"Hiwi" or "Auxiliary Service Volunteers." See what “Khivi” is in other dictionaries Who are the Khivi World War II

Form

At first, the Khiwi continued to wear Soviet military uniforms, but without Soviet insignia. Gradually they were equipped with German uniforms, but with special “Eastern” insignia. Sometimes only an armband with the inscription “ Im Dienst der Deutschen Wehrmacht" Female Wehrmacht auxiliary personnel had armbands with the inscription " Deutsche Wehrmacht».

Each "hiwi" received the full food ration of a German soldier, and after a 2-month probationary period and enrollment as an "auxiliary service volunteer" - also a salary and additional allowance.

Actions at the front

Anti-partisan actions

Khivi, participants, anti-partisan formation (Novgorod region, 1942)

The eastern battalions and companies, as the partisan activity grew, increased in number and were more actively used in anti-partisan actions. In June 1942, anti-partisan companies from among the Russian “Khivi” appeared at the division headquarters. Auxiliary police teams (German) Hilfspolizei) were reduced to companies and battalions, received German uniforms and captured weapons and, having undergone training under the guidance of German officers, turned into full-fledged units that performed various tasks, from guarding facilities to punitive operations in partisan areas. These units were given the name “eastern battalions” and “eastern companies”.

In accordance with the directive signed by the Chief of the General Staff of the German Ground Forces F. Halder on August 16, 1942, all units and units formed from Soviet citizens began to be called “Eastern Forces”, and their military personnel - volunteers. The directive distinguished four groups of “hiwis”:

Total Hiwi population

Since 1941, as the Wehrmacht advanced, the number of “voluntary assistants” grew continuously. Already in April 1942 there were 200,000 people, and in July 1943 - already 600,000. To manage these people, a special post of “inspector general of the eastern troops” was created. Since October 1943, they were included in the standard staff of the German infantry division: the number of personnel of the German infantry division by state on October 2, 1943 was “10,708 people and 2,005 civilian people (support workers)”, under the latter many researchers today imply "hivi" (in relation to the Eastern Front).

The infantry division standards established on October 2, 1942, provided for 2,005 “volunteers” for 10,708 German personnel, which was about 15% of the total strength. In Army Group North, the Hiwi units were known as “local combat formations” (German: Einwohnerkampfverbande), in the army group “Center” - as “order service” (German. Ordnungsdienst ), in the army group “South” - as “auxiliary security units” (German. Hilfswachmannschaften) . As of February 1943, the number of these formations was 60-70 thousand people.

As of February 1945, the Hiwi numbered 600,000 in the ground forces, 50 to 60 thousand in the Luftwaffe, and 15 thousand in the Kriegsmarine.

The total number of Soviet citizens and Russian emigrants in the Wehrmacht, SS troops, police and paramilitary forces amounted to up to 1.2 million people (including Slavs - up to 700 thousand, representatives of the three Baltic nations - up to 300 thousand, representatives of Turkic, Caucasian and other small nations - up to 200 thousand). About a third of this number are military formations and units that fought on the fronts of World War II against the armies of the anti-Hitler coalition and in the occupied territories against partisans. These include formations of the eastern Wehrmacht troops, SS and police troops, as well as the German intelligence services - the Abwehr and SD. The rest are “auxiliary service volunteers” (“hiwi”), the so-called personnel. individual auxiliary police service and local self-defense units. These categories also partially took part in combat operations and were used to replenish combat units and formations. The maximum one-time number of all categories reached 800-900 thousand people.

It should also be clarified that a significant part of these individuals became citizens of the Soviet Union only in 1939-1940. These are some Baltic peoples and residents of areas of western Belarus and Ukraine.

ROA

To raise the spirit of volunteers, from April 1943, all Russians serving in Wehrmacht units and units or in independent Russian formations were formally enrolled in the Russian Liberation Army (ROA). Since the beginning of 1945, all Ukrainians

were considered servicemen of the Ukrainian Liberation Army, nominally subordinate to the Chairman of the Ukrainian National Committee, General P. Shandruk (attempts to unite them with the ROA were met with Shandruk’s categorical refusal). Asian legionnaires were also considered warriors of their national (Azerbaijani, Georgian, etc.) armed forces. From now on, all Russians had to wear the sign of the ROA on their left sleeve, which German propaganda, aimed at soldiers of the Red Army, associated with the name of General A. A. Vlasov. Therefore, both during the war and for a long time after it, everyone who served on the side of the Germans with weapons in their hands, including legionnaires, was called “Vlasovites” in the Soviet Union.

On the Western Front, battalions and regiments were included in German units and formations. From that moment on, many military personnel who voluntarily joined the eastern formations felt like volunteers, mercenaries, obliged to serve German interests for a piece of bread. Many considered it better for themselves to oppose the Germans or go over to the side of the partisans or the Red Army than to carry out the order to be transferred to the West.

The Germans carried out active propaganda among prisoners, suggesting that all Khivi, if returned to the USSR, would be subject to repression. Former military personnel of the eastern troops spoke about this during interrogations, and this was repeatedly noted in numerous reports of political agencies of all ranks that analyzed the problem of the so-called Vlasovites.

For example, the head of the political department of the Voronezh Front, General S.S. Shatilov, wrote in June 1943 that the steadfastness of the ROA troops at the front will be determined by the fear that soldiers experience before punishment for treason. And although this circumstance was taken into account in Soviet propaganda, many Vlasovites did not believe the promises of the Soviet authorities.

The legionnaires and Vlasovites became even more unreliable in 1944, when the liberation of the USSR territory from enemy troops almost completely ended, and the Red Army entered the territory of Eastern European countries, and its allies - American, British and Canadian troops - landed in France. During the Allied landings, many battalions of the eastern troops defending the coast from Holland to Italy fled; some surrendered, some rebelled, destroying their German commanders. The employees of the Ukrainian-Belarusian battalions, formed from the former Bukovina kuren, went over to the side of the French partisans.

Post-war fate

People who served as “voluntary helpers” were recognized as traitors to the Motherland. Almost all of them in the USSR went through camps and exile, many (including most of the ROA personnel) were shot.

The Vlasovites captured at the end of the war, as well as the Cossacks, were shot and cremated by the NKVD on the territory of a metallurgical plant in Judenburg, Austria.

In the book by Joachim Hoffmann, editor S.I. Drobyazko gives the following information: Of the 238 thousand “Vlasovites” (which included not only soldiers and officers of the ROA, but also Cossack units and eastern legions) transferred to the disposal of the NKVD by March 1, 1946, 148 thousand (more than half) received 6 years of special settlement.

