Ritterkreuzträger of 3. SS-Panzer-Division "Totenkopf"

The SS-Division Totenkopf was one of the most notorious and combat-effective formations of the Waffen-SS during World War II, officially established in October 1939 under the command of SS-Obergruppenführer Theodor Eicke from the core of the SS-Totenkopfverbände concentration camp guard units, primarily the 1st SS-Totenkopf-Standarte Oberbayern, 2nd SS-Totenkopf-Standarte Brandenburg, and 3rd SS-Totenkopf-Standarte Thüringen, augmented by personnel from the SS-Heimwehr Danzig. Initially seeing action in the 1940 campaign in the West as part of the X. Armeekorps, the division earned a reputation for aggressive assaults and ruthlessness, notably during the fighting around Arras and in the vicinity of Dunkirk, where elements perpetrated the Le Paradis massacre of British prisoners of war from the 2nd Royal Norfolk Regiment; following the fall of France it remained in occupation duties before being transferred east for Operation Barbarossa in 1941 as part of Heeresgruppe Nord. In the Soviet Union the division participated in heavy defensive and offensive operations, suffering catastrophic losses while distinguishing itself in the encirclement battles around Lake Ilmen and later becoming trapped in the Demyansk pocket during the winter of 1941-1942, where it held its positions under extreme conditions of cold, supply shortages, and relentless Red Army attacks until its eventual breakout in early 1942, actions for which Eicke and several subordinates received high decorations including the Ritterkreuz. Rebuilt and refitted, the division fought in the summer 1942 offensives, took part in the recapture of Kharkov in 1943 as part of the II. SS-Panzerkorps alongside the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler and Das Reich, and played a key role in the subsequent Third Battle of Kharkov counteroffensive before being heavily engaged in the Battle of Kursk as a Panzergrenadier division equipped with Panzer IV, StuG III, and Tiger I tanks in its attached schwere SS-Panzer-Abteilung 503. Throughout its existence SS-Division Totenkopf was characterized by fanatical loyalty instilled by its concentration camp origins, high morale often referred to in terms of "Totenkopf spirit," and a record of both remarkable battlefield tenacity and numerous war crimes including the murder of civilians and prisoners on the Eastern Front; it was redesignated 3. SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf in late 1943, continued fighting in defensive battles in Ukraine, Poland, and Hungary, and was finally destroyed in the encirclement at Halbe in April 1945 during the final Soviet offensive on Berlin, with only small remnants surrendering to American or Soviet forces.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EICHENLAUBTRÄGER


SS-Obergruppenführer Theodor Eicke (1892-1943) was a German military officer who rose to prominence as a senior SS functionary and Waffen-SS commander, playing a pivotal role in shaping the Nazi concentration camp system before leading combat forces on the Eastern Front. Born in Hampont, Alsace-Lorraine, Eicke served in the Bavarian Army during World War I as a paymaster and infantryman, earning the Iron Cross 2nd Class, before joining the Nazi Party and the SS in the late 1920s; he became the second commandant of Dachau concentration camp in June 1933, reorganizing it with strict discipline, the iconic striped prisoner uniforms, and death's head insignia for guards, then expanded this model nationwide as Inspekteur der Konzentrationslager and commander of the SS-Totenkopfverbände, while also participating in the Night of the Long Knives by executing SA Chief Ernst Röhm alongside his adjutant Michael Lippert. In 1939, he assumed command of the newly formed SS-Division Totenkopf, leading it through the Battle of France—where the division committed war crimes such as the Le Paradis massacre—and into Operation Barbarossa, where it fought with noted ferocity and brutality. Eicke received the Ritterkreuz on 26 December 1941 as SS-Gruppenführer and Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS for his division's determined defense and breakout actions amid the heavy fighting in the Demyansk pocket, where SS-Division Totenkopf under his leadership distinguished itself particularly at villages such as Kobylkino and Wassiljewschtina despite encirclement and extreme conditions; he was further awarded the 88th Eichenlaub on 20 April 1942 as SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS for the outstanding overall performance of his division in sustaining the pocket's defense. Eicke was killed in action on 26 February 1943 when his Fieseler Fi 156 Storch aircraft was shot down by Soviet anti-aircraft fire near Lozova during the Third Battle of Kharkov.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3rd_SS_Panzer_Division_Totenkopf
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Knight%27s_Cross_recipients_3rd_SS_Panzer_Division_Totenkopf

Bio of SS-Oberführer Georg Bochmann (1913-1973)

