"Skanderbeg" cuffitle

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Ivan Ž.
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Re: "Skanderbeg" cuffitle

#16

Post by Ivan Ž. » 27 Jan 2021, 11:38

Hello, Dmitrii (and Frans)

Allow me to comment first: I've posted the journal excerpts precisely to show the use of different terminology (and other interesting details). :)

But note that I forgot to attach two important lines to the first document, showing that it was only a proposal. (Sorry about that!)
T311 r-184 001279, 001281, 001282.jpg

Now, let's take a look at those documents again, plus some additional ones, chronologically:
- 05.12.1944, Himmler plans to concentrate "Prinz Eugen" Division's Jäger units (this should mean from both 13th and 14th regiments) in one regiment, named "Artur Phleps", and incorporate Battle Group "Skanderbeg" into the division as a second regimental group (T311, r. 191)
(note: Battle Group "Skanderbeg" and Regimental Group "Skanderbeg" are the same unit)
- 07.12.1944, Regimental Group "Skanderbeg" is subordinated to the "Prinz Eugen" Division (this is from T311, r. 185)
- 19.12.1944, Army Group E proposes (according to Himmler's plan) that Regimental Group "Skanderbeg" is incorporated into the "Prinz Eugen" Division to fill in the gaps in manpower, that the 13th and 14th regiments are subsequently named "Artur Phleps" and "Skanderbeg" respectively, and that the sailors, who were the majority of the regimental group, are excluded from the unit (meaning that what was to remain in the "Prinz Eugen" Division from Regimental Group "Skanderbeg" was only a minor portion of men) (T311, r. 184)
- 20.12.1944, the enemy smashed elements of the "Skanderbeg" Regiment (likely referring to the old regimental group) (T311, r. 191)
- 28.12.1944, an urgent withdrawal of sailors of the "Skanderbeg" Regiment is required, i.e. the disbanding of the regiment (likely still ref. to the old regimental group) (T311, r. 185)
- 21.01.1945, from the Partisan XVII Division's op. journal: the enemy garrison in Bijeljina and the stronghold in Brezovo Polje consist of one regiment of the "Skanderbeg" Division, composed of three battalions and consisting mostly of Germans gathered from various units - sailors, pioneers, etc. (again, likely referring to the old regimental group) (Zbornik dokumenata, vol. IV, bk 33, p. 28)
Etc.

Executing organisational plans was a bit longer process near the end of the war; according to Schmidt-Richberg (Der Endkampf auf dem Balkan, Heidelberg, 1955, p. 94), Regimental Group "Skanderbeg" (he referred to it as a regiment-sized division) sent its naval personnel back home only in late February 1945, thus becoming a battalion and part of the "Prinz Eugen" Division's 14th Regiment (on p. 104, he mentions that it became the regiment's II battalion). Kumm later published the same info in his book Vorwärts, Prinz Eugen! (Dresden, 2007, pp. 364, 371).

Regarding Dmitrii's (good) question on the possibility of having two combat units with the same name (Skanderbeg): I doubt it - but who knows. The 14th Regiment was to take over the name only after the incorporation/disbanding of the old Regimental Group "Skanderbeg" (and it seems that those plans were carried out in late February 1945). Note that there's apparently an SS-FHA document (I've only seen a US copy) dated 26 March 1945 listing all Waffen-SS units, as of 1 March 1945, including two "Prinz Eugen" regiments, named "Artur Phleps" (13th) and "Skanderbeg" (14th) - and also the long-disbanded "Skanderbeg" Division.

(Everything also suggests that the unit in the heading of the 06.02.1945 document posted by Dmitrii is the old Regimental Group "Skanderbeg".)

I must add that I haven't had the time to deal with this topic thoroughly, and, as we can see, it does require a detailed research. There are still details that need to be cleared. Thanks for bringing it all up again, Frans ;)

Cheers,
Ivan

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FransN
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Re: "Skanderbeg" cuffitle

#17

Post by FransN » 27 Jan 2021, 23:33

Dear Ivan and Dmitrii,
First of all, thanks Ivan for the very interesting orders from HGr. E and F from December 1944. These are the first orders that link the name "Skanderbeg" to SS-Frw. Geb. Jg. Rgt. 14.

