281. Ukrainian Reserve Brigade

[Abel Ravasz]

I'm looking for info about this little-known Ukrainian formation. What I know so far is that it joined General Shandruk's Ukrainian National Army (UNA). Was commanded by Colonel F. Gudyma and had 5000 men (!). Was deployed in Denmark.

I've tried numerous sources including Askold's excellent on-line library, but got only little more then various versions of the same half-sentence.

Any other info on this very obscure unit?

Thanks,

Abel

[Lorenz]

Hmmm........

I know of two comprehensive sweeps through all of the German records concerning the subject of Osttruppen and the various national formations that were set up by the Germans. One of them was done between 1966 and 1974 and is entitled:
Buss, Phillip - “Non-Germans in the German Armed Forces, 1941-45”. Unpublished dissertation, University of Kent (England), 1974.
The other one was done by me between 1977 and 1995. If you know the Buss dissertation, then you know how thorough it is. My investigations were thorough, too, and involved a careful study of more than 700 rolls of microfilmed German records.

I never came across any mention of your unit nor is there any mention of it in Buss. Which doesn't necessarily mean it didn't exist, but there just does not seem to be any mention of it in the German military records.

Are we absolutely certain that it isn't Reiter-Hundertschaft der Sicherungsdivision 281 > Ost-Reiter-Abt. 281, which was also known as Ukrain. Reiter-Abt. 281? The men in this unit were "Russian PoWs, mostly Ukrainians", according to the documents. But it did not end the war in Denmark, but rather in Festung Lorient in Brittany.

This is the only Ost- unit or unit made up of foreign nationals that carried the number 281.

--Lorenz

[Abel Ravasz]

Hi,

thanks for the efforts, Lorenzo!

Well, You have come to approximately the same results as I did, still I have got a few ideas.

This unit, as part of the UNA, could have carried a different designation in the UNA and for the Wehrmacht (see the case of the ROA/KONR divisions, numbered 1=600, 2=650 respectively). So, 281. might not be the right number at all.

As far as it seems to me, the primary source for my above claim is general Pavlo Shandruk's book. The same half-sentence as in his book is repeated in numerous publications, but his book seems to be the oldest. And, after all, generals tend to make mistakes.

I'm really sure that the unit mentioned is not the Ost-Reiter Abt 281. The size, arm, place and time just don't match.

I'm quite sure about the size, though. If You, as the chief of a national army, have all in all two divisions and two brigades, You'll be sure to remember those four units quite well.

The only problem is that the sole brigade-sized formation at Denmark during late 45 was the Russ Brig 599, but that doesn't come into consideration. No trace of this unit in the -online available- KTB of the Ia WB Denmark. Thus I'm quite clueless.

I can only hope that the name F. Gudyma could shed some light on this unit.

Abel

[Lorenz]

Abel -

Given what you have said above, I wonder if the number "281" relates to an all-Ukrainian unit in the Red Army, probably prior to 1942? Or perhaps a Ukrainian unit from World War I? It almost seems like the number might be an honorific or traditions designation that refers to something from earlier Ukrainian history. Just an idea.

--Lorenz

[Abel Ravasz]

This is quite an interesting idea, Lorenz! I'll see if I can dig up anything about "281" and the Ukrainian independence movement.

This is sure going to involve a lot of reading in Russian/Ukrainian. (sigh)

I'll be sure to let You know if I can find anything.

Abel

[sid guttridge]

Hi Guys,

From memory, I think that at one stage the majority of the infantry (six battalions?) of the German 416th Infantry Division in Denmark consisted of Osttruppen. It was these that I believe became the ROA's Brigade 599 towards the end of the war. Whether they included Ukrainians or whether these were put into their own unit I do not know.

Cheers,

Sid.

[jarek]

About eastern troops in Denmark see http://www.zuport.dk/imageuploads/file_ ... omplet.pdf
Bestreg.
Jarek

[Abel Ravasz]

Hi Jarek & Sid,

I have already seen the KTB of the WB Denmark, but, unfortunately, there was no clue.

Sid, the 599. Brigade included one eastern battalion, the Ukr Bn 683. But this unit never became a part of the UNA.

[Michi]

Hi Jarek & Sid,
......
Sid, the 599. Brigade included one eastern battalion, the Ukr Bn 683. But this unit never became a part of the UNA.

The russische Grenadier-Brigade 599 (bodenständig) was never part of the UNA or the UVV.

Hi Guys,
.......
It was these that I believe became the ROA's Brigade 599 towards the end of the war.....
Cheers,

Sid.

AND the russische Grenadier-Brigade 599 (bodenständig) was NEVER A PART of the ROA.


MfG Michi

[sid guttridge]

Hi Michi,

The following site says 599 Brigade was part of Vlasov's forces:

http://www.axishistory.com/index.php?id=4585

It gives its source as "Die Geschichte der Wlassow-Armee" by Joachim Hoffmann.

Cheers,

Sid.

[Michi]

That's wrong.

Maybe a reader with no knowledge in German language has read the book, and misunderstood something.
Have a look at page 95 of the mentioned book.