Full name: Georg Heinz Bochmann  
Nickname: Schorsch  

Date of birth: 18 September 1913 - Albernau, Sachsen (German Empire)
Date of death: 8 June 1973 - Offenbach am Main, Hesse (West Germany)
Buried on: German War Cemetery Offenbach. Plot: II. Row: 4. Grave: 11/12

Service number: SS-Nr.: 122.362 // NSDAP-Nr.: 1.907.565 
Religion: Gottgläubig (believe in God)  
Parents: Gustav Bochmann and Anna Bochmann
Siblings: The third child
Spouse: married on 14.07.1944
Children: no data available

Promotions:
00.00.1933: SS-Anwärter
24.05.1934: SS-Mann
09.11.1934: SS-Sturmmann
00.12.1934: SS-Rottenführer
25.01.1935: SS-Unterscharführer
20.04.1936: SS-Untersturmführer
20.04.1937: SS-Obersturmführer
25.08.1939: SS-Hauptsturmführer
20.04.1942: SS-Sturmbannführer
09.11.1943: SS-Obersturmbannführer
09.11.1944: SS-Standartenführer
20.04.1945: SS-Oberführer RDA 01.03.1945

Career:
01.10.1930-02.05.1933: Hitlerjugend
14.03.1933: joined the NSDAP
14.03.1933-24.05.1934: joined the SS - SS-Sturm 2/ IV/ 7
SS-Mann, SS-Sonderkommando 'Sachsen' - Konzentrationlager Sachsenburg
24.05.1934-01.11.1934: 3. Hundertschaft / Politischen Bereitschaft Abteilung 'Sachsen'
01.11.1934-25.01.1935: 2./ III./ SS-Totenkopfsturmbann 'Sachsen'
25.01.1935: 15. Hundertschaft / SS-Totenkopfsturmbann 'Sachsen'
10.08.1935-14.12.1935: SS-Scharführer, Zugführer-Lehrgang - 11. Hundertschaft - SS-Wachtruppe 'Oberbayern'
20.08.1935-31.12.1935: 11. Sturm / SS-Wachtruppe 'Oberbayern' - Dachau
31.12.1935: SS-Haupscharführer proposed to be promoted to SS-Untersturmführer
31.12.1935-00.04.1936: Zugführer, 15. Hundertschaft / SS-Wachtruppe 'Sachsen'
00.04.1936-01.05.1937: Führer, 15. Hundertschaft / SS-Totenkopfsturmbann 'Sachsen'
01.05.1937-10.07.1937: Führer, 3. Hundertschaft / SS-Sturmbann I 'Oberbayern'
10.07.1937-01.11.1939: Führer, 2. Hundertschaft / I. Sturmbann / 1. SS-Totenkopfstandarte 'Oberbayern'
01.11.1939-27.03.1941: Chef, 14./ SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 1, SS-Totenkopf-Division
01.11.1939-14.11.1939: Panzerjäger, Pak Lehrgang - Infanterie-Schule Doberitz
01.11.1939-27.03.1941: SS-Hstuf, Kdr, 14./ SS (Panzerjäger) SS-Totenkopf Infanterie Regiment 1, SS-Totenkopf Division
Campaign in France
26.08.1940-03.09.1940: Lehrgang - 31. Infanterie-Division
26.11.1940-29.11.1940: Lehrgang - AOK 7
16.02.1941-16.03.1941: Lehrgang für Bataillons- und Abteilungsführer - Königsbrück
27.03.1941-00.06.1941: Chef, 2./ SS-Panzerjäger-Bataillon 3, SS-Totenkopf-Division
Campaign in Russia - Baltic to Leningrad
08.07.1941: WIA
00.06.1941-21.10.1942: Kommandeur, Panzerjäger-Abteilung / SS-Division 'Totenkopf'
00.08.1941: Lake Ilmen
00.01.1942: Demjansk Cauldron - contracted malaria
17.01.1942: WIA
14.04.1942-22.04.1942: Führer der SS-„Totenkopf"-Kampfgruppe 'Bochmann' - Demjansk
20.04.1942: WIA
21.10.1942-01.08.1943: SS-Stubaf, Kdr., II. (Stoß-)Bataillon / SS-Totenkopf-Schützen-Regimentes (mot.) 'Thule'
00.02.1943: Kommandeur, II. Abteilung / SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 'Totenkopf'
09.03.1943: strong reconnaissance unit sent to Katschalowka
10.03.1943: capture of the village of Krassnokutsk
17.03.1943: capture of the forest 3km southeast of Ssorokowka and of the villages Saroshnoje and Tetlega
01.08.1943-01.11.1943: Kommandeur, SS-Panzer-Regiment 3 'Totenkopf'
01.11.1943: severely WIA
10.02.1944-15.11.1944: SS-Ostubaf, Kommandeur, SS-Wirtschafts-Verwaltungs-Führerschule Arolsen
15.11.1944-20.11.1944: 2. SS-Panzer Division "Das Reich"
20.11.1944-03.01.1945: Kdr., SS-Panzer Regiment 9, 9. SS-Panzer Division 'Hohenstaufen'
03.01.1945-27.03.1945: Kdr., 18. SS-Panzergrenadier Division 'Horst Wessel' - Poland
09.03.1945: North of Ratibor
14.03.1945: ivo Langlieben, Kreuzlinden and Oberglaugau
19.03.1945: Deutsch-Mühlen
20.03.1945: Deutsch-Rasselwitz, Stubendorf and Hotzenplotz
27.03.1945: came into conflict with Generaloberst Schörner, refusing to lead what he deemed to be a suicidal attack, and he was stripped of his command
30.03.1945-08.05.1945: SS-Oberführer, Kdr., 17. SS-Panzergrenadier Division 'Götz von Berlichingen' - Bavaria
09.05.1945: surrendered to US troops in the Rottach-Egern region

