I'm preforming a small research about the troops at Utah beach and around, mostly defence troops (709 Inf. Division)
I know within the 709th Inf. division there was a Osttruppen battalion, mainly Georgian soldiers. The troops where stationed Near st maire eglise.
My question is, does someone has more information related about the Ost Battalion 795, like what supplies they had, veteran stories, unit structures. everything is appreciated.
Ost Battalion 795 ''Georgian''
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Juha Hujanen
- Member
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Here is some additional information:
Georg. Infanterie-Btl. 795
FpN: 18152
Formed 8 July 1942 in Kruszyna near Radom/Poland.
History
15 Jul 42: now at Zielonka/Poland.
13 Aug 42: departed Zielonka for South Russia and then North Caucasia.
14 Sep 42: a 23. Pz.Div. report of this date states that the Battalion’s personnel were all former PoWs and that 25% to 30% of them had already been judged politically unreliable.
Sep – Oct 42: during the third week of September it was attached to the 23. Pz.Div. and deployed behind the front in the vicinity of Krupsko-Ul’yanovskiy/56 km ESE of Pyatigorsk in North Caucasia. At the beginning of October it was assigned security responsibility for a district near Bakssan, lying to the west of Novo-Poltavskoye. According to Soviet deserters, on 9 October a number of men from the Battalion deserted to the enemy. The 23. Pz.Div. immediately ordered the Battalion relieved from the front, but some of the Georgians continued to try and desert. Most of them were then arrested and placed under guard as prisoners. Elements of Panzerjäger-Abt. 128 got into a minor shoot-out with the Georgians around this time. On 10 October the Battalion was disarmed and transported out of the area.
24 Oct 42: reassigned to Operation “Bergmann” this date, evidently in a strength of 3 companies.
23 Nov 42: Battalion transferred from Krupsko-Ul’yanovskiy to Novo-Urukh to work on fortifications, but a Russian breakthrough on 4 December forced the Battalion to the front to defend the villages of Khasnidon and Tolsgun. The Battalion fought well and was relieved on 31 December. It then began the gradual withdrawal to the Kuban Bridgehead and was then evacuated by aircraft (ed.: a rare event!) from Primorski to Kerch on 15 February 1943. Between Sep 42 and Feb 43, it had lost in action 9 killed and 8 wounded.
1 Mar 43: reported its total strength as: 44 Germans and 246 Georgians.
21 Apr 43: remaining personnel transferred from Crimea or South Russia back to Kruszyna to rest and refit.
1 May 43: Battalion completely rebuilt with all new personnel effective this date.
6 Jul 43: transferred from Kruszyna to Radzyn/Poland.
16 Aug – 15 Sep 43: Battalion guarded railway lines, bridges, sawmills, etc., in the Radzyn area and fought 3 skirmishes with partisans at a cost of 2 killed, 2 wounded and 9 missing. However, 10 men also deserted during the period. In general, Oberfeldkommandantur 372 reported to higher headquarters that it was satisfied with the Battalion’s performance in the Radzyn area.
13 Oct 43: transferred from the Radzyn area to France effective this date and assigned to the 709. Infanterie-Div.
4 May 44: Battalion re-designated: Stab IV. u. 1.-5.Kp.(Georg.)/Fest.Gren.Rgt. 739.
7 Jun 44: manning positions in the vicinity of Turqueville under Fest.Gren.Rgt. 739 (709. Inf.Div.).
30 Jun 44: Battalion together with the rest of its parent regiment surrendered at Cherbourg this date.
Kommandeur:
Oblt. Ziller ( ? - 30 Jun 44?) 2/43, 6/44
--Lorenz
Georg. Infanterie-Btl. 795
FpN: 18152
Formed 8 July 1942 in Kruszyna near Radom/Poland.
History
15 Jul 42: now at Zielonka/Poland.
13 Aug 42: departed Zielonka for South Russia and then North Caucasia.
14 Sep 42: a 23. Pz.Div. report of this date states that the Battalion’s personnel were all former PoWs and that 25% to 30% of them had already been judged politically unreliable.
