Leningrad Sector: División Española de Voluntarios – División Azul

Spanish Comandante Román of  II Battalion of the 269 Regiment of the Azul

Grave of Obergefreiter Marcelino Gil Martin of the División Azul

The Spanish Blaue Division or División Azul, officially designated as División Española de Voluntarios by the Spanish Army and 250.Infanterie-Division by the Germans, was composed of Spanish volunteers and officers who were given leave from the Spanish Army by dictator general Francisco Franco. Through rotation, as many as 47,000 Spanish volunteers served on the Eastern Front. División Azul faced a major Soviet attempt to break the siege of Leningrad in February 1943, when the Soviet Army 55 attacked the Spanish positions at the Battle of Krasny Bor. Despite heavy casualties, the Spaniards were able to hold their ground against a Soviet force seven times larger and supported by tanks. The assault was contained and the siege of Leningrad was maintained for a further year. The division remained on the Leningrad front where it suffered heavy casualties both due to cold and to enemy action. The Blue Division was disbanded in October 1943. Those Spaniards who wanted to continue to fight the Reds later served in the Spanische-Freiwilligen-Kompanie der SS 101 and 102. The volunteers in the Spanish Kompanie der SS 101 fought the last days of World War II in the Battle of Berlin under command of the Spanish Waffen-Hauptsturmführer der SS Miguel Ezquerra, as part of the multinational 11.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland. Top image: the Andalucían Hauptmann Miguel Román Garrido of División Azul. Comandante Román died aged 60 on September 8 1960 in Grenada. PD. Bottom image: a comrade nails a sleeve badge of the Azul on the wooden cross grave mark of Obergefreiter Marcelino Gil Martin in Grigorovo at Leningrad sector. The photo was taken by Lieutenant Angel Eustaquio Gil Martin in June 1943 when he visited his brother's grave to pay respect. Credit: Doug Banks. PD.