Sonderkommando Hemfurt

In July, 1943 Abwerkommando-203 founded a school in Hemfurt near the town of Kassel. This school recruited Russian teenagers (both males and females 13-17 years old) mainly from orphanages in Tula and Orsha. The number of students flactuated between 25 and 75 for one training period that lasted from 1 to 6 months. The range of subjects included special disciplines such as subversive activities and terrorism as well as general ones - physical and combatant trainings. The graduates of the school parachuted in pairs from German planes behind the front-line. The teenagers often used small bombs that were disguised as stones of coal. These “coal-bombs” were dilivered to the railway stations and mixed with ordinary coal used for steam engines. When these coal-bombs were put into the train furnace they exploded and destroyed steam engine. Such a cheap and efficient method inflicted significant losses to the Soviet railway transport. Hemfurt School had functioned till the very end of WWII in Europe. In connection with the approach of the Red Army it was relocated to a castle near Konin where training process continued.
In August 1944 a part of students and their tutors were captivated. However the rest of the school was successfully relocated to Lukkenwalde in 1945. The school merged with a special training camp of Abwer there.

Any additional information about this unit and the further destinies of its members are welcomed.