1 SS Infantry Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 1 SS Infantry Brigade (mot) was a unit of the German Waffen SS formed from former concentration camp guards for service in the Soviet Union behind the main front line during the Second World War. They conducted anti-partisan operations in the rear of the advancing German army and were involved in the extermination of the Jewish population. They also filled gaps in the front line when called upon in emergencies. In 1944 the Brigade was used as the cadre in the formation of the 18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Horst Wessel.
. The original name for the brigade was going to be SS Brigade (mot) but was changed to 1 SS Brigade (mot) and the final designation of 1 SS Infantry Brigade (mot) on 20 September 1941.
The first commander was posted in on 25 June 1941 when Oberführer
Richard Herrmann, was reassigned from the Kampfgruppe
Nord.
) in June 1941, the brigade was stationed in Kraków
Poland awaiting its full complement of men and materials. On the 23 July they moved east into the occupied territories and between July and August 1941, fought Soviet partisans
and cut off units of the Red Army
in the rear of Army Group South
capturing 7,000 prisoners of war.
On 9 August the Brigade was north of Zhitomir and was asked to cover the northern flank of the 6th Army in the Pinsk Marshes
. Fighting to clear the marsh near Uschomir the SS Infantry Regiment 10 captured or killed 800 men.
The Brigade next operated behind the XVII Army Corps and on 23 August, crossed the Dnieper River
. During the remainder of the year and until late 1942 they were assigned to the Reich Security Head Office
, which also had the SS Cavalry Brigade
and the 2 SS Infantry Brigade (mot) under command.
The brigade was now used in a rear area security and policing role and most importantly they were not under Army or Waffen SS command.
In the Autumn of 1941, they left the anti partisan role to other units and units and the brigade actively took part in the Holocaust while assisting Einsatzgruppen
C and took part in the liquidation of the Jewish population of the Soviet Union, forming firing parties when required. The three brigades were responsible for the murder of tens of thousands of the population by the end of 1941, and they destroyed at least one village st Białystok for no apparent reason as they had not been engaged from it.
On 12 December 1941, the Brigade was placed under the command of the 56th Infantry Division
on the orders of Army Group Center when a gap appeared in the front line of the 2nd Army in the area of Tula
, Yelets
Liwny.
During the fighting around Lasarewka, the Brigade was assigned to the Gruppe Moser and on 28 December 1941 placed under the command of LV Army Corps.
From January to August they took part in security and defensive duties around the area of Kursk
and a new commander arrived in July Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld
. They remained in the Kursk area until 11 August when they were sent to the Minsk
area on anti partisans duties.
On 11 October the Brigade was in the Wydriza sector in Central Russia (where Erich von dem Bach-Zelewsky was the SS and Police Leader
), It took part in the anti partisan Operation Karlsbad (11 September to the 23 October), also involved were the SS-Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger
, SS Schuma Battalion 255
and the 1st Battalion, Légion des Volontaires Français.
Operation Karlsbad was an anti partisan sweep with the intention of destroying a group of 6000 partisans led by soviet officers. The operation was deemed a success and by the end of it the Brigade had recorded the killing of 1051 partisans and civilians for the loss of 24 dead and 65 wounded.
The Brigade was next involved in Operation Freda (5 to the 9 November), together with the SS-Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger they were tasked with the destruction of a powerful partisan group under General Wiejerew in the swamps and forests south of Borissov. The reported casualties from the operation were light with 2 men killed and 10 missing compared to several hundred dead partisans.
The Brigade was next used in another anti partisan operation Operation Nurnberg (19 to the 25 November) with Police Kampfgruppe
von Gottberg. The operation took place between Gleboki and Wilna. The operation was under the command of Brigadeführer
Curt von Gottberg
with SS Polizei Regiment 14, two Schuma battalions and a town Gendarmerie unit in support of the 1 SS Infantry Brigade. The operation resulted in 2984 Russians casualties and the release of some German prisoners. At the end of 1942 they were involved in the Battle of Velikiye Luki
when the Soviet forces encircled the town of Velikiye Luki
. The 83rd Infantry Division
which was trapped in the pocket and was destroyed. The 1 SS Infantry Brigade, along with Frikorps Danmark
, who had participated in the attempts to break the encirclement under Kampfgruppe Chevallerie had suffered heavy casualties in the process.
sweep in the area of Witebsk Gorodok
Gurki and Senniza Lake. They also took part in the followup Operation Donnerkeil
(31 March to 2 April) the second operation was ordered by the 3rd Panzer Army.
