The Blue Division was an all-volunteer force that was formed in 1941 and that received its name from the Falangist Party uniform that its members initially wore. When the division reached Germany in July 1941, the Germans reorganized it along German lines, assigning it the number 250. In addition, they issued the force German uniforms and equipment, although some continued to wear their blue shirts. All members swore allegiance to Hitler, although the wording specified that the oath applied only to "the battle against Bolshevism." The Blue Division first saw action under the German 38th Corps in October 1941. The following August, the division was assigned to the Leningrad front and suffered more than 2,000 casualties repelling a Soviet attack in February 1943.
Allied pressure and a change in Spanish policy effected the return of the Blue Division to Spain in 1943, but the Spanish Legion--volunteers from the Blue Division--remained until spring 1944.
Spanish casualties were heavy for the numbers engaged. Forty-seven thousand served in the division at different times; 22,000 became casualties, 4,500 were killed, and fewer than 300 were repatriated from the Soviet Union in 1954. Many received German and Spanish decorations.
In addition to the Blue Division, the Spaniards also provided five Blue Squadrons. These squadrons escorted German bombers on missions supporting Army Group Center. They returned to Spain with the Spanish Legion after shooting down 156 aircraft and losing only 22 men killed or missing.
Spaniards also fought for the Allies. About 70 belonged to that part of Layforce that was not evacuated from Crete. In addition, Spaniards fought with the French resistance in southern France, and many fought in France's
Zouave units.
Spanish casualties were heavy for the numbers engaged. Forty-seven thousand served in the division at different times; 22,000 became casualties, 4,500 were killed, and fewer than 300 were repatriated from the Soviet Union in 1954.
Yes, casualties suffered by the Blue Division were terrific, but the Spanish Division was also a terrific opponent. Estimated enemy losses were over 49000 and all of them were caused in very hard fought battles most of them in the middle of the terrific Russian winter, not taking profit of first months of war big pockets which could easily increase enemy casualties figures.
Losses suffered by the Blues were: 4500 killed, 8000 wounded, 7800 sick, 1600 frostbitten and 300 captured... so, 12800 KIA, WIA in combat or POWs against 49000 enemy losses... not bad!!!!
Maybe the most interesting action fought by the Blue Division was the battle of Krasni Bor:
At the end of january 1943 the Soviets had managed to open a five-mile-wide corridor to link leningrad to the rest of Russia. On Feb 7 the first train in 526 days left for Leningrad.
The Soviets feared a German attack against the narrow corridor, so they planned an operation to enlarge the gap. The Red Army attacked the Sinyavino Heights, the terrain key to the area, but the Germans held the position. The Soviets decided to take the indirect approach advancing towards Mga, the critical supply head supporting the heights. The western arm of the attack centered at Krasni Bor.
The Krasni Bor position had been taken by the Blue Division from the German 121st Inf Div. The Spaniards did not like the defensive works. The Germans had prepared a thin continuous line of works with wire entanglements; nevertheless, the position lacked depth and mines. The Spaniards (most of them well seasoned during the Spanish Civil War) preferred a series of strong points with interlocking support fire. Nevertheless, there was no time to improve the line.
On the morning of Feb 10 three Soviet divisions (72nd Rifle, 43rd Rifle and 63rd Guard) supported by 60 tanks and 400 guns advanced on 262 Spanish Regiment. Russian Arty severely barraged the Spanish line and the village of Krasni Bor. 1-I-262, 6-II-262 and 2-Mobile Reserve (2-MR) suffered the worst concentrations. By 0800 the arty began shifting into the Spanish rearside while the Soviet infantry attacked the Spanish lines on the heels of the arty.
43rd Rifle attacked 1 and 3-I-262. The division ski coy was dispatched to reinforce the defenders, but was destroyed by an air attack. The Spanish held the ground against the first attacks but by 0845 1-I-262 and the Bn HQ were destroyed, 2-I-262 was retreating towards the woods to the east and 3-I-262 was resisting in a swamp, repulsing two more attacks.
On the Spanish left 2-MR was still recovering from the arty pounding when units of the 72nd Rifle appeared from Iam Izhora and overrun their lines by 0845.
In the center, the 63rd Guard was advancing into the woods in front of Krasni Bor. The arty barrage had shattered 6-II-262 and this company was destroyed during the first attack against the line at 0900. 5-II-262, on the right, was reduced to 30 men. The guardsmen advanced through the hole into Krasni Bor.
