201st Schutzmannschaft Battalion
| Schutzmannschaft Battalion 201 | |
|---|---|
| Active | from late October 1941 to December 1942 |
| Branch | SD |
| Type | battalion |
| Role | Security police |
| Size | 650 |
| Engagements | Anti-partisan operations in Belarus Holocaust in Belarus, |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Roman Shukhevych |
The Schutzmannschaft Battalion 201 was a World War II Schutzmannschaft auxiliary police battalion (Schuma) formed by Nazi Germans on October 21, 1941, predominantly from the soldiers of Ukrainian Nachtigall Battalion dissolved two months prior. Nachtigall was a Security Police unit composed almost exclusively from members of the OUN(b), who were transported from Vinnytsia to Neuhammer on August 13, 1941 and disarmed at gunpoint due to political disagreement with the German leadership.
Battalion 201 numbered 650 persons, most of whom belonged to Stepan Bandera’s wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists. It served for a year in Belarus before being disbanded. Roman Shukhevych, the supreme commander of the UPA from 1943 to 1950 was an officer of the battalion.
Many of its members, especially the commanding officers, would later be recruited into the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
This formation was started October 21, 1941 with 4 companies. Their commanders were: 1st - Roman Shukevych (and deputy commander of the battalion), 2nd - M. Brigider, 3rd - Vasyl Sidor, 4th - Pavlyk. The formal commander of the Battalion became former Polish Army Major Evhen Pobyhushchy, however, the SD liaisons officer Wilhelm Mocha became the actual Commander of the Battalion. According to the writings of Major Evhen Pobyhushschiy, by the time of the battalion's formation most of the Ukrainian soldiers considered both Germany and the Soviet Union to be enemies of Ukraine, but considered the Soviets to be the greater enemies to be fought first. During the training period there were tensions between the German command and the Ukrainians. They departed for Belarus on March 19 and 22, 1942. The Battalion were given German Police Uniforms.
On March 16, 1942 the battalion traveled east and on March 19 its first subunits arrived in Belarus where it served in the triangle between Mahiliou-Vitsebsk-Lepel. The battalion wasn't concentrated in one place, but was spread out in order to guard various strategic areas. For example, one group guarded large ammunition and weapon warehouses while other groups were stationed in various Belarusian villages. They guarded bridges, protected the German administration, and hunted in the woods for Soviet partisan bases. The conflicts between Germans and Ukrainians, evident during the training, continued during these operations; relations between the German and Ukrainian officers were poor.
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