Croatian Legion

Croatian Legion

(autor: Krešimir Musić)

Mr.Berislav Pervan wrote a excellent article about Croatian Legion Feldpost in journal Acta Philatelica Nova 2015.  I  honestly  recommend it to anyone interested in the subject , You can get it from http://www.markanova.hr . Mr.Pervan is  Croatia's greatest expert on the subject today.

Feldpost from following units is very to extremely rare!!!

Verstärkten (Kroatisches) Infanterie Regimente 369.

369.reinforced (Croatian)Infantry Regiment

Command(Stab) Fp.40508

1.Battalion (1-4.companie.) Fp.41457 A-E

2.Battalion (5-8.companie..) Fp.42050 A-E

3.Battalion (9-12.companie.) Fp.43170 A-E

13..companie. Fp.44152 13. Kompanie verstärktes Kroatisches Infanterie-Regiment 369,

14..companie. Fp.44926 14. Kompanie verstärktes Kroatisches Infanterie-Regiment 369

Light column:  Fp.45484 Kolonne verstärktes Kroat. Infanterie-Regiment 369,

Artillery section . Fp.46511 Stab u. 1.-4. Batterie leichte Kroatische Artillerie-Abteilung,

Replacement Battalion:

41700 (30.7.1941-28.2.1942) Stab, 1.-4. Kompanie u. 5. leichte Batterie kroat. Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon

Croatian Naval Legion - ( Hrvatska pomorska legija) and Croatian navy (NDH) (9.-12.1944)

Feldpost No: 23713

(19.7.1941-14.2.1942) Kroatische Marine-Abteilung ( 1943) 23. U-Jagdflottille.

(6.4.1944-9.11.1944) 16.11.1944 Kroatische Marine-Abteilung (11. Sicherungs-Division).

Fp: 34437 = Stützpunkt-Kompanie Admiral Südost ,i have seen traveled postcards bearing this number sent to and from Croatian naval legion all are from 7.1941 during a time of rising of unit.

In 5.1944 the legion was returned to homeland.Legion was disbanded and men were included in Kriegsmarine in Adriatic sea or recruited into  German sponsored newly formed Croatian navy.
Letter written after 5.1944  all carry one of the  two Feldpost numbers used by Croatian sailors

Fp.53183 (8.9.1943-22.4.1944) 12.10.1943 11. Sicherungs-Flottillen-Kommando, am 17.3.1944 11. Sicherungs-Division (Marine).

Fp.52705 (12.3.1943-7.9.1943) 22. Schnellboots-Flottillen-Kommando, (23.4.1944-24.11.1944) 17.10.1944 Kroatische Schnellboots-Flottille.

Fp.05553 (1.8.1943-23.3.1944) 25.10.1943 Marine-Verbindungsstab Kroatien
Rarely i 've seen letters bearing this number - this is liaison office between Croatian forces and
Kriegsmarine in  Adriatic sea.

Croatian airforce legion

This was unit of Croatian airforce that fought as pat of Luftwaffe on eastern front , late in war it was reformed and also fought in homeland

Feldpost No

Fp.36348 (30.7.1941) 15. Staffel Jagdgeschwader 52

Fp.40643 (30.7.1941) 15. Staffel (Kroat.) Kampf-Geschwader 53. od 8.9.1943 2. Staffel Kroat.Kampfgruppe 1,

Fp.54972 (8.9.1943) Stab kroatische Luftwaffen-Legion.

Fp.55339 (8.9.1943) Stab Kroatische Jagd-Gruppe 1,

Fp.55893 (8.9.1943) 1. Staffel Kroatische Kampf-Staffel, od 14.2.1944 1. Staffel Kroatische Kampfgruppe 1

Fp.62193 (8.9.1943) 2. Staffel Kroat. Jagd-Gruppe 1,

Fp.61736 (8.9.1943) 3. Staffel Kroat. Jagd-Gruppe 1

Fp.61220 (23.4.1944) Ergänzungs-Kompanie Kroat. Luftwaffen-Legion

Fp.61159 (23.4.1944) Flughafen-Betriebs-Kompanie Kroat. Kampfgruppe 1

Fp.52701 (2.1.1940-11.3.1943) Kroat. Freiwilligen-Kompanie der Luftwaffe

Fp.51355 (8.9.1943) Stab Kroatische Kampfgruppe 1

Fp.54364 (8.9.1943) Nahaufklarungs-Staffel Kroatien. 

Light Transport Brigade 

Lako Prijevozni Zdrug Hrvatske Legije 

(italian: Legione Croata Autotrasportabile)

Light Transport Brigade was Croatian unit, part of Croatian Legion that fought on Eastern front with Italian army. Only a couple of traveled letters are known to exist (see: Act.Phil. 2015 Pervan)

Possible numbers of  Posta Militare(PM) as Brigade moved from unit to unit are :

11.04-17.07. 1942 3. Divisio celere Amedeo Duca d'Aosta PM :40

18.07-11.08. 1942 Raggruppamento CC.NN. «3 Gennaio» ( XXXV zbor) PM 88.

12.08-09.10. 1942 9.Divisione fanteria "Pasubio" PM : 83

09.10-30.10. 1942 3. Divisio celere Amedeo Duca d'Aosta PM :40

31.10-21.11.1942 2.Divisione di Fanteria "Sforzesca PM 69

22.11-20.12.1942 3. Divisio celere Amedeo Duca d'Aosta PM :40

Brigade primarily used Posta militare (PM)  88 , it was used by Italian Expeditionary Corps in Russia- CSIR ( Corpo di Spedizione Russia) . In 7.1942 CSIR became part of  XXXV. army corps, which in turn was became part of  the Italian Army in Russia (Armata Italiana in Russia, or ARMIR)

 In a book about Light Transport Brigade( Lako Prevozni Zdrug Hrvatske Legije ) by Amir  Obhođaš  there is copy of letter of gratitude sent from  Division Pasubio PM 83, addressed to  Light Transport Brigade  PM 88.

II. CROATIAN LEGION

In December of 1942  Light Transport Brigade was destroyed during fighting on eastern front.
Italy forced Croatia to form  another legion to fight as part Italian army.
In city of Karlovac on 20.05.1943 recruiting office of second  legion was formed under the name
 "Osnutak doknadne bojne II. hrvatske legije". It recruited men from 2nd.Italian zone of occupation in Croatia. At a time of Italian capitulation II.Croatian legion was in training at  Riva del Garda in northern Italy. German army used 2500 members of legion to guard railway line Gemona – Tarvisio –Udine. This service was performed until 06.12.1943 when Germans decided to send legion to a  3-month training with Croatian Training Brigade (Kroatische Ausbildungs-Brigade). By 17.12.1943 whole II.Croatian legion was transported to Stockerau, Austria. Soldiers were then dispersed among Croatian Legionar Divisions and to lesser degree among Mountain Brigades of Croatian army(Gorski Zdrugovi) and the Legion was disbanded.
Letters sent from Legion to Croatia are known ,they usually carry Iatalian army feldpost number of  , Posta militare (PM) 3200.