Alija Izetbegovic, yes, member of the Young Muslims organization during WW2. Popular belief is that he recruited for Handschar. During the last war, during which I was in Bosnia from day 1 till the peace was signed, Izetbegovic (for some time) allowed foreign fighters to come in and fight on our side. Which was everyone from Arabs to South Africans. Croats, traditionally let their own supremacist mercenaries fight, so it's nothing new or original. It's the Balkans.Franz repper wrote:42gunner wrote:Do some research and stop reading from serbianna.com and other propaganda sites....that's as politely as I can say it.
Or read this thread.
http://panzergrenadier.net/forum/viewto ... 25&t=13540
I need your source on the murders and retreats in the face of the enemy.
Single battalions of Handschar stood in face of entire partisan divisions during the summer of 1944, inflicting heavy casualties while suffering a few wounded. During it's first 2-3 weeks of existance, 80 Iron Crosses were awarded.
By May of 1944, a huge proportion of Regt. 28 rated to wear the Anti Partisan Badge alone.
No link to the Arab insurgents and Jihad can be drawn from Handschar period.
Do some research.
Some of US have done some research !
A partisan division was not like a army Division the numbers could be as little as 150 or 1500 men that should be made clear from the start should it not ?
Alija Izetbegovic ? name ring any bells ???No link to the Arab insurgents and Jihad can be drawn from Handschar period.
I have done a Little research I was there in 1994,1995, and 1997 I have walked the areas that Handschar fought and had all the talks by the UN .
If well lead they were good troops for the job they were tasked to do and that was anti partisan . It was what they were raised to do the idea was this would then in turn free up other German units for service in Russia
Atrocities yes they did some but they were amateurs compaired with Ustasha and SS Skanderbeg
The partisan divisions I mentioned (16th and 36th Vojvodina) numbered at about 10,000 men. The partisans tried to overwhelm the lone Handschar battalions (Lopare, Sekovici, Vlasenica) sending entire divisions against battalions, so thats 5,000 partisans vs 700-1.000 SS men.
I've heard of brigades being a 150 men strong but never divisions.
(There is a document on the 16th Vojvodina and 17th East Bosnian Div. being 10.5K strong all together)
I think it takes alot more than amateurs to win when outnumbered 5 to 1
Handschar cannot be compared to the 3rd rate Ustasa or Skanderbeg. The nucleus of the Skanderbeg division (the former I/28 battalion) fought well during 3 operations in Bosnia (spring 1944)
Comparing Handschar to the Ustasa is another huge oversimplified judgement of the situation.
Handschar fought for an autonomous Bosnia, I cant stress how important that is. The division had no other secondary motifs that were more important at that time.