The Brandenburgers were members of the Brandenburg German special forces unit during World War II.

Originally the unit was formed by and operated as an extension of the military’s intelligence organisation, the Abwehr.

Members of this unit took part in seizing operationally important targets by way of sabotage and infiltration.  Being foreign German nationals who were convinced Nazi volunteers, constituent members had lived abroad and were proficient in foreign languages as well as being familiar with the way of life in the area of operations where they were deployed.

Some time ago I posted on these Nuns with “bad habits” that were the start of my Brandenburgers for Sea Lion and Very British Civil War. Well I have finally started working on the rest of the them.

Here are they second group of eight (after the Nuns). I will mix them up into various units when they are all done to give a more motley look.

I have three more Brandenburger Spähtrupp units, 4 Sabotage teams, A Lieutenants team and an Abewhr Agent (36 figures) at various stages of painting.

The Brandenburg Division was generally subordinated to the army groups in individual commands and operated throughout Eastern Europe, in southern Africa, Afghanistan, the Middle East and in the Caucasus.

In the later course of the war, parts of the special unit were used in the fight against partisans in Yugoslavia before the Division, in the last months of the war, was reclassified and merged into one of the Panzergrenadier divisions. It is alleged they committed various atrocities in the course of their operations.

In early August 1942, a Brandenburg unit of 62 Baltic and Sudeten Germans led by SS Sturmbannführer Adrian von Fölkersam  penetrated farther into enemy territory than any other German unit.

They had been ordered to seize and secure the vital Maikop oilfields. Disguised as NKVD men, and driving Soviet trucks, Fölkersam’s unit passed through the Soviet front lines and moved deep into hostile territory.

The Brandenburgers ran into a large group of Red Army soldiers fleeing from the front. Fölkersam saw an opportunity to use them to the unit’s advantage.

By persuading them to return to the Soviet cause, he was able to join with them and move almost at will through the Soviet lines   Adrian von Fölkersam was killed in action on 21 January 1945, age 30 near Inowrocław.

I have a mixture of civilian types, Fallschirmjaeger, Panzer Grenadiers, British Paras, and British Tommies to give a totally mixed look. They will be painted in non-uniform colours to make them look more “spy-like”!

More coming soon.