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ROA and  "OSTENBATAILLION", German Army auxiliaries   back...

RUSSIAN UNITS:

Kaminski Brigade

The formation of the brigade began in the town of Lokot, Brasovsky district, Orlov region, in autumn 1942. By the end of 1942 its strength was 10.000 persons and consisted of 14 rifle battalions, armored- division, anti-aircraft battery, destructive company and curfew platoon. Each battalion consisted of 4 rifle companies, mortar and artillery platoons. The armored-division had 8 tanks (KV, two T-34, three BT-7, two BT-5), 3 armored troop carriers (BA-10, two BA-20), 2 tankettes, cars and motor-cycles. B.V.Kaminsky was at the head of the brigade. The brigade was given a free hand and soon cleared from partisans large territory. The 2nd tank army command was satisfied and reorganized the Lokot district into uyezd and later into okrug with 8 districts
of Orlov and Kursk regions in it. Broneslav Kaminsky became oberburgomaster and called his troops Russian Liberation People's Army (in Russian -- RONA). By August the 1st, 1943 it was armed with 500 machine-guns, 40 mortars, about 30 field and anti-tank guns, 10 tanks of various types, armored troop carriers, 2 tankettes and 3 anti-aircraft guns. RONA ensured security during the harvesting, escorted the food special trains, guarded railways and provided the punitive operations in partisan zones.

n March 1943 RONA took part in the fighting against  Red Army attack and suffered essential losses. In July its 5th regiment was passed to German unit and was put into action near Dmitrovsk-Orlovsky. By the end of August the situation in Lokot district became threatening and B.Kaminsky ordered to evacuate RONA and civilians to Byelorussia, the town of Lepel, Vitebsk region. The mission of the brigade in Byelorussia was to guard the rear services of the 3rd tank army. By that time the cases of transition on the partisan side became more frequent and at the beginning of 1944 RONA moved to the town of Djatlovo, Western Byelorussia. In spring 1944 the Germans conducted some anti-partisan operations in the region between Minsk and Lepel. The Kaminsky brigade took part in 'Regensschauer' and 'Frulingsfest' operations. It was included in the complement of fighting group headed by oberggruppenfuhrer SS
Gottberg and had the status of assault brigade. It attacked and with great success on the most difficult sector of the front. B.Kaminsky was decorated with Iron Cross of I degree. The brigade was included in the complement of SS troops and expanded into 29th SS Grenadiers division. Kaminsky received the rank of the brigadenfuhrer SS.

In August 1944 some RONA volunteers came to Warsaw headed by obersturmbannfuhrer Frolov. Their mission was to put down a rising. The brigade sufered great losses during the operation. The discipline began to fall. On the 19th of August the SS tribunal convicted Kaminsky for violance against civilians and robbery and he was executed by shooting. The rest of the Frolov brigade was forced out of Warsaw. In the middle of October the brigade was disarmed and sent to Munsingen where it was included into ROA.

Uniform. The brigade looked like partisans. It had no uniform. By the end of 1942 it received old German uniform. In May 1943 the brassard with black George cross on the white  field and the  yellow letters RONA was brought in. The officers had the ROA, SS or Werhmacht tabs and shoulder-straps. The soldiers managed without badges of rank.