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23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama (2nd Croatian)
Active	1944
Country	Nazi Germany
Allegiance	Adolf Hitler
Branch	Waffen SS
Type	Infantry
Role	Mountain troops
Size	Division
Engagements	World War II
Insignia
Identification symbol	Edelweiss

The 23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama (2nd Croatian) was a division composed of Volksdeutsche and Bosnian Muslims (declared as ethnic Croats) in the Waffen-SS during World War II. The numerical designation "23rd" was given to the 4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Nederland after the division was disbanded in September 1944. There is no mention of the division in the war diary of the OKW and suggests that Kama never saw action or was ever fully established.^[1]

History

The Division was activated in January 1944 and on 28 May Hitler gave his formal approval for the creation of a second Bosnian Waffen-SS Division following the modest success of the Handschar against Communist insurgents in Bosnia. The unit was initially to be created and trained in Bosnia but Himmler, following the advice of SS Gruppenführer Karl-Gustav Sauberzweig, agreed to station the men in neighbouring southern Hungary instead. Sauberzweig believed Ustaše interference and Communist subversion would undermine the morale of the recruits. Orders were given to the Handschar Division seconding personnel to the new Division and Hellmuth Raithel, commander of Regiment 28 of Handschar, was appointed the commanding officer.

On 24 September Himmler ordered the 2,000-man Division to Bosnia where it was to be reinforced with further draftees from Handschar. However this move was delayed when the Russian army attacked southern Hungary and the men were thrown into the battle post haste. On 17 October the Bosniaks began to revolt and desert when they were not returned to their native Bosnia. The Division was formally disbanded on 31 October 1944.

Reliable men were allowed to stay on and in November they rejoined remnants of the Handschar.

Commanders

• SS-Standartenführer Helmuth Raithel (Jul 1944- Sept 1944)
• SS-Oberführer Gustav Lombard (28 Sept - 1 Oct 1944)^[2]

Order of battle

• Waffen Gebirgsjäger Regiment der SS 55 (kroatische nr 3)^[3]
• Waffen Gebirgsjäger Regiment der SS 56 (kroatische nr 4)
• Waffen Gebirgs Artillery Regiment der SS 23
• SS Reconnaissance Battalion 23
• SS Flak Battalion 23
• SS Panzerjäger Battalion 23
• SS Nachschub Battalion 23
• SS Pionier Battalion 23
• SS Signals Battalion 23
• SS Field Hospital 23
• SS Medical Battalion 23
• SS Sanitäts Battalion 23
• SS Verwaltungs Battalion 23

See also

• Alpine Infantry
• Waffen-SS
• Division (military)
• Wehrmacht
• List of German military units of World War II

References

Stein, G (1966) 'The Waffen SS: Hitler's Elite Guard at War 1939-1945.' Cornell Uni. Press, London. Lepre, George 1997), 'Himmler's Bosnian Division: The Waffen-SS Handschar Division 1943-1945. Schiffer Military History, Algen, P.A.

— The divisions of the Waffen-SS — Panzer 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler · 2nd SS Division Das Reich · 3rd SS Division Totenkopf · 5th SS Panzer Division Wiking · 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen · 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg · 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend · SS Heavy Panzer Battalions Panzergrenadier 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland · 16th SS Panzergrenadier Division Reichsführer-SS · 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen · 18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Horst Wessel · 23rd SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland Mountain 6th SS Mountain Division Nord · 7th SS Volunteer Mountain Division Prinz Eugen · 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Handschar (1st Croatian) · 21st Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Skanderbeg · 23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS Kama (2nd Croatian) · 24th Waffen Mountain (Karstjäger) Division Cavalry 8th SS Cavalry Division Florian Geyer · 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Division Maria Theresia · 33rd Waffen Cavalry Division of the SS (3rd Hungarian) · 37th SS Volunteer Cavalry Division Lützow · 1st Cossack Division Infantry 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Galizien (1st Ukrainian) · 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Latvian) · 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) · 20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian) · 25th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Hunyadi (1st Hungarian) · 26th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Hungarian) · 27th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Langemarck (1st Flemish) · 28th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Wallonien · 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS RONA (1st Russian) · 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian) · 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Russian) · 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Belarussian) · 31st SS Volunteer Grenadier Division · 32nd SS Volunteer Grenadier Division 30 Januar · 33rd Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS Charlemagne (1st French) · 34th SS Volunteer Grenadier Division Landstorm Nederland · 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS · 38th SS Division Grenadier Nibelungen Police 4th SS Polizei Division · 35th SS and Police Grenadier Division Deception Divisions 26th SS Panzer Division · 27th SS Panzer Division