Lako Prevozni Zdrug Hrvatske Legije(LPZHL) - Light Transport Brigade was Croatian legionnaire unit fighting in Russia as part of Italian army.
I acquired 2 cards sent from LPZHL , both mailed by same person, lieutenant Stjepan Strnečki . He signed both cards as tenetne(lieutenant) S.S. and he is the only lieutenent in Brigade with those initials. Card from Riva del Garda is aditionally signed Pišta which is common nickname for people called Stjepan .
Card pictured above was mailed from Riva del Garde where Brigade was in training. Date in text 06.02.1942 , Zagreb cancel 13.02.1942
Card reads " Im in Italy in Croatian Legion, i m here already for a month. We will stay here for at least a month or maybe more. Latter we will go to Russia. Such is a soldiers destiny .."
LPZHL mail from Riva del Garda was transported by couriers to Zagreb Croatia and then mailed by local postal services. Only a few such cards exist.
Feldpost card mailed 01.06.1942 from LPZHL fighting in Russia .
In Acta Nova Philatelica 2015 , mr.Pervan wrote that there are only 4 known cards mailed from LPZHL, there is also one pictured in book Kroatien by Wieneke-Kruse (5th card).
This is then 6th known card in philatelic circles!
A couple of such cards are kept in Croatian state Archive but are off limit to collectors.
Card was mailed via Posta militare PM40 used by Divisio celere Amedeo Duca d'Aosta ,whose part was Brigade at that time .Sender notes his post address PM88 used by Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia- CSIR (Corpo di Spedizione Russia)
Rare cancel in red LEGIONE CROATA AUTOTRANSPORTABILE - which was official Italian name for LPZHL
Ltn.Strnečki returned to Croatia sometime before Russian operation Little Saturn that destroyed completely LPZHL on 20.12.1942 (along with most of Italian Army in Russia). He was later member of II.Croatian Legion that was training in Riva del Garda when Italy capitulated in 9.1943 , his latter fate is unknown to me.
Strnečki received 2 medals for his actions on the eastern front , one medal was awarded to him on 20.09.1942 on the front line therefore he returned to Croatia after 20.09.1942 but before 16.12.1942 when Little Saturn operation started.
During and after fighting in Operation Little Saturn (battle on Don river) only 4 soldiers of LPZHL made it back home to Croatia out of 1100 strong Brigade.
4 soldiers were:
Ltn. Vincenzo Smolčić - a Croat serving in Italian Army that served as a liason officer attached to Brigade, made it to friendly lines during chaotic fighting on Don
Domobran Vinko Tutavac - escaped with Ltn Smolčić
Sargent Marko Begić - captured by Russians, escaped to friendly lines and reached Chertkovo ( this town was surrounded by Soviets and become known as small Stalingrad , but later Germans and Italians stationed there broke through this siege and reached friendly lines on 15.01.1943, Begić escaped with them)
Domobran Jožef Vilk -captured by Soviets , escaped on 03.02.1943 to friendly lines.
Excellent books on the topic that i highly recommend:
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| Amir Obhođaš LPZHL, book in Croatian about the Brigade, the best book on the topic. |
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| Eugenio Corti : A Few Returned , memoirs of a young artillery officer in Pasubio division, describes horrors on Don front and break from the siege of Chertkovo, book in English |
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| Hope Hamilton :Sacrifice on the Steppe : excellent book about Alpini Corps fighting on the Don front , describes realistically the conditions on the Don front. Alpini Corps was also on the Don river front some 70km Northwest from LPZHL. |