Notes

1. Chuev S."Hiwi" and Eastern companies // Damned soldiers: Traitors on the side of the Third Reich. - M.: Yauza; Eksmo, 2004. - 574 p. - (Secrets of the Third Reich). - 5100 copies. - ISBN 5-699-05970-9
2. Drobyazko S. I., Karashchuk A. Russian Liberation Army. - M.: Eksmo, 2004. - P. 7.
3. Muller-Hillebrand B. Das Heer. 1933-1945. - Frankfurt/M, 1966. - Bd. 3. - S. 135.
4. Auxiliary police in the military control zone
5. Drobyazko S. I., Karashchuk A. Russian Liberation Army. - M.: Eksmo, 2004. - P. 3.
6. Auxiliary Service Volunteers (“hiwi”)
7. Drobyazko S. I. Under the banner of the enemy: Anti-Soviet formations within the German armed forces 1941-1945. - M.: Eksmo, 2004. - P. 339.
8. Nevzorov B., Abaturov V., Morozov M., Lipatov S., Isaev A."Blank Spots" of Military History. RIA-Novosti (May 5, 2008). Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
9. TsAMO. F. 32. Op. 11306. D. 231. L. 356, 358, 361; D. 772. L. 134; F. 208. Op. 2526. D. 5a. L. 443-448; F. 326. Op. 2676. D. 348. L. 4-5; F. 2. Op. 176495. D. 378, L. 76.
10. Zvyagintsev V. E. Part 13. Payment for betrayal: Crow is ordered to be eliminated // War on the scales of Themis: the war of 1941-1945. in materials of investigative and judicial cases. - Terra, 2006. - P. 594. - 766 p. - (Two-faced Clio - versions and facts). -

I was forced to post this article in connection with the discussion of the person of the former Soviet general, and subsequently the head of the ROA A. Vlasov, on the pages of Hydepark: http://gidepark.ru/user/3613970432/poll/48088#, because Mr. Evgeny Kuleshov, considered my criticism inconvenient for him and limited my ability to discuss this article, this is his right and I consider it incorrect to challenge this.

During the discussion, a number of “our” and “neighboring” fellow citizens raised the question that, like, it’s not the point to condemn Vlasov alone, if you look at how many Russians served the Germans faithfully. I know it worked, I know quite a few, and I know the reasons were different. To educate our Hyde Park residents on this difficult question, who they served there, and what the Germans could trust them, I propose an article by an amateur historian, design engineer A. Kuznetsov.

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"Hiwi" or general workers from the eastern construction division pose in front of a German photographer

Who are the “Khiwis” and why were there so many of them? Who are "HIVI" and why were there so many of them?

Big losses Heavy Wehrmacht losses

The battles on the Kursk Bulge cost the Germans suffered large losses that needed to be replenished. A document from the organizational department of the General Staff in the second half of 1943 provided for measures to release soldiers for the army in the east. The cleaning of the rear and the recruitment of “subhumans” to serve on their side began again. Actually, the Slavic peoples were no longer considered “inferior”, especially by front-line soldiers.

According to the plan, cuts in supply units and administrative services amounted to 120 thousand soldiers, replacement of a number of positions by women - only 20 thousand soldiers, purge of units in search of slackers - 20 thousand soldiers, and, finally, the introduction of "hivi" - 260 thousand. soldier. It must be said that the project was not fully implemented.

On October 2, 1943, new levels of units on the eastern front in the active army were approved. There were now 2,005 Hiwis in an infantry division of 10,708 men, which was about 15% of the total. There were 970 and 776 Hiwis in the tank and motorized divisions, respectively, which was equal to 15% of the total strength. In 1944, the staff of the infantry division changed, now there were 1,466 people (1,164 in the forward units and 302 in the rear). The share of "hiwis" in the SS volunteer infantry division in the forward and rear units was 1125 and 414 people, respectively, despite the fact that there were more soldiers in the SS division.

In addition to increasing the number of “reluctant helpers,” a decision was made to improve their existence so that they would not desert. From a purely temporary phenomenon, the “hiwis” arose on a legal basis. Back on April 29, 1943, the Hiwis were officially allowed to wear German uniforms, but without German emblems, buttonholes and shoulder straps.

In 1943, a charter and instructions on rights, responsibilities, pay, uniforms, service, etc. were issued for the Khiwi.

"Hiwi" or general workers from the eastern construction division - diggers make a dugout

History of formation

Immediately after Germany’s attack on the USSR, various circles, both in Germany itself and in the territories it occupied, began to express thoughts about creating national military formations from among Soviet citizens, mainly Karachais, as well as white emigrants. Despite the fact that A. Hitler was against recruiting these people to serve in the army, the Wehrmacht command, at its own peril and risk, began to recruit these people into service, initially in auxiliary units (especially as translators and saboteurs for deployment to the rear of Soviet troops) . Some generals decided to go further and create auxiliary units to combat partisans from such military personnel.

In accordance with the directive signed by the Chief of the General Staff of the German Ground Forces F. Halder on August 16, 1942, all units and units formed from Soviet citizens began to be called “Eastern Forces”, and their military personnel - volunteers. The directive distinguished four groups of “hiwis”:

Total Hiwi population

Since 1941, as the Wehrmacht advanced, the number of “voluntary assistants” grew continuously. Already in April 1942 there were 200,000 people, and in July 1943 - already 600,000. To manage these people, a special post of “inspector general of the eastern troops” was created. From October 1943, they were included in the standard staff of the German infantry division: the number of personnel of the German infantry division by state on October 2, 1943 was “10,708 people and 2,005 civilian people (support workers)”, under the latter some researchers today imply "hivi" (in relation to the Eastern Front). However, there is no exact information on this issue yet.

The infantry division standards, established on October 2, 1942, provided for the presence of 2,005 “civilians” for 10,708 German personnel, which amounted to about 19% of the total number. In Army Group North, the Hiwi units were known as “local combat formations” (German: Einwohnerkampfverbande ), in the army group “Center” - as “order service” (German. Ordnungsdienst ), in the army group “South” - as “auxiliary security units” (German. Hilfswachmannschaften ) . As of February 1943, the number of these formations was 60-70 thousand people.

As of February 1945, the Hiwi numbered 600,000 in the ground forces, 50 to 60 thousand in the Luftwaffe, and 15 thousand in the Kriegsmarine.

The total number of Soviet citizens and Russian emigrants who passed through the Wehrmacht, SS troops, police and paramilitary forces in 1941-45 was, according to some information, up to 1.2 million people (including Slavs - up to 700 thousand, representatives of the three Baltic nations - up to 300 thousand, representatives of Turkic, Caucasian and other small peoples - up to 200 thousand). About a third of this number are military formations and units that fought on the fronts of World War II against the armies of the anti-Hitler coalition and in the occupied territories against partisans. These include formations of the eastern Wehrmacht troops, SS and police troops, as well as the German intelligence services - the Abwehr and SD. The rest are “auxiliary service volunteers” (“hiwi”), the so-called personnel. individual auxiliary police service and local self-defense units. These categories also partially took part in combat operations and were used to replenish combat units and formations. The maximum one-time number of all categories reached 800-900 thousand people.

It should also be clarified that a significant part of these individuals became citizens of the Soviet Union only in 1939-1940. These are some Baltic peoples and residents of areas of western Belarus and Ukraine.

ROA

To raise the spirit of volunteers, from April 1943, all Russians serving in Wehrmacht units and units or in independent Russian formations were formally enrolled in the Russian Liberation Army (ROA).

The Germans carried out active propaganda among prisoners, suggesting that all Khivi, if returned to the USSR, would be subject to repression. Former military personnel of the eastern troops spoke about this during interrogations, and this was repeatedly noted in numerous reports of political agencies of all ranks that analyzed the problem of the so-called Vlasovites.

Post-war fate

People who served as “voluntary helpers” were recognized as traitors to the Motherland. Some of them went through camps and exile in the USSR.

In the book by Joachim Hoffmann, editor S.I. Drobyazko gives the following information: of the 238 thousand “Vlasovites” (which included not only soldiers and officers of the ROA, but also military personnel of Cossack units and eastern legions) transferred to the disposal of the NKVD by March 1, 1946 , 148 thousand (more than half) received 6 years of special settlement.

