On 10 September the division reached a strength of 126 officers, 374 non-commissioned officers and 3,293 men, composed of German officers and Bosnian Muslim soldiers, a fraction of its prescribed strength of 19,000 men. By this time, morale was waning within the new division just as it completed the final phase of its training in Hungary; the war was not going well, and there were rumours that the Germans were going to abandon the Balkans and leave the Muslims to defend themselves.
By September 10, the unit had grown to comprise 126 officers, 374 non-commissioned officers, and 3,293 men, consisting of German officers and Bosnian Muslim soldiers, which was a far cry from its intended strength of 19,000. At this time, morale within the new division was faltering as it completed its training in Hungary; the war was going poorly, and there were whispers that Germany would soon abandon the Balkans, leaving the Muslims to fend for themselves.