Erich Eberhardt
Encyclopedia
Erich Eberhardt was a Obersturmbannführer
(Lieutenant Colonel), in the Waffen SS during World War II
who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
. Which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.
on the 1 October 1913. In 1931 he joined the Hamburg police
force. He then was one of the early members of the SS, which he joined in 1934 and was given the SS service number 272 747, Nazi Party Number 4 178 022. His first unit was the 8th Company, SS Standarte Germania
.
In 1936 he was selected to become an officer and sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Braunschweig
, being promoted to Untersturmführer
(Second Lieutenant) upon graduation.
Eberhardt was a Hauptsturmführer
(Captain) and company commander of the 12th Company, 9th SS Grenadier Regiment, SS Division Wiking.
During the invasion of the Soviet Union
(Operation Barbarossa
), he was awarded the Iron Cross
2nd class in July 1941 and the 1st class award in September 1941.
Eberhardt was posted to the 7th SS Mountain Division Prinz Eugen between March 1942 to June 1943, as an officer of the General Staff.
He was then posted as IA
to the General Staff of the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf in October 1943 and was promoted to Obersturmbannführer
(Major) in April 1944.
Erich Eberhardt was awarded the Knight's Cross for his actions in July 1944, when the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf was called forward by Field Marshal Model
after the Russians had broken the German front and the army was in retreat.
As the Divisional commander had not yet arrived, Eberhardt as the Divisions IA, deployed the Division which succeeded in holding the line and while reconnaissance had revealed a strong Russian Armoured and Cavalry Corps advancing and threatening Grodno which would leave the south open to any assault.
The next morning Eberhardt decided to act independently, and ordered the Totenkopf to advance. In the area west of Grodno they managed to infiltrate the Russian lines and attacked the Russian flank, which forced the Armour and Cavalry units they were facing to contract and break up.
The Army Group now ordered a general push north and five Russian divisions were cut off and destroyed and the front stabilised. For his part in this action Eberhardt was awarded the Knight's Cross on the 23 August 1944.
The Totenkopf was in action until the last days of the war, when Eberhardt gave an instruction for the Division to move to the west to surrender to the American forces, rather than enter Soviet captivity.
for the Rhineland
and was on the 27 April 1963, adopted as the successor to Kurt Panzer Meyer Meyer.
Eberhardt died at Lohrheim on the 1 July 1965, from heart failure.
Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
(Lieutenant Colonel), in the Waffen SS during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
. Which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.
Early life
Erich Eberhardt was born in WiesbadenWiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
on the 1 October 1913. In 1931 he joined the Hamburg police
Hamburg Police
The Hamburg Police is the German Landespolizei force for the city-state of Hamburg. Law enforcement in Germany is divided between federal and state agencies...
force. He then was one of the early members of the SS, which he joined in 1934 and was given the SS service number 272 747, Nazi Party Number 4 178 022. His first unit was the 8th Company, SS Standarte Germania
Germania
Germania was the Greek and Roman geographical term for the geographical regions inhabited by mainly by peoples considered to be Germani. It was most often used to refer especially to the east of the Rhine and north of the Danube...
.
In 1936 he was selected to become an officer and sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
, being promoted to Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
(Second Lieutenant) upon graduation.
World War II
At the start of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Eberhardt was a Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer
Hauptsturmführer was a Nazi rank of the SS which was used between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank of Hauptsturmführer was a mid-grade company level officer and was the equivalent of a Captain in the German Army and also the equivalent of captain in foreign armies...
(Captain) and company commander of the 12th Company, 9th SS Grenadier Regiment, SS Division Wiking.
During the invasion of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
(Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
), he was awarded the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
2nd class in July 1941 and the 1st class award in September 1941.
Eberhardt was posted to the 7th SS Mountain Division Prinz Eugen between March 1942 to June 1943, as an officer of the General Staff.
He was then posted as IA
IA
- Places :* Ia or Oia, Greece, a small town on the island of Santorini* Iowa, U.S. *Iá River, a river in Brazil- Companies and organizations :* Indian Airlines, a domestic air carrier in India* Indian Army, part of the Military of India...
to the General Staff of the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf in October 1943 and was promoted to Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer
Obersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank used by both the SA and the SS. It was created in May 1933 to fill the need for an additional field grade officer rank above Sturmbannführer as the SA expanded. It became an SS rank at the same time...
(Major) in April 1944.
Erich Eberhardt was awarded the Knight's Cross for his actions in July 1944, when the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf was called forward by Field Marshal Model
Walter Model
Otto Moritz Walter Model was a German general and later field marshal during World War II. He is noted for his defensive battles in the latter half of the war, mostly on the Eastern Front but also in the west, and for his close association with Adolf Hitler and Nazism...
after the Russians had broken the German front and the army was in retreat.
As the Divisional commander had not yet arrived, Eberhardt as the Divisions IA, deployed the Division which succeeded in holding the line and while reconnaissance had revealed a strong Russian Armoured and Cavalry Corps advancing and threatening Grodno which would leave the south open to any assault.
The next morning Eberhardt decided to act independently, and ordered the Totenkopf to advance. In the area west of Grodno they managed to infiltrate the Russian lines and attacked the Russian flank, which forced the Armour and Cavalry units they were facing to contract and break up.
The Army Group now ordered a general push north and five Russian divisions were cut off and destroyed and the front stabilised. For his part in this action Eberhardt was awarded the Knight's Cross on the 23 August 1944.
The Totenkopf was in action until the last days of the war, when Eberhardt gave an instruction for the Division to move to the west to surrender to the American forces, rather than enter Soviet captivity.
Post war
After the war Erich Eberhardt was a spokesman for the HIAGHIAG
Hilfsgemeinschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit der Angehörigen der ehemaligen Waffen-SS was an organization founded in 1951 by former members of the Waffen-SS....
for the Rhineland
Rhineland
Historically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
and was on the 27 April 1963, adopted as the successor to Kurt Panzer Meyer Meyer.
Eberhardt died at Lohrheim on the 1 July 1965, from heart failure.