Polizei-Bataillon "Ostland"

Polizei Front-Bataillon "Ostland"
Police Front-Battalion "Ostland"
Active August 1941 – 1943
Country  Nazi Germany
Engagements Anti-partisan operations in Belarus, The Holocaust in Belarus, The Holocaust in Ukraine
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Herberts Brašnevics (Herbert Braschnewitz)
Henn Sarmiste (Heinrich Stunde)
Paul Laamann
SS-Obersturmführer Rudolf Steinpick
Hugo Siim

Police Front-Battalion "Ostland" or Police Battalion 33, (Polizei Front-Bataillon "Ostland", Polizei-Bataillon 33; Field Post Number: 47769 and 47797) or the Ostland special SS-battalion was an Ordnungspolizei unit that served in World War II under the command of the Schutzstaffel. The battalion established in October 1941 carried out punitive duties.[1] According to the researcher Rolf Michaelis who is referring to the SS-Hauptamt's document No. 8699/42, the Police Front-Battalion "Ostland" resided in the Reichskommissariat Ukraine in 1941-1942 and took part of the executions of the Jews. On June 28, 1941 a Polish town of Równe was captured by Nazi Germany, which later established the city as the administrative centre of the Reichskommissariat Ukraine. July 1941: The 1st company was in Frankfurt. The rest of the battalion was in Równe, Poland. October 1941: sent to Lwów, Poland. At the time, roughly half of Równe's inhabitants were Jewish. About 23,000 of these people were taken to a pine grove in Sosenki and slaughtered by the 1st company of the Police Front-Battalion "Ostland" between the November 6, and 8, 1941 (1st company). A ghetto was established for the remaining ca 5,000 Jews.[2][3][4] As reported on May 11, 1942, ca 1,000 Jews were executed in Minsk.[5][6] On July 13–14, 1942, the remaining population of the Równe ghetto - about 5,000 Jews - was sent by train some 70 kilometres north to Kostopol where they were murdered by the 1st company of the Police Front-Battalion "Ostland" in a quarry near woods outside the town. The Równe ghetto was subsequently liquidated.[7][8][9] As reported on July 14, 1942: The battalion or elements of it provided security along with the Ukrainische Hilfspolizei for a transport of the Jews from the Riga Ghetto to the Riga Central Station using the wagons (1st company). July 15, 1942 another thousand Jews were executed in the same place.[10][11] As reported on June 27, 1942, ca 8,000 Jews were executed near the town of Słonim.[12][13] As reported on July 28, 1942, ca 6,000 Jews were executed in Minsk.[14][15][16] In November 1942 the Police Battalion Ostland together with an artillery regiment, and three other German Ordnungspolizei battalions under the command of Befehlshaber der Ordnungspolizei im Reichskommissariat Ukraine and SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei Otto von Oelhafen, took part in a joint anti-partisan operation near Owrucz with over 50 villages burnt down and over 1,500 people executed. In a village 40 people were burnt alive for revenge for the killing of the SS-Untersturmführer Türnpu(u).[17] February 1943: In Revel, Estonia with Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 293. By March 31, 1943, the Estnische Legion had 37 officers, 175 noncoms and 62 privates of the Ostland special battalion.[18][19]

References

  1. ↑ Massimo Arico, Ordnungspolizei - Encyclopedia of the German police battalions September 1939 - July 1942, p. 144-145.
  2. ↑ Rolf Michaelis, Der Einsatz der Ordnungspolizei 1939-1945. Polizei-Bataillone, SS-Polizei-Regimenter. Michaelis Verlag - Berlin, 2008. ISBN 9783938392560,
  3. ↑ POLIZEI-BATAILLON 33 (Polizei-Bataillon "Ostland")
  4. ↑ Stefan Klemp: Nicht ermittelt. Polizeibataillone und die Nachkriegsjustiz. Ein Handbuch. 2. Aufl., Klartext, Essen 2011, S. 296–301.
  5. ↑ Rolf Michaelis, Der Einsatz der Ordnungspolizei 1939-1945. Polizei-Bataillone, SS-Polizei-Regimenter. Michaelis Verlag - Berlin, 2008. ISBN 9783938392560
  6. ↑ Wolfgang Curilla: Die deutsche Ordnungspolizei und der Holocaust im Baltikum und in Weissrussland, 1941-1944. F. Schöningh, Paderborn 2006, ISBN 3506717871.
  7. ↑ Rolf Michaelis, Der Einsatz der Ordnungspolizei 1939-1945. Polizei-Bataillone, SS-Polizei-Regimenter. Michaelis Verlag - Berlin, 2008. ISBN 9783938392560
  8. ↑ POLIZEI-BATAILLON 33 (Polizei-Bataillon "Ostland")
  9. ↑ Stefan Klemp: Nicht ermittelt. Polizeibataillone und die Nachkriegsjustiz. Ein Handbuch. 2. Aufl., Klartext, Essen 2011, S. 296–301.
  10. ↑ Rolf Michaelis, Der Einsatz der Ordnungspolizei 1939-1945. Polizei-Bataillone, SS-Polizei-Regimenter. Michaelis Verlag - Berlin, 2008. ISBN 9783938392560
  11. ↑ Wolfgang Curilla: Die deutsche Ordnungspolizei und der Holocaust im Baltikum und in Weissrussland, 1941-1944. F. Schöningh, Paderborn 2006, ISBN 3506717871.
  12. ↑ Gilbert, Martin (1986). The Holocaust. London: Fontana Press. p. 403. ISBN 0-00-637194-9.
  13. ↑ Wolfgang Curilla: Die deutsche Ordnungspolizei und der Holocaust im Baltikum und in Weissrussland, 1941-1944. F. Schöningh, Paderborn 2006, ISBN 3506717871.
  14. ↑ Rolf Michaelis, Der Einsatz der Ordnungspolizei 1939-1945. Polizei-Bataillone, SS-Polizei-Regimenter. Michaelis Verlag - Berlin, 2008. ISBN 9783938392560
  15. ↑ Rolf Michaelis, Eestlased Waffen-SS-is 20. SS relvagrenaderidiviis. Tallinn: Olion, 2001. p. 32.
  16. ↑ Wolfgang Curilla: Die deutsche Ordnungspolizei und der Holocaust im Baltikum und in Weissrussland, 1941-1944. F. Schöningh, Paderborn 2006, ISBN 3506717871.
  17. ↑ Wolfgang Curilla: Die deutsche Ordnungspolizei und der Holocaust im Baltikum und in Weissrussland, 1941-1944. F. Schöningh, Paderborn 2006, ISBN 3506717871.
  18. ↑ Massimo Arico, Ordnungspolizei - Encyclopedia of the German police battalions September 1939 - July 1942, p. 249-258.
  19. ↑ Stefan Klemp: Nicht ermittelt. Polizeibataillone und die Nachkriegsjustiz. Ein Handbuch. 2. Aufl., Klartext, Essen 2011, S. 296–301.
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