23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama
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23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama was founded in 1944. It consisted of volunteers from the Independent State of Croatia (today's Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina) (both volksdeutsche and anti-communist/nationalist Croatians and Bosnian Muslims) around a German cadre. In June 1944 the unit had a strength of 2,199 men.
The Soviet forces were getting close to the training grounds of Kama in the end of 1944 and it was decided to disband the division. The (still untrained) soldiers were transferred to the predominantly Bosnian Muslim Handschar division and the staff was used to form 31. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division. The number 23 was then given to the Nederland division.
From 1 July 1944 to 28 September 1944 the unit was commanded by SS-Standartenführer Helmuth Raithel then from 28 September 1944 to 1 October 1944 by SS-Oberführer Gustav Lombard
[edit] External links
- Bosnia and the Kama Division by Carl Savich