By 0900 the last arty stopped firing and the Spaniards started their reaction. On the right, I-262 was wiped out (except 3rd Company) so 3-Recon was ordered to close the gap.
In the center, 7-II-262 withdrew to El Bastion (a fortified building), bolstering the defense of the left shoulder of the 63rd Guard breakthrough. Last remnants of 5-II-262 withdrew to reinforce the right shoulder defense. In the center of the Guard's attack II-262 HQ was reinforced by 2-Recon to stop the advance.
On the Spanish left, Soviet armor advanced, with the support of arty, through the hole left by the destruction of 2-MR. This left 3-MR isolated, but still holding its positions, opposite Iam Izhora.
By 1000 the battle had turned into chaos with disorganized attackers assaulting isolated pockets. The Soviet assault was losing force and the Spaniards started to recover from the initial shock. 3-I-262, 3-MR and some forces in El Bastion went on resisting while a second line was forming up in Krasni Bor centered on II-262-HQ and 2-Recon.
Nevertheless by 1030 II-262 HQ was overrun and Krasni Bor fell in Soviet hands. The Engineer Bn of the Blues was ordered to counterattack, hitting the guardsmen with such force that they had to retreat immediately. Fight in the streets of the village lasted for two hours.
At 0720 KG Heckel (215th German Inf Div) had been ordered to the battle. These troops were stationed in Stablino, less than 10 km. from Krasni Bor. Nevertheless, by noon, there was still no sign from the Germans. Some authors state that the German delay was caused by the KG commander not to send his troops to such a terrific cauldron. Control of the battle was lost from both sides; the Spaniards were severely battered and the Soviets took to looting the recently captured bunkers. The Spaniards were the first to regain control and by 1330 hours a new line with recently arrived divisional reserves was formed. I-263 moved up the Ishora River to stop the Soviet advance toward Staraia Myza. 5-II-263 prepared to defend Raikolovo.
Finally the Soviets also regained their composure. By 1430 the last isolated positions held by 3-I-262 were overrun. 72nd Rifle also drove south towards Staraia Myza hitting the I-263 coming from Raikolovo. After an hour long fight the Spaniards withdrew to Samsonovka and the Soviets to Staraia Myza.
As the night arrived the Soviet attacks against isolated pockets waned. One by one the Spaniards slipped away from the pockets. 3-MR still holding its line in the trenches was the first to withdraw. The men of Battery 3, in Krasni Bor, used their very last rounds to destroy their guns. By 2300, 3-Eng and 7-II-262 also abandoned their perimeters and formed up with the remnants of the regiment south of Krasni Bor.
At midnight, German arty started to harass the soviets in the village. German troops were finaly moving into the area to bolster the defense while the town was in Soviet hands.
The next morning the combatants facing each other were a shadow of what they had been 24 hours before. The Soviets made a feeble attempt to attack Samsonovka but a Spanish counter-attack repulsed them.
The battle ended. The Soviets had lost no less than 7000 men (some sources quote up to 11000 soviet casualties), the Blue Division some 2500 (60% of men involved). Losses such as these, in a one day battle, in such reduced area (some 7 x 5 Kms.) were not usually heard in the WWII.
The Soviets had gained a burned-out town (the Soviets fired up to 35000 arty rounds in just one day) and some kilometers of trenches, but their attack had been completely stopped and the Spanish 262 Inf Rgt of the Blue Division had bought with its sacrifice against three Soviet divisions enough time to allow the Germans forming a solid line behind Krasni Bor. The Soviet attempt to take Mga and enlarge the narrow corridor to Leningrad had been defeated. An ambitious operation to cut the 18th Army was converted into a battle of annihilation of just a regiment, thus failing the objective of the whole operation.
Many received German and Spanish decorations.
Yes, indeed. Lots of decorations, both German and Spanish, were awarded to members of the Blue Division. Also, lots of smaller units of the Blue Division received collective decorations. Both divisional commanders: General Munoz Grandes (1941-42) and General Esteban Infantes (1943 on) received the Knight's Cross in recognition of the feats accomplished by the Blues.
As an example related to the Krasni Bor battle I'll mention the Engineer Antonio Ponte Anido, who posthumously received the Cruz Laureada de San Fernando (the most important Spanish decoration, if I'm not wrong) for destroying a Soviet tank which was menacingly moving towards the Spanish hospital in the town. He destroyed the tank moving himself below it with an AT mine in his breast. Of course, he died.
An essential source about the Blue Division is "Hitler's Spanish Legion: A History of the Blue Division in Russia", G.R. Kleinfeld and L.A. Tambs.