Schutz and Ordnungspolizei

[Richard Hargreaves]

I'm translating Otto Lasch's memoirs on the defence of Koenigsberg at present and repeatedly come across reference to police units involved in the final defence, notably the Schutz and Ordnungs Polizei. Are these Heer units, SS units or police units?

[Joe AVENT]

The German Police was organized between the Sicherheitspolizei, (Security Police)[Sipo}, and the Ordnungspolizei, (Order Police)[Orpo}.

The Sipo was made up by the Kripo, (Kriminalpolizei), and the Gestapo, (Geheimesstaatspolizei)[Secret State Police].

The Orpo was made up by the Protection Police, (Schutzpolizei)[Schupo], and the Verwaltungspolizei,
(Administration Police).

The Reich Schupo was organized for combatting partisans and other rear area protection duties with battalions 'drawn up' from various wehrkreise; those 'cops' used to conduct civilian law enforcement responsibiliites as Kasernepolizei, nick-name for barracks police who trained for riots and other civil disturbances.

The Schupo also consisted of the Gemeinden Schupo, (Municipal Protection Police), which was later merged with the Reich Schupo. The rural constables were called Gendarmerie and they belonged to the Schupo, too. There was the Wasserschutzpolizei, (Waterways Protection Police),
and the Luftschutzpolizei, (air-raids protection police).

Click onto the auxilary units of this site and scroll down to a
website for the German police.

The German police units were not Heer Truppen. The SS
had organizational control of the Orpo. Depending on the battlefield situation, tactical control could be exercised by Heer, W-SS or A-SS commanders.

Good hunting

[Joe AVENT]

n/t

[Richard Hargreaves]

Now I understand. Thanks for the detailed explanation.

[Ernst-H]

Check also my website for more info on the German Police
http://www.germanpolice.org

[Richard Hargreaves]

Blimey. Top site. Never knew it existed until now.