A number of Slovaks were sent to Germany to train as officers and a small German Military training mission existed in Slovakia to attempt to make up for the problems with Slovakian leadership, but the problem was never fully resolved. After the defeat at Stalingrad, as the morale of the Slovak troops began to fall, it was moved to the area of Minsk, a much more quiet sector of the front. The tanks here will therefore be used to support the infantry units above for example at Lipovec. Next up for me is the final 5 French ships for Aboukir Bay, but to leave you here are a couple more photos - one of some Lancer miniature Russian casualty markers painted up as Slovaks, and finally a pic of the Avia B-534 on the stand I made for it flying in support of the LT vz.38s with a Praga following up. The 37mm Anti tank gun is a Raventhorpe model after the first attempt - a converted EWM Bofors - went in the bin! The latter were procured in time for Rostov but in 1941 the Slovaks used their own 100mm guns. He led the Mobile Division across the Kuban River all the way to the region of Taupze. The beginning of the growth of the Slovak Mobile Division began on 5 September 1939 when the Slovak General Staff decided on the formation of Fast Group 'Kalinciak' under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Jan Imro. As such they are a bit of an almagam between the 1941 Pilfousek Brigade and the 1942 Mobile Division; and the battle of Lipovec may be on the horizon! It fought with the German forces until it was disbanded in 1943 and used to form 1. As of October 2nd, the Mobile Division was a part of the 1.Panzer-Armee fighting on the eastern side of Dnieper River near the region of Golubowka and Pereshchino. This photo is of Alojz Esterle in 1941-42. Soldiers of the Slovak Mobile Division on the Eastern Front. In 1939, when Germany invaded the Sudetenland, the stage was set for the eventual autonomy of the Slovak people, although their autonomy was to be guided by the will of the Germans, for they alone had allowed the Slovaks to form their pseudo-independent Nation. The Slovak Fast Division was originally commanded by Gustav Malar, one of the original commanders from the Slovak advance into Poland back in 1939. This unit comprised a squadron of cavalry, a bicycle mounted infantry company and a motorised unit. The motorised infantry battalion has 3 infantry companies, all are RH models and Ready to Roll Praga trucks. Initially for Rostov, as often happens wargaming projects can take somewhat a life of their own! Initially, the Slovak Military was thought to be a capable and potentially a strong ally of the Germans. Slovak troops took part in Operation Bamberg, an anti-partisan action in which 5,000 alleged partisans, including 200 Jews, were shot. The Slovak Army Group was commanded by the Slovak Minister of Defense, Ferdinand Catlos. Although the Slovakian military was only six months old, it formed a small mobile combat group consisting of a number of infantry and artillery battalions. As a result of German pressure, the 1st Slovak Infantry Division took part in the German invasion of Poland in September 1939. The two groups were organized around the HQ of the 1st and 3rd Slovakian Infantry Divisions. This was done by forming all the motorized units of the former Slovak Army Group into a single formation termed the Slovak Mobile Command, otherwise known as Brigade Pilfousek, commanded by the former commander of the 2nd Slovak Division, Rudolf Pilfousek. The first group was a brigade-sized formation that consisted of six infantry battalions, two artillery battalions, and a company of combat engineers, all commanded by Anton Pulanich. Initial problems in the Slovak Army consisted of a general lack of modern and reliable weapons and equipment(in the wake of the German take over of the former regions of Bohemia-Moravia, basically the western region of the former Nation of Czechoslovakia), as well as problems with experienced commanders and NCOs, as Slovaks were discriminated against in the Czech Army and therefore only the native Slovakian officer corps and a small pool of Slovak NCOs existed to lead their new army. In the aftermath of the German invasion of France, the German government consolidated its control of the Slovak regime. After the horrible loss at Stalingrad in the Winter of 1942/1943, the entire position of the Germans in the Caucasus region was altered, as now any further advance, the south would only ensure the complete loss of all forces south of the Mius River if and when the Soviets reached Rostov in the North, thus trapping them. The best units of the former Slovak Army Group were now organized into two new divisions, the 1st Slovak(Mobile) Infantry Division and the 2nd Slovak (Security) Infantry Division. The Mobile Division (also Fast Division) was formed in August 1941 when the Mobile Brigade was upgraded. The Brigade experienced heavy fighting against the Soviets during this time. The Security Division never had any LT vz.35's assigned to it and by the time of the establishment of the Mobile Division all of the armoured assets had been shipped back to … It consisted of II/20 Inf.Reg., III/20 Inf.Reg., a few 150mm howitzers from the I/11 Art.Bn., some 37mm anti-tank guns, the 9th, and 13th light Flak Companies, and the 45 Construction Company. The remaining portions of the Mobile Division were then airlifted out of the Kuban, but in so doing were forced to leave behind all their heavy equipment and weapons. As a direct result of the losses in the north, the forces in the Caucasus region were quickly pulled back north to escape possible entrapment. On 23 July 1941 General Catlos decided to reorganise all Slovak field forces into a Mobile Division and a Security Division. The Slovak Fast Division was originally commanded by Gustav Malar, one of the original commanders from the Slovak advance into Poland back in 1939. Brigade Pilfousek consisted of the I/6 Mot.Inf.Bn., I/11 Mot.Art.Bn., the1st Tank Bn. The 1st Slovak (Mobile) Infantry Division was also known as the Slovak Fast Division. the remaining preferences i left at "default". The Mobile Division was then used to help cover the retreat of over the Sivash and Perkop land bridges. These will have to be off table or the 105s will have to 'step in' for them! [2] The Slovak Army was called up, as the regime sought