Oskar Wolkerstorfer
Encyclopedia
Oskar Wolkerstorfer was an Austria
n soldier who served in the Waffen-SS
during World War II
. He held the rank of SS-Hauptsturmführer
and was one of the most-decorated soldiers of the war. Among his decorations are the German Cross
, four Tank Destruction Badge
s, and a golden Wound Badge
.
, Upper Austria
. Following his secondary education, he studied to become a bookseller. Young Wolkerstorfer supported the reunification of Austria
with the German Reich and was a member of the youth organisation Hitler-Jugend (Hitler Youth), although such membership was illegal in Austria at that time. On 1 January 1937, seventeen-year-old Wolkerstorfer joined the Allgemeine SS
(General SS) with the I./37. SS-Standarte, and on 30 June of that year he was assigned to the 1./SS-Bataillon "N". Following the Anschluss
in April 1939, Wolkerstorfer was sent for officer training to the Junkerschule Braunschweig
and in 1940 was sent to the Unterführerschule of the SS-Totenkopfverbände
in Breslau. On 20 April 1940 he became a commissioned SS officer, rank - SS-Untersturmführer
(Second Lieutenant).
.
With the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich, Wolkerstorfer participated in all major battles of the Das Reich division during Operation Barbarossa
. His 1. Kompanie fought with Army Group Center, taking part in the Battle of Yelnya
near Smolensk
, and then in Operation Typhoon, attempting to capture Moscow
. During these operations Wolkerstorfer was awarded both the iron cross II and I class. In late 1941 he took command of the 15./ Kradschützenkompanie of Der Führer (motorcycle reconnaissance) regiment.
On 23 September 1941 Wolkerstorfer single-handedly destroyed his first Soviet tank. This was followed by two more tanks on 1 December 1941 during combat operations near Moscow. For this accomplishment Wolkerstorfer was awarded three Tank Destruction Badge
s on 20 February 1942. On the same day he also received the Wound Badge in Silver
for a wound received on 24 November 1941, when he was shot in the stomach while removing explosives from a bridge near Istra
.
Early in 1943 Das Reich was transferred back to the Eastern Front
, where it helped reclaim the crumbling central front around Kharkov. Wolkerstorfer distinguished himself as an outstanding leader while protecting the flank of the advancing Das Reich Division during the Third Battle of Kharkov
in February/March 1943. For his bravery during these engagements he was awarded the German Cross in Gold
by SS-Obersturmbannführer
Otto Kumm
. A month later Wolkerstorfer also received his fourth Tank Destruction Badge
.
were transferred to the Balkans to the newly formed V.SS-Gebirgs-Korps
. He remained with this SS-formation for the rest of World War II, commanding the 1./SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 105 (reconnaissance unit) and later the SS-Korps-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 505. On 19 March 1945 he was nominated for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
, but he never received the award. His final World War II decoration was the Wound Badge in Gold
, which he received on 13 February 1945 after being wounded for the sixth time.
, Austria
on 11 January 1971.
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...
n soldier who served in the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
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 held the rank of SS-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...
and was one of the most-decorated soldiers of the war. Among his decorations are the German Cross
German Cross
The German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
, four Tank Destruction Badge
Tank Destruction Badge
The Tank Destruction Badge was an award given to individuals of the Wehrmacht who destroyed an enemy tank single-handedly by an hand-held weapon. Anti-tank units were not eligible for this award...
s, and a golden Wound Badge
Wound Badge
Wound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
.
Early life
Oskar Wolkerstorfer was born in LinzLinz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
, Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
. Following his secondary education, he studied to become a bookseller. Young Wolkerstorfer supported the reunification of Austria
First Austrian Republic
The Republic of Austria encompasses the period of Austrian history following the signing of the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye of September 1919, the settlement after the end of World War I which put an end to the Republic of German Austria, continuing up to World War II...
with the German Reich and was a member of the youth organisation Hitler-Jugend (Hitler Youth), although such membership was illegal in Austria at that time. On 1 January 1937, seventeen-year-old Wolkerstorfer joined the Allgemeine SS
Allgemeine SS
The Allgemeine SS was the most numerous branch of the Schutzstaffel paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany. It was managed by the SS-Hauptamt...
