Fez and Swastika Redux:
The Other Bosnian Muslim Mountain Division of the Waffen-SS

by Jason Long

Hitler decided to raise more divisions from the partisan-infested Balkans to combat those same partisans during the summer of '44. The 23. Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS Kama (kroat. Nr. 2) was ordered raised 17 June 44, using Bosnian Muslims, but formation had begun a week earlier. Its partner in the IX. Waffen-Gebirgs-Armeekorps der SS (9th SS Mountain Corps), the 13. Waffen-Gebirgs-Division der SS Handschar contributed a thousand officers and men to form the cadre for Kama. One source credits Handschar with transferring its entire reconnaissance battalion, but this is unconfirmed in Lepre's history of Handschar. But most of the enlisted men were new Bosnian Muslim recruits.

Kama was to be structured identically to Handschar with two regiments of Gebirgsj”ger (mountain infantry), each with four battalions, an artillery regiment, also of four battalions, battalions of engineers, flak and reconnaissance, and the customary support troops. However, Kama never received enough men to flesh out any of its units.

Hitler had planned to form the division in northern Croatia, but feared that Tito's partisans would seriously disrupt or even destroy the division before it could finish training, and ordered it to form in the Hungarian Bacska. This was formerly part of Yugoslavia, but was populated mostly by ethnic Hungarians and Germans. Unfortunately this are was directly in the path of the advancing Soviets and Kama wouldn't have the time even to finish basic training those recruits that it did have. So the Kama was broken up for use as replacements. The Muslims in the division were ordered to report to Handschar, but many took the opportunity to desert. The others were generally incorporated into the forming 31. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division

Commanders:
Staf. Hellmut Raithel (17 June-October 44)

Strength:
9/44126/374/3293

Europa:

SF: Jun II 44, Southeast, Forming, Unreliable: 1x 4-8 Mtn XX 23 Kama (SS)

Oct II 44, Southeast, Full, Unreliable
Nov I 44, Southeast: Convert 1x 1-8* Mtn Cdr (4-8) 23 Kama (SS) to:
1x 1-2-6* Inf Cdr (4-6-6) 31 (SS)

Recommendation:

I have no problems with the current treatment of this unit.

Bibliography:

Lepre, George. Himmler's Bosnian Division: the Waffen-SS Handschar Division 1943-1945
Munoz, Antonio J. Forgotten Legions: Obscure Combat Formations of the Waffen-SS
Tessin, Georg. Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht und Waffen SS im Zweiten Weltkrieg 1939-1945

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