76 Prior to April1941 the Horseshoeing Personnel Was Provided by the Respective Replacement Units of the Units with Which Itwas
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76 THE GERMAN REPLACEMENT ARMY Prior to April1941 the horseshoeing personnel was provided by the respective replacement units of the units with which it was em ployed, and all other veterinary personnel by the supply troop re placement battalions (horse-drawn). The training of veterinary personnel is supervised by the Veteri nary Inspector (Veterindrinspekteur) . The distinguishing color of the veterinary troops is carmine. The veterinary replacement and training battalions carry the numbers of their respective Wehrkreise. There are no replacement and training units with numbers or names corresponding to the Wehrkreise XX, XXI,Bohmen und Mdhren, and Generalgouverne ment. — b. Units. — Veterindr-Ersatz-Abteilung (Vet.Ers.Abt.) veterinary replacement battalion. One in each of the pre-war Wehrkreise. Since April 1941 the veterinary replacement battalions have been the responsible replacement units for all personnel in the veterinary services and installations of the entire Army with the exception of the motorized horse transport columns (Pferde- Trans port-Kolonnen (mot)) and the specialists of the veterinary services (medical per sonnel, horse supply sergeants, and drivers). They are also re sponsible for veterinary officers and officer candidates and for horse- shoeing personnel for the entire Army. Each replacement battalion takes care of replacements for the units from the Wehrkreis whose number it carries; in addition Veterinary Replacement Battalions 1, 2, and 3 serve units from Wehrkreise Bohmen und Mdhren, XX, and XXIrespectively. The responsible replacement units for the motorized horse trans port columns are the motor transport supply troop replacement battalions, except that horse grooms (Pferdebegleiter) are provided by the veterinary replacement battalions. Veterinary Replacement Battalion 3 at Fiirstenwalde (Wkr. Ill) is also the responsible replacement unit for veterinary officers and horseshoeing personnel of the Air Force. Designation of corresponding training unit: — Veterinar-Ersatz- und -Ausbildungs-Abteilung ( Vet.Ers.u.A usb.A bt.) com bined veterinary replacement and training battalion. TYPES OF REPLACEMENT UNITS 77 — — c. Schools. (1) School for officer training. The Heeresveterinar akademie (Army Veterinary Academy) at Hannover (Wkr. XI) directs the veterinary education of active officers of the veterinary troops. — (2) Schools for special training. Heereslehrschmieden (Army horseshoer schools) .—There was probably originally one of these schools for horseshoeing personnel in each Wehrkreis. The follow ing schools have been identified : Wehrkreis 111 Berlin Wehrkreis VII Miinchen Wehrkreis XI Hannover Wehrkreis XII Darmstadt Wehrkreis B.u.M Briinn 19. MilitaryPolice {Feldgendarmerie)— a. General description of the arm. This arm consists of the divi sional military-police detachments and GHQ military-police units. Personnel belonging to this arm are also employed with units of other arms. Their main task is traffic control. The distinguishing color of the military police is orange. They wear the Nazi eagle and swastika surrounded by an oak wreath on the left upper arm, and a brown band with the word "Feldgendar merie" inscribed— in silver on the lower arm. b. Units. (1) Feldgendarmerie-Ersatz- Regiment— (Feldgend.Ers. Rgt.) — military-police replacement regiment. This regiment, lo cated at Litzmannstadt (Wkr. XXI),is the responsible, replacement unit for allmilitary-police units and for all military-police personnel employed with units of other arms. —(2) Feldgendarmerie- Ausbildungs-A —bteilung (Feldgend .Ausb.Abt.) military-police training battalion. Two such battalions have been identified: No. Iat Neustadt, Westpreussen (Wkr. XX),and No. IIat Zgierz near Litzmannstadt (Wkr. XXI). They conduct the training —of military-police personnel. c. School. The Feldgendarmerie-Offizier-Schule (Military Police Officers School) is the only school of this arm known. Its location is uncertain. 