Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling
| Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling | |
|---|---|
March 1943
|
|
| Active | July – August 1944 |
| Country |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Role | Auxiliary police |
| Size | Brigade |
| Engagements |
|
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Hans Siegling Hans Österreich Helmuth Gantz Wilhelm Mocha Ernst Schmidt |
Schutzmannschaft-Brigade Siegling (also German: Schutzmänner-Brigade Siegling) was a Belarusian Auxiliary Police brigade formed by Nazi Germany in July 1944 in East Prussia, using six local volunteer battalions of Schutzmannschaft decimated in the Soviet counter-attack known as Operation Bagration. The six retreating units who joined Siegling included Bataillon 57 (ukrainische), Bataillon 60 (weißruthenische), Bataillon 61, 62, 63 (ukrainische), and Bataillon 64 (weißruthenische). Most members originated from the collaborationist Belarusian Home Defence (BKA). The total number of soldiers evacuated by the Nazis to East Prussia from across Belarus during the Soviet advance might have reached 10,000. They regrouped northeast of Warsaw in occupied Poland, under the command of SS-Obersturmbannführer Hans Siegling who was the SS-and-Police leader of the White Ruthenia. The new Brigade consisted of 4 rifle regiments as well as artillery and cavalry unit. It was renamed by Himmler in August 1944, as the 30th Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (russische Nr. 2). It consisted of men from the former Soviet Union, mainly from Belarus, including whole Kommandanturas of Bielaruskaja Krajovaja Abarona (BKA) and participants in Vlasov's movement, but also remnants of the German Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo), Sicherheitsdienst (SD), and Ordnungsdienst from the area.
By November 1944, the battalion whose formation started in August originally as the Schuma Brigade Siegling, was transported to France as the 30th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Russian). While in France, the brigade remained under the leadership of Obersturmbannführer Hans Siegling. By February 10, 1945 the formation was nearly wiped out by mass desertion and the Allies. Only one regiment was left. Some reinforcements came from other formations, but not enough. The battalion was renamed again as the 30th SS Grenadier Division (1st White Ruthenian) or Weißruthenische Nr. 1 (in German), but in April 1945, it was entirely disbanded.
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