SS "Galicia" divisions: history

The history of the Second World War has many pages that many historians in the West prefer not to read. It is worth mentioning only the national divisions of the Reich. The topic is very delicate, and in the light of recent events in the southeast of Ukraine, it is becoming painful as well.

It is only necessary to mention the history of the SS division "Galicia"! These "brave fighters" are now glorified in the Ukrainian state, but their "exploits" were sometimes amazed by veterans of the Gestapo. And this already says a lot.

How it all began

From the very first days of the war, the leadership of Ukrainian nationalists filled the German government with "demands" for the urgent creation of nationalist combat units that could "contribute to the victory over Bolshevism." But only at first all their efforts were wasted. At that time, their German masters did not pay absolutely no attention to this scuffle. Their military successes were such that they were only amused at the thought that they could accept the help of these political moths.

In 1943, the circumstances changed somewhat. There was Stalingrad, under which the ridge of the Paulus army was broken, there were other battles, convincingly debunking the myth of the invincibility of the German army. Already in February of that year, the Germans began to think about how to use the "Ukrainian resource" more sullies, stopping the holes at the front by the nationalists.

Creating a "glorious division"

This initiative was warmly supported by the governor of the district "Galicia" O. Vechter. Most likely, the final permission was obtained directly from his former chief Himmler. Some historical documents have survived, which point to the fact that the creation of the SS Galichina division was first discussed by them on March 1, 1943.

Already on March 28, 1943, Wachtter informs his boss that the leaders of the nationalists have joyfully seized the opportunity to "serve Germany." In the middle of April of the same year, Wachter convened a party meeting, in which there were also top SS officials.

They did not pull, and therefore almost immediately decided to create a division of the SS "Galicia". Participants of this meeting in advance agreed that they would avoid using the word "police" in the name of the newly created unit. Simply put, they agreed in advance on the formation of a police punitive body. It's no wonder that the selected nationalists were equipped similarly to their "colleagues" from other punitive divisions of the SS, being dressed in gray uniforms. From others they differed only with a special flap on the sleeve.

The official order for the formation of the SS division "Galicia" was published on April 28. Soon, the first new recruits began to arrive in the division.

On the specifics of recruitment

It should be emphasized that the recruitment of new human material was "magnanimous". This formulation meant that racial prejudice did not prevent the Germans from recruiting an army from the "Slavic ragtag". Categorically was closed the entrance to this "elite unit" only to very much non-European types, whose appearance unequivocally spoke of a far from Aryan origin.

Work of propagandists

On the day the order for the formation of the division is issued, Wachter publishes a secret directive. She unequivocally says that the bodies responsible for calling on the nationalists should in no way even hint at the very fact of their assistance to the Germans. The commissions were obliged to focus exclusively on "combating Bolshevism." Even the abbreviation SS, they deciphered as "Sich Riflemen", which was hurray in a poorly educated, malocultural environment.

This is also hinted at by the hymn of the SS division "Galichina", which contains many words about the "greatness of the nation", but does not say anything about the Reich service.

Number of human resources

At the beginning of June, there were 81,999 registered people. Officially, 52,875 of them were accepted, 29,124 were refused in service. But it should not be considered that the appeal was immediately terminated, since the replenishment was required constantly. The draft commission was headed by K. Schulze, who recruited recruits until August 1944, and the "cosmetic repair" of the battle-worn connections was carried out almost until the end of 1945.

Since the mobilization was unprecedented, the Germans formed several parts at once. This explains the fact that the SS division "Galichina", whose members' photos are in the article, was an extremely heterogeneous compound. In addition to the 11,578 people who officially passed through special preparatory courses, the Germans completed five additional regiments and one battalion of "surpluses". These regiments and the battalion immediately passed the classic police drill, to which all other punitive formations were subjected.

Recruitment methods used

Soon it turned out that the typed "material" was clearly not enough because of the constant losses in the fighting, and therefore not only the official recruiting commissions for volunteers but also special units that were engaged in the violent mobilization of young people began to act. This became evident by the middle of June 1944, when the Ukrainians themselves began to fully experience the full extent of their "devotion to the Reich". The captured youngsters were immediately sent to serve in the tank division SS "Hohenstaufen" and "Frundsberg", which in summer were just outside Lviv.

