Bergmann Special Purpose Battalion

The formation was carried out in November 1941 - March 1942 in Neuhammer, the second department of the Abwehr, responsible for sabotage and sabotage. The Abwehr professor and professor of Koenigsberg University, Lieutenant Colonel T. Oberlender , who was considered a specialist in "Eastern issues," was appointed commander of the battalion. Sonderfuhrer V. von Kuchenbach, who grew up in Russia and spoke good Russian and Azerbaijani, became his deputy. As follows from the surviving German documents, the formation fighters rallied "a single race and a single way of thinking" ^[2] , on which the Nazi propaganda stake was made ^[3] .

The battalion had a headquarters with a propaganda group and five rifle companies (1st, 4th and 5th - Georgian, 2nd - North Caucasian, 3rd - Azerbaijani). The total number reached 1,200 people, including 900 Caucasians and 300 Germans. In addition to the volunteers selected in prisoner of war camps, about 130 Georgian emigrants, who made up the special unit of the Abwehr Tamara II, were included in the battalion.
The armament was predominantly light weapons: light machine guns, company mortars, anti-tank rifles and carbines of German production.

After undergoing mountain rifle training in Mittenwald ( Bavaria ), the battalion was sent to the Eastern Front at the end of August 1942 , and its personnel were ordered to impersonate Spanish Basques or Bosnian Muslims in order to maintain secrecy.
In August - September 1942, specially trained groups of legionnaires from the Bergmann battalion were thrown out in the Soviet rear with parachutes to carry out reconnaissance and sabotage actions. One of the groups of 10 Germans and 15 Caucasians landed in the area of ​​oil production facilities in the city of Grozny with the aim of capturing and holding them until the advance units of the 1st Tank Army approached. An attempt to break through German troops on Grozny on September 25-27 ended in failure, but the group managed to safely return and even bring several hundred Georgians, Azerbaijanis and Chechens who deserted from the Red Army with them, who joined the battalion.

Since September 1942, the Bergmann battalion acted against the Soviet partisans in the Mozdok - Nalchik - Mineralnye Vody district, and on October 29 was sent to the front line: 1st and 4th companies at Nalchik, and 2nd and 3rd at search direction. To prove the reliability of the compound, its companies were thrown at the most difficult sections of the front, where, despite the absence of heavy weapons, they fought stubbornly and very effectively. During all this time, from defectors, prisoners of war and local residents, it was possible to form, in addition to the available four more rifle companies (Georgian, North Caucasian, Azerbaijani and mixed reserve) and as many horse squadrons (1 Georgian and 3 North Caucasian).

Regiment Deployment

This allowed by the end of 1942 to deploy the Bergmann battalion into a regiment of three battalion personnel totaling 2,300 people (battalions: 1st Georgian, 2nd Azerbaijani and 3rd North Caucasian).

During the retreat of the German army from the Caucasus, units of the Bergmann battalion carried out rear guard cover for the withdrawing troops and performed special tasks, including the destruction of industrial enterprises and other facilities. In February 1943, the compound was withdrawn to the Crimea , where it was used to guard the southern coast of the peninsula and in the fight against local partisans . Here, according to some reports, an attempt was made to form a Caucasian division on its basis, however, the matter did not advance beyond projects and propaganda statements.

In the late autumn and winter of 1943-1944, all battalions of the Bergmann formation, together with German troops, took part in fierce battles on the Perekop Isthmus , reflecting the attempts of the Red Army to break into the Crimea . Subsequently, they were evacuated from the peninsula and sent to Greece (1st and 3rd battalions) and Poland (2nd), where their main task was to fight against partisans.
So, for example, the 2nd (Azerbaijani) battalion in August 1944 acted as part of a group thrown to suppress the Warsaw Uprising .

• Collaboration in World War II
• Georgian Wehrmacht Legion
• Wehrmacht Armenian Legion
• Wehrmacht North Caucasus Legion
• Azerbaijani Legion
• Eastern legions

• Karashchuk A., Drobyazko S. Eastern legions and Cossack units in the Wehrmacht . (inaccessible link)
• Romanko O. V. Muslim legions in World War II . - M .: AST ; Transitbook, 2004.
• Abrahamyan E.A. Forgotten Legion. Unknown pages of the Bergmann Special Forces. - Yerevan: Apollo, 2005 .-- 245 p.
• Abrahamyan E.A. Caucasians in Abwehr. - M.: Publisher Bystrov, 2006. - 352 p. - (On the side of the Third Reich).
• Mamulia G.G. Georgian Wehrmacht Legion. - M .: Veche, 2011 .-- 416 p.: Ill. - (Enemies and allies).

• Special squad "Highlander"