The 18th Lettische Schutzmannschafts Bataillon "Kurzemes" Latvian Lettish Shutzmanshaft Battalion ( German: 18 Lettische Schutzmannschafts Bataillon " , Latvian. 18. Kurzemes policijas bataljons ) - the Latvian collaborative paramilitary formation of the Second World War , created by the German occupation authorities, was one of the out-of-the-battled militant formation of the Second World War , created by the German occupation authorities, of the German occupation authorities of the Second World War , created by the German occupation authorities of the Second World War . police battalions formed in Latvia.
| 18th Schutzmanshafta battalion | |
|---|---|
| Years of existence | September 4, 1941 - June 1, 1943 |
| A country |  Germany  Latvia |
| Subordination | Reichskommissariat Ostland |
| Enters into | Schutsmanshaft |
| Type of |  auxiliary police |
| Includes | 4 companies |
| Number of | 601 people at the time of disbandment (14 senior officers, 86 junior officers and 501 privates) |
| Dislocation | Riga |
| Nickname | battalion "Kurzemes", Kurland battalion |
| Participation in | The Second World War
|
| Commanders | |
| Famous Commanders | Karlis Bems Karlis Porietis Arnolds Courche Friedrich Ruben |
Content
History
Command and Structure
On September 4, 1941 , the 1st Battalion of the Riga Auxiliary Police was created under the command of Captain Karlis Bems. By order of Lieutenant Colonel Voldemar Weiss, the recruitment for the 5th, 6th and 7th mouth of the reserve began. On September 23, the battalion was renamed the 18th battalion of the Schutzmanshaft "Kurzemes" ( Kurzeme ), on 12 December, Captain Karlis Porietis became its commander. On January 13, 1942, Colonel Arnold Courche became commander; on February 21, Captain Friedrich Rubenis was appointed as such.
The battalion consisted of the 4th company: the commander of the 1st company was Senior Lieutenant Babris, the commander of the 2nd company - Captain Elsis, the commander of the 3rd company - Captain Schwede, the commander of the 4th company - Lieutenant Colonel Donins.
Service and War Crimes
5 officers and 155 soldiers of the 4th battalion company under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Donins arrived on January 13, 1942 on the coast of the Don. In early February, in the area of the village of Dedovichi, serious battles began against the partisans: in one of the battles the company lost 23 people killed, and only the intervention of the army artillery saved the battalion from defeat. On December 19, 1942, the company that returned to Latvia became part of the 16th Latvian battalion of the Zemgales shutsmanshaft . The remaining three battalions of 430 men at that time continued to be trained in Riga, and only on May 4, 1942, they went to Belarus.
The 18th Latvian police battalion in the amount of 395 people (22 officers and 75 non-commissioned officers) under the command of Hauptmann Zihert arrived in operational subordination to the commander of the police of Belarus and was stationed in Stolbtsy [1] . The German liaison officer in the battalion was the Hauptmann of the Schüzpolice of Erzum.
On May 15 - 16, 1942, the battalion together with the 603rd guard regiment, the 347th, 468th, 913th guard battalions took part in a “pacifying” operation against partisans codenamed “Riga” north and north-east of the village Shatsk Rudensky district. He was defeated in a battle with a detachment of N. M. Nikitin in the tract Wolf Island, 6 kilometers north of Shatsk [1] .
On June 6, 1942, the battalion together with the units of the Wehrmacht, order police and security police took part in the operation against the partisans in the Uzda-Kopyl-Stolbtsy triangle. The SS battalion of 3 commanders, 6 non-commissioned officers, 6 translators and 8 privates was assigned to the battalion.
From July 19 to July 22, the battalion carried a guard service in the Slonima ghetto , protecting its perimeter. The battalion fighters under the command of Major Rubenis took part in the destruction of the ghetto prisoners. Preserved evidence of this tragedy. Before being shot, people were stripped naked and their gold teeth were pulled out. Corporal Edgar Vulnis photographed scenes of massacres and later sold photos of five stamps each. In the intervals between mass executions, Lieutenant Eglas boasted about his ability to accurately shoot. He cynically declared: “From 30 meters straight to the head - for me it is easy” [1] .
