RE-ENACT
PAINTERS
ROA and "OSTENBATAILLION", German Army auxiliaries back...
RUSSIAN UNITS:
1st Russian National Army (1 st RNA)
In July 1941 the German Command approved of the formation of the Russian training battalion in the effectives of the armies group "Nord" began. Its mission was to get the additional information about the enemy. The battalion was formed by the White Russian émigré, former Russian Imperial Guard officer B.A.Smyslovsky (sonderfuhrer-K von Regenau). In the end of 1942 Smyslovsky was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel and was appointed as the chief of the "Sonderheadquarters R" (special headquarters Russia). It was a secret unit with the mission to detect the partisans' movement on occupied territories and reconnaissance in depth of Soviet rear. "Sonderstab R" had connections with anti-Soviet armed groups in the Soviet rear. There was the "Special division R" (12 training reconnaissance battalions) in the effectives of "Sonderheadquarters R". Its task was the anti-partisan fight and the diversions. The strength of the division was 10.000 soldiers and officers.
In December 1943 Smyslovsky was arrested under the suspicion of the double dealing. "Sonderheadquarters R" was dismissed. Half of year latter, Smyslovsky was acquitted. The German command suggested him the organization of the guerrilla warfare in the Soviet rear and the formation on the basis of the training battalions of the 1st Russian National division. The personnel was formed of the reconnaissance schools students and volunteers from the camps of the war prisoner .
On February 12, 1945 the division was renamed into the "Green Army of Special Purpose". That time Smyslovsky had the rank of the major-general of Wehrmacht .
On April 4, 1945 the division was renamed again into the 1st Russian National Army and got the status of the allied army. On April 18 Smyslovsky, realizing the hopeless military position of Germany, ordered his troops to retreat to the West. The 1st Russian National Army had great losses because of the air-raids. Just 462 soldiers and officers managed to cross Liechtenstein border. The principality authorities ignored the USSR demands to extradite them and permitted those men the emigration to Argentina.