Hermann-Ernst Bolm
Date of Birth: 28.02.1919 - Magdeburg, Sachsen (Germany)
Date of Death: 20.10.1944 - Ebenroda, Ostpreussen (Germany)
Promotions:
06.01.1941 Leutnant der Reserve (with RDA from 01.11.1940)
17.10.1942 Oberleutnant der Reserve (with RDA from 01.11.1942)
29.02.1944 Hauptmann der Reserve (with RDA from 01.01.1944)
30.04.1944 Hauptmann (with RDA from 01.03.1944)
Career:
00.08.1938 3.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 17
01.04.1940 1.Kompanie (Schützen) / Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon 17
17.04.1940 2.Kompanie (Schützen) / Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon 17
20.08.1940 6.Kompanie (Schützen) / Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon 17
05.10.1940 10.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 434
05.04.1941 11.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 434
09.06.1941 10.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 434
03.10.1941 11.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 434
00.00.1942 9.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 434
19.03.1942 10.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 434
00.04.1942 2.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 434
07.07.1942 Sicherungs-Bataillon Usocki
14.02.1943 9.Kompanie / Infanterie-Regiment 434
24.08.1943 Stabsoffizier 131. Infanterie-Division
00.09.1943 Feld-Ersatz-Bataillon 131
19.12.1943 Chef 5.Kompanie / Grenadier-Regiment 434
00.12.1943 Führer II.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 434
12.08.1944 Kommandeur I.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 434
Awards and Decorations:
25.11.1941 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
08.01.1942 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
00.00.194_ Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber
00.00.194_ Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
00.00.1942 Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille)
00.00.194_ Nahkampfspange in Bronze
10.02.1944 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
04.04.1944 Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht
20.04.1944 Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, as Hauptmann der Reserve and Führer II.Bataillon / Grenadier-Regiment 434 / 131.Infanterie-Division. The following newspaper article describes why Bolm was awarded the Ritterkreuz: “The First Breakthrough to Kovel - Hauptmann Bolm Awarded the Knight’s Cross: A Lower-Saxonian Infanterie-Division had been involved in weeks of heavy combat west of the city of Kovel, which had been encircled on all sides by the enemy. On the 29.03.1944 a Regiment (reinforced by Panzers and Sturmgeschütze) of this Division commenced an attack. Hauptmann Ernst Bolm, commander of the Regiment’s II. Bataillon, stormed at the head of his Grenadiers in the area north of the railway Ch.—K. He and his foremost Grenadiers succeeded in seizing a strongly garrisoned Bolshevik strongpoint following a brief but fierce battle. The Bolsheviks suffered heavy losses in this engagement; during which 7 guns and numerous other weapons fell into the hands of the victors. The young Bataillon commander realized in this moment that the enemy in his sector had been shaken by the heavy casualties they had just sustained. Thus, he concluded that now was the time to strike in order to effect a breakthrough towards the East. Acting swiftly, he once again placed himself at the spearhead of the assault group. His encouragement and example here inspired his exhausted Grenadiers to once again press forwards. While the Panzers captured a hill west of the village of Cz., Hauptmann Bolm penetrated into the village itself with his now brought-up reserve Kompanie. The village was cleared of the enemy by nightfall following hard close combat. After this he [Bolm] immediately dispatched reconnaissance elements into the wooded terrain east of Cz. The results of this reconnaissance were surprisingly favourable; the woods were only weakly occupied by the enemy. The Soviets had clearly not had enough time to reposition their forces in the wake of Cz.’s loss. No communications existed with the Regiment at this time; the young officer would have to act on his own initiative. After a short conference with the Kompanie commander of the Panzers, it was resolved that the existing moment of opportunity had to be exploited. Hauptmann Bolm thus moved out before dawn on the following morning and was able to break through to Kovel in a rapid advance. The encirclement ring around the city was not broken just yet however, as the Red flood once again closed behind the Bataillon after it had entered Kovel proper. However the breakthrough of Bolm’s Bataillon and the Panzer-Kompanie brought about significant aid and moral relief for the hard-pressed defenders of Kovel.” The village of Cz. referred to in the article was the village of Czerkasy, located along the Chelm—Kovel railway line. The Panzer-Kompanie that broke through to Kovel in conjunction with Bolm’s Bataillon was the 8./SS-Pz.Rgt. 5 “Wiking”, commanded by SS-Obersturmführer Karl Nicolussi-Leck (he also received the Knight’s Cross).
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Hermann-Ernst Bolm was born on February 28, 1919 in Magdeburg and, according to a report from August 1938, joined the 3rd company of the 17th Infantry Regiment. According to a report dated April 1, 1940, after taking part in the Polish campaign, Bolm switched to the 1st (sniper) company of the 17th Infantry Replacement Battalion. With the report dated April 17, 1940, he was in the 2nd (sniper) company of the battalions.
Without taking part in the western campaign, Bolm switched to the 6th company of his old regiment with a report from August 20, 1940, or to the 10th company of the 434th Infantry Regiment with a report from October 5, 1940.
On April 5th, 1941 he was transferred to the 11th company, only to briefly return to the 10th company on June 9th, 1941. With this he also took part in the eastern campaign, but switched back to the 11th company on October 3rd, 1941. Later he was transferred to the 9th company, from which he returned to the 10th company with a report dated March 19, 1942. In the next few weeks he was then transferred to the 2nd company, from there he was commanded to the Usocki security battalion, with a report dated July 7th, 1941, and after his return to the company, with a report dated February 14th, 1943, he was assigned to the 9th company.
With a report dated August 24, 1943, Bolm was assigned to the staff of the 131st Infantry Division and from there to Field Replacement Battalion 131, from where he transferred to the 5th Company of the regiment with a report dated December 19, 1943, and there too was appointed leader of the II. Battalion.
On April 1, 1944, the 131st Infantry Division attacked Cherkassy on the Luboml-Kovel railway line in order to free the trapped Kovel garrison. On April 4, 1944, the hard-fought division reached the edge of a forest about seven kilometers west of Kovel. Also in action in the north of Kowel, Bolm showed exceptional bravery, for which he was named in the Wehrmacht report on April 4, 1944. On April 27, 1944, the mission to relieve Kowel was successfully completed. Bolm received the Knight's Cross for his successful attack and defense measures on April 20, 1944, as a reserve captain and commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 434th Grenadier Regiment. Furthermore, on April 30, 1944, with effect from March 1, 1944, the transfer to the active officer corps took place.
With a report dated August 12, 1944, he switched to the staff of the 1st Battalion and was killed two months later, on October 20, 1944, as commander of the battalion near Ebenrode in East Prussia.
Source :
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=91104
https://www.generalassaultmilitaria.com/product/hermann-ernst-bolm-portrait/
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Hermann-Ernst_Bolm
http://www.ritterkreuztraeger.info/rk/b.html
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/2452/Bolm-Hermann-Ernst.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20111228124514fw_/http://www.ritterkreuztraeger-1939-45.de/Infanterie/B/Bo/Bolm-Hermann-Ernst.htm
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