Einsatzgruppen

The Einsatzgruppen (German: "task forces", "special-ops units") were paramilitary death squads formed under the direction of Reinhard Heydrich and operated by the Schutzstaffel (SS) before and during World War II. Their principal task (during the war), according to SS General Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski, at the Nuremberg Trials: "was the annihilation of the Jews, Gypsies, and Soviet political commissars". They were a key component in the implementation of the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question" (German: Die Endlösung der Judenfrage) in the conquered territories. These killing units should be viewed in conjunction with the Holocaust.

Evil Organization Full Name: Einsatzgruppen Alias: Task Forces Origin: Germany Foundation: 1939 headquarters Berlin, Germany Commanders: Reinhard Heydrich (1939 - 1942) Ernst Kaltenbrunner (1942 - 1945) Goals: Eliminate enemies of the Nazi regime Crimes: Mass murder Genocide Crimes against humanity Ethnic cleansing Anti-Semitism Xenophobia Persecution of Christians Terrorism Type of Villain: Death Squad

During the war these units were formed mainly of men from the Ordnungspolizei (Orpo), the Waffen-SS and local volunteers, e.g. militia groups, and led by Gestapo, Kripo, and SD officers. These death squads followed the Wehrmacht as it advanced eastwards through Eastern Europe en route to the Soviet Union. In occupied territory, the Einsatzgruppen also used the local populace for additional security and manpower when needed. The activities of the Einsatzgruppen were spread through a large pool of soldiers from the branches of the SS and the German Reich. Einsatzgruppen were under the control of the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA) (Reich Main Security Office); i.e., Reinhard Heydrich (until his death) and later his successor Ernst Kaltenbrunner.

The Einsatzgruppen were responsible for the murders of over 1,000,000 people, and they were the first Nazi organizations to commence mass killing of Jews as an organized policy.

Personnel

Invasion of Poland

Seven Einsatzgruppen of battalion strength operated in Poland. Each was subdivided into four Einsatzkommandos of company strength.Template:Sfn

• Einsatzgruppe I, commanded by SS-Standartenführer Bruno Streckenbach, acted with 14th Army
• Einsatzgruppe II, SS-Obersturmbannführer Emanuel Schäfer, acted with 10th Army
• Einsatzgruppe III, SS-Obersturmbannführer und Regierungsrat Dr. Herbert Fischer, acted with 8th Army
• Einsatzgruppe IV, SS-Brigadeführer Lothar Beutel, acted with 4th Army
• Einsatzgruppe V, SS-Standartenfürer Ernst Damzog, acted with 3rd Army
• Einsatzgruppe VI, SS-Oberführer Erich Naumann, acted in Wielkopolska
• Einsatzgruppe VII, SS-Obergruppenführer Udo von Woyrsch and SS-Gruppenführer Otto Rasch, acted in Upper Silesia and Cieszyn SilesiaTemplate:Sfn

Invasion of the Soviet Union and other countries

Organisation

Einsatzgruppe	Leader		Subgroups
Einsatzgruppe A (Baltic states)Template:Sfn	SS-Brigadeführer Dr. Franz Walter Stahlecker (until 23 March 1942)	File:Franz Walter Stahlecker.jpg	Sonderkommandos 1a and 1b (German for special forces; not to be confused with the Sonderkommandos in the concentration camps) Einsatzkommandos 2 and 3. Attached to Army Group North
Einsatzgruppe B (Belarus)Template:Sfn	SS-Brigadeführer Artur Nebe (until October 1941)		Sonderkommandos 7a and 7b Einsatzkommandos 8 and 9 A special force under Dr. Franz Six in case Moscow was captured. Attached to Army Group Center
Einsatzgruppe C (Northern and central Ukraine)Template:Sfn	SS-Gruppenführer Dr. Otto Rasch (until October 1941)		Sonderkommandos 4a and 4b (Sonderkommando 4 a was commanded by Paul Blobel) Einsatzkommandos 5 and 6. Attached to Army Group South
Einsatzgruppe D (Bessarabia, Southern Ukraine, Crimea, and Caucasus)Template:Sfn	SS-Gruppenführer Prof. Otto Ohlendorf (until June 1942)		Sonderkommandos 10a and 10b Einsatzkommandos 11a, 11b, and 12. Attached to 11th Army
Einsatzgruppe E (Croatia)Template:Sfn	SS-Obersturmbannführer Ludwig Teichmann, SS-Standartenführer Günther Herrmann, SS-Standartenführer Wilhelm Fuchs		Five Einsatzkommandos located in Vinkovci, Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Knin, and Zagreb
Einsatzgruppe F (Army Group South)Template:Sfn
Einsatzgruppe G (Romania, Hungary, Ukraine)Template:Sfn	SS-Standartenführer Dr. Josef Kreuzer		Einsatzkommandos 11 and 12
Einsatzgruppe H (Slovakia)Template:Sfn
Einsatzgruppe K (with 5th Panzer Army in the Ardennes offensive)Template:Sfn	SS-Oberführer Dr. Emanuel Schäfer
Einsatzgruppe L (with 6th Panzer Army in the Ardennes offensive)Template:Sfn	SS-Standartenführer Dr. Ludwig Hahn
Einsatzgruppe Griechenland (Greece)Template:Sfn	SS-Sturmbannführer Dr. Ludwig Hahn
Einsatzgruppe Iltis (Carinthia (Slovenia))Template:Sfn	SS-Standartenführer Paul Blobel
Einsatzkommando Luxemburg (Luxembourg)Template:Sfn
Einsatzgruppe Norwegen (Norway)Template:Sfn	SS-Oberführer Dr. Franz Walter Stahlecker
Einsatzgruppe Serbien (Yugoslavia)Template:Sfn	SS-Standartenführer Wilhelm Fuchs, SS-Gruppenführer August Meysner
Einsatzgruppe for Special Purposes (eastern Poland)Template:Sfn	SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Polizei Karl Eberhard Schöngarth
Einsatzkommando Tilsit (Lithuania, Poland)Template:Sfn
Einsatzgruppe Tunis (Tunis)Template:Sfn	SS-Obersturmbannführer Walter Rauff
Proposed Einsatzgruppe (United Kingdom)Template:Sfn	SS-Standartenführer Dr. Franz Six		Proposed. Six Einsatzkommandos would have been located in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, and either Edinburgh or Glasgow. These death squads would have been charged with the elimination of civilian resistance members and Jews in the United Kingdom. Due to the cancellation of the planned invasion of Britain (Operation Sealion), the units never saw active service.
Proposed Einsatzgruppe (Middle East)Template:Sfn	SS-Obersturmbannführer Walter Rauff		Proposed Einsatzgruppe Egypt – planned for Jews resident in the Middle East, including Palestine. Never organised.