Sep – Oct 42: during the third week of September it was attached to the 23. Pz.Div. and deployed behind the front in the vicinity of Krupsko-Ul’yanovskiy/56 km ESE of Pyatigorsk in North Caucasia. At the beginning of October it was assigned security responsibility for a district near Bakssan, lying to the west of Novo-Poltavskoye. According to Soviet deserters, on 9 October a number of men from the Battalion deserted to the enemy. The 23. Pz.Div. immediately ordered the Battalion relieved from the front, but some of the Georgians continued to try and desert. Most of them were then arrested and placed under guard as prisoners. Elements of Panzerjäger-Abt. 128 got into a minor shoot-out with the Georgians around this time. On 10 October the Battalion was disarmed and transported out of the area.
24 Oct 42: reassigned to Operation “Bergmann” this date, evidently in a strength of 3 companies.
23 Nov 42: Battalion transferred from Krupsko-Ul’yanovskiy to Novo-Urukh to work on fortifications, but a Russian breakthrough on 4 December forced the Battalion to the front to defend the villages of Khasnidon and Tolsgun. The Battalion fought well and was relieved on 31 December. It then began the gradual withdrawal to the Kuban Bridgehead and was then evacuated by aircraft (ed.: a rare event!) from Primorski to Kerch on 15 February 1943. Between Sep 42 and Feb 43, it had lost in action 9 killed and 8 wounded.
1 Mar 43: reported its total strength as: 44 Germans and 246 Georgians.
21 Apr 43: remaining personnel transferred from Crimea or South Russia back to Kruszyna to rest and refit.
1 May 43: Battalion completely rebuilt with all new personnel effective this date.
6 Jul 43: transferred from Kruszyna to Radzyn/Poland.
16 Aug – 15 Sep 43: Battalion guarded railway lines, bridges, sawmills, etc., in the Radzyn area and fought 3 skirmishes with partisans at a cost of 2 killed, 2 wounded and 9 missing. However, 10 men also deserted during the period. In general, Oberfeldkommandantur 372 reported to higher headquarters that it was satisfied with the Battalion’s performance in the Radzyn area.
13 Oct 43: transferred from the Radzyn area to France effective this date and assigned to the 709. Infanterie-Div.
4 May 44: Battalion re-designated: Stab IV. u. 1.-5.Kp.(Georg.)/Fest.Gren.Rgt. 739.
7 Jun 44: manning positions in the vicinity of Turqueville under Fest.Gren.Rgt. 739 (709. Inf.Div.).
30 Jun 44: Battalion together with the rest of its parent regiment surrendered at Cherbourg this date.
Kommandeur:
Oblt. Ziller ( ? - 30 Jun 44?) 2/43, 6/44
--Lorenz
Here is the sourcing for the above:
NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-311 roll 150/831; 151/861 and 897); (T-501 roll 215/817; roll 216/1426; roll 217/440 and 713); PRO London: interrogation report CSDIC/UK/SIR 373; Tessin, Georg - Verbände und Truppen der Deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS 1939-1945, Band XII, p.322; Rebentisch, Ernst – Zum Kaukasus und zu den Tauern: Die Geschichte der 23. Panzer-Division 1941-1945 (Esslingen: privately published, 1993), pp.99-102.
It seems that footnotes are dropped when a Word doc. is cut and pasted into a Forum window.
--L.
NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-311 roll 150/831; 151/861 and 897); (T-501 roll 215/817; roll 216/1426; roll 217/440 and 713); PRO London: interrogation report CSDIC/UK/SIR 373; Tessin, Georg - Verbände und Truppen der Deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen-SS 1939-1945, Band XII, p.322; Rebentisch, Ernst – Zum Kaukasus und zu den Tauern: Die Geschichte der 23. Panzer-Division 1941-1945 (Esslingen: privately published, 1993), pp.99-102.
It seems that footnotes are dropped when a Word doc. is cut and pasted into a Forum window.
--L.
Thanks for the information, but still not as far as i got 
I need information about their Unit structure, and what kind of weapons they used.
Larry, could you emial me this information?
