3. bojna Hrvatske legije / III Legionarska bojna

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Carnaro
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3. bojna Hrvatske legije / III Legionarska bojna

#1

Post by Carnaro » 11 Sep 2019, 11:57

Hello

During Operation Ozren in Eastern Bosnia (late January 1942) several croatian unit were engaged, specifically (source: TODOR VUJASINOVIĆ
OZRENSKI PARTIZANSKI ODRED, pg 487-488):

U akciji Ozren mogu sudjelovati:

1) stožer 4. divizije Doboj, 1 pješačka pukovnija stožer
2) Trbuk (4. bojna k. 358 južno od Trbuka, 5. bojna Glavica k. 283 kod Doboja 1 sat. 4. bojne u Maglaju),
3) 5. pješačka pukovnija stožer Doboj (1. bojna Doboj — Usorbez, 3 bojna na položaju Trbuk — Karlovac 306 — s. Ševarlije),
4) 3. bojna Hrvatske legije (oko 300 ljudj) u Usori, ustaška bojna stijeg (jakost polubojna) u Gračanici.
5) Topnički oklop (1. i 3. bitnica Karanovac, 3. bitnica Doboj,1. bitnica, 4 topničkog sklopa Kosova 3 km jugozapadno od Trbuka, sve bitnice od 2. haubice 1 cm).
6) 3. tuzlanski dobrovoljački odred (bojnika Hadži-Efendića) sa 1. bojnom oko Stupari, 2. bojnom oko Živinice gdje je primilo osiguranje i zamjenio njemačke čete.


My question is: what exactly was Hrvatske Legije (aka III Legionarska bojna) of which third bataillon was engaged in Operation Ozren?

AFAIK Croatian Legion was unofficial name of the unit engaged in Russia under italian command; so I'm sure we're talking about two different unit. However I have no info about Hrvatske legije (Domobran? Ustasha? Volunteer Militia?)

Many thks for help
Max

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Re: 3. bojna Hrvatske legije / III Legionarska bojna

#2

Post by CNE503 » 11 Sep 2019, 15:09

Croatian Legion was the Heer Infanterie-Regiment 369 (kroatisches): https://www.axishistory.com/list-all-ca ... roatisches

CNE503
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Re: 3. bojna Hrvatske legije / III Legionarska bojna

#3

Post by Carnaro » 11 Sep 2019, 16:27

CNE503 wrote:
11 Sep 2019, 15:09
Croatian Legion was the Heer Infanterie-Regiment 369 (kroatisches): https://www.axishistory.com/list-all-ca ... roatisches

CNE503
Yes, you right. But I think we are talking about two different units: IR369 left for Russia in october 1941 and in january 1942 it was deployed along Mius river in Ukraine.

Instead Hrvatska Legija mentioned in the book I quoted, was engaged in january 1942 in anti-partisan action in eastern Bosnia, on Planina Ozren.
So I guess it was a kind of security unit, similar to Hadziefendic Legion.

Any idea ?

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Re: 3. bojna Hrvatske legije / III Legionarska bojna

#4

Post by CNE503 » 11 Sep 2019, 17:15

The most probable: the III./Infanterie-Regiment 369 didn't move in Russia late October 1941 and stayed in Croatia until the first months of 1942, being involved in anti-partisans operations there. It could have been the regimental replacement battalion from Stockerau, but I doubt that.
Maybe someone who has a good knowledge of this unit or 100. Leichte/Jäger-Division could help on this one.

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Re: 3. bojna Hrvatske legije / III Legionarska bojna

#5

Post by Carnaro » 12 Sep 2019, 09:13

CNE503 wrote:
11 Sep 2019, 17:15
The most probable: the III./Infanterie-Regiment 369 didn't move in Russia late October 1941 and stayed in Croatia until the first months of 1942, being involved in anti-partisans operations there. It could have been the regimental replacement battalion from Stockerau, but I doubt that.
Maybe someone who has a good knowledge of this unit or 100. Leichte/Jäger-Division could help on this one.

CNE503
Yes, It could be a reasonable explaination.
Third battalion was formed in Sarajevo, so we can guess that a kind of recruit depot has been established in town and remained active even after the departure of the battalion for Austria in autumn 1941.

