Kas saksa armees olid trahvipataljonid?

[Guido]

Olin täna vene meestega saunas.Sai maailma asju arutatud . .Kaasa arvtud prokss6dur.Läks jutt ajaloole.Venelased II maailmas6jas.Nagu näiteks trahvipataljonid.
Tekkis kysimus-kas ka sakslastel olid trahvipataljonid.Ehk oskab keegi vastata?

[Prinz Eugen]

Olid küll, aga veidi teistsugused, kui Punaväes.
Praegu peast ütlen, aga kas Laari "Sinimägedes" polnud juttu Nordlandi diviisi või Saksa mereväe trahvipataljonist, kes Sinimägedes võitles.

[Charlemagne]

Olid ikka. Kutsuti neid "strafkompanie".

[Guido]

Suur tänu vastuste eest.Kysimus selge.Kuigi millegipärast arvan ,et ega neil vast yle miinivälja "jalutada" kästud.V6i kuidas?

[Charlemagne]

Sellist toorust ja inimeste massilist tapmist nagu Punaarmees muidudgi polnud. Aga kõige koledamad rindelõigud olid muidugi neile meestele mõeldud. Olen isegi kuskilt kuulnud Vene strafbati ja Saksa Kriegsmarine (meremehed muidugi kuival maal) trahviüksuse kokkupõrkest. Seda oleks muidugi näha tahtnud (võimalikult kaugelt) ja kuulda samuti. Sõnavara rikastamise mõttes.

[suurpomm]

Filmis "Stalingrad" pandi mehed lume seest miine torkima.

[Tundmatu sõdur nr. 4]

Olid-olid ka saksas trahviüksused.

Relva SS-is näit oli iga SS-korpuse juurde ette nähtud trahvikompanii - oma korpuse eksinud meeste jaoks . See annab hea pildi proportsioonidest: kompaniisuurune trahviüksus paari-kolme diviisi kohta... Eks siis Wehrmachti / Kriegsmarine / Luftwaffe proportsioonid võisid samasugused olla...

Venelaste proportsioonidest mäletan aga sedapalju, et iga armee juurde moodustati trahvirood ohvitseridele ja iga rindestaabi juurde ohvitseride trahvipataljon Seega võis neil üheaegselt olla (ainuüksi ohvitseridest) kümmekond ohvitseride štrafbatt´i ja kõva sadakond ohvitseride trahviroodu...

[toomas tyrk]

Ma ei tea kuidas üldiselt (kusagilt on meelde jäänud mingi jutt 500 seeria pataljonidest, kui sakslaste trahvipataljonidest), aga Eesti diviisi trahvikompanii küll ühtegi rindelõiku ei hoidnud.

Isiklikult räägitud mehega, kes seal teenis. Ning suurem huvi korral võimalus veel rääkida

Lühidalt oli lugu järgmine. 1944. a. kevadel sai 18 aastat vanaks ja võeti moppiga teenima. Valiti välja radistiks ning sai Funkeri väljaõppe. Pidi minema suurtükirügementi raskete torude abteilungisse, kuna neid polnud aga tšehhist kätte saadud, siis jäeti edasi väljaõppe väeossa (Narva Jõesuus). Jaanipäevaks anti puhkust ning see venis pikemaks, kui paberite peal ette nähtud. Lõpuks kadus üldse huvi tagasi minna ning oli plaan koos sõbraga vabatahtlikena Kriegsmarine teenistusse astuda. Sõber oli just saanud kutse komisjoni. Mehel endal oli veel mingi tsiviildokument alles, millega võis üritada ennast uuesti värvata lasta. Jäi aga päev või paar enne seda Tallinnas ketikoertele vahele. Ning tee viis sinna karistuskompaniisse.

Sel ajal kui tema sinna jõudis (juuni lõpp juuli algus 1944) tegeles kompanii kaevikuliini ehitamisega Krivasoos. Just nimelt ehitamisega, sest soisel pinnasel polnud kaevikute kaevamine võimalik. Maapinnale tehti vitstest punutud tarad millede vahe täideti mulla ja muu sellisega.