Awards and Decorations:
DRL Sportabzeichen in Bronze
SA-Sportabzeichen in Bronze
SS-Ehrenring (Totenkopfring)
Ehrendegen des Reichsführers-SS (13 September 1936. Other sources give 20.04.1937)
SS-Dienstauszeichnung 4.Stufe (4 Jahre)  (1938)
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 13. März 1938 (1939)
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938 (1939)
Medaille zur Erinnerung an die Heimkehr des Memellandes (1939)
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (20 June 1940)
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Silber
Allgemeines-Sturmabzeichen (1941)
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Schwarz (July 1941. WIA 08.07.1941)
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (8 July 1941)
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Silber (April 1942. WIA 08.07.1941 + 17.01.1942 + 20.04.1942)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (3 May 1942) as SS-Hauptsturmführer and Kommandeur SS-Panzerjäger-Abteilung "Totenkopf" / SS-Totenkopf-Division (or commander of a Kampfgruppe/Bataillon in the Demyansk Pocket).
In early 1942, the Totenkopf Division was trapped in the brutal Demyansk Pocket (southeast of Lake Ilmen, Soviet Union), where roughly 100,000 German troops endured a months-long Soviet encirclement amid savage winter fighting, supply shortages, and constant Red Army assaults. On 21 April 1942, Bochmann led his assault battalion in a fierce attack as part of Gruppe Eicke’s efforts to link up with relieving forces from Gruppe von Seydlitz.
The fighting for the village of Nowo-Ramuschewo was intense and close-quarters. Bochmann’s men stormed the village under his personal leadership at the front, displaying independent initiative and outstanding bravery. In brutal hand-to-hand combat with “blank weapons” (bayonets and close-range fire), they overpowered Soviet defenders, capturing the settlement by evening. The haul included 13 anti-tank guns (2.2 cm caliber) and 6 tractors, along with other materiel. This success enabled the first direct visual contact between the pocket’s defenders and the advancing relief spearheads west of the Lovat River, helping to stabilize the link-up and prevent the collapse of the sector.
The recommendation highlighted Bochmann’s “outstanding share in the success” through personal dedication and bold leadership in the savage fighting. The award recognized both his personal courage under fire and the tactical impact of securing this key position in one of the Eastern Front’s grueling defensive cauldrons.
Medaille "Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42" (Ostmedaille) (6 August 1942)
Demjanskschild (1943)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (19 March 1943)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #246 (17 May 1943) as SS-Sturmbannführer and Kommandeur II.Abteilung / SS-Kradschützen-Regiment “Thule” / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf". These actions occurred during and immediately after the Third Battle of Kharkov (February–March 1943), a major German counteroffensive that recaptured the city and blunted a Soviet winter offensive. Bochmann’s motorized/motorcycle infantry battalion played a key role in aggressive reconnaissance, rapid assaults, and flank security amid fluid, high-intensity mobile warfare against numerically superior Soviet forces.
9 March 1943: From a security line at Schelstowo, Bochmann personally led an armed reconnaissance raid deep into enemy territory toward Katschalowka (about 13 km ahead of friendly lines). The surprise attack caught Soviet forces off guard, inflicting heavy casualties, capturing 4 operational trucks and a 7.62 cm anti-tank gun, and destroying several guns, vehicles, and sledges—all without friendly losses.
10 March 1943: His battalion received orders to seize Krassnokutsk quickly. Bochmann drove with the point platoon, gaining real-time intelligence on enemy dispositions. As darkness fell, instead of risking a costly night street fight, he orchestrated a coordinated multi-sided assault. Personally directing the attack, his troops achieved a swift and total victory, with the enemy suffering numerous dead, lost guns, anti-tank rifles, and large amounts of equipment.