In May 1943 the Brigade formed a cadre for the 3 Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade
and on the 7 July it was sent to Borrissov on another anti partisan sweep against the many small partisan groups in the area. They participated in Operation Hermann (7 July) with various other units under the command of Generalmajor of Polizei
von Gottberg.
On 1 August the Brigade took part in the evacuation of the area Jeremicze Starzyna
Rudnja Kupinsk. This was an attempt to evacuate and deport the population in the area, so they could not join or assist the local partisan units, the evacuees would also be put to work for the German war industry.
They were again moved into the front line in September to reinforce the 25th Panzergrenadier Division
, which was
fighting in the Smolensk
Gomel sector. Smolensk was abandoned on the 24 September and the Brigade reported that during the fighting they had lost 215 killed in action, 1172 wounded and 77 missing.
They had however proved to be an effective front line unit and were mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
on 15 October.
On 12 November the Brigade units were re designated the former SS Infantry Regiment 8 and SS Infantry Regiment 10 now became known as the SS Grenadier Regiment 39 and SS Grenadier Regiment 40.
To counter the Soviet offensive on the 10 November the Brigade formed SS Kampfgruppe
Trabandt which came under the command of the 36th Infantry Division. They fought at the Rogatschew bridgehead until they were transferred to the bridgehead at Stassewka on 2 December.
In December the Brigade took part in Operation Nikolaus which started on the 20 December and formed the 9th Army's southern pincer group attacking towards the 2nd Army alongside the 16th Panzer Division, 258th Infantry Division, 134th Infantry Divisions and Cavalry Regiment Mitte. The counter attack filled the gap between the 2nd and 9th Army's which had been created by the Soviet push towards Bobruisk in November that year. The attack was succeeded and the gap was closed on 22 December.
At the end of December 1943 the Brigade was ordered to move to East Prussia
. After they reached the troop training grounds Stablack near Königsberg
they were reformed.
Untersturmführer
Max Täubner commanded a workshop detail in the brigade and was tried by an SS court in May 1943, along with four other Waffen-SS men, for unauthorized and sadistic killings of a large number of Jews in 1941 and for taking photos of the killings showing them to wife and friends. In the indictment the SS court states "The accused allowed his men to act with such vicious brutality that they conducted themselves under his command like a savage horde". The case was dismissed by the judge Standartenführer
Dr. Reinecke. The photos and negatives were later ordered to be destroyed.
In another version of this trial cited in Taubner is convicted of disregarding secrecy provisions surrounding the exterminations, expelled from the SS, deprived of his civil rights and sentenced to ten years imprisonment, for behavior that was "unworthy of an honorable and decent German man."
Vasyl Valdeman, a Jewish resident of Ostrog
reported: "We knew something would be done to us here. When we saw people hit and driven along here with spades, even small children realised why people were carrying the spades.
One of the members of the 1st SS Infantry Brigade at the time was Hans Friedrich. He claims not to recall exactly which actions he took part in that summer, but he does admit to participating in killings like the one in Ostrog. "They were so utterly shocked and frightened, you could do with them what you wanted.'"
Vasyl Valdeman: "Kids were crying, the sick were crying, the elderly were praying to God. Not on their knees but seated or lying down. It was very tough to go through it all, hearing all this wailing and crying. Then they had everyone get up and said 'Go', and as soon as people started moving, they selected people for shooting, for execution."
The selected Ukrainian Jews were taken out to this spot and a pit was dug. In scenes which were repeated right across the areas of the Soviet Union occupied by the Nazis, men, women and children were ordered to strip and prepare to die. The killings went on into the evening. Vasyl Valdeman and his mother managed to escape and hide in a nearby village. But the SS killed his father, grandfather and two uncles.
