Friedrich Blond
Encyclopedia
Friedrich "Friedel" Blond (29 April 1920 – 28 May 2009) was a Obersturmführer
(Senior Storm Leader/First Lieutenant) in the Waffen SS during World War II
. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II.
. His father was an Officer in the Austrian Army and the family moved to Voralberg where Friedrich grew up.
He volunteered for the SS-Standarte Deutschland after the Anschluss
of Austria
in 1938.
, Operation Marita the invasion of the Balkans
and Operation Barbarossa
the invasion of the Soviet Union
.
He was selected to become an officer and was posted to the SS-Junkerschule at Posen-Treskau
in the Summer of 1944. After Graduation he was promoted to Untersturmführer
(Storm Leader/Second Lieutenant) and given command of the 12th Company in the SS Training and Reserve Battalion Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, who were based in Hagen
.
towards the end of the war, his company being reinforced with men from the Army
and from the Luftwaffe
Flak units. In April 1945, his company was attached to the 23 SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland. On 18 April, Blond was in command of 200 men who formed a defensive line slowly retreating towards the centre of Berlin. After several days of fighting successful defensive battles, the company was reduced to thirty men.
On 28 April 1945, Blond was wounded for the fourth time in the war by bomb splinters and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
for his bravery in the Battle of Berlin
, but did not receive the decoration as there were none available to issue. .
.
Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
(Senior Storm Leader/First Lieutenant) 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...
. He was a recipient of 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 during World War II.
Early life
Blond was born on 29 April 1920, in Braunau am InnBraunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn is a town in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria , the north-western state of Austria. It lies about 90 km west of Linz and about 60 km north of Salzburg, on the border with the German state of Bavaria. The population in 2001 was 16,372...
. His father was an Officer in the Austrian Army and the family moved to Voralberg where Friedrich grew up.
He volunteered for the SS-Standarte Deutschland after the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in 1938.
World War II
During World War II, Blond took part in the Polish Campaign, the Battle of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, Operation Marita the invasion of the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and 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...
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....
.
He was selected to become an officer and was posted to the SS-Junkerschule at Posen-Treskau
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
in the Summer of 1944. After Graduation he was 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...
(Storm Leader/Second Lieutenant) and given command of the 12th Company in the SS Training and Reserve Battalion Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler, who were based in Hagen
Hagen
Hagen is the 39th-largest city in Germany, located in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne, Volme and Ennepe meet the river Ruhr...
.
Berlin
Blond and his Battalion were moved to BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
towards the end of the war, his company being reinforced with men from the Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
and from the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
Flak units. In April 1945, his company was attached to the 23 SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nederland. On 18 April, Blond was in command of 200 men who formed a defensive line slowly retreating towards the centre of Berlin. After several days of fighting successful defensive battles, the company was reduced to thirty men.
On 28 April 1945, Blond was wounded for the fourth time in the war by bomb splinters and 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...
for his bravery in the Battle of Berlin
Battle of Berlin
The Battle of Berlin, designated the Berlin Strategic Offensive Operation by the Soviet Union, was the final major offensive of the European Theatre of World War II....
, but did not receive the decoration as there were none available to issue. .
Post war
Blond survived the war and became an officer in the Austrian Army and attained the rank of ColonelColonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
.