(General SS) with the I./37. SS-Standarte, and on 30 June of that year he was assigned to the 1./SS-Bataillon "N". Following the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
in April 1939, Wolkerstorfer was sent for officer training to the Junkerschule Braunschweig
Junker (SS rank)
Junker was a paramilitary Nazi rank that was used by the Schutzstaffel between the years of 1933 and 1945. The rank was a special position held by those aspiring for officer commissions in the armed wing of the SS, first known as the SS-Verfügungstruppe and later as the Waffen-SS.The SS rank of...
and in 1940 was sent to the Unterführerschule of the SS-Totenkopfverbände
SS-Totenkopfverbände
SS-Totenkopfverbände , meaning "Death's-Head Units", was the SS organization responsible for administering the Nazi concentration camps for the Third Reich....
in Breslau. On 20 April 1940 he became a commissioned SS officer, rank - SS-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).
Das Reich
On 5 July 1940 Wolkerstorfer was transferred to 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich, and on 8 February 1941 he transferred to the 1. Kompanie under Vinzenz KaiserVinzenz Kaiser
Vinzenz Kaiser was an Obersturmbannführer in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
.
With the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich, Wolkerstorfer participated in all major battles of the Das Reich division during 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...
. His 1. Kompanie fought with Army Group Center, taking part in the Battle of Yelnya
Yelnya Offensive
The Soviet Army's Yelnya Offensive operation was part of the Battle of Smolensk during the initial period of the German-Soviet War....
near Smolensk
Smolensk
Smolensk is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River. Situated west-southwest of Moscow, this walled city was destroyed several times throughout its long history since it was on the invasion routes of both Napoleon and Hitler. Today, Smolensk...
, and then in Operation Typhoon, attempting to capture Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. During these operations Wolkerstorfer was awarded both the iron cross II and I class. In late 1941 he took command of the 15./ Kradschützenkompanie of Der Führer (motorcycle reconnaissance) regiment.
On 23 September 1941 Wolkerstorfer single-handedly destroyed his first Soviet tank. This was followed by two more tanks on 1 December 1941 during combat operations near Moscow. For this accomplishment Wolkerstorfer was awarded three Tank Destruction Badge
Tank Destruction Badge
The Tank Destruction Badge was an award given to individuals of the Wehrmacht who destroyed an enemy tank single-handedly by an hand-held weapon. Anti-tank units were not eligible for this award...
s on 20 February 1942. On the same day he also received the Wound Badge in Silver
Wound Badge
Wound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
for a wound received on 24 November 1941, when he was shot in the stomach while removing explosives from a bridge near Istra
Istra
Istra is a town and the administrative center of Istrinsky District of Moscow Oblast, Russia, located on the Istra River, west of Moscow, on the Moscow–Riga railway...
.
Early in 1943 Das Reich was transferred back to the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
, where it helped reclaim the crumbling central front around Kharkov. Wolkerstorfer distinguished himself as an outstanding leader while protecting the flank of the advancing Das Reich Division during the Third Battle of Kharkov
Third Battle of Kharkov
The Third Battle of Kharkov was a series of offensive operations on the Eastern Front of World War II, undertaken by the German Army Group South against the Red Army, around the city of Kharkov , between 19 February and 15 March 1943...
in February/March 1943. For his bravery during these engagements he was awarded the German Cross in Gold
German Cross
The German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
by SS-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...
Otto Kumm
Otto Kumm
Otto Kumm, was an SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
. A month later Wolkerstorfer also received his fourth Tank Destruction Badge
Tank Destruction Badge
The Tank Destruction Badge was an award given to individuals of the Wehrmacht who destroyed an enemy tank single-handedly by an hand-held weapon. Anti-tank units were not eligible for this award...
.
V. SS-Gebirgs-Korps
On 1 October 1944 Wolkerstorfer and Otto KummOtto Kumm
Otto Kumm, was an SS-Brigadeführer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
were transferred to the Balkans to the newly formed V.SS-Gebirgs-Korps
V SS Mountain Corps
V SS Mountain Corps was a Waffen SS, formation at the end of World War II.The Corps fought on the Oder line as part of the 9th Army, in the Frankfurt am Oder area and in the Battle of Berlin that followed...