17 March 1943: The battalion had a two-part mission—first to capture a forested area 3 km southeast of Ssorokowka, then to take the villages of Saroshnoje and Tetlega in coordination with another battalion. Bochmann demonstrated exceptional bravery and tactical flair: after infantry cleared initial positions, he surged forward in his SPW (armored half-track) with a platoon, sowing panic and causing the Soviets to flee the woods in disorder. Exploiting the momentum, he pressed on to Tetlega. Entering the bitterly defended village with his 5th Company, he quickly assessed the situation, rolled up enemy positions from the flank, and secured the northern part of the village in short order while linking up with southern attackers.
These rapid, skillful thrusts disrupted Soviet movements, inflicted disproportionate losses, and helped secure the Totenkopf Division’s flanks during critical phases of the Kharkov operations and follow-on fighting. The recommendation praised his personal leadership from the front, bold decision-making, and ability to turn situations decisively in Germany’s favor.
Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold (1943. WIA 08.07.1941 + 17.01.1942 + 20.04.1942 + 01.11.1943)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #140 (26 March 1945) as SS-Standartenführer and Führer 18.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzer-Grenadier-Division "Horst Wessel". Bochmann’s award recommendation reads as follows:
“As per orders from the Supreme Commander of Heeresgruppe Mitte, Pz. AOK 1 is recommending the award of the Oakleaves with Swords to the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross for Standartenführer Bochmann, commander of the 18. SS-Freiw.Pz.Gr.Div. ‘Horst Wessel’.
1. On the 08.03.1945 Standartenführer Bochmann personally rallied and reenergized an attack by combat elements of his Division that had stalled under heavy enemy fire in the battle area north of Ratibor.
2. On the 12.03.1945 he personally led a night attack under the most difficult of conditions that resulted in the capture of VW. Annahof.
3. On the 14.03.1945 he directed the defense of Langlieben, a cornerstone of the German defense in the area, against the onslaught of an enemy that far outnumbered his forces in men and weapons. He achieved this through his personally led and boldly executed counterthrusts, and throughout the whole battle he fought from the foremost line and served as the soul of resistance for the troops that had been gathered under his command.
4. During the particularly heavy combat on the 16.03.1945 it was once again his personal intervention in the foremost line that ensured that Kreuzlinden (southwest of Oberglogau) was held. This in turn created the necessary conditions for he planned evacuation of the Cosel bridgehead.
5. On the 19.03.1945 it was once again his inspiring powers of leadership that resulted in the village of Deutsch-Mühlen being held against all enemy tank and infantry attacks. In doing so he laid the groundwork for the breakthrough of both Divisionen during the evening.
6. During the breakthrough on the 19./20.03.1945 along the route Deutsch-Rasselwitz—Stubendorf—Hotzenplotz he once again proved to be a shining example of inspiring leadership. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that, having endured a not insignificant injury on the 14.03.1945, he continued to remain with and in command of his troops despite all the medical advice to the contrary.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Georg Bochmann was a German officer in the Waffen-SS who rose to the rank of SS-Oberführer during World War II. Born on 18 September 1913 in Albernau in the Erzgebirge region of Saxony, he came from a modest family of textile workers. After completing his education, including attendance at the University of Leipzig, Bochmann joined the Hitler Youth and later the Nazi Party in 1933. The following year he entered the SS-Totenkopfverbände with service number 122362, initially serving in guard units and at the Dachau concentration camp before transitioning to combat roles as the Waffen-SS expanded.

