Blue Division

Blue Division and Blue Legion were a Spanish groups of Falangist volunteers that served in German side of the World War Two mainly in the eastern front.

Although generalissimo Francisco Franco did not officially join the World War Two on the side of Hitler, he let volunteers to join German army. He could maintain Spanish neutrality and repay Nazi Germany's help during the Spanish Civil War at the same time. Spanish foreign minister Ramón Serrano Suñer made a suggestion to send Spanish volunteers. Franco sent an official offer of help in when the Operation Barbarossa begun.

June 24 1941 Hitler approved the use of Spanish volunteers. Volunteers flocked in the recruiting offices in all the metropolitan areas in Spain. Cadets in the officer training school in Zaragossa volunteered in large numbers. Initially Spanish government was ready to send about 4000 men but there were more than enough volunteers to fill a whole division (more than 19.000 men) - according to a estimate of the German ambassador, they could have formed 40 divisions. Many of them were falangist veterans of the civil war. Recruiting offices were officially closed July 2 1941.

50% of officers and NCOs were professional soldiers. General Augustin Muñoz Grandes was assigned to lead the volunteers. Because the soldiers could not use official Spanish army uniform, they adopted the red beret (to represent Carlists), khaki trousers used in the Spanish Foreign Legion and blue shirt of the Falangists. This gave them a nickname of Blue Division (División Azul). This uniform was used only in leave in Spain; in the field soldiers used field gray uniform with a shield on the upper right sleeve with the word "España" and Spanish national colors.

July 13 1941 first train left Madrid for Grafenwohr, Bavaria for further training of five weeks. They became Wehrmacht 250th infantry division that was initially divided into four infantry regiments. Following the Wehrmacht model, one of the regiments was dispersed among the others that were named after three of the Spanish cities the volunteers originated from - Barcelona, Valencia and Seville. Each regiment had three battalions of four companies. An artillery regiment of three batteries of 150-mm guns and one heavy artillery battery reinforced them. Aviator volunteers formed a Blue Squadron (Esquadrilla Azul) that used Me 109's and FW 190's. There were also combat engineers and medical personnel.

In August 20 Blue Division swore a modified military oath before Hitler and was assigned to combat duties in the eastern front. Division was transported by train to Suwalki in Poland where they had to continue in foot. At first they marched towards the Smolensk front but were rerouted from Vitebsk to the siege of Leningrad where they became part of German 16th Army. They first saw combat against Soviet troops in October 12 1941 in Kapella Nova.

Blue Division remained in Leningrad front where they suffered heavy casualties both due to cold and enemy action. Franco sent more reinforcements, which this time included conscripts in addition of more volunteers. Through rotation, 45.000 Spanish soldiers served in the Eastern front. They were awarded both Spanish and German military awards.

After the collapse of German front in the Battle of Stalingrad, the situation changed and more German troops were deployed southwards. By this time general Emilio Estaban Infates had taken command.

Eventually Allies begun to pressure Franco to withdraw his troops. Franco begun negotiations in the spring of 1943 and gave an order of withdrawal in October 10. Blue Division in the Leningrad front had suffered casualties of about 3334 dead, 8466 wounded, 326 missing and 321 captured.

Some Spanish soldiers refused to return and Franco gave his unofficial blessing as long as the number would stay in 1500 but the total was nearer to 3000. Spaniards joined other German units, mainly in Waffen-SS. New volunteers slipped over the Spanish border in Lourdes, France thought at least some them were shot by border guards. The new units were called the Blue Legion (Legión Azul).

Initially the Spanish volunteers remained as part of the 121st infantry division but they were told to return home in March 1944. They were transported to Spain in March 21. The rest of the volunteers were absorbed into German units.

Platoons of Spaniards served in the 3rd Mountain Division and 357th Infantry division. One unit was sent to Latvia. Two companies joined Brandenburger Regiment and German 121st division in Yugoslavia against Tito's partisans. 50 Spaniards were sent to Pyrenees to fight French Resistance.

The 101st company Spanische-Freiwillegen Kompanie der SS 101 of 140 men was made up of four rifle platoons and one staff platoon, was attached to 28th Waffen-SS division and fought in Pomerania. Later, as part of 11th SS Division Nordland and under command of Haupsturmfuhrer der-SS Miguel Ezquerra, it fought in the last days of the war against the Soviet troops in Berlin.

Books:

• Gerald L. Kleinfeld & Lewis A. Tambs - Hitler's Spanish Legion: The Blue Division in Russia

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Blue Division was also a nickname of Irish fascist volunteers who fought on Falangist side in the Spanish Civil War.