Vasyl Valdeman: "That's how it was—the first execution—the most horrible one. It wasn't the last one. There were three more large executions after that with 2000 to 3000 people shot at every one of them. More people were executed afterwards in smaller scale ones and this is how the Jewish community of Ostrog was annihilated."
Formation
The 1 SS Infantry Brigade (mot) was formed from concentration camp guards, on 21 April 1941, from men of the 8 SS Totenkopf Standarte and 10 SS Totenkopf Standarte of the SS-TotenkopfverbändeSS-Totenkopfverbände
SS-Totenkopfverbände , meaning "Death's-Head Units", was the SS organization responsible for administering the Nazi concentration camps for the Third Reich....
. The original name for the brigade was going to be SS Brigade (mot) but was changed to 1 SS Brigade (mot) and the final designation of 1 SS Infantry Brigade (mot) on 20 September 1941.
The first commander was posted in on 25 June 1941 when Oberführer
Oberführer
Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...
Richard Herrmann, was reassigned from the Kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
Nord.
Russia
When Germany invaded the Soviet Union (Operation BarbarossaOperation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
) in June 1941, the brigade was stationed in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
Poland awaiting its full complement of men and materials. On the 23 July they moved east into the occupied territories and between July and August 1941, fought Soviet partisans
Soviet partisans
The Soviet partisans were members of a resistance movement which fought a guerrilla war against the Axis occupation of the Soviet Union during World War II....
and cut off units of the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
in the rear of Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
capturing 7,000 prisoners of war.
On 9 August the Brigade was north of Zhitomir and was asked to cover the northern flank of the 6th Army in the Pinsk Marshes
Pinsk Marshes
The Pinsk Marshes or Pripyat Marshes are a vast territory of wetlands along the Pripyat River and its tributaries from Brest, Belarus to Mogilev and Kiev ....
. Fighting to clear the marsh near Uschomir the SS Infantry Regiment 10 captured or killed 800 men.
The Brigade next operated behind the XVII Army Corps and on 23 August, crossed the Dnieper River
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
. During the remainder of the year and until late 1942 they were assigned to the Reich Security Head Office
RSHA
The RSHA, or Reichssicherheitshauptamt was an organization subordinate to Heinrich Himmler in his dual capacities as Chef der Deutschen Polizei and Reichsführer-SS...
, which also had the SS Cavalry Brigade
SS Cavalry Brigade
The SS Cavalry Brigade was a unit of the Waffen SS formed in 1940, from cavalry regiments created for occupation duties in German-occupied Poland. Later, while serving in German-occupied areas of the Soviet Union, the brigade was involved in the genocide of the Jewish population and anti-partisan...
and the 2 SS Infantry Brigade (mot) under command.
The brigade was now used in a rear area security and policing role and most importantly they were not under Army or Waffen SS command.
In the Autumn of 1941, they left the anti partisan role to other units and units and the brigade actively took part in the Holocaust while assisting Einsatzgruppen
Einsatzgruppen
Einsatzgruppen were SS paramilitary death squads that were responsible for mass killings, typically by shooting, of Jews in particular, but also significant numbers of other population groups and political categories...
C and took part in the liquidation of the Jewish population of the Soviet Union, forming firing parties when required. The three brigades were responsible for the murder of tens of thousands of the population by the end of 1941, and they destroyed at least one village st Białystok for no apparent reason as they had not been engaged from it.
On 12 December 1941, the Brigade was placed under the command of the 56th Infantry Division
56th Infantry Division (Germany)
-History and Organisation:The division was formed in 1939 in Dresden, in the second wave of mobilisation . After taking part in the Invasion of France in 1940, it spent the remainder of its existence on the Eastern Front, mostly with Army Group Centre...
on the orders of Army Group Center when a gap appeared in the front line of the 2nd Army in the area of Tula
Tula, Russia
Tula is an industrial city and the administrative center of Tula Oblast, Russia. It is located south of Moscow, on the Upa River. Population: -History:...
