The formation of russ. Grenadier-Brigade 599 (bo.) was ordered by OKH/GenStdH on 19 January 1945. Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber Dänemark (W.B.Dän.) had the task to carry out this order with an estimated end-date of formation given as per 28 February 1945. Within the command, Abschnitts-Kommandant Nord-Jütland was given the order put this formation into practice. On 6 February Feb 1945 the end-date of formation was defered for appr. one month by Org.Abt./GenStdH/OKH. During February 1945 dispersed Russian volunteers of HGr. Nord and parts of russ. Btl. 553 were lead to the brigade for further completion with personnel. Furthermore Ukrainische Bau-Kompanie "Kraft" was to be incorporated. On 17 March 1945 5./(georgisches) Kraftfahrtransport-Regiment was lead to the brigade. On 21 March the end-date of formation was defered once more and finally set as to be per 31 March 1945. Following the re-structuring in the command area of W.B.Dän. per 1 April 1945, the territorial area covered by 166. Infanterie-Division was to be overtaken by the brigade (coastal defense) and its troops were transfered to those positions during the first days of April. On 11 April 1945 the unit, in particular Grenadier-Regiment 1607 (a btl. and a cop. of this Rgt.) was inspected by GenO Lindemann. Following the capitulation the mass of the brigade - as part of Marschgruppe E - was disarmed on 10 May in the area Skern. The staff was transfered to Oksböl on 11 May. After mutinities, especially in II./Grenadier-Regiment 1605, the entire units were disarmed on order of 18 May.

The brigade remained integrated to the German Wehrmacht and was subordinated to the General der Freiwilligenverbände im OKH. On tactical level it was assigned to the Kommandant des Ersatz-, resp. Feldheeres in the command area of Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber Dänemark.

Some sources state that the Brigade belonged to Komitet Osvobozhdeniia Narodov Rossi (KONR) (better if incorrectly known as the Russkaia Osvoboditelnaia Armiia, ROA or POA) under General Vlassov. This might be explained as a mistake with another brigade of the Wlassow-Armee. Beside the two divisions 600. (Russische) Infanterie-Division and 650. (Russische) Infanterie-Division there was a third one, numbered 700, which had a Reserve-Brigade; this reserve brigade is not identical with the Brigade 599!
One regiment of the brigade was attached to 600. Inf.Div. as Gren./Inf.Rgt. 1604 since mid April 1945.

The abbreviation "bo." means bodenständig (stationary).
In some sources it is incorrectly listed as 599. Infanterie-Brigade (russ.).

Order of battle

Stab
2 x Infanterie-Regiment
- Stab
- 3 x Bataillon
- 2 x schwere Kompanie
Artillerieregiment
- Stab
- 2 x Abteilung
Aufklärungsabteilung
Panzerjägerkompanie
Nachrichtenkompanie
Pionierkompanie
Versorgungskopmpanie

Order of battle

(by Michael W. Lenz)

Sources used

Joachim Hoffmann - Die Geschichte der Wlassow-Armee
Georg Tessin - Verbände und Truppen der deutschen Wehrmacht 1933-1945

Reference material on this unit

- None known at this time -