369.Croatian Infantry division

369.Croatian Infantry division -  369.(Kroatische) Infanterie-Division

369.Croatian Infantry division (German : "369. (Kroatische) Infanterie-Division") was legionary unit (Croatian soldiers commanded by Germans) during WWII. Division was formed on 21.08.1942 in Austrian city of  Stockerau from Croat army soldiers( from Domobranstvo)  serving under German C.O and N.C.O.
It was nicknamed Devils(Vražja)division by Croat soldiers , in honor of 42. Domobran division from WWI . Germans called it "Schachbrett" (Chess board) division in reference to Croatian arm shield (checkered) worn on the sleeve.
 Training of division started from  9.1942 in military camp Döllersheim . By the end of 1942 division had 12-14,000 soldiers. Included in division were former members of 369.reinforced(croat.)infantry regiment who avoided  disaster in Stalingrad , possibly around 1000 of them served in the unit , but  number is unconfirmed.
Divisions transfer to Croatian homeland started  on 18.12.1942 and from the beginning of 1943 division participates in fighting. Division was never used as a whole ,but individual regiments and battalions were used in wide areas of Croatia
Operational area of division  was from river Sava to Adriatic sea ,and from city of Karlovac to Drina river in the east . Unit participated in numerous anti-partisan operations during 1943 and 1944, it also took  part in disarmament of surrendered Italian army in Herzegovina and Dalmatia.

Division as larger unit (but not as a whole) was used in  some bigger operations . Those are

Operation  Weiss 1 and  2 : in 1-3.1943 division attack on  Banovina (Banija) and Cazinska krajina ,  it pursueded  partisan forces towards  Glamoču, Livno and onwards to Jablanica, (Battle of  Neretva)
Operation Schwarz:  .5-6.1943-  eastern  Bosnia  (Battle of  Sutjeska)
Operation Kugelblitz 12.1943 – eastern Bosina

From October  1943. unit is part of  5.SS mountain corps stationed in eastern  Bosnia , Herzegovina and southern Dalmatia.
Reinforced recon battalion of 369.division took  part in operation  Rösselsprung( (Knight's move) during  5-6.1944 in western Bosnia (also called  Desant na Drvar) .

In the end od 1944 unit took part in defence of Dubrovnik area and eastern Herzegovina where it takes heavy casualties, in  early 1945 it is in defence of Mostar area. During this time division is constantly involved in hard fighting and is greatly reduced in numbers. After the fall of Mostar in 15.02.1945 it retreats to the north. In 3-4.1945 it  is  in defence of Ivan-Sedlo from there it retreats to the north  in April. On 17.04.1945 unit is in Brod na Savi , from there it retreats to the west to Zagreb and on to Slovenia.

One part of division surrendered to partisans on 13.05.1945 near Celje in Slovenia, other part made it to Bleiburg in Austira . There 160 officers and 2876 NCOs and soldiers both Germans and Croatians surrendered to the British army. Croats were delivered to Partisans and latter executed on "death marches".

Feldpost

Of the  three Croatian legionary divisions it seem that letters from Devils division are the most common , albeit they are also rare. Letters written in German and sent to Recih are more common then letters  written  in Croatian , this is similar in all legionary divisions.

Recommended letters are very rare , Kenn number od division was 965 , although literatute states that  division used  two extra Kenn numbers : Kenn 622 during 1943 and Kenn 203 during 1944.
I have never seen letters with those two feldpost numbers sent from 369.division but it is possible that they exist but have not been recorded yet.

Several kinds of round and straight feldpost cancels were used.


Feldpost numbers  and structure of division :

Div.-Stab
17796  (15.7.1942) Kommando 369. Infanterie-Division (Kroat.)

Kroatisches Infanterie Regiment 369 (969)
Fp.12923 A-D (15.7.1942-24.1.1943) Regimentsstab, 13.-14. Kompanie u. Kolonne Grenadier-Regiment 369, dann Regimentsstab, 13.-14. Kompanie u. Kolonne Grenadier-Regiment 969
Fp.15183 A-D  (15.7.1942-24.1.1943) Stab I u. 1.-4. Kompanie Grenadier-Regiment 369,
dann Stab I u. 1.-4. Kompanie Grenadier-Regiment 969
Fp.19762 A-D  Stab II u. 5.-8. Kompanie Grenadier-Regiment 369,dann Stab II u. 5.-8. Kompanie Grenadier-Regiment 969
Fp.13549 A-D  (15.7.1942) Stab III u. 9.-12. Komp-Gren-Regiment 369 ,dann Stab III u. 9.-12. Kompanie Grenadier-Regiment 969,

Kroatisches Infanterie Regiment 370
Fp.21425  (15.2.1942) Regimentsstab Kroat. Infanterie-Regiment 370,
Fp.25808 A-D (15.2.1942) Stab I u. 1.-4. Komp.Kroat. Infant.-Regiment 370,
Fp.26323 A-D (15.2.1942) Stab II u. 5.-8. Kompanie Kroat Infant-Regim 370,
Fp.27388 A-D Stab III u. 9.-12. Kompanie Kroat. Infanterie-Regiment 370
Fp.22351  (15.2.1942-30.7.1942) 13. Komp. Kroat.Infanterie-Regiment 370
Fp.23274 (15.2.1942-30.7.1942) 14. Kompanie Kroat. Infanterie-Regiment 370
Fp.24031 (24.8.1943) 3.1.1944 Kolonne Kroatisches Grenadier-Regiment 370, 24.2.1944 gestrichen

Kroatisches Artillerie Regiment 369
Fp.30428 (8.9.1942) Regimentsstab u.Stabsbatterie Artillerie-Reg.369 (Kroat.)
Fp.14305  Stab I u. 1.-3.u. Küsten-Bat.3a Art-Reg.369 (Kroat).
Fp.31151 A-C  Stab II, Stabs u. 4.-6. Batt-Arti-Regiment 369 Kroat.
Fp.32040 A-B Stab III m. Stabs- u.7.-8. Batte.Art-Reg.369 (Kroat.)

