On August 19, 1944 Karmas sent a summary report to Heinrich Himmler in which he stated that the situation in Slovakia was becoming critical, not only because of frequent partisan activities but also because of the division and weakness of the Slovak forces.
The main task of Heimatschutz was to protect the German minority in Slovakia against possible partisan attacks, so they started arming their members.
Karmasin's plan failed however because the Slovak national uprising exploded earlier than expected on August 29, 1944, and in some cases the weapons intended for arming the Heimatschutz members were seized by the partisans.
At the beginning of September 1944, the training of members of the HS armed organization began, involving the 8,000 male Germans in Slovakia.
After the collapse of the Slovak national uprising, in November 1944, the Heimatschutz, together with SS units and the Hlinka Guard, embarked on a campaign of terror.