The 11th SS Police Regiment () was initially named the Police Regiment for Special Employment (''Polizei-Regiment

zbV z. b. V. (also z.b.V., ZBV, ZbV, and zbV) is an abbreviation for the German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the Germa ...

'') when it was formed around the beginning of 1942 from existing

Order Police The ''Ordnungspolizei'' (), abbreviated ''Orpo'', meaning "Order Police", were the uniformed police force in Nazi Germany from 1936 to 1945. The Orpo organisation was absorbed into the Nazi monopoly on power after regional police jurisdiction w ...

() units for security duties on the Eastern Front. The unit was renumbered as the 11th Police Regiment in July 1942 and then was redesignated as an SS unit in early 1943.

Formation and organization

The regiment was formed around the beginning of 1942Tessin & Kanapin, p. 555 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel of Police (''Oberstleutenant der Schutzpolizei'') Hans Griep in the eastern

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...

and subordinated to Gerret Korsemann, Higher SS and Police Leader For Special Employment.

Police Battalion 304 The police are a Law enforcement organization, constituted body of Law enforcement officer, persons empowered by a State (polity), state, with the aim to law enforcement, enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citize ...

(''Polizei-Batallion 304''), Police Battalion 315 and Police Battalion 320 were assigned to the regiment. When the regiment was renumbered in July, the

battalion A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...

s were redesignated as the first through third battalions, respectively, of the regiment.Arico, pp. 398, 453–54, 474 All of the police regiments were redesignated as SS police units on 24 February 1943 and retained their existing organization and strength. In late June, the 10th Police Panzer Company equipped with two

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrol A patrol is commonly a group of personnel, such as Law enforcement officer, law enforcement officers, military personnel, or Security guard, secur ...

s of ex-French

Panhard 178 The Panhard 178 (officially designated as ''Automitrailleuse de Découverte Panhard modèle 1935'', 178 being the internal project number at Panhard) or "Pan-Pan" was an advanced French reconnaissance 4x4 armoured car that was designed for the ...

armored cars was attached to the regiment in Russia. On 23 August, the 11th Police Panzer Company was formed with two

s of Panhards and a platoon of ex-French

Hotchkiss H35 The Hotchkiss H35 or was a French cavalry tank developed prior to World War II. Despite having been designed from 1933 as a rather slow but well-armoured light infantry support tank, the type was initially rejected by the French Infantry becaus ...

tanks. Instead of joining the regiment in Russia, it was ordered to

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

on 20 November where it remained for the rest of the war. The 10th Company's missing tank platoon was finally equipped with captured Soviet

T-26 tank The T-26 tank was a Soviet light tank used during many conflicts of the Interwar period and in World War II. It was a development of the British Vickers 6-Ton tank and was one of the most successful tank designs of the 1930s until its light ...

s and was ordered to join its parent unit on 17 March 1944. The 10th Company was detached from the regiment in September and withdrawn to Vienna for reequipment.Regensberg, pp. 119–120, 126–127

Notes

Citations

References

* Arico, Massimo. ''Ordnungspolizei: Encyclopedia of the German Police Battalions'', Stockholm: Leandoer & Ekholm (2010). *Blood, Phillip W. ''Hitler's Bandit Hunters: The SS and the Nazi Occupation of Europe'', Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books (2006). *Nix, Phil & Jerome, Georges. ''The Uniformed Police Forces of the Third Reich 1933–1945'', Stockholm: Leander & Ekholm (2006). *Regenberg, Werner. ''Armored Vehicles and Units of the German Order Police, 1936–1945''. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer (2002) *Tessin, Georg & Kannapin, Norbert. ''Waffen-SS under Ordnungspolizei im Kriegseinsatz 1939–1945: Ein Überlick anhand der Feldpostübersicht'', Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio Verlag (2000). {{SS Police Regts #