[email protected]
Reguards,
Koen
I need information about their Unit structure, and what kind of weapons they used.
Larry, could you emial me this information?
[email protected]
Reguards,
Koen
I thought it was rather clear from the narrative that their composition changed frequently from as little as just one company up to a maximum of 5 companies (1. - 5.). I'm sure there was a KStN and a KAN for these Bataillonen, but I have never seen them. There are several fellows who bounce in and out of here fairly often, including a Ron Klages, who are experts on KStNs and KANs. Maybe they can help. As for weapons, they used a wildly inconsistent mixture of foreign weapons, according to P/W interrogation report C.S.D.I.C.(U.K.) S.I.R. 455, 29 Jun 44, "Report on information obtained from PW DZ/3095(M) Oblt. LOMTATIDSE Comd 4th Coy, 795th Georgian Bn, surrendered with his Coy at TURQUEVILLE near STE MERE EGLISE 7 Jun 44." This report is 5 pages plus an appendix. The appendix is all about the weapons they had. I did not photocopy the appendix in 1989 when I discovered the report in the U.S. National Archives because I am interested in history, not weapons. Besides, what difference does it make? The Battalion put up little resistance and surrendered to the first American toops that came upon them. Even if they had been equipped with 60 Königstiger it wouldn't have made any difference. They all had surrenderitis. According to Oblt. LOMTATIDSE, the Battalion's morale was so bad and it was so unreliable that Rommel issued an order in May to have it removed from the coastal sector. What more can be said?Norden said:
I need information about their Unit structure, and what kind of weapons they used.
--Larry
Hi Larry,
I think you are making a small mistake, i've read several battle reports which indicates that remains of Ost kompanies fought allong with the fallschirmjager and other wehrmacht units, they defended Carentan. Not so long aggo i've seen information that the Ost battalion surrenered in Cherbourg, so they probably where splitt up, like allot of other forces.
They could have surrendered at Turqueville, but not the whole battalion.
Larry do you know who can help me find out what equipment they had, and also information related to the unit structures
Reguards,
Koen
I think you are making a small mistake, i've read several battle reports which indicates that remains of Ost kompanies fought allong with the fallschirmjager and other wehrmacht units, they defended Carentan. Not so long aggo i've seen information that the Ost battalion surrenered in Cherbourg, so they probably where splitt up, like allot of other forces.
They could have surrendered at Turqueville, but not the whole battalion.
Larry do you know who can help me find out what equipment they had, and also information related to the unit structures
Reguards,
Koen
I have only stated what is in the intelligence report, which I have sourced. The rules here say that you must source your rebutals when finding fault with someone's comments. You say you have "read several battle reports", but you do not source them. You now must find and post a valid primary source that rebutes what Oblt. LOMTATIDSE stated to his interrogators. Were the Ost-Kompanien at Carentan from Georg. Inf.-Btl. 795? Were they fighting as a cohesive unit under their own Georgian officers or were they just remnants incorporated into Heer- oder Fallachirmjägerverbände? There is a big difference. What is your primary source? A secondary source (Tessin) says they surrendered in Cherbourg. For all we know the remnants of the Battalion may have fallen back on Cherbourg between 7 and 21 June, and by the time the port was taken by the Allies there may have been little left of it aside from the Battalion HQ and headquarters staff. If that's the case, then it's good enough for Tessin to make the statement that it surrendered in Cherbourg. Some Osttruppen fought well, but the great majority of the 1.1-million men or so who were in the Osttruppeneinheiten did not. That is the opinion of every creditable published and unpublished study of the subject that I've read in the past 45 years. Sorry.Norden wrote:
I think you are making a small mistake....
I sure don't. I have the only two interrogation reports on 795, and only the second one has details on the weapons, which I did not photocopy.....do you know who can help me find out what equipment they had, and also information related to the unit structures
--L.
My apologise i did not gave you the source, and im not the guy that works completely from the book, 
''Von der Heydte ordered the 795 Georgian Battalion to move to the south west of Carentan after being informed of american forces attempting to surround the town from the north''
Source: http://www.eagle19.freeserve.co.uk/normandy.htm
Not all of the battalion surrendered at Turqueville. And yes their morale wasn't high, but they where good fighters.