, Yelets
Yelets
Yelets is a city in Lipetsk Oblast, Russia, situated on the Sosna River, which is a tributary of the Don. Population: -History:Yelets is the oldest center of the Central Black Earth Region. It is mentioned in historical documents as far back as 1146, when it belonged to the Princes of Ryazan...
Liwny.
During the fighting around Lasarewka, the Brigade was assigned to the Gruppe Moser and on 28 December 1941 placed under the command of LV Army Corps.
1942
The Brigade spent the winter in fighting defensive battles in the front line, then received new orders. They were again to form a rear area security and anti partisan unit.From January to August they took part in security and defensive duties around the area of Kursk
Kursk
Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history...
and a new commander arrived in July Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld
Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld
Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld was a Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen SS during World War II and the commander of the VI SS Army Corps....
. They remained in the Kursk area until 11 August when they were sent to the Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
area on anti partisans duties.
On 11 October the Brigade was in the Wydriza sector in Central Russia (where Erich von dem Bach-Zelewsky was the SS and Police Leader
SS and Police Leader
SS and Police Leader was a title for senior Nazi officials that commanded large units of the SS, of Gestapo and of the regular German police during and prior to World War II.Three levels of subordination were established for bearers of this title:...
), It took part in the anti partisan Operation Karlsbad (11 September to the 23 October), also involved were the SS-Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger
SS-Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger
The 36th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, better known as the SS-Sturmbrigade "Dirlewanger" , was an infamous military unit of the Waffen-SS during World War II. Originally formed for anti-partisan duties against the Polish resistance, it eventually saw action against the Soviet Red Army near...
, SS Schuma Battalion 255
Ukrainian Auxiliary Police
The Ukrainische Hilfspolizei was a German mobile police force that operated in the General Government beginning on July 27, 1941. The total number enlisted numbered slightly more than 35,000. 6,000 of them - including 120 low-level officers - served in the District of Galicia...
and the 1st Battalion, Légion des Volontaires Français.
Operation Karlsbad was an anti partisan sweep with the intention of destroying a group of 6000 partisans led by soviet officers. The operation was deemed a success and by the end of it the Brigade had recorded the killing of 1051 partisans and civilians for the loss of 24 dead and 65 wounded.
The Brigade was next involved in Operation Freda (5 to the 9 November), together with the SS-Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger they were tasked with the destruction of a powerful partisan group under General Wiejerew in the swamps and forests south of Borissov. The reported casualties from the operation were light with 2 men killed and 10 missing compared to several hundred dead partisans.
The Brigade was next used in another anti partisan operation Operation Nurnberg (19 to the 25 November) with Police Kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
von Gottberg. The operation took place between Gleboki and Wilna. The operation was under the command of Brigadeführer
Brigadeführer
SS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
Curt von Gottberg
Curt von Gottberg
Curt von Gottberg was a Nazi official and military commander. Beginning in October 1942, within a few years he had personally combined the highest civil and military powers in occupied Belarus: from March 1943 as representative of the HSSPF for central Russia, and from October 1943 as the acting...
with SS Polizei Regiment 14, two Schuma battalions and a town Gendarmerie unit in support of the 1 SS Infantry Brigade. The operation resulted in 2984 Russians casualties and the release of some German prisoners. At the end of 1942 they were involved in the Battle of Velikiye Luki
Battle of Velikiye Luki
The Velikiye Luki offensive operation was executed by the forces of the Red Army's Kalinin Front against the Wehrmacht's 3rd Panzer Army during the Winter Campaign of 1942-1943 with the objective of liberating the Russian city of Velikiye Luki as part of the northern pincer of the Rzhev-Sychevka...
when the Soviet forces encircled the town of Velikiye Luki
Velikiye Luki
Velikiye Luki is a town on the meandering Lovat River in the southern part of Pskov Oblast, Russia. It is the second largest town in Pskov Oblast; population: The town is served by the Velikiye Luki Airport....