Pionier-Bataillon 369
Fp.26373    Stab Pionier-Bataillon 369 (Kroat.).
Fp.27165    (31.7.1942-9.2.1943) 1. Kompanie Pionier-Bataillon 369 (Kroat.).
Fp.28975    (31.7.1943) 2. Kompanie Pionier-Bataillon 369 (Kroat.).
Fp.05369    3. Kompanie Pionier-Bataillon 369 (Kroat.
Fp.29559    (31.7.1942-9.2.1943) Kolonne Pionier-Bataillon 369 (Kroat.).

Panzerjäger-Bataillon 369
Fp.18676   (15.7.1942-24.1.1943) Stab Panzerjäger-Abteilung 369 (Kroat.).
Fp.19587 (15.7.1942-24.1.1943) 1. Kompanie Panzerjäger-Abteilung 369 (Kroat.).
Fp.22374 (31.7.1942-9.2.1943)  2. Komp. Panzerjäger-Abteilung 369 (Kroat.).

Aufklärungs-Abteilung 369
Fp.23521   (31.7.1942-9.2.1943) Stab Aufklär.-Abteilung 369 (Kroat.).
Fp.24358  1. Radfahr-Schwadron Aufklärungs-Abteilung 369 (Kroat.)
Fp.03836  2. Radfahr-Schwadron Aufklarungs-Abteilung 369 (Kroatien).
Fp.25711 (31.7.42) 2.schw. Schwadron Aufklärungs-Abteilung 369 (Kroat.)

Divisions-Nachrichten-Abteilung 369
Fp.41059 (8.9.1942-) Stab Inf.-Divisions-Nachrichten-Abteilung 369 (Kroat.)
Fp.42522 (8.9.1942) 1. Kompanie Infanterie-Div--Nachrichten-Abteilung 369 (Kroat.).
Fp.43710 (8.9.1942) 2. Kompanie Infanterie-Div-Nachrichten-Abteilung 369 (Kroat.).
Fp.44988 (8.9.1942-11.3.1943) Kolonne Infanterie-Divisions-Nachrichten-Abteilung 369 (Kroat.)

Veterinärdienste 369 (kroat)
Fp.42963  (8.9.1942-11.3.1943) Veterinär-Kompanie 369 (Kroat.)

Sanitätsdienste 369 (kroat)
Fp.46276   (8.9.1942-11.3.1943) Sanitäts-Kompanie 369 (Kroat.).
Fp.45006   (8.9.1942) 1. Kranken-Kraftwagen-Zug 369 (Kroat.)
Fp.44105 (8.9.1942) 2. Kranken-Kraftwagen-Zug 369 (Kroat.).

Verwaltungsdienste 369 (kroat)
Fp.46007 (8.9.1942-11.3.1943) Schlächterei-Kompanie 369 (Kroat.).
Fp.47101 (8.9.1942-11.3.1943) Bäckerei-Kompanie 369 (Kroat.).
Fp.47380 (8.9.1942-11.3.1943) Feldgendarmerie-Trupp 369 (Kroat.).
Fp.39602 (8.9.1942-11.3.1943) Werkstatt-Kompanie 369 (Kroatien)
Fp.45960 (8.9.1942-11.3.1943) Verpflegungsamt 369 (Kroat.),

Infanterie-Divisions-Nachschubführer 369 (kroat.)
Fp.33907 (8.9.1942-11.3.1943) Stab Infanterie-Divisions-Nachschubführer 369 (Kroat.)
Fp.40365   (8.9.1942-11.3.1943) Nachschub-Kompanie 369 (Kroat.).
Fp.34283 (8.9.1942) 1. kleine Kraftwagen-Kolonne Inf-Div-Kol. 369 (Kroat.),
Fp.35308 (8.9.1942) 2. Fahrkolonne Infanterie-Divisions-Kolonne 369 (Kroat)
Fp.36016 (08.09.1942) 3. Fahrkolonne Infant-Divisions-Kolonne 369 (Kroatien) 6.4.1944 gestrichen
Fp.37465 (8.9.1942) 4. Fahrkolonne Infanterie-Divisions-Kolonne 369 (Kroatien)24.2.1944 gestrichen
Fp.38541 5. Fahrkolonne Infanterie-Divi-Kolonne 369 (Kroat.)/2 Fahrschw.

Feldersatz-Bataillon 369 (kroat.)
Fp.57588 (12.3.1943-7.9.1943) Stab u. 1.-2. Komp Feldersatz-Bataill. 369,

 Feldpostamt 369
Fp. 29706 (31.7.1942-9.2.1943) Feldpostamt 369 (Kroat.). Kenn 965