Also, the source of the cheap Ukrainian "material" was used by other German divisions that were passing through those regions. They regularly took on the service of several dozen captured "patriots of Ukraine." In villages near Lviv, the German administration completely disregarded its nationalist hangers-on, completely rewriting all men without their knowledge. It was an excellent storehouse of human resources, which Germany at that time began to desperately miss. People began to be taken not only from the streets, but also directly from public institutions.

Even in the churches, the "patriots of Ukraine" could no longer feel secure, since they were sent to the "Führer" directly from the services. At that time, even the most selective nationalists could not help but notice the plight of their masters on the fronts, and therefore they did not hurry to fight. It is believed that the division of SS "Galicia" (a photo of its standards is in this material) was let through at least 32 thousand fighters.

Command and locations

First, the responsibility for the functioning of the new police force was assigned to Brigadenfuhrer SS Shiman. But on this post he remained only until mid-November 1943. Soon the commander of the Galicians was SS Oberfuhrer Fritz Freytag, who at the end of April was solemnly awarded the honorary title of Brigadenfuhrer (an analog of our Major-General in the SS troops).

This disposition of the command was due to the fact that this man had a rich experience in commanding the police units and was well aware of the specifics of working with them. German military officers treated him with extreme contempt: Freytag had not been in any of the battles, he had not the faintest idea of tactics and army life.

In general, the Ukrainian division of the SS "Halychyna" became a kind of "scarecrow" among the Hitlerites, since from the Germans there were exiled exclusively worthless, untalented, or just cowardly officers. Of course, the fighting qualities of the compound were appropriate.

At first, the bulk of the personnel was located in the "Gaidelager", and from the beginning of 1944 the division was lodged in the city of Neumacher (Silesia, Germany). However, on July 18, 1943, when the first batch of recruits from Lviv arrived, they were first placed in the camp "Gaidelager" (near Debica), and then formally formed them into police regiments.

First Combat Application

At the very beginning of 1944 an urgent directive came from Berlin on the need for the early formation of a "combat group" to fight the partisans of Poland and the USSR. A battalion was quickly formed, a battery of light guns was handed to him, after which this company was scattered on the outskirts of Poland. So Grenadier 14 Division SS "Galicia" began its truly inglorious path.

Just a day later, the formation of a similar group was completed, which was intended for counter-guerrilla warfare in the environs of Lviv. Subsequently, the Nazi leadership noted that both these units "acted quite successfully." But the Germans show astonishing unanimity, not striving to describe these "successes" in detail.

However, it is quite clear that the division "fought bravely" with an exceptionally superior force, preferring to attack first at unarmed civilians. Unless there was absolutely no choice, the "brave warriors" entered into fire contact with the guerrillas, for which the SS division "Galichina" was actually formed.

The first "feats" of the Galicians

Soviet troops were lucky enough to seize the archive of this glorious connection, which until now serves as irrefutable evidence of the combat "achievements" of Ukrainian nationalists. There is a record that the fourth regiment entered the battle with the guerrillas ... About 12 people were wounded. As a result of the operation, the villages of Guta-Penyatskaya and Beniaki were erased from the face of the earth. At home, the brave nationalists burned. Together with their residents, of course. In total, they killed at least 800 peaceful peasants, among whom there were many women and children. However, the flag of the division of the SS "Galychyna" was never considered a real military banner, because under its shadow only German "scapegoats" and select nationalists fought, which their owners did not consider as human beings.

In Ternopil the Ukrainian henchmen of the Wehrmacht dispersed even more. When, as a result of the counterattack, the Germans managed to defeat part of the city, the beasts simply drove the surviving people to one of the churches, after which they all burned. In their native Lviv, they destroyed about one and a half thousand people, in Zoločev they were engaged in mass shootings of the captured soldiers of the Red Army. A small town Olesko they actually destroyed completely, but killed "only" 300 people.

This "magnanimity" is explained by the fact that the rest of the residents were hijacked for forced labor in Germany. If it were not for the Germans' need for slaves, more blood would be spilled. The nationalists were very fond of killing those who could no longer resist them. Actually, the division of the SS "Galychyna" has always been noted for this particular feature in history.

Brodskaya disaster

But it was also the turn of these "brave warriors" to meet in real combat with the military personnel, and not with unarmed civilians. The SS division "Galichina" near Brody had a "full ammunition", being manned from soldiers of the 29th, 30th and 31st regiments. In addition, a lot of warriors from some other formations were attributed to her.