Kui see töö lõppes, siis ehitati palkidest teed läbi soo Riipalu staabi juurest mingile kõvamale teele. See saadi valmis just õigeks ajaks, et Riipalu staap sai septembris 1944 seda mööda putket teha.

Kompanii oli vist kogu selle perioodi allutatud Riipalu rügemendile, mille lõigus tööd käisid. Otseseks tööde juhiks oli Telliskivi, kes oli Riipalu rügemendis pioneerikompanii ülemaks.

Telliskivi suhtes oli mälestused suht negatiivsed. Mehed teda ei sallinud, kus juures ka tema oma pioneerikompanii mehed. Riipalust aga rääkis hästi. Oli olnud suht selline "rahvamees". Oli aeg-ajalt ikka vaatamas käinud, kuidas tee-ehitus sujub. Oli küsinud Telliskivi käest näpuga valvurile näidates (ainus mees kogu pundis relvaga, kes tee ääres seisis ning tegevust pealt vaatas): "Miks see mees ei tööta." Trahvikompanii mehed kaebasid Riipalule, et neile ei anta marketendrit. Riipalu korraldusel või orgunnil hakkasid sellest hetkest peale saama suitsu ja magusat. Kärakat trahvikompanii meestele ei antud ka peale seda

Seltskond oli seal väga kirju olnud. Mehi igasugu üksustest. Üks mees isegi Narva pataljonis, kes ka oli oma puhkuse tähistamisega pikale läinud. Üks mees oli saksa üksustes 1941. a. suvest saadik. Alates Tartust ning selle koonduslaagri valvamisest, hiljem SD eripataljon, siis juba Eesti diviisi välja jõudnud. Õhtuti polnud neil midagi teha. Siis oli kombeks lõkke ääres igasugu lugusi rääkida. Igal õhtul üks mees. Siis olla seal olnud ikka igasugu lugusi...

Septembris 1944 hüppas ta teist korda ära, kui üksust hakati Eestist välja tõmbama. Venelased mobiliseerisid samal sügisel uuesti ning panid Tallinnas tööpataljoni. Sakslaste trahvipataljon oli selle kõrval olnud lasteaed. Lillekülas oli üle aia olnud nende tööpati kõrval sakslaste sõjavangilaager. Seal oli ka kord lõdvem ning valve nõrgem olnud kui neil tööpatis...

[Arnold]

Ereda lähedal on kusagil põllul saksa trahvipati meeste surnuaed. Ju siis päris lasteaed ei olnud, aga venelaste kombel rindelesaatmisest, kuulipildujad kuklas, pole kuulnud. Taktika oli teine ja pidigi olema - ei olnud ju kusagilt 20 miljonit ühikut kahuriliha võtta, kelle mõttetut haudaajamist sai lubada.

[Igor]

Kõige kuulsam sakslaste trahviüksus kahtlemata oli SS-Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger.

[vdreving]

Eks on ette tulnud.Nende EM -id on neljakandilised.

[istorik]

Väljavõte Sinimägede lahingutest:
5.augustil ründab vaenlane kolm korda Grenaderimäge. Viimane sissemurd riivistatakse 23.00 paiku karistuskompanii poolt obersturmführer Kleuckeri juhtimisel.

[Abramis]

They had no names... just numbers. They were called "Bewährungseinheiten" and had to do hazardous missions like mine-clearing and so on.

