Roland Battalion
Encyclopedia
The 'Roland Battalion officially known as Special Group Roland, was the subunit under command of the Abwehr
special operation unit Lehrregiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800
. Along with the Nachtigall Battalion
it was one of two military units formed February 25, 1941 by head of the Abwehr
Wilhelm Franz Canaris, which sanctioned the creation of the "Ukrainian Legion" under German command. It was manned primarily by occupied Poland citizens of Ukrainian
ethnicity directed to unit by Bandera's OUN orders .
In Germany, in November 1941 the Ukrainian personnel of the Legion was reorganized into the 201st Schutzmannschaft
Battalion. It numbered 650 persons which serve for a year at Belarus before disbanding.
OUN actively cooperated with Nazi Germany. According to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and other sources, OUN-R leader Stepan Bandera
held meetings with the heads of Germany's intelligence, regarding the formation of "Nachtigall" and "Roland" Battalions. February 25, 1941 head of the Abwehr
Wilhelm Franz Canaris sanctioned the creation of the "Ukrainian Legion" under German command. The unit would have had 800 persons. Roman Shukhevych
became a commander of the Legion from the OUN-R side. OUN expected that the unit would become the core of the future Ukrainian army. In the spring the OUN received 2.5 million marks for subversive activities against the USSR. In the spring of 1941 the Legion was reorganized into 2 units. One of the units became known as Nachtigall Battalion, a second became the Roland Battalion, and the remainder was immediately dispatched into Soviet Union to sabotage the Red Army's rear.
The Battalion was set up by the Abwehr
and organized by Richard Yary
of the OUN(b) in March1941, prior the German invasion to Soviet Union.
Approximately 350 Bandera's OUN followers were trained at the Abwehr training centre at the Seibersdorf
under command of the former Poland Army major Yevhen Pobiguschiy. .
n uniform with yellow armband with text "Im Dienst der Deutschen Wehrmacht" (In the service of the German Wehrmacht). They were given Austrian helmets from World War I.
n light machine guns and Germans light weaponry .
- Gura Humorului
- Suceava
- Botoşani
with the tasks of clearing road and transportation corridors, organizing groups of Ukrainian home guard, guarding transportation of food, helping with the evacuation of POW's, and guarding strategic objectives.
On June 30, 1941 Abwehr received an order to prevent the unit from taking any military action, and it was held at Frumusola.
On July 24 the Roland Battalion was transferred to the command of the 54th army corps with the task to guard roads to East of the Dniester
river. At that time the Battalion had 9 officers and 260 soldiers. In time the Battalion was planned to be topped up with another 150 volunteers from the occupied areas and spend some time near Yassy
From July 28 the Battalion was directed to front-line crossed the Dniester at Dubossari and headed to Odessa.
on August 26, 1941. Their weapons were taken from they while they travelled; they were transported to the town of Mayerling
near Vienna
and their weapons returned to them.
By the October 21, 1941 unit was transferred to Neuhammer where it was merged with the Nachtigall Battalion
to form the 201st Schutzmannschaft Battalion
.
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
special operation unit Lehrregiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800
Brandenburgers
The Brandenburgers were members of the Brandenburg German Special Forces unit during World War II.Units of Brandenburgers operated in almost all fronts - the invasion of Poland, Denmark and Norway, in the Battle of France, in Operation Barbarossa, in Finland, Greece and the invasion of Crete,...
. Along with the Nachtigall Battalion
Nachtigall Battalion
The Nachtigall Battalion , officially known as Special Group Nachtigall, was the subunit under command of the Abwehr special operation unit Lehrregiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800...
it was one of two military units formed February 25, 1941 by head of the Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
Wilhelm Franz Canaris, which sanctioned the creation of the "Ukrainian Legion" under German command. It was manned primarily by occupied Poland citizens of Ukrainian
Ukrainians
Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
ethnicity directed to unit by Bandera's OUN orders .
In Germany, in November 1941 the Ukrainian personnel of the Legion was reorganized into the 201st Schutzmannschaft
Schutzmannschaft
Schutzmannschaft or Hilfspolizei were the collaborationist auxiliary police battalions of native policemen in occupied countries in East, which were created to fight the resistance during World War II mostly in the Eastern European countries occupied by Nazi Germany. Hilfspolizei refers also to...
Battalion. It numbered 650 persons which serve for a year at Belarus before disbanding.
Formation
Prior to Operation Barbarossa, the Bandera'sStepan Bandera
Stepan Andriyovych Bandera was a Ukrainian politician and one of the leaders of Ukrainian national movement in Western Ukraine , who headed the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists...
