Nachtigall in the battle for Lviv Ledge. Structure, tasks, actions
Nachtigall in the battle for Lviv Ledge. Structure, tasks, actions

Summary/Abstract: The article investigates the command structure and functional features of the Nachtigall unit with all possible precision, as well as its role in the battle for and seizure of Lviv. It describes what Nachtigall was at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, to what extent it fit into the structure of the Third Reich attacking forces, and whose direct orders were executed – those of Ukrainian or German officers. The paper uses the method of “dense description,” which forms part of microhistorical research tools. The research is based on Wehrmacht officers’ orders, instructions, and reports from the Bundesarchiv in Freiburg. It also makes use of reports from post-war interrogations of OUN members and German administration officials produced by the Soviet state security institutions, which are preserved at the SBU Archive in Kyiv. The article proves that the military structure of the Nachtigall Battalion and its use in the first weeks of the war remained under strict control and accountability to the German command, not Ukrainian nationalists from UON-B. Nachtigall as a unit did not receive any additional orders to fulfil propaganda-related tasks during the period under review and acted in accordance with the plans and instructions of Battle Group Heinz (Kampfgruppe Heinz). In addition, the conclusions drawn from the study allow us to make several contributions to the current state of research. The personnel initially put forward to the OUN as potential leadership of Nachtigall was eventually not appointed by the Germans, and the commanders of the three companies were German officers. The findings have clarified inaccuracies and errors present in previous historiographic research of Nachtigall.

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