Wolga-Tatarisches Bataillon 827

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kindzjal
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Wolga-Tatarisches Bataillon 827

#1

Post by kindzjal » 20 Jul 2008, 17:55

I just have found this interresting article in German about the fate of the Tatarisches Bataillon 827 :

"Das 827. Bataillon wurde im Februar 1943 in der Station Jedlino (Polen) aufgestellt und danach in die Westukraine verlegt, wo es zuerst deutsche militärstrategische Objekte im Gebiet der Städte Lwow – Stanislaw (heute Iwano-Frankowsk) bewachte. Später wurde es in die Vorkarpaten geschickt, um gegen die Partisanen zu kämpfen; wo ein Teil der Legionäre versuchte, zu den Partisanen überzulaufen. Zum Aufstand des 827. Bataillon machen verschiedene Forscher sehr widersprüchliche Angaben. Nach den Aussagen des Ufaer Forschers N. Leschkin verlief das Schicksal der Aufständischen tragisch. Unterhändler der Legionäre trafen bei der Suche nach Partisanen auf ukrainische Nationalisten der Gruppe um Stepan Bandera, hielten sie für Partisanen und vereinbarten Bedingungen des Überlaufens. Die Pseudopartisanen sollten die Aufständischen in der Nacht auf der kleinen Waldwiese des „Schwarzen Waldes" treffen. Als rund 350 Legionäre zu abgesprochener Stunde am genannten Ort erschienen, empfingen die Bandera-Leute sie mit schwerem Maschinengewehrfeuer. Aber diese Version gründet sich auf Erzählungen der örtlichen Bewohner, und bis heute hat man noch keine Dokumente über dieses Ereignis gefunden. Als zuverlässig gilt, dass das Bataillon große Menschenverluste erlitten hat, und im Herbst 1943 wurden die Reste dieses Bataillons nach Frankreich in die Stadt Le Puy versetzt."

http://forum.tatar.info/index.php?showt ... 0&start=60

http://www.gedenkstaette-ploetzensee.de ... Legion.pdf

I will translate a small (the most important) part of this :

The Batillon was moved (by the Germans) intoo the Carpathian region, nearby the city of Ivano Frankowsk (now Ukraine) where the Tatars tried to join some of the local resistance. Unhappily they came in contact with the Bandera group from the Ukrainian nationalist movement, the UPA. 350 Tatars made an appointment with the UPA people in a place in the "Black Forrest" where they have been slaughtered by heave machine gun fire by the Ukrainian nationalists...

Does anybody have other info about that event ?

Bestreg
kindzjal

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clement
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Re: Wolga-Tatarisches Bataillon 827

#2

Post by clement » 21 Jul 2008, 16:47

I never heard of this episode.
What is interesting to note that the Wolga Tatar Btl. 825 in February 1943 too in Vitebsk region during the first clash with the guerrillas shift to the side of the guerrilla and joined the First Vitebsk guerrilla brigade without any problems !!!!
Another mystery

http://gezesh.livejournal.com/5395.html

Regards
Clement


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kindzjal
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Re: Wolga-Tatarisches Bataillon 827

#3

Post by kindzjal » 21 Jul 2008, 19:43

Dear Clement, there's no mystery :D

This is what the Russian Wikipedia says about that event :

"Батальоны не проявили высокой боеспособности в связи с тем, что часть завербованных против своей воли легионеров дезертировала или переходила на сторону Красной Армии. Первая успешная попытка была предпринята в феврале 1943 г. в 825-м волжско-татарском батальоне, который в это время нес охранную службу в Витебской области. В этом батальоне еще с конца 1942 г. действовала подпольная организация. Подпольщики Витебска установили с ней связь, сообщили местным партизанам подробные данные о батальоне и приняли деятельное участие в организации перехода его личного состава на сторону партизан. В результате 23 февраля 1943 близ Витебска 825-й батальон (свыше 800 человек с 6-ю противотанковыми орудиями, 100 пулеметами и автоматами и другим вооружением) почти в полном составе перешёл на сторону Первой Витебской партизанской бригады[1]. Большинство из них впоследствии были репрессированы сталинским режимом."

Near Vitebsk 800 Tartars with their weapons left the Germans an joined the Soviet Partisans !!!