''Von der Heydte ordered the 795 Georgian Battalion to move to the south west of Carentan after being informed of american forces attempting to surround the town from the north''
Source: http://www.eagle19.freeserve.co.uk/normandy.htm
Not all of the battalion surrendered at Turqueville. And yes their morale wasn't high, but they where good fighters.
Larry d.
I have found more information related to this subject, and i will add the source.
Last time i have contacted the owner of this page http://www.ostbataillon.fromru.com/index1.htm#1
I will add the source:
Hello Koen,
Here that I managed to find on 795 field battalion of the Georgian legion:
On September, 10, 1942 795 infantry battalion has arrived from Poland (where it
was formed)
to Pyatigorsk. It has been given 23 tank divisions. The battalion has consisted
from 934
Georgian and the German personnel personnel in structure of 41 persons. The
German commander
of a battalion oberlieutenant Schirr was. The chief of a staff of a battalion -
oberlieutenant Knabe. Practical guidance by a battalion was carried out by the
Georgian
commander of a battalion colonel Maglakelidze. The commander of 1 rife company -
the former
captain of red army Chilaschvili, 2 rife companies - the former senior
lieutenant of red
army Tkeschelaschvili, 3 rife companies - former Soviet captain Zereteli, 4
machine-gun
mouths - Lomatidze, 5 staff mouths - German lieutenant Kam.
France.
795 Georgian battalion was deployed in small town Turkvill, ÀÇÏ-to the east
Sent-Mer-Egliz.
By the moment of landing of allies in Normandy the battalion has been cleared
from
unreliable and stochastic elements and completed after returning from Crimea in
Kruschnuâ
May, 1943. The battalion has consisted from 4 infantry mouth and staff mouths of
anti-tank
instruments. The battalion totaled 90 Germans and 833 Georgians. The battalion
has taken up
the first impact of allies (101 air-landing) on Omaha-Beach. Two mouths of
legionaries 795
battalions took positions around of medieval lock Bezvil-o-Plen. During all
first night of
intrusion legionaries conducted storm fire on parachuters, having put them
appreciable
losses. In the evening, using a superiority in strength, Americans have
surrounded
legionaries in the deputy. Georgians desperately resisted, even wounded did not
surrender in
a captivity. On June, 7 in Turkvil after fierce resistance Americans managed to
capture 174
legionaries.
I hope it to you will help.
Regards,
Igor.
Only 174 soldiers surrenderd, most of the men refused to surrender.
Most of the men fought till death, even after the loss of Carentan they where still seen in battle.
reguards,
Koen
I have found more information related to this subject, and i will add the source.
Last time i have contacted the owner of this page http://www.ostbataillon.fromru.com/index1.htm#1
I will add the source:
Hello Koen,
Here that I managed to find on 795 field battalion of the Georgian legion:
On September, 10, 1942 795 infantry battalion has arrived from Poland (where it
was formed)
to Pyatigorsk. It has been given 23 tank divisions. The battalion has consisted
from 934
Georgian and the German personnel personnel in structure of 41 persons. The
German commander
of a battalion oberlieutenant Schirr was. The chief of a staff of a battalion -
oberlieutenant Knabe. Practical guidance by a battalion was carried out by the
Georgian
commander of a battalion colonel Maglakelidze. The commander of 1 rife company -
the former
captain of red army Chilaschvili, 2 rife companies - the former senior
lieutenant of red
army Tkeschelaschvili, 3 rife companies - former Soviet captain Zereteli, 4
machine-gun
mouths - Lomatidze, 5 staff mouths - German lieutenant Kam.
France.
795 Georgian battalion was deployed in small town Turkvill, ÀÇÏ-to the east
Sent-Mer-Egliz.