Bochmann's early military career was closely tied to the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf. He participated in the 1940 campaign in the West, where the division saw action around Cambrai, Arras, and Dunkirk. Transferred to the Eastern Front with Operation Barbarossa in 1941, he commanded elements of the division's Panzerjäger battalion and was wounded multiple times in heavy fighting near Lake Ilmen. By early 1942, during the brutal encirclement in the Demyansk Pocket, Bochmann led a Kampfgruppe consisting of infantry, anti-tank guns, assault guns, and escort troops. In savage close-quarters combat amid freezing conditions and relentless Soviet assaults, his assault battalion stormed key positions such as the village of Nowo-Ramuschewo. Fighting with bayonets and grenades in hand-to-hand engagements, his men overpowered Soviet defenders, captured numerous anti-tank guns and vehicles, and helped establish contact between the trapped forces and relieving columns from outside the pocket. For this leadership and personal bravery under extreme conditions, Bochmann was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 May 1942.

Following his recovery and promotion, Bochmann continued to distinguish himself in mobile operations with motorized and motorcycle infantry units of the Totenkopf Division. During the German counteroffensive in the Third Battle of Kharkov in March 1943, he commanded the II Battalion of the SS-Kradschützen-Regiment Thule. In a series of bold reconnaissance raids and rapid assaults, his troops struck deep into Soviet lines, disrupting enemy movements and inflicting heavy casualties. On one occasion he personally led an armed probe 13 kilometers ahead of friendly positions, surprising Soviet forces and capturing trucks and an anti-tank gun without losses. In night fighting around Krassnokutsk and subsequent village assaults near Tetlega, Bochmann directed coordinated attacks from the front, using armored half-tracks to sow panic and roll up enemy flanks in bitter street and forest combat. These actions contributed significantly to stabilizing German lines and recapturing Kharkov, earning him the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross as the 246th recipient on 17 May 1943.

As the war intensified, Bochmann held various command positions, including leadership of armored units within the Totenkopf Division through the Battle of Kursk and subsequent defensive battles along the Mius River. He later served with other formations, including brief associations with divisions such as Das Reich and Hohenstaufen. By January 1945 he took command of the 18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Horst Wessel in Poland, where the unit engaged in fierce rearguard actions against overwhelming Soviet advances. In desperate fighting north of Ratibor in Silesia, despite being wounded, Bochmann organized successful breakout operations and counterattacks that inflicted notable losses on pursuing enemy forces amid fuel shortages and collapsing supply lines. For his sustained command effectiveness and personal courage in these final defensive struggles on the Eastern Front, he received the Swords to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves as the 140th recipient on 26 March 1945 and was promoted to SS-Oberführer.

In the last weeks of the war Bochmann assumed command of the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division Götz von Berlichingen in southern Germany and Bavaria. The division, already depleted from earlier campaigns in Normandy, the Ardennes, and Operation Nordwind, conducted tenacious delaying actions around Nuremberg and in Niederbayern as American and other Allied forces closed in. Elements under his overall direction were involved in the unusual Battle of Castle Itter in Austria, an engagement marked by rare cooperation between Wehrmacht defenders, American troops, and French VIP prisoners against attacking SS forces. On 9 May 1945 Bochmann surrendered part of his division to American forces near Rottach-Egern in Bavaria. He survived the war, evaded major prosecution during denazification, and lived quietly in West Germany despite suffering long-term effects from malaria contracted on the Eastern Front.

Georg Bochmann died of heart failure on 8 June 1973 at the age of 59 in Offenbach am Main, Hesse. His funeral in the Frankfurt area was attended by several former high-ranking Waffen-SS comrades. Throughout his career he was noted for aggressive leadership from the front, multiple wounds that earned him the Wound Badge in Gold, and a progression from battalion-level assaults in encircled pockets to divisional command in the war's final chaotic months. His decorations placed him among the most highly recognized officers in the Waffen-SS for combat leadership on both the Eastern and Western fronts.

Source :
http://www.2kompanie.org/georg-bochmann.html
https://charkow-43.ucoz.ru/photo/personalii/georg_bochmann/72
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/personenregister/b/bochmanng.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/georg_bochmann
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/28509/bochmann-georg-heinz-schorsch-waffen-ss.htm
https://rk.balsi.de/
https://www.unithistories.com/
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.geni.com/

Himmler Visiting Totenkopf (1943)

The visit of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Chef der SS und Deutschen Polizei) to the headquarters of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf" near Kharkov, Ukraine, 24 April 1943. To the left of Himmler is SS-Oberführer Hermann Prieß (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf"), while to his right is SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Baum (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Totenkopf"). On the far left is SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Kron (Kommandeur SS-Flak-Abteilung "Totenkopf"), while second from the right is likely SS-Hauptsturmführer Anton "Toni" Laackmann (Kommandeur SS-Panzerjäger Abteilung 3 "Totenkopf").

Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler visited the area around Kharkov in spring 1943, during a trip that included inspecting Waffen-SS units from the SS-Panzerkorps (which included the SS Division Totenkopf on 24 April 1943, along with Leibstandarte and Das Reich). On that date, he delivered a speech to SS commanders (a "Kommandeurbesprechung" or meeting of SS division commanders) in Kharkov.

The Totenkopf Division had returned to the Eastern Front in early 1943, participated in the Third Battle of Kharkov (February–March 1943, recapturing the city), and was still operating in the region as part of Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South) before shifting toward the Kursk preparations later that spring/summer. Himmler's visit involved addressing senior officers from the SS divisions active there, emphasizing ideological indoctrination, racial theories, and the "dread reputation" of the SS units from the Kharkov fighting. Photos and references to Himmler examining captured Soviet equipment (e.g., a T-34 tank) or SS troops in the Kharkov sector also tie to this period.

The visit of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Chef der SS und Deutschen Polizei) to the headquarters of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf" near Kharkov, Ukraine, 24 April 1943. From left to right: SS-Oberführer Hermann Prieß (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf"), Himmler, and SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Baum (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Totenkopf").



The visit of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Chef der SS und Deutschen Polizei) to the headquarters of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf" near Kharkov, Ukraine, 24 April 1943. From left to right: SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Baum (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Totenkopf"), SS-Hauptsturmführer Josef Kiermaier (persönlicher leibwächter bei Heinrich Himmler), and Himmler.

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2015/02/foto-otto-baum.html

Otto Baum and Theodor Eicke

SS-Hauptsturmführer Otto Baum (Kommandeur III.Bataillon / SS-Totenkopf-infanterie-Regiment 3 / SS-Division "Totenkopf") with SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Theodor Eicke (Kommandeur SS-Division "Totenkopf")) in a war exercise ahead of the German invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa), spring 1941. This photo was taken shortly after Baum was transferred from Leibstandarte to Totenkopf (5 March 1941). Eicke - known for being stingy with praise and hard to impress - was always a tough commander and suspicious of newcomers assigned to his unit. He preferred to rely on direct judgment with his own eyes rather than on evaluations from other commanders. Therefore, it is the greatest pride when he considers Baum as one of his best commanders in terms of bravery and leadership!

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2015/02/foto-otto-baum.html

Bio of SS-Oberführer Otto Baum (1911-1998)

Full name: Otto Baum
Nickname: No information

Date of Birth: 15.11.1911 - Stetten/Hohenzollern, Deutsches Reich
Date of Death: 18.06.1998 - Hechingen-Stetten, Baden-Württemberg, Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Battles and Operations: Polenfeldzug, Unternehmen Barbarossa, Kesselschlacht von Demjansk, Kämpfe an der Ostfront, Normandie (Saint-Lô, Falaise Pocket), Einsätze in Italien und Ungarn

NSDAP-Number: 4.197.040 (01.05.1937)
SS-Number: 237.056 (01.11.1933)
Religion: No information
Parents: Vater: Merchant (Name unknown) and unknown mother
Siblings: No information
Spouse: No information
Children: No information

Promotions:
01.11.1933 SS-Anwärter
14.09.1934 SS-Mann
01.06.1935 SS-Rottenführer
01.07.1935 SS-Unterscharführer
09.11.1935 SS-Standartenjunker
25.02.1936 SS-Standarten-Oberjunker
20.04.1936 SS-Untersturmführer
12.09.1937 SS-Obersturmführer
09.11.1939 SS-Hauptsturmführer
21.06.1941 SS-Sturmbannführer
09.11.1942 SS-Obersturmbannführer
30.01.1944 SS-Standartenführer
17.09.1944 SS-Oberführer

