The 454th Security Division (''454. Sicherungs-Division'') was a
rear-security division in the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
of
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
. The unit was deployed in German-occupied areas of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, in the
Army Group South Rear Area.
Operational history
The division was formed in 1941, prior the German invasion of the Soviet Union,
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
. It operated in the occupied Ukraine and Southern Russia regions behind
Army Group South
Army Group South (german: Heeresgruppe Süd) was the name of three German Army Groups during World War II.
It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland Army Group Sou ...
's front lines. Its duties included security of communications and supply lines, economic exploitation and combatting irregular fighters (partisans) in Wehrmacht's rear areas.
Along with other security and police forces in the occupied territories, the division participated in
war crimes against prisoners of war and civilian population. The division was subordinated to
Karl von Roques
Karl von Roques (7 May 1880 – 24 December 1949) was a German general and war criminal during the Second World War, who commanded the Army Group Rear Area behind Army Group South. Following the war, Roques was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment ...
, commander of Army Group South Rear Area. In early September 1941, he issued instructions to the division to coordinate its activities in "cleansing" operations with the forces under the command of
Friedrich Jeckeln
Friedrich Jeckeln (2 February 1895 – 3 February 1946) was a German SS commander during the Nazi era. He served as a Higher SS and Police Leader in the occupied Soviet Union during World War II. Jeckeln was the commander of one of the largest ...
, the
Higher SS and Police Leader for the region. Between 29 July and 16 September 1941, the division reported capturing just under 1,500 civilians and Red Army soldiers. Of these, 78 were Jews who were killed.
The division was also involved in the persecution and killing of partisans in Ukraine and surrounding areas from 1941 to the end of 1943. For this purpose, they were placed under the command of
Friedrich Jeckeln
Friedrich Jeckeln (2 February 1895 – 3 February 1946) was a German SS commander during the Nazi era. He served as a Higher SS and Police Leader in the occupied Soviet Union during World War II. Jeckeln was the commander of one of the largest ...
from July to September 1941.
The unit was largely destroyed in the
Brody Pocket
Brody ( uk, Броди; russian: Броды, Brodï; pl, Brody; german: Brody; yi, בראָד, Brod) is a city in Zolochiv Raion of Lviv Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is located in the valley of the upper Styr River, approximately ...
in July 1944, and many of the division's soldiers, including the wounded commander
Johannes Nedtwig
Johannes is a Medieval Latin form of the personal name that usually appears as "John" in English language contexts. It is a variant of the Greek and Classical Latin variants (Ιωάννης, ''Ioannes''), itself derived from the Hebrew name '' Yeh ...
, being taken into Soviet captivity. On August 5, 1944, the division was dissolved.
Organization
* 57th Security Regiment (''Sicherungs-Regiment 57)'' (until August 1942 known as ''Landesschützen-Regiment 57'', at the time in ''
Heeresgruppe B
Army Group B (German: ') was the title of three German Army Groups that saw action during World War II.
Operational history
Army Group B first took part in the Battle of France in 1940 in Belgium and the Netherlands.
The second formation of ...
'')
* 375th Security Regiment ''(Sicherungs-Regiment 375)'' (formerly ''Infanterie-Regiment 375'' of the
221st Infantry Division), renamed in October 1942 to 375th Grenadier Regiment (''Grenadier-Regiment 375'') (disbanded in March 1943, with the remaining elements going to the
111th and
304th Infantry Divisions)
* 602nd Security Regiment (''Sicherungs-Regiment 602)'' (from August 1942, previously part of the
213th Security Division)
* 3rd Battalion of the 221st Artillery Regiment (''III./Artillerie-Regiment 221'') (later renamed to ''Artillerie-Bataillon 454'')
* 454th Eastern Cavalry Battalion (''Ostreiter-Bataillon 454'') (formerly ''Reiter-Abteilung 454'', later ''Ostreiter-Regiment 454'')
* 454th Eastern Pioneer Battalion ''(Ost-Pionier-Bataillon 454)''
* 829th Signals Battalion (''Nachrichten-Abteilung 829)''
* 454th Divisional Services (''Divisions-Einheiten 454)''
References
Citations
Bibliography
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Further reading
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{{DEFAULTSORT:454th Security Division (Wehrmacht)
Military units and formations established in 1941
1942 establishments in Germany
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945
Security divisions of Germany during World War II
War crimes of the Wehrmacht