. NMT04-T0093
Volume IV · Page 93
| area of operation of each Einsatzgruppe was
determined by the fact that the Einsatzgruppe was assigned to a certain army
group or army, and marched with it. The Einsatzkommandos or the Sonderkommandos
formed from them were assigned from time to time to areas designated by the
army group or army. The Einsatzkommandos were divided into Sonderkommandos in
order to have more small units available for the size of the area of operation.
The areas of operation of the Einsatzgruppen were as follows: Einsatzgruppe A operated from its central points: Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, towards the east. Einsatzgruppe B operated in the direction of Moscow in the area adjoining Einsatzgruppe A, to the south. Einsatzgruppe C had the Ukraine, except for the part occupied by Einsatzgruppe D. At a later time, when Einsatzgruppe D advanced towards the Caucasus, Einsatzgruppe C was in charge of the entire Ukraine, insofar as it was not under civil administration. Einsatzgruppe D had the Ukraine south of the line Chernovitsy, Mogilev-Podolski, Yampol, Ananev, Nikolaev, Melitopol, Mariupol, Taganrog, and Rostov. This area also included the Crimean Peninsula. At a later time, Einsatzgruppe D was in charge of the Caucasus area. 4. All of the Einsatzgruppen were made up of a number of Einsatzkommandos and Sonderkommandos. For example, Einsatzgruppe D, of which I was chief, had the Sonderkommandos 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b, and Einsatzkommando 12. 5. The personnel strength of the Einsatzgruppe varied. It usually consisted of a total of 500 to 800 men. Einsatzgruppe D belonged to the smaller of the Einsatzgruppen. The officers and noncommissioned officers of the Kommandos were composed or men on detached service from the state police, criminal police, and in limited numbers from the security service. Aside from these, the troops were largely made up of emergency service draftees [Notdienstverpflichtete] and of companies of the Waffen SS and order police. 6. The Einsatzgruppen had the following assignments: They were responsible for all political security tasks within the operational area of the army units and of the rear areas insofar as the latter did not fall under the civil administration. In addition they had the task of clearing the area of Jews, Communist officials, and agents. The last named task was to be accomplished by killing all racially and politically undesirable elements seized who were considered dangerous to the security. I know that the |
