30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Russian)

30. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (russische Nr. 2) was formed August 1944 in Poland from Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling, which in turn was created from several small formation made up of mainly Russian volunteers that had been withdrawn following the Soviet summer offensive. While the majority of them were Russians (with German officers), it also included Belarusians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Tatars, Poles and at least one from Czechoslovakia.

Its manpower in total was 4,400 by December 1944. The division saw action on East Prussia (August 1944 - September 1944), France (September 1944 - October 1944) and Germany (October 1944 - December 1944). After suffering heavy losses in these battles, it was withdrawn from the front and ordered to the German-Swiss border. On September 14, 1944, one of its battalions (mostly composed of Ukrainians) mutinied, murdered its officers, and joined the FFI (Forces Françaises de l'Intérieur). [Samuel W. Mitchan, Jr: "Retreat to the Reich", page 211. Stackpole Military History Series, 2006.]

The division was disbanded in December 1944, many of the officers were transferred to the 38th SS Division Grenadier Nibelungen and most of the less reliable Russian volunteers to general Andrey Vlasov's "Russkaia Osvoboditelnaia Armiia" (Russian Liberation Army), the remaining volunteers (those seen as most reliable) were used to form 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Belarussian).

ee also

*29th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS RONA (1st Russian)

Notes

Further reading

*Rolf Michaelis "Russen in der Waffen-SS"
*Antonio J. Munoz "Forgotten Legions: Obscure Combat Formations of the Waffen-SS"