This is a document on the original stationery of Adolf Hitler, with embossed national eagle above “Der Führer”, dated “Führerhauptquartier, 10.2.1943”, with a fine ink signature “Adolf Hitler”.
On the side, as a reading notation by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, his handwritten initials “HH” in green copying pencil. Undamaged, condition 2. Extremely rare.
On February 10, 1942, Adolf Hitler approved the establishment of a Bosnian SS Division composed of Muslims to be deployed against partisans in the Balkans. The approval of the Croatian state followed in March 1943. The establishment order for the Croatian SS Volunteer Legion was dated 10.2.1943. Shortly thereafter, it was decided to use the designation Croatian SS Volunteer Division. The non-commissioned officers were to be volunteer Muslims from the territory of the Independent State of Croatia. For the volunteers, the otherwise applicable SS fitness requirements were suspended; they merely had to be fit for combat duty. The officers as well as the specialist career tracks were staffed with Reich Germans. On April 30, 1943, the division received the designation Croatian SS Volunteer Mountain Division. In June 1943, the division in formation was subordinated to the Commander of Army Area Southern France and relocated to the Mende, Haute Loire, Aveyron and Lozère area. At the Wildflecken/Rhön training ground, the transports arriving from Croatia were assembled. Since volunteer registrations were insufficient, personnel were also taken directly from the Croatian Army. In October 1943, the Waffen-SS divisions were numbered; the division's new designation was now 13th Croatian SS Volunteer Mountain Division. As of December 31, 1943, the division had a strength of 21,065 men, thus 2,000 men over establishment, although there was still a shortage of officers and non-commissioned officers. At the end of January 1944, the division was reported ready for action. In February 1944, the division was relocated to Bosnia to immediately participate in Operation “Wegweiser”. During this operation, the Bosut Forest and several villages north of the Sava were combed through. On April 11, 1944, Operation “Osterei” began. The towns of Janja, Ugljevik and Priboj were captured. From April 26 to May 7, 1944, Operation “Maibaum” lasted, during which strong partisan formations in the Majevica were to be denied crossing over the Drina into Serbia. Heavy fighting ensued, during which the partisans were indeed denied crossing the Drina, but their destruction was not achieved. On May 15, 1944, the division was renamed once again; it now bore the designation 13th Waffen Mountain Division of the SS “Handschar” (Croatian No. 1). On June 8, 1944, Operation “Vollmond” began, intended to destroy three partisan divisions located in the Posavina-Majevica area. The division was to attack from the north and west and push the partisans back to the Drina, resulting in heavy combat. From June 14 to August 6, 1944, Operation “Kornblume” followed, during which partisan formations north of the Sava were engaged. In early September 1944, the division was relocated to the Vukovice-Osmaci-Srebrenica area for refitting. During this period, increasingly evident signs of the division's disintegration appeared. In September 1944 alone, over 2,000 men deserted to the partisans. Through the absorption of soldiers from the dissolved 23rd Waffen Mountain Division of the SS “Kama”, the division could be brought to a strength of 346 officers, 1,950 non-commissioned officers and 18,520 enlisted men. In mid-October 1944, the bulk of the division was set in march to the Agram area to relieve the LXIX Army Corps. During this movement, approximately 1,000 men deserted again. When the division then faced its first deployment against Soviet troops, it largely dissolved. Only the German cadre personnel and some troops remained, so that the division had to withdraw north across the Sava at the end of October. The division remnants were deployed in November 1944 in the Apatin area and near Batina. On November 12, 1944, the division was ordered to turn over its heavy weapons to the 1st Mountain Division, then to be deployed as a battle group east of Fünfkirchen (Pécs) near Batina. This battle group was pushed back under heavy losses to Hercegszöllös. On November 29, 1944, enemy troops occupied Fünfkirchen. The remnants of the division battle group occupied a new line east of Bolmay. From here it was set in march to Barcs. Due to the Russian advance, the division first relocated to the area south of Lake Balaton (Csurgó-Berzencze-Nagykanizsa) and from there, after heavy defensive fighting, to the Margarethen Position between the Drava and Lake Balaton. In this sector, the division could be somewhat refitted through furlough returnees and stragglers. On March 6, 1945, the division then participated in Operation “Frühlingserwachen”, during which the Danube near Baja was to be reached. However, the attack became bogged down in mud on March 7 before Kaposvár. At the end of March 1945, the Red Army became active in the division sector. The division had to withdraw from its positions to the planned Dorothea Position around Bajca. On April 3, the division crossed the Mur, losing its heavy weapons in the process. In the Kaag area, the Reich Defense Position was occupied. The division received replacements here from Volkssturm and Luftwaffe personnel. On May 5, 1945, the last Bosniaks were released from their oath of allegiance so they could make their way home. The remaining remnant of the division began the retreat and occupied the Ursula Position in the Kellersdorf area on May 7, 1945. Near Villach, the remnants were able to escape into British captivity.