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Russian Protective Corps

The Russian Protective Corps (German: Russisches Schutzkorps, Russian: Русский охранный корпус, Serbian: Руски заштитни корпус / Ruski zaštitni korpus) was an armed force composed of anti-communist White Russian émigrés that was raised in the German occupied territory of Serbia during World War II. Commanded for almost its whole existence by Lieutenant General Boris Shteifon, it served primarily as a guard force for factories and mines between late 1941 and early 1944, initially as the "Separate Russian Corps" then Russian Factory Protective Group. It was incorporated into the Wehrmacht on 1 December 1942 and later clashed with the communist-led Yugoslav Partisans and briefly with the Chetniks. In late 1944, it fought against the Red Army during the Belgrade Offensive, later withdrawing to Bosnia and Slovenia as the German forces retreated from Yugoslavia and Greece. After Shteifon′s death in Zagreb, the Independent State of Croatia, on 30 April 1945, Russian Colonel Anatoly Rogozhin took over and led his troops farther north to surrender to the British in southern Austria. Unlike most other Russian formations that fought for Nazi Germany, Rogozhin and his men, who were not formally treated as Soviet citizens, were exempt from forced repatriation to the Soviet Union and were eventually set free and allowed to resettle in the West.

Russian Protective Corps
Active1941–1945
Allegiance Nazi Germany (1941–1944)
BranchWehrmacht
TypeCavalry
Infantry
RoleAnti-partisan operations
Size17,090 (total membership)
11,197 (maximum strength)
Engagements
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Mikhail Skorodumov
Boris Shteifon 
Anatoly Rogozhin

Background and formation edit

Before World War II In the Balkans there were approximately 15,000 White Russian émigrés in the Balkans - their families had fled there in the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution. [2] General Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel relocated 25,000 of his Southern White Army to Yugoslavia through negotiations with the Yugoslav government in 1921.[3] On 6 April 1941, Axis forces invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Poorly equipped and poorly trained, the Royal Yugoslav Army was quickly defeated.[4] The Axis powers then dismembered Yugoslavia, with Serbia being reduced to its pre-1912 borders and placed under German military occupation.[5] The Germans selected General Milan Nedić, a pre-war politician who was known to have pro-Axis leanings, to lead the collaborationist Government of National Salvation in the German-occupied territory of Serbia.[6] Over the course of the uprising in Serbia in the summer of 1941, communist-led partisans killed approximately 300 Russian émigrés and injured many more, sometimes in acts of vengeance. In response, local Russians began to organize themselves into self-defense units.[7] At the time, there were an estimated 10,000 Russian men within the former borders of Yugoslavia, the majority of whom lived in occupied Serbia.[8]

 
A map showing the German occupied territory of Serbia from 1941 to 1944

The Russian Protective Corps, founded in Belgrade under the command of General Mikhail Skorodumov on 12 September 1941,[7] was initially known as the "Separate Russian Corps" (German: Das Abgesonderte Russische Korps; Russian: Отдельный русский корпус). It was established by an order of the German Military Commander in Serbia, General der Flieger Heinrich Danckelmann, with the agreement of the Nedić regime.[9] The key German personality involved in organising the Corps was Danckelmann's chief of staff, Oberst Erich Kewisch. Recruitment and screening of volunteers was carried out by Major General Vladimir Kreyter, a White Russian émigré in German service who was the head of the Russian Intelligence Office (German: Vertrauensstelle) in Serbia.[8] The corps drew its initial manpower from émigré White Russians and officers of the Russian Imperial Army, which had been defeated by the Red Army in the Russian Civil War twenty years earlier.[10] The émigrés had been living in occupied Serbia, and sided with the Germans because of their opposition to communism,[11] and because they believed that their only hope of a non-communist Russia lay in a German victory in World War II.[5] Skorodumov's concept of the Corps was that once the Corps had fulfilled its obligation to Serbia, the land that had taken its members in, they would go to Russia to fight.[11] The force was renamed the "White Russian Factory Protection" (German: Weissrussischer Werkschutz) on 2 October.[9][12]

Skorodumov was elderly, ill, and not well known to the rank-and-file of White Russian émigrés.[13] Two days after the formation of his Corps, the Gestapo arrested him,[14] and command passed to Lieutenant General Boris Shteifon,[12] who was said to have had "warm and friendly relations with [Milan] Nedić".[5] The Germans envisaged a force 3,000-strong and organized into three regiments, tasked with protecting factories, other industrial concerns, and mines that were producing materials to support the German war-effort.[8][15] The Corps initially consisted of a single regiment, organized into four battalions. Major General Egorov commanded the 1st Battalion, Colonel Shatilov the second, Colonel Endrzheevskiy the third, and Colonel Nestrenko the fourth. A second regiment was set up on 18 October,[16] commanded by Colonel Zhukov.[17] At first, the group was an independent force reporting to the German plenipotentiary general for economic affairs, NSFK-Obergruppenführer Franz Neuhausen.[18]

Operations edit

General edit

Although its ultimate aim was to help defeat the communist forces in the Soviet Union, the Corps was used almost exclusively to fight the Partisans in areas of occupied Yugoslavia, initially in a defensive role. At its maximum strength, it was composed of one cavalry regiment and four infantry regiments.[19] Between the autumn of 1941 and the spring of 1944, the Corps was primarily responsible for protecting weapons factories, mines, roads, and railroads throughout occupied Serbia in accordance with priorities established by the German High Command.[10] The Corps never operated as a unified force, the regiment being its largest operational unit. The regiments were later assigned to act as auxiliaries to German or Bulgarian occupying forces.[20] During its existence, it was reinforced with younger émigrés and former Soviet prisoners-of-war (POW).[19] Russian émigrés living in Bulgaria, the Axis puppet Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and Hungary also came to Belgrade to join the force.[21] It was armed by the Germans with weapons captured from the Royal Yugoslav Army,[10] and its command language was Russian.[8] Throughout its existence it maintained good relations with the Nedić administration.[5]

While guarding facilities, members of the Corps were largely assigned to manning brick bunkers, protecting the railway in the Ibar River valley, the Bor, Trepča, Majdanpek, and Krupanj mines, as well as the borders of the occupied territory along the Danube and Drina rivers. They were often deployed alongside various Serbian collaborationist forces such as the Serbian State Guard (SDS) and the Serbian Volunteer Corps (SDK),[20] with whom they were most closely allied. The Corps also closely cooperated with the Croatian fascist Ustaše when operating in the neighbouring NDH.[5] Members of the Corps also plundered peasants in the areas within which they operated.[22]

