german losses from soviet partisans

[teg]

What were german losses from Soviet partisans? Which NARA or BA/MA documents have information on this?

[stg 44]

http://www.hsozkult.de/publicationrevie ... cher-14304
According to this they were actually quite low; for the entire 1941-44 period in Belarus according to Soviet archives its less than 7k killed. They were more of a nuisance than a threat apparently. They were far more lethal to civilians than Axis soldiers.

[ML59]

If put against the great picture of the bloodiest conflict in history, direct losses due to partisans were relatively low, but not insignificant at all. Moreover, German losses were just a part of the overall losses: there were severe losses among collaborationist troops (Schuma, Militias, etc) and among the Axis allies, Hungarians and Romanians. As it happened in other occupied countries, the partisan war assumed more a character of civil war than merely a resistance to the invader.

[Steve]

At the Nuremberg trials General Jodl Chief of Operations in the Wehrmacht High Command said that he doubted whether German casualties due to partisans in the Soviet Union were as high as 50,000. Studies in the 1970s suggested a figure between 15,000 and 20,000 for German casualties.

From - The Phantom War by Matthew Cooper p.ix

[ML59]

It could be, probably the true figures will never be known. Anyhow, the partisan warfare in the East was an extremely brutal affair that destroyed hundred of thousands of lives, the very vast majority being civilians. And even if German casualties were not immense, the strain that the presence of partisans created on the Germans should not be underestimated and can be clearly recognized in several memoirs of German soldiers that fought in Russia.

[Boby]

Musial, Sowjetische Partisanen, S. 291 gives a figure of 39.568 deaths June 1941-June 1944 including "Landeseigene".

Same figure in Arnold, Die Wehrmacht und die Besatzungspolitik in den besetzten Gebieten der Sowjetunion, S. 478

[Stephan]

If put against the great picture of the bloodiest conflict in history, direct losses due to partisans were relatively low, but not insignificant at all. Moreover, German losses were just a part of the overall losses: there were severe losses among collaborationist troops (Schuma, Militias, etc) and among the Axis allies, Hungarians and Romanians. As it happened in other occupied countries, the partisan war assumed more a character of civil war than merely a resistance to the invader.

Right, one questions is, if the relatively low numbers of german losses, are they for the ethnic german soldiers in Wehrmaht, are they for ethnic germans in all formations - for example including Banschutze and police, OR are they the total total totale for all axis soldiers?

The fact many casualtiies were civilians is a totally another story - some collaborators or even traitors, quite a few simply not quick or willing enough to give away food and supplies... And some in sheer terrorist attacks.

As I understand it, germans often used minor troops for partisan defence, for example ukraininan formations, and the like. This was common usage. Napoleon could use polish legionaers for pacyfying local peasant uprisings in Italy (for example Dabrowskis legion), for taking ONE historical example....
And this is nothing especial. A troop too small for any serious battle use, is often good enough for minor operations against local partisans... It doenst necessary means they are considered as barely a third class formation - although they may.

Anyway, I do agree the relatively small numbers of killed germans arent that decisive. Even the military action oriented partisans had seldom as main operative to kill off germans. They sooner destroyed the transports, damaged electrical lines and industries, etc. Attacking minor groups of soldiers were almost solely to get other achievements, for example, to take weapons. Or attack a group of Banschutze whom discovered them, when they really wanted to explode a train... Its seldom the purpose of partisans to give battle whenever they can. That is the regulars soldiers doing.
Also the system of taking hostage and shooting them, made a simple killing off germans "because we could" contraproductive.
If accepting a shooting of 100 hostages should be meaningful, it was necessary the partisants took also extras, not just killing a couple of privates...

[teg]

According to the dissertation of Sebastian Stopper only in small Bryansk oblast from 1941 to 1943 German army lost 1300 soldiers from partisan (KIA and WIA), Hungarians - near 700 and collaborators - near 4500.

[Sid Guttridge]

"Losses" means more than casualties.

The infliction of military casualties is primarily the responsibility of conventional forces. Partisan warfare is not primarily about inflicting direct military casualties on the enemy, largely because he is likely to be far better equipped and more numerous at the point of contact than the partisans. It is about many other less quantifiable forms of attrition, including of morale, as well.

Quite apart from casualties there was material damage suffered to rolling stock, its loads and rail infrastructure, resources expended making it good, time spent doing so, etc.

Very large auxiliary security forces had to be built up, armoured trains built, engineer units deployed, etc., etc., which themselves absorbed resources.

Germany's allies also found themselves heavily engaged against partisans, especially the Hungarians and Slovaks in 1943.

On top of this there was the periodic diversion of active units of German Army and W-SS on anti-partisan drives to keep lines of communications open.

Later German Reserve Divisions, which were meant to be engaged in training, had to be deployed in anti-partisan operations. This led to complaints from the Feldheer that it had to retrain recruits because their Ersatzheer training had been inadequate because of this.

Cheers,

Sid.

[Mr.No one]

Hello

Check out this document for information on German and Romanian losses from partisans in the Crimea during 3 months (1.11.43-31.1.44)

http://wwii.germandocsinrussia.org/pages/30738/zooms/3

Cheers,
Sean

[steverodgers801]

at times regular units were involved with partisan operations