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Notes

1. Chuev S.// Damned soldiers: Traitors on the side of the Third Reich. - M.: Yauza; Eksmo, 2004. - 574 p. - (Secrets of the Third Reich). - 5100 copies. - ISBN 5-699-05970-9.
2. Romanko O. V. Muslim legions of the Third Reich: Muslim volunteer formations in the German armed forces (1939-1945). Simferopol, 2000. P. 5
3. Drobyazko S. I., Karashchuk A. Russian Liberation Army. - M.: Eksmo, 2004. - P. 7.
4. Muller-Hillebrand B. Das Heer. 1933-1945. - Frankfurt/M, 1966. - Bd. 3. - S. 135.
6. Drobyazko S. I., Karashchuk A. Russian Liberation Army. - M.: Eksmo, 2004. - P. 3.
8. Drobyazko S. I. Under the banner of the enemy: Anti-Soviet formations within the German armed forces 1941-1945. - M.: Eksmo, 2004. - P. 339.
9. Nevzorov B., Abaturov V., Morozov M., Lipatov S., Isaev A.. RIA-Novosti (May 5, 2008). Retrieved March 17, 2012. .
10. Sergey Drobyazko.. www.paris2france.com. Retrieved May 22, 2016.
11. TsAMO. F. 32. Op. 11306. D. 231. L. 356, 358, 361; D. 772. L. 134; F. 208. Op. 2526. D. 5a. L. 443-448; F. 326. Op. 2676. D. 348. L. 4-5; F. 2. Op. 176495. D. 378, L. 76.
12. Zvyagintsev V. E. Part 13. Payment for betrayal: Crow is ordered to be eliminated // . - Terra, 2006. - P. 594. - 766 p. - (Two-faced Clio - versions and facts). - ISBN 9785275013092.

Literature and publications

• Ordinary men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland. - New York: HarperCollins, 1992.(English)
• Europa unterm Hakenkreuz: Achtbändige Dokumentenedition. - Ergänzungsband 1: Okkupation und Kollaboration (1938-1945). Beiträge zu Konzepten und Praxis der Kollaboration in der deutschen Okkupationspolitik / Hrsg. von Bundesarchiv. - Berlin, Heidelberg, 1994. - ISBN 3-8226-2492-6.(German)
• Gdański J. W. Zapomniani żołnierze Hitlera. - Warszawa, 2005.(Polish)

see also

Links

Excerpt characterizing Khivi

Pursued by a hundred thousand French army under the command of Bonaparte, met by hostile inhabitants, no longer trusting their allies, experiencing a lack of food and forced to act outside all foreseeable conditions of war, the Russian army of thirty-five thousand, under the command of Kutuzov, hastily retreated down the Danube, stopping where it was overtaken by the enemy, and fought back with rearguard actions, only as much as was necessary in order to retreat without losing weight. There were cases at Lambach, Amsteten and Melk; but, despite the courage and fortitude, recognized by the enemy himself, with whom the Russians fought, the consequence of these affairs was only an even faster retreat. The Austrian troops, having escaped capture at Ulm and joined Kutuzov at Braunau, now separated from the Russian army, and Kutuzov was left only to his weak, exhausted forces. It was impossible to even think about defending Vienna any longer. Instead of an offensive, deeply thought-out, according to the laws of the new science - strategy, war, the plan of which was transferred to Kutuzov when he was in Vienna by the Austrian Gofkriegsrat, the only, almost unattainable goal that now seemed to Kutuzov was to, without destroying the army like Mack under Ulm, to connect with the troops coming from Russia.
On October 28, Kutuzov and his army crossed to the left bank of the Danube and stopped for the first time, putting the Danube between themselves and the main forces of the French. On the 30th he attacked Mortier’s division located on the left bank of the Danube and defeated it. In this case, trophies were taken for the first time: a banner, guns and two enemy generals. For the first time after a two-week retreat, the Russian troops stopped and, after a struggle, not only held the battlefield, but drove out the French. Despite the fact that the troops were stripped, exhausted, weakened by one third, backward, wounded, killed and sick; despite the fact that the sick and wounded were left on the other side of the Danube with a letter from Kutuzov, entrusting them to the philanthropy of the enemy; despite the fact that the large hospitals and houses in Krems, converted into infirmaries, could no longer accommodate all the sick and wounded, despite all this, the stop at Krems and the victory over Mortier significantly raised the morale of the army. Throughout the entire army and in the main quarters, the most joyful, although unfair, rumors were circulating about the imaginary approach of columns from Russia, about some kind of victory won by the Austrians, and about the retreat of the frightened Bonaparte.
Prince Andrei was during the battle with the Austrian general Schmitt, who was killed in this case. A horse was wounded under him, and he himself was slightly grazed in the arm by a bullet. As a sign of the special favor of the commander-in-chief, he was sent with news of this victory to the Austrian court, which was no longer in Vienna, which was threatened by French troops, but in Brunn. On the night of the battle, excited, but not tired (despite his weak-looking build, Prince Andrei could endure physical fatigue much better than the strongest people), having arrived on horseback with a report from Dokhturov to Krems to Kutuzov, Prince Andrei was sent that same night courier to Brunn. Sending by courier, in addition to rewards, meant an important step towards promotion.
The night was dark and starry; the road turned black between the white snow that had fallen the day before, on the day of the battle. Now going over the impressions of the past battle, now joyfully imagining the impression that he would make with the news of victory, remembering the farewell of the commander-in-chief and comrades, Prince Andrei galloped in the mail chaise, experiencing the feeling of a man who had waited for a long time and had finally achieved the beginning of the desired happiness. As soon as he closed his eyes, the firing of rifles and cannons was heard in his ears, which merged with the sound of wheels and the impression of victory. Then he began to imagine that the Russians were fleeing, that he himself had been killed; but he quickly woke up, with happiness as if he learned again that none of this had happened, and that, on the contrary, the French had fled. He again remembered all the details of the victory, his calm courage during the battle and, having calmed down, dozed off... After the dark starry night, a bright, cheerful morning came. The snow melted in the sun, the horses galloped quickly, and new and varied forests, fields, and villages passed indifferently to the right and left.
At one of the stations he overtook a convoy of Russian wounded. The Russian officer driving the transport, lounging on the front cart, shouted something, cursing the soldier with rude words. In the long German vans, six or more pale, bandaged and dirty wounded were shaking along the rocky road. Some of them spoke (he heard Russian dialect), others ate bread, the heaviest ones silently, with meek and painful childish sympathy, looked at the courier galloping past them.
Prince Andrei ordered to stop and asked the soldier in what case they were wounded. “The day before yesterday on the Danube,” answered the soldier. Prince Andrei took out his wallet and gave the soldier three gold coins.
“For everyone,” he added, turning to the approaching officer. “Get well, guys,” he addressed the soldiers, “there’s still a lot to do.”
- What, Mr. Adjutant, what news? – the officer asked, apparently wanting to talk.
- Good ones! “Forward,” he shouted to the driver and galloped on.
It was already completely dark when Prince Andrey entered Brunn and saw himself surrounded by tall buildings, the lights of shops, house windows and lanterns, beautiful carriages rustling along the pavement and all that atmosphere of a large, lively city, which is always so attractive to a military man after the camp. Prince Andrei, despite the fast ride and sleepless night, approaching the palace, felt even more animated than the day before. Only the eyes sparkled with a feverish brilliance, and thoughts changed with extreme speed and clarity. All the details of the battle were vividly presented to him again, no longer vaguely, but definitely, in a condensed presentation, which he made in his imagination to Emperor Franz. He vividly imagined random questions that could be asked of him, and the answers that he would make to them. He believed that he would immediately be presented to the emperor. But at the large entrance of the palace an official ran out to him and, recognizing him as a courier, escorted him to another entrance.
- From the corridor to the right; there, Euer Hochgeboren, [Your Highness,] you will find the adjutant on duty in the wing,” the official told him. - He takes you to the Minister of War.
The adjutant on duty in the wing, who met Prince Andrei, asked him to wait and went to the Minister of War. Five minutes later, the aide-de-camp returned and, bending especially politely and letting Prince Andrei go ahead of him, led him through the corridor into the office where the Minister of War was working. The aide-de-camp, with his exquisite politeness, seemed to want to protect himself from the Russian adjutant’s attempts at familiarity. Prince Andrei's joyful feeling weakened significantly when he approached the door of the War Minister's office. He felt insulted, and the feeling of insult at that same moment, unnoticed by him, turned into a feeling of contempt, based on nothing. His resourceful mind at the same moment suggested to him the point of view from which he had the right to despise both the adjutant and the minister of war. “They must find it very easy to win victories without smelling gunpowder!” he thought. His eyes narrowed contemptuously; He entered the office of the Minister of War especially slowly. This feeling intensified even more when he saw the Minister of War sitting over a large table and for the first two minutes did not pay attention to the newcomer. The Minister of War lowered his bald head with gray temples between two wax candles and read, marking with a pencil, the papers. He finished reading without raising his head, when the door opened and footsteps were heard.
“Take this and hand it over,” the Minister of War said to his adjutant, handing over the papers and not yet paying attention to the courier.
Prince Andrei felt that either of all the affairs that occupied the Minister of War, the actions of Kutuzov’s army could least of all interest him, or it was necessary to let the Russian courier feel this. “But I don’t care at all,” he thought. The Minister of War moved the rest of the papers, aligned their edges with the edges and raised his head. He had a smart and characteristic head. But at the same moment as he turned to Prince Andrei, the intelligent and firm expression on the face of the Minister of War, apparently habitually and consciously changed: the stupid, feigned, not hiding his pretense, smile of a man who receives many petitioners one after another stopped on his face .
– From General Field Marshal Kutuzov? - he asked. - Good news, I hope? Was there a collision with Mortier? Victory? It's time!
He took the dispatch, which was addressed to him, and began to read it with a sad expression.
- Oh my god! My God! Shmit! - he said in German. - What a misfortune, what a misfortune!
Having run through the dispatch, he put it on the table and looked at Prince Andrei, apparently thinking about something.
- Oh, what a misfortune! The matter, you say, is decisive? Mortier was not taken, however. (He thought.) I am very glad that you brought good news, although the death of Shmit is an expensive price to pay for victory. His Majesty will probably wish to see you, but not today. Thank you, take a rest. Tomorrow be on the way out after the parade. However, I'll let you know.
The stupid smile that had disappeared during the conversation reappeared on the face of the Minister of War.
- Goodbye, thank you very much. The Emperor will probably wish to see you,” he repeated and bowed his head.
When Prince Andrei left the palace, he felt that all the interest and happiness brought to him by the victory had now been abandoned by him and transferred to the indifferent hands of the Minister of War and the courteous adjutant. His whole mindset instantly changed: the battle seemed to him like an old, distant memory.