Early actions edit

class=notpageimage|
Map showing the early deployment locations of the Russian Protective Corps

The Corps was initially used to guard mines at Krupanj in the west of the territory, and later at Bor in the west and Trepča in the south.[20] The 1st Regiment was initially deployed in Loznica, Ljubovija and other towns along the Drina river, which formed the western border of the occupied territory.[23] The 2nd Regiment first operated in towns such as Negotin, Bor, and Majdanpek near the eastern border with Romania.[24] At the time, the two regiments were operationally subordinated to the German 704th Infantry Division.[25] In November 1941, the Corps began actively collaborating with the Chetniks of Draža Mihailović against the Partisans.[5] On 8 December 1941, the Corps defended the Stolice mine near Krupanj against the Partisans.[26] By late 1941, it had 1,500 members.[20]

The 3rd Regiment was established in Banjica near Belgrade on 8 January 1942, placed under the command of Colonel Shapilov,[27] and deployed to Kosovska Mitrovica near the Trepča mines in the south,[28] where it was operationally subordinated to the Bulgarian 1st Occupation Corps.[25] The 4th Regiment was established on 29 April with General Cherepov as commander[29] and was deployed to the central west region of the occupied territory area around Kraljevo.[30] In May, the Corps was divided into two brigades. The 1st Brigade was placed under the command of Major General Dratsenko and its headquarters was established in the town of Aranđelovac on 22 May.[31] Also in May, Kewisch submitted a report stating that if he were permitted to recruit from all areas of Europe under German control, he could raise a force of about 25,000 men. He also urged the higher authorities to re-organise the Corps and integrate it more closely with the Wehrmacht. After considerable discussion, on 29 October the German High Command ordered a re-organization, renaming it the "Russian Protective Corps" and subordinating it completely to the German Commanding General in Serbia.[8]

On 30 November, the 4th Regiment was disbanded, its 1st Battalion assigned to the 1st Regiment and the rest of its manpower assigned to the 2nd Regiment.[30] On 1 December 1942, the Corps was incorporated into the Wehrmacht and all its members were required to swear an oath to German leader Adolf Hitler.[5] The Corps grew in numbers throughout 1942, following an influx of volunteers from Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Greece. By late 1942, the Corps totalled about 7,500 men, all of whom were Russian.[8][20] During the re-organization, an attempt was made to expand the Corps further by recruiting Soviet POWs, but the first experiment with 300 POWs proved unsuccessful and was not repeated.[32] On 9 December 1942, the 1st Regiment started to be transformed with the arrival of Kuban Cossacks led by Major General Naumenko.[23] By January 1943, it consisted entirely of Cossacks.[33] On 17 March 1943, Major General Gontarev replaced Shapilov as commander of the 3rd Regiment.[25] The 1st Regiment fought in Loznica in April and participated in a large operation in Zapolje just south of Krupanj over the border with the NDH on 11–15 May, where it engaged in heavy combat with Partisan forces.[33] From 1–8 July, the regiment was again stationed in Loznica and Ljubovija, participating in the defence of the Drina Bridge at Zvornik against the Partisans. During this time the regiment allowed the passage of 379 wounded Croatian soldiers and civilians, 1,000 healthy soldiers and as many refugees, sustaining casualties of two killed and seventeen wounded. It clashed with the Partisans over the village of Nedelica on 19 July.[34] Meanwhile, the 2nd Regiment clashed with the Partisans around the town of Negotin.[35] The 4th Regiment was re-established on 15 December, and was based in Jagodina, Paraćin and Ćuprija in the centre of the occupied territory.[36]

Retreat, surrender, disbandment edit

class=notpageimage|
Map showing locations where the Russian Protective Corps fought in 1944–1945

From the spring of 1944, the Corps focused increasingly on fighting the Partisans penetrating Serbia from Bosnia and the Sandžak, and the first clashes with Chetnik groups did not occur until 1944.[37] On 5 January 1944, combat with the Partisans in Klenak resulted in the deaths of three Cossacks of the 1st Regiment.[38] On 18 January, the 5th Regiment was formed in Obrenovac.[39] The 3rd Regiment outfought a 2,400-strong Partisan force advancing towards Jošanička Banja on 31 March.[40] On 28 April, the 1st Regiment prepared defences along the Drina in Zvornik, Bajina Bašta and Loznica areas expecting the 16th and 17th Partisan Divisions to attempt a crossing there.[38] On 30 April, the headquarters of the 4th Regiment was moved to Aleksinac.[36] On 1–2 May, the 5th Regiment fought the Partisans in the village of Mravinci, sustaining casualties of 11 killed and 25 wounded.[39] That summer, the Corps mediated an agreement between one group of Chetniks and the Germans in which the two parties agreed to fight the Partisans in Serbia.[37] On 18 July, the 5th Regiment fought in Jošanička Banja and its regimental headquarters was moved there from Obrenovac, with battalion headquarters being established in Zvečan, Jošanička Banja, Ušće and Vučitrn. Elements of the 3rd and 5th Regiments fought the Partisans on 4–5 August near the village of Rudnik. The Partisans attacked the positions of the 5th Regiment in Leposavić on 24 August.[39]

In September, the Corps reached its peak of 11,197 members.[37] Several skirmishes occurred between the 1st Regiment and the Partisans in the Zvornik and Valjevo areas that month.[38] On 7/8 September, the 2nd Regiment fought Partisans at the Ibar River, trying to deny them crossing.[41] On 9 September, elements of the 3rd Regiment moved to Požega and on 11 September to Čačak.[40] On 20 September, the 1st Regiment fought a group of Partisans south of Loznica. Major combat between the 1st Regiment and Partisans erupted in Loznica itself on 23 September, causing the regiment to fall back to Šabac with losses of 7 killed and 23 wounded. Combat continued daily throughout September with the 1st Regiment suffering up to 53 casualties per day.[38] On 22 September, combined Soviet Red Army and Bulgarian People's Army forces began entering the occupied territory from the east, and joined Partisan forces as part of the Belgrade Offensive, aimed at capturing the Serbian capital.[42] On 8 October, the 2nd Regiment headquarters in Požarevac was evacuated as Soviet armour approached the town. As parts of the regiment moved towards Belgrade and Grocka, they came into contact with Soviet troops and armour in the Ripanj area south of Belgrade, sustaining heavy casualties.[41] On 10 October the Russian Protective Corps was renamed the "Russian Corps in Serbia".[12] On 15 October, the headquarters of the 4th Regiment was moved to Čačak.[36]

class=notpageimage|
Map of the NDH showing the retreat of the Russian Protective Corps in 1944–1945

