German security troops?

[BloodyBucket]

Any of you grogs have info on the sicherung units in the game? I am thinking of using a platoon of them in a scenario as "second rate" green troops, and was just wondering if this was accurate. A search proved futile.

I'm guessing they were used for rear area security and for anti partisan type work, but I have no solid information to back it up. I am assuming that they would be composed of men not up to frontline duty. Would they be used for local defense?

Thanks in advance.

[Mr. Johnson--]

That was my guess.

[Michael Emrys]

I think your estimation of their role is essentially correct. In addition, they were often armed with captured weapons. Although I do not yet possess definite information, I don't believe they were normally equipped with the artillery of standard infantry divisions. Thus they would in most instances have anything heavier than mortars and 75mm howitzers. There were probably occasional exceptions to this rule, such as when they were engaged in heavy fighting with Yugoslav Partisans.

Michael

[Fieldmarshall]

They were also groups of Military Police that were commonly used in small locale defense..

[BloodyBucket]

Thanks. I am designing a scenario to introduce a group of officers to CM, and I want to give them a mixed force to make them think about employing green troops, and since it takes place in June of '44, they seem the logical choice.

[Runyan99]

I was wondering about this too. I almost never read about German security forces.

I too assumed they were kind of like the NKVD, and were responsible for rear areas and such. Maybe they played a larger role on the East Front?

[Subvet]

I don't know much about them, but I recently played a game where I got my butt kicked by them.

[Andreas]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Runyan99:

I was wondering about this too. I almost never read about German security forces.

I too assumed they were kind of like the NKVD, and were responsible for rear areas and such. Maybe they played a larger role on the East Front?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think that is correct. They were used to fight partisans and guard rear areas and important installations, e.g. bridges. Of course with the disintegration of the German frontlines in 1944 they often found themselves plugged into the line as a stopgap.

[JasonC]

The security divisions proper were organized before the invasion of Russia for defense of occupied areas, supply dumps, and especially the railroad and road supply lines. Each army group had 3 security divisions, and the panzer armies often had one each as well, or a substitute static infantry division at the army level, doing the same sort of duty. The Germans also used a number of "700 series" static infantry divisions - and some in the 300 series - for garrison duty, effectively doing the same job. In the west the latter were mainly guarding the beaches, since partisan activity was relatively minor until the actual invasion.

Here is a description of the role of a security division, plus a number of seperate battalions, and added local militias to suppliment them, operating behind a German panzer army in Russia in 1943.

"All the security forces mentioned above were engaged day and night in antipartisan activities. They guarded the depots, bridges, and other vital installations. They furnished security detachments for the protection of trains that had to pass through endangered areas. On the roads they manned the control points established for security purposes and escorted the columns of supply trucks from one point to the next. In view of the large number of partisan bands and the vastness of the partisan-infested areas, it is not surprising that these security units fell far short of accomplishing all their tasks."

The primary target of Russian partisans was the rail lines. They raided other areas to recruit and to loot supplies from the population, and sometimes raided depots to seize weapons. And road ambushes up to 300 men were conducted where roads passed through thick forest or marsh. But the main target was cutting railway lines, typically using mines, and sometimes attacking a stopped train to increase the damage. To give an idea of the scope of these attacks, here is part of a report from a single month in 1943 for Army Group Center -

"Despite the employment of special alert units for the protection of the railroad lines, partisan activity increased by 25 percent during August 1943 and reached a record of 1,392 incidents as compared with 1,114 for July. The daily average amounted to 45 demolitions. In 364 cases the rails were cut simultaneously in more than ten places. Individual demolition points amounted to 20,505, while 4,528 mines could be removed. During the night from 2 to 3 August the partisans began to put into effect a program of large-scale destruction. Numerous demolitions were carried out which caused a serious curtailment of all railroad traffic and a considerable loss of railroad materiel. Within two nights the six to seven thousand miles of track in the area were cut in 8,422 places, while another 2,478 mines were detected and removed prior to exploding. Several lines could not be put back into operation for a considerable time."

In the Balkans, the Germans initially used 4, then 5 "static" infantry divisions of the "700" series. These were more than half filled with men overage for infantry service, including large numbers of WW I veterans. A few front line divisions - one of them mountain troops - were also in the area, deployed to defend against invasion. The Italians also provided a large (though quite ineffective) occupation army, the Bulgarians provided one corps of three divisions, and large local militia forces were also used, especially Croat. These proved inadequate, and 3 more regular infantry divisions were sent to the area. It was a few mountain divisions, a few regular infantry divisions, numerous static ones, plus the minor allies. The mobile German forces spearheaded occasional large sweeps, and most of the time guarded towns and rail-lines. They took relatively low losses until very late in the war (unlike the militias).

Mobile troops were sent to the area once Allied invasion became a serious threat, around mid 1943, and combined guarding railways with reserve readiness to meet any allied invasion. The "German" force (which included eastern kiwis, locally recruited SS, etc) rose to 14, then 20 divisions after Italy switched sides, and then as Bulgarians became unreliable as the Russians neared their eastern border.

