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| Estonian Legion | |
|---|---|
 "Registration point for the volunteers of the Estonian Legion", September 1942. | |
| Active | October 1942 – May 1943 |
| Disbanded | May 1943 |
| Country |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch |  Waffen-SS |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Regiment |
| Training ground | SS-Truppenübungsplatz Heidelager |
| Engagements | World War II |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Franz Augsberger |
TheEstonian Legion (Estonian:Eesti Leegion;German:Estnische Legion) was a military unit of the Combat Support Forces of theWaffen-SS duringWorld War II, mainly consisting ofEstonian soldiers.
Under the collective name "Estonian SS Legion", SS military units composed of Estonians operated from August 1942 to May 1943.[1] However, the terms "Estonian Legion" or "Estonian SS Legion" were mainly used in the press to refer to these units—no military unit with such an official name ever actually existed.
The formation was announced on 28 August 1942 by the German occupying powers in Estonia and formally established on 1 October 1942 with quarters in theSS-Truppenübungsplatz Heidelager atPustków nearDębica in theGeneral Government.[2]OberführerFranz Augsberger was named commander of the legion and of the later3rd Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade. By 13 October 1942, 500 volunteers had signed up for the Legion. In the spring of 1943 additional men were drafted from the police forces and the number rose to 1,280.[3]
Battalion Narva formed from the first 800 men who finished their training atDębica (Heidelager in 1943), and were sent in April 1943 to join theDivision Wiking inUkraine. They replaced theFinnish Volunteer Battalion, recalled to Finland for political reasons.[4]
The Battalion Narva was in the focus of the Red Army's attack nearIzium in Ukraine. The unit entered the battle with 800 men, and only one third were left able to fight. The Red Army however, suffered heavier losses, over 7,000 men, and over 100 tanks.[5]
Battalion Narva participated in the battle of theKorsun-Cherkassy Pocket. Retreating through the escape route calledHell's Gate, the battalion came under heavy Soviet fire with little cover. The battalion lost almost all of its equipment during the carnage although most of the troops escaped the encirclement.[5]
The German occupying powers forcibly mobilized all Estonian men born between 1919–1924 in March 1943. As a result 5,300 men were conscripted into the Estonian Legion and 6,800 into the support service of the Wehrmacht. Of the conscripts was formed the second Estonian regiment and theEstonian SS Volunteer Brigade was established on 5 May 1943.[2]
Another draft round was announced in October 1943 for men born in 1925–1926. As a result about 5,000 men escaped to Finland to avoid the draft. Most of these men volunteered for service in theFinnish Defence Forces and formed theFinnish Infantry Regiment 200. The conscripts were included in the Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade, renamed the3rd Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade on 22 October 1944.[2]
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By January 1944 the German military situation in the Eastern front had worsened so far that a general conscription call was announced in Estonia on 1 February 1944. In hopes of restoring the independence of Estonia, the last prime minister of Estonia,Jüri Uluots, supported the draft. As a result about 38,000 men were conscripted, the units of the Estonian Legion and Finnish Infantry Regiment 200 were returned to Estonia and reformed into the20th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (1st Estonian).
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