Geheime Feldpolizei 570

[stcamp]

Hello,


Does anyone know if there is a list of who was assigned to GFP 570?

Regards,
Steve

[Larry D.]

Steve -

I think I'm probably the only one who has any notes on these. Unfortunately, I have very few names for 570, but some additional digging at NARA and the Holocaust Memorial should add to these.

Gruppe Geheime Feldpolizei 570

Formed effective with the general mobilization of 26 August 1939 in Wehrkreis XI.

1939: Polish campaign.
1940-41: West attached to AOK 4.
1941-44: central sector of the Eastern Front (Central Russia).
Sep 42 – Jul 43: GFP 570 operationally under the orders of Obstlt. Hinterseer, A.O./AOK 4, with the Gruppe’s main offices in Roslavl. The records examined consist of the Gruppe’s weekly activity reports for this period which, in 2 or 3 sentences of narrative for each interrogation, describe who was interrogated, why, the results, and who conducted the interrogation. For example, for the month of September 1942 (consisting of 4 weekly reports) a total of approximately 100 alleged Soviet agents, Partisans, Communists, Jews, deserters and citizens were interrogated. Of these, about 18 were shot (agents, Partisans, and Jews determined to be fanatical communists). The rest were either released or put in camps. All of those found to be “partisan-helpers” were put in camps. Red Army deserters were turned over to the Abwehr for military intelligence interrogation. Many of the interrogations in these reports, perhaps 30%, were routine counterintelligence screenings of Russian civilians requested by various Heer and Luftwaffe units employing them in the Roslavl area. The order to execute the detainees that were interrogated came directly and exclusively from Obstlt. Hinterseer.
1944-45: East Prussia.

FpNs: (22444, 27502).

Kommandeur:
Feldpolizeikommissar Stockmann ( ? - ? ) 9/42
Feldpolizeikommissar Jochum ( ? - Jul 43) 1/42, 5/43
Feldpolizeikommissar Riedel (Jul 43 - ? )

Other Personalities:
Feldpolizeikommissar Wertel, deputy director 7/43

Attached Units:
Ost-Kompanie 612: 1942-45.

[Sources: G.Tessin – Verbände und Truppen; NARA WashDC: RG 242 (T-312 roll 1353/1272-1410; roll 1355)].

[thomas]

Dear all

Was the Geheime Feldpolizei attached to the "normal" Gestapo or to the Wehrmacht ???

Thank you very much for an answer.

Greetings

thomas

[Georges JEROME]

The Geheime Feld Polizei (GFP) was part of the Wehrmacht. The chief of the GFP was a former SIPO official willi Krichbaum which held title "Felpolizeichef der Wehrmacht".

Senior GFP leaders were former SIPO policemen and most GFP staff was conscripted policemen.

GFP units were attached to Armies in front areas and Mil verwaltung in occupied areas.

JG

[stcamp]

Hello,

Thank you Larry for your reply.

I have seen the GFP referred to as the "Gestapo of the Army". I have also read that after 1942 many of their personnel were transferred into the SD and Gestapo. This was a result of Himmlers consolidation of control over all police forces.

I do not believe any GFP personnel were prosecuted for war crimes by the Western Allies. Not because they were angels but because they were found to be very useful after the war in building an intelligence network against the Soviets.

This is surmise on my part but I am sure that GFP people were a large part of Gehlens organization after the war as Willi Krichbaum who was the Chief of the Geheime Feldpolizei (GFP) in OKW was Gehlens Chief Deputy. Willi was also a SS-Oberführer und Oberst der Polizei and holder of the honor ring.

[Larry D.]

Steve wrote:

I do not believe any GFP personnel were prosecuted for war crimes by the Western Allies.

Hmmm..... I have a vague recollection that both Greece and Yugoslavia demanded the extradition of some GFP people to stand trial in the 1945-48 period, but whether or not the U.N. War Crimes Commission provided the accused I can't say with certainty, although I think some of them were. But you may be right concerning the Western Allies (Britain, U.S. and France).

[thomas]

Dear all

Thank you very much for your answers. They are very intresting for me.

Greetings

thomas

[Geheime Feldpolizei]

Contact WASt in Berlin and ask for a copy of the Erkennungsmarkenverzeichnis for Gruppe GFP 570.

[Geheime Feldpolizei]

The head (Leiter) of GFP Group 570 for the period 1939-ca. April 1941 was Feldpolizeidirektor Karl Soechting. If I remember correctly, Soechting died in Yugoslav captivity ca. 1947/48.

[Larry D.]

Karl Söchting's next assignment was GFP Direktor/Sicherungsdivision 403 located in the rear of Heeresgruppe Mitte. Do you know where he was after that or how the Yugoslavs ended up with him?

[Geheime Feldpolizei]

Yes, in the spring of 1941 many of the FPDs were posted to staff positions with security divisions, armies, and army groups in preparation for Barbarossa. Soechting was posted to the 403rd. I believe he returned to the Security Police (he had been with the Gestapo prior to 1939). He was likely posted to the Balkans at some point in his career. I will have to check. If interested in the senior GFP leadership, check out my article in the Fall 2003 issue of Holocaust and Genocide Studies.

[Larry D.]

BROWN, Paul B. “The Senior Leadership Cadre of the Geheime Feldpolizei, 1939-1945.” In: Holocaust and Genocide Studies, 2003, 17(2), pp.278-304.

Thanks for the reply. I vaguely recall his name cropping up in the Nürnberg Case VII (Southeast Case) transcript that I read 13 or 14 years ago, but I can no longer recall the context save for the fact that he was either in Greece or Yugoslavia, probably the latter. He must have been in Belgrade where there were a number of Sipo and SD personnel.

Your article is on my "list" and I'll make a copy the next time I get to the library. Most university libraries subscribe to H&GS.

[Geheime Feldpolizei]

Soechting became ill and left his post with the Sicherungs-Division 403 ca. October 1941. He suffered from chronic appendicitis as early as 1940. Soechting was officially released from military service in February 1942 and returned to Stapo duty in March 1942. In June 1944 he was in Dortmund. There does not appear to be anything in his SS officer file to indicate duty in the Balkans. However, according to a document I found in some files during a recent trip to Germany, Soechting was "sentenced to death and executed in Belgrade on 14.11.1947."

[Larry D.]

Thanks for getting back with that. His presence in the Balkans is something of an enigma then, I guess. I just looked in the exceedingly well researched KRESO, Muharem, Njemačka Okupaciona Uprava u Beogradu 1941-1944 (Beograd, 1979), which details all of the various German agencies, units, organs and personalities that had a presence in Belgrade during the period of occupation and there is no mention of him, so he apparently wasn't in Serbia. Perhaps some of our enterprising Serbian and Croatian researchers who use this forum can shed some more light on this mystery. Very strange.

[dylan]

From his UNWCC war crime file
Soechting Karl born 4/12/1903 at Soltan
One of the head's Gestapo Dortmund
Date and place crime : Iserlohn april 1945.
Wanted for murder :Yugoslavia authority.
Detained UK in CC 4 Recklinghausen ,CC 7 Hemer.
Extradited UK.

Also Listed Dokumenti iz Istorije Jugoslavije
but only as Member gestapo Dortmund so no sign he was ever in Yugoslavia.

Dylan