Russian Protective Corps

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Russian Protective Corps
Active1941–1945
Allegiance
Anti-partisan operations
Size17,090 troops (total membership)
11,197 troops (maximum strength)
Engagements

World War II in Yugoslavia:

    • Belgrade Offensive
    • Operation Lawine
Commanders
Notable
commanders		Mikhail Skorodumov
Boris Shteifon †
Anatoly Rogozhin

The Russian Protective Corps (

Belgrade Offensive, later withdrawing to Bosnia and Slovenia as the German forces retreated from Yugoslavia and Greece. After Shteifon′s death in Zagreb, the Independent State of Croatia, on 30 April 1945, Russian Colonel Anatoly Rogozhin took over and led his troops farther north to surrender to the British in southern Austria. Unlike most other Russian formations that fought for Nazi Germany, Rogozhin and his men, who were not formally treated as Soviet citizens, were exempt from forced repatriation to the Soviet Union
and were eventually set free and allowed to resettle in the West.

Background and formation

See also: Invasion of Yugoslavia

Before World War II In the Balkans there were approximately 15,000 White Russian émigrés in the Balkans - their families had fled there in the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution. [1] General Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel relocated 25,000 of his Southern White Army to Yugoslavia through negotiations with the Yugoslav government in 1921.[2] On 6 April 1941, Axis forces invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Poorly equipped and poorly trained, the Royal Yugoslav Army was quickly defeated.[3] The Axis powers then dismembered Yugoslavia, with Serbia being reduced to its pre-1912 borders and placed under German military occupation.[4] The Germans selected General Milan Nedić, a pre-war politician who was known to have pro-Axis leanings, to lead the collaborationist Government of National Salvation in the German-occupied territory of Serbia.[5] Over the course of the uprising in Serbia in the summer of 1941, communist-led partisans killed approximately 300 Russian émigrés and injured many more, sometimes in acts of vengeance. In response, local Russians began to organize themselves into self-defense units.[6] At the time, there were an estimated 10,000 Russian men within the former borders of Yugoslavia, the majority of whom lived in occupied Serbia.[7]

a map
A map showing the German occupied territory of Serbia from 1941 to 1944

The Russian Protective Corps, founded in

Russian Imperial Army, which had been defeated by the Red Army in the Russian Civil War twenty years earlier.[9] The émigrés had been living in occupied Serbia, and sided with the Germans because of their opposition to communism,[10] and because they believed that their only hope of a non-communist Russia lay in a German victory in World War II.[4] Skorodumov's concept of the Corps was that once the Corps had fulfilled its obligation to Serbia, the land that had taken its members in, they would go to Russia to fight.[10] The force was renamed the "White Russian Factory Protection" (German: Weissrussischer Werkschutz) on 2 October.[8][11]

Skorodumov was elderly, ill, and not well known to the rank-and-file of White Russian émigrés.[12] Two days after the formation of his Corps, the Gestapo arrested him,[13] and command passed to Lieutenant General Boris Shteifon,[11] who was said to have had "warm and friendly relations with [Milan] Nedić".[4] The Germans envisaged a force 3,000-strong and organized into three regiments, tasked with protecting factories, other industrial concerns, and mines that were producing materials to support the German war-effort.[7][14] The Corps initially consisted of a single regiment, organized into four battalions. Major General Egorov commanded the 1st Battalion, Colonel Shatilov the second, Colonel Endrzheevskiy the third, and Colonel Nestrenko the fourth. A second regiment was set up on 18 October,[15] commanded by Colonel Zhukov.[16] At first, the group was an independent force reporting to the German plenipotentiary general for economic affairs, NSFK-Obergruppenführer Franz Neuhausen.[17]

Operations

General

Although its ultimate aim was to help defeat the communist forces in the

Hungary also came to Belgrade to join the force.[20] It was armed by the Germans with weapons captured from the Royal Yugoslav Army,[9] and its command language was Russian.[7] Throughout its existence it maintained good relations with the Nedić administration.[4]

While guarding facilities, members of the Corps were largely assigned to manning brick

Ibar River valley, the Bor, Trepča, Majdanpek, and Krupanj mines, as well as the borders of the occupied territory along the Danube and Drina rivers. They were often deployed alongside various Serbian collaborationist forces such as the Serbian State Guard (SDS) and the Serbian Volunteer Corps (SDK),[19] with whom they were most closely allied. The Corps also closely cooperated with the Croatian fascist Ustaše when operating in the neighbouring NDH.[4] Members of the Corps also plundered peasants in the areas within which they operated.[21]

Early actions

class=notpageimage|
Map showing the early deployment locations of the Russian Protective Corps

The Corps was initially used to guard mines at Krupanj in the west of the territory, and later at Bor in the west and Trepča in the south.