Elements of the 2nd Regiment arrived in Šabac on 22 October, then moved to Hrvatska Mitrovica in the NDH on 23 October, Vukovar two days later, Osijek on 26 October and then to Vinkovci and Stari Jankovci two days later. Further parts of the regiment moved to Zemun on 13 October, Ruma on 14 October, Vinkovci on 16 October, and Stari Jankovci on 24 October.[41] On 19–22 October, the 4th Regiment fought advancing Soviet troops and Partisans and defended the Čačak-Kraljevo road.[36] On 23 October, the 1st Regiment abandoned Šabac and Klenak and moved to Laćarak, and then to Tovarnik on 24 October where they were ordered to hold their ground.[38] The 4th Regiment fought in the Čačak area from 27 October to 2 November.[36] It faced the Red Army and the Chetnik 2nd Ravna Gora Corps[43] before being overpowered and forced to abandon the city.[36] The Chetniks captured 339 of its soldiers and turned them over to the Soviets.[43] On 12 November, the 1st Regiment moved via railway through Vinkovci to Brčko, with elements deployed north across the Sava in Gunja. On 8 December it regrouped north of the Sava and on 11–13 December it fought the Partisans in and near the village of Vrbanja, killing forty-three.[38] The 4th Regiment arrived in Sarajevo in the NDH on 13–18 December. Elements subsequently moved to nearby Kiseljak on 18 December, fighting Partisans in the Kiseljak-Busovača area on 26–27 December.[36] During this time, the 1st Regiment and a battalion of the 2nd Regiment guarded a bridgehead north of Brčko in order to allow German forces to withdraw through the town.[44]

In January 1945, elements of the Corps participated in the German capture of Travnik, part of Operation Lawine.[45] Afterwards, they withdrew to Slovenia.[5] On 30 April, Shteifon died while passing through Zagreb, in the Esplanade hotel;[46] Colonel Anatoly Rogozhin took over as commander.[47] On 12 May, Rogozhin surrendered to the British near Klagenfurt.[48] At the time of surrender, the Corps consisted of 4,500 men, according to Puškadija-Ribkin;[49] 3,500 men, according to Granitov.[50] Members of Russian Protective Corps, alongside members of Ustaše Militia and SDK, were exempt from amnesty given by new communist authorities on August 3, because they were volunteers in a fascist unit.[51] Timofejev writes that the Corps consisted of 5,584 men by the end of the war. Between 1941 and 1945, 6,709 of its members were killed, wounded or went missing.[52] In total, 17,090 men served in its ranks over the course of the war.[10] According to Rogozhin, several hundred men and their families, who had fled the camp in Lienz and who were subject to forced repatriation to the USSR, joined the Russian Corps from mid-June 1945 in order to avoid deportation to the Soviet Union.[53] Rogozhin′s men were spared that fate because they were not regarded as Soviet citizens.[49]

Immediately after disarmament and transfer to Austrian territory, the Corps settled in the Viktring International Camp. Next, the Corps moved to a separate camp in the area of Kl. St. Veit - Tigring and received from the British a small amount of small arms to maintain order and protect against partisan attacks. After examining the history of the Corps, the British decided to demobilise it in October. Its members were then sent in the Kellerberg DP Camp northwest of Villach, Austria; Rogozhin on 1 November 1945 issued an order that notified his subordinates of demobilisation.[54] The Corps' badge was a white militia cross, in the middle of which was a Gallipoli cross with the dates "1917-1921, 1941-1945", indicating two periods of the anti-communist struggle. The badge was established by Order to the Russian Corps N100 of July 26, 1945. Those who had the right to wear this sign received a corresponding certificate signed by the commander and with the seal of the Russian Corps. In emigration, these signs were worn in a miniature (“tailcoat”) version or in a large size on the Cossack uniform. Most of the already disarmed ranks of the Russian Corps spent several years in the DP camp Kellerberg (Austria), which gave them the right to wear a second badge for those who were in this camp. Former members of the Corps were subsequently allowed to resettle in the West, mainly in the United States and Argentina.[49][19] In exile, veterans formed the Union of Officials of the Russian Corps (СЧРК- Союз Чинов Русского Корпуса), registered as the Union of St. Alexander Nevsky.

Order of battle edit

At its maximum strength, the Russian Corps was composed of:[19]

  • 1st Cossack Regiment General Zborovski
  • Infantry Regiments II, III, IV, V

In May 1942, the Corps was divided into two brigades.[31] The 4th Regiment was disbanded on 30 November 1942,[30] and re-established on 15 December 1943.[36] The 5th Regiment was created on 18 January 1944.[39]

Commanders edit

The Russian Corps had three commanders during its existence:[7][12][46]

No. Portrait Commander Took office Left office Time in office
1
 
Skorodumov, MikhailGeneral
Mikhail Skorodumov
(1892–1963)
12 September 194114 September 19412 days
2
 
Shteifon, BorisLieutenant-General
Boris Shteifon
(1881–1945)
15 September 194130 April 1945 †3 years, 227 days
3
 
Rogozhin, AnatolyColonel
Anatoly Rogozhin
(1893–1972)
30 April 194512 May 194512 days

Uniform edit

Members of the Corps wore the uniform of the Russian Imperial Army from 12 September 1941 to 30 November 1942 as well as the Czechoslovakian helmet. The uniform was sometimes worn with pips of the Royal Yugoslav Army, alongside special rank insignia on the collar. Wehrmacht uniforms and insignia were adopted on 1 December 1942,[19] but the old uniforms continued to be worn for some time.[55]

 
Uniform 1942, shoulder straps of an artillery colonel (WWI) and oberleutnant’s buttonholes (Russian Corps), L1

Rank insignia edit

Collar patches and sleeves showed the actual rank in the Corps, while those who have held Tsarist rank wore rank insignia in the form of traditional shoulder straps denoting their former rank. Both types of insignia were improvised using rank stars from the Royal Yugoslav Army.[56]