Prince Andrei stayed in Brünn with his friend, the Russian diplomat Bilibin.
“Ah, dear prince, there is no nicer guest,” said Bilibin, going out to meet Prince Andrei. - Franz, the prince’s things are in my bedroom! - he turned to the servant who was seeing Bolkonsky off. - What, a harbinger of victory? Wonderful. And I’m sitting sick, as you can see.
Prince Andrei, having washed and dressed, went out to the diplomat’s luxurious office and sat down to the prepared dinner. Bilibin calmly sat down by the fireplace.
Prince Andrei, not only after his journey, but also after the entire campaign, during which he was deprived of all the comforts of cleanliness and grace of life, experienced a pleasant feeling of relaxation among those luxurious living conditions to which he had become accustomed since childhood. In addition, after the Austrian reception, he was pleased to talk, at least not in Russian (they spoke French), but with a Russian person who, he assumed, shared the general Russian disgust (now especially vividly felt) for the Austrians.
Bilibin was a man of about thirty-five, single, in the same company as Prince Andrei. They knew each other back in St. Petersburg, but they became even closer on Prince Andrei’s last visit to Vienna together with Kutuzov. Just as Prince Andrei was a young man who promised to go far in the military field, so, and even more, did Bilibin promise in the diplomatic field. He was still a young man, but no longer a young diplomat, since he began serving at the age of sixteen, was in Paris, in Copenhagen, and now occupied a rather significant position in Vienna. Both the Chancellor and our envoy in Vienna knew him and valued him. He was not one of that large number of diplomats who are required to have only negative merits, not do well-known things and speak French in order to be very good diplomats; he was one of those diplomats who love and know how to work, and, despite his laziness, he sometimes spent the night at his desk. He worked equally well, no matter what the nature of the work was. He was not interested in the question “why?”, but in the question “how?”. What the diplomatic matter was, he didn’t care; but to draw up a circular, memorandum or report skillfully, accurately and gracefully - he found great pleasure in this. Bilibin's merits were valued, in addition to his written works, also by his art of addressing and speaking in higher spheres.
Bilibin loved conversation just as he loved work, only when the conversation could be elegantly witty. In society, he constantly waited for an opportunity to say something remarkable and entered into conversation only under these conditions. Bilibin's conversation was constantly peppered with original witty, complete phrases of general interest.
These phrases were produced in Bilibin’s internal laboratory, as if on purpose, of a portable nature, so that insignificant secular people could conveniently remember them and transfer them from living rooms to living rooms. And indeed, les mots de Bilibine se colportaient dans les salons de Vienne, [Bilibin’s reviews were distributed throughout Viennese living rooms] and often had an influence on so-called important matters.
His thin, emaciated, yellowish face was all covered with large wrinkles, which always seemed as cleanly and diligently washed, like fingertips after a bath. The movements of these wrinkles constituted the main play of his physiognomy. Now his forehead wrinkled in wide folds, his eyebrows rose upward, now his eyebrows went down, and large wrinkles formed on his cheeks. The deep-set, small eyes always looked straight and cheerful.
“Well, now tell us your exploits,” he said.
Bolkonsky, in the most modest way, without ever mentioning himself, told the story and the reception of the Minister of War.
“Ils m"ont recu avec ma nouvelle, comme un chien dans un jeu de quilles, [They accepted me with this news, as they accept a dog when it interferes with a game of skittles,] he concluded.

In the photo: Caucasian auxiliary troops. September 1942

About a million USSR citizens – the so-called “hiwis” (from Hilfswillige – voluntary assistants) served in the German army in auxiliary positions. But this figure does not, of course, include those who helped the Germans in the rear. Later, many of these people paid for their activities with their lives or freedom...

Since the attack on the USSR, German troops, especially infantry units, began to suffer heavy losses, while the process of recruiting them with German personnel also did not always meet the requirements and specifics of combat operations. At the same time, German commanders had a large number of Soviet prisoners of war and defectors at their disposal. Not all prisoners were sent to the rear by unit commanders. Those who wished received economic “positions,” thereby freeing up the German personnel, who were immediately sent to the front line. Defectors and prisoners went to serve in the German army as grooms and drivers, shell carriers and orderlies, sappers and military builders. Such helpers became known as “Hilfswillige” (volunteer helpers) or “Hiwi” for short. Some of them went through the entire combat path of their military units until the end of the war.

