Aussenkommando Turin/Aussenposten Biella are perhaps interesting in regard to what Matt has written. Both documents list „Bandenkampftage“ for
1) SS-Untersturmführer Karl SORGO, 21.6.1910, 56 Bandenkampftage
2) 2) SS-Sturmscharführer Theodor DENNERLEIN, 14.10.1908, 75 Bandenkampftage
They are by the way probably the two recipients of BKAbzSilver listed above in October 1944. The two lists are dated 28 August 1944.
The BKTage are extracted in both cases from the „Einsatzbuch“ of the two (No. 013937 for SORGO, 013938 for DENNERLEIN). The documents list „Bandeneinsätze mit Feindberührung seit 1.1.1943). The lists are very similar. Since both wer members of Einsatzkommando 10 a and 10b, the date and places listed are consistent with the actions of those subunits of Einsatzgruppe D:
February-April 1943: East, from Kuban to the Pripjet Marshes
July 1943-March 1944: Croatia
March-May 1944: Italy, Istria and Slovenian border region

I have also found some more names of recipients of BKAbzBr
BORATH Oskar, Hptm., 1911, Kp.u.Btl.Führer im I./Luftwaffen-Sicherungsregiment Italien, 23.11.1944, conferred for 21 Bandenkampftage
GAUDERNAK Peter, Waffen-Feldwebel, 1918, Kdt. eines Panzerspähwagens im Stab/Luftwaffen-Sicherungsregiment Italien, 30.11.1944, conf. for 20 Bandenkampftage
JANSSEN Arthur, Oberzahlmeister, 1903, Zugführer im Luftwaffen-Sicherungsregiment Italien, date ?, conferred for 23 Bandenkampftage

I am posting in the thread regarding war crimes and Wehrmacht units a list of Kriegsmarine units apparently involved in antipartisan warfare in Italy 1943-1945.
Best
C.G.

[K.Kocjancic]

THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR HELP!

BTW. Do you know the ID-Numbers of Documents from Archive?

Regards,
Kocjo

[List has been updated.]

[c.g.]

R 70 Italien is the record group. I have to look for the Bandnummer
C.G.

[K.Kocjancic]

Thanks!

Regards,
Kocjo

[K.Kocjancic]

Posting for Iltis:

[Peter]

a nice Polizei photo, wearing BandenkampfAbz Silver, Nahkampfspange in Bronze, EK1, ribbon EK2, Infantry Assualt, etc.

The rear of the photo has a photographers mark and Januar 1945.

Pete