It's well known that the forming of the Wolga-Tatarische Legion, was one of the biggest mistakes of the Germans.
Allready during the formation of the Legion in Kruszyna and Jedlnia (Truppenübungsplatz Mitte Radom), the problems with the Tartars started. Instead of fallowing the German orders the Tartars started to leave those training camps (with weapons and uniforms) and joined the Polish resistance (AK,BCh,AL). The first group of 10 Tartars with their weapons fled in March 1943 after that several hundreds fallowed...

Here's some more info in Polish :

http://www.archiwum.podbielski.pl/txt/poz_1.rtf

The history of the poet Mussa Dzhalil is also very interesting :

http://www.gedenkstaette-ploetzensee.de/06_e.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musa_C%C3%A4lil

In the summer of 1944 the 829th bataillon was stationed in Poland, near the city of Czestochowa. After short negotiations a group of 100 "volunteers" left the German ranks and joined the Soviet partisans under command of I. Batov (they came with several German prissoners).

Several Wolga Tartar Bataillons were sent to France in hope that the "Bolshevist" propaganda would not reach them in the West. This move was a complete disaster...hundreds "volunteers" joined the French and Belgian resistance while the others laid down their weapons and went "freiwillig" into American captivity...

http://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic ... 31&t=19168

One thing is sure: the forming of the Wolga Tatarische Legion was a complete fiasco !
The Tartar "volunteers" had no intentions to fight for Hitler and Germany , they just wanted to survive the terrible German POW camps (in this case we talk about Stalag 366-Siedlce) and indeed some survived...and finished in Stalins Gulag...

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clement
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Re: Wolga-Tatarisches Bataillon 827

#4

Post by clement » 22 Jul 2008, 12:30

Again thank you for those informations.
Some other infos about Wolga Tatars in France
Larry D. wrote:Wolgatatar Inf.Btl. 627, 825-34. Collectively, those battalions all belonged to the Wolga-Tatarische/Idel-Ural Legion but served independently. The Legion was officially formed 21 August 1942, although an earlier, informal version of it existed from January 1942, in Lager Jedlnia at Truppenübungsplatz Mitte near Radom in central Poland for members of the Tatar ethnic group and related sub-groups; the Tatars were initially assembled in the Sonderlager für Wolga-Tataren (Lager B/Stalag 366 Siedlce). On 2 October 1943 the Legion command at Lager Jedlnia was ordered to transfer to Nancy/France, and over the next month or two most of the battalions were also transferred from Poland to the West. In early August 1944 the Wolga-Tatarische Legion had to be disarmed as morale and dependability collapsed and they became increasingly mutinous and unruly.

There was also an Aufstellungsstab für Wolgatatarische Bau-Kompanien at Lager Kruszyna/Poland where Volga Tatar personnel were recruited to serve as unarmed volunteer auxiliaries (Hiwi) in construction companies, each of which had a couple of German NCOs as cadre.

Ost-Btl. 627
Formed second half of November 1942 by Heeresgruppe Mitte in Central Russia.
Lineage
Stab and 1.-4. Kp. Ost-Btl. 627 (Dec 42 - c.17 Dec 43)
Stab and 1.-4. Kp. Wolgatatar. Btl. 627 (c.17 Dec 43 - Aug 44?)
Stab and 1.-4. Kp. Ost-Btl. 627 (Aug 44? - May 45?)
History
Jan 43: Roslavl’ area.
6 Feb 43: Stab in Besedka/37 km SSW of Roslavl’ under Korück 559/AOK 4 in preparation for Operation “Klette II” against a large concentration of partisans in a heavily wooded area between Roslavl’ and Bryansk.
Mar 43: moved c.100 km north for operations against partisans located in the woods along the west side of the Smolensk – Roslavl’ road.
9 Mar 43: Stab and 1.-4. Kp. in Sukromlya/35 km S of Roslavl’ and assigned to line of communication security duties between Roslavl’ and Mglin under Korück 559/AOK 4.
26 May 43: unchanged from March; strength given as 5/29/15 Germans and 14/81/683 Ost- personnel; the battalion had a Panzer-Zug with 6 x Russian T-26 tanks.
21 Aug 43: transferred from the Roslavl’ area to Krichev/80 km WSW of Roslavl’.
20-23 Sep 43: now under Sicherungs-Rgt.Stab 631/Korück 559.
Oct 43: transferred to the St. Malo area in Brittany France and assigned to 7. Armee.
1 Dec 43: in Plancoët/21 km SW of St. Malo attached to 346. Inf.Div.
12 Jan 44: strength: 7/41/30 Germans, 3/49/712 Volga Tatar and other Ostvölker personnel.
1 Jul 44: the Battalion mutinied (just the Volga Tatar personnel?), wounded the commander, and was ordered disbanded although this does not appear to have been carried out; it was subsequently rebuilt using its original designation, Ost-Btl. 627.
20 Sep 44: Battalion reported as being in a state of dissolution.
1945: lower Rhein area to the west of the Ruhr under 15. Armee.
FpN: 09306
Kommandeur:
Oblt. Raunecker (Dec 42 - Feb 43)
Rittmeister Sörensen (Mar 43 - ? ) 10/43

