History 06/01/20 “Costumed” Nazis: the Germans which fought in the Soviet form

German commandos, dressed in Soviet form, in movies and literature about the great Patriotic war are presented as one of the major reasons for the success of the operation “Barbarossa” in the first stage. However, serious historians consider it a myth, not denying, however, the very existence of “masked” fascists, who have killed many Soviet citizens.

the Germans in the Soviet form

First and foremost is to say that Wehrmacht soldiers were often dressed in Soviet uniform, just to stay warm. Winter uniforms they removed from the corpses. Soviet tunics, breeches and sweatshirts much better protection against cold than the German.
However, the Germans practiced and purposeful dressing up in the uniform of the red Army in order to, without attracting attention, to operate behind enemy lines. Such tunics were sewn in the factories of the Reich in accordance with the existing samples.

the Brandenburg-800

the Soviet form and weapons were in the warehouses established in 1939 saboteurs unit “Brandenburg-800”.
the Wehrmacht was quite strict requirements to the ordinary soldiers, prohibiting atrocities in the occupied territory. In contrast, the warriors of the “Brandenburg” were allowed to commit any crime – to kill civilians, including women and children, and torture of prisoners. By terror infiltrators trying to discredit the Red Army in the eyes of the population.
During the rapid offensive in 1941 was actively used part of the “Brandenburg-800” unit “20-60”. Here gained people well who owned the Russian language – the Baltic Germans and the white Russians living in Germany.
Saboteurs “Brandenburg” participated in all major operations of the Wehrmacht – they seized bridges and airfields, were killing Russian officers, blown nodes, etc.
NAPRimer, in the summer of 1942, dressed in the red army, the “Baltic squadron” under the command of a native of Petrograd Baron Adrian von Felkerzam successfully attacked the Soviet defense units in Maykop, facilitating the capture of the city.

the Battalion “Nachtigall”

In the “Brandenburg-800” acted and formed of Ukrainian nationalists battalion “Nachtigall”. It was listed as 330 people. Many of OUN* if you do not speak the Russian language perfectly, you could understand him. And in the first period of the war, when the fighting unfolded on the territory of Ukraine, usage of the unit was especially effective.
Saboteurs “Nachtigall” were transferred to the USSR before the German offensive, however, their way of fighting was short-lived. 16 Jul 1941, along with other units of the “Brandenburg” disguised as Ukrainians were involved in the attack on the headquarters of one of the Soviet armies near Vinnitsa. The assault ended in failure, after which the remnants of the battalion were disbanded.

45 infantry division

Another Department where practiced “play dress-up”, according to some historians, was 45 infantry division, reconnaissance battalion which in early 1941 was in command of Helmut von Pannwitz. In 1942 he organized the collaborationist units of the “Cossack camp”, which scored emigrants and Soviet citizens, but obviously, the work of von Pannwitz to use the Russians against the Soviet Union began early.
Historian Maxim Tokarev noted that 45 division participated in the storming of the Brest fortress, where in the first days of the war appeared disguised saboteurs.
for Example, a member of the defense Alexander Makhnach remembered that I was very amazed when on the morning of 23 June it shot from the gun of the unknown “soldier”. In response Makhnach sent him the gun.
“Not taking aim, I fired a whole disk. It turned out that it was dressed in a red army uniform German non-commissioned officer. In his pocket we found documents” – wrote in his memoirs, party eventth.
Turning fighters 45 divisions in the “Russian” was not complete – some of them remained German boots.
it is Worth noting that the saboteurs in the destruction of the civilian population is still involved to a lesser extent than punitive force against the guerrillas and created a pseudo-partisan units attacked the peasants.

*-an organization banned in Russia

Timur Sagdiyev

Source:
© Russian Seven

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