The Finnish SS-VOLUNTEERS AND ATROCITIES - arkisto

LARS WESTERLUND

The Finnish

S S -VOL UN T E E R S AND ATROCITIES

1941?1943

SKS

The Finnish

S S -VOL UN T E E R S AND ATROCITIES

1941?1943

LARS WESTERLUND

THE FINNISH SS-VOLUNTEERS AND ATROCITIES

against Jews, Civilians and Prisoners of War in Ukraine and the Caucasus Region 1941?1943

An Archival Survey

Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura ? Finnish Literature Society Kansallisarkisto ? The National Archives of Finland Helsinki 2019

Steering Group Permanent State Under-Secretary Timo Lankinen, Prime Minister's Office / Chair Research Director P?ivi Happonen, The National Archives of Finland Director General Jussi Nuorteva, The National Archives of Finland Legal Adviser P?ivi Pietarinen, Office of the President of the Republic of Finland Production Manager, Tiina-Kaisa Laakso-Liukkonen, Prime Minister's Office / Secretary

Project Group Director General Jussi Nuorteva, The National Archives of Finland / Chair Research Director P?ivi Happonen, The National Archives of Finland / Vice-Chair Associate Professor Antero Holmila, University of Jyv?skyl? Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Pia Letto-Vanamo, University of Helsinki Professor Kimmo Rentola, University of Helsinki Academy Research Fellow Oula Silvennoinen, University of Helsinki Docent Andr? Swanstr?m, ?bo Akademi University Professor, Major General Vesa Tynkkynen, The National Defence University Professor Lars Westerlund Researcher Ville-Pekka K??ri?inen, The National Archives of Finland / Secretary

Publisher's Editor Katri Maasalo, Finnish Literature Society (SKS) Proofreading and translations William Moore Maps Spatio Oy Graphic designer Anne Kaikkonen, Timangi

Cover: Finnish Waffen-SS troops ready to start the march to the East in May or early June 1941. OW Coll.

? 2019 The National Archives of Finland and Finnish Literature Society (SKS)

Kirjokansi 222 ISBN 978-951-858-111-9 ISSN 2323-7392

Kansallisarkiston toimituksia 22 ISSN 0355-1768

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License. To view a copy of the license, please visit Copyright is retained by the author(s).

CONTENTS

FOREWORD9

1,408 FINNISH SS-VOLUNTEERS12

The recruitment of the Finnish SS-volunteers originated in the Winter War experiences13 The Finnish volunteers harboured strong Anti-Soviet attitudes20 The Waffen SS-Division Wiking ? Overview and Documentation22

Composition of the Division22IPolitical views among the Finnish volunteers26I Efforts by the Finnish National Socialist organisations to enforce the recruitment of Finnish volunteers30IThe illusion of an SS elite unit33IInvolvement of Waffen-SS in atrocities36I SS-Division Wiking and atrocities witnessed by Finnish volunteers41IAtrocities by Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish volunteers50ISurviving archives of the Waffen-SS54I Other Archives55IThe 76 diaries by the Finnish SS-volunteers55ITen diaries by Dutch and Norwegian SS-volunteers57IRecollections by and biographies on Finnish volunteers58I Photo documentation59

THE UNITS OF WAFFEN SS-DIVISION WIKING AND THEIR COMMANDERS61

The SS-Regiment Nordland61 The SS-Regiment Westland62 The SS-Regiment Germania64 SS-Artillerie-Regiment 564 SS-Aufkl?rungs-Abteilung 566 SS-Panzerj?ger-Abteilung 566 The Finnish SS-Volunteer Battalion67 The Finnish contingent of the Waffen-SS68 The Division Commander Felix Steiner68 The Regiment and Battalion Commanders73

THE HARSH GERMAN OCCUPATION POLICY IN POLAND, 1939?4076

MASS KILLINGS IN UKRAINE IN 194177

Civilians77 Jews78 Partisans82 Soviet Prisoners of War88 Political Commissars90

NO PRISONERS WILL BE TAKEN92

MASSACRES IN THE LEMBERG AREA, 1.?7.7.194198

Lemberg 1.7.1941: The Baptism of Shocking Scenes98 The Ukrainian nationalists99IThe actions of Einsatzgruppe C101IThe Wehrmacht City Commandant and German recollections102IA Dutch report104IObservations by Norwegian volunteers104IExperiences of Finnish volunteers107

Olszanica, 2.7.1941: The first shootings of Soviet POWs and civilians111 Novosilky, 2.?3.7.1941: Bloody revenge for the Regiment Commander W?ckerle112 Krivichi, 2.7.1941: The annihilation of a local community118 Slowita, 2.7.1941: Fire-raising, wild shootings, and executions120 Kurowice, 3.7.1941: 180 Soviet POWs were shot and some Jews124 Zolochiv, 3.?4.7.1941: Lieutenant-Colonel Groscurth restrains the brutality of

SS-Division Wiking125 The atrocities in the recollections of the locals125IThe Ukrainian nationalists127I Oberstleutnant Helmuth Groscurth129IThe SS-Division Wiking130IThe minor role of Einsatzkommando 4b132IActions by the Dutch and Norwegian SS-volunteers133I Experiences of the Finnish volunteers133

Zboriv, 4.7.1941: Further Massacre of Jews 134 Ozerna, 3.?5.7.1941: 180?200 Jews killed, and two synagogues burned135 Nowiki, 3.?4.7.1941: Minor scuffles and the killing of stragglers136 Podhorylce, early July 1941: Two Finns shot two slaughter victims138 Urycz, 7.7.1941: At least 300 civilians were shot139

ACTS OF MASS VIOLENCE IN THE TARNOPOL AREA, 4.?6.7.1941141

Tarnopol, 4.?5.7.1941: An urban massacre141 The City Commandant Erwin Sander141IThe Ukrainian nationalists142 The Sonderkommando 4b143IActions by the Dutch volunteers143 Experiences of the Finnish volunteers145IThe possible gauntlet of the Butchery Company147

Mykulyntsi, 5.7.1941: The Berserk run of the Wikingers148 The raids of the Ukrainian nationalists149IThe actions of the SS units150 Steiner is claimed to have ordered the execution of 200 Soviet POWs, 5.7.1941151

Hrymailiv, 5.7.1941: Swift settlement in passing152 Chorostk?w, 5.7.1941: Outrages against the Jews154 Husiatyn, 6.7.1941: The mowing down of civilians and Soviet POWs154

Recollections by Dutch volunteers154IExperiences of Finnish volunteers155 Wehrmacht efforts to check the atrocities157

VIOLENT EVENTS IN THE EASTERN AREAS, 11.7.1941 ? JANUARY 1943158

Proskurov, 11.7.1941: Mopping-up actions in the streets158 Bila Tserkva, mid-July 1941: Shooting of Jews159 The bridgehead of Dnipropetrovsk, August 1941: Shooting of civilians160 Zhytomyr, mid-July 1941: The deathblow of a city160

The Wiking round-ups160IEinsatzkommando 4b161ICautionary hangings in the market square, 7.8.1941162 Krementsug, 12.8.1941: The execution of a Soviet Lieutenant163 Dniprodzerzhynsk: Suspect Russians shot, 22.8.1941 162 Village near Donskoye, 18.1.1942: Necessity to shoot the Ivans163 Kabardinskaya, 26.9.1942:All the deserters were shot and two Russians hanged164 Toldzgun, December 1942: Clearing the village164 Metsentinskaya, January-March 1943: Shooting POWs165

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