One of the most prominent figures of the Totenkopf Division, and a Knight's Cross recipient for actions around Demyansk, was Karl Ullrich, then an SS-Sturmbannführer and commander of the division's engineer battalion. Ullrich was born in Saargemünd in Elsaß-Lothringen in 1910 and was an engineering graduate when he joined the SS-Verfügungstruppe in 1934. He was awarded the Knight's Cross for his leadership and bravery during the battles of the Demyansk pocket in February 1942. In October 1944, Ullrich was given command of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 6 Theodor Eicke and was awarded the Oakleaves while in command. Promoted SS-Standartenführer he was given command of the 5.SS-Panzer-Division Wiking for the final battles of the war in Hungary. A short time before the end of the war he was promoted to Oberführer. After the war, Ullrich wrote the book: Like a Cliff in the Ocean: A History of the 3rd SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf. Karl Ullrich died aged 85 on May 8 1996 in Bad Reichenhall in Bayern. Other Totenkopf men who received the Knight's Cross for their exploits in the Demyansk Pocket were: SS-Obersturmführer Hubert-Erwin Meierdress, SS-Sturmbannführer Franz Kleffner, SS-Oberscharführer Ernst Staudle, SS-Obersturmbannführer Dr. Eduard Eddi Deisenhofer, SS-Hauptsturmführer Georg „Schorsch“ Bochmann, SS-Oberscharführer Ludwig Köchle, SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Baum and SS-Hauptsturmführer Max Seela. Left image: Knight's Cross Holder Karl Ullrich. Fair use. Right image: German troops and dead Russian soldier at Cholm/Demyansk in 1942. Photo by Kriegsberichter Richard Muck. Commons: Bundesarchiv.
No comments:
Post a Comment