The 454th Security Division (''454. Sicherungs-Division'') was a rear-security division in the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

. The unit was deployed in German-occupied areas of the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

, in the Army Group South Rear Area.

Operational history

The division was formed in 1941, prior the German invasion of the Soviet Union,

Operation Barbarossa Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...

. It operated in the occupied Ukraine and Southern Russia regions behind

Army Group South Army Group South (german: Heeresgruppe Süd) was the name of three German Army Groups during World War II. It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland Army Group So ...

's front lines. Its duties included security of communications and supply lines, economic exploitation and combatting irregular fighters (partisans) in Wehrmacht's rear areas. Along with other security and police forces in the occupied territories, the division participated in war crimes against prisoners of war and civilian population. The division was subordinated to

Karl von Roques Karl von Roques (7 May 1880 – 24 December 1949) was a German general and war criminal during the Second World War, who commanded the Army Group Rear Area behind Army Group South. Following the war, Roques was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment ...

, commander of Army Group South Rear Area. In early September 1941, he issued instructions to the division to coordinate its activities in "cleansing" operations with the forces under the command of Friedrich Jeckeln, the Higher SS and Police Leader for the region. Between 29 July and 16 September 1941, the division reported capturing just under 1,500 civilians and Red Army soldiers. Of these, 78 were Jews who were killed. The division was also involved in the persecution and killing of partisans in Ukraine and surrounding areas from 1941 to the end of 1943. For this purpose, they were placed under the command of Friedrich Jeckeln from July to September 1941. The unit was largely destroyed in the

Brody Pocket Brody ( uk, Броди; russian: Броды, Brodï; pl, Brody; german: Brody; yi, בראָד, Brod) is a city in Zolochiv Raion of Lviv Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is located in the valley of the upper Styr River, approximately ...

in July 1944, and many of the division's soldiers, including the wounded commander Johannes Nedtwig, being taken into Soviet captivity. On August 5, 1944, the division was dissolved.

Organization

* 57th Security Regiment (''Sicherungs-Regiment 57)'' (until August 1942 known as ''Landesschützen-Regiment 57'', at the time in '' Heeresgruppe B'') * 375th Security Regiment ''(Sicherungs-Regiment 375)'' (formerly ''Infanterie-Regiment 375'' of the 221st Infantry Division), renamed in October 1942 to 375th Grenadier Regiment (''Grenadier-Regiment 375'') (disbanded in March 1943, with the remaining elements going to the 111th and 304th Infantry Divisions) * 602nd Security Regiment (''Sicherungs-Regiment 602)'' (from August 1942, previously part of the 213th Security Division) * 3rd Battalion of the 221st Artillery Regiment (''III./Artillerie-Regiment 221'') (later renamed to ''Artillerie-Bataillon 454'') * 454th Eastern Cavalry Battalion (''Ostreiter-Bataillon 454'') (formerly ''Reiter-Abteilung 454'', later ''Ostreiter-Regiment 454'') * 454th Eastern Pioneer Battalion ''(Ost-Pionier-Bataillon 454)'' * 829th Signals Battalion (''Nachrichten-Abteilung 829)'' * 454th Divisional Services (''Divisions-Einheiten 454)''

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Operational history

Organization

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Further reading