704th Infantry Division.[24] In November 1941, the Corps began actively collaborating with the Chetniks of Draža Mihailović against the Partisans.[4] On 8 December 1941, the Corps defended the Stolice mine near Krupanj against the Partisans.[25] By late 1941, it had 1,500 members.[19]

The 3rd Regiment was established in

1st Occupation Corps.[24] The 4th Regiment was established on 29 April with General Cherepov as commander[28] and was deployed to the central west region of the occupied territory area around Kraljevo.[29] In May, the Corps was divided into two brigades. The 1st Brigade was placed under the command of Major General Dratsenko and its headquarters was established in the town of Aranđelovac on 22 May.[30] Also in May, Kewisch submitted a report stating that if he were permitted to recruit from all areas of Europe under German control, he could raise a force of about 25,000 men. He also urged the higher authorities to re-organise the Corps and integrate it more closely with the Wehrmacht. After considerable discussion, on 29 October the German High Command ordered a re-organization, renaming it the "Russian Protective Corps" and subordinating it completely to the German Commanding General in Serbia.[7]

On 30 November, the 4th Regiment was disbanded, its 1st Battalion assigned to the 1st Regiment and the rest of its manpower assigned to the 2nd Regiment.[29] On 1 December 1942, the Corps was incorporated into the Wehrmacht and all its members were required to swear an oath to German leader Adolf Hitler.[4] The Corps grew in numbers throughout 1942, following an influx of volunteers from Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Greece. By late 1942, the Corps totalled about 7,500 men, all of whom were Russian.[7][19] During the re-organization, an attempt was made to expand the Corps further by recruiting Soviet POWs, but the first experiment with 300 POWs proved unsuccessful and was not repeated.[31] On 9 December 1942, the 1st Regiment started to be transformed with the arrival of Kuban Cossacks led by Major General Naumenko.[22] By January 1943, it consisted entirely of Cossacks.[32] On 17 March 1943, Major General Gontarev replaced Shapilov as commander of the 3rd Regiment.[24] The 1st Regiment fought in Loznica in April and participated in a large operation in Zapolje just south of Krupanj over the border with the NDH on 11–15 May, where it engaged in heavy combat with Partisan forces.[32] From 1–8 July, the regiment was again stationed in Loznica and Ljubovija, participating in the defence of the Drina Bridge at Zvornik against the Partisans. During this time the regiment allowed the passage of 379 wounded Croatian soldiers and civilians, 1,000 healthy soldiers and as many refugees, sustaining casualties of two killed and seventeen wounded. It clashed with the Partisans over the village of Nedelica on 19 July.[33] Meanwhile, the 2nd Regiment clashed with the Partisans around the town of Negotin.[34] The 4th Regiment was re-established on 15 December, and was based in Jagodina, Paraćin and Ćuprija in the centre of the occupied territory.[35]

Retreat, surrender, disbandment

class=notpageimage|
Map showing locations where the Russian Protective Corps fought in 1944–1945

From the spring of 1944, the Corps focused increasingly on fighting the Partisans penetrating Serbia from Bosnia and the

Vučitrn. Elements of the 3rd and 5th Regiments fought the Partisans on 4–5 August near the village of Rudnik. The Partisans attacked the positions of the 5th Regiment in Leposavić on 24 August.[38]

In September, the Corps reached its peak of 11,197 members.

Belgrade Offensive, aimed at capturing the Serbian capital.[41] On 8 October, the 2nd Regiment headquarters in Požarevac was evacuated as Soviet armour approached the town. As parts of the regiment moved towards Belgrade and Grocka, they came into contact with Soviet troops and armour in the Ripanj area south of Belgrade, sustaining heavy casualties.[40] On 10 October the Russian Protective Corps was renamed the "Russian Corps in Serbia".[11] On 15 October, the headquarters of the 4th Regiment was moved to Čačak.[35]

class=notpageimage|
Map of the NDH showing the retreat of the Russian Protective Corps in 1944–1945

