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birch23 said:
Born St. Petersburg, Polish father, German mother; spent 5 years in Soviet labor camp; ardent pro-Nazi
1941: after German invasion, made Lokot area a model German province through his own private, anticommunist militia
nicknamed the "Warlord of the Bryanask Forest;" despotic ruler
Commanding Officer, "RONA;" his unit commited unbelievable catalog of atrocites, Warsaw Uprising
Kaminski executed by SS 1944; killing made to look like a partisan ambush
aberonje files
The 29th Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS competed with its sister division the 36th Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS to earn the dishonor of being the most atrocious and despicable of Waffen-SS units. Commanded by Bronislav Kaminski, the "Warlord of the Bryanask Forest", the unit was more of an undisciplined rabble of brigands rather than a military formation. Kaminski ruled his territory like a despotic chieftain from the Dark Ages, but since he kept the Soviet partisans at bay and foodstuffs flowing into Wehrmacht supply depots, the Germans we willing to accept this bloodthirsty entrepreneur.
aberonje files
The origin and eventual fate of the infamous Kaminski Brigade is actually quite removed from that of the more popularly known echelons of the Russian's in German Service under former-Russian General Vlassov's so-called R.O.A. "Army of Liberation" (Russkaia Osvoboditelnaia Armiia). The former was a locally raised militia-group whose members, upon finding themselves suddenly free of Bolshevik control, hastily gathered on the verges of the Bryansk Forest in a small Byelorussian town called Lokot in late 1941 to protect themselves and their property from plundering Soviet partisans; while the latter was a vast politically hindered multitude.
The first leader of the unique Byelorussian "citizen's-militia" which was totally self-governed, and allowed by the German occupying authority to arm itself and set it's own security parameters within the "Lokot Oblast" (district), was the mayor of Lokot (pop.c.6000), Ivan K.Voskoboinikov. His tenure as 'Warlord' was quite brief in that he was shortly thereafter killed in a planned "punishment attack" on the Lokot town-hall by Soviet Partisans in January of 1942. He had initially gathered some 400 to 500 men and adolescents to protect his town and local region, and with the Germans help, armed them with rifles and other small arms to protect the vital supply-road and railways in their district from Red-partisan interdiction. These first hastily-appointed militia-men, wearing a rag-tag mixture of revolution-era White Army, Czarist, old Red Army and civilian kit, initially protected only their own homes and farms and the general environs of their enclave in the Bryansk forest from Red partisan activities. As they grew in numbers and strength,they would later transcend their primary self-defense function by providing manpower for German commanded security operations, striking deep into partisan held territory, as well as providing men for the nefarious SD-Einsatzgruppe sweeps to clear the surrounding countryside of so-called undesirables.
Voskoboinikov's deputy commander, Bronislav Vladislavovich Kaminski immediately took over in the leadership vacuum created by the Mayor of Lokot's sudden assassination. Kaminski, who was born in 1903 in St.Petersburg, was the son of a Polish father and a German mother. A university-certified chemical engineer who spoke fluent German, he was branded a bourgeois intellectual early on by the Soviet authorities, and spent some five years in the Gulag, condemned by Stalin's xenophobic standards as an enemy of the State. He was released and returned to Lokot just prior to the German invasion of June 22, 1941. As the new leader of the self-proclaimed anti-Soviet district of Lokot, the Germans would eventually extend him quite unprecedented freedom in the reign over his own personal fiefdom of-sorts, because of his efficacious regimentation of the local populace into a totally self-sufficient, pro-German, anti-Soviet crop-producing district that met all of the Wehrmacht's stipulations for the handing over of essential resources to help feed the German Army.