Ostubaf. Alfred Graf, the former CO of SS-Rgt. KGr. "Skanderbeg" wrote a letter to Wolfgang Vopersal after the war (I don't know the exact date). This letter can be found in the Bundesarchiv - Militärarchiv in Freiburg (BA-MA) in the Vopersal Nachlass, folder N756/182b. He describes that the SS-Rgt. KGr. "Skanderbeg" arrives in the area of Janja-Bijeljina (Save-Drina triangle) on 19.12.1944. On 23.12.1944 said battlegroup takes over the trenches from the 7. SS-Frw. Geb. Div. "Prinz Eugen", the latter leaves the area. On 15.02.1945 the battlegroup was relieved by troops from the 41. Inf. Div. After that (no exact date mentionned) the navy soldiers were sent to Germany from the Brčko-Gunja area. At the divisional HQ of "Prinz Eugen" in Derventa the remnants of the "Skanderbeg" battlegroup were taken over (übernommen) by the "Prinz Eugen" division.

Otto Kumm in his divisional history "Vorwärts Prinz Eugen" (1st ed. 1978) mentions the following relevant passages:
(page 357) "Nach Wiederherstellung der Front bei Otok wird die Division in ihrem bisherigen Sicherungsabschnitt von der 22. ID. abgelöst - nur die KGr. "Skanderbeg" bleibt in Bijeljina"
(page 357 and 358, Unternehmen "Frühlingssturm" in mid-January 1945). The division takes part in this operation from 17.01.1945 onwards. The two existing battalions of Rgt. 14 are explicitly mentionned: I./Rgt. 14 (Ostuf. Schnelle) and III./Rgt. 14 (Hstuf. Krombholz). So in mid-January 1945 these battalions still existed and were not absorbed into Rgt. 13, as was foreseen in the Heeresgruppe orders of December 1944.
(page 366 and 367, Unternehmen "Wehrwolf" in early February 1945). The same thing: I. and III. Btl. of KGr. Breimaier (CO of Rgt. 14) are explicitly mentionned.
(page 364, no date given) "Die Kampfgruppe "Skanderbeg" muß ihre Marinesoldaten in die Heimat abgeben, schrumpft dadurch auf Btl.-Stärke zusammen und wird als II. Btl. dem Rgt. 14 eingegliedert."
(page 371, early/mid March 1945) "Das FEBtl. 7 und das aus Resten der 21. SS-Div. "Skanderbeg" neuerstanden II./14 verbleiben im Raum Doboj..."

Rolf Michaelis, "Die Gebirgs-Divisionen der Waffen-SS" (1st ed. 1994). His books are in general not accurate at all (units, dates, COs), but now and then he includes interesting eyewitness accounts, some of which corroborate the above data.
(page 164) "Nach Erlassung der noch verbliebenen albanischen Männer in Dezember 1944 und der Abgabe der Marinesoldaten in die Heimat, verringerte sich die Stärke ger Kampfgruppe im März 1945 auf ein Bataillon. Im Raum Brčko wurde dies dann aufgelöst. Die Reste wurden dem II./SS-Geb. Jg. Rgt. 14 der 7. SS-Division und die Divisions-Versorgungseinheiten der 32. SS Frw. Gren. Div. "30. Januar" zugeführt."
(page 164 and further) describes the account of Stabsbootsmann Erich Schäfer. In short: 24.12.1944 Arrival in Bijeljina. Attacks by partisans on 15.01., 26.01. and 28.01.1945. Own attack on 11.02.1945 on houses near Bijeljina. Separation of the navy soldiers from the SS in the Brod area on 12.03.1945.
(page 170 and further) Navy soldier Fritz Ammenhäuser mentions that his unit was relieved in the Bijeljina area on 16.02.1945 by soldiers of the "Prinz Eugen" Division.

In conclusion and in my opinion, the SS-Rgt. Kgr. "Skanderbeg" existed with its navy soldiers until at least March 1945, when, upon release of those navy soldiers, most of the battalion-sized remnants were absorbed by the "Prinz Eugen" Division as its resurrected II./SS-Frw. Geb. Jg. Rgt. It seems logical to me that only then Rgt. 14 assumed the name "Skanderbeg". And more in honour to the heroic fights of the German sailors (mind you: untrained in Winter mountain warfare) than the poorly performing Albanians of the 21. SS-Division....

Best regards,
Frans


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