Elements of the 2nd Regiment arrived in Šabac on 22 October, then moved to

Klenak and moved to Laćarak, and then to Tovarnik on 24 October where they were ordered to hold their ground.[37] The 4th Regiment fought in the Čačak area from 27 October to 2 November.[35] It faced the Red Army and the Chetnik 2nd Ravna Gora Corps[42] before being overpowered and forced to abandon the city.[35] The Chetniks captured 339 of its soldiers and turned them over to the Soviets.[42] On 12 November, the 1st Regiment moved via railway through Vinkovci to Brčko, with elements deployed north across the Sava in Gunja. On 8 December it regrouped north of the Sava and on 11–13 December it fought the Partisans in and near the village of Vrbanja, killing forty-three.[37] The 4th Regiment arrived in Sarajevo in the NDH on 13–18 December. Elements subsequently moved to nearby Kiseljak on 18 December, fighting Partisans in the Kiseljak-Busovača area on 26–27 December.[35] During this time, the 1st Regiment and a battalion of the 2nd Regiment guarded a bridgehead north of Brčko in order to allow German forces to withdraw through the town.[43]

In January 1945, elements of the Corps participated in the German capture of

Klagenfurt.[47] At the time of surrender, the Corps consisted of 4,500 men, according to Puškadija-Ribkin;[48] 3,500 men, according to Granitov.[49] Members of Russian Protective Corps, alongside members of Ustaše Militia and SDK, were exempt from amnesty given by new communist authorities on August 3, because they were volunteers in a fascist unit.[50] Timofejev writes that the Corps consisted of 5,584 men by the end of the war. Between 1941 and 1945, 6,709 of its members were killed, wounded or went missing.[51] In total, 17,090 men served in its ranks over the course of the war.[9] According to Rogozhin, several hundred men and their families, who had fled the camp in Lienz and who were subject to forced repatriation to the USSR, joined the Russian Corps from mid-June 1945 in order to avoid deportation to the Soviet Union.[52] Rogozhin′s men were spared that fate because they were not regarded as Soviet citizens.[48]

Immediately after disarmament and transfer to Austrian territory, the Corps settled in the Viktring International Camp. Next, the Corps moved to a separate camp in the area of Kl. St. Veit - Tigring and received from the British a small amount of small arms to maintain order and protect against partisan attacks. After examining the history of the Corps, the British decided to demobilise it in October. Its members were then sent in the Kellerberg DP Camp northwest of Villach, Austria; Rogozhin on 1 November 1945 issued an order that notified his subordinates of demobilisation.[53] The Corps' badge was a white militia cross, in the middle of which was a Gallipoli cross with the dates "1917-1921, 1941-1945", indicating two periods of the anti-communist struggle. The badge was established by Order to the Russian Corps N100 of July 26, 1945. Those who had the right to wear this sign received a corresponding certificate signed by the commander and with the seal of the Russian Corps. In emigration, these signs were worn in a miniature (“tailcoat”) version or in a large size on the Cossack uniform. Most of the already disarmed ranks of the Russian Corps spent several years in the DP camp Kellerberg (Austria), which gave them the right to wear a second badge for those who were in this camp. Former members of the Corps were subsequently allowed to resettle in the West, mainly in the United States and Argentina.[48][18] In exile, veterans formed the Union of Officials of the Russian Corps (СЧРК- Союз Чинов Русского Корпуса), registered as the Union of St. Alexander Nevsky.

Order of battle

At its maximum strength, the Russian Corps was composed of:[18]

  • 1st Cossack Regiment General Zborovski
  • Infantry Regiments II, III, IV, V

In May 1942, the Corps was divided into two brigades.[30] The 4th Regiment was disbanded on 30 November 1942,[29] and re-established on 15 December 1943.[35] The 5th Regiment was created on 18 January 1944.[38]

Commanders

The Russian Corps had three commanders during its existence:[6][11][45]

No. Portrait Commander Took office Left office Time in office
1
Mikhail Skorodumov
Skorodumov, MikhailGeneral
Mikhail Skorodumov
(1892–1963)		12 September 194114 September 19412 days
2
Boris Shteifon
Shteifon, BorisLieutenant-General
Boris Shteifon
(1881–1945)		15 September 194130 April 1945 †3 years, 227 days
3
Anatoly Rogozhin
Rogozhin, AnatolyColonel
Anatoly Rogozhin
(1893–1972)		30 April 194512 May 194512 days

Uniform

Members of the Corps wore the uniform of the Russian Imperial Army from 12 September 1941 to 30 November 1942 as well as the Czechoslovakian helmet. The uniform was sometimes worn with pips of the Royal Yugoslav Army, alongside special rank insignia on the collar. Wehrmacht uniforms and insignia were adopted on 1 December 1942,[18] but the old uniforms continued to be worn for some time.[54]