Rank insignia Russian German
  Generalmayor Generalmajor
  Polkovnik Oberst
  Podpolkovnik Oberstleutnant
  Mayor Major
  Kapitan Hauptmann
  Poruchik Oberleutnant
  Podporuchik Leutnant
  Feldfebel Feldwebel
  Unterofitzer Unteroffizier
  Yefreytor Gefreiter
Source: [56]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Триколор как символ контрреволюции
  2. ^ McAteer 2009, p. 264 Question 15,000 figure..
  3. ^ Robinson, Paul (2003). The White Russian Army in Exile 1920-1941 (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 45–46. ISBN 0199250219.
  4. ^ Cohen 1996, p. 28.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Cohen 1996, p. 50.
  6. ^ Singleton 1985, p. 182.
  7. ^ a b c Timofejev 2007, p. 45.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Tomasevich 2001, p. 192.
  9. ^ a b Tomasevich 2001, p. 191.
  10. ^ a b c d Cohen 1996, p. 49.
  11. ^ a b Tomasevich 2001, pp. 191–192.
  12. ^ a b c d Thomas & Mikulan 1995, pp. 21–22.
  13. ^ Tomasevich, Jozo (2002) [2001]. "The Puppet Government of Serbia". War and Revolution in Yugoslavia, 1941-1945: Occupation and Collaboration. Vol. 2. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press. p. 192. ISBN 9780804779241. Retrieved 4 October 2022. Skorodumov was chosen by the Germans, but he was sick and old and not well known to the rank and file of Russian emigres. He was replaced within the first month by his chief of staff, General Boris Aleksandrovich Steifon [...].
  14. ^ Батшев, Владимир (2005). Vlasov: opyt literaturnogo issledovaniya Власов: опыт литературного исследования [Vlasov: an essay in literary investigation]. Власов: опыт литературного исследования, ISBN 9783936996142 (in Russian). Vol. 1 (2 ed.). Мосты. p. 386. ISBN 9783936996128. Retrieved 4 October 2022. 14 сентября Скородумова пригласили в Гестапо и арестовали. [On 14 September Skorodumov was invited to the Gestapo and arrested.]
  15. ^ Abbott 1983, p. 22.
  16. ^ Vertepov 1963, pp. 38–39.
  17. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 40.
  18. ^ Timofejev 2007, p. 47.
  19. ^ a b c d e Thomas & Mikulan 1995, p. 22.
  20. ^ a b c d e Timofejev 2010, p. 47.
  21. ^ Mordwinkin 2003, p. 69.
  22. ^ Tomasevich 2001, p. 185.
  23. ^ a b Vertepov 1963, pp. 79–81.
  24. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 81.
  25. ^ a b c Vertepov 1963, pp. 120–121.
  26. ^ Vertepov 1963, pp. 73–75.
  27. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 76.
  28. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 82.
  29. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 77.
  30. ^ a b c Vertepov 1963, p. 83.
  31. ^ a b Vertepov 1963, pp. 77–78.
  32. ^ Tomasevich 2001, p. 193.
  33. ^ a b Vertepov 1963, p. 116.
  34. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 117.
  35. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 119.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g h Vertepov 1963, pp. 157–160.
  37. ^ a b c Cohen 1996, pp. 49–50.
  38. ^ a b c d e f Vertepov 1963, pp. 144–151.
  39. ^ a b c d Vertepov 1963, pp. 160–163.
  40. ^ a b Vertepov 1963, pp. 155–157.
  41. ^ a b c Vertepov 1963, pp. 151–155.
  42. ^ Tomasevich 1975, pp. 417–418.
  43. ^ a b Tomasevich 1975, p. 394.
  44. ^ Vertepov 1963, pp. 25–26.
  45. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 24.
  46. ^ a b Vertepov 1963, p. 27, 348–349.
  47. ^ Mordwinkin 2003, p. 87.
  48. ^ Vertepov 1963, pp. 28, 366, 369.
  49. ^ a b c Puškadija-Ribkin 2006, p. 253.
  50. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 28.
  51. ^ Radanović 2016, p. 189.
  52. ^ Timofejev 2010, p. 48.
  53. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 391–392.
  54. ^ Vertepov 1963, p. 399–400.
  55. ^ Abbott 1983, p. 35.
  56. ^ a b Thomas & Mikulan 1995, pp. 34.

References edit

Books
Journals
  • Hehn, Paul N. (1971). "Serbia, Croatia and Germany 1941–1945: Civil War and Revolution in the Balkans". Canadian Slavonic Papers. 13 (4). University of Alberta: 344–373. doi:10.1080/00085006.1971.11091249. JSTOR 40866373.

Further reading edit

  • Beyda, Oleg (2014). "'Iron Cross of the Wrangel's Army': Russian Emigrants as Interpreters in the Wehrmacht". The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. 27 (3): 430–448. doi:10.1080/13518046.2014.932630. S2CID 144274571.
  • M.V. Nazarov, The Mission of the Russian Emigration, Moscow: Rodnik, 1994. ISBN 978-5-86231-172-3
  • I.B. Ivanov, N. N. Protopopov, Russkii Korpus Na Balkanakh Vo Vremia II Velikoi Voiny, 1941–1945: Vospominaniia Soratnikov I Dokumenty Sbornik Vtoroi, St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg University, 1999. ISBN 978-5-288-02307-1
  • Badges of the Russian Corps and DP Camp Kellerberg
  • Official Photo Archive of the Russian Corps