In the photo: “Hivi” with a cart

A considerable number of former Red Army soldiers joined the combat units of the Wehrmacht, diluting the German composition and receiving the status of Freiwillie volunteers. According to reports from the front line, they fought bravely, and their presence contributed greatly to the influx of defectors.

In the photo: Crimean Tatars in the auxiliary units of the Wehrmacht. February 1942

Thus, the 11th Army of Field Marshal Manstein in the summer of 1942 had 47 thousand “voluntary assistants”. As part of Paulus's 6th Army in the winter of 1941-1943. there were 51 thousand 780 Russian support personnel and an anti-aircraft artillery division staffed by Ukrainians.

By the end of 1942, each infantry regiment had 1 sapper company composed of prisoners of war, which included 10 German instructors. The infantry division staff established on October 2, 1943 provided for the presence of 2,005 volunteers for 10,708 German personnel, which amounted to about 15% of the total strength of the division.

As an identification mark, the “Hiwis” wore a white bandage on the left sleeve with the inscription in three lines in German “In the service of the German Army” (“Im dienst der Deutsches Wehrmacht”). An armband with the inscription “In the service of the SS troops” was issued to WaffenSS volunteer employees. Female military auxiliary personnel wore a yellow armband with the embroidered inscription "German Army" ("Deutsche Wehrmacht") on their left sleeve. In a number of cases, an armband was used with the image of the tactical sign of a particular division and/or an imprint of its seal.

All “Hiwis” took an oath, the text of which was drawn up by Colonel Freitag von Loringhofen. The volunteers swore allegiance to A. Hitler as commander-in-chief, but nowhere was there a word about what they were fighting for. After taking the oath, all volunteers were considered equal to a German soldier. Freitag is the author of the so-called “Charter-5000” for the daily activities of Hiwi units.

According to statistics from the Office of the Eastern Forces, as of February 2, 1943, the total number of former Soviet citizens in German military service was 750 thousand, of which the Hiwi ranged from 400 to 600 thousand, excluding the SS, Luftwaffe and Navy. As of February 1945, the number of Hiwis was 600 thousand people in the Wehrmacht, up to 60 thousand in the Luftwaffe and 15 thousand in the navy.

An excerpt from the “Main Directions for the Training of Volunteer Assistants”, developed by the headquarters of the 6th Army in 1943, gives an idea of ​​the Hiwi service:

“The purpose of training and education is to prepare voluntary assistants as reliable comrades in the fight against Bolshevism.

In the photo: “Khivi” of captured Red Army soldiers prepare their lunch

To carry out such training and education, volunteer assistants should be purposefully selected from the camps and brought together, providing appropriate supervision personnel and teachers (including interpreters). Further in the camp the following division of companies of Hiwi reservists is maintained: in each division there is one or more companies.

An idea of ​​the typology of collaborationist units and units is given by special registers, the compilation and maintenance of which were carried out by the Reich military department and the headquarters of the commander of all eastern troops. Thus, the register dated November 22, 1943 mentions the following types of eastern (Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian and mixed) units and units: eastern companies (eastern companies); eastern watch companies and platoons; eastern companies and supply columns (heavy and light); companies and battalions of convalescent volunteers; construction and engineering companies, platoons; sapper, pontoon, bridge-building companies and platoons; anti-partisan companies, platoons, yagd teams, including huntsmen; security platoons and companies; infantry (rifle) units; tank platoons and companies; platoons and signal companies; horse and cavalry squadrons and units; eastern propaganda companies and platoons (motorized and infantry); Eastern Special Purpose Regimental Headquarters of the Central Bank of Fleet; eastern divisions and headquarters of translators;. armored trains, ambulance and repair trains; schools (companies and battalions) for training non-commissioned officers; eastern reserve, training companies and battalions; tank and other equipment repair units; reconnaissance platoons, companies, squadrons.

Recruitment for these and other units was made from among volunteer prisoners of war, the local population, and partisan defectors. “Eastern” companies were involved in protecting communications routes, performing garrison service in villages and cities, and in combat operations against partisans and Soviet landing groups.

In the Vitebsk region there were units of former citizens of the USSR: at the headquarters of the commander of the rear (“Koryuk”) there were 3.4 yagd teams (or “hunter teams”) of 80-100 people each.

Such teams were recruited from experienced fighters and armed with automatic weapons to “hunt” partisan detachments; "Order Police" or "Ordnungsdienst" units. They were located in every village. Total for Vitebsk region. they numbered up to 8 thousand people;. commandant companies at army commandant's offices from 100 to 200 people each (the cities of Surazh, Liozno, Senno); railway and highway security detachments subordinate to the departments of these highways; ost-battalions at army headquarters, from 500 to 1 thousand people each;. divisions have detachments of up to 4 thousand people to guard transport and convoys.

Similar formations were created not only in the Vitebsk region, but throughout the occupied territories of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Often, the German command itself did not have accurate information about such units, since local commanders tried to hide their presence from their superiors.

Eastern battalions, squadrons, batteries, squadrons Eastern battalions (Eastern battalions) were mostly formed as part of each German division on the basis of eastern companies for various purposes. Subsequently, they received the numbering of their divisions. Since the spring of 1943, all anti-partisan companies were consolidated into eastern battalions.

As a rule, German officers were appointed as commanders, although there were exceptions. By July 1943, there were 78 eastern battalions.

The battalions available on the Eastern Front can be divided into:
1. Army eastern battalions: 510, 516, 517, 561, 581, 582.
2. Corps: 308, 406, 412, 427, 432, 439, 441, 446.448, 456 3. Divisional: 207, 229, 263, 268, 281, 285 4. Independent: 601.621, 626.630, 632.65 0, 653, 654.

Many units in parallel bore the names of their commanders: “Bishler’s Jagd-team of Eastern hunters”, “Friesner’s team”, “Hansen’s Ost-battalion”, etc. This was done in order to disguise them from the attention of particularly zealous military officials, who saw a direct violation in the existence of the eastern units the Fuhrer's order on the inadmissibility of arming “Slavic subhumans.”

Cooperation with the enemy was carried out not only on the ground, but also in the air. The 1st East Squadron of the Luftwaffe was created on the initiative of Luftwaffe Lieutenant Colonel Holters in December 1943 in Moritzfeld (East Prussia). For preliminary training, a special camp was created in Suwalki, where former prisoners of war from among the pilots, navigators, and radio operators were tested for suitability. After the inspection was completed, they were restored to their previous ranks, an oath was taken, and the people were included in the squadron.

Russian pilots flew PO-2 and outdated German aircraft. The squadron took part in battles in the Baltic states as part of the Ostland night bomber group.

This group also included 3 Estonian and 2 Latvian squadrons. Subsequently, the KONR Air Force was created on the basis of the Russian Holters squadron.

In the photo: A column of Jewish women is escorted by the “Lithuanian” self-defense. 1941

A number of Soviet aircraft with crews were in service with Abwehr front-line commands and were used for special operations.

In addition, since the spring of 1944, Hiwi units have been created for the Luftwaffe, called “Luftwaffe assistants” - “Luvtwaffenhilfers”. In addition, several batteries of 88-mm FLAC anti-aircraft guns were placed to guard the Atlantic Wall. Their combat personnel consisted partly of young Russian volunteers "flakhilfers" and former soldiers of von Renteln's Cossack units.

By the end of the war, the German Air Force included 120 thousand former prisoners of war and 22.5 thousand volunteers.