. The 83rd Infantry Division
83rd Infantry Division (Germany)
The 83rd Infantry Division, , was a German military unit that fought in several notable actions during World War II.-Formation:The division was formed December 1, 1939, at Bergen, and consisted of reservists from the north of Germany .It had the following organisation:*Infanterie-Regiment...
which was trapped in the pocket and was destroyed. The 1 SS Infantry Brigade, along with Frikorps Danmark
Frikorps Danmark
Free Corps Denmark was a Danish volunteer free corps created by the Danish Nazi Party in cooperation with Germany, to fight the Soviet Union during the Second World War. On June 29, 1941, days after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the DNSAP's newspaper Fædrelandet proclaimed the creation...
, who had participated in the attempts to break the encirclement under Kampfgruppe Chevallerie had suffered heavy casualties in the process.
1943
In 1943 the Brigade came under the command of the LIX Corps in the 3rd Panzer Army. On 4 February they were located at Podluschje. They took part in Operation Kugelblitz (22 February to 8 March) attached to the 201st Sicherungs Division. Operation Kugelblitz was an anti Belarusian partisansBelarusian partisans
Belarusian partisans were fighters in irregular military groups participating in the Belarusian resistance movement, including against Nazi Germany and collaborationism during World War II.- World War II :...
sweep in the area of Witebsk Gorodok
Gorodok
Gorodok may refer to:*Gorodok, alternative name of Haradok, Belarus*Gorodok, Russia, name of several inhabited localities in Russia-See also:*Horodok *Bely Gorodok, an urban-type settlement in Tver Oblast...
Gurki and Senniza Lake. They also took part in the followup Operation Donnerkeil
Operation Donnerkeil
Unternehmen Donnerkeil was the codename for a German military operation of the Second World War. Donnerkeil was designed as an air superiority operation to support the Kriegsmarine Operation Cerberus, also known as the "Channel Dash".In 1941 Kriegsmarine surface vessels had carried out commerce...
(31 March to 2 April) the second operation was ordered by the 3rd Panzer Army.
In May 1943 the Brigade formed a cadre for the 3 Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade
3 Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade
The 3rd Estonian SS Volunteer Brigade was a formation of the German Waffen SS during World War II. It was formed in May 1943, when the Estonian SS Legion , which was still undergoing formation in Dębica, , was upgraded...
and on the 7 July it was sent to Borrissov on another anti partisan sweep against the many small partisan groups in the area. They participated in Operation Hermann (7 July) with various other units under the command of Generalmajor of Polizei
Polizei
Polizei is the German word for police. It might refer to:-National agencies:*Bundespolizei - Federal Police of Germany*Bundespolizei - Federal Police of Austria*Bundeskriminalamt - Federal Criminal Office of Germany, comparable to the FBI...
von Gottberg.
On 1 August the Brigade took part in the evacuation of the area Jeremicze Starzyna
Starzyna
Starzyna is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Dubicze Cerkiewne, within Hajnówka County, Podlaskie Voivodeship, in north-eastern Poland, close to the border with Belarus. It lies approximately south-east of Dubicze Cerkiewne, south of Hajnówka, and south-east of the regional...
Rudnja Kupinsk. This was an attempt to evacuate and deport the population in the area, so they could not join or assist the local partisan units, the evacuees would also be put to work for the German war industry.
They were again moved into the front line in September to reinforce the 25th Panzergrenadier Division
25th Panzergrenadier Division
The 25th Panzergrenadier Division fought in the central sector of the Eastern front from June 1943 to July 1944. It was destroyed in the encirclement east of Minsk and reformed in October 1944. It then fought in France between October 1944 and January 1945 and in eastern Germany January to May 1945...
, which was
fighting in the Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
Gomel sector. Smolensk was abandoned on the 24 September and the Brigade reported that during the fighting they had lost 215 killed in action, 1172 wounded and 77 missing.
They had however proved to be an effective front line unit and were mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
Wehrmachtbericht
The Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
on 15 October.
On 12 November the Brigade units were re designated the former SS Infantry Regiment 8 and SS Infantry Regiment 10 now became known as the SS Grenadier Regiment 39 and SS Grenadier Regiment 40.