russian, protective, corps, german, russisches, schutzkorps, russian, Русский, охранный, корпус, serbian, Руски, заштитни, корпус, ruski, zaštitni, korpus, armed, force, composed, anti, communist, white, russian, émigrés, that, raised, german, occupied, territ. The Russian Protective Corps German Russisches Schutzkorps Russian Russkij ohrannyj korpus Serbian Ruski zashtitni korpus Ruski zastitni korpus was an armed force composed of anti communist White Russian emigres that was raised in the German occupied territory of Serbia during World War II Commanded for almost its whole existence by Lieutenant General Boris Shteifon it served primarily as a guard force for factories and mines between late 1941 and early 1944 initially as the Separate Russian Corps then Russian Factory Protective Group It was incorporated into the Wehrmacht on 1 December 1942 and later clashed with the communist led Yugoslav Partisans and briefly with the Chetniks In late 1944 it fought against the Red Army during the Belgrade Offensive later withdrawing to Bosnia and Slovenia as the German forces retreated from Yugoslavia and Greece After Shteifon s death in Zagreb the Independent State of Croatia on 30 April 1945 Russian Colonel Anatoly Rogozhin took over and led his troops farther north to surrender to the British in southern Austria Unlike most other Russian formations that fought for Nazi Germany Rogozhin and his men who were not formally treated as Soviet citizens were exempt from forced repatriation to the Soviet Union and were eventually set free and allowed to resettle in the West Russian Protective CorpsActive1941 1945AllegianceNazi Germany 1941 1944 BranchWehrmachtTypeCavalryInfantryRoleAnti partisan operationsSize17 090 total membership 11 197 maximum strength EngagementsWorld War II in Yugoslavia Belgrade Offensive Operation LawineCommandersNotablecommandersMikhail SkorodumovBoris Shteifon Anatoly Rogozhin Contents 1 Background and formation 2 Operations 2 1 General 2 2 Early actions 2 3 Retreat surrender disbandment 3 Order of battle 4 Commanders 5 Uniform 5 1 Rank insignia 6 Notes 7 References 8 Further readingBackground and formation editSee also Invasion of Yugoslavia Before World War II In the Balkans there were approximately 15 000 White Russian emigres in the Balkans their families had fled there in the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution 2 General Pyotr Nikolayevich Wrangel relocated 25 000 of his Southern White Army to Yugoslavia through negotiations with the Yugoslav government in 1921 3 On 6 April 1941 Axis forces invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia Poorly equipped and poorly trained the Royal Yugoslav Army was quickly defeated 4 The Axis powers then dismembered Yugoslavia with Serbia being reduced to its pre 1912 borders and placed under German military occupation 5 The Germans selected General Milan Nedic a pre war politician who was known to have pro Axis leanings to lead the collaborationist Government of National Salvation in the German occupied territory of Serbia 6 Over the course of the uprising in Serbia in the summer of 1941 communist led partisans killed approximately 300 Russian emigres and injured many more sometimes in acts of vengeance In response local Russians began to organize themselves into self defense units 7 At the time there were an estimated 10 000 Russian men within the former borders of Yugoslavia the majority of whom lived in occupied Serbia 8 nbsp A map showing the German occupied territory of Serbia from 1941 to 1944The Russian Protective Corps founded in Belgrade under the command of General Mikhail Skorodumov on 12 September 1941 7 was initially known as the Separate Russian Corps German Das Abgesonderte Russische Korps Russian Otdelnyj russkij korpus It was established by an order of the German Military Commander in Serbia General der Flieger Heinrich Danckelmann with the agreement of the Nedic regime 9 The key German personality involved in organising the Corps was Danckelmann s chief of staff Oberst Erich Kewisch Recruitment and screening of volunteers was carried out by Major General Vladimir Kreyter a White Russian emigre in German service who was the head of the Russian Intelligence Office German Vertrauensstelle in Serbia 8 The corps drew its initial manpower from emigre White Russians and officers of the Russian Imperial Army which had been defeated by the Red Army in the Russian Civil War twenty years earlier 10 The emigres had been living in occupied Serbia and sided with the Germans because of their opposition to communism 11 and because they believed that their only hope of a non communist Russia lay in a German victory in World War II 5 Skorodumov s concept of the Corps was that once the Corps had fulfilled its obligation to Serbia the land that had taken its members in they would go to Russia to fight 11 The force was renamed the White Russian Factory Protection German Weissrussischer Werkschutz on 2 October 9 12 Skorodumov was elderly ill and not well known to the rank and file of White Russian emigres 13 Two days after the formation of his Corps the Gestapo arrested him 14 and command passed to Lieutenant General Boris Shteifon 12 who was said to have had warm and friendly relations with Milan Nedic 5 The Germans envisaged a force 3 000 strong and organized into three regiments tasked with protecting factories other industrial concerns and mines that were producing materials to support the German war effort 8 15 The Corps initially consisted of a single regiment organized into four battalions Major General Egorov commanded the 1st Battalion Colonel Shatilov the second Colonel Endrzheevskiy the third and Colonel Nestrenko the fourth A second regiment was set up on 18 October 16 commanded by Colonel Zhukov 17 At first the group was an independent force reporting to the German plenipotentiary general for economic affairs NSFK Obergruppenfuhrer Franz Neuhausen 18 Operations editGeneral edit Although its ultimate aim was to help defeat the communist forces in the Soviet Union the Corps was used almost exclusively to fight the Partisans in areas of occupied Yugoslavia initially in a defensive role At its maximum strength it was composed of one cavalry regiment and four infantry regiments 19 Between the autumn of 1941 and the spring of 1944 the Corps was primarily responsible for protecting weapons factories mines roads and railroads throughout occupied Serbia in accordance with priorities established by the German High Command 10 The Corps never operated as a unified force the regiment being its largest operational unit The regiments were later assigned to act as