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Text: Peng Yibin
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Hitler's SS was seen as a myth of the German army, and as a result, Rommel went to inspect it, and actually showed a mocking expression in public, did Rommel look down on the SS? Look at the truth about this group of SS and you will understand.
(German SS)
1. Rommel inspects the Indian army
In February 1944, Rommel went to France to inspect the German "950th Indian Infantry Regiment", and from the photos at the scene, we can see that Rommel's eyes were locked on the Indian soldier with a turban, and a smile of unknown reason appeared on the corner of his mouth. The eyes were a little stunned at the same time, and at the same time, there seemed to be a sense of ridicule.
This visit was more symbolic for Rommel, and it is not necessary to say how much Germany or Rommel expected the 950th Corps, but it is unbelievable that the 950th Regiment was still an authentic SS Corps. The SS was originally Hitler's private army, and after the outbreak of World War II, the SS also became the main force of the German army, and almost all of the legions were Nazi extremists.
(Rommel inspects the Indian Corps)
It stands to reason that the attitude within the German army towards the SS was naturally respectful, and Rommel would come to inspect it to show his attention. But in fact, this army was not enough to arouse Rommel's trust, but only to show his attitude. Because compared to Rommel, who has made great achievements, this Indian Nazi regiment is simply useless.
But why did they become SS, and why did they become the ranks of the German army?
(Indian SS)
2. Nazi Indian Legion
Gandhi proposed the "Non-Violent Non-Cooperation Movement" in India, and in 1921 a man named Chandra. Bose's men returned from England and decided to join the movement led by Gandhi. Chandra, who was born into a high-caste family and later studied at Cambridge, was an active advocate for Indian independence and was involved in numerous Indian independence movements.
After returning to India, Chandra began to enter politics, but his political ideas have always been more extreme, believing that violence can help India independence, and that only a bloody struggle can succeed. Chandra's criticism of Gandhi led to his arrest and expulsion from the party, and he decided to leave Europe in search of his enemy, Germany.
(Chandra)
He hoped to use the power of fascism against the British, so after the outbreak of World War II, the British defined India as a belligerent country, and Chandra was then surveilled. In 1941 he sought out the Soviet Union, hoping that it would help drive Britain out, but the Soviet Union ignored it, and then decided to turn to Germany, whose anti-British attitude Hitler was very interested in.
Hitler had always wanted to attack the British, but due to the terrain, he could not do so, and then Chandra was established with the help of Germany
The "Free India Centre", which called on Indians to stand up against the British. Then Hitler instructed Chandra that he could form an army, and even the Germans provided Chandra with money, space, and talent.
(Chandra)
Among them, 10 Indians who served in the German special forces, and 5 Indian-British prisoners of war, joined Chandra's army. Chandra then began to recruit troops into the prisoner-of-war camps, and Chandra was still well-known among the Indians, so several hundred men soon joined his army.
Many Indians wanted to join the army, so that they could really defeat the British and return to India, as Chandra said. In August 1942, the Free Indian Army was formally established and pledged allegiance to Hitler and Germany. Almost as a member of the SS, in September the regiment was officially incorporated into the German army and was called the "950th Indian Infantry Regiment." ”
(Nazi Indian Army)
The Indian legion numbered about 3,500 men, including 3,000 British prisoners of war, all of whom were of Indian origin. For Germany and Hitler, they did not see the 950 Corps as an effective military force at all, and they did not even let them go directly to the battlefield, but only as a reserve force, so they were constantly conducting military training.
It was not until 1943 that it was transported to France, ready to fight at the front. In the process, Chandra was very dissatisfied with Hitler's attack on the Soviet Union. After the defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad, Chandra realized that it was useless to count on Germany, so in February 1943 Chandra absconded to Japan, leaving the 950th Army without a leader.
(Indian Legion)
At first, the Germans planned to throw them to Holland, but dozens of Indian soldiers planned to mutiny, saying that they wanted to return to India. In the end, the Germans had no choice but to escort these rebels to prisoner-of-war camps. In August 1943, the Indian Legion came to France and often appeared on the streets of France, which can also be said to be fooling.
These Indian soldiers had dealings with German female civilians and misbehaved, and it can even be said that this group of Indian legions caused a lot of harm to France. A French soldier recalled that his hometown had been invaded by the Indian Legion, and that they had raped a woman and her two daughters, and even shot and killed a little girl as young as 2 years old.
(Indian Legion)
The brutality of the Indian legions in France could not be concealed, and the Indian army did not fight in France. Even in 1945, the Indian Legion said at a conference that the regiment had preserved its full combat strength. When asked what the reason was, they proudly shouted, "Because we haven't fought." ”
So when Rommel came to inspect the regiment in February 1944, his first impression of the regiment was very bad. Those indecent rumors are definitely not groundless, Rommel himself is very upright, and he is even more ashamed to encounter such behavior with disdain. So he came to inspect the Indian Legion with a joke attitude.
(Rommel Inspection)
It was not possible to fight, it was not possible to do logistics, it was doing mischief in the local area, and it was delusional to defeat Britain and return to India. It's just a fantasy, so we can see from the photo that Rommel's overall attitude is rather joking. Not only Rommel, but also the other German officers behind him were not very enthusiastic about the Indian Legion.
3. What happened to the Indian Legion?
It was not until after the Normandy landings that the 950th Regiment received the task and began to hunt down the French partisans. In April 1944, they moved to German territory, but were attacked by the French at the Bordeaux railway station, where 40 were killed on the spot and 290 surrendered.
(Indian Legion)
Later, when the SS held a meeting, Hitler was very dismissive of the Indian Legion. It is considered that they were "joking" the whole time, repaired all the time in France and did not participate in real battles.
When the Indian Legion proudly stated that they had retained a large amount of equipment, Hitler was furious and demanded that all the equipment of the Indian Legion be confiscated and handed over to the SS's "Xu Mantha Battle Group." When Germany was defeated, the Indian legion chose to flee, only to be captured by the Americans, and most of the soldiers were escorted to India.
In fact, in World War II, there seemed to be Indian troops on many battlefields, but the Indian army never played a positive role. At that time, India was shrouded in colonization, and I am afraid that even they did not understand what they were fighting for.
Resources
What is India doing in World War II?.The Paper,2017-08-02