OUN actively cooperated with Nazi Germany. According to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and other sources, OUN-R leader Stepan Bandera
Stepan Bandera
Stepan Andriyovych Bandera was a Ukrainian politician and one of the leaders of Ukrainian national movement in Western Ukraine , who headed the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists...
held meetings with the heads of Germany's intelligence, regarding the formation of "Nachtigall" and "Roland" Battalions. February 25, 1941 head of the Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
Wilhelm Franz Canaris sanctioned the creation of the "Ukrainian Legion" under German command. The unit would have had 800 persons. Roman Shukhevych
Roman Shukhevych
Roman Taras Yosypovych Shukhevych was a Ukrainian politician and military leader, the general of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army.-Childhood:Roman Taras Yosypovych Shukhevych was born in the city of Krakovets, Jaworow powiat, in Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria which is located today between Lviv and...
became a commander of the Legion from the OUN-R side. OUN expected that the unit would become the core of the future Ukrainian army. In the spring the OUN received 2.5 million marks for subversive activities against the USSR. In the spring of 1941 the Legion was reorganized into 2 units. One of the units became known as Nachtigall Battalion, a second became the Roland Battalion, and the remainder was immediately dispatched into Soviet Union to sabotage the Red Army's rear.
The Battalion was set up by the Abwehr
Abwehr
The Abwehr was a German military intelligence organisation from 1921 to 1944. The term Abwehr was used as a concession to Allied demands that Germany's post-World War I intelligence activities be for "defensive" purposes only...
and organized by Richard Yary
Richard Yary
Richard Franz Marian Yary was a Ukrainian nationalist journalist, politician and military figure....
of the OUN(b) in March1941, prior the German invasion to Soviet Union.
Approximately 350 Bandera's OUN followers were trained at the Abwehr training centre at the Seibersdorf
Seibersdorf
Seibersdorf is an Austrian market town with 1,283 residents in the District of Baden in Lower Austria.-Geography:Seibersdorf lies in the industrial belt of Lower Austria...
under command of the former Poland Army major Yevhen Pobiguschiy. .
Uniform
In comparison to Nachtigall - which used ordinary Wehrmacht uniform, the Roland Battalion was outfitted in the CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
n uniform with yellow armband with text "Im Dienst der Deutschen Wehrmacht" (In the service of the German Wehrmacht). They were given Austrian helmets from World War I.
Weapons
The Battalion had arms consisting of 2 CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
n light machine guns and Germans light weaponry .
In action
The Roland Battalion moved to Romania- Soviet border by June 15, 1941 and placed under command of the Army's Group South. On June 27, 1941 they placed under command of the German 11th Army with task to move in the direction Campulung MoldovenescCâmpulung Moldovenesc
Câmpulung Moldovenesc is a city located in Suceava County, which is in the historical Bukovina region of Moldavia in North Eastern Romania...
- Gura Humorului
Gura Humorului
Gura Humorului is a town located in northern Romania, Suceava County in southern Bukovina. Until 1918 it was in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and formed a shtetl...
- Suceava
Suceava
Suceava is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565.-History:...
- Botoşani
Botosani
Botoșani is the capital city of Botoșani County, in northern Moldavia, Romania. Today, it is best known as the birthplace of many celebrated Romanians, including Mihai Eminescu and Nicolae Iorga.- Origin of the name :...
with the tasks of clearing road and transportation corridors, organizing groups of Ukrainian home guard, guarding transportation of food, helping with the evacuation of POW's, and guarding strategic objectives.
On June 30, 1941 Abwehr received an order to prevent the unit from taking any military action, and it was held at Frumusola.
On July 24 the Roland Battalion was transferred to the command of the 54th army corps with the task to guard roads to East of the Dniester
Dniester
The Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe. It runs through Ukraine and Moldova and separates most of Moldova's territory from the breakaway de facto state of Transnistria.-Names:...
river. At that time the Battalion had 9 officers and 260 soldiers. In time the Battalion was planned to be topped up with another 150 volunteers from the occupied areas and spend some time near Yassy
Yassy
Yassy may refer to:* Iaşi, a town in ROMANIA* Hazrat-e Turkestan, a town in KAZAKHSTAN* a right tributary of the Kara Darya in KYRGYZSTAN* another spelling of Jassy...
From July 28 the Battalion was directed to front-line crossed the Dniester at Dubossari and headed to Odessa.
Dissolution
August 10, 1941 the Command of the 11th Army received a telegram from Abwehr: "After consultations with the Reichsminister of the occupied territories of the East, the Roland organization should be excluded from campaign because of political reasons" August 14 battalion was recalled. The 50 from the Roland personnel remained as translators at the established occupational administrations of the Reich. They were restricted however, from political activity, and after 30 days they were all relieved of duty. The rest of the Battalion returned to FocşaniFocsani
Focşani is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the shores the Milcov river, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population of 101,854.-Geography:...
on August 26, 1941. Their weapons were taken from they while they travelled; they were transported to the town of Mayerling
Mayerling
Mayerling is a small village in Lower Austria belonging to the municipality of Alland in the district of Baden. It is situated on the Schwechat River, in the Wienerwald , 15 miles southwest of Vienna...
near Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and their weapons returned to them.
By the October 21, 1941 unit was transferred to Neuhammer where it was merged with the Nachtigall Battalion
Nachtigall Battalion
The Nachtigall Battalion , officially known as Special Group Nachtigall, was the subunit under command of the Abwehr special operation unit Lehrregiment "Brandenburg" z.b.V. 800...
to form the 201st Schutzmannschaft Battalion
201st Schutzmannschaft Battalion
The 201st Schutzmannschaft Battalion was a Security Police unit composed from the personnel of the Abwehrs Roland Battalion and Nachtigall Battalion....
.