auxiliaries to German or Bulgarian occupying forces 20 During its existence it was reinforced with younger emigres and former Soviet prisoners of war POW 19 Russian emigres living in Bulgaria the Axis puppet Independent State of Croatia NDH and Hungary also came to Belgrade to join the force 21 It was armed by the Germans with weapons captured from the Royal Yugoslav Army 10 and its command language was Russian 8 Throughout its existence it maintained good relations with the Nedic administration 5 While guarding facilities members of the Corps were largely assigned to manning brick bunkers protecting the railway in the Ibar River valley the Bor Trepca Majdanpek and Krupanj mines as well as the borders of the occupied territory along the Danube and Drina rivers They were often deployed alongside various Serbian collaborationist forces such as the Serbian State Guard SDS and the Serbian Volunteer Corps SDK 20 with whom they were most closely allied The Corps also closely cooperated with the Croatian fascist Ustase when operating in the neighbouring NDH 5 Members of the Corps also plundered peasants in the areas within which they operated 22 Early actions edit nbsp nbsp Krupanj nbsp Bor nbsp Trepca nbsp Kraljevo nbsp Jagodinaclass notpageimage Map showing the early deployment locations of the Russian Protective Corps The Corps was initially used to guard mines at Krupanj in the west of the territory and later at Bor in the west and Trepca in the south 20 The 1st Regiment was initially deployed in Loznica Ljubovija and other towns along the Drina river which formed the western border of the occupied territory 23 The 2nd Regiment first operated in towns such as Negotin Bor and Majdanpek near the eastern border with Romania 24 At the time the two regiments were operationally subordinated to the German 704th Infantry Division 25 In November 1941 the Corps began actively collaborating with the Chetniks of Draza Mihailovic against the Partisans 5 On 8 December 1941 the Corps defended the Stolice mine near Krupanj against the Partisans 26 By late 1941 it had 1 500 members 20 The 3rd Regiment was established in Banjica near Belgrade on 8 January 1942 placed under the command of Colonel Shapilov 27 and deployed to Kosovska Mitrovica near the Trepca mines in the south 28 where it was operationally subordinated to the Bulgarian 1st Occupation Corps 25 The 4th Regiment was established on 29 April with General Cherepov as commander 29 and was deployed to the central west region of the occupied territory area around Kraljevo 30 In May the Corps was divided into two brigades The 1st Brigade was placed under the command of Major General Dratsenko and its headquarters was established in the town of Aranđelovac on 22 May 31 Also in May Kewisch submitted a report stating that if he were permitted to recruit from all areas of Europe under German control he could raise a force of about 25 000 men He also urged the higher authorities to re organise the Corps and integrate it more closely with the Wehrmacht After considerable discussion on 29 October the German High Command ordered a re organization renaming it the Russian Protective Corps and subordinating it completely to the German Commanding General in Serbia 8 On 30 November the 4th Regiment was disbanded its 1st Battalion assigned to the 1st Regiment and the rest of its manpower assigned to the 2nd Regiment 30 On 1 December 1942 the Corps was incorporated into the Wehrmacht and all its members were required to swear an oath to German leader Adolf Hitler 5 The Corps grew in numbers throughout 1942 following an influx of volunteers from Bulgaria Croatia Romania and Greece By late 1942 the Corps totalled about 7 500 men all of whom were Russian 8 20 During the re organization an attempt was made to expand the Corps further by recruiting Soviet POWs but the first experiment with 300 POWs proved unsuccessful and was not repeated 32 On 9 December 1942 the 1st Regiment started to be transformed with the arrival of Kuban Cossacks led by Major General Naumenko 23 By January 1943 it consisted entirely of Cossacks 33 On 17 March 1943 Major General Gontarev replaced Shapilov as commander of the 3rd Regiment 25 The 1st Regiment fought in Loznica in April and participated in a large operation in Zapolje just south of Krupanj over the border with the NDH on 11 15 May where it engaged in heavy combat with Partisan forces 33 From 1 8 July the regiment was again stationed in Loznica and Ljubovija participating in the defence of the Drina Bridge at Zvornik against the Partisans During this time the regiment allowed the passage of 379 wounded Croatian soldiers and civilians 1 000 healthy soldiers and as many refugees sustaining casualties of two killed and seventeen wounded It clashed with the Partisans over the village of Nedelica on 19 July 34 Meanwhile the 2nd Regiment clashed with the Partisans around the town of Negotin 35 The 4th Regiment was re established on 15 December and was based in Jagodina Paracin and Cuprija in the centre of the occupied territory 36 Retreat surrender disbandment edit nbsp nbsp Josanicka Banja nbsp Leposavic nbsp Valjevo nbsp Ripanj nbsp Cacakclass notpageimage Map showing locations where the Russian Protective Corps fought in 1944 1945 From the spring of 1944 the Corps focused increasingly on fighting the Partisans penetrating Serbia from Bosnia and the Sandzak and the first clashes with Chetnik groups did not occur until 1944 37 On 5 January 1944 combat with the Partisans in Klenak resulted in the deaths of three Cossacks of the 1st Regiment 38 On 18 January the 5th Regiment was formed in Obrenovac 39 The 3rd Regiment outfought a 2 400 strong Partisan force advancing towards Josanicka Banja on 31 March 40 On 28 April the 1st Regiment prepared defences along the Drina in Zvornik Bajina Basta and Loznica areas expecting the 16th and 17th Partisan Divisions to attempt a crossing there 38 On 30 April the headquarters of the 4th Regiment was moved to Aleksinac 36 On 1 2 May the 5th Regiment fought the Partisans in the village of Mravinci sustaining casualties of 11 killed and 25 wounded 39 That summer the Corps mediated an agreement between one group of Chetniks and the Germans in which the two parties agreed to fight the Partisans in Serbia 37 On 18 July the 5th Regiment fought in Josanicka Banja and its regimental headquarters was moved there from Obrenovac with battalion headquarters being established in Zvecan Josanicka Banja Usce and Vucitrn Elements of the 3rd and 5th Regiments fought the Partisans on 4 5 August near the village of Rudnik The Partisans attacked the positions of the 5th Regiment in