Waffen-SS Knights in the Third Battle of Kharkov: The Donets Campaign

Generaloberst Heinz Guderian visiting SS-Panzer-Regiment 1

Das Reich award ceremony following the recapture of Kharkov

Knight's Cross winners of SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Das Reich

Top image: on April 27 1943, the newly appointed Generalinspekteur der Panzertruppen, Generaloberst Heinz Wilhelm Guderian made an inspection visit to the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Leibstandarte SS after the Third Battle of Kharkov, dubbed the Donets Campaign. Also seen in this pictures taken by SS-Kriegsberichters SS-Hauptsturmführer Otto Ohlemacher and SS-Oberscharführer Wolfgang Wiesebach is among others the chief of staff of the II.SS-Panzerkorps SS-Oberführer Werner Ostendorff (Oakleaves to the KC on May 5 1945) and Leibstandarte officers SS-Obersturmbannführer Georg Schönberger (posthumous KC on Dec. 20 1943), SS-Sturmbannführer Rudolf Lehmann (KC on Feb. 23 1944) and SS-Hauptsturmführer Heinrich Heinz Kling (KC on Feb. 23 1944) with Befehlstiger n°405 in the background. Middle image: following the Donets Campaign and the recapture of Kharkov award ceremonies were held on April 20 1943. These are shots taken just after the Das Reich award ceremony of the Knight's Cross presented by SS-Gruppenführer Walter Krüger (Swords to the KC on Jan. 11 1945). All of the men in the photograph except SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Kumm were awarded the Knight's Cross for extreme battlefield bravery and outstanding military leadership during the Donets Campaign. Kumm himself had won the Knight's Cross back on February 16 1942 as commander of SS-Regiment Der Führer. Bottom image: from left to right: Das Reich officers SS-Obersturmbannführer Sylvester Stadler (Swords to the KC just before the wars end. The award was presented by SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich, who had no approval authority for the decoration), died in Königsbrunn in Bayern on August 23 1995, SS-Hauptsturmführer Hans Weiß, died in Bruneck in the Italian South Tyrol on October 2 1978, SS-Sturmbannführer Christian Tychsen (Oakleaves to the KC on Dec. 10 1943), died wounded in U.S. captivity in Normandy on July 28 1944, SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Kumm (Swords to the KC on March 17 1945), died in Baden-Württemberg on March 23 2004, SS-Hauptsturmführer Vinzenz Kaiser (recommended for the Oakleaves before his death but never officially confirmed by the OKH), presumably killed in U.S. captivity in the Nürnberg area on the night of April 19-20 1945, and SS-Untersturmführer Karl-Heinz Worthmann, KIA during Operation Citadel in the Belgorod sector on July 6 1943. The Third Battle of Kharkov would be the last major German victory of World War II. Photo by SS-KB Friedrich Zschäckel in the outskirts of Kharkov on April 20 1943. Commons: Bundesarchiv.