By mid-1943, Kaminski's local-militia would swell into a 5 regiment, 10,000 man brigade-sized unit, and would keep the vast reaches of the Bryansk forest within their grasp relatively free of Soviet Partisans which might sabotage the German rear-area, and hinder thier vital rail-lines to the front. The Germans were magnanimous enough at this point to allocate some 36 captured Soviet field-guns and 24 captured T-34 type tanks in various states of repair to reinforce Kaminski's Lokot Militia, now rostered upon the official German order of battle as the Kaminski Brigade. Kaminski himself, whose power had grown in direct proportion to the German's continued confidence in his ability to keep his area bandit-free, named his private army the Russkaya Ovsoboditelnaya Narodnaya Armija or R.O.N.A. - the Russian Army of National Liberation.
The early summer of 1943 saw the massive German offensive build-up in Byelorussia and Ukraine behind the Kursk salient in preparation for Unternehmen Zitadelle. At the same time a renewed effort was made by the rear-area Security Commands to once and for all eradicate the ubiquitous presence of the Soviet partisan threat. The Kaminski Brigade, along with the SS-Penal Battalion Sonderkommando Dirlewanger, composed of ex-KZ convicts and Wehrmacht & Waffen-SS probationers, was an integral part of this renewed effort. Thier operations, undertaken in a number of district-wide scorched-earth sweeps were ruthless, bloody,and without quarter to the remaining civilian population in the rear areas of Army Groups South and Center. After 2 years of numerous engagements in a brutal guerrilla war behind the front-lines, these units had very little tolerance for the niceties of civilian/military cooperation - their preferred method of rear-area pacification being that of the "bullet, noose, and cudgel" variety.
While the methodology employed by the German controlled security units was remarkably brutal, it was in any event merely a contribution to the cycle of revenge for similarly bloody tactics undertaken by the Soviet partisan's themselves in their own no-quarter campaign to hinder and destroy all German rear-area movement in the occupied territories.
A typical after-action report for this period by units (including Kaminski's) beneath the command of HSSPF SS-Gruppenfuhrer Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski (Russland-Mitte) during one of several major sweep operations undertaken included these tallies for Unternehmen Komoron (Comorant): "2,559 Bandits killed, 1139 taken into custody, 300 "liquidations" by the SD-Sipofuhrer Minsk, and 11 automatic rifles captured. Total = 3698 Bandits neutralized."
As the Soviets pushed forward in late 1943, and during the summer of 1944, the Independant district of Lokot became a thing of the past, and Kaminski's troops and their myriad legions of camp-followers, comprised of wives, children, and relatives, totalling some 10,500 heads, would glumly follow the German Army in it's westward retreat into Galicia (Weiss-Ruthenien), and finally on to refugee style encampments at Ratibor on the former Polish-Czech border.
In March 1944 the Kaminski Brigade or R.O.N.A., was briefly renamed Volksheer-Brigade Kaminski, and shortly thereafter, in the July, 1944 interim, officially accepted into the Waffen-SS orbit as SS-Sturmbrigade - R.O.N.A. At this time Kaminski, as a loyal Volksdeutsch minion, was granted a commision by SS-Reichsfuhrer Himmler as Waffen-Brigadefuhrer der SS or General of the SS (foreign). During this period quite subtle machinations were afoot in Hitler's FHQ and Himmler's own Kommandostab concerning the ultimate fate of all Russian formations under German command. While Gottlob Berger and the SS-FHA were confidently making plans to incorporate Kaminski's unit into a fully fledged Divisional entity (the 29.Waffen-Gren.Div. der SS (russische nr.1)), Himmler was at the same time contemplating the utilization of General Vlassov's under-used and brooding ROA-Army contingent into a much larger SS controlled entity. As the new (post - July 1944 Plot) Commander of the Ersatzheer, or Home/Reserve Army - Himmler's options as warlord had suddenly doubled by the stroke of the Fuhrers pen. As events transpired, the proposed 29.Waffen-Grenadier Division der SS (russische nr.1), though drawn up on paper to be the first of at least two Russian SS-Divisions, would be redesignated, after the Warsaw uprising, to name an Italian SS-contingent.