On July 24, in Naliboki, the entire 18th battalion nearly got into the partisan entourage, and only the intervention of the 24th Latvian battalion "Talsu" saved the colleagues from defeat. However, by order of the police commander of the order of Belarus Colonel Klepsh of August 28, 1942, the battalion commander Friedrich Rubenis was thanked for this fight [1] .
On August 18, the 18th battalion again went to Slonim , where, together with the Belarusian collaborationist "self-defense detachments", they fought against the partisans. By August 21, the battalion killed 240 people (partisans and civilians), including 80 Jews.
On August 22, the battalion left Slonim by train and went to Minsk. A part of the personnel on August 25 began a punitive operation called Malaria-North Troyenfeld ( Sumpffieber ): it was stationed in the village of Smolevichi , and soon the 1st SS infantry brigade approached them. A total of 2,300 Waffen-SS soldiers, 3,750 policemen of the shutsmanshaft and 800 people from the SD were involved in the executions. 389 partisans were killed in the battle, 2350 Jews were executed, another 1274 non-Jewish civilians were shot. Since August 24, the policemen were assisted by a battalion of the Barkholt regiment.
On August 28 and 29, policemen ransacked the townships of Zhodino , Brod, Sutoki and Smolevichi , burned down two partisan camps and shot almost all the local residents. 4 partisans fell in battle.
September 21 operation ended.
In early October, the battalion went to Khansevichi , where he continued to fight against the partisans.
However, the 18th Kurzeme Latvian police battalion continued to serve at the disposal of the police commander of the order of Belarus in 1943. In his order, Schutzman Janis Urbix (died 02/22/1943 in Rudnya), Krist Og (03/05/1943, Rudnya) are named as "heroically killed in the struggle against Bolshevism". In total, 13 officers of the battalion are mentioned in similar orders.
In May 1943, the battalion returned to Riga: 14 senior officers, 86 junior officers and 501 privates. On June 1, 1943, the battalion was disbanded and re-established as the 2nd battalion, first the 43rd regiment of the 2nd Latvian SS brigade, and then the 2nd SS volunteer regiment of the 19th SS grenadier division .
By Order No. 13 of June 15, 1943, Senior Lieutenant Eric Zunda was awarded the Medal of Honor of the 2nd Degree in Silver for Persons of Eastern Peoples, and the battalion commander of the Police Major Friedrich Rubenis, Captain Friedrich-Robert Schwede, was awarded the 2nd degree bronze medal Senior Lieutenants Karl Skunt, Jagnis Bumbers, Oswald Lapins, Waldemar Zamielis, Franz Eglice, Karl Reedus, Jacob Palmans, and more than 50 other members of the battalion. The “black” badge for the injury was awarded to 10 people.
Criminals Trial
In March 1961, the Supreme Court of the Latvian SSR began the trial of 9 surviving battalion soldiers. All servicemen were charged with the destruction of the Slonim ghetto and the killing of 3,000 people in it, the killing of 700 people in the village of Puzhichi and the murder of 300 Jews in the town of Dagda by order of Captain Rubenis. April 13 was sentenced to five criminals, enforced on May 31 . To death were sentenced:
- captain jans bumbers
- captain Franz Lemeshonok-Eglais
- Captain Osvalds Lapins
- Corporal Yevgeny Lusis
- Corporal Ernest Vilns
By 15 years in prison were sentenced:
- Voldemars Ogrins
- Edward Shkegers
- Voldemars Schirmahers
- Jazeps Zlamets
See also
- Latvian police battalions
- Schutsmanshaft
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Alexey LITVIN, Doctor of Historical Sciences. Under the code name "Riga" (rus.) (Neopr.) ? . Belarus today . Belarus Today (April 29, 2005). The appeal date is February 25, 2019.
Literature
- Daugavas Vanagu Centrālās Parvals Izdevums - Latvie kaŗavīrs Otra pasaules kaŗa laikā, Toronto: 1972, 2.sējums, 41. lpp
- Kārlis Kangeris, “Latviešu policijas bataljoni lielajās partizānu apkarošanas akcijās 1942. un 1943. gadā” (2004) 338. lpp
- Phil Nix, George Jerome, The Uniformed Police Forces of the Third Reich 1933-1945, 2006