In all cases, rear area troops were also pressed into front line defense duty when fronts collapsed and other forces were not available. Compared to line infantry divisions, security troops (whether true security divisions, or second-line divisions on security duty) often had less artillery and almost always had few motor vehicles. They got transport from the rail lines they were guarding, or from HQ or supply vehicles not organic to their unit, when protecting either. They either lacked heavy weapons (artillery etc), kept guns stationary, moved them only some at a time, etc.

The men were more likely to be overage, and the officers and NCOs were typically WW I vets (45-59 years old). You see some divisions without artillery, some with one battalion, some with a full artillery regiment - quite varied, some certainly did have 105mm support. Compared to partisans they were quite heavily armed. Some of the divisions had 2 infantry regiments, some 3. They effectively freed up younger manpower and scarce vehicles for front line work, by replacing full strength mobile infantry divisions in rear areas.

In CM terms, they are like standard rifle-44 infantry but with a 3rd SMG per squad, and a weapons platoon of 2 HMG and 2 81mm mortars in each company. They would generally be green or regular quality, with green more common. The CM security heavy weapons company is also an interesting little force for small infantry defenses, with 2 LMG, 4 HMG, 2 50mm PAK, and a 81mm FO. Costs 34 more points than buying those items direct (as regulars), but you get 2 platoon and one company HQ in return, to command all the small teams.

[Terence]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JasonC:

[QB]The security divisions proper were organized before the invasion of Russia for defense of occupied areas, supply dumps, and especially the railroad and road supply lines. Each army group had 3 security divisions, and the panzer armies often had one each as well, or a substitute static infantry division at the army level, doing the same sort of duty. The Germans also used a number of "700 series" static infantry divisions - and some in the 300 series - for garrison duty, effectively doing the same job. In the west the latter were mainly guarding the beaches, since partisan activity was relatively minor until the actual invasion.

[QB]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Did these troops also take part in rounding up Jews and Gypsies for execution?

A serious question, btw, and not a troll. Just wondering if these are the same as the Police Batallions who worked as Sonderkommando and Einsatzkommando...

[JasonC]

No. The security divisions were different. There were many other police-type forces, German and local militia, as well as the infamous SS murder groups running around. And regular army units participated in most things you could imagine - and doubtless many you thankfully couldn't - which probably included the security divisions on occasion. But reprisals were nothing like their primary job. Their job was first and foremost to guard things - the railways, truck convoys, HQs, and supply dumps.

[Terence]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JasonC:

No. The security divisions were different. There were many other police-type forces, German and local militia, as well as the infamous SS murder groups running around. And regular army units participated in most things you could imagine - and doubtless many you thankfully couldn't - which probably included the security divisions on occasion. But reprisals were nothing like their primary job. Their job was first and foremost to guard things - the railways, truck convoys, HQs, and supply dumps.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thanks! I had been rather curious about the Scheirung units as soon as I saw them in the game.

[offtaskagain]

If you were to thrown in a "Staffel" after "Sicherung" then you get the guys who did most of the atrocities.

[JasonC]

Actually, I think that dubious palm goes to the "einsatzgruppen", 4 battalion sized SS units that followed the main Panzer spearheads, and had no other job but to machinegun Jews and "commissars", which in practice meant any state official, party member, or intellectual. Murder was euphemistically just a "special task", without any ulterior motive of "security" being alleged...

[Stalin's Organ]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JasonC:

The "German" force (which included eastern kiwis,......<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Err...I do think you hit the wrong key there Jason!!

[Admiral Keth]

BloodyBucket,

Have you looked into Osprey Books?

Men-at-Arms 213

German Military Police Units 1939-45

ISBN: 0850459028

Price: £8.99 / $14.95

[offtaskagain]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by JasonC:

Actually, I think that dubious palm goes to the "einsatzgruppen", 4 battalion sized SS units that followed the main Panzer spearheads, and had no other job but to machinegun Jews and "commissars", which in practice meant any state official, party member, or intellectual. Murder was euphemistically just a "special task", without any ulterior motive of "security" being alleged...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I know, I meant the whole SS organization in general.

[JasonC]

LOL - quite right. Hiwis, as in easterners serving in the German army - not New Zealanders...

[Triumvir]

SicherungStaffel? Nothing to do with the Schutzstaffel. Not everything that you can match two letters S together was the SS...

Not to dispute that the commisar order was to be carried out by normal Wehrmacht troops, Manstein's protestations to the contrary.

[BloodyBucket]

Thanks for the book referal and thanks to JasonC for the info. I think that the security platoon will do nicely for my little scenario.

I am trying to give both sides a little variety to make the players think about proper employment of units with different capabilities, without being ahistorical.

The basic plan is to give each team of officers a situation brief, have them come up with a five paragraph order and try to execute it within the game, and have an after action critique.

We will have two "moderators" with CM experience helping each team use the game. I was thinking that since I have a three hour block of time, a company sized infantry fight with a little armor support should be about right.

The game will be played on a LAN, I almost wish we could do it by e-mail so I could have the turns to review afterwords, but some screenshots should do it.

Any ideas for an existing scenario that might fill the bill? I was thinking of "Wiltz", but for a first game I think a more rural setting might be the ticket.