During this period RFSS-Himmler came to the realize that he had two distinct and different saviors of the Russian Nationalistic cause on his hands. While Kaminski, who had always been a willing and malleable tool of Himmler's security operations, was open to suggestion, there still remained the somewhat aloof and martinet-like personality of General Vlassov to deal with. How much pondering went into RFSS Himmler's actual decision as to the fate of the Kaminski units is not readily clear, but what is known is that the ultimate result of this quandry would not favor the self-titled former Warlord of Lokot, or his Brigade.
The advent of the Polish Home Army's summer 1944 uprising in Warsaw would spell the end of the once formidable rear-area Lokot-Milita. Now unemployed and demoralized by their relocation to the alien environs of Ratibor, and seething with insecurity in the knowledge that their homeland and former domiciles were irremediably lost and that their future beneath the aegis of the Third Reich was perhaps limited at best, and most probably doomed - some two Battalions of around 1,700 of the Kaminski units were dispatched to Warsaw in August 1944 under command of a Major Vromov, (variously named as Lt. Col. Fromov ,or Capt. Tutov). This contingent of partisan fighters was also assigned an attached mechanized unit of some four T-34 tanks, one SU-76 assault-gun, and a battery of two 122-mm cannon. They began their brutal pacification operations in the Wola and Ochta districts. It was here that numerous acts of of pillaging, rape and murder took place at the hands of members of the formation. As operations continuted, incidents of this sort would continue to arise.
While it has never been ultimately resolved whether the members of the Kaminski Brigade who found themselves in the Warsaw combat zone in August 1944 were ever officially briefed as to who the actual enemy was - the bloodied members of Major Vromov's detachment cut a swathe of brutal atrocities across the rear-areas of the divided city. Beneath the inept command of SS-Polizei General Hans Reinefarth, Vrolov's 1st Regiment soldiers would henceforth rape and kill their way through the Polish Home Army's rear-lines wherever the opportunity presented itself, without ever answering to the censure or direction of a higher command. According to after-action reports, they insinuated themselves into undefended areas of the ruined city, well accustomed after years of behind the lines sweeps to picking on the remains of already defeated enemies. While Waffen-Brigadefuhrer Kaminski himself was reported to have been in Warsaw for only some 10 days of the month long combat, it was reportedly the excesses of the members of his units that would spell his ultimate end at the hands of his German SS masters.
On August 19, 1944, the overall commander of the Warsaw Action, SS-General Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, who had in his tenure as HSSPF-Russland-Mitte never once shyed away from employing the Russian renegade Kaminski Brigade in actions that were less than savory, summoned Russian SS-General Bronislav Kaminski and his personal staff to a command-conference in the Polish city of Lodz. Here, the once useful Kaminski and his staff officers were unceremoniously marched up to a wall and shot.
(An official source of outrage was a report to Bach-Zelewski's combat-command that members of the Kaminski contingent had raped and killed two German KdF girls (Kraft durch Freude - the Joy Through Strength organization) in their indiscriminate sweep through Warsaw.)
In the context of things let it not be quaintly surmised that the Germans had suddenly become squeamish at the atrocities committed by Kaminski's crew in the Warsaw uprising - it is quite probably more to the point that despite the reported assault on German female nationals, Himmler had other more important plans for a far larger contingent of Russian's now beneath his aegis - Vlassov's ROA. While a portion of Kaminski's leaderless contingents were subsequently seconded to Vlassov's Army, there was never any place in the plan for the autocratic leader of the District of Lokot, Bronislav Kaminski himself, in the overall plan. His summary execution was elaborately disguised as a Polish Home Army assassination, but the truth of the event was eventually well known by all and sundry among the Brigade, many of whom would later find themselves abruptly dispatched to digging anti-tank ditches at Stettin as a reward for thier former services to the Reich.
feldgrau files
No I don't think we need that guy in the German file...
and I'll give you two obvious reasons. 1)The German file is forever closed unless mistakes can be pointed at. 2) We don't even have Vlassov in the German file because we decided that it would take an event to remove him from Russia file to Germany. and actually 3) he is really really a despicable guy..although he is half Polish.....