Uniform 1942, shoulder straps of an artillery colonel (WWI) and oberleutnant’s buttonholes (Russian Corps), L1
Uniform 1942, shoulder straps of an artillery colonel (WWI) and oberleutnant’s buttonholes (Russian Corps), L1

Rank insignia

Collar patches and sleeves showed the actual rank in the Corps, while those who have held Tsarist rank wore rank insignia in the form of traditional shoulder straps denoting their former rank. Both types of insignia were improvised using rank stars from the Royal Yugoslav Army.[55]

Rank insignia Russian German
Generalmayor Generalmajor
Polkovnik Oberst
Podpolkovnik Oberstleutnant
Mayor Major
Kapitan Hauptmann
Poruchik Oberleutnant
Podporuchik Leutnant
Feldfebel Feldwebel
Unterofitzer Unteroffizier
Yefreytor Gefreiter
Source: [55]

Notes

  1. ^ McAteer 2009, p. 264 Question 15,000 figure..
  2. ISBN 0199250219
    .
  3. ^ Cohen 1996, p. 28.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Cohen 1996, p. 50.
  5. ^ Singleton 1985, p. 182.
  6. ^ a b c Timofejev 2007, p. 45.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Tomasevich 2001, p. 192.
  8. ^ a b Tomasevich 2001, p. 191.
  9. ^ a b c d Cohen 1996, p. 49.
  10. ^ a b Tomasevich 2001, pp. 191–192.
  11. ^ a b c d Thomas & Mikulan 1995, pp. 21–22.
  12. ^
    ISBN 9780804779241
    . Retrieved 4 October 2022. Skorodumov was chosen by the Germans, but he was sick and old and not well known to the rank and file of Russian emigres. He was replaced within the first month by his chief of staff, General Boris Aleksandrovich Steifon [...].
  13. ^ Батшев, Владимир (2005). Vlasov: opyt literaturnogo issledovaniya Власов: опыт литературного исследования [Vlasov: an essay in literary investigation]. Власов: опыт литературного исследования, ISBN 9783936996142 (in Russian). Vol. 1 (2 ed.). Мосты. p. 386.
    ISBN 9783936996128
    . Retrieved 4 October 2022. 14 сентября Скородумова пригласили в Гестапо и арестовали. [On 14 September Skorodumov was invited to the Gestapo and arrested.]
  14. ^ Abbott 1983, p. 22.
  15. ^ Vertepov 1963, pp. 38–39.
  16. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 40.
  17. ^ Timofejev 2007, p. 47.
  18. ^ a b c d e Thomas & Mikulan 1995, p. 22.
  19. ^ a b c d e Timofejev 2010, p. 47.
  20. ^ Mordwinkin 2003, p. 69.
  21. ^ Tomasevich 2001, p. 185.
  22. ^ a b Vertepov 1963, pp. 79–81.
  23. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 81.
  24. ^ a b c Vertepov 1963, pp. 120–121.
  25. ^ Vertepov 1963, pp. 73–75.
  26. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 76.
  27. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 82.
  28. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 77.
  29. ^ a b c Vertepov 1963, p. 83.
  30. ^ a b Vertepov 1963, pp. 77–78.
  31. ^ Tomasevich 2001, p. 193.
  32. ^ a b Vertepov 1963, p. 116.
  33. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 117.
  34. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 119.
  35. ^ a b c d e f g h Vertepov 1963, pp. 157–160.
  36. ^ a b c Cohen 1996, pp. 49–50.
  37. ^ a b c d e f Vertepov 1963, pp. 144–151.
  38. ^ a b c d Vertepov 1963, pp. 160–163.
  39. ^ a b Vertepov 1963, pp. 155–157.
  40. ^ a b c Vertepov 1963, pp. 151–155.
  41. ^ Tomasevich 1975, pp. 417–418.
  42. ^ a b Tomasevich 1975, p. 394.
  43. ^ Vertepov 1963, pp. 25–26.
  44. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 24.
  45. ^ a b Vertepov 1963, p. 27, 348–349.
  46. ^ Mordwinkin 2003, p. 87.
  47. ^ Vertepov 1963, pp. 28, 366, 369.
  48. ^ a b c Puškadija-Ribkin 2006, p. 253.
  49. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 28.
  50. ^ Radanović 2016, p. 189.
  51. ^ Timofejev 2010, p. 48.
  52. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 391–392.
  53. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 399–400.
  54. ^ Abbott 1983, p. 35.
  55. ^ a b Thomas & Mikulan 1995, pp. 34.

References

Books
Journals

Further reading

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