SS-Polizei Rgt. 15 Off. Tunic

[SARGE]

Gents,

 

I thought I would show a tunic that I picked up at SOS. This is a Police Regiment tunic for an Oberleutnant in the SS-Polizei Regiment 15. Notice that this is the active service style of officer tunic cut in the Wehrmacht manner but rendered in police-green wool cloth instead of field grey. The tunic was most probably made by an Austrian tailor as it is made in the typical South German/Austrian style with a long point collar and deeply scalloped pocket flaps as can be seen in the photos. Rather than being made in the typical police tunic style having brown collar and cuffs this tunic has a brown collar with police-green piping and French cuffs. The lower pockets also have pleats instead of being made without them as a standard police tunic would be. The officer quality bullion sleeve eagle is the standard police officer eagle as are the green backed collar tabs and shoulder boards. The 1st Lieutenant green backed shoulder boards have one gilt pip and the small gilt numbers "15" indicating the 15th Police Regiment.

 

This unit was formed in July of 1942 for anti-partisan fighting behind the Eastern Front. It was destroyed at Stalingrad in January 1943 and the remnants were sent to Norway to be reconstituted from existing units. After rebuilding its three Battalions in Norway it was transferred to Italy in 1943. SS-Polizei Regiment 15 fought partisans in northern Italy and was implicated in 26 incidents of war crimes in Italy from December 1943 to February 1945. Interestingly, the 2nd Company of Battalion II was performing guard duty for the Higher SS and Police Leader Italy HQ as late as 3 May 1945. The commander of 2nd Company was Police Captain Otto Reinke. Under his command was SS-Captain Heinrich Heckenstller whose W-SS Company was detailed to guard Duce Benito Mussolini. We know how that mission turned out.

 

SS-Polizei Regiment 15 also controlled the following units in northern Italy:

 

15th Police Tank Company

Anti-Tank Company

Rocket Launcher Battery

Artillery Battery

SS-Polizei Rgt. Bozen

SS-Polizei Rgt. Brixen

 

The order of battle can be found in various places on line as well as in Antonio Munoz, "Hitler's Green Army; The German Order Police and their European Auxiliaries 1933-1945; Western Europe and Scandinavia Vol.1".

 

[Rakkasan187]

Simply stunning..

 

Congrats on a super find

 

Leigh

[Capt Trips]

Hi, beautiful uniform. I was watching the wittmann channel on YouTube and your uniform looks like one of the ones he showed while he strolled the sos show.

 

Sent from my moto g(7) play using Tapatalk

 

 

[SARGE]

Thanks for the kudos guys. I was happy to get this SS-Polizei combat tunic. I not only like the fact that the unit is research-able but I like it that the tunic is so nicely tailored. It even retains the white cloth collar insert and came with a couple of badges... no loops though. I think these South German, and Austrian (Ostmark) tailors were very adroit at mimicking the old Austro-Hungarian uniform styles. The long point collars, deeply scalloped pocket flaps and the short skirts are a give-away and I think these uniforms look sophisticated. I am certain the original customers thought so too.