Division Española de Voluntarios

Introduction: When the news of the German invasion of Russia reached Spain on 22 June 1941, the Spanish Foreign Minister Ramon Serrano Suñer offered the German Ambassador Eberhard von Stohrer military assistance from the "Falange" (Spanish Fascist Party) and the Army.

This offer was provided in return for Germany's military contribution and of Russia's involvement in the Spanish civil war.

Initially Hitler tried to convince Franco in directing a formal declaration of war against Russia. However, at that time Spain needed recuperation from the civil war conflict that had devastated the country. In addition a formal alliance with Germany would result in a grain and oil embargo from Great Britain. Franco compromised with Hitler, by opening recruiting offices all over Spain for volunteers who wanted to fight against communism. When the recruiting stations were closed on 2 July 1941, the number of volunteers exceeded more than the 18,000 men required. The excess personnel were enlisted as replacement troops during the summers of 1942 and 1943.

Spanish Blue Division

The General Staff issued a directive on 28 June 1941 to the commanders of the various military regions in Spain and Spanish Morocco, which laid down the terms for recruitment. The volunteers were used to form the "Division Española de Voluntarios" (Spanish Division of Volunteers).
The volunteers were to be enlisted for the duration of the campaign. All officers above the rank of second lieutenant were to be army regulars.

The division was structured according to the traditional Spanish model with four infantry regiments, each bearing the name of their commanding officer. However since the German Infantry Division had only three regiments, the Spaniards had to reorganize and place the excess personnel in reserve. Each regiment was composed of units from different military regions.
In early July, a Spanish Military Commission was sent to the Reserve Headquarters in Berlin to discuss the structure and organization of the German Division. The Spaniards advised the Germans that they were recruiting a division of 640 officers, 2272 NCOs and 15,780 troops. The Spaniards discovered that the Germans required at least 580 NCOs more and about 100 fewer officers. In addition, the Germans demanded their own transportation of 300 trucks and 400 motorcycles.

On July 7, after much delegating between the Spanish Commission and both the German and Spanish Embassies, the commander-in-chief of the reserve army, General Fritz Fromm informed the Spaniards that the Reich would bear all costs of the Spanish Division. The troops would be combat paid, dependents allowance, hospitalization and free franking privileges. The logistic support required to support the Blue Division was provided by the German Wehrmacht. By August 21, 18,000 troops 5610 horses and 765 vehicles were assembled and loaded into freight cars to a camp at Grafenwohr in Bavaria under the leadership of General Agustin Muñoz Grandes.

These troops were immediately outfitted in German uniforms (with the Spanish national arm shield inscribed "ESPANA" placed on their right shoulder). It was officially named the 250th Infantry Division but commonly known as the Spanish Blue Division.

The division was broken up into three regiments, the remainder were distributed among the regiments This division was composed of Army and Falangist personnel who were accustomed to wearing blue shirts. Barely a month in Grafenwohr, the Blue Division traveled by train to an assembly area between Treeburg and Grodno in Belorussia.
By early September the Blue Division was assigned to Army Group Center and was ordered to take part in "Operation Typhoon" the assault on Moscow. After taking some action in Vilna, the division was reassigned to Army Group North, 16th Army. The 16th Army held the right flank of Army Group North from Lake Seliger in the south to Lake Ladoga in the north.
By October 1941, the division was assigned to I Corps, which was deployed along the front line between Novgorod and Lake Ilmen. The divisional staff had its headquarters at Grigorovo, thereafter it was based in the outskirts of Leningrad. The division fought well as part of a special task force under Army Group North's rear area commander, General Franz von Roques, which struck eastward between Novgorod and Chudovo. The Blue Division fought a stubborn defense of Novgorod, an action that earned Gen. Muñoz Grandes an Iron Cross 1st Class. He would later be awarded the Knight's Cross and Oak Leaves.

In January 1942, Franco ordered the Spanish Ambassador Maryalde to pressure the Germans to pull the Blue Division out of the line. The fierce Russian winter and a continuous series of Soviet counterattacks had caused heavy casualties to the division. Most of the original members of the division were withdrawn from the front lines after a year service. The replacements were usually professional-legionnaires or soldiers.

During September 1942, the Blue Division was deployed to the Krasny Bor region. It was placed under the command of 18th Army. On December 12, command of the division was hand over to General Esteban Infantes.

During February 1943, the Leningrad and Volkhod Fronts linked to form a corridor south of Lake Ladoga. On the eastern side, the Soviets launched an attack on the area from Kolpino to Krasny Bor, which was held by the 4th SS Police Division and the Blue Division. The town of Krasny Bor was defended by 5600 Spanish soldiers, which comprised of elements from the 262nd, 263rd and 269th regiments. Besides a few special units, which included a Dutch artillery unit, the artillery amounted to twenty four guns and no tanks.

