Bahnschutzpolizei

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Bahnschutzpolizei (BSP)(Railway Protection Police) in Nazi Germany was made up of full-time and part-time police officers who were employees of the Reichsbahn (state railways). The Bahnschutzpolizei was tasked with railway safety and also with preventing espionage and sabotage of railway property. It was not subordinated to Hauptamt Ordnungspolizei, only the Deutsche Reichsbahn.

Contents

Origins

The BSP was founded in 1939 after a merger of the Bahnpolizei (Railway Police) and the Reichsbahnschutz (Railway Protection Force). The former railway police formed the permanent cadre, while the bulk of the organization consisted of the former railway protection men, railway employees who alongside their day-time job served as a security force. [1]

Organization

The BSP was a special police organization (Sonderpolizei) completely subordinated to the Deutsche Reichsbahn. It was not dependent on Ordnungspolizei. During World War II most of the BSP personnel were mobilized and used as a permanent railway security force in the occupied Eastern Europe. [2] As a replacement within Germany, the SS-Bahnschutz, a railway security force under the SS was founded in 1944.[ citation needed ]

Ranks

#Bahnschutzpolizei 1941–1945 [3] Bahnschutzpolizei 1939–1941 [ citation needed ]Reichsbahnschutz before 1939 [ citation needed ]Bahnpolizei (Streifdienst)
before 1939 [ citation needed ]
Relative rank
1.Staatssekretär als oberster Bahnschutzpolizeiführer /
Leiter der Gruppe "L" im Reichsverkehrsministerium
Staatssekretär als oberster Bahnschutzführer /
Leiter der Gruppe "L" im Reichsverkehrsministerium
Generalleutnant
2.Chef der BahnschutzpolizeiReichsbahnschutzführerReichsbahnschutzführerGeneralmajor
3.Stabsführer der BahnschutzpolizeiStabsführer der BahnschutzpolizeiBahnbevollmächtigerOberst
4.Bahnschutzpolizei-BezirkshauptführerBahnschutzpolizei-BezirkshauptführerBahnschutz-Bezirkshauptführer /
Stabsführer im Reichsverkehrsministerium
Oberstleutnant
5.Bahnschutzpolizei-BezirksführerBahnschutzpolizei-BezirksführerBahnschutz-BezirksführerMajor
6.Bahnschutzpolizei-HauptabteilungsführerBahnschutzpolizei-HauptabteilungsführerBahnschutz-AbteilungsführerStreifdienstleiter bei der RBDHauptmann
7.Bahnschutzpolizei-OberabteilungsführerBahnschutzpolizei-OberabteilungsführerBahnschutz-OberabteilungsführerStellvertretender Streifdienstleiter bei der RBDOberleutnant
8.Bahnschutzpolizei-AbteilungsführerBahnschutzpolizei-AbteilungsführerBahnschutz-AbteilungsführerStreifabteilungsführerLeutnant
9.Bahnschutzpolizei-OberzugführerBahnschutzpolizei-OberzugführerBahnschutz-OberzugführerOberstreifenführerOberfeldwebel
10.Bahnschutzpolizei-ZugführerBahnschutzpolizei-ZugführerBahnschutz-ZugführerStreifenführerFeldwebel
11.Bahnschutzpolizei-UnterzugführerBahnschutzpolizei-UnterzugführerBahnschutz-UnterzugführerUnterfeldwebel
12.Bahnschutzpolizei-GruppenführerBahnschutzpolizei-GruppenführerBahnschutz-GruppenführerStreiferUnteroffizier
13.Stellvertretender Bahnschutzpolizei-GruppenführerStellvertretender Bahnschutzpolizei-GruppenführerStellvertretender Bahnschutz-GruppenführerObergefreiter
14.Bahnschutzpolize-MannBahnschutzpolize-MannBahnschutz-MannGefreiter
15.Bahnschutzpolizei-AnwärterBahnschutzpolizei-AnwärterBahnschutz-AnwärterSchütze

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References

  1. Uniformen vom Bahnschutz/Bahnschutzpolizei 1926 bis 1945 Archived 2014-08-15 at the Wayback Machine 2012-01-09
  2. Bahnschutz 2012-01-09
  3. Gordon Williamsson, World War II German Police Units (2006), p. 37.