SS-Standartenführer und Oberst der Schutzpolizei Herbert Golz was born on 9 April 1897 in Berlin to a family with a long military tradition. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Golz, who had just graduated from the Andreas Gymnasium (High School), immediately volunteered for military duty. After a brief basic training period, he participated in the battle of Ypern in October 1914 as a member of the 201st Reserve Regiment. In the course of the war he would serve 4 tours of duty on the Western Front and 2 on the Eastern Front. He would also be decorated with both classes of the Iron Cross, the Austrian Medal for Bravery and receive a field promotion to Leutnant (2nd Lt.) of the Reserves in August 1917.
Following the war, Golz served with the para-military Freikorps “Reinhold” from January 1919 until May 1919, fighting against the communist “Sparticist” terrorists in Berlin. He would then join the Schutzpolizei (Protective Police), serving as a Police Captain in Cologne and Düsseldorf before being reassigned to Berlin with the rank of Major der Schutzpolizei.
When World War II started, Herbert Golz immediately sought a way to get back into military service. He promptly signed on with the new SS Polizei Division which began forming in the fall of 1939 and he was placed in command of I.Bataillon / Polizei-Schützen-Regiment 3. He would lead this unit with the rank of SS-Sturmbannführer und Major der Schutzpolizei throughout the French Campaign of 1940 and through the early part of the Russian Campaign.
In February 1942, Golz was assigned to the General Staff of the Schutzpolizei with the job of supervising police units that had been mobilized for military duties in the field. He would receive a promotion to SS-Obersturmbannführer in April 1943 but it was not until February 1944 that he was called back to combat service. He was placed in charge of a “defensive sector” of the besieged city of Kowell in Ukraine. Although the town was totally surrounded by strong Soviet forces he had been flown in along with SS-Gruppenführer Herbert Otto Gille, the commander of the 5th SS Panzer Division “Wiking”, who had been assigned to direct the overall defense and relief of Kowell.
The “Wiking” Division, led by its SS Panzer Regiment 5 and its II.Battalion which had not been trapped in the Cherkassy Pocket, spearheaded the attempt to break through to Kowell from the outside. When the relief of the town was finally secured on 5 April 1944, the numbers of defenders had dwindled down to between 4,000 and 4,500, almost half of whom were wounded. With no anti-tank weapons and limited supplies and ammunition their defensive effort had been one of the more notable of the entire war. For his determined leadership during the siege of Kowell, Herbert Golz was decorated with the German Cross in Gold. He would be promoted to SS-Standartenführer und Oberst der Schutzpolizei in June 1944 and later on in October, the Hungarian government would award him the Knight’s Cross of Hungary.
Late in 1944, SS-Staf. Golz became the chief-of-staff of the XIV. SS Army Corps which was serving against the Americans on the Upper Rhine Front, where he would help organize one of the last German offensive operations in the west across the Strum River. In January 1945, Golz was given the job of chief-of-staff of X.SS Army Corps in southern Pomerania. While the Corps had only limited Waffen-SS personnel, it directed the 163rd Army Infantry Division, the 8th Jäger Division and the 314th Army Infantry Division.
On 1 and 2 March 1945, a Soviet armored breakthrough succeeded in cutting-off and encircling the X.SS Army Corps. In the subsequent combat action the Corps commander, Lt.Gen. Krappe was killed and heavy losses were sustained. On his own initiative, SS-Staf. Golz formed a battle-group out of the most cohesive units left in control of the Corps, and for three weeks straight personally led this command in action behind the Soviet lines, before finally breaking through to the safety of the German lines on the Oder River Front.
For his incredible leadership and personal bravery during this time, Herbert Golz was awarded the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross on 3 May 1945. Following the war he went into British captivity which lasted for three years. After his release he became a successful businessman and remained active in Waffen-SS veteran’s affairs. He was a true heroic figure of World War II!
Following the war, Golz served with the para-military Freikorps “Reinhold” from January 1919 until May 1919, fighting against the communist “Sparticist” terrorists in Berlin. He would then join the Schutzpolizei (Protective Police), serving as a Police Captain in Cologne and Düsseldorf before being reassigned to Berlin with the rank of Major der Schutzpolizei.
When World War II started, Herbert Golz immediately sought a way to get back into military service. He promptly signed on with the new SS Polizei Division which began forming in the fall of 1939 and he was placed in command of I.Bataillon / Polizei-Schützen-Regiment 3. He would lead this unit with the rank of SS-Sturmbannführer und Major der Schutzpolizei throughout the French Campaign of 1940 and through the early part of the Russian Campaign.
In February 1942, Golz was assigned to the General Staff of the Schutzpolizei with the job of supervising police units that had been mobilized for military duties in the field. He would receive a promotion to SS-Obersturmbannführer in April 1943 but it was not until February 1944 that he was called back to combat service. He was placed in charge of a “defensive sector” of the besieged city of Kowell in Ukraine. Although the town was totally surrounded by strong Soviet forces he had been flown in along with SS-Gruppenführer Herbert Otto Gille, the commander of the 5th SS Panzer Division “Wiking”, who had been assigned to direct the overall defense and relief of Kowell.
The “Wiking” Division, led by its SS Panzer Regiment 5 and its II.Battalion which had not been trapped in the Cherkassy Pocket, spearheaded the attempt to break through to Kowell from the outside. When the relief of the town was finally secured on 5 April 1944, the numbers of defenders had dwindled down to between 4,000 and 4,500, almost half of whom were wounded. With no anti-tank weapons and limited supplies and ammunition their defensive effort had been one of the more notable of the entire war. For his determined leadership during the siege of Kowell, Herbert Golz was decorated with the German Cross in Gold. He would be promoted to SS-Standartenführer und Oberst der Schutzpolizei in June 1944 and later on in October, the Hungarian government would award him the Knight’s Cross of Hungary.
Late in 1944, SS-Staf. Golz became the chief-of-staff of the XIV. SS Army Corps which was serving against the Americans on the Upper Rhine Front, where he would help organize one of the last German offensive operations in the west across the Strum River. In January 1945, Golz was given the job of chief-of-staff of X.SS Army Corps in southern Pomerania. While the Corps had only limited Waffen-SS personnel, it directed the 163rd Army Infantry Division, the 8th Jäger Division and the 314th Army Infantry Division.
On 1 and 2 March 1945, a Soviet armored breakthrough succeeded in cutting-off and encircling the X.SS Army Corps. In the subsequent combat action the Corps commander, Lt.Gen. Krappe was killed and heavy losses were sustained. On his own initiative, SS-Staf. Golz formed a battle-group out of the most cohesive units left in control of the Corps, and for three weeks straight personally led this command in action behind the Soviet lines, before finally breaking through to the safety of the German lines on the Oder River Front.
For his incredible leadership and personal bravery during this time, Herbert Golz was awarded the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross on 3 May 1945. Following the war he went into British captivity which lasted for three years. After his release he became a successful businessman and remained active in Waffen-SS veteran’s affairs. He was a true heroic figure of World War II!
Source :
'Siegrunen 80' by Richard Landwehr
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