The formation of what would become 250. Infanterie-Division (División Azul) was first suggested by Serrano Súñer, foreign minister and the most trusted advisor of the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco, following the German invasion of the USSR 1941 as an alternative to a declaration of war.

Recruitment of volunteers began 28 June and a large number of members of the fascist Falange (the full name of the party was Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las J.O.N.S (FET)) volunteered, including six members of the FET National Council and several provisional governors. The Spanish Army however insisted on keeping control of the unit rather than have it run by the FET and in the end all the officers came from the regular army as well as about 70% of the volunteers, most of them veterans of the Spanish Civil War.

The commander of the unit would be Agustín Muñoz Grandes, former secretary general of the FET and one of the few Falangist generals. The unit was technically subordinate to the Spanish Ministry of the Army but served under German command.

The first volunteers left for Germany 17 July for further training and remained in Grafenwöhr for training until being sent to the Eastern Front Aug 1941.

They saw their first action 12 Oct 1941 at Lake Ilmen and remained on the front near Leningrad until it was disbanded Oct 1943, most famous and costly battle being Krasny Bor during Operation Polar Star.

Franco relieved Muñoz Grandes of his command May 1942 due to the latter’s support of a more radical and fascist government in Spain, but Adolf Hitler insisted that he would remain for at least a few more months which also happened.

In a meeting with Hitler 12 July Muñoz Grandes is said to have stated his intention to return to Spain and become president of the government with Franco as little more than a figurehead, turning Spain into a true fascist nation, this was supposed to take place after the next major Axis victory in the east, most likely after the fall of Leningrad, were some sources say that Hitler had planned an important role for the Spanish general.

Muñoz Grandes was finally sent back to Spain Dec 1942 on the order of Franco in return for allowing a visit by a delegation to Berlin led by FET secretary general José Luis de Arrese. When Muñoz Grandes arrived in Spain 17 Dec he was met by the entire government excluding only Franco himself and he was awarded the Palma de Plata, the highest award of the party, it was the first such award since the death of the founder of the party José Antonio Primo de Rivera during the Spanish Civil War. He was also promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, being outranked only by Franco, but he did not receive any position that gave him command over any troops. After the war he would however rise to higher positions, including Minister of the Army (15 July 1951) and finally vice President of the government (10 July 1962).

In Oct 1943 Spain changed its status in the war from nonbelligerence to neutrality, disbanding the Blue Divison (which received its name from the blue shirts worn by the FET). Some volunteers, amounting to three battalions, were allowed to remain on the Eastern front as the Spanische Legion which was finally disbanded 15 Mar 1944. Those who wanted to continue fighting with the Germans later served in Spanische-Freiwilligen-Kompanie der SS 101 and Spanische-Freiwilligen-Kompanie der SS 102, according to some sources the Germans managed to recruit an additional 250 Spaniards after the Blue Division was disbanded until the Allied landings in Normandy.

A total of about 47.000 Spanish officers and men served in the east, suffering 22.000 casualties including about 4.500 dead.

Holders of high awards
Holders of the German Cross in Gold (2)
  Emilio Esteban-Infantes Martín , 09.04.1943, Generalmajor, Kdr. 250. Span.Div.
  Knüppel, Wilhelm, 15.12.1943, Oberst i.G., Leiter des Dt.Verb.Stb. d. 250.(Sp.) Frw.Div.
Holders of the Knight's Cross (3)
  Agustín Muñoz Grandes, 12.03.1942 Generalleutnant Kdr 250. Inf.Div (span.)
  Agustín Muñoz Grandes, 13.12.1942 Generalleutnant Kdr 250. Inf.Div (span.), Oakleaves
  Emilio Esteban-Infantes Martín , 03.10.1943 Generalleutnant Kdr 250. Inf.Div (span.)