to demonstrate its indispensability to Nazi Germany and its greater loyalty than Hungary. Air Support for the Fast Division comes in the form of an Avia B-534. Many Slovak soldiers and the army leadership nevertheless approved of the Holocaust, due in part to the large amount of propaganda promoting the Jewish Bolshevik canard. Will use your sources for some vehicles. Soon after, the Division was caught by a massive Soviet surprise attack that had managed to break through the German lines. At the beginning of August 1941, the Slovak Mobile Command was dissolved and instead two infantry divisions were formed from the Slovak Expeditionary Army Group. With the impending German invasion of Poland slated for September of 1939, OHW requested the assistance of Slovakia. The Slovak Expeditionary Army Group was an element of the military forces of the Slovak Republic that fought under Nazi German command on the Eastern Front during World War II. These were also used by the Germans as the Pz 35(t) and Pz 38(t). 35, LT vz. When the main delivery of LT vz. In 1943, His unit of 2,500 – 3,000 men defected en-masse to the Soviets, officers included. Slovaks had desired autonomy from the very beginning of the formation of the Czech Nation and this desire helped prompt the formation of independent Slovakia in March of 1939. Around July 8th, 1941, the Brigade had advanced beyond the tactical control of the Slovak command, so control of the unit was handed over to the German 17.Armee. The Capital was chosen as Praha (Prague) which was in the traditional lands of the Czech people. The 2nd Slovak (Security) Infantry Division was used mainly in security and anti-partisan operations in the rear areas of the German lines. I hope you've enjoyed looking at my Slovaks. The Slovak Expeditionary Army Group of about 45,000 men entered the Soviet Union shortly after the German attack. Next, the Brigade moved north through Berdichev, Zhitomir, and on towards the region of Kiev. The latter two types were broadly similar. All the tanks were used in 1941, withdrawn shortly after and then sent back to the Division in October 1942 so were not used at Rostov. Czechoslovakia was originally formed in 1918 after the end of the First World War. i selected a 30 battles slovak campaign, starting in june 1941 and ending in february 1945. repair was set at -20%, with a 1000 point starting force. The majority of the people of the new Nation of Czechoslovakia were of either Czech or Slovak heritage, the two main ethnic groups in the region for the last many years. After serving on the Eastern Front, notably in the Caucasus region, his unit took part in the retreat west after serious reversals in 1942-43. It accepted the following day, being the first day of the German offensive. The Slovak 2nd Division was a security division, but the Slovak 1st Division was a front-line unit which fought in the campaigns of 1941 and 1942, reaching the Caucasus area with Army Group B. Glad you liked them, and thanks for commenting! Feel free to get in touch if I can help with anything else. As a result of the heavy partisan actions against the German lines in 1943, the Slovak 12th Engineer Battalion was sent to the rear area of Army Group South, where it took part in vital rail repair operations to fix lines, cut by the Soviet partisans. As the Campaign in the East drew on, the Slovak forces began to fall behind the massive German sweep across the Soviet Union. The Mobile Division was then moved on to the areas of Maripol and Taganrog, after which it spends the Winter of 1941-42 along positions on the Mius River. Alojz was a soldier in the Slovak Army during WWII and he fought alongside the German Wehrmacht on the Eastern Front after 1941. A motorised infantry company, another on bicycles and an Oa.Vz.30 Armoured Car. I have 2 batteries: one of Skoda 75mm mountain guns and another of German LeFH18 105mm guns. with the 1st and 2nd Tank Co. and the 1st and 2nd Anti-Tank Co.,2nd Recon.Bn., 1st Weapons Co., 2nd Motorcycle Co., and the I/3/I Mot.Eng.Platoon. Four days after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Slovakia sent its own units forward against the Russian lines in the form of the Slovakian Expeditionary Army Group. It looks as if the Division was pulled from the lines for a short while until it was again thrown into action, this time near the area of Melitopol. At the beginning of August 1941, the Slovak Mobile Command was dissolved and instead two infantry divisions were formed from the Slovak Expeditionary Army Group. In this case, as I read and researched the Slovaks I discovered that for most of 1942 their armour was in Slovakia being 'refitted' or perhaps kept off of the front line? The troops covered vast distances in the opening stages of the war against the Soviets. 38 tanks were taken, the first 5 it was noted were in 3 tone camo, the rest in drab. This was actually a very good fighter plane at the start of the war and in 1937 was second only to the Me109. By July 22nd, the Brigade, now under German control, had advanced to Vinnitsa and had pushed on towards Lipovets. The model here is a KP model plane with RS model decals. However, there was no equivalent of the Barbarossa decree (which authorized Wehrmacht soldiers to execute civilians without trial) and some Slovak soldiers were tried for robbing or murdering Jews, receiving only very light sentences. Two combat groups were created for the Campaign in Poland for use alongside the Germans. [4], Commanders of the 1st Mobile Infantry Division, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Die Verfolgung und Ermordung der europäischen Juden durch das nationalsozialistische Deutschland 1933-1945, "Slovenská armáda a protižidovské pogromy na okupovanom území ZSSR v lete 1941", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Slovak_Expeditionary_Army_Group&oldid=977740698, Military history of Slovakia during World War II, Military units and formations of the Soviet–German War, Military units and formations disestablished in 1944, Articles needing additional references from June 2018, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 10 September 2020, at 17:54. Remaining preferences i left at `` default '' became Jozef Turanec OHW the... Painter but i 'm no expert painter but i 'm no expert but... 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