| Estonian Auxiliary Police | |
|---|---|
| Active | July 1941 – November 1944 |
| Country |
 Nazi Germany |
| Engagements |
Battle of Stalingrad Battle for Narva Bridgehead Battle of Emajõgi |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Friedrich Kurg Karl Palm Julius Reinter Harald Riipalu |
Estonian Auxiliary Police were Estonian units that fought in World War II under command of Germany. Estonian regular units allied with Nazi Germany began to be established on 25 August 1941, when under the order of Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, commander of the Army Group North, the Baltic citizens were permitted to be recruited to the Wehrmacht service and grouped into the Special units and volunteer battalions to fight against partisans[1] In this context, Colonel General Georg von Küchler, commander of the 18th Army (Germany), formed six Estonian volunteer guard units (Estnische Sicherungsgruppe, Eesti julgestusgrupp; numbered 181-186) on the basis of the Omakaitse squads (with its members contracted for one year). Since September 1941, the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht has started to establish the Estonian Auxiliary Police Battalions ("Schuma") in addition to the aforementioned units to perform the guard duties and to fight against partisans in the rear of the Army Group North. During the war, 26 "Schuma" battalions were formed in Estonia in all numbered from 29th to the 45th, the 50th and from the 286th to 293rd. Unlike the similar units deployed in Reichskommissariat Ukraine and White Ruthenia, and controlled by the Germans the Estonian Police battalions were made up of national staff and included only one German monitoring officer. Moreover, as a sign of special trust, the Wehrmacht ranking system was introduced in the Estonian Police Battalions. As of October 1, 1942, the Estonian Police forces comprised 10 400 men in all with 591 Germans attached thereto.
Battles[]
The police battalions were mostly engaged in the Eastern Front, occasionally fighting against Soviet partisans.[2]
The 36th Estonian Police Battalion participated in the Battle of Stalingrad. On the way to Stalingrad, the train carrying the battalion fell under Soviet mortar fire as it arrived in the railway station Surovikino in the morning of November 22, 1942. Fighting erupted on the northern outskirt of Surovikino. The battalion was quickly unloaded and assumed defense positions at 09.30. After connducting attacks at 15.00 the battalion was forced to defend the line of Nizny Osinovski, Lukitsevski, Starikovski, Zirkov. That evening, Commanding Major Julius Renter was replaced and lieutenant Harald Riipalu took over the battalion. Forty two men were awarded with the Iron Cross after the battle, among them Harald Riipalu, who later became Knight's Cross holder.
The 37th and 40th battalions were fighting against the partisans in the Pskov Oblast, as was the 38th battalion in the Luga-Pskov-Gdov region. The 288th battalion was engaged in the suppression of the Ronson’s Partisan Republic.[3]
Police Battalions 29th, 31st and 32nd fought in the Battle for Narva Bridgehead.
On August 29, 1944 Police Battalions 37 and 38 participated in the Battle of Emajõgi. As their largest operation, supported by III.Battalion, Estonian Waffen Grenadier Regiment 45, they destroyed the Kärevere bridgehead of two Soviet divisions west from Tartu and recaptured the Tallinn highway bridge over the Emajõgi by 30 August.[2] The operation shifted the entire front back to the southern bank of the Emajõgi. This encouraged the II Army Corps to launch an operation attempting to recapture Tartu on 4 September.
On September 19, 1944 Police Battalion 287 had a clash in Klooga concentration camp with members of the German Sonderkommando, who tried to execute prisoners in the camp.[4]
Police battalions[]
- 29. Eesti Politseipataljon – Estnische Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 29
- 30. Eesti Politseipataljon – Estnische Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 30
- 31. Eesti Politseipataljon – Estnische Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 31
- 32. Eesti Politseipataljon – Estnische Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 32
- 33. Eesti Politseipataljon – Estnische Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 33
- 34. Eesti Politsei Rindepataljon – Estnische Polizei Front Bataillon 34
- 35. Politsei Tagavarapataljon - Polizei Erzats Bataillon 35
- 36. Kaitse Rindepataljon – Schutzmannschaft Front Bataillon nr. 36
- 37. Eesti Politseipataljon – Estnische Polizei Bataillon 37
- 38. Eesti Politseipataljon - Estnische Polizei Bataillon 38
- 39. Kaitse Vahipataljon Oberpahlen – Schutzmannschaft Wacht Bataillon nr. 39
- 40. Eesti Politseipataljon – Estnische Polizei Bataillon 40
- 41. Kaitse Tagavarapataljon
- 42. Kaitse Pioneeripataljon – Schutzmannschaft Pioneer Bataillon 42
- 286. Politsei Jalaväepataljon – Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 286
- 287. Politsei Vahipataljon – Polizei Wacht Bataillon 287
- 288. Politsei Jalaväepataljon – Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 288
- 289. Politsei Jalaväepataljon – Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 289
- 290. Politsei Pioneeripataljon – Polizei Blau Pionier Bataillon 290
- 291. Politsei Jalaväepataljon – Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 291
- 292. Politsei Jalaväepataljon – Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 292
- 293. Politsei Jalaväepataljon – Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 293
- 521. Eesti Politseipataljon – Estnische Polizei Füsilier Bataillon 521
See also[]
- Latvian Auxiliary Police
- Lithuanian Auxiliary Police
- Ukrainian Auxiliary Police
References[]
- ↑ Joachim Hoffmann, Die Ostlegionen 1941-1943. Freiburg, 1976, p.18-19
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Aivar Niglas, Toomas Hiio (2006). "Estonian defence battalions / police battalions". In Toomas Hiio, Meelis Maripuu, & Indrek Paavle. Estonia 1940–1945: Reports of the Estonian International Commission for the Investigation of Crimes Against Humanity. Tallinn. pp. 825–876. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "hiio" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Eesti vabadusvõitlejad Teises maailmasõjas//Koostaja August Jurs - Tallinn, 1997. p. 146-155
- ↑ [1]
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