Career:
00.00.19??-00.00.1930 Volksschule then Realgymnasium Hechingen, Abitur 1930
00.00.1930-00.00.1932 Studium der Landwirtschaft an der Landwirtschaftlichen Hochschule Hohenheim (zwei Semester)
01.11.1933 Eintritt in die Allgemeine SS, 13. SS-Standarte, Stuttgart
06.03.1934 SS-Standarte Germania
24.04.1935-00.02.1936 SS-Junkerschule Braunschweig
10.02.1936 Zugführerlehrgang Dachau
01.04.1936 II./SS-Standarte Germania
20.04.1936-01.05.1938 Zugführer II./SS-Standarte Germania
05.05.1937-17.06.1937 Heeres-Sportschule Wünsdorf
01.05.1938-15.11.1938 Zugführer III./SS-Standarte Der Führer
15.11.1938 mit der Führung beauftragt 10./SS-Standarte Der Führer
01.06.1939 mit der Führung beauftragt 7. Kompanie / Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (Polenfeldzug als Kompaniechef)
03.03.1941 versetzt zur SS-Totenkopf-Division
21.06.1941-13.03.1944 Kommandeur III. Bataillon / SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 3 (Kämpfe an der Ostfront, Demjansk)
13.03.1944 SS-Führerhauptamt
18.06.1944-01.08.1944 Kommandeur 17. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Götz von Berlichingen (Normandie, Saint-Lô)
28.07.1944-23.10.1944 Führer 2. SS-Panzer-Division Das Reich (Falaise Pocket)
24.10.1944-08.05.1945 Kommandeur 16. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Reichsführer-SS (Italien, Ungarn)
08.05.1945-00.12.1948 in britischer Kriegsgefangenschaft
00.00.1949-00.00.1998 Tätigkeit in der Textilindustrie

Awards and Decorations:
SA-Sportabzeichen in Bronze (01.12.1936)
Eisernes Kreuz II. Klasse (25.09.1939)
Eisernes Kreuz I. Klasse (15.06.1940)
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Bronze (03.10.1940)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (26.12.1941)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (08.05.1942) as SS-Sturmbannführer and Kommandeur III.Bataillon / SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 3 / SS-Division “Totenkopf”. During the bitter winter fighting in the Demjansk Kessel, Baum’s battalion held a critical sector near the villages of Salutschje and Schumilkino. For weeks the position had been under relentless Soviet pressure. On the night of 7 February 1942, at 00:20 hours, the enemy unleashed a massive assault after a heavy artillery and mortar barrage. Elements of the 20th Regiment, the NCO school, and the platoon-leader school of the 7th Soviet Guards Division, supported by tanks and the 42nd Soviet Brigade, struck the depleted German lines in a pincer movement. Soviet infantry overran parts of northern Schumilkino and southeastern Salutschje, threatening to roll up the entire front and seize the vital Kobylkino–Schubino road that supplied the encircled German forces of Gruppe Eicke.
With the situation critical and his own battalion stretched to breaking point, Baum acted on his own initiative. Gathering a handful of hastily assembled men and elements of an attached company, he personally led a death-defying counterthrust straight into the teeth of the Soviet penetration. In brutal, close-quarters fighting amid the snow and darkness, Baum’s small force drove the enemy out of both villages. By 06:30 the frontline was restored. Over 300 Soviet dead lay in and around the German positions, and further attacks collapsed under concentrated defensive fire. The recommendation emphasized that Baum’s “heroic bravery and decisive success” had prevented a breakthrough that would have endangered the entire pocket. Theodor Eicke, commander of the Totenkopf Division, personally presented the Ritterkreuz to Baum in a short frontline ceremony less than a mile from the fighting.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #277 (22.08.1943) as SS-Obersturmbannführer and Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment “Thule” (formerly SS-Pz.Gr.Rgt. 5 “Totenkopf”) / SS-Panzergrenadier-Division “Totenkopf”. The Eichenlaub was awarded for a series of outstanding leadership feats during the German counteroffensive that recaptured Kharkov in February-March 1943 and the subsequent heavy fighting.
On the night of 23/24 February 1943, Baum’s regiment, with I. Bataillon and attached panzers, was ordered to strike north of Pawlograd, seize Wjasowol, cross the Malaja Ternowka river, and establish a bridgehead. Despite bitter cold and enemy resistance, Baum led from the front. His battalion drove past Wjasowol, pursued the fleeing Soviets across the river, and pivoted southeast to the northern edge of Werbki – arriving ahead of the supporting panzer regiment and linking up with SS-Division “Das Reich”. The move cut off the Soviet escape route west of Ternowka.
On 1 March 1943, advancing northwest in the Orel sector under heavy snowstorms, Baum again made ruthless decisions. Ignoring supply difficulties, he pushed I. (gep.) Bataillon and attached panzers across the Berestowaja river to Par. Schlachowaja, linked with the Leibstandarte from the southwest, and helped encircle the Soviet 3rd Tank Army north of Schljachowaja. The haul included 21 T-34s, 107 artillery pieces, hundreds of vehicles and weapons, and large numbers of prisoners.
