Operational Situation Reports USSR

The Chief of the Security Police and the Security Service (SD)
B. No. IV A 1 - B/41 - top secret

Berlin, 12 October 1941

Top Secret

50 copies
36th copy

Operational Situation Report U.S.S.R. No. 111

II. Reports from the Einsatzgruppen and Einsatzkommandos
Einsatzgruppe A. Sonderkommando 1a
Location Tallin, reports:

Jews in Esthonia

At the beginning of 1940 about 4,500 Jews were living in Esthonia. About 1,900 to 2,000 of them were living in Tallin, larger Jewish communities were at Tartu, Narva, and Parnu, while only few Jews were living out in the flat country.
The deportations carried out by the Russians, as far as they concerned Jews, cannot be established in numbers. According to inquiries made so far, Jewry had hardly been affected by them.
With the advance of the German troops on Esthonian territory, about half of the Jews made preparations for flight and, as these Jews had collaborated with the Soviet authorities, they left
the country with them going east. Only few of them were seized in Tallin because their escape route had been cut off. After the occupation of the country, there were probably still about 2,000 Jews left in the country.
The Esthonian self-defense units, which had been formed when the Wehrmacht marched in, started immediately to arrest Jews. Spontaneous demonstrations against Jewry did not take place because there was no substantial enlightenment of the population.
The following orders were therefore issued by us:
1. The arrest of all male Jews over 16.
2. The arrest of all Jewesses fit for work between the ages of 16 and 60, who were utilized to work in the peat bogs.
3. Collective billeting of female Jewish residents of Tartu and vicinity in the synagogue and a tenement house in Tartu.
4. Arrest of all male and female Jews fit for work in Parnu and vicinity.
5. Registration of all Jews according to age, sex, and fitness for work for the purpose of billeting them in a camp which is in the stage of preparation.
All male Jews over 16, with the exception of physicians and the appointed Jewish elders, were executed by the Esthonian self-defense units under supervision of the Sonderkommando. As for the town and country district of Tallin, the action is still under way as the search for the Jewish hideouts has not yet been completed. The total number of Jews shot in Esthonia is so far 440.
When these measures are completed, about 500 to 600 Jewesses and children will still be alive.
The village communities are already now free from Jews.
For the Jews residing at Tallin and vicinity a camp is at present being prepared at Harku (District Tallin), which after receiving the Jews from Tallin is to be expanded to contain all Jews from Esthonia. All Jewesses fit for work are employed with farm work and cutting of peat on the property of the nearby prison so that the questions of feeding and financing are solved.
As an immediate measure the following order was issued:
1. Marking of all Jews over six with a yellow star, at least 10 cm. large to be attached on the left side of the breast and on the back;
2. Prohibition to exercise a public trade;
3. Prohibition to use sidewalks, public communications, and to frequent theaters, cinemas, and restaurants;
4. Seizure of all Jewish property;

5. Prohibition to attend schools.

Einsatzgruppe C
Location Kiev, reports:

Security Police Measures

Sonderkommando 4a now has reached the total number of more than 51,000 executions. Apart from the special action in Kiev of 28 and 29 September, for which 2 Kommandos of the Police Regiment South were detached, all executions carried out so far were made by that special Kommando without any assistance from outside. The executed persons were mainly Jews, a minor part was political officials as well as saboteurs and looters.
In the period between 7 September and 5 October, 207 political officials, 112 saboteurs and looters as well as 8,800 Jews were liquidated by Einsatzkommando 5.
Special Kommando 4 b, in the period between 13 and 26 September executed 103 political officials, 9 saboteurs and looters, and 125 Jews.
Einsatzkommando 6, in the period between 14 and 27 September, executed 13 political officials, 32 looters and saboteurs, as well as 26 Jews.
These were the motives for the executions carried out by the Kommandos: Political officials, looters and saboteurs, active Communists and political representatives, Jews who gained their release from prison camps by false statements, agents and informers of the NKVD [National Commissariat for Internal Affairs], persons who, by false depositions and influencing witnesses, were instrumental in the deportation of ethnic Germans, Jewish sadism and revengefulness, undesirable elements, partisans, Politruks, dangers of plague and epidemics, members of Russian bands, armed insurgents - provisioning of Russian bands, rebels and agitators, drifting juveniles, Jews in general.

On 26 September, the security police took up its activities in Kiev. That day 7 interrogation Kommandos of Einsatzkommando 4a started their work in the civilian prisoner camp, in the prisoner-of-war camp, in the Jewish camp, and in the city itself. Thus, among other things, in the camp for civilian prisoners and prisoners of war, 10 political commissars were found and interrogated in detail. Conforming to the old Communist tactics, these guys denied all political activity. Only when confronted with trustworthy witnesses, five commissars yielded and confessed, i.e. they admitted the position they held, but did not make any statements beyond this. They were shot on 27 September. In one case a Jewish Politruk [political leader] tried to ransom himself by offering gold. The man was taken to his apartment, loosened a few tiles of the floor, dug about 50 cm. deep and produced a counter

weight of a clock. That weight contained 21 gold coins. The Jew was shot.

Furthermore, 14 partisans were found, among them leading persons. They, too, adhered to their tactics of silence during the interrogation. Again, their status was proved by testimony. In some cases a confession was obtained. A partisan leader who made propaganda for the defense of Kiev also made the attempt to ransom himself by offering gold. In this case gold watches and ruble notes were hidden behind a stove. All accused were shot.
Three Jewish party officials who also tried to ransom themselves by offering gold were liquidated. The gold was seized.

Operational Situation Report USSR No. 111