Sonderkommando Dirlewanger - German Forces | Gallery

Sonderkommando Dirlewanger

According to the site'A vida no front :Oskar Dirlewanger,this is a rare picture of a Dirlewanger Sonderkommando.


This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://ww2incolor.com/gallery/german-forces/38965/sonderkommando-dirlewanger

According to MacLean this is probably the recon platoon. On Imi’s comment the composition changes markedly in the war but there was always a cadre of SS personnel with a relatively clean record.

For example in 1940 when formed it was 94% poachers and by June 43 this was still 60%. It is less than 20% Penal troops until July 44 when the figure rises to and remains 40-45%, concentration camp inmates only really appear in July 43 and run at 35-40% until the expansion to a division when it drops to 15% and regular army troops make up 30% of the division.

Mostly einsatzgruppe members,prisoners and murderers was in the Dirlewanger SS.