German leaflef for Russian deserters, 1943

[2RHPZ]

ORDER No. 13
OF THE GERMAN ARMY HIGH COMMAND
Concerning Red army deserters

The prudent Red army soldiers and officers don’t want anymore to devote their lives in senseless attempts to preserve the Soviet regime. This is confirmed by the great quantity of deserters who willingly came to German side.
All Red army deserters, soldiers and officers either, must be considered enemies of the Soviet regime and treated respectively.

I GIVE A FOLLOWING ORDER:

I. Every man in Red army service (officer, political officer, soldier, etc.) who deserted alone or in group must be considered not a prisoner of war but a person who voluntarily moved to the side of the German army.

II. Treatment of deserters
a) in the smaller units, on brigade and corps level also:
1. Deserters must be separated from prisoners of war immediately and accommodated, whenever possible, in separate facilities. Their property (money, belongings, uniforms and personal equipment [weapons apart], decorations and distinguishing marks) must not be deprived.
Deserters must be provided with good meal.
Deserters must be immediately sent back from the battle zone to the rear units, providing them, whenever possible, with mechanical means of movement.
All diseased and wounded deserters must be medically treated immediately.
2. Every deserter must be issued a special paper based on our pass for the purpose or on the papers he has available.

b) at the assembly points:
1. Deserters must have an advantage when accommodated (heated facilities, bed sheets, etc.). Officers must be accommodated separately and provided with all necessary means of life.
2. Deserters must be provided with good meal equal to the food supplied to the Russian Liberation Army, and, whenever possible, with supplementary goods (tobacco, etc.)
3. Deserters must have an advantage when old worn uniforms are changed.
4. Deserters must be given 7 days period to take a decision for enlisting in the ROA or in some of the National liberation corpses established (Ukrainian, Caucasian, Cossacks, Turkestanian, Tartar), or as volunteer in some rear unit, or as worker in some liberated territory free of bolsheviks.
Skills and special training and knowledge of every person must be considered.
5. Deserted officers must be provided with orderly privates as follows: up to captain including – one orderly to each three; from major on – one orderly to each two; generals must be provided with personal orderly each.
6. Measures must be taken to suite the needs of deserters in entertainment, for this civilian entertainers can be used as well.
The deserters must be supplied with newspapers, books and other readings, and musical instruments also; whenever possible movies to be shown, their own attempts of cultural and musical entertainment must be admired too.

III. It is guaranteed to all deserters they will be able freely to go back in their motherland without delay after the armistice, if so desired.

Signed: GHQ colonel (not readable) GERMAN ARMY HIGH COMMAND


PASS-PASSIERSCHEIN Valid for unlimited quantity of soldiers, officers and political officers of the Red army who wants to desert at the German Armed Forces side, or at German allies side, or to serve in Ukrainian, Caucasian, Cossacks, Turkestanian and Tartar liberation corpses.
You can desert without this pass too, all you need to do is to approach German lines with both hands up and to cry loudly“Stalin Kaput!” or “Bayonets down!”

Issued April 1943

[Bombtrack]

Now did they actual follow those rules, or was that just what was printed on the leaflets, to make more russians desert?

[KalleBalleSvartSk@lle]

There was units consisting of russian volounteers and most probably some of them were deserters.

[the_spec]

Now did they actual follow those rules, or was that just what was printed on the leaflets, to make more russians desert?
That is an order of the german high command. That was not given out as a leaflet.
The leaflet is only this part:

PASS-PASSIERSCHEIN Valid for unlimited quantity of soldiers, officers and political officers of the Red army who wants to desert at the German Armed Forces side, or at German allies side, or to serve in Ukrainian, Caucasian, Cossacks, Turkestanian and Tartar liberation corpses.
You can desert without this pass too, all you need to do is to approach German lines with both hands up and to cry loudly“Stalin Kaput!” or “Bayonets down!”

Issued April 1943

[Bombtrack]

Oh alright thanks spec


There was units consisting of russian volounteers and most probably some of them were deserters.

They were called hte Osttruppen right?

[aartamen]

The dating of the leaflet is curious. The Germans captured some 3 million prisoners prior to 04-1943. A whole lot of them went to work for them., though statistically it was a small percentage. The biggest unit - RNNA, was less than a division size.

Interestingly, the most prominent Russian deserter, general Vlasov, surrender to the Americans. He was then transferred into the Soviet custody and executed. Similar fate waited for all the Russians under Western Allies' control. Even those who never swore loyalty to the Bolshevicks, particularly the White Cossacs and other members of the loyalist forces during the Russian Civil War, were handed over and exterminated. Agent 006 alludes to that in Goldeneye,

[GazB]

The Germans captured some 3 million prisoners prior to 04-1943. A whole lot of them went to work for them.,

Of the 5 million Soviets captured during the war less than 1.5 million returned to the Soviet Union. The others were worked to death... soviet prisoners were rarely fed.


Similar fate waited for all the Russians under Western Allies' control. Even those who never swore loyalty to the Bolshevicks, particularly the White Cossacs and other members of the loyalist forces during the Russian Civil War, were handed over and exterminated. Agent 006 alludes to that in Goldeneye,

The "russians" mentioned in Golden Eye were Cossacks... Ukrainians... and were actively fighting for the Germans. What did you expect Stalin to do? Give them hugs and kisses and say all is forgiven?

These regulations and rules are for the German Army. It was the SS units that were following up the German units that did most of the bad things.

It wouldn't matter how nice the German army units were, when the SS units came up behind and took everyone from a village, drained their bodies of blood for German soldiers who were injured and then threw the bodies in pits to be buried you really couldn't expect many Russians to desert after that.

The large numbers of Soviets captured were during the first few months of the war where they were encircled and cut off. Later the Soviets withdrew much more efficiently and lost much less in manpower and equipment when pushed back. The germans learned from this and did just as well if not better when it was their time to withdraw.

It is not just about the length of the logistics chain... a skillful withdrawl will lead to the enemy taking damage and not gaining any of your equipment except the well and truely destroyed stuff.