SS-Füsilier Battalion 15

[VJK]

SS-Füsilier Battalion 15:
Formed on 11 November 1943 in Ventspils. Incorporated into the I Battalion, Waffen-Grenadier Regiment der SS 34 on 16 July 1944. Battalion re-formed in August 1944.

Kdr.:
11 Nov 1943 - 12 Jul 1944: Waffen-Sturmbannführer Pēteris Lapainis
25 Apr 1944 - 19 Jun 1944: Waffen-Obersturmführer Antons Makovskis (acting CO)
12 Jul 1944 - 16 Jul 1944: SS-Sturmbannführer Hans Pomrehn
Aug 1944 - Sep 1944: Waffen-Obersturmführer Jānis Cubins
Sep 1944 - Oct 1944: SS-Obersturmführer Hans Wallier
Oct 1944 - 16 Nov 1944: SS-Sturmbannführer Hans Pomrehn
16 Nov 1944 - 26 Jan 1945: Waffen-Sturmbannführer Vilis Hāzners
26 Jan 1945 - 23 Feb 1945: SS-Sturmbannführer Hans Pomrehn
27 Jan 1945 - 29 Jan 1945: Waffen-Obersturmführer Jānis Elmārs Krūka (acting CO)
23 Feb 1945 - 27 Feb 1945†: SS-Obersturmführer Hans-Joachim Schütze
27 Feb 1945 - 17 Mar 1945: Waffen-Obersturmführer Pēteris Jānelsiņš
17 Mar 1945 - 25 Mar 1945: Waffen-Obersturmführer Atis Neilands
25 Mar 1945 - 20 Apr 1945: SS-Hauptsturmführer Eldon Walli
20 Apr 1945 - 2 May 1945: Waffen-Obersturmführer Atis Neilands

Adjutant:
11 Nov 1943 - 25 Apr 1944: Waffen-Obersturmführer Antons Makovskis
Nov 1944 - Dec 1944: Waffen-Untersturmführer Rudzītis
Dec 1944 - 29 Jan 1945: Waffen-Obersturmführer Pēteris Jānelsiņš
29 Jan 1945 - 13 Feb 1945: Waffen-Untersturmführer Jurgens
Feb 1945 - 19 Apr 1945: Waffen-Obersturmführer Atis Neilands
19 Apr 1945 - 1945: Waffen-Standartenoberjunker Antons

IVA:
Nov 1944 - 1945: Waffen-Untersturmführer Elmārs Zaļums

IVB:
Nov 1943 - 1944: Waffen-Untersturmführer Dr. Lībietis
Nov 1944 - 1945: Waffen-Untersturmführer Dr. Jansons

1. Company
1943 - 1944: Waffen-Hauptsturmführer Jānis Priedītis
1944 - 26 Jun 1944†: Waffen-Untersturmführer Jānis Peciņš
Nov 1944 - 9 Feb 1945: Waffen-Untersturmführer Arvīds Lejiņš
9 Feb 1945 - 26 Feb 1945†: Waffen-Obersturmführer Šnitkus
26 Feb 1945 - Mar 1945: Waffen-Untersturmführer Puriņš
25 Mar 1945 - 19 Apr 1945: Waffen-Hauptsturmführer Ādolfs Pulkstenis
19 Apr 1945 - 1945: SS-Untersturmführer Günter Donath

2. Company
1943 - 6 Feb 1944: Waffen-Obersturmführer Jānis Elmārs Krūka
6 Feb 1944 - 3 Mar 1944: Waffen-Sturmscharführer Čivnelis
3 Mar 1944 - 16 Mar 1944†: Waffen-Untersturmführer Valdis Krastiņš
16 Mar 1944 - 17 Mar 1944†: Waffen-Untersturmführer Arvīds Krimelis
17 Mar 1944 - 23 Mar 1944: Waffen-Sturmscharführer Bergmanis
23 Mar 1944 - 6 Apr 1944: Waffen-Untersturmführer Eglavs
6 Apr 1944 - 10 Jul 1944: Waffen-Obersturmführer Jānis Elmārs Krūka
10 Jul 1944 - 15 Jul 1944†: Waffen-Sturmscharführer Bergmanis
Nov 1944 - 22 Jan 1945: Waffen-Untersturmführer Elmārs Krieviņš
22 Jan 1945 - 9 Feb 1945: Waffen-Untersturmführer Bērziņš
9 Feb 1945 - 27 Feb 1945: SS-Untersturmführer Günter Donath
Mar 1945 - 25 Mar 1945: Waffen-Untersturmführer Štauers
25 Mar 1945 - 1945: SS-Untersturmführer Schmidt

3. Company
1943 - 16 Mar 1944: Waffen-Hauptsturmführer Jānis Groza
16 Mar 1944 - 1 May 1944: Waffen-Untersturmführer Kārlis Krebs
1 May 1944 - 16 Aug 1944: Waffen-Hauptsturmführer Jānis Groza
Nov 1944 - Nov 1944: Waffen-Standartenoberjunker Vārpiņš
Nov 1944 - 27 Jan 1945: Waffen-Obersturmführer Jānis Elmārs Krūka
27 Jan 1945 - 9 Feb 1945: Waffen-Standartenoberjunker Vārpiņš
27 Mar 1945 - Apr 1945: Waffen-Untersturmführer Puriņš
Apr 1945 - 1945: Waffen-Untersturmführer Rutkis