To counter the Soviet offensive on the 10 November the Brigade formed SS Kampfgruppe
Kampfgruppe
In military history and military slang, the German term Kampfgruppe can refer to a combat formation of any kind, but most usually to that employed by the German Wehrmacht and its allies during World War II and, to a lesser extent, in World War I...
Trabandt which came under the command of the 36th Infantry Division. They fought at the Rogatschew bridgehead until they were transferred to the bridgehead at Stassewka on 2 December.
At the end of December 1943 the Brigade was ordered to move to East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
. After they reached the troop training grounds Stablack near Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
they were reformed.
1944
The 1 SS Infantry Brigade (mot) was disbanded on 24 January 1944 when it was used to form the 18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Horst Wessel.Casualties
Between formation in 1941 and January 1944 the Brigade reported the following casualties, from an establishment of 6,271 officers and men:- Killed 20 officers, 306 NCOsNon-commissioned officerA non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
and other ranks - Wounded 38 officers, 805 NCOsNon-commissioned officerA non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
and other ranks - Missing 4 officers, 119 NCOsNon-commissioned officerA non-commissioned officer , called a sub-officer in some countries, is a military officer who has not been given a commission...
and other ranks
Knight's Cross recipients
- SturmbannführerSturmbannführerSturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
Werner Hörnicke (1. Dec 1943), Commander I.Battalion, SS Grenadier Regiment 10 - ObersturmführerObersturmführerObersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
Karl Rubatscher (27. Dec 1943), AdjutantAdjutantAdjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
I.Battalion, SS Grenadier Regiment 8 - Sturmbannführer Ernst SchäferErnst SchäferErnst Schäfer was a famous German hunter and zoologist in the 1930s, specializing in ornithology.-Biography:Schäfer is most famous for his three expeditions to Tibet in 1931, in 1934–1935, and in 1938–1939. The first two expeditions were led by the American Brooke Dolan II...
(14. Oct 1943), Commander III.Battalion, SS Infantry Regiment 10 - Obersturmführer Heinrich SonneHeinrich SonneHeinrich Sonne was a highly decorated Hauptsturmführer der Reserve in the Waffen-SS during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
(10. Dec 1943), Commander Motorcycle Company 1 SS Infantry Brigade (mot) - StandartenführerStandartenführerStandartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
Wilhelm TrabandtWilhelm TrabandtAugust Wilhelm Trabandt was a Brigadeführer in the Waffen SS during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.He also served in World War I and...
(6. Jan 1944), Commander 1 SS Infantry Brigade (mot.)
War crimes
The brigade took an active part in the killing of the Jewish population assisting the Einsatzgruppen, in the town of Ushomir where it took part in the killing of all male Jews.Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
Max Täubner commanded a workshop detail in the brigade and was tried by an SS court in May 1943, along with four other Waffen-SS men, for unauthorized and sadistic killings of a large number of Jews in 1941 and for taking photos of the killings showing them to wife and friends. In the indictment the SS court states "The accused allowed his men to act with such vicious brutality that they conducted themselves under his command like a savage horde". The case was dismissed by the judge Standartenführer
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
Dr. Reinecke. The photos and negatives were later ordered to be destroyed.
In another version of this trial cited in Taubner is convicted of disregarding secrecy provisions surrounding the exterminations, expelled from the SS, deprived of his civil rights and sentenced to ten years imprisonment, for behavior that was "unworthy of an honorable and decent German man."
Vasyl Valdeman, a Jewish resident of Ostrog
Ostrog
Ostrog may refer to:* Ostrog, Slovenia, a settlement in Šentjernej municipality in Slovenia* Ostrog monastery, a Serbian Orthodox Christian monastery in Montenegro* Ostroh, a historic town in Ukraine* Ostrog, a Russian term for a small fortress...
reported: "We knew something would be done to us here. When we saw people hit and driven along here with spades, even small children realised why people were carrying the spades.