The Spanish Blue Division held off various attacks from three Soviet Rifle Divisions and two tank battalions, altogether 33,000 men, supported by sixty T-34s, several formations of anti-tank guns and 187 batteries of artillery. In the process, the Soviets succeeded in gaining two miles of ground and taking Krasni Bor. The Spaniards suffered 3645 total casualties, however the small territorial defensive cost the Soviets 11,000 casualties and were forced back by a German counter-attack in March.
By spring 1943, 2000 Spanish replacements were being requested. The German 254th Division relieved the Blue division from defending Krasni Bor. The Blue Division withdrew to a quieter sector near Nikolajeska. Meanwhile, increasing pressure from the U.S. and Great Britain was being put on the Spanish Government. With the German defeat at Kursk and the fall of Mussolini, on July 25, Franco began looking for means to withdraw the Blue Division without risking retaliation from the Germans.

By August 1943, the Blue Division withdrew from the front line prior to repatriation of the bulk of the troops. On October 17, the Blue Division withdrew from the Leningrad front to a reserve position behind Oranienbaum. General Esteban Infantes was awarded the Knight's Cross. The return of veterans to Spain was done with a minimum of ceremony and by November 163,347 men were quietly repatriated. General Esteban Infantes returned to Spain on 17 December 1943.

Postal History

Spanish Blue Division

Spanish Blue Division fieldcard mailed in December 1941 by Lieutenant Ismael Garcia Romeo (also known by his servicemen as "Tirolaipi").
Lt. Garcia Romeo also volunteered for service in the Spanish Legion, where he remained till March 1944. He was awarded with both Iron Crosses 1st and 2nd class, the bronze Close Combat Clasp, the silver Infantry Assault Badge and the silver Wound Badge, indicating that he was wounded three or four times.

Artillery Regiment 250 ************************* Reconnaissance Group

Staff ---------------------------- 23863 **************** Staff -------------------------------------------- 23863

1st. Battalion ---------------- 24101 **************** 1st. Battalion --------------------------------- 19798

2nd. Battalion---------------- 24945 **************** 2nd. Battalion--------------------------------- 20045

3rd. Battalion---------------- 25592 **************** 3rd. Battalion---------------------------------- 20796

4th. Battalion---------------- 26341

Anti-tank Group **************************** Sapper Battalion

Staff --------------------------------- 21913 *********** Staff ----------------------------------------------- 26994

1st. Detachment ----------------- 22379 *********** 1st. Detachment -------------------------------- 27303

2nd. Detachment ---------------- 22800 *********** 2nd. Detachment ------------------------------- 27938

3rd. Detachment ---------------- 23558************ 3rd. Detachment ------------------------------- 28557

Sapper Column --------------------------------- 28967

Signals Group ****************************** Medical Services

Staff --------------------------- 29341 *************** 1st. Medical Company ----------------------- 38936

1st. Unit ---------------------- 29908 *************** 2nd. Medical Company ---------------------- 39149

2nd. Unit --------------------- 30397 *************** Field Hospital ----------------------------------- 39576

Column ----------------------- 30901 *************** 1st. Ambulance Column ---------------------- 39887

2nd. Ambulance Column ---------------------- 40159

Spanish War Hospital, Riga ----------------- 14105

Spanish War Hospital, Vilna ----------------- 46630

Convalescent Home ---------------------------- 38396

Veterinary Company --------------------------- 40883

Divisional Supply Office ********************* Additional Feldpost Numbers

Staff---------------------------------- 31949 ********** Supply Company -------------------------------- 38457

1st. Lorry Column --------------- 32645 ********** Bakers Company -------------------------------- 41953

2nd. Lorry Column -------------- 32966 ********** Butchers Company ------------------------------ 41317

3rd. Lorry Column -------------- 33547 ********** Supply Bereau ------------------------------------ 42413

4th. Motorized Column -------- 34339

5th. Motorized Column -------- 34927 ********** Staff Offices in rear ----------------------------- 03901

6th. Motorized Column -------- 35295 ********** Replacement Office ----------------------------- 39604

7th. Motorized Column -------- 35871 ********** Disciplinary Office ------------------------------ 40545

8th. Motorized Column -------- 36501 ********** General Services Offices ---------------------- 45903

9th. Motorized Column ----------------- 36917

10th. Motorized Column --------------- 37176

Lorry Repair Column ------------------ 37837

Note: The division was assigned FpA 250, FPN 43700 and Kenn 719, from September 1941 to October 1943.
Above is a nice example of a Register Feldpost mailed via the Spanish Blue Division field post routing office 250. Cover clearly shows the tactical Kenn no. 719 applied on the register label and feldpost cancel.

It should be noted that while the division was assembling and training in Bavaria, some mail received a special training camp handstamp "Ausbildungstabes Foerlich."