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286th Security Division (Germany)
Encyclopedia
The 286th Security Division
was a German
military formation which fought in World War II
.
By 1942 three Security Regiments were attached. A variety of units were subordinated to the division during its existence, including battalions of Russian troops and from February 1944 Grenadier Regiment 638, consisting of French
volunteers, the LVF.
During this period the division was assigned to Fourth Army
, where it carried out occupation, security and anti-partisan duties in rear areas. It is known to have been involved in punitive operations against the local populace: these actions were carried out with extreme brutality (in total, Belarus lost up to a quarter of its population during the German occupation
). A defendant at one of the post-war Soviet war crimes trials, Paul Eick, stated that he had set out to create and then liquidate a ghetto in the town of Orsha
under the division's command.
In June 1944 Fourth Army was encircled by Soviet forces during the liberation of theBelorussian SSR, Operation Bagration. The 286th Security Division was overrun and destroyed in the vicinity of Orsha
. Its remnants were reorganised late that year at Memel
as the 286th Infantry Division, assigned to the Third Panzer Army; it was again destroyed at Neukuhren
during the battles in Samland
towards the end of the war.
Security Division (Germany)
The Wehrmacht Security Divisions were German military units which operated during World War II.-History and organisation:...
was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
military formation which fought in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History and organisation
The 286th Security Division was formed on 15 March 1941 around elements of the 213th Infantry Division. By the end of 1941 its organisation was as follows:- Infantry Regiment 354
- II./ Artillery Regiment 213
- Alarm Battalion 704
- Signals Battalion 825
- Reiterhundertschaft 286
- Landesschützen-Regiment staff 61
- Support units
By 1942 three Security Regiments were attached. A variety of units were subordinated to the division during its existence, including battalions of Russian troops and from February 1944 Grenadier Regiment 638, consisting of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
volunteers, the LVF.
German Fourth Army
The 4th Army was a field army of Imperial Germany during World War I and of the Wehrmacht during World War II-World War I:At the outset of war, the Fourth Army, with the Fifth Army, formed the center of the German armies on the Western Front, moving through Luxembourg and Belgium in support of the...
, where it carried out occupation, security and anti-partisan duties in rear areas. It is known to have been involved in punitive operations against the local populace: these actions were carried out with extreme brutality (in total, Belarus lost up to a quarter of its population during the German occupation
Occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Belarus by Nazi Germany occurred as part of the German invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941 and ended in August 1944 with the Soviet Operation Bagration.- Background :...
). A defendant at one of the post-war Soviet war crimes trials, Paul Eick, stated that he had set out to create and then liquidate a ghetto in the town of Orsha
Orsha
Orsha is a city in Belarus in Vitebsk voblast on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers.-Facts:*Location: *Population: 125,000 *Phone code: +375 216*Postal codes: 211030, 211381–211394, 211396–211398-History:...
under the division's command.
In June 1944 Fourth Army was encircled by Soviet forces during the liberation of theBelorussian SSR, Operation Bagration. The 286th Security Division was overrun and destroyed in the vicinity of Orsha
Orsha
Orsha is a city in Belarus in Vitebsk voblast on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers.-Facts:*Location: *Population: 125,000 *Phone code: +375 216*Postal codes: 211030, 211381–211394, 211396–211398-History:...
. Its remnants were reorganised late that year at Memel
Klaipeda
Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania situated at the mouth of the Nemunas River where it flows into the Baltic Sea. It is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County....
as the 286th Infantry Division, assigned to the Third Panzer Army; it was again destroyed at Neukuhren
Pionersky, Kaliningrad Oblast
Pionersky is a town in Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located along the Baltic Sea on the Sambian Peninsula, between Zelenogradsk and Svetlogorsk. The town is under direct jurisdiction of the oblast administration. Population:...
during the battles in Samland
Zemland offensive operation
The Samland Offensive was a Soviet offensive on the Eastern Front in the final stages of World War II. It took place in Sambia ; .-Role in the conflict:...
towards the end of the war.
Commanders
- Generalleutnant Kurt Müller
- Generalleutnant Johann-Georg RichertJohann-Georg RichertJohann-Georg Richert was a highly decorated Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield...
(15 June 1942) - Generalleutnant Hans Oschmann (1 November 1943)
- Generalleutnant Friedrich-Georg EberhardtFriedrich-Georg EberhardtFriedrich-Georg Eberhardt was a Generalleutnant in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
(5 August 1944)
See also
- Division (military)Division (military)A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
, Military unit, List of German divisions in WWII - HeerGerman ArmyThe German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
, WehrmachtWehrmachtThe Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:... - War crimes of the WehrmachtWar crimes of the WehrmachtWar crimes of the Wehrmacht were those carried out by the German armed forces during World War II. While the principal perpetrators of the Holocaust amongst German armed forces were the Nazi German 'political' armies , the regular armed forces represented by the Wehrmacht committed war crimes of...