Here is a not complete list of units I know of:

Pz.A.A.999
le.Afr.Art.Abt.(mot.)961
le.Afr.Art.Abt.(mot.)963
Btl.z.b.V.500
Btl.z.b.V.540
Btl.z.b.V.550
Btl.z.b.V.560
Btl.z.b.V.561
Btl.z.b.V.609
Afrika Schtz.Rgt.(tmot.)961
Afrika Schtz.Rgt.(tmot.)962
Afrika Schtz.Rgt.(tmot.)963
Fest.Inf.Brig.963
Fest.Inf.Brig.964
Fest.Inf.M.G.Btl.999
Fest.Inf.Btl.1009
Fest.Inf.Btl.1012

[Abramis]

The best known of these units was

'Strafbatallion 999'

years ago I came across a clipping about
an ex-officer
who lost his rank(degradiert)
don't remember why,
who survived 5 years(!) in that one

work in those punishment units and similarly dangerous
undertakings were
called
'Himmelfahrts Kommandos'

roughly: 'go-(straight)to-heaven' - ... in the Wehrmacht

[Abramis]

Quote:
Besides the 500 series units for probation, the Heer also exclusively employed both 300 series .z.b.V. units, and 999 series designations for Bew&hrungstruppen; though the latter units were considered soldaten Zweite- Klasse (second-class soldiers), composed of more hardened disciplinary cases that the 500 series would normally not consider for rehabilitation. These prisoners were, by their criminal nature, generally more treated to Strafvollzug, or harsher disciplinary conditioning, than of redemptive probation, that is, activities leading to restoration of rank and placement within their former units. They were, by sentence, those soldiers who had refused direct orders, had assaulted superiors, or were generally serving long terms in military gaol for presumably non-military criminal or political offenses, such as rape or black-marketeering, or active resistance to the NS regime.

The 999 series units are most popularly known to history by way of the 999.Leichte Afrika Division. This unit was formed in Wehrkreis V in October 1942 as Afrika Brigade 999. It consisted of the 961.Afrika-Schützen-Regiment, 962.Afrika-Schützen-Regiment, and 963.Afrika-Schützen-Regiment, all made up of the "verlorener haufe" (lost souls) dredged from the bottom of the Militär-Strafgefängnisse (military prisons) throughout the Reich - men stripped of rank, decorations and dignity. The 999.Leichte.Afrika Division fought well and honorably in Tunisa, and surrendered with the remnants of the DAK in May 1943. It's 963.Afrika-Schützen-Regiment was transferred to Greece from Sicily before ever reaching North Afrika. This unit went on to become the nucleus of Sturm-Division Rhodos (aka 440.Sturm-Div.Rhodos) in May 1943, with the accompanying 999. unit designations intact. After the surrender of the 999.Leicth-Afrika-Division, the Divisional replacement Ersatz u.Ausbildungs organization located at its home station of Heuberg, continued to process potentially redeemable criminal and political prisoners from the various Wehrmachtstrafslager for replacement positions within other Heer units.

The breakdown of the various types of Bewährungs troops can be more clearly established in the following order:

1.Verbände zur besonderen Verwendung (z.b.V.) - Units for special employment:

A: 500er u.a. Bataillone z.b.V. der Heerestruppe - series 500 and other battalions for special employment under command of OKW. B: Sonderstab F und 361er Afrikaschützen - Special Staff F and 361-numbered rifle, or basic infantry units deployed in North Africa. C: Feldbataillone z.b.V. der Luftwaffe - Luftwaffe special employment battalions made up of minor disciplinary cases. D: SS-Sonder und Stürmtruppen - SS Special and Assault troops created from punishment companies

2. Formationen für Soldaten Zweiter Klasse: - Formations composed of 2nd class soldiers:

A: 999er Afrika und Festungstruppe -999 numbered units deployed to Africa, and Fortress units. B: Bewährungseinrichtung der Org.Todt - Probationary hard labor cases assigned to Organiztion Todt construction details at the front

The 2nd class soldiers were stripped of rank, decorations and honor, and considered "un-Wehrwurding", or "unworthy of bearing arms" in the defense of Germany (An important distinction to consider between the types of Straf- or punishment units which only gradually shifted, and was only somewhat relaxed, as the tide of war turned against the Reich).

