| 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS RONA (1st Russian)' | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Active | August 1944 |
| Country |  Germany |
| Allegiance | Adolf Hitler |
| Branch |  Waffen-SS |
| Type | Infantry |
| Colors | White, Blue, and Red |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Bronislav Kaminski Christoph Diehm |
29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS RONA (1st Russian) (German: 29. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS RONA (russische Nr.1)) German Waffen SS Grenadier division which planned to be formed from the personnel of the S.S. Sturmbrigade R.O.N.A. (also known as the Kaminski Brigade) accordingly to the order signed by Himmler August 1 1944. At that time brigade manpower estimated as low as 3.000-4.000 persons. [1] While situation with Warsaw Uprising which started same day forced Germans to postpone formation procedures and use combat ready units of the brigade . August 4 1944 brigade was ordered to assist the efforts in crushing the rebellion in Warsaw. Mixed regiment (1600-1700 persons) of brigade was used against insurgents till end of August 1944 when German commanders decided the unit was too undisciplined and unreliable. Brigade commander Waffen-Brigadeführer and General-Major of Waffen-SS Bronislav Kaminski and chief-of-staff Waffen-Obersturmbannführer Ilya Shavykin were shot by Germans itself. The death of Kaminski and unreliability of his troops as combat unit brought the plans to expand the Kaminski Brigade to a division to an end. In 1945 it's number reassigned to 29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Italian).
29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS RONA (1st Russian) never existed as such. [2] [3] [4] [5]
Contents |
Division planned to be formed from the personnel of the S.S. Sturmbrigade R.O.N.A. (also known as the Kaminski Brigade) which appeared in 1942 as anti-partisan formation made of the people from so-called Lokot Autonomy territory in the Nazi Germany-occupied areas of the Russia during World War II. It’s leader Bronislav Kaminski named it as Russian National Liberation Army (Russkaya Osvoboditelnaya Narodnaya Armiya, RONA). In spring1943 Kaminski Brigade increased to 10-12 thousands equipped with provided by Germans captured soviet tanks and artillery. From the beginning of existence formation was involved in action against partisans and also took part in reprisal operations against the civilian population committing numerous atrocities against it. After Operation Citadel personnel of the R.O.N.A. retreated to Belarus and stationed Lepel area of Vitebsk were also involved into anti-partisan activities and committed numerous atrocities against civilian population. In March 1944, the unit was renamed Volksheer-Brigade Kaminski (Peoples- Brigade Kaminski) for a brief period, before it was absorbed as a part of the Waffen-SS in June 1944. With its transfer to the Waffen-SS, the brigade was renamed Waffen-Sturm-Brigade RONA, and Kaminski was given the rank of Waffen-Brigadeführer der SS, as the only man with such rank. After Operation Bagration personnel retreated again further west and by the end of July 1944 remains of the Kaminski unit (3-4 thousands (some sources gives 6-7 thousands ) was collected at the SS training camp Neuhammer.
None of above regiment actually entered into Waffen-SS rank.
im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 VIERTER BAND: Die Landstreitkrafte 15—30 VERLAG E. S. MITTLER & SOHN GMBH. - FRANKFURT/MAIN 1970
im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945 SECHSTER BAND: Die Landstreitkrafte 71-13 0 BIBLI O VERLAG OSNABRUCK 1972
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  | The RONA and the Kaminski Brigade - The RONA and the Kaminski Brigade |
| | Bronislav Kaminski and the RONA - Axis History Factbook: Bronislav Kaminski and the RONA |
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