One of the members of the 1st SS Infantry Brigade at the time was Hans Friedrich. He claims not to recall exactly which actions he took part in that summer, but he does admit to participating in killings like the one in Ostrog. "They were so utterly shocked and frightened, you could do with them what you wanted.'"
Vasyl Valdeman: "Kids were crying, the sick were crying, the elderly were praying to God. Not on their knees but seated or lying down. It was very tough to go through it all, hearing all this wailing and crying. Then they had everyone get up and said 'Go', and as soon as people started moving, they selected people for shooting, for execution."
The selected Ukrainian Jews were taken out to this spot and a pit was dug. In scenes which were repeated right across the areas of the Soviet Union occupied by the Nazis, men, women and children were ordered to strip and prepare to die. The killings went on into the evening. Vasyl Valdeman and his mother managed to escape and hide in a nearby village. But the SS killed his father, grandfather and two uncles.
Vasyl Valdeman: "That's how it was—the first execution—the most horrible one. It wasn't the last one. There were three more large executions after that with 2000 to 3000 people shot at every one of them. More people were executed afterwards in smaller scale ones and this is how the Jewish community of Ostrog was annihilated."
Commanders
- BrigadeführerBrigadeführerSS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
Karl Demelhuber, (24 April 1941 – 25 June 1941) - OberführerOberführerOberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...
Richard HerrmannRichard HerrmannRichard Herrmann was a German football player. He played for the clubs 1. FC Kattowitz and FSV Frankfurt ....
, (25 June 1941 – 27 December 1941) - Brigadeführer Wilhelm Hartenstein (27 December 1941 - November 1942)
- ObergruppenführerObergruppenführerObergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...
Erich von dem Bach-Zelewsky (December 1942) - Brigadeführer Wilhelm Harenstein (December 1942 – May 1943)
- Brigadeführer Karl Herrmann (31 July 1943 - October 1943)
- SturmbannführerSturmbannführerSturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
Wilhelm TrabandtWilhelm TrabandtAugust Wilhelm Trabandt was a Brigadeführer in the Waffen SS during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.He also served in World War I and...
(18 October 1943 - 24 Jan 1944)
Order of battle October 1943
- Brigade Staff
- Signals platoon (mot.)
- Motorcycle platoon
- SS Grenadier Regiment 37
- 3x Battalion
- 3x SchützenSchützenSchützen may refer to:*Schützen, a 19th Century German infantryman armed with a rifled musket and used in a skirmishing role*Panzergrenadier, a German term for motorized or mechanized infantry, as introduced during World War II...
Companies - 1x Heavy Company
- SS Grenadier Regiment 38
- 3x Battalion
- 3x Schützen Companies
- 1x Heavy Company
- SS Artillery Battalion 51
- 2x Light Batteries
- 1x Heavy Battery
- SS PanzerjägerPanzerjägerPanzerjäger was a branch of service of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War which were the anti-tank arm-of-service who operated anti-tank artillery, and made exclusive use of the tank destroyers which were also named Panzerjäger...
Company 51- 3x platoon (mot.)
- SS Flak Company 51
- 4x platoon
- SS Motorcycle Company 51
- 1x Heavy Reconnaissance platoon
- 3x Motorcycle platoons
- 1x Heavy platoon
- SS Pionier Company 51
- 3x Pionier platoons (mot.)
- 1x NebelwerferNebelwerferThe Nebelwerfer was a World War II German series of weapons originally designed to deliver chemical weapons. They were initially developed by and assigned to the Wehrmacht's so-called Chemical Troops ...
platoon - 1x Bridging unit
- SS Signals Company 51
- 1x Radio platoon
- 1x Reconnaissance platoon
- 1x Intelligence platoon
- SS Medical Battalion 51
- SS-Reserve Battalion 51
Footnotes
- Terry Goldsworthy, Valhalla's Warriors: A history of the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front 1941-1945
- Hannes Heer & Klaus Naumann, War of Extermination: The German Military in World War II 1941-1944, Berghahn Books, 2000, ISBN 1-57181-232-6
- Ernst Klee, Willi Dressen, Volker Riess - The Good Old Days: The Holocaust as Seen by Its Perpetrators