Perhaps the most luckless of all German military prisoners of this type relegated to Wehrmachtstrafgefangenlager (Armed Forces Punishment camps) were to be found in the Emsland camps of NW Germany at Esterwegen and Börgermoor near Papenburg. These were only two of fifteen notoriously bleak camps situated in the dank peat-bog marshes surrounding the Ems river, near the Dutch border. From their inception in 1933 as SA-manned detention centers for enemies of the new regime, these camps later went on to hold KPD and Socialist Political prisoners, habitual criminals, Jews, religious objectors, military-offenders, and after 1939, Allied prisoners of war. This was perhaps the lowest rung on the military-prison hierarchy to be found in the Wehrmacht prison system, where soldiers convicted of military, political, and civil crimes were purposely sent to be ultimately broken. In fact, once a soldier-prisoner was relegated to Esterwegen camp by the military authority, the imagined benefits of a harsh-but-fair rule of military justice evaporated, as Esterwegen and it's ancilliary camps were administered by the Reichsjustizministerium, which made it a virtual "Zuchthaus" (civil penitentiaray) type establishment subject to all the grim brutalities and deficiencies inherent in an institution ultimately under command of RFSS- Heinrich Himmler as Reichsminister des Innen.

In the harsh disciplinary milieu (Eiserne Disziplin der Truppe) of the Waffen-SS specifically, and the German Wehrmacht in general, there was a quite profound difference between the punishments accorded to the general classifications of "delinquenten", and that of "verbrecher"; (ie. delinquents and criminals.) Delinquenten were minor disciplinary cases scared into discipline by the harshness of their sentence and surroundings, while verbrecher were hard-core cases (recall 2nd class soldiers) upon whom presumably the harshest of sentences had little affect.

In a number of cases, front line commands disregarded official formalities in sending soldiers to the far-rear for proper military-judicial discipline, and simply put disciplinary cases in pre-designated Feldstrafgefangenabteilungen (FstrGAbt.) and Bewährungsabteilungen (Field-punishment and probationary detachments) which performed dangerous engineer and assault functions at the blunt edge of attacks, and anti-partisan operations - ie. the dirty work of clearing mines, fighting partisans, and other so-called himmelsfahrtkommando type duties. (Literally translated, Himmelfahrts Kommando means "Journey-to- heaven-mission" and descibes any operation with extremely high risk, although not nesseccarily suicidal. This colloquialisme is sometimes used in civil connotation also, like for mine or bomb clearing. The term is in reference to a specific type of mission, and not a unit type, such as penal battlion, although members of penal units were often sent on these types of missions. Generally, in the ranks of the Wehrmacht, this black-humor term was understood to mean a mission where the chances of survival were practically nil. Examples were rearguard actions of small groups to cover the retreat of a larger unit by holding a position and delaying the enemy as long as possible until it usually was too late for their own withdrawal, or reconnaissance and commando raids far behind enemy lines.) That is not to say that these local punishments were officially any better or worse than soldiers in a rear-area punishment camps, digging trenches or peat-bogs, cutting wood, or doing the dog construction work of the Organization Todt labor details. It can be concievably stated that life in the dangerous environment of the front only exacerbated the punishment. Depending on the severity of the individual cases, and at the discretion of the Commanding officer, these hapless men would be stripped of rank and decorations, be refused mail and packages from home, and also the ability to write home and to take leave. Another aspect of the duty in these Army, Corps, and divisional Strafabteilungen or penal-detachments is that depending on the gravity of the offense, the individual soldiers paybook (Soldbuch) was usually stamped "no decorations, awards, or promotion allowed." A good example of frontline punishment for disciplinary infractions from early on in the Russian campaign, is that of the 20.Gebirgsarmee (fighting in the far north of Finland, the Kola, and Karelia) setting up three notorious camps known as Feldstraflager I-III, whose harsh wintertime conditions can only be imagined to have somewhat increased the severity of sentence in one of the luckless punishment details.

from http://www.feldgrau.com/fall500.html