1st Cossack Cavalry Division

Colonel Helmuth von Pannwitz was to create the unit and command it.

Pannwitz was born in 1898 in Silesia into the family of a cavalry officer. As a 16-year-old cadet, he participated in the 1st World War and earned the Iron Cross of the 1st and 2nd degrees. At the beginning of the war with the USSR, he headed the reconnaissance unit of the 45th Infantry Division. In November 1942, Field Marshal von Kleist entrusted him with the formation of Cossack units from prisoners of war and local residents in the south of Russia. While engaged in the formation of Cossack units, Pannwitz himself, to some extent, “found himself”, mastered the Russian language well and no longer separated himself, a Wehrmacht officer, from the violent Cossack freemen.

In the photo: Cossack volunteers of the Wehrmacht. January 1943

In the photo: Helmut von Pannwitz

Plans to form a division in Ukraine were thwarted by the Soviet offensive at Stalingrad. The formation of the division began only in the spring of 1943. after the withdrawal of the German army and the relative stabilization of the front. All Cossack units that retreated along with the Wehrmacht from the Don and the North Caucasus were concentrated in the Kherson region and replenished with Cossack refugees. At the first stage, 4 Cossack regiments were formed from them: 1st Don, 2nd Tersky, 3rd Combined Cossack and 4th Kuban with a total number of up to 6 thousand people. On April 21, 1943, an order was issued to organize the 1st Cossack Cavalry Division. The four above-mentioned regiments were transferred to Polish territory to the training ground in Mlau (Mlawu), where the Polish cavalry equipment warehouses were located. Soon other Cossack military formations arrived at the training ground. Kononov's 600th division, Platov and von Jungschultz regiments, von Wolf's 1st Ataman regiment. All previous combat units were disbanded, and their personnel were consolidated into new units based on their affiliation with the Cossack troops. Only Kononov defended his division, and he joined the division as the 5th Don Regiment.

The creation of the division was completed by July 1, 1943, Colonel Pannwitz received another rank and was appointed its commander.

As of November 1943, the division consisted of the following units and subunits:

Division headquarters with a hundred escort and a brass band; 1st (Don) Brigade under the command of the Baltic German, Colonel G. von Wolf (from January 1944, Colonel Bosse); The 1st (Don) Regiment of Lieutenant Colonel Burgrave zu Don consisted of 2 cavalry divisions, each of which had 3 cavalry and 1 cavalry machine-gun squadron, a squadron of heavy weapons (2 platoons of 50-mm PAK guns and 2 platoons of 81- mm mortars; the 2nd Siberian Regiment under the command of the Baltic German Colonel von Nolcken had a similar composition; the 4th Kuban Regiment of Lieutenant Colonel von Wolf (composition similar to the 1st Don Regiment); the 2nd Caucasian Brigade of Colonel von Bosse (from January 1944 . Lieutenant Colonel von Schultz); 3rd Combined Cossack Regiment of Colonel von Jungschultz (until the spring of 1944); 5th Don Regiment (Colonel I.N. Kononov); 6th Terek Regiment (Lieutenant Colonel von Kalben); 1st Don Horse Artillery Division: 3 batteries of 75-mm mountain guns; 2nd Kuban Horse Artillery Division; Artillery communications group at division headquarters; Motorized reconnaissance detachment. 3 squadrons; Sapper battalion. 3 sapper squadrons, sapper construction squadron, bridge column, light engineer park; Communications battalion. 2 squadrons of telephone operators, radio communications squadron; Logistics and service units, including the field gendarmerie group; Training - reserve regiment with a non-commissioned officer school and a school for young Cossacks under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Stabenau.

To replenish the division's units, the 5th Cossack training and reserve regiment was stationed in France.

The total strength of the division, excluding the reserve regiment, was 18,555 people, of which: 3,827 German lower ranks, 222 German officers, 14,315 Cossacks and 191 Cossack officers. The reserve Cossack regiment sometimes reached a strength of 15 thousand people.

In mid-September 1943, replenished with vehicles, horses and weapons, the division was sent to the front of the fight against partisans in Yugoslavia. In the city of Pancevo, the Cossacks came under the command of the commander of the 2nd German Tank Army, Colonel General L. von Rendulic.

Mobile and well-armed Cossack units became the main opponent of Tito's partisans, and, according to the Germans, they turned out to be more effective in the anti-partisan war than motorized army and police units. Soon the Cossacks completely replaced the German infantry in the fight against the rebels.

Using their existing experience in fighting partisans, the Cossack units did not spare the enemy and the local population.

Partisan villages were burned after the plunder and requisition of horses and harnesses. Feed for the horses was also obtained from local residents. The Cossacks suppressed interethnic conflicts between the Muslim, Catholic and Orthodox populations with whips and massacres.

Soviet propaganda aimed at the Cossacks was not successful, and during their entire stay in Yugoslavia, only a small group was able to defect to the partisans, forming 2 partisan detachments.

In mid-October 1943, units of the division operated in the Vukovar area. Vinkovitsy. Vrpolye, where communications were guarded. Within a month, calm reigned in this region, which the Croatian security units had been trying to achieve for a long time and unsuccessfully.

At the end of November, von Nolcken's 2nd Siberian Regiment, subordinate to the 11th SS Division Nordland, burned out the villages in which the partisans were hiding, terrorizing the Gora road.

Clay. The pacified areas were transferred to Ustasha control, and the division was transferred to the Zagreb area, where it also guarded roads and fought local partisans. On March 23, 1944, the 2nd Siberian Regiment completely defeated a partisan brigade near Dubravchak. 200 partisans were killed, 200 captured. The Cossacks had 31 people killed.

In the spring of 1944, the 1st Cossack Brigade was located along the right bank of the river. Sava. During the anti-partisan Operation Shah, the brigade countered the troops of the headquarters of the partisan formations in Western Bosnia.

Maneuvering on their own, the partisans avoided the battle, and the Cossack regiments turned back. During the retreat, the 2nd Siberian Regiment was surrounded by superior enemy forces and, after a fierce battle and support from the German-Croatian battalion, broke through the encirclement.

In the spring of 1945, the Cossacks took part in the last offensive operation of the German army on the southern flank of the Balaton ledge. Here the 4th Kuban Regiment, attached to the 11th Air Field Division, attacked the positions of the Bulgarian artillery battery. As a result of a night attack, the Cossacks captured the battery and captured 450 Bulgarian soldiers, suffering only minor losses themselves.

The 1st Division covered the withdrawal of German units from Croatia; it was replaced by units of the 2nd Division and held the front until May 6. Like the refugees of the Cossack Stan, the Cossacks of Pannwitz had to fight their way through the mountains to Austria in difficult weather conditions. The 6th Terek Regiment was surrounded by Bulgarian units and was forced to surrender to English prisoners of war from a nearby camp. The bulk of the Cossacks laid down their arms before the British on May 11–12.

An excerpt from a circular letter from the commander of Ground Army B dated October 3, 1942 about “local auxiliary armed forces”:

Secret!
Com. dry Arm. B Headquarters 3.10.42
No. 9900 x/42 g
Rel.: local auxiliary forces.

1. In the area where Ground Army B is located, there are the following types of local auxiliary forces:
1) volunteer helpers (hivi)
2) order service (odi)
3) schutzmannschaft (noise)
4) police and defense teams of community assistants (gema)

3. Purpose and tasks
1.) Hiwi
a) For the troops - for all official tasks performed by the troops. They accompany regular troops.
c) At commandant's offices - for the protection and security of railways, bridges and other important military installations. The commandant's offices tactically transfer them to the disposal of military units and use them to ensure the safety of these units. They stay put.