Leposavic on 24 August 39 In September the Corps reached its peak of 11 197 members 37 Several skirmishes occurred between the 1st Regiment and the Partisans in the Zvornik and Valjevo areas that month 38 On 7 8 September the 2nd Regiment fought Partisans at the Ibar River trying to deny them crossing 41 On 9 September elements of the 3rd Regiment moved to Pozega and on 11 September to Cacak 40 On 20 September the 1st Regiment fought a group of Partisans south of Loznica Major combat between the 1st Regiment and Partisans erupted in Loznica itself on 23 September causing the regiment to fall back to Sabac with losses of 7 killed and 23 wounded Combat continued daily throughout September with the 1st Regiment suffering up to 53 casualties per day 38 On 22 September combined Soviet Red Army and Bulgarian People s Army forces began entering the occupied territory from the east and joined Partisan forces as part of the Belgrade Offensive aimed at capturing the Serbian capital 42 On 8 October the 2nd Regiment headquarters in Pozarevac was evacuated as Soviet armour approached the town As parts of the regiment moved towards Belgrade and Grocka they came into contact with Soviet troops and armour in the Ripanj area south of Belgrade sustaining heavy casualties 41 On 10 October the Russian Protective Corps was renamed the Russian Corps in Serbia 12 On 15 October the headquarters of the 4th Regiment was moved to Cacak 36 nbsp nbsp Hrvatska Mitrovica nbsp Sarajevo nbsp Travnik nbsp Zagreb nbsp Brcko nbsp Cacakclass notpageimage Map of the NDH showing the retreat of the Russian Protective Corps in 1944 1945 Elements of the 2nd Regiment arrived in Sabac on 22 October then moved to Hrvatska Mitrovica in the NDH on 23 October Vukovar two days later Osijek on 26 October and then to Vinkovci and Stari Jankovci two days later Further parts of the regiment moved to Zemun on 13 October Ruma on 14 October Vinkovci on 16 October and Stari Jankovci on 24 October 41 On 19 22 October the 4th Regiment fought advancing Soviet troops and Partisans and defended the Cacak Kraljevo road 36 On 23 October the 1st Regiment abandoned Sabac and Klenak and moved to Lacarak and then to Tovarnik on 24 October where they were ordered to hold their ground 38 The 4th Regiment fought in the Cacak area from 27 October to 2 November 36 It faced the Red Army and the Chetnik 2nd Ravna Gora Corps 43 before being overpowered and forced to abandon the city 36 The Chetniks captured 339 of its soldiers and turned them over to the Soviets 43 On 12 November the 1st Regiment moved via railway through Vinkovci to Brcko with elements deployed north across the Sava in Gunja On 8 December it regrouped north of the Sava and on 11 13 December it fought the Partisans in and near the village of Vrbanja killing forty three 38 The 4th Regiment arrived in Sarajevo in the NDH on 13 18 December Elements subsequently moved to nearby Kiseljak on 18 December fighting Partisans in the Kiseljak Busovaca area on 26 27 December 36 During this time the 1st Regiment and a battalion of the 2nd Regiment guarded a bridgehead north of Brcko in order to allow German forces to withdraw through the town 44 In January 1945 elements of the Corps participated in the German capture of Travnik part of Operation Lawine 45 Afterwards they withdrew to Slovenia 5 On 30 April Shteifon died while passing through Zagreb in the Esplanade hotel 46 Colonel Anatoly Rogozhin took over as commander 47 On 12 May Rogozhin surrendered to the British near Klagenfurt 48 At the time of surrender the Corps consisted of 4 500 men according to Puskadija Ribkin 49 3 500 men according to Granitov 50 Members of Russian Protective Corps alongside members of Ustase Militia and SDK were exempt from amnesty given by new communist authorities on August 3 because they were volunteers in a fascist unit 51 Timofejev writes that the Corps consisted of 5 584 men by the end of the war Between 1941 and 1945 6 709 of its members were killed wounded or went missing 52 In total 17 090 men served in its ranks over the course of the war 10 According to Rogozhin several hundred men and their families who had fled the camp in Lienz and who were subject to forced repatriation to the USSR joined the Russian Corps from mid June 1945 in order to avoid deportation to the Soviet Union 53 Rogozhin s men were spared that fate because they were not regarded as Soviet citizens 49 Immediately after disarmament and transfer to Austrian territory the Corps settled in the Viktring International Camp Next the Corps moved to a separate camp in the area of Kl St Veit Tigring and received from the British a small amount of small arms to maintain order and protect against partisan attacks After examining the history of the Corps the British decided to demobilise it in October Its members were then sent in the Kellerberg DP Camp northwest of Villach Austria Rogozhin on 1 November 1945 issued an order that notified his subordinates of demobilisation 54 The Corps badge was a white militia cross in the middle of which was a Gallipoli cross with the dates 1917 1921 1941 1945 indicating two periods of the anti communist struggle The badge was established by Order to the Russian Corps N100 of July 26 1945 Those who had the right to wear this sign received a corresponding certificate signed by the commander and with the seal of the Russian Corps In emigration these signs were worn in a miniature tailcoat version or in a large size on the Cossack uniform Most of the already disarmed ranks of the Russian Corps spent several years in the DP camp Kellerberg Austria which gave them the right to wear a second badge for those who were in this camp Former members of the Corps were subsequently allowed to resettle in the West mainly in the United States and Argentina 49 19 In exile veterans formed the Union of Officials of the Russian Corps SChRK Soyuz Chinov Russkogo Korpusa registered as the Union of St Alexander Nevsky Order of battle editAt its maximum strength the Russian Corps was composed of 19 1st Cossack Regiment General Zborovski Infantry Regiments II III IV VIn May 1942 the Corps was divided into two brigades 31 The 4th Regiment was disbanded on 30 November 1942 30 and re established on 15 December 1943 36 The 5th Regiment was created on 18 January 1944 39 Commanders editThe Russian Corps had three commanders during its existence 7 12 46 No Portrait Commander Took office Left office Time in office1 nbsp Skorodumov Mikhail GeneralMikhail Skorodumov 1892 1963 12 September 194114 September 19412 days2 nbsp Shteifon Boris Lieutenant GeneralBoris Shteifon 1881 1945 15 September 194130 April 1945 3 years 