Uniforms and Equipment of the Blue Division

 Uniforms and equipment of the Blue Division

By Richard Baber

An earlier version of this article appeared in the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers magazine The Journal 

When the soldiers of the Blue Division left Spain each man was issued with the standard khaki green Spanish uniform jacket and trousers, brown leather webbing, marching boots; each volunteer was also given a blue shirt (the colour of the Falange political party) and a red beret (the symbol of the Carlist movement). The Blue shirts gave the division its name – La Division Azul; many officers from the regular army kept their khaki shirts instead of the party (blue) ones however. Rank and branch insignia were worn as per the Spanish system, medals and decoration ribbons were also worn; Falange party badges (yoke and arrows) were also popular.

Once the division reached Grafenwohr, the unit was issued with standard German uniforms and equipment; rank and branch insignia were also German, the Spanish were given a national shield red/gold/red to be worn on the right upper sleeve.

Note that this is not the difinitive badge, others i have seen have no Balkan cross (or arrows) OR the cross without arrows 

Almost from the beginning the Spanish began to take liberties with their uniform, far more than other foreign volunteers. This was overlooked by the Germans mainly because the Spanish volunteers were not from a conquered country.

The Spaniards began to wear their shirt collars on the outside of their jacket (in the Spanish fashion), the shirt could be standard Whermacht grey-green, but Falangists often still wore a blue shirt and former Legionnaires wore one in olive green! Spanish rank and branch insignia and decorations were also transferred to the new uniforms. Many officers kept their brown leather equipment rather than change to the black German equivalent. Some Spaniards painted the red/gold/red shield on the right side of their helmet too.

A Blue Division soldat with the Falange yoke and arrow badge on his winter cap

As the campaign wore on winter clothing was distributed, the Spanish were fortunate that their home country was abale to supply quantities of good quality winter gear. Later camoufalge smocks became available and marching boots were replaced by ankle boots with gaiters.  

Spanish branch insignia

Spanish engineers wore a silver collar badge in the form of a castle tower on the left forearm.

Collar tab badge of a similar design

Artillerymen wore a bronze circular shell burst (looks a bit like a sun burst) on the left forearm.

A collar or cap badge from the artillery branch

Infantry wore a badge with a bronze horn under a crossed rifle & sword originally they would be worn worn as collar tabs, but soldats in German uniform usually wore one on the left breast pocket.

Cavalry wore a similar badge but in silver, with two crossed lances & swords, worn as per infantry.

Spanish officers ranks were denoted by stars and worn on the sleeve cuff and cap front; NCOs carried rank badges pinned to their left breast.

The Ski Company

The ski company was well equipped with the two-piece white snow suit which had a double thick hood, thick soled ski boots, leather gauntlets and anti-glare goggles. Over the suit they would wear standard German leather Y-straps and ammunition pouches.

Weapons 

The Blue Division left Spain with no weapons except the officers side arms, once they arrived in Germany the entire division was re-armed. For small arms the Spaniards were armed as any other German infantry unit – Mauser 98K, MP40, MG34, 50mm mortars and anti-tank rifles plus Lugar and Walther pistols. Once in the field however they quickly learned to appreciate the value of captured Russian automatics and would actively trade and buy these from German units as well as scavenge the battlefield. The excellent PPSH41 SMG and Degtyarev DP LMG were both highly popular. The Spaniards had all the standard German stick grenades, the round anti-personnel grenades and rifle grenades.

For heavy weapon the division had 80 and 120mm mortars; 75 and 150mm infantry guns; 37mm and 50mm anti-tank guns. For artillery support the division had the standard compliment of 105mm and 150mm field artillery (though at least one battery was equipped with captured 155mm French guns). All anti-tank guns were towed by commandeered French cars and vans; but all other weapons were horse drawn (as was the case with most German infantry divisions). 

Medals & awards

Whilst not usually worn in the field, Blue Division personel were eligable to recieve German awards, some also already had (from previous service) or were awarded Spanish awards.  

The Spanish did recieve a couple of unique medals

On January 3rd 1944 by order of the German government Deschler un Sohn produced a special award in zinc alloy with a bronze wash which was presented to all members.

La Medalla de la Campaña de Rusia (Medal of the Russian Campaign)

Commisioned on 9 November 1943 by Franco`s Government and presented to every memeber of the Blue division.

Sources

Espanoles Contra Stalin (La División Azul en el Frente Del Voljov Oct 1941 - Agusto 1942) by Carlos Caballero Jurado (ISBN 978-84-677-2718-0) Spanish text

Germanys Spanish volunteers 1941-45 by John Scurr (Osprey Men-At-Arms 103, ISBN 0-85045-359-3)

Hitlers Spanish Legion by Gerald R. Kleinfeld and Lewis A. Tambs (ISBN 0-8093-0865-7)

Blue Division Soldier 1941-45 by C. Cabellero Jurado (Osprey warrior 142, ISBN 978-1-84603-412-1)

True Believers: Spanish volunteers in the Heer and Waffen SS, 1944-45 by Jean-Pierre Sourd (ISBN 1-891227-63-7)

Armes Militaria magazine issue 176

Armes Militaria magazine issue 187