2.) Odie. For the safety of the local population and the implementation of security tasks
3.) Shuma (divided into battalions and individual service).
4.) Police officers in communities to assist burgomasters and district chiefs in purely communal tasks. Defense teams of assistants (gema) are generally used only in the event of gangs appearing for local defense or to fight gangs in their area, and usually must be occupied with their economic activities.

The terrible anti-Soviet propaganda now being carried out in the countries of the former USSR empire has long grown intoanti-Russian.Particular cynicism is the distortion of the meaning and course of the Great Patriotic War. A major trump card for the revisionists isavailability of large quantities former citizens of the Soviet Union who served in the German army, police and other anti-Soviet forces in 1941-1945.

All of them are unconditionally enlisted in the army"fighters against the Stalinist regime" , only involuntarily forced to collaborate with the Nazis, and then other things pour on the heads of the listeners. Democratic-liberal nonsense.

Actually, the collaborators, in addition to the administration installed by the Germans (headmen, burgomasters), were divided into: 1) police, 2) military personnel of the “eastern troops” (construction, combat, security), 3) “auxiliary service volunteers” - “hivi”.

If you believe the modern Ukrainian historian O. Romanko, then the number of Soviet collaborators during the Second World War was 1.5 million people, of which “Khivi” were 665-675 thousand people.

They were assistantsthe Wehrmacht ground army, the air force and navy, and even the SS troops, although, of course, the largest number of them served in the Wehrmacht ground forces. They were recruited primarily from prisoners of war, but sometimes also from the local population in the occupied territories.

The history of the creation of the Khivi is typical, like the creation of other formations from Soviet collaborators. German leadershipAt first, the invasion did not want to rely on any forces within the enslaved country. Hitler later admitted that he did not want to create such formations,“because I was afraid of political conclusions, which could determine the later decision of the fate of the occupied eastern territories." But life made its own adjustments, or rather,death of many German soldiers.

Big losses

By the end of November 1941, about 230 thousand German ground army soldiers were killed and another 14 thousand were missing. In total, including the wounded, the losses of the ground army amounted to 740 thousand people. The replenishment recruited and trained during the same period amounted to only 400 thousand people, i.e. the shortage amounted to 340 thousand soldiers in the German army in the east.

The company was not yet finished, and the Germans began to rake out the soldierswherever possible. By October 22, 1941, the commander of the reserve army had developed a project to release 250 thousand people of younger conscription age for the eastern front by replacing them at their previous places of service with senior conscripts, as well as those limitedly fit for military service in combat units. This event was carried out both on the eastern front and in the west and in the reserve army. Another 25 thousand people were recruited by cleaning up the rear, primarily the reserve army. It must be said that although the active army received soldiers - former rear servicemen - in this way quite quickly, they did not need to be taught military “basics”: rifle shooting and other skills, their combat value was much lower than retired soldiers. Someone was a clerk at the headquarters, someone guarded the warehouse, got fat, lost the habit of feeling danger...It turned out that the former rearthey died even faster, and again they needed replacement. During the winter of 1941-1942. The German army lost many more soldiers. In January 1942, an organization of women “staff assistants” was created to free up men, staff clerks, secretaries, and typewriter operators, in Germany and the occupation forces. This is how women began to serve in the German army.

Also, the rear began to shake again - the need for the existence of numerous service levels and institutions was reconsidered, and their staffing was checked. In the occupying armies in the West, Norway and the Balkans, in the spring of 1942 they began to withdraw soldiers and replace them with young “green” recruits. All these measures, plus trained recruits in the usual manner, however, did not cover the shortage of soldiers for the summer offensive. As of May 1942, it amounted to 450 thousand people, including soldiers needed for new formations.

Therefore, on the eastern front, local field commanders began to slowlyattract Soviet prisoners of war to the simplest non-responsible jobs ... The first Hiwis appeared in the fall of 1941.

Who could be replaced with “hiwi”

First of all, it is necessary to determine what work the Germans could entrust to people in their combat units, to whomthey trusted little, but they desperately needed.

In the infantry division of the 1939 model, the so-called. The “first wave” (the best equipped) had a staff of 17,734 people, including combat troops, rear units and division institutions, as well as a field reserve battalion. Theoretically, the “hiwis” could serve in the engineer battalion as general workers, or as grooms (the artillery was horse-drawn), drivers, repairmen of numerous motor vehicles, translators, and other parts of the division.

The table shows the number of horses and non-combat equipment, i.e. where the hands of the “hivi” could serve.

Note: There were few such well-equipped divisions in the Wehrmacht, but it is discussed in this article because there is data on it.

The engineer battalion consisted of 22 officers, 2 officials, 100 non-commissioned officers, 655 privates, a total of 779 people; eastern assistants could also be crammed here. In total, the number of supply units of the infantry division included in the combat, rear troops and reserve battalion (artillery supply trains, light parks, food and clothing convoys, etc.) consisted of 1695 people, i.e. 9.6% of the total strength of the division.

The tank division of the 1939 model did not have horses, but it had more motor vehicles: 561 cars, 1402 trucks and 1289 motorcycles of all types. All this equipment had to be repaired and managed.

Soviet prisoners of war interspersed with rear units one by one, in groups,first under the supervision of the Germans, and then independently. The position of the Germans was greatly facilitated by the fact that many prisoners of warwere former Soviet rear guards, caught in the cauldrons of 1941 and 1942. and who knew how to cook porridge, care for horses, turn steering wheels, and repair equipment. It is no secret that rear soldiers turned out, in most cases, to be less physically and morally strong people; they were not always ready to risk their lives. They made up a significant proportion of those captured, while the bravest front-line soldiers died or refused to serve the Germans.

Initially, these prisoner-of-war assistants did not have an official name - they were called"our Russians" or "our Ivans". Later they began to be called "hiwi"(“Hilfswilliger” or for short "Hiwi") - literally translated from German"ready to help" , and officially - "auxiliary service volunteers" .

The position of the Hiwis in the German army

So, the German commanders began not to send all the prisoners immediately to the rear, but to find out who wanted to work. For most prisoners of war it wasthe only way to avoid death from hunger, cold and disease behind the barbed wire of concentration camps. It was a real chancelose your soul, but save your body.

It is no secret that there was a third category of citizens - ideological,wanting revenge and getting even with their compatriots for themselves and their loved ones. Among the ideological, a large stratum consisted of the so-called. “nationals” - Balts, Caucasians and Crimean Tatars, who are hostile not so much to Bolshevism,so much to the Russians, the Slavs, on whom the Soviet Empire rested. The ideological ones formed mainly national legions, and, according to the author, as “hivi”, i.e. There were few unarmed collaborators.

There was another category of people who wanted to be freed from the camp, take possession of weapons and run at their own risk to the partisans or back to the Red Army. Initially, many wanted to escape. But only a few succeededthe rest were afraid and soon resigned themselves to their fate as a traitor... Uh it was a tragedy of people, a tragedy of unwilling traitors.

Perhaps some “ideological” “Khiwis” were disappointed in their fate, it was very pitiful, and became willing to escape. And the position of the “hivi” is reallywas disappointing.