227 days3 nbsp Rogozhin Anatoly ColonelAnatoly Rogozhin 1893 1972 30 April 194512 May 194512 daysUniform editMembers of the Corps wore the uniform of the Russian Imperial Army from 12 September 1941 to 30 November 1942 as well as the Czechoslovakian helmet The uniform was sometimes worn with pips of the Royal Yugoslav Army alongside special rank insignia on the collar Wehrmacht uniforms and insignia were adopted on 1 December 1942 19 but the old uniforms continued to be worn for some time 55 nbsp Uniform 1942 shoulder straps of an artillery colonel WWI and oberleutnant s buttonholes Russian Corps L1Rank insignia edit Collar patches and sleeves showed the actual rank in the Corps while those who have held Tsarist rank wore rank insignia in the form of traditional shoulder straps denoting their former rank Both types of insignia were improvised using rank stars from the Royal Yugoslav Army 56 Rank insignia Russian German nbsp Generalmayor Generalmajor nbsp Polkovnik Oberst nbsp Podpolkovnik Oberstleutnant nbsp Mayor Major nbsp Kapitan Hauptmann nbsp Poruchik Oberleutnant nbsp Podporuchik Leutnant nbsp Feldfebel Feldwebel nbsp Unterofitzer Unteroffizier nbsp Yefreytor GefreiterSource 56 Notes edit Trikolor kak simvol kontrrevolyucii McAteer 2009 p 264 Question 15 000 figure Robinson Paul 2003 The White Russian Army in Exile 1920 1941 2nd ed Oxford Oxford University Press pp 45 46 ISBN 0199250219 Cohen 1996 p 28 a b c d e f g h Cohen 1996 p 50 Singleton 1985 p 182 a b c Timofejev 2007 p 45 a b c d e f Tomasevich 2001 p 192 a b Tomasevich 2001 p 191 a b c d Cohen 1996 p 49 a b Tomasevich 2001 pp 191 192 a b c d Thomas amp Mikulan 1995 pp 21 22 Tomasevich Jozo 2002 2001 The Puppet Government of Serbia War and Revolution in Yugoslavia 1941 1945 Occupation and Collaboration Vol 2 Stanford California Stanford University Press p 192 ISBN 9780804779241 Retrieved 4 October 2022 Skorodumov was chosen by the Germans but he was sick and old and not well known to the rank and file of Russian emigres He was replaced within the first month by his chief of staff General Boris Aleksandrovich Steifon Batshev Vladimir 2005 Vlasov opyt literaturnogo issledovaniya Vlasov opyt literaturnogo issledovaniya Vlasov an essay in literary investigation Vlasov opyt literaturnogo issledovaniya ISBN 9783936996142 in Russian Vol 1 2 ed Mosty p 386 ISBN 9783936996128 Retrieved 4 October 2022 14 sentyabrya Skorodumova priglasili v Gestapo i arestovali On 14 September Skorodumov was invited to the Gestapo and arrested Abbott 1983 p 22 Vertepov 1963 pp 38 39 Vertepov 1963 p 40 Timofejev 2007 p 47 a b c d e Thomas amp Mikulan 1995 p 22 a b c d e Timofejev 2010 p 47 Mordwinkin 2003 p 69 Tomasevich 2001 p 185 a b Vertepov 1963 pp 79 81 Vertepov 1963 p 81 a b c Vertepov 1963 pp 120 121 Vertepov 1963 pp 73 75 Vertepov 1963 p 76 Vertepov 1963 p 82 Vertepov 1963 p 77 a b c Vertepov 1963 p 83 a b Vertepov 1963 pp 77 78 Tomasevich 2001 p 193 a b Vertepov 1963 p 116 Vertepov 1963 p 117 Vertepov 1963 p 119 a b c d e f g h Vertepov 1963 pp 157 160 a b c Cohen 1996 pp 49 50 a b c d e f Vertepov 1963 pp 144 151 a b c d Vertepov 1963 pp 160 163 a b Vertepov 1963 pp 155 157 a b c Vertepov 1963 pp 151 155 Tomasevich 1975 pp 417 418 a b Tomasevich 1975 p 394 Vertepov 1963 pp 25 26 Vertepov 1963 p 24 a b Vertepov 1963 p 27 348 349 Mordwinkin 2003 p 87 Vertepov 1963 pp 28 366 369 a b c Puskadija Ribkin 2006 p 253 Vertepov 1963 p 28 Radanovic 2016 p 189 Timofejev 2010 p 48 Vertepov 1963 p 391 392 Vertepov 1963 p 399 400 Abbott 1983 p 35 a b Thomas amp Mikulan 1995 pp 34 References editBooksAbbott Peter 1983 Partisan Warfare 1941 45 London Osprey ISBN 978 0 85045 513 7 Cohen Philip J 1996 Serbia s Secret War Propaganda and the Deceit of History College Station Texas Texas A amp M University Press ISBN 978 0 89096 760 7 McAteer Sean M 2009 500 Days The War in Eastern Europe 1944 1945 Pittsburgh Pennsylvania Dorrance Publishing ISBN 978 1 4349 6159 4 Puskadija Ribkin Tatjana 2006 Emigranti iz Rusije u znanstvenom i kulturnom zivotu Zagreba Zagreb Prosvjeta ISBN 953 7130 36 3 Mordwinkin George 2003 Russian White Guards Bloomington Indiana Trafford Publishing ISBN 978 1 55395 548 1 Radanovic Milan 2016 Kazna i zlocin Snage kolaboracije u Srbiji Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Singleton Frederick Bernard 1985 A Short History of the Yugoslav Peoples New York Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 27485 2 Thomas Nigel Mikulan Krunoslav 1995 Axis Forces in Yugoslavia 1941 45 New York Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 85532 473 2 Timofejev Aleksej 2007 Political Activity of Russian Emigration in Yugoslavia 1941 1945 PDF New York ISBN 978 1 85532 473 2 Archived from the original PDF on 3 December 2013 Retrieved 17 August 2013 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a journal ignored help CS1 maint location missing publisher link Timofejev Aleksej 2010 Rusi i drugi svetski rat u Jugoslaviji Russians and the Second World War in Yugoslavia in Serbo Croatian Belgrade Institut za noviju istoriju Srbije ISBN 978 86 7005 089 1 Tomasevich Jozo 1975 War and Revolution in Yugoslavia 1941 1945 The Chetniks Stanford California Stanford University Press ISBN 978 0 8047 0857 9 Tomasevich Jozo 2001 War and Revolution in Yugoslavia 1941 1945 Occupation and Collaboration Stanford California Stanford University Press ISBN 978 0 8047 3615 2 Vertepov Dmitriĭ Petrovich 1963 Russkij Korpus na Balkanah vo vremya II Velikoj Vojny 1941 1945 g g Russian Corps in the Balkans at the Time of the Second Great War PDF in Russian New York Nashi vesti OCLC 976722812 JournalsHehn Paul N 1971 Serbia Croatia and Germany 1941 1945 Civil War and Revolution in the Balkans Canadian Slavonic Papers 13 4 University of Alberta 344 373 doi 10 1080 00085006 1971 11091249 JSTOR 40866373 Further reading editBeyda Oleg 2014 Iron Cross of the Wrangel s Army Russian Emigrants as Interpreters in the Wehrmacht The Journal of Slavic Military Studies 27 3 430 448 doi 10 1080 13518046 2014 932630 S2CID 144274571 M V Nazarov The Mission of the Russian Emigration Moscow Rodnik 1994 ISBN 978 5 86231 172 3 I B Ivanov N N Protopopov Russkii Korpus Na Balkanakh Vo Vremia II Velikoi Voiny 1941 1945 Vospominaniia Soratnikov I Dokumenty Sbornik Vtoroi St Petersburg St Petersburg University 1999 ISBN 978 5 288 02307 1 Badges of the Russian Corps and DP Camp Kellerberg Official Photo Archive of the Russian Corps Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Russian Protective Corps amp oldid 1213972324, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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