. He remained with this SS-formation for the rest of World War II, commanding the 1./SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 105 (reconnaissance unit) and later the SS-Korps-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 505. On 19 March 1945 he was nominated for 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...
, but he never received the award. His final World War II decoration was the Wound Badge in Gold
Wound Badge
Wound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
, which he received on 13 February 1945 after being wounded for the sixth time.
Post-WWII
Oskar Wolkerstorfer survived the war and died in LinzLinz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
, 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...
on 11 January 1971.
Dates of rank
- SS-MannMann (military rank)Mann , was a paramilitary rank used by several Nazi Party paramilitary organizations between 1925 and 1945. The rank is most often associated with the SS, and also as a rank of the SA where Mann was the lowest enlisted rank and was the equivalent of a Private.In 1938, with the rise of the...
- 1 January 1937 - SS-StandartenoberjunkerJunker (SS rank)Junker was a paramilitary Nazi rank that was used by the Schutzstaffel between the years of 1933 and 1945. The rank was a special position held by those aspiring for officer commissions in the armed wing of the SS, first known as the SS-Verfügungstruppe and later as the Waffen-SS.The SS rank of...
- SS-UntersturmführerUntersturmführerUntersturmführer 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...
- 20 April 1940 - SS-ObersturmführerObersturmführerObersturmführer 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...
- 1 December 1941 - SS-HauptsturmführerHauptsturmführerHauptsturmführer 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...
- 9 November 1943
Notable decorations
- Infantry Assault BadgeInfantry Assault BadgeThe Infantry Assault Badge was a German war badge awarded to Waffen SS and Wehrmacht Heer soldiers during WWII. This decoration was instituted on December 20th 1939 by the Oberstbefehlshaber des Heeres, Generalfeldmarschall von Brauchitsch...
in Bronze (1942) - Wound BadgeWound BadgeWound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
in Black (1941) - Wound Badge in Silver (1942)
- Wound Badge in Gold (1945)
- German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold on 9 April 1943 as SS-ObersturmführerObersturmführerObersturmführer 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...
in the 15./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Der Führer" - Iron CrossIron CrossThe 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 (1941) - Iron Cross 1st Class (1941)
- 3 x Tank Destruction BadgeTank Destruction BadgeThe Tank Destruction Badge was an award given to individuals of the Wehrmacht who destroyed an enemy tank single-handedly by an hand-held weapon. Anti-tank units were not eligible for this award...
in Silver (1942) - 1 x Tank Destruction Badge in Silver (1943)
- Panzer BadgePanzer BadgeThe Panzer Badge was a German medal awarded to armour troops during World War II. It was introduced during World War II in December 1939 .- History :The Tank Combat Badge, or Panzer Badge, first existed in the German Army during World War I, and was later...
in Silver (1942) - Close Combat ClaspClose Combat ClaspThe Close Combat Clasp is a German military award instituted on 25 November 1942 for achievement in hand to hand fighting in close quarters. The Close Combat Clasp was worn above the upper left uniform pocket...
in Silver (1944) - Sudetenland MedalSudetenland MedalThe The Sudetenland Commemorative Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded in the interwar period.-Description:...
(1939) - Anschluss MedalAnschluss MedalThe Anschluss Commemorative Medal was a decoration of Nazi Germany awarded in the interwar period.-Description:Instituted on May 1, 1938, the medal commemorated the return of Austria to the German Reich...
(1939) - SS-Honour Ring (1942)
- Eastern Front MedalEastern Front MedalThe Eastern Front Medal, , more commonly known as the Ostmedaille was instituted on May 26, 1942 to mark service on the German Eastern Front during the period November 15, 1941 to April 15, 1942...
(1942) - Croatian Order of the Crown of King ZvonimirOrder of the Crown of King ZvonimirThe Order of the Crown of King Zvonimir was order awarded by the Independent State of Croatia . It is established as a "visible sign of decoration for merits done, in peace or in war, for Croatian people and Independent State of Croatia" It was established by Croatian leader Ante Pavelić on May...
, 3rd Class with Swords (1944)