1 SS Infantry Brigade - Russia

Russia

When Germany invaded the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa) in June 1941, the brigade was stationed in Kraków Poland awaiting its full complement of men and materials. On the 23 July they moved east into the occupied territories and between July and August 1941, fought Soviet partisans and cut off units of the Red Army in the rear of Army Group South capturing 7,000 prisoners of war.

On 9 August the Brigade was north of Zhitomir and was asked to cover the northern flank of the 6th Army in the Pinsk Marshes. Fighting to clear the marsh near Uschomir the SS Infantry Regiment 10 captured or killed 800 men.

The Brigade next operated behind the XVII Army Corps and on 23 August, crossed the Dnieper River. During the remainder of the year and until late 1942 they were assigned to the Reich Security Head Office, which also had the SS Cavalry Brigade and the 2 SS Infantry Brigade (mot) under command.

The brigade was now used in a rear area security and policing role and most importantly they were not under Army or Waffen SS command.

In the Autumn of 1941, they left the anti partisan role to other units and units and the brigade actively took part in the Holocaust while assisting Einsatzgruppen C and took part in the liquidation of the Jewish population of the Soviet Union, forming firing parties when required. The three brigades were responsible for the murder of tens of thousands of the population by the end of 1941, and they destroyed at least one village st Białystok for no apparent reason as they had not been engaged from it.

On 12 December 1941, the Brigade was placed under the command of the 56th Infantry Division on the orders of Army Group Center when a gap appeared in the front line of the 2nd Army in the area of Tula, Yelets Liwny.

During the fighting around Lasarewka, the Brigade was assigned to the Gruppe Moser and on 28 December 1941 placed under the command of LV Army Corps.