USA leader with
In the Nov 4 pic pack there is a USA Lt. General Lee (#60223; lee_william_usa) with 7 traits. Is this intended or a typo?
In the Nov 4 pic pack there is a USA Lt. General Lee (#60223; lee_william_usa) with 7 traits. Is this intended or a typo?
jdrou said:
Yep I have discovered him...and yes that is a typo..shame on me....
it will be corrected when I get to USA..thanks anyway
Halibutt and Kaminsky
oh well....I know not the best headline...sorry... but I knew there were some pics around with Kaminsky,and although he won't be included in the German file.I was thinking of how about putting him in the Polish NS file? (politicians) he can be used in a Fascist Soviet too...if we sort of decide to go with that which I doubt,but he can be used in a fascist/NS replacement polish ministers file.What do you think?
oh well....I know not the best headline...sorry...
but I knew there were some pics around with Kaminsky,and although he won't be included in the German file.I was thinking of how about putting him in the Polish NS file? (politicians) he can be used in a Fascist Soviet too...if we sort of decide to go with that which I doubt,but he can be used in a fascist/NS replacement polish ministers file.What do you think?
What are his correct traits?birch23 said:Yep I have discovered him...and yes that is a typo..shame on me....
And why not Chinese? Or Danish, for that matter? AFAIR the Polish ministers file is now closed...birch23 said:oh well....I know not the best headline...sorry...
The only place he should be in is German leaders list. Since Paradox policies regarding the Holocaust are no longer obeyed and you prepared a policy of "not sentenced by any impartial court", then he should be listed.
And his execution was a prove that he should be treated as a Nazi victim. And his crimes? Come on, he was never even accused of them and his superiors who issued the orders were never accused of them either; so where's the problem? Don't like his face or what?
Oh, and next time read what your sources (obviously some pro-Polish bias) say about von dem Bach before you post them.
Halibutt said:
Well I don't think he spoke either Chinese or Danish...
The Paradox policies are very much obeyed....but we are a bit more lenient when it comes to politicians.Well then we won't use him,can't really find a "home" for him,and he really isn't that significant.
As for victim.....well he became a "victim" in the Struggle for Power,but I find it difficult to call him a victim on other ways.And technically you are right he was never proved guilty by any court he was just marched off and shot..saves a lot of time.
The N Countries
although I still miss Mongolia which is fairly easy time has now come to the N countries:
Nepal The only elections here will be some reshuffles.
Nicaragua;Somoza country...but there will be elections because Anastacio was very keen to upheld a skin democracy (for the benefit of the US) and puppets we don't have in the file yet were elected,there is a good history about one of the puppets who actually wanted to act as a president which meant that Somoza had to coup his own puppet...
Norway;Frodon on the field please.... will follow the pattern laid in previous occupied countries which means that NS will be in power in 1940 (but after the exile gov..for the player)it will as a result of this also see a return of Terboven.BUT since NS/FA are killed off completely after 5/45 I need a PA government which do not contain any of the executed/dead NS ministers,Sundlo is a obvious choice for that,will probably be monarchý but not with Haakon/Olav as king......cannot find other Glücksburgs who can fit into that so I guess I will find some Saxony prince to fit the bill,unless Frodon can come up with some and some PA ministers too.
New Zealandroves a bit of a problem because we are desperately short of right/leftists in that file.Mainly because this was a very rare breed down under.... But we will find some to fit the bill.
although I still miss Mongolia which is fairly easy time has now come to the N countries:
Nepal The only elections here will be some reshuffles.
Nicaragua;Somoza country...but there will be elections because Anastacio was very keen to upheld a skin democracy (for the benefit of the US) and puppets we don't have in the file yet were elected,there is a good history about one of the puppets who actually wanted to act as a president which meant that Somoza had to coup his own puppet...
