SS Division Kama
Men of the division in training, Batschka, Hungary. Late summer 1944.
"My goal is clear: The creation of two territorial corps, one in Bosnia, the other in Albania. These two corps, with the Division 'Prinz Eugen', as an army of five SS mountain divisions is the goal for 1944." Himmler to Phleps May 22. 1944
The intent of this single statement by Himmler, arguably, started a series of blunders made by him and the SS leadership in the handling of their Balkan allies and ultimately their ability to keep the insurgent enemy suppressed. Merely six days later he recieved permission from Hitler to form the second Bosnian mountain division. The actual approval to raise the division was given on the 17th of June, under the name “Kama”
Another formation with a name reminiscent of the Ottoman period. Kama was a shorter fighting knife designed for close hand to hand fighting. It’s even mentioned in Japanese folklore.
Batschka was chosen as the training ground by Sauberzweig warning Himmler that the recruits “should not be trained in Bosnia……….due to the Ustasa’s negative influences.”
The decision to raise Kama brought about a number of changes to Handschar.
Handschar lost it’s oldest and most respected commander, Sauberzweig, 3 NCOs from every company and a few officers. Regt. 28’s commander, Raithel was chosen as the division’s first commander.
Sauberzweig on the other hand was given his own SS mountain corps (IX. Waffen-Gebirgs Korps der SS)
Aufklarungs Abt. 13 was planned to be the nucleus of this new division, however due to it’s parent division’s busy schedule starting in June, it and many other units couldn’t not be transferred until later.
Meeting with Himmler
Sauberzweig visited Himmler in Berlin only three days after handing over Handschar. Needless to say, Himmler wasn’t spared the truth about the ever worsening situation. His main complaints were about tactics. If the (Handschar) division continued to conduct offensive operations outside the security zone, sooner or later, enemy units would assemble to it’s rear and wreak havoc where it’s units felt safe. If such a move was taken, all of the previous progress would’ve been lost. Thus loosing the support of the people.
His other points were:
1. More Bosnian territory could be taken over and pacified but not liberated (from influences)
2. If the men were overworked, Ustasa’s propaganda would be more effective
3. The formation of Skanderbeg weakened Handschar’s combat strength by 25%
Coming events would prove Sauberzweig’s predictions only too accurate.
“If the elements of the division are moved out of their homeland, desertions will increase, as the men would much rather remain in their home villages as militia than hunt for the enemy.”
Taking his advice, Himmler made sure Handschar didn’t move out (for a couple of months at least), he also compensated it for Kama with 500 local Volksdeutsche as replacements.
Nevertheless, after all of these precautions he wouldn’t get good news even from his closest advisors.
During his travels to Croatia, Himmler’s recruitment officer realized the truth about the situation.
"the induction of 10,000 Croatian citizens of the Islamic faith (was) not possible, for such a number of reliable youngsters (was) simply not available, and thus Catholic Croatians will be (accepted)."
SS-Obergruppenführer Gottlob Berger 13. August 1944
Training of the Kama
It was planned to train and form the division in the same manner as Handschar. It began to take shape in July-August time frame.
1) Recruit Depot – Sambor;
2) Recruit Depot – Bosujaci
3) Between Sambor and Verbas
-55.Waffen-Gebirgsjaeger-Regiment der-SS (kroatische Nr. 3)
-56.Waffen-Gebirgsjaeger-Regiment der-SS (kroatische Nr. 4)
4) Kula - Waffen-Gebirgs-Artillerie-Regiment der-SS (kroatische Nr. 2)
5) Centamas - located the old Handschar Aufklarungs Abt…..now redesignated SS-Aufkl. Abt 23.
Peak strength:
3,793 men (September 1944)
There is no explanation behind the sun shaped collar patch. It was supposed to be issued following the completion of training but since no unit was fully trained, none were produced. The design itself has no connection to any Bosnian tradition to my knowledge.
The M44 dot uniform was in decent numbers in this unit. Kama had one of the few cases of national arm shields and other insignia being sewed onto camouflage tunics such as the M44 dot pattern.
Headgear discipline was loose, those who got fezzes wore them, for all others SS Bergmutzes and side caps had to do. Headwear did not denote religion, as it sometimes did in Handschar. Where you’d have non-Muslim members wearing the side cap. After all the Third Reich was coming to an end in less than a year. There were other equipment priorities.
Majority of the men still hoped to show up as a welcomed sight to the Handschar division and follow in their footsteps in Bosnia. Unfortunately for them the SS leadership had other plans.
In it’s last stages of training, the units of the division were in danger of literally becoming a part of the eastern front, because the Russians were getting so close to their training grounds.
On Sept. 24, the decision was made that the Bosnians under SS-Standartenführer Hellmuth Raithel are to be transported south to Bosnia. Initially the idea was to still form 2 Bosnian divisions. Where Kama would borrow men from Handschar. Himmler still clung on to the idea of creating an SS mountain army in the south.
He even suggested that the Mufti make a last visit to the Muslim SS troops in Hungary on the 11th of October to bolster the morale. It never happened due to the heavy fighting in the area.
After a short combat experience on the eastern front the men reported to Handschar in northern Bosnia.
It’s last commander was SS-Oberführer Gustav Lombard. A man who shared the unit’s bad luck. He was in “command” of 4 separate units in less than 4 months.
The divisional number 23 was handed off to a Dutch volunteer division on the 31. Oct 1944.
In some respects, it can be said that the idea wasn't a complete failure. The SS war machine received over 2,000 men in the end. Some sources also state that the reliable members of the division went towards forming the nucleus of the 31st SS Grenadier division.
The memory of this second division is unknown to most Bosnians and some people who study this subject.
If Handschar has had little research done on it, this unit has had virtually none. Even if it’s story is told, the information is loose and parroted.
Bosnian SS members that joined in the summer of 1944. Trained with the Kama division, and were later on transferred to Handschar. The caption below the picture seems to say that they might’ve been killed at Bleiburg 1945. Also indicating that they had fought on the eastern front.
Art from past 3 parts was from Ron Volstad, Stephen Andrew and Ramiro Bujeiro