17.08.2024 marked 5 years since I started this blog, for this occasion one special text follows.
On the 09.07.1941 Hrvatski pomorski odjel(Croatian naval legion) was formed with Andro Vrkljan as its commander to serve under Kriegsmarine on the Black sea. Note about units name: offical German name was Kroatische marine abteilung, several Croatian names were used officially: Hrvatski pomorski odjel(aministration,cancels) Hrvatska pomorska legija(on the units badge) and Hrvatski Pomorski sklop na Crnom moru(adminstration). In the beginning all the personel were Croats from former Royal Yugoslav Navy. Members were transfered from Croatia to Varna(Bulgarian port on the Black sea)in several goups from several places:
1. group on 17.07.1941 with 120 men(from Zagreb).
2. group in 08.1941 with 88 men(from Zagreb?).
3. group on 27.09.1941 with 52 men(from Sisak).
4. group in 1.1942 with 82 men(from Zemun).
Legion served on Black and Azov sea until in returned to Croatia on 21.05.1944, officially it was disbanded on 23.05.1944. Units total strength was around 340 men, it was assigned Fp.number 23713 . Not a single member of the Croatian Naval Legion ever switched sides and deserted to Soviets.
Due to units small size feldpost from legion is very rare. Below follows a small collection of letters sent from one of its members, Obermachinen maat (Machinist's Mates) Šemsudin Ruždijić to a lady friend in Zagreb. His path from Yugoslav Royal navy to Legion is typical for all members.
22.01.1940 letter sent from Đenović, while he was a cadet in 25.class of Mašinska škola(Machinist school) in Kumbor in Royal Yugosla Navy. He writes that he is serving on a ship named "Zagreb" ( a destroyer).
31.07.1941. This letter was mailed via Fp.34437 Stützpunkt-Kompanie Admiral Südost, badly visable is purple cancel on the left. (All early mail from 7.1941 bears this cancel with Fp.34437). He was in the 1.group that left Zagreb and arrived in Varna. In letter he states he couldn't write from Sofia as they weren't told their feldpost adress! Now he writes it is Fp.23713. German censorship.
07.11.1941 letter from Fp.23713 but without feldpost cancels, dated in text. German censorship. Text is usual greetings.
05.03.1942 small size letter from Fp.23713 but without feldpost cancels, dated in text. German censorship. Text is interesting, location of writing Azovsko more( Sea of Azov), he states he didnt recieve a letter from her in 7 months. She marked all letters when she recived them, this one mailed 05.03 arrived on 15.05.1942.
08.07.1942 letter carried in person to Croatia than mailed loco in Zagreb, cover has red cancel Feldpostnummer but without number.
20.11.1942 letter from Fp.23713 mailed via Luftfeldpost , marked with such stamp. German censorship, wrongly marked as recieved on 20.11.1942.
08.04.1943 letter from Fp.23173 , with nice Feldpost and units Fp.nummer-Briefstempel cancels . In text location noted as Crno more (Black sea). German censorship.
08.07.1943 letter carried in person to Croatia then mailed from Slavonski Brod to Zagreb, dated in text, Fp.23713 noted at the back. Postal cancel 20.07. Regretably someone cut out Croatian stamp. Censored by Croatian censorship, purple square cancel is most likely Cenzura br.45 (censor office in Slavonski Brod). Text is very interesting, location of writing is noted as Varna(Bulgaria), he states that he is regularly sailing on route from Varna to Konstanca(Constanța,Romania) and back. It was one of Legions regular duties: convoy protection, minesweeping or antisubmarine patrole.
The one and only book that deals with Croatian naval legion is this one "Hrvatski Argonauti 20 stoljeća" written by Legions commander Andro Vrkljan(1902-1995) long after the war. It was published in Croatian in 2011.
