Operation Schamil

Company Shamil was the code name of an insert of Brandenburg, a special unit of the Wehrmacht, who as part of German summer offensive in the direction of the Caucasian oil fields took place (→ Operation Edelweiss) between 25 August and 10 December 1942. Named the company was after Imam Shamil, who organized resistance to the Russian conquest of the Caucasus in the 19th century.

Course

Deposed in Duba -Yurt, a holding within the Argun Gorge, south of Grozny, Chechen place, marched the units to the northwest toward the advancing German regular troops and tried it, far behind the front line of the mostly Muslim Caucasus tribes, such as the Chechen groups to Hassan Israilov, incite to open attacks against the Soviet central power. These groups should then be used against the Red Army, occupied strategic points and tie Soviet troops.

Shortly after settling, the group was involved in the first battles with Soviet forces and retreated before the Soviet militia units and the NKVD until September 12, south towards the village of Borzoi back, where there were Chechen resistance fighters. After a trip to the village Oschnoi deep in the Caucasus, the group met on 25 September to march back to the German lines, where she escaped three times Soviet Einkesselungsversuchen.

The German command was in contact with a total of two Chechen resistance groups whose members wanted to fight, according to the written in April 1943 review of the unit leader without further difficulties with the German soldiers. The main objective of the company did not fail at the will of the Chechen resistance fighters, but to the poor organization of the necessary weapons replenishment by the relevant departments of the Armed Forces who were not informed of the use. Due to the lack of weapons in the Caucasus came the creation of the proposed " second front " not materialize.

The retreat of the German forces was slow and was interrupted by a new Soviet attack in early November, after the command had carried out a raid on a motor convoy. On 10 December 1942, the Germans finally met in the village Werchni Kurp to other units of the Wehrmacht.

Follow

The company was conceived as a test case for the integration of the local anti-Soviet resistance in the conquest of the German Wehrmacht. Because of the defeat at Stalingrad and the subsequent withdrawal from the Caucasus, the Wehrmacht initially looked on further actions in the environment of the Chechen resistance. Only in 1944 renewed attempts have been made to provoke a local uprising in Kalmykia (→ Combat Squadron 200).

The Soviet secret police NKVD became aware of the cooperation between Chechens and Germans. This information was used by the Politburo of the CPSU as a pretext for the deportation of the entire Chechen and Ingush population to Central Asia and the resolution of the Ingush ASSR - Checheno on March 7, 1944.