Einsatzgruppen

Wikipedia has some very good information about the Nazi task forces assigned to liquidate undesirables in occupied territories; however, even though I am duplicating some information, I would like to organize it in a different way. No infringement on copyright is intended.

 

 

 

Einsatzgruppen A

Commanders:

1. SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Polizei Dr. Franz Walter Stahlecker (22 June 1941–23 March 1942)

image: www.holocaustresearchproject.org


Wikisource has his report on activities here.

1. SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Polizei Heinz Jost (29 March–2 September 1942)

image: sv.wikipedia.org

1. SS-Oberführer und Oberst der Polizei Dr. Humbert Achamer-Pifrader (10 September 1942–4 September 1943)

1. SS-Oberführer Friedrich Panzinger (5 September 1943–6 May 1944)

1. SS-Oberführer und Oberst der Polizei Dr. Wilhelm Fuchs (6 May–10 October 1944)  (from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einsatzgruppe_A#Einsatzgruppe_A)

Einsatzgruppe B 

Army Group Centre - Soviet Union

Commanders:

1. SS-Gruppenführer und Generalmajor der Polizei Arthur Nebe (June–November 1941)
2. SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Polizei Erich Naumann (November 1941–March 1943)
3. SS-Standartenführer Horst-Alwin Böhme (12 March–28 August 1943)
4. SS-Oberführer und Oberst der Polizei Erich Ehrlinger (28 August 1943–April 1944)
5. SS-Oberführer und Oberst der Polizei Heinrich Seetzen (28 April–August 1944)
6. SS-Standartenführer Horst-Alwin Böhme (12 August 1944)

 Einsatzgruppe C

The Einzatzgruppe was attached to the Army Group South and executed 118,341 people.

1. SS-Brigadeführer und Generalmajor der Polizei Dr. Dr. Otto Rasch (June–October 1941)
2. SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei Max Thomas (October 1941–29 April 1943)
3. SS-Standartenführer Horst-Alwin Böhme (6 September 1943–March 1944)

Sonderkommando 4A was commanded by Paul Blobel from it's inception in June 1941 to January 1942. His affidavit for the Nuremburg Einsatzgruppen trial can be found here. One of his men testified that Blobel ordered him to kill children. Blobel also participated in Sonderaktion 1005 which attempted to cover up the evidence of mass killings.

Testimony from the Einsatzgruppen Trial at Nuremburg by Otto Ohlendorf makes clear that the main worry was for the soldiers performing the murders rather than the victims. When asked, and pressed to answer, he admitted that if he had received an order from a superior officer to murder his own sister, he would have carried out the order. His defense was that orders given by superiors must be followed even if they commanded one to kill thus absolving him, the soldier, of any need for remorse or guilt feelings over the atrocious acts committed.