Norway;Frodon on the field please....
will follow the pattern laid in previous occupied countries which means that NS will be in power in 1940 (but after the exile gov..for the player)it will as a result of this also see a return of Terboven.BUT since NS/FA are killed off completely after 5/45 I need a PA government which do not contain any of the executed/dead NS ministers,Sundlo is a obvious choice for that,will probably be monarchý but not with Haakon/Olav as king......cannot find other Glücksburgs who can fit into that so I guess I will find some Saxony prince to fit the bill,unless Frodon can come up with some and some PA ministers too.New Zealand
roves a bit of a problem because we are desperately short of right/leftists in that file.Mainly because this was a very rare breed down under.... But we will find some to fit the bill.
And why do you assume he spoke Polish?birch23 said:Well I don't think he spoke either Chinese or Danish...
Yeah, right...
Halibutt said:
Because he had a Polish father and a German mother as I recall .You can find that info everywhere.So he was half Polish.And I sort of assume he spoke all three languages German,Polish,Russian.The name too is Polish...not Russian.(although it is a fairly common name)
I have a friend whose father is and arab from morocco and his mother is spanish, he has a full arab name and family name, and doesn't speak a single world of arab...
Ivan the red said:
True..
we know he spoke German (sources says so) and since educated in Russia he must have spoken Russian.Being as nationalistic as he were I assume he spoke Polish too,since his name is Polish and not russified.But it is really nit picking....
No, he used a russified name "Kaminskiy" <каминский> instead of "Kamiński"; the latter could be transcrybed to Russian perfectly well as <каминьски>.birch23 said:True..
Well, too many guys related to Holocaust got onto the list for this statement to be true.
Halibutt said:
Really,well then I guess he was just a German Russian...
Nope,the leader file has none (Germany) except Eicke and he has been in-out-in-out-in,and has stayed in because he in contrast to the others were a really good combat general too.As for the ministers file it is impossible to make a German ministers list without having people related to the Holocaust in.remember Himmler and Kaltenbrunner was there from the start but we have still kept an animal like Heydrich out.And we have actually gone one better in the election files,because now a German player can choose right from the beginning between three alternative right wing plays.1)NS (historical) 2) FA worst NS away incl Hitler.and 3 PA (monarchy actually) and even if you play the historical NS route the worst will disappear when they did in 45.It has taken forever to piece that one together,and it was very much on my mind that a player should have the option of playing Germany without hardcore NS in the ministers file.
I even kept Heydrich out of the Czech file,that was fairly easy,it will be more difficult to keep Frank out of the Polish I simply cannot come up with another NS puppet HOS (gauleiter except him,unless we promote von dem Bach....
Koch is occupied in the Lithuania file but since that hardly survives he could be an option,but quite frankly there is not much difference between those guys.
I could have choosen in the occupied countries and allied NS countries to have taken the route Paradox laid in having Kaltenbrunner in and Heydrich out,but I have actually taken a harder approach,as there are a number of politician scumbags in those files who did not make the cut.(in some however they were almost unavoidable) for example Estonia if I kept Mäe out I couldn't let Vares-Barbaruse (ST) in either....and we would soon run out of right/left wing politicians in a lot of the Easten countries.
First of all you are insisting on leaving one guy who is far, far worse than Himmler and dr. Mengele altogether in terms of civilian kill ratio and death camp inmates' deaths. I wonder how's that compliant with Paradox policies?
Also, I'm pretty sure I prepared a decent shaow fascist government for Poland. Why do you want to add Germans there?
Also, I'm pretty sure I prepared a decent shaow fascist government for Poland. Why do you want to add Germans there?
Halibutt said:
Iv'e been a little busy with my company,sorry for the delay.
Yes you have made a good FA one,but I will only add to it,to bring it in accordance with the other elections schemes for the occupied countries.Where the 1st option always is the exile gov.(in case Poland has taken Venezulea and whatver...
but the second option (which actually can be taken in the first available election) is the switch to NS/FA and back again in 45 of course,and I use the German gauleiter as HOS usually