Nicknames

Blaue Division (Blue Division)

Spanische Division

Order of battle (July 1941)

262. Infantry Regiment

263. Infantry Regiment

269. Infantry Regiment

250. Artillery Regiment

   1. Battalion

   2. Battalion

   3. Battalion

   4. Battalion

250. Panzerjäger Battalion

250. Reconnaissance Battalion

250. Feldersatz Battalion

250. Pioneer Battalion

250. Signals Battalion

Supply Troops

Order of battle (Sep 1943)

262. Grenadier Regiment

263. Grenadier Regiment

269. Grenadier Regiment

250. Artillery Regiment

   1. Battalion

   2. Battalion

   3. Battalion

   4. Battalion

250. Panzerjäger Battalion

250. Reconnaissance Battalion

250. Pioneer Battalion

250. Signals Battalion

Supply Troops

Other militaria

A special medal was awarded to those who served in this division: the Blue Division Medal.

Photo © Rusfront

Guión of the II Battalion of the "Pimentel" Regiment

(Courtesy of Flags of the World)

Propaganda & Culture
Lyrics to the divisional song Himno de la División Azul.

Spanish volunteers, note the Spanish awards

(Courtesy of Jörgen)

Spanish volunteers reading the Marca

(Courtesy of Ignasi Masip)

Chaplain with soliders of División Azul, note the Spanish rank badge above the breast pocket

(Courtesy of Ignasi Masip)

Spanish volunteers with a falangist flag

(Courtesy of Jörgen)

Published sources used
Fernando J. Carrera Buil & Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau Nieto - Batallón Román: Historia fotográfica del II/269 Regimiento de la División Azul

Stanley G. Payne - Fascism in Spain 1923-1977

John Scurr - Germany's Spanish Volunteers 1941-45

Reference material on this unit

Antonio de Andrés y Andrés - Artillería en la División Azul
Eduardo Barrachina Juan - La Batalla del Lago Ilmen: División Azul
Carlos Caballero & Rafael Ibañez - Escritores en las trincheras: La División Azul en sus libros, publicaciones periódicas y filmografía (1941-1988)
Fernando J. Carrera Buil & Augusto Ferrer-Dalmau Nieto - Batallón Román: Historia fotográfica del II/269 Regimiento de la División Azul
Juan Chicharro Lamamié - Diario de un antitanquista en la División Azul
Jesus Esteban - The Military Intervention Corps of the Spanish Blue Division in the German Wehrmacht 1941-1944: Organization, uniforms, insignia, documents
Jesús Dolado Esteban (etc) - Revista de comisario: el cuerpo de Intervención Militar de la División Azul 1941-1944
Arturo Espinosa Poveda - Artillero 2º en la gloriosa División Azul
Arturo Espinosa Poveda - ¡Teníamos razón! Cuando luchamos contra el comunismo Soviético
Emilio Esteban-Infantes Martín - Blaue Division: Spaniens freiwillige an der Ostfront
Miguel Ezquerra - Berlin a vida o muerte
Ramiro García de Ledesma - Encrucijada en la nieve: Un servicio de inteligencia desde la División Azul
José García Hispán -  La Guardia Civil en la División Azul
César Ibáñez Cagna - Banderas españolas contra el comunismo
Gerald R. Kleinfeld & Lewis A. Tambs - Hitler's Spanish Legion: The Blue Division in Russia
Vicente Linares - Más que unas memorias: Hasta Leningrado con la División Azul
Torcuato Luca de Tena - Embajador en el infierno: Memorias del Capitán de la División Azul Teodoro Palacios
Xavier Moreno Julia - La División Azul: Sangre española en Rusia 1941-45
Juan José Negreira - Voluntarios baleares en la División Azul y Legión Azul (1941-1944)
Ricardo Recio - El servicio de intendencia de la División Azul
José Mª Sánchez Diana - Cabeza de Puente: Diario de un soldado de Hitler
John Scurr & Richard Hook - Germany's Spanish Volunteers 1941-45
Luis E. Togores - Muñoz Grandes: Héroe de Marruecos, general de la División Azul
Manuel Vázquez Enciso - Historia postal de la División Azul
Enrique de la Vega - Arde la Nieve: Un relato histórico sobre la División Azul
Enrique de la Vega Viguera - Rusia no es culpable: Historia de la División Azul
José Viladot Fargas - El espíritu de la División Azul: Possad
Díaz de Villegas - La División Azul en línea