S.S. Sturmbrigade R.O.N.A. was an anti-partisan formation composed of people from the so-called Lokot Autonomy territory in the Nazi Germany-occupied areas of Russia during World War II.
First appearing in late 1941 as auxiliary police, the unit initially numbered 200 personnel. By mid 1943, its numbers had increased to 10-12 thousand and were equipped with captured Soviet tanks and artillery. The unit's leader Bronislav Kaminski named it Russian National Liberation Army.
After Operation Citadel, personnel of the R.O.N.A. retreated to Belarus and the Lepel area of Vitebsk, where they were involved in anti-partisan activities, committing numerous atrocities against the civilian population. In March 1944, the unit was briefly renamed to Volksheer-Brigade Kaminski, before it was absorbed into the Waffen-SS in June 1944.
With its transfer to the Waffen-SS, the brigade was renamed to Waffen-Sturm-Brigade RONA, and Kaminski was given the rank of Waffen-Brigadeführer der SS. After Operation Bagration, the R.O.N.A retreated further west, and by the end of July 1944, the remains of the Kaminski unit were assembled at the SS training camp Neuhammer. On the Kaminski unit base, SS leaders planned to create a SS Division - 29.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS.
Wikipedia[ - ]
S.S. Sturmbrigade R.O.N.A. was an anti-partisan formation composed of people from the so-called...
[ + ]
S.S. Sturmbrigade R.O.N.A. was an anti-partisan formation composed of people from the so-called Lokot Autonomy territory in the Nazi Germany-occupied areas of Russia during World War II.
First appearing in late 1941 as auxiliary police, the unit initially numbered 200 personnel. By mid 1943, its numbers had increased to 10-12 thousand and were equipped with captured Soviet tanks and artillery. The unit's leader Bronislav Kaminski named it Russian National Liberation Army.
After Operation Citadel, personnel of the R.O.N.A. retreated to Belarus and the Lepel area of Vitebsk, where they were involved in anti-partisan activities, committing numerous atrocities against the civilian population. In March 1944, the unit was briefly renamed to Volksheer-Brigade Kaminski, before it was absorbed into the Waffen-SS in June 1944.
With its transfer to the Waffen-SS, the brigade was renamed to Waffen-Sturm-Brigade RONA, and Kaminski was given the rank of Waffen-Brigadeführer der SS. After Operation Bagration, the R.O.N.A retreated further west, and by the end of July 1944, the remains of the Kaminski unit were assembled at the SS training camp Neuhammer. On the Kaminski unit base, SS leaders planned to create a SS Division - 29.Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS.
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