The first Hiwis were considered by German commanders aspurely temporary necessity no staff was envisaged - it would be quicker to defeat the Bolsheviks and get rid of these Russians. Therefore, the “Eastern auxiliary service volunteers” wore whatever they could - Soviet or civilian clothes, often torn. For some, their German masters made armbands with different inscriptions or seals so that they would not be accidentally shot. It is clear that to dirty, ragged people, former enemies, recently released from a transit camp, and even subhumans,could not treat well.

When by the fall it became clear that victory over the “Jewish-Bolshevik state” would not take place soon, a number of measures were carried out for the decisive push. On October 1, 1941, a uniform armband with the inscription was introduced for volunteers of the Hiwi Auxiliary Service“In the service of the German Armed Forces” (“Im Dienst der Deutschen Wehrmacht”) or "In the service of the SS troops" , and for women "German Armed Forces" ("Deutsche Wehrmacht" ») . At the same time, the manufacturing method and font were arbitrary. Although in the photographs there are many “hiwis” without bandages.

True, Paul Hausser, the commander of the 2nd Panzer Division of the SS Reich troops, says that once his SS soldiers made fun of the “Hiwi”, the Ukrainian Gregory (that’s what he called himself). And they wrote on the bandage - “Kiss my ass”, fortunately Grigory did not understand German. The assistant was sent to chop wood and bring water, and he, in a German uniform with a bandage, was caught by the SS-Hauptscharführer (in Russian, foreman). The latter did not know about the new trends of hiring subhumans for service and called out to Grigory, to which he said: “Nix understand - Ukrainian!”, Showed him a bandage with a well-known inscription. German boys loved to make fun of subhumans...

Hiwi armband in the Wehrmacht
First, you need to understand an important thing - the “hiwis” were divided into"front", i.e. in the active army and"rear"at military commandant's offices. An excerpt from a circular letter from the commander of Ground Army B dated October 3, 1942 about “local auxiliary armed forces” makes this quite clear:

However, in this document, the tasks of the “Khiwis” at the commandant’s offices are described inaccurately - security tasks were still assigned to the local police, while the “Khiwis” were just hard workers. Next we will consider the “Khivi” in the active army.

Let's look at a document about "hivi" presumably from the beginning of 1942. The first paragraph talks about the necessity of using Soviet prisoners of war and that this initiative came purely from below, i.e. from field commanders.

It's funny - the field commanders wanted to deal not with Soviet Central Asians, but with European peoples, including the Slavs (but they were also mistaken for cattle), but the German elite already from the beginning of 1942 sanctioned the creation of the so-called. “Eastern legions” from Central Asians and Caucasians. Then they started taking everyone to the Khivi. One way or another, the majority of the “Khivi” consisted of Slavs, Russians.

The OKH tried to give a legal basis to the recruitment of Soviet people into the ranks of collaborators, but Hitler refused. Nevertheless, in February 1942, the Fuhrer legalized the existing formations - the “Hiwis” and the rudimentary eastern units. But at the same time he prohibited the further expansion of such parts“because he feared political conclusions that could determine the later decision of the fate of the occupied eastern territories.” Those. he wanted to squeeze all resources out of the USSR and evict or destroy peoples at the root. “Khivi” remained a temporary measure,in the event of a quick victory, they should have been gotten rid of. In 1942, the German armed forces suffered significant losses, but did not achieve victory. In order to win the sympathy of the population and put an end to the partisans, the German command decided to create a number of military formations from the local population and equip “Khiwi” servants. To instill “military pride” in the Khiwi volunteers, the OKH General Staff recommended issuing them German uniforms and insignia. In reality, the “volunteers” wore a mixture of Soviet and worn-out German uniforms with mandatory armbands. Let's look at a document from the summer of 1942, in which the German command explains the position of Soviet collaborators, all of them together: "Khiwis", volunteers of the eastern troops - construction, anti-partisan, etc.

Order for the 79th Wehrmacht Infantry Division:

The order of the spring of 1943 is more interesting - after the defeat at Stalingrad, the number of defectors to the German side decreased, so it was necessary to make better conditions for those who wanted it. Defectors were the best material for forming collaborationist units from them.

An interesting fact is that the defector had to determine within 7 days who he would become - an “eastern” soldier, a worker in a construction battalion, or would remain with the unit that captured him as a “hiwi”. The order does not explain what to do with a defector if he flatly refuses to serve the Germans. According to the author of this article, a concentration camp awaited him...

The use of “hivi” was also noticed by the Soviet side. On July 13, 1941, having emerged from encirclement, the head of the 3rd department of the 10th Army, Regimental Commissar Los, drew up a report in which he said that: “In some cases, these groups (of Soviet prisoners of war - author’s note)used by the Germans for work (building houses, clearing roads, etc.).The command staff is shot on the spot by any rank of the German army, as soon as it is established that this person belongs to the command staff.”

In the report of the political department of the Black Sea Group of the Transcaucasian Front, signed by the deputy head of the Political Department of the Black Sea Group of Forces L.I. Brezhnev, dated January 8, 1942, stated:

The Germans are changing their attitude towards “subhumans”

The battles on the Kursk Bulge cost the Germans large losses that needed to be replenished. A document from the organizational department of the General Staff in the second half of 1943 provided for measures to release soldiers for the army in the east. The cleaning of the rear and the recruitment of “subhumans” to serve on their side began again. Actually, the Slavic peoples were no longer considered “inferior”, especially by front-line soldiers.

According to the plan, cuts in supply units and administrative services amounted to 120 thousand soldiers, replacement of a number of positions by women - only 20 thousand soldiers, purge of units in search of slackers - 20 thousand soldiers, and, finally, the introduction of "hivi" - 260 thousand. soldier. It must be said that the project was not fully implemented.

On October 2, 1943, new levels of units on the eastern front in the active army were approved. There were now 2,005 Hiwis in an infantry division of 10,708 men, which was about 15% of the total. There were 970 and 776 Hiwis in the tank and motorized divisions, respectively, which was equal to 15% of the total strength. In 1944, the staff of the infantry division changed, now there were 1,466 people (1,164 in the forward units and 302 in the rear). The share of "hiwis" in the SS volunteer infantry division in the forward and rear units was 1125 and 414 people, respectively, despite the fact that there were more soldiers in the SS division.

In addition to increasing the number of “reluctant helpers,” a decision was made to improve their existence so that they would not desert. From a purely temporary phenomenon, the “hiwis” aroseon a legal basis. Back on April 29, 1943, the Hiwis were officially allowed to wear German uniforms, but without German emblems, buttonholes and shoulder straps.

In 1943, a charter and instructions on rights, responsibilities, pay, uniforms, service, etc. were issued for the Khiwi.

“I continue to wander aimlessly. Four bearded men in brown overcoats catch our eye. They are cutting down a tree trunk with a long saw. And this is the first time I’ve seen such a form. I approach them. Smiling, I ask if everything is okay. Instead of answering, the bearded men stop sawing, straighten up and smile timidly. One of them is a tall guy. The rest are squat, stocky. I ask two or three questions, but not a word in response. Are they kidding me?!

Don't you knowtalking to them is prohibited. They can only be ordered.

Yes, they are silent, as if they had swallowed their tongue. What good are they to the Wehrmacht?

Wow! - the guy who decided to teach me whistled. - It looks like you haven’t even smelled gunpowder! They are Russians, understand? If you happen to get to the front and you see one of the Russians in front of you, shoot without hesitation, otherwise you will never see anyone else.

I look at the Russians. They continue to saw. Whip-whack, whack-whack! So that’s what they are, our enemies, the ones who shoot at German soldiers wearing uniforms similar to mine. Why then did they smile at me?”