A few short words about two of the 54 Knight's Cross Holders of 5.SS-Panzer-Division Wiking, a figure surpassed only by 69 for the Das Reich. The bottom photo shows battalion commander of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment Germania 9 SS-Sturmbannführer Franz Hack receiving first aid in east-central Poland on April 17 1944. Hack was wounded by hand grenade splinters in the face and right hand while personally participating in the fighting in the forward line with his own Sturmgewehr 44 and hand grenades. His prudent leadership and personal daring was of great importance for the relief of ‘Fortress’ Kovel. Out of the millions who fought for the German Reich in World War II, only 98 received both the Knight's Cross and the Close-Combat Clasp in Gold. Hack was one of them. He was the first person whose awarding of the Oakleaves did not occur with a number. The award was made by SS-Obergruppenführer Herbert Gille and SS-Oberführer Karl Ullrich in April 1945. According the countings it would have been the 844th award. Franz Hack wrote in the preface to the classic photo album Panzergrenadiere Der Panzerdivision Wiking im Bild: Volunteers of almost every European nation, fought in the companies of the regiment, and – here it shall not be forgotten – as loyal comrades in arms, they thereby gave for the first time practical embodiment to the European ideal. The brave men of Wiking need no additional glorification. Franz Hack ended the war as an SS-Obersturmbannführer and died aged 82 on June 9 1997 in Schleswig-Holstein. Source: The Face of Courage. Former SS-Sturmbannführer
Eberhard Heder is born on June 30 1918 in Neustettin in Pommern. He joined the SS-Pionier-Bataillon in Dresden in 1937 and took part in the Anschluß of Austria and the annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938. Heder was later selected to become an officer and posted to the SS-Junkerschule in Braunschweig in 1939. He served with the Wiking Division in Operation Barbarossa and was awarded the German Cross in Gold when in command of the Estonian SS-Freiwilligen-Panzer-Grenadier-Bataillon
Narwa after the breakout through the Korsun-Cherkassy pocket. He was then given command of the SS-Pionier-Bataillon 5 Wiking and was awarded the Knight's Cross in Nov. 1944 for his actions in the fighting for
Warszawa. Due to his effort, the breakthrough of the Soviets to the Vistula was to be prevented. Heder who is also a recipient of the Close Combat Clasp in Silver joined the West German Bundeswehr in 1955, where he finally reached the rank of Oberst. Eberhard Heder is still alive as of 2017 at age 99. Top photo by SS-Kriegsberichter Alois Jarolim, bottom by SS-Unterscharführer Ernst Baumann. Credit: Karl Mensburg. c. Bundesarchiv.
I had the great honour of meeting Heder in September 2007 at his home in Warburg. He was a most gracious, welcoming and honourable man, with a sharp intellect and a wit to match. The decorated old soldier passed away in November 2017.
ReplyDelete