By the moment of landing of allies in Normandy the battalion has been cleared
from
unreliable and stochastic elements and completed after returning from Crimea in
Kruschnuâ
May, 1943. The battalion has consisted from 4 infantry mouth and staff mouths of
anti-tank
instruments. The battalion totaled 90 Germans and 833 Georgians. The battalion
has taken up
the first impact of allies (101 air-landing) on Omaha-Beach. Two mouths of
legionaries 795
battalions took positions around of medieval lock Bezvil-o-Plen. During all
first night of
intrusion legionaries conducted storm fire on parachuters, having put them
appreciable
losses. In the evening, using a superiority in strength, Americans have
surrounded
legionaries in the deputy. Georgians desperately resisted, even wounded did not
surrender in
a captivity. On June, 7 in Turkvil after fierce resistance Americans managed to
capture 174
legionaries.
I hope it to you will help.
Regards,
Igor.
Only 174 soldiers surrenderd, most of the men refused to surrender.
Most of the men fought till death, even after the loss of Carentan they where still seen in battle.
reguards,
Koen
Koen -
That's an interesting addition to what we know about the battalion and I appreciate your forwarding it. For now I will treat Igor's claims as just that until such time as I can confirm them. Much of what he alleges is questionable, such as 795 fighting the 101st Airborne Division on Omaha Beach which, of course, is not correct. Also, there is the continuing conflict between the Georgians and the 90 German cadre. The Germans no doubt fought with determination, but I would have to see some additional proof before I would accept some of Igor's claims about the Georgians. Did some of them perhaps fight with courage and determination? Sure, but what percentage of the 833 that he says were there? We already know that all of 4th Company surrendered at Turqueville on 7 June, so does that mean that all of the bad apples were in 4th Co. and all of the good apples were in the other three companies?
Anyway, thanks again for sending Igor's summary. I think the difference here, Koen, is that I am an academic historian and I need to verify claims and statements for I can accept them. If 8 out of 8 respected historians who have written about the Osttruppen say that they fought poorly if at all, then that is what I will tend to go with until proven otherwise.
--Larry
That's an interesting addition to what we know about the battalion and I appreciate your forwarding it. For now I will treat Igor's claims as just that until such time as I can confirm them. Much of what he alleges is questionable, such as 795 fighting the 101st Airborne Division on Omaha Beach which, of course, is not correct. Also, there is the continuing conflict between the Georgians and the 90 German cadre. The Germans no doubt fought with determination, but I would have to see some additional proof before I would accept some of Igor's claims about the Georgians. Did some of them perhaps fight with courage and determination? Sure, but what percentage of the 833 that he says were there? We already know that all of 4th Company surrendered at Turqueville on 7 June, so does that mean that all of the bad apples were in 4th Co. and all of the good apples were in the other three companies?
Anyway, thanks again for sending Igor's summary. I think the difference here, Koen, is that I am an academic historian and I need to verify claims and statements for I can accept them. If 8 out of 8 respected historians who have written about the Osttruppen say that they fought poorly if at all, then that is what I will tend to go with until proven otherwise.
--Larry
Re: Ost Battalion 795 ''Georgian''
On a French forum (atlantikwall.superforum.fr), there is a post on the Osttruppen mentioning that the 795 Georgian Battalion consisted of 4 infantry companies and 1 AT company.
von Schlieben, CO of the 709th ID to which the 795th was attached on D-Day, mentioned in his afterwar debriefing to the Americans that one company of the 795th was actually attached to the 243rd ID on the western coast of the Cotentin peninsula.
I assume that if there was an AT company in the 795th, it would have been positioned on D-Day with the other 3 companies in the Turqueville sector, behind Utah Beach.
Can anyone confirm the existence of this AT company and if so, what was its armament ? 4,5 cm Pak (r) ?
Emmanuel
von Schlieben, CO of the 709th ID to which the 795th was attached on D-Day, mentioned in his afterwar debriefing to the Americans that one company of the 795th was actually attached to the 243rd ID on the western coast of the Cotentin peninsula.
I assume that if there was an AT company in the 795th, it would have been positioned on D-Day with the other 3 companies in the Turqueville sector, behind Utah Beach.
Can anyone confirm the existence of this AT company and if so, what was its armament ? 4,5 cm Pak (r) ?
Emmanuel