At that time in its "glorious ranks" there were 346 officers, 1131 non-commissioned officers and 13,822 soldiers. Thus, its total strength was 15,299 warriors. Only 1,000 people and 1,200 reserve battalion fighters who survived the ring of encirclement escaped relatively harmless from the Brody Boiler.

Several hundred nationalists managed to seep from the encirclement into small groups that avoided open confrontation with Soviet troops. Only 15% of the total number of personnel survived. This fact once again confirmed the simple fact that police formations in open combat are not worth anything at all. All their "valor" consists only in atrocities in relation to the peaceful population and prisoners, unarmed soldiers.

However, the complete defeat of the SS division "Galicia" was close. After the Battle of Brody, it was just a matter of time.

Further combat path

In February 1944, the fourth regiment was transferred to Ternopil, where its members participated in the suppression of the partisan movement. Subsequently, they participated in episodic cases of resistance to the advancing Soviet troops.

The rest of the division was transferred to France, where further military training took place. Already in spring almost all the nationalists were sent to Neigamer. From time to time, they continued to be used in the struggle against the French resistance.

Thus, the history of the SS Galichina division in a truly military sense was absolutely inglorious: in real battles the Ukrainians participated only from March to July. After she was completely beaten by Brody, her pathetic remnants were finally reorganized into a police unit, after which they were used exclusively in this field.

Slovakia and Yugoslavia

In early October 1944, rested nationalists, whose ranks at that time were joined by many "volunteers" recruited straight from the streets, sent to Slovakia. There the "brave Aryans" were engaged in a habitual and exceptionally pleasing business for themselves, suppressing the partisan movement. In the submission of the Ukrainians, the "Brigade Dirliwanger" was known for its atrocities. Its members are still well remembered in Byelorussia, because on their conscience there are a huge number of lives of brutally tortured people.

Then where was the SS division Galicia sent? Brody showed perfectly well that it is useless to use nationalists against the regular units of the Soviet troops, and therefore they were sent to Carinthia, where they pursued the partisans of Yugoslavia. Here the Galicians and spent all the last months of the war.

In 1945, her soldiers are tossed back to Germany, trying to force, at least once, "to courageously repel the Soviet blow". Vain hopes. As soon as the banners of the British troops flashed in the distance, the "courageous patriots of Ukraine" hurried to captivity with incredible speed. This was the last march of the SS division "Galicia" in that war.

In the town of Tamsweg, where prisoners were held, the British established a filtration point, where at first the SS soldiers were captured relatively successfully . Commander Fritz Freitag from this news fell into a black melancholy and committed suicide. His place was taken by Polish colonel Pavel Shandruk. However, the time clearly showed the wrongness of Freitag. Through the liquid English post leaked thousands of Galicians, who perfectly settled on the territory of England.

"Pure English treachery"

What became of the "valiant fighters" of this division, who so bravely hurried to surrender to the English captivity? Alas, their destiny has developed in the best way. There are many historical evidences that in 1945 there were about eight thousand servicemen on the territory of Great Britain, who served as once in Galicia.

As of 1999, there were at least 1,500 residents in England as direct participants in those events and their descendants. The British Government is extremely reluctant to go into these issues. Out of eight thousand war criminals, the British condemned ... one man. This "lucky" was Anton Seveniuk.

What was the reason for such a loyal attitude? The fact is that when the "brave patriots" were taken prisoner, they all called themselves one ... the Poles, whom only a couple of years ago were brutally murdered. Check them properly and did not, and there was not the British in this vital interest. After all, it was not their villages and cities that burned these animals.

In the mid-1990s, a separate bureau, which seemed to be engaged in "capturing Nazi criminals", completely ceased to exist. Hitler's henchmen, who successfully surrendered to the British, finally ceased to be afraid of at least some threat of exposure and punishment. Almost all documents on this case are still classified.

In general, the inhabitants of Foggy Albion is well known for the SS division "Galicia". The film about her, which was filmed in England, seems to condemn the atrocities of nationalists, but at the same time emphasizes that many soldiers were either recruited forcibly, or succumbed to the "romantic impulse of the revival of Ukraine." But none of these facts justifies their monstrous crimes.

Modern realities

So epic story and today has its echoes. So, the flag of the division of the SS "Galychyna" and now can be seen at some events held by informal associations that have forgotten how much grief these inhumans have brought.