SS-Division "Handschar" photos

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Ivan Ž.
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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#301

Post by Ivan Ž. » 27 Dec 2018, 01:13

balkanguy44 wrote:
27 Dec 2018, 01:07
A man from the artillery battalion.

Source: Singa Bosnia by Nino N.
Actual source: R. Kaltenegger, Mountain Troops of the Waffen-SS 1941-1945, p. 119.

Pictured is one of the five brothers that manned together a howitzer http://bandenkampf.blogspot.com/2015/12/bk0112.html

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Ivan

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balkanguy44
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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#302

Post by balkanguy44 » 27 Dec 2018, 01:18

Ivan Ž. wrote:
27 Dec 2018, 01:13
Actual source: R. Kaltenegger, Mountain Troops of the Waffen-SS 1941-1945, p. 119.

Pictured is one of the five brothers that manned together a howitzer http://bandenkampf.blogspot.com/2015/12/bk0112.html

Cheers,
Ivan
Hello Ivan,

Is the picture cropped or just like in the book of Mr Kaltenegger?

I know the story of the five brothers. It's strange - always when I find a photo of the artillery battalion it's one of them.
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BG44


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Ivan Ž.
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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#303

Post by Ivan Ž. » 27 Dec 2018, 01:23

Hello,

Yes, now the five brothers are known again ;) That's what the photo looks like in the book = not cropped (it's artillery regiment, not battalion).

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Ivan

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balkanguy44
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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#304

Post by balkanguy44 » 27 Dec 2018, 01:28

Hello,

Yes, their story is known again :)

Thanks for the information.
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BG44

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Ivan Ž.
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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#305

Post by Ivan Ž. » 27 Dec 2018, 01:32

By the way, according to the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, there were six brothers actually, five of whom manned one gun. I don't know what was the assignment of the 6th brother.

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Ivan

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balkanguy44
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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#306

Post by balkanguy44 » 27 Dec 2018, 01:37

Interesting. I’ve never heard of the 6th brother just of five and I have only seen photos with five of them.
Is there anything else known of them?
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Ivan Ž.
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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#307

Post by Ivan Ž. » 27 Dec 2018, 01:40

This little detail can be found in "Handschar" #8, p. 3, or see Bernwald's book, p. 391 (thanks to Dmitry, who spotted it ;)).
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem wrote:
GMJ.jpg
GMJ.jpg (74.14 KiB) Viewed 757 times
Not much is known on them, besides that they were introduced to the Grand Mufti and that a photo report was made on them.

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Ivan

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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#308

Post by DFrolov1992 » 27 Dec 2018, 02:00

balkanguy44 wrote:
26 Dec 2018, 12:54
Hello guys!

Does anyone know the exact number of Albanians who served in the Handschar Division? (Just a quick question)
Hi balkanguy44

There is no exact estimate of the number of Albanians in the division. I will give a few examples. Eberhard Raichel (SS-Sturmbannführer und Legationsrat der Abteilung Inland IIc) relying on the assessment of the SS-Hauptamt, believed that in the "Handschar" division, at least 1,000 Albanians served in separate units. (BA-MA. N756 sign 168a. Bosniaken-Division. LR Dr. Reichel. o.oInl. II. 2006/43g.). The Wehrmacht High Command's (OKW) assessment is exactly 2500 Albanians (BA-MA. N 756. Sign. 169a. Fernschreibenan Gen. Kdo. V. SS Geb. A.K. 21.02.1944;). Yugoslav authors give an estimate of 20% of the personnel, or about 800 people.(Војноисторискн институт југословенсне народне армнје. Зборник докумената и података о народно ослободилачком рату ј угословенских народатом т. 1 к. 8. Борбе у Војводини 1944 год. с. 345; Dželetovič Ivanov. P. 21. SS-Divizija Skenderbeg. s. 193.) For example, Hermann Neubacher(Sonderbevollmächtigter Südost des Auswärtigen Amtes) believed that at least 4,000 Albanians had served in the "Handschar" division before entering the "Skanderbeg" division. However, considering that most Albanians were in the same battalion, this figure looks even more improbable than the OKW estimate. (Bohler J. Gerwarth R. The Waffen-SS. The European History.p. 266.)

Best regards
Last edited by DFrolov1992 on 27 Dec 2018, 10:26, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#309

Post by balkanguy44 » 27 Dec 2018, 08:43

Ivan Ž. wrote:
27 Dec 2018, 01:40
This little detail can be found in "Handschar" #8, p. 3, or see Bernwald's book, p. 391 (thanks to Dmitry, who spotted it ;)).


Not much is known on them, besides that they were introduced to the Grand Mufti and that a photo report was made on them.

Cheers,
Ivan
Thanks again Ivan. I should take a closer look at the divisional newspaper in Bernwalds book I guess.. to find such details.

I know one photo from your blogspot where one of them was introduced to the Grand Mufti.
Cheers,
BG44

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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#310

Post by balkanguy44 » 27 Dec 2018, 08:49

Hello DFrolov1992,

That is pretty interesting. That means nobody really knew the exact number of Albanians in the division. As it was a battalion I always thought that about 1500-2000 Albanians served in the division.

Thank you very much!
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BG44

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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#311

Post by balkanguy44 » 28 Dec 2018, 17:03

Commander Karl-Gustav Sauberzweig wearing an "Albanerfez" (Albanian fez) which was specially made for the Albanians in the Handschar. The photo must have been taken in March or April 1944, before the Albanian battalion was transferred to the newly formed SS Skanderbeg Division (1st Albanian). Does anybody know more about this picture?
Attachments
image.jpg
Source: Carl Savich /Facebook (or Himmler's Bosnian Division by George Lepre)
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BG44

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Ivan Ž.
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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#312

Post by Ivan Ž. » 28 Dec 2018, 17:06

balkanguy44 wrote:
28 Dec 2018, 17:03
Source: Carl Savich /Facebook (or Himmler's Bosnian Division by George Lepre)
The source is the cover of George's book.

From left to right: Raithel (commander 28th regiment), Sauberzweig (division commander), Bormann (commander I/28), Bosnia, April 1944.

(I/28 = I battalion of the 28th regiment, known as the Albanian Battalion = hence the Albanian fez on the division's commander's head, supporting the battalion's troops)

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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#313

Post by balkanguy44 » 28 Dec 2018, 17:36

Hello Ivan,

Thanks for the info.
Cheers,
BG44

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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#314

Post by balkanguy44 » 28 Dec 2018, 19:43

Ivan Ž. wrote:
28 Dec 2018, 17:06
From left to right: Raithel (commander 28th regiment), Sauberzweig (division commander), Bormann (commander I/28), Bosnia, April 1944.
Operation “Osterei” (Easter Egg) took place in April 1944, is it possible that this photo was taken around the time of this operation?
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BG44

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Re: Some SS "Handschar" photo-infos

#315

Post by balkanguy44 » 28 Dec 2018, 19:54

Another interesting photo. Soldiers of the Handschar Division speaking with civilians in a (Bosnian?) town, (spring 1944?). I’m not an expert but I would guess Brčko or Bijeljina but it’s just a guess!
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110C07E9-DA9E-41F6-870D-5EAC560A4CD3.jpeg
Source: Can’t remember it. I’ve found this photo some time ago, maybe on Pinterest.
Cheers,
BG44

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