15th SS Police Regiment

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15th SS Police Regiment
CountryFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Nazi Germany
Branch Schutzstaffel
Type Security warfare
Size Regiment
Garrison/HQ Wehrkreis X

The 15th SS Police Regiment (German : SS-Polizei-Regiment 15) was initially named the 15th Police Regiment (Polizei-Regiment 15) when it was formed in 1942 from existing Order Police units (Ordnungspolizei) to conduct security warfare behind the Eastern Front. The regiment was destroyed in January 1943 and its personnel was used to reconstitute it in Norway several months later from existing police units. The regiment was transferred to Italy in late 1943 and remained there for the rest of the war.

Contents

Operational history

The regiment was formed in July 1942 in Russia from Police Battalion 305, Police Battalion 306 and Police Battalion 310 which were redesignated as the regiment's first through third battalions, respectively. [1] Between 29 October and 1 November, 10 Company of the Third Battalion helped to liquidate the ghetto in Pinsk, Belarus, [2] killing an estimated 20,000 Jews. [3] I Battalion was redesignated as III Battalion of the 16th Police Regiment later in the year and was later replaced by II Battalion of the 28th Police Regiment from Norway. The regiment was ordered to be rebuilt in Norway on 29 March 1943 with the survivors consolidated into I and II Battalions. III Battalion was intended to be the redesignated IV Battalion of the 27th SS Police Regiment, but I Battalion of the 27th Regiment was ultimately used instead. In July the headquarters and I Battalion were garrisoned in Sarpsborg, II Battalion was in Mysen and III Battalion was stationed in Bergen. [4]

The regiment was transferred to Italy in late 1943 with the headquarters stationed in Vercelli, I Battalion in Turin, II Battalion garrisoned in Milan and III Battalion located in Trieste. It was later reinforced by an anti-tank company and a rocket-launcher battery. [5]

The unit controlled two ethnic SS Police units, the SS Police Regiment Bozen and the SS Police Regiment Brixen engaged in security warfare in Italy.

War crimes

The regiment has been implicated in twenty-six incidents of war crimes in Italy from December 1943 to February 1945 with almost 200 civilians killed. [6]

Notes

  1. ↑ Arico, pp. 402, 405, 432; Tessin & Kanapin, pp. 621–22
  2. ↑ Desbois, Chapter 4
  3. ↑ Megargee, p. 1443
  4. ↑ Arico, pp. 402, 405, 432; Tessin & Kanapin, pp. 621–22
  5. ↑ Tessin & Kanapin, p. 622
  6. ↑ "SS-Polizei-Regiment 15" (in Italian). Atlas of Nazi and Fascist Massacres in Italy. Retrieved 21 September 2018.

Related Research Articles

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The 4th SS Police Regiment was named the 4th Police Regiment when it was temporarily formed in 1939 from existing Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units for security duties during the invasion of Poland. The second formation was ordered in 1942 from existing Order Police battalions in Occupied France. It was redesignated as an SS unit in early 1943.

The 3rd SS Police Regiment was named the 3rd Police Regiment when it was temporarily formed in 1939 from existing Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units for security duties during the invasion of Poland. The second formation was ordered in 1942 from existing Order Police units in the Netherlands. It was redesignated as an SS unit in early 1943. It remained in the Netherlands for the rest of World War II.

The 5th SS Police Regiment was initially named the 5th Police Regiment when it was formed in 1942 from existing Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units for security duties in Occupied Serbia. It was redesignated as an SS unit in early 1943. The regiment was disbanded at the end of 1944.

The 6th SS Police Regiment was initially named the 6th Police Regiment when it was formed in 1942 from existing Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units for security duties on the Eastern Front. It was redesignated as an SS unit in early 1943.

The 7th SS Police Regiment was named the 7th Police Regiment when it was formed from existing Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units for security duties in Occupied Norway. It was redesignated as an SS unit in early 1943. It remained in Norway for most of the rest of World War II.

The 9th SS Police Regiment was initially named the 9th Police Regiment when it was formed in 1942 from existing Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units for security duties on the Eastern Front. It was redesignated as an SS unit in early 1943.

The 12th SS Police Regiment was initially named the 12th Police Regiment when it was formed in 1942 from existing Order Police units (Ordnungspolizei) in Germany. It was redesignated as an SS unit in early 1943. The regimental headquarters was disbanded in early 1944, but its battalions remained in service.

The 14th SS Police Regiment was initially named the 14th Police Regiment when it was formed in 1942 from existing Order Police units (Ordnungspolizei) for security duties on the Eastern Front. The regiment was destroyed in January 1943 and the survivors were used to rebuild it in Southern France several months later. The second incarnation was formed from existing police units. It was given an honorary SS title. Shortly before the end of the war, the regiment was absorbed into the 3rd SS Police and Infantry Regiment of the 35th SS and Police Grenadier Division.

The 16th SS Police Regiment was initially named the 16th Police Regiment when it was formed in 1942 from existing Order Police units (Ordnungspolizei) for security duties on the Eastern Front. It was redesignated as an SS unit in early 1943.

The 17th SS Police Regiment was initially named the 17th Police Regiment when it was formed in 1942 from existing Order Police units (Ordnungspolizei) for security duties on the Eastern Front. It was redesignated as an SS unit in early 1943.

The 20th SS Police Regiment was initially named Police Regiment Bohemia when it was formed in 1939 after the German occupation of Czechoslovakia from existing Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units for security duties in Bohemia. It was redesignated as the 20th Police Regiment in mid-1942 before it received the SS title in early 1943.

The 21st SS Police Regiment was initially named Police Regiment Moravia when it was formed in 1939 after the German occupation of Czechoslovakia from existing Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units for security duties in Moravia. It was redesignated as the 21st Police Regiment in mid-1942 before it received the SS title in early 1943.

The 22nd SS Police Regiment was initially named the 4th Police Regiment when it was formed in 1939 from existing Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units for rear-area security duties during the invasion of Poland. It then became Police Regiment Warsaw. It was redesignated as the 22nd Police Regiment in mid-1942 before it received the SS title in early 1943.

The 23rd SS Police Regiment was initially named Police Regiment Kraków when it was formed in late 1939 after the German invasion of Poland from existing Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units for security duties there. It was redesignated as the 23rd Police Regiment in mid-1942 before it received the SS title in early 1943.

The 24th SS Police Regiment was initially named Police Regiment Radom when it was formed in late 1939 after the German invasion of Poland from existing Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units for security duties there. It was redesignated as the 24th Police Regiment in mid-1942 before it received the SS title in early 1943.

The 25th SS Police Regiment was initially named Police Regiment Lublin when it was formed in late 1939 after the German invasion of Poland from existing Order Police (Ordnungspolizei) units for security duties there. It was redesignated as the 25th Police Regiment in mid-1942 before it received the SS title in early 1943.

The 26th SS Police Regiment was initially named Police Regiment North Norway when it was formed in early 1941 after the German invasion of Norway in 1940 from existing Order Police units for security duties there. It was redesignated as the 26th Police Regiment in mid-1942 before it received the SS title in early 1943.

The 27th SS Police Regiment was initially named Police Regiment South Norway when it was formed in early 1941 after the German invasion of Norway in 1940 from existing Order Police units for security duties there. It was redesignated as the 27th Police Regiment in mid-1942 before it received the SS title in early 1943.

The 28th SS Police Regiment Todt was initially named the 28th Police Regiment when it was formed in mid-1942 from existing Order Police units for security duties in Occupied Norway. All of its units were transferred to other regiments shortly after forming; it was reformed as the 28th Police Regiment Todt later that year. It was redesignated as an SS unit in early 1943.

References

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