Zanis Ansons
Encyclopedia
Žanis Ansons was a Latvia
n member of Waffen-SS
, Germany
's World War II
fighting unit of the Schutzstaffel
(Protective Squadron). He rose to the rank of Hauptscharführer
and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
, an award given in recognition of extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. At the conclusion of the war, he was taken prisoner by the Red Army
.
, a small town in Latvian region of Courland
, Žanis Ansons was born into a farming family. In the aftermath of Germany's June 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa
, Latvia fell under German occupation, and Ansons volunteered to join the Latvian Brigade, a fighting unit incorporated into German military command. He was posted to 1st Company, 24th Battalion, where he remained until March 1943, when he was transferred to 3rd Company, Latvian Regiment. In October he was promoted to the rank of Oberscharführer
and, in April 1944, to Hauptscharführer
in the 6th Company, Waffen Grenadier Regiment of the SS 44, 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian), and fought during the Battle of Leningrad. Ansons also participated in the fighting at the Courland pocket
where, according to the commendation, he exhibited bravery deserving of the Knight's Cross awarded to him in December 1944.
Over the night of 27 December the Red Army had broken through the front line and penetrated about two kilometres into the rear. Ansons was sent on a reconnaissance of point 73, to determine enemy strength and positions. The eight men under his command, armed with hand grenade
s and machine gun
s, assaulted point 73 and drove off the soviet reserve and artillery observers and pushed the soviets back to their starting positions.
With Germany's surrender in May 1945, Ansons, 33 years old and still registered as a member of the German forces serving in the Courland pocket, entered soviet captivity. After capitulation of German forces in the Courland pocket, he didn't surrender and he went into hiding in Mazrūmene. In 18 December 1945 he was arrested by soviets and deported to Vorkuta
. In 1955 he went back to Latvia. 24 November 1968 he died and was buried in Priedulu cemetery (Kandavas parish).
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n member of 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...
, Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
's 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...
fighting unit of the Schutzstaffel
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
(Protective Squadron). He rose to the rank of Hauptscharführer
Hauptscharführer
Hauptscharführer was a Nazi paramilitary rank which was used by the Schutzstaffel between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank was the highest enlisted rank of the SS, with the exception of the special Waffen-SS rank of Sturmscharführer....
and 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...
, an award given in recognition of extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. At the conclusion of the war, he was taken prisoner by the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
.
Biographical details
A native of KandavaKandava
Kandava is a town in Latvia. As a settlement, it is first mentioned in written sources in 1230.-See also:*List of cities in Latvia...
, a small town in Latvian region of Courland
Courland
Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...
, Žanis Ansons was born into a farming family. In the aftermath of Germany's June 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union in 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...
, Latvia fell under German occupation, and Ansons volunteered to join the Latvian Brigade, a fighting unit incorporated into German military command. He was posted to 1st Company, 24th Battalion, where he remained until March 1943, when he was transferred to 3rd Company, Latvian Regiment. In October he was promoted to the rank of Oberscharführer
Oberscharführer
Oberscharführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that existed between the years of 1932 and 1945. Translated as “Senior Squad Leader”, Oberscharführer was first used as a rank of the Sturmabteilung and was created due to an expansion of the enlisted positions required by growing SA membership...
and, in April 1944, to Hauptscharführer
Hauptscharführer
Hauptscharführer was a Nazi paramilitary rank which was used by the Schutzstaffel between the years of 1934 and 1945. The rank was the highest enlisted rank of the SS, with the exception of the special Waffen-SS rank of Sturmscharführer....
in the 6th Company, Waffen Grenadier Regiment of the SS 44, 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian), and fought during the Battle of Leningrad. Ansons also participated in the fighting at the Courland pocket
Courland Pocket
The Courland Pocket referred to the Red Army's blockade or encirclement of Axis forces on the Courland peninsula during the closing months of World War II...
where, according to the commendation, he exhibited bravery deserving of the Knight's Cross awarded to him in December 1944.
Over the night of 27 December the Red Army had broken through the front line and penetrated about two kilometres into the rear. Ansons was sent on a reconnaissance of point 73, to determine enemy strength and positions. The eight men under his command, armed with hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
s and machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s, assaulted point 73 and drove off the soviet reserve and artillery observers and pushed the soviets back to their starting positions.
With Germany's surrender in May 1945, Ansons, 33 years old and still registered as a member of the German forces serving in the Courland pocket, entered soviet captivity. After capitulation of German forces in the Courland pocket, he didn't surrender and he went into hiding in Mazrūmene. In 18 December 1945 he was arrested by soviets and deported to Vorkuta
Vorkuta
Vorkuta is a coal-mining town in the Komi Republic, Russia, situated just north of the Arctic Circle in the Pechora coal basin at the Usa River. Population: - Labor camp origins :...
. In 1955 he went back to Latvia. 24 November 1968 he died and was buried in Priedulu cemetery (Kandavas parish).