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Re: 3. bojna Hrvatske legije / III Legionarska bojna

#6

Post by luda » 12 Sep 2019, 10:45

Carnaro wrote:
11 Sep 2019, 11:57
My question is: what exactly was Hrvatske Legije (aka III Legionarska bojna) of which third bataillon was engaged in Operation Ozren?
BR. 192
IZVJEŠTAJ STOŽERA 4. PJEŠAČKE DIVIZIJE OD 23. DECEMBRA 1941. ZAPOVJEDNIKU 2. DOMOBRANSKOG ZBORA O OPERACIJI NA OZRENU U PRVOJ POLOVINI DECEMBRA»
b) II. grupa:
— stožer 5.p.p.
— 13. satnija 5.p.p.
— 14. satnija 5.p.p.
— 15. satnija 5.p.p.
— I. bojna 5.p.p.
— 3. pohodna bojna Hrvatske legije5
— III. bojna 2.p.p.
— X. topnički odjel (bez 2. bitnice i 1 voda 1. bitnice),
— brdski vod V. bojne Vojne Krajine (bez 1 odjeljenja),
— oklopni vod (troja bojna kola),
— oklopni vlak broj 1,
— oklopni vlak broj 2,

5.Hrvatska legija se sastojala iz dobrovoljačkih jedinica u koje su stupali »rasno čisti Hrvati, Ukrajinci i Rusi« (bjelogardijci) od 20 do 32 godine starosti. Njeno formiranje je počelo 2. jula 1941. s ciljem da se regrutuju dobrovoljci koje prvenstveno treba upućivati na sovjetsko-nemački front. Prva takva legionarska jedinica je bila ojačana hrvatska 369. pješačka pukovnija, koja je u avgustu, posle kraće obuke u njemačkom centru za obuku u Delershajmu (Döllersheim), upućena na istočni front, gdje je kasnije, u sastavu njemačke 6. armije, razbijena kod Staljingrada (Mladen Čolić, n. d., str. 218—221; Franc Šraml, n. d., str. 23—29).



source pg 750

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Re: 3. bojna Hrvatske legije / III Legionarska bojna

#7

Post by G. Trifkovic » 12 Sep 2019, 11:37

Hi,

see the following:
Za osnivanje 369 poj.pješačke pukovnije odaziv dobrovoljaca je bio takav da je od viška ljudstva ustrojena "Doknadna bojna Hrvatske legije" u Varaždinu. Od ljudstva te prvotne bojne je ustrojen Lakoprevozni zdrug Hrvatske Legije u sklopu talijanske vojske. Po odlasku domobrana u borbe u Pounju i potom na obuku u Riva del Garda ustrojena je nova Doknadna bojna u Varaždinu. Ta bojna sudjeluje u listopadu 1941 u borbama u Zapadnoj Bosni, potom je ljudstvo jednim dijelom poslano za popunu 369.pukovnije u Rusiju a preostali dio je ušao u sastav 1 pješačke pukovnije domobranstva pod počasnim imenom "III pohodna bojna Hrvatske legije" .
Doknadna bojna i nadalje djeluje u Varaždinu do 4.07.1942 kada se preselila u Križevce i preimenovana je u "Osnutak doknadne bojne Hrvatske legije 369 i 370 pukovnije".
https://feldpost-croatia.blogspot.com/search?q=pohodna

So, basically, the "III. pohodna bojna Hrvatske legije" was an honorific title bestowed to one of the battalions of the 1st Infantry Regiment which was formed around the volunteers for the 369th Reinforced IR who did not leave for the Eastern Front.

Best,

G.

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Re: 3. bojna Hrvatske legije / III Legionarska bojna

#8

Post by Carnaro » 12 Sep 2019, 14:13

Many thks to Luda & Gaius :thumbsup:

In essence: the surplus personnel not assigned to IR369 was organized into "supplementary battalions" one of which was partially transferred to 1. pješačka pukovnija with onorific title of "3. pohodna bojna Hrvatske legije" and used in anti-partisan ops in Bosnia during late 1941/beginning of 1942.

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