Romanian Waffen SS

Hi,

I need infos about Romanians (not Romanian Volksdeutsche) that served in Waffen SS. Were they participated in battles or only in paper?

Thanks
Nino

Hi,

2 regiments were created after September 1944, with Romanian war prisoners accepting to serve in Waffen SS. One of these 2 regiments saw combat in Poland, not earlier than March 1945.

Florin

http://www.worldwar2.ro/forum/viewtopic.php?t=44

Thanks a lot friends. But, is there any books or articles (not in internet) in English that related with the topic?

Regards,
Nino

In "Hitler, King Carol and Marshall Antonescu" (the author is definitely German living in Germany, but I don't know the name: Gunther...?), you'll find a very short mention, but nothing more than you already learned from Victor.

I am very skeptical about finding something in Romanian books, and even less something printed in English.
The Romanian historians would avoid the subject, and the others simply don't care.

To give you a good example: In a big book about World War II published by the British, there was no word about the British enrolled in SS (in Waffen SS and in concentration camps, as guards/supervisors).
But in a big American book covering also World War II, there was not only text, but also a photo with British women enrolled in SS as lager guards.

[quote]In "Hitler, King Carol and Marshall Antonescu" (the author is definitely German living in Germany, but I don't know the name: Gunther...?)[/quote]

The name is Andreas Hillgruber.

The subject is treated in the chapter "Romanian citizens in foreign armies" of the monography "Armata Romana 1941-45" by Cornel Scafes & Co.

Thank U very much

You can see : some information :

http://www.wssob.com/000regrm1.html

in 11.SS Freiwilliegen-Panzergrenadier Division"Nordland"
there whas over 5000 romanian Volksdeutsche.

SS 7th Mountain Division"Prinz Eugen" have Rumanian SS volunteers.

MIhai

Check the book "Forgotten Legions: Obscure Combat Formations of Waffen SS" by Antonyo J. Munoz. All the info you need is there.

Cheers,

Al

>Hi,Florin
The best book of this topics is the following one.

"Romanian Volunteerrs of the waffen-SS1-44-45"
publisher;Siegrunen
auther:Richard Landwehr
language:English or Spanish
condition:out of print
Unfortunetely,THis books is out of print,but thsi is good book for this topics,including the formation of the unit and system of exail goverment etc.
THe fotos in the book are very attractive one.

MIhai

sources? I remember clearly that the 11. SS pz. Div 'Nordland' was made up of Northern European volunteers.

K

I don't think this is very helpful but I found this on feldgrau.

"Panzergrenadier-Kompanie 3 "Swedenzug": (Ostf. Kaiser, Ostf. Pehrsson, Ostf. Ahrens, Ostf. Pehrsson)
(Authorized strenght of this Kompanie: 160; 1. - 3. Zug had Romanian Volksdeutsche)"

http://www.feldgrau.com/sweden.html

I don't know which date though and what if other units were composed of romanian/germans. but it's known that romanian volksdeutsche were scattered everywhere in germany army, including w-ss.

"One more Norwegian unit did see action. This was the I./Reg. Norge, which began reforming during the summer of 1944. By September of that year it had a strength of 600 Austrians, Volga-Deutsche, and Romanian Volksdeutsche, and a few Norwegians (estimated at no more than 40)."

http://www.feldgrau.com/norway.html

but I'm pretty sure they were concentrated in "Prinz Eugen" division.

Hi Guys,

One should firstly define what we mean by "Romanian" Volksdeutsche.

If one includes only those from Romania after August 1940, the first W-SS division to get a significant number was the 7th SS Mountain Division, which was formed by Arthur Phleps, who was a former officer in the Romanian Mountain Corps.

If one also includes those who were from Romania before August 1940, one must add 8th SS Cavalry Division as a major recipient of Romanian Volksdeutsch manpower, although by the time of their recruitment most were Hungarian subjects.

However, before this, as early as 1939, the Brandenberg Regiment had already recruited a company of Romanian Volksdeutsche for special forces operations.

In 1943 Gotlob Berger, the head of W-SS recruitment, who I think was married to a Romanian Volksdeutsch woman, was allowed to introduce virtual conscription of them. Apparently large numbers of these conscripted Romanian Volksdeutsche were used to fill up under recruiting Reich-raised and Western European W-SS units. Their service is therefore hidden within several W-SS divisions.

The W-SS considered that Romanian and other Eastern European Volksdeutsche had had their racial stock and culture diluted by their long residence amongst "inferior" peoples. Most therefore do not appear to have received much advancement within the W-SS. They tended to fill out the lower ranks of W-SS formations apparently raised elsewhere.

Cheers,

Sid.