Here is a link: (German discussion about the russ. Gren.Brig. 599 (bo))
http://forum.panzer-archiv.de/viewtopic.php?t=3718

MfG Michi

[Lorenz]

Sorry to butt in, but after reviewing my notes from Hoffmann and Muñoz and the 599 thread on the panzer-archiv.de web site, I would have to side with Michi on this. It does indeed appear that 599 remained under General d. Freiw. Verbände im OKH control as long as it remained in Denmark. The intention at the beginning was to make it part of the ROA, but this never came about. As long as it remained in Denmark, it was used to assemble personnel and equip them for the eventuality of turning the Brigade over to the ROA. But the events of the war caught up with these plans and they were never executed.

http://forum.panzer-archiv.de/viewtopic.php?t=3718
Thread: russ. Gren.Brig. 599 (bo)...

Auszug aus dem KTB des W.B. Dänemark 1945
betreffend die Russ. Brigade 599 (bo)

16.2.1945

....WFSt informiert W.B. Dänemark fernmdtl. Über den beabsichtigten Abzug eines russ. Rgt. Aus den nordjütischen Raum und dessen Eingliederung in die Armee „ Wlassow“. Hierzu wird das russ. Gren. Rgt. 714 vorgesehen, jedoch verbleibt das deutsche Rahmenpersonal zu künftige Neuaufstellungen in Dänemark....

5.4.1945

....Durch Abtransport Kampfgruppe 233.Pz.Div. Mangel an Bewachungskräften im westlichen Bereich O.F.K. 381. Russische Brigade übernimmt freiwerdende Objekte....

11.4.1945

....FS an den General d. Freiw. Verbände im OKH mit Aufforderung von Geschützen für neu aufzustellende II./A.R.1599 (russ. Brigade 599)....

9.5.1945

....Marschgruppe E steht südlich von Skern. Schwirigkeiten beim Russen. Entwaffnung der russischen Brigade ist von A.O.K. angeordnet und wird am 10.5.1945 beginnend durchgeführt....

Comment: you have to "read between the lines" a bit, but the circumstantial evidence is very strong that it was never turned over to Vlasov's ROA.

--Lorenz

[sid guttridge]

Hi Guys,

So, to summarise: Russ. Gren. Brig. 599 was allocated to the ROA but never formally turned over to it?

Cheers,

Sid.

[Lorenz]

Hi Guys,
So, to summarise: Russ. Gren. Brig. 599 was allocated to the ROA but never formally turned over to it?
Cheers,
Sid.

In the absence of more perfect information, that appears to be the case. It comes down to a weighing of the circumstantial evidence on both sides of the issue. Without a clear and unequivocal statement in an OKH or OKW document that 599 had been handed over to Vlasov on such and such date, then we have to accept that the entries in the Wehrmachtbefehlshaber Dänemark Kriegstagebuch are the best evidence available. Had the war lasted another month or two, and had the Americans not linked up with the Russians at Torgau and cut the Reich in half, then the odds are that 599 would have been formally turned over to Vlasov and sent south to join his ROA forces in Czechoslovakia.

--Lorenz

[Michi]

Einspruch euer Ehren!

Gemäß Hoffmann stellt sich die Lage folgendermaßen dar:
Die Gren.Brig. 599 (russ.) (bo.) wurde am 10. Jänner 1945 im Bereich des Wehrmachtsbefehlshabers Dänemark aufgestellt.
Diese Brigade war allgemeindienstlich dem General der Freiwilligenverbände im OKH; taktisch den Kommandobehörden des Feld- bzw. Heimatheeres unterstellt.
Zu dieser Kategorie (russische Verbände außerhalb der Wlassow-Armee) gehörten auch:
Freiwilligen-Stamm-Regiment 2 (russ.)
Freiwilligen-Stamm-Regiment 3 (ukr.)
Freiwilligen-Stamm-Regiment 4 (ukr.)
Bau-Pionier-Regiment & Nachschub-Regiment ?? (russ.) zu 6 Btl.
25 selbständige russische, ukrainische & kosakische Kampf-Bataillone & -Abteilungen
14 selbständige russische, ukrainische & kosakische Bau-Pionier- & Nachschub-Bataillone
eine nicht zu übersehende Anzahl an Verbänden in Kompaniestärke.

Fact 1:
The Gren.Brig. 599 (bo) (russ.) was -in general matters- subordinated to the Commanding General of the Volunteer Forces within the OKH.
The Gren.Brig. 599 (bo) (russ.) was -in tactical matters- subordinated to the field-army respectively the home-army.

Fact 2:
Hoffmann makes clear that there were Russian units outside the Vlassov-Army.
Additional to the above mentioned units outside the ROA the so-called 1. RNA (Russian National Army) of GenMjr Cholmston-Smyslowskij can also be counted to this kind.

Fact 3:
The intention was that the Gren.Brig. 599 (bo) (russ.) should be the replacement/training pool for the so-called Eastern Legions (Azerbaijdzanian, Armenian, Gerogian,....) and -primarly- for the still existing Eastern Battalions (= Russen bzw. Ost Bataillone).


I have one or two points more which support closely the theory that the Gren.Brig. 599 (bo) (russ.) was no part of Vlassov's ROA-Army.

Hope these points are helpful to clarify the view.



MfG Michi