The «250 DIVISION» T-shirt

The 250th Infantry Division, commonly known as the Blue Division (División Azul), was a unit of Spanish volunteers who served in the German Army (Wehrmacht) on the Eastern Front during WWII.

Facts:

• Formation: It was created in 1941 after Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the decommunisation of the Soviet Union.

• Composition: Approximately 18,000 to 20,000 Spanish volunteers made up the initial force, later joined by replacements and additional volunteers.

• Deployment: The division fought alongside German forces, mainly around Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), participating in the Siege of Leningrad and various battles on the Eastern Front.

• Symbol: The division's name comes from the blue shirts worn by the Spanish Falange movement, a hallmark of their uniform.

• Withdrawal: Spain, officially neutral but sympathetic to the Axis, eventually ordered its withdrawal in 1943 under international pressure. Some volunteers remained and formed smaller units like the so-called Blue Legion.

"En la guerra, tu sangre En la paz, tu trabajo!"