Pripyat swamps (punitive operation)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Pripyat swamps" (German: "Pripiatsee"), also "Pripyat march" was the codename of the punitive operation of the German troops in July and August 1941, which was aimed at mass killing of local Jewish population[1], brought out on the territories of 9 rayons of BSSR and 3 rayons of USSR in the region of Pripyat swamps and Pripyat river.

The operation was conducted by the order of Himmler, by the SS cavalry brigade and also[2] by the 162th and 252th infantry divisions, under the general command of HSS PF Bach-Zelewski.

In the course of operation, no less than 13,788 people were killed[3]. Completely burned were villages Dvarets, Khochan', Azyarany, Starazhowtsy, Kremna, Turaw (partially) and others. The principal means of the mass killing were the shootings of the people previously rounded up. Other methods were also tried, like driving of the people into the swamp and drowning.

The July 19, 1941 is considered the beginning date of the operation, August 29, 1941[4] or August 31, 1941[2] — the ending date. The operation was conducted in two stages, with the second stage beginning on August 14, 1941. There are no data about the SS troops losses in their report[4].

The operation is considered to be the first of planned mass extermination operations. The documented data about it reached Moscow in January 1942, and were published (April 27, 1942) in the USSR People Commissary (Minister) of Foreign Relations note, addressed to all countries with which USSR had maintained the diplomatic relations. It is considered that the international publicity and shock caused by this data, prompted Nazis to hide or destroy other materials concerned with this operation[4].

Contents

[edit] Beginning of the events

The July 19, 1941 is considered the beginning date of the operation. On that day, by Himmler's order, 1st and 2nd SS cavalry regiments were placed, since July 21, 1941, under the von dem Bach command, and transferred to Baranavichy in order to "systematically comb out the Pripyat swamps".

By Himmler's order (Baranavichy, July 27, 1941), the SS cavalry brigade was formed under the Vegelein from the 1st and 2nd regiments. Also, Himmler ordered von dem Bach to present him the well thought out military plan of the extermination operation[5]. "Special order" of Himmler (July 28, 1941) demanded of von dem Bach to harshly exterminate the Pripyat swamps region's population "with disagreeable attitude to Germans"[6] — to shoot men, deport women and children, confiscate livestock and food, burn habitations. On the other hand, population "showing agreeable attitude to Germans" was to be "spared" and even to be partially armed[7].

[edit] The first stage

The forces of 1st regiment moved from Baranavichy in the direction of Lyakhavichy — Hantsavichy, Baranavichy — Ivatsevichy — Byaroza — Pruzhany, and "combed" the territory to the South, South-East and South-West reaching the Pripyat river.

The forces of 2nd regiment moved from Lutsk in the directions of Kamen'-Kashirski — Drahichyn — Ivanava and Sarny — Luninyets — Pinsk, and "combed" the territory to the South and North of the Pripyat river, until making contact with 1st regiment.

Coordinating with the 2nd regiment move, the Einsatzgruppe B conducted the mass extermination of the Jewish population in Pinsk.

Besides that, several elements of the 1st and 2nd regiments formed the leading force[4], which was to block some Soviet forces which broke out of the encirclement in the vicinity of Slutsk—Babruysk highway on July 27, 1941.

[edit] The second stage

The forces of the SS cavalry brigade moved from the initial line of Baranavichy — Luninyets railroad to the East, conducting the "cleansing" of the right and left coasts of the Pripyat river keeping South of the highway R-1 (Brest — Slutsk — Babruysk).

In the course of this stage the 2nd regiment encountered and battled the force of 1 to 2 battalions of the Soviet regular and irregular troops (on August 21, 1941 near Turaw). According to the report (August 29, 1941), the brigade's losses were 23 of dead and wounded, and the losses of Soviet troops were from 600 to 700 dead, 10 prisoners.

In the course of following days the 1st regiment combed the region of Starobin — Lyuban' — Ptsich, and the 2nd regiment advanced to the East of the line of Kol'na — Lyakhavichy (Knyaz'-Vozyera) towards the Ptsich river.

  1. ^ By the definition of Alexey Litvin, whoc considers that the previous definition of operation, given by V. Lazyebnikaw and V. Pase, "operation... against the encircled units of Red Army, partisans and local population", is overly generalised and so inprecise.
  2. ^ a b (Lazyebnikaw and Pase).
  3. ^ Data of the SS cavalry brigade report "On conducting of the Pripyat pacification operation..." dated August 13, 1941.
  4. ^ a b c d (Litvin 2003).
  5. ^ This plan wasn't yet found, so the information on it is reconstructed. (Litvin 2003)...
  6. ^ Turonek, p.101.
  7. ^ Туронак, С.101.

[edit] Sources

  • (Lazyebnikaw and Pase) Лазебнікаў В. С., Пасэ У. С. Прыпяцкія балоты // Belarusian Soviet Enccyclopedia, V.8. p.604.
  • (Litvin 2003) Литвин Алексей. Убийцы // Советская Белоруссия №226 (21892), 3.12.2003. — Newspaper's archive in the net.
  • (Turonek) Jerzy Turonek. Białoruś pod okupacją niemiecką. Warszawa—Wrocław: WERS, 1989. 186 p., ill.