[Sources: Tessin – XI:338; Kannapin; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-311 roll 220/122); (T-312 roll 206/827; roll 1356/105); (T-501 roll 88/417, 452, 587; roll 90/036 and 054); J.Thorwald – The Illusion, pp.220-25; A.Muñoz – Osttruppen, p.32, 43].

From NARA files, several complementary data about Ost. Bataillon 627
Formed in November 1942 in rear area HGr. „Mitte”. Composition:
1. Schützen Kompanie (Infantry Coy),
2. schwere Kompanie (Heavy Coy),
3. Reiter Schwadron (Cavalry Squadron).
From 07.05.1943 new 4. Kp from 5.(ost.)/ Landesschützen Btl. 826
From 07.12.1943 renamed: Wolga-Tatarische Inf. Btl. 627 (1. - 3. Schtz., 4. s. Kp.)
Soldiers of the Wolga.Tat.Inf.Btl.827 were made POW on 5 september 1944 by members of the Belgian resistance (Armée Secrète Groupe 44), most probably in the Ourthe-Amblève sector. In the afternoon of 5 september members of this unit had arrived in Comblain-au-Pont. According to statements of the soldiers, their unit had returned from Germany and was sent to Huy. Upon arrival they were ordered to secure the Meuse bridge. The Battalion had a strength of approx 300 men. After having get rid of the German officer, these soldiers escaped into the Belgian Ardennes, where they were made POW by the Belgian Resistance. Later also small groups of stragglers were picked up by the 60th Combat Team (9th US Infantry Division) on 10 september while clearing the Amblève sector.

Sources: After Action Report 4th US Infantry Division, G-2 Journal 9th US Infantry Division, Il y a 40 ans: la libération de Comblain p.3 (P. Walhain), La libération de Spa et sa region. En Route with the 1st US Army, p.28 (F. Bourotte)
I am sorry I found this in the web but I did not kept the Url and could not find it again

Ost Bataillon of the Freiwilligen Stamm Regiment 2 :
Wolga Tatars Legion (from le Puy-en-Velay) France
it seems that the unit in Le Puy where there was the Staff of the Legion wasn't a numbered Battalion but the Stabsbataillon or Reservebataillon of the Wolgatatarische Legion.
Their chief was the Rittmeister Coelle
Wolga Tatars, part of the Brigade Jesser, were involved in the battle of Mont Mouchet (june 1944, and reprisals against inhabitants) and others antipartisans actions in Upper Auvergne (and Limousin too July ~9th/15th to 27th ).After the desertion of 79 Tatars (Ussel, july 30th) the Command sent them to their respective garrisons,the others surrendered in Le Puy august 19th and Estivareilles august 22nd .(Thanks Loic)

Best
Clement


[Added the author above /Marcus]

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kindzjal
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Re: Wolga-Tatarisches Bataillon 827

#5

Post by kindzjal » 22 Jul 2008, 18:45

Clement,

thanx for the very datailed info.
But still we don't know what happened with the 827th ?
Well the only thing we can do is a further study of other sources and wait maybe somebody
who knows something will react on this post.

Bestreg,

kindzjal

George Lepre
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Re: Wolga-Tatarisches Bataillon 827

#6

Post by George Lepre » 25 Jul 2008, 17:09

clement wrote:I am sorry I found this in the web but I did not kept the Url and could not find it again
It must be noted that primary research on this topic was conducted by Larry D.

George

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