Polizei-Bataillon 33

Politsei SS-pataljon Ostland Polizei Front-Bataillon Ostland
Active	October 1941 – May 9, 1945
Country	Nazi Germany Estonia
Engagements	Anti-partisan operations in Belarus, The Holocaust in Belarus, The Holocaust in Ukraine

Politsei SS-pataljon Ostland (Polizei Front-Bataillon Ostland, Police SS-Battalion Ostland) or the Ostland special SS-battalion was an Estonian unit that served in World War II under command of Schutzstaffel. The battalion established in October 1941 carried out punitive duties. According to the researcher Rolf Michaelis who is referring to the SS-Hauptamt's document No. 8699/42, the Politsei SS-pataljon Ostland resided in the Reichskommissariat Ukraine in 1941-1942 and took part of the executions of the Jews. As reported in May, 1942, 1,000 Jews were executed in Minsk; as reported on July 15, 1942 another thousand Jews were executed in the same place; as reported on June 27, 1942, 4,000 Jews were executed near the town of Słonim; as reported on July 28, 1942, 6,000 Jews were executed in Minsk. In November 1942 the Ostland battalion together with three German Ordnungspolizei battalions, and an artillery regiment under the command of Lieutenant General Hans Werner Haltermann, took part in a joint anti-partisan operation near Owrucz with over 50 villages burnt down and over 1,500 people executed. In a village 40 people were burnt alive for revenge for the killing of the SS-Untersturmführer Türn. By March 31, 1943, the Estonian Legion had 37 officers, 175 noncoms and 62 privates of the Ostland special battalion.