78 THE GERMAN REPLACEMENT ARMY 20. Administrative Troops (Verwaltungstruppen)— a. General description of the arm. The administrative troops con sist of the divisional bakery companies, slaughter platoons, ration supply offices, and equipment salvage depots, and of various GHQ units, including the army field post offices. The training of the administrative troops is supervised by the Superior Officer for the Administrative Troops (Hoherer Offizier fur Verwaltungstruppen). There is no— distinguishing color for administrative units. b. Units. (1) Verwaltungs-Truppen-Ersatz-— und -Ausbildungs Abteilung (Verw.Tr.Ers.u.Ausb.Abt.) administrative— troop com bined replacement and training battalion. There are three of these battalions, numbered 1,2, and 3, located at Griinheide near Erkner (Wkr. Ill),Munchen (Wkr. VII),and Wien (Wkr. XVII),respec tively. They are the responsible replacement units of bakery and slaughter units and other administrative personnel of field units from one of the Wehrkreise to which each of them is assigned. Administrative Troop Combined Replacement and Training Battalion 1 was designated as the responsible replacement unit for specialist personnel of the administrative services especially selected for service in tropical regions. (2) Eisenbahn-Kuchenwagen-Ersatz-Kompanie (Eisenb.Kiichen wagen-Ers.Kp.) —railway-kitchen-car replacement company. —One of these units is apparently attached to each administrative troop combined replacement and training battalion, carrying the number of the battalion. Itis the responsible replacement unit for railway- kitchen-car battalions. (3)— Feldpost-Ersatz- und -Ausbildungs-Abteilung {F.P.Ers.u.Ausb. —Abt.) Field Post Combined Replacement and Training Battalion. Since May 1943 this battalion has been the responsible replace ment unit for all field post units in the entire Armed Forces. Itis located in Barrack Encampment Iat Meierhofen near Karlsbad (Wkr. XIII). — (4) Heeres-Betreuungs-Ersatz-Abteilung— (H.Betr.Ers.Abt.) Army Welfare Replacement Battalion. This unit, located at Sprottau TYPES OF REPLACEMENT UNITS 79 (Wkr. VIII),is the responsible replacement unit for all Army wel fare battalions and companies, including the Army delousing com panies. Itis not certain that these units belong to the administra tive troops. 21. Local Defense Units {Landesschutzen-Einheiten) — a. General description of the arm. The basic local defense unit is the Landesschutzen-Bataillon (local defense battalion). Two or more of these battalions are usually controlled by a regimental staff, called Landesschu'tzen-Regiment (local defense regiment). They are composed of older personnel and of soldiers temporarily or per manently unfit for field service. They are employed for guard duties within Germany, as support for the administration of occu pied countries, and for the protection of railway and river communi cations in occupied countries and rear areas of theaters of operations. In accordance with the various duties which might be assigned to these units they willbe found under various designations, such as railway escort battalion {Transportbegleitbataillon) ,railway security battalion (Transportsicherungsbataillon) , train guard battalion (Zugwachabteilung) ,river security battalion (Stromsicherungsbatail lon) (now renamed Landespionierbataitton), and security battalion (Sickerungsbataillon) . Some of them have also been converted into construction engineer units. The distinguishing color of the local defense units is white. Their personnel wear the— Latin letter L on their shoulder straps. b. Numbering system. The local defense battalions of each Wehr kreis were originally allotted a block of 50 numbers, starting with 201, as follows: Wkr. Series Wkr. Series I 201-250 IX 601-650 II 251-300 X 651-700 111 301-350 XI 701-750 IV 351-400 XII 751-800 V 401-450 XIII 801-850 VI 451-500 XVII 851-900 VII 501-550 XVIII 901-950 VIII 551-600 Various 951-999 80 THE GERMAN REPLACEMENT ARMY It is probable that this numbering system is not now rigidly adhered to. The local defense regiments are numbered in the series 11-189. In the case of two-digit numbers the first digit, and in the case of three-digit numbers the first two digits, give the Wehrkreis of their origin. — — c. Unit. Landesschiltzen-Ersatz-Bataillon— (Ldsch.Ers.Btl.) local defense replacement battalion. These are the responsible replace ment units for all local defense units of their Wehrkreise. Owing to the fact, however, that some of the field units have been moved into other Wehrkreise and that other field units have been disbanded or converted, the numbers of the field units affiliated to a replacement battalion do not always belong to the block originally allotted to its Wehrkreis. The local-defense replacement battalions carry the numbers of their respective Wehrkreis; Wehrkreise 111 and IX have, in addition, Landesschiltzen Replacement Battalions 32 and 92, respectively. {Geheime Feldpolizei) 22. Secret Field Police — a. General description of the arm. Unlike the military police (Feldgendarmerie) , who concern themselves mainly with traffic control, the Secret Field Police are designed to combat any sub versive activities within the Armed Forces. As a political control organization they work in close cooperation with the SS-Sicher heitsdienst (SS Security Forces) and the Geheime Staatspolizei (Secret State Police). They are organized into Gruppen (groups). The personnel of the secret field police wear uniforms with light- blue facings and the letters G.F.P. in white on the shoulder straps. Officers wear—