Heer Geheime FeldPolizei Gruppe & Kiev Question

[hucks216]

I have a Wehrpass to a member of GFP Gruppe 560 which was assigned to 6 Armee during Operation Barbarossa. I was wondering if any member can tell me if it would of fallen under the GFP areas of responsibility to investigate the bombings in Kiev caused by Russian laid booby traps after the Germans had occupied the city etc, and to hunt down any of the sabateurs? Also, would it of been possible that this GFP could of been involved with the round-up of the Jewish inhabitants that were murdered at Babi Yar at the end of September 1941?

In the campaign entries (see below) there are mentions of being at Kiev at around that time although there is a 3 day gap for the period of the Babi Yar massacre - would the GFP of moved off with units of 6 Armee during this gap or is it reasonable to assume that they would of still been in the city?

I realise that there isn't a great deal of information available (at least in the English language) on the various GFP units so any thoughts, opinions & reasoning is welcome.

[Gordon Williamson]

According to the original order creating the GFP, its main tasks were defined as

1. To investigate all threats to the state, especially espionage and treasonous activities and to combat sabotage and hostile propaganda

2. To collect and evaluate evidence, and the results of investigations undertaken.

3. To supervise the implementation of counter-measures for the protection of operational areas and provide support and advice to the military Staffs.

I would say that there is every likelihood that they would indeed have been involved in the investigation of the booby traps etc. One of their main tasks when moving into an area that had just been occupied was to search all official buildings such as barracks etc looking for documents which might contain useful intelligence. They were even responsible to checking mail sorting offices (and even post boxes !) and looking through letters for any useful intelligence, searching for radio transmitters and other means of communication (courier pigeons etc), so for the initial period after an area was captured they would be fully occupied with this kind of stuff plus as you mentioned investigation of the booby traps, sabotage etc.

I doubt if they would have had time for any direct involvement in Babi Yar during this period but I suppose we couldn't absolutely rule it out.

I working my way to compiling a complete Order of Battle for the GFP, cross referencing from the lists of existing Feldpost numbers but it's a long drawn out process.

[hucks216]

Thank you Gordon for the information. For a relatively small unit (I recently read somewhere - can't for the life of me remember where - that the unit consisted of approx 100 men, including helpers) they seemed to of had a daunting amount of tasks & responsibilities.