4. Company
1943 - 3 Mar 1944: Waffen-Hauptsturmführer Jānis Āboliņš
3 Mar 1944 - 1944: Waffen-Untersturmführer Miervaldis Grāvītis
Nov 1944 - 27 Jan 1945: Waffen-Obersturmführer Antons Makovskis
27 Jan 1945 - 9 Feb 1945: Waffen-Standartenoberjunker Ķempe
Apr 1945 - 1945: Waffen-Untersturmführer Kilp

Heavy Company
9 Feb 1945 - 21 Feb 1945: Waffen-Obersturmführer Atis Neilands
21 Feb 1945 - 27 Feb 1945: Waffen-Hauptsturmführer Ādolfs Pulkstenis
25 Mar 1945 - Apr 1945: SS-Untersturmführer Kilp

VJK

[Juanjo]

Hi VJK

Others officers of this unit

3ª Company
Waffen-Untersturmführer Harijs Grinlaubs
4ª Company
Waffen-Obersturmführer Rudolfs Grebers

Best regards
Juanjo

[Endzeit Jan]

Hi
Dienststellung by 15.Füs.Btl.??
SS-Hstuf.Kahlen and SS-Ostuf.Paul Knorr

My English ist not good. Sorry

Jan

[MacsenTree]

Hi,

My great grandfather is Karlis Krebs, born in Riga, Latvia on 27 Sept 1878. Could this be the same Karlis Krebs listed in the Battalion above? If you could point me in the direction of any information I could find on this topic, that would be great. In particular the role he played in the war. I am in Australia (via the UK) and it's difficult to trace our family history.

Many thanks.

[Panzermahn]

Part of the SS-Füsilier Battalion 15 under the command of Ostuf Neilands was trapped in Berlin in April-May 1945 and so far the best account of the Latvians during the Battle of Berlin was Aivar Petersons' book.

[Phil Don]

Hi

For MacsenTree

Normally, Karlis KREBS who serve in the Fus. Bataillon 15 was born on 26 january 1917.

Regards

Phil D.

[MacsenTree]

Thank you so much for your quick replies.

With that different date of birth, it could have been a son of my Great Grandfather. We know very little about this side of the family. I will try and find out more through the book. Any other suggestions are welcome.

Best wishes,
Rachel.

[Halfdan S.]

Kdr.:
20 Apr 1945 - 2 May 1945: Waffen-Obersturmführer Atis Neilands

I'm a bit puzzled about this Kdr. Ostuf. Neilands ...

Tony le Tissier: Der Kampf um Berlin, S. 202, writes that: Obersturmbannführer Neilands darf nicht mit dem Sonderführer Neilands verwechselt werden, der Dolmetscher bei General Krebs war - that Obersturm(bann)führer Neilands is not to be confused with the Sonderführer Neilands, that was the interpreter that Krebs brought with him to see Tschuikow.

In the Bundesarchiv Berlin they have SSO-files for three Neilands:
Ansis Neilands (30.12.1914); Waffen-Hauptsturmführer (1944);
Arturs Neilands (18.2.1918); Waffen-Obersturmführer (1944); and
Karlis Neilands (15.2.1917); Waffen-Obersturmführer (1944).

John P. Moore in his Führerliste has:
Neilands, Ansis Hstuf. 30.12.14 15.Waffen-Gr.Div. 8.44
Neilands, Kārlis Ostuf. 15. 2.17 15.Waffen-Gr.Div. 11.44

So who was the Commander Neilands and what was his Rank - is Atis the same as Arturs? And who was the Sonderführer Neilands?

Best
Halfdan S.

[VJK]

Hi,

First of all, le Tissier has it wrong:
1. definately not Obersturmbannführer
2. I don't know from where he plucked the term "Sonderführer", but it was definately the Obersturmführer Neilands, who was commanding the ragged remnants of the SS-Füsilier Battalion 15 who acted as Krebs' translator on May 1st during his surrender negotiations with the Russians. On May 2nd Neilands was appointed Building Commandant of the Luftfahrtministerium.

Source: "Latviešu karavīrs otra pasaules kara laikā", Vol. VIII, 1982.

As to the identity of Neilands: whilst he was known as Atis, his birth name was Otto, born 21 August 1884, awarded the EKII and EKI.

Source: "Par zemi, ko mīlam...", Udo I. Sietiņš, Rīga, 2005.

Kind regards,

VJK

[Halfdan S.]

Thanks a lot, VJK, very interesting!

An older gentleman I must say, 60 years old ... any more info on this Neilands?

Regards
Halfdan S.

[VJK]

Unfortunately I don't have any more info about Neilands, except that he was captured by the Russians, managed to escape soon after and retired into private life.

Best regards,

VJK

[Halfdan S.]

Thanks again, VJK.

I've seen somewhere that Neilands lived in West-Germany after the war - maybe in Krätschmer: Ritterkreuzträger ...

Regards
Halfdan S.