On 12 March 1943, Baum’s regiment was rushed to cover the eastern approaches to Kharkov. At 14:00 he set out along the Kharkov–Tschugujew road despite terrible conditions. Baum stayed constantly with the lead elements, personally directing the advance. By evening of 13 March his forces had captured Rogan, cut the main road, and linked with “Das Reich”. After a hurried refuel, they overran Kamenaja Jaruga, seized Tschugujew, and blocked the Donetz crossings – sealing the fate of the Soviet forces attempting to escape from Smijew.
Later actions in July 1943 near Beresoff and at the Psel river bridgehead during the Kursk offensive further underscored his bravery: Baum broke through heavy enemy fire, was wounded but refused evacuation, and became “the soul of the resistance” at critical points, repulsing repeated Soviet attacks with heavy losses to the enemy. The recommendation highlighted Baum’s “bold decisions, aggressiveness, and personal example of bravery” as decisive for the success of the entire operation.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #95 (02.09.1944) as SS-Standartenführer and Kommandeur 2. SS-Panzer-Division “Das Reich”. The Schwerter were awarded for his outstanding performance during the Normandy campaign, particularly in the fighting around Operation Cobra and the subsequent encirclement battles in the Falaise Pocket.
In late July and August 1944, as American forces launched their breakout from the Cotentin Peninsula, Baum’s division was thrown into desperate counterattacks and holding actions to stem the Allied flood. With the German front collapsing and large elements of the 7th Army and Panzergruppe West becoming trapped in the Falaise Pocket, Baum led aggressive operations that succeeded in opening escape corridors and freeing significant numbers of encircled German troops, vehicles, and equipment. Under constant Allied air attack and against overwhelming numerical superiority in men, tanks, and artillery, he coordinated rapid thrusts, rearguard actions, and breakout maneuvers that prevented total annihilation of the trapped forces. The official recommendation noted his “success in freeing significant elements of German units that had been encircled on the Invasion Front,” crediting his decisive leadership and personal courage with saving thousands of men who would otherwise have been lost. Baum’s actions during these chaotic days helped keep the division combat-effective even as the Normandy front disintegrated.
Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber (21.08.1943)
Demyansk-Schild (31.12.1943)
Ostmedaille (1942)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Otto Baum was a high-ranking officer in the Waffen-SS during the Second World War who rose to the rank of SS-Oberführer and became one of the few recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Born on 15 November 1911 in Stetten in Hohenzollern in the German Empire as the son of a merchant he grew up in a modest family environment and later died on 18 June 1998 in Hechingen-Stetten in Baden-Württemberg in the Federal Republic of Germany. Throughout his military career Baum demonstrated exceptional leadership and personal bravery in some of the most intense campaigns of the war serving first in the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler during the invasion of Poland and then distinguishing himself repeatedly on the Eastern Front with the SS-Totenkopf Division before taking command of larger formations on the Western Front in Normandy and later in Italy and Hungary. His awards reflected critical actions in defensive battles around the Demjansk Pocket in 1942 the German counteroffensive at Kharkov in 1943 and desperate breakout operations during the collapse of the Normandy front in 1944. After the war Baum spent several years in British captivity before returning to civilian life where he worked in the textile industry until his death more than five decades later.

Baum completed his early education at the local Volksschule and then at the Realgymnasium in Hechingen where he passed his Abitur in 1930. He enrolled for two semesters in the study of agriculture at the Landwirtschaftliche Hochschule Hohenheim near Stuttgart but left his studies to pursue a military path. On 1 November 1933 he entered the Allgemeine SS with the 13th SS-Standarte in Stuttgart receiving the SS service number 237056. His rapid advancement through the ranks began with basic training and attendance at the SS-Junkerschule Braunschweig from April 1935 to February 1936 followed by a platoon-leader course at Dachau in early 1936. By April 1936 he served as a Zugführer in the second battalion of SS-Standarte Germania and later transferred to the Der Führer regiment where he gained experience as a company officer. In May 1937 he briefly attended the Heeres-Sportschule Wünsdorf and by November 1938 he was given acting command of the tenth company of Der Führer. His pre-war service also included membership in the NSDAP which he joined retroactively with number 4197040 effective 1 May 1937.

In June 1939 Baum assumed command of the seventh company of the motorized infantry regiment of the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler and led it through the Polish campaign in September 1939 earning the Iron Cross Second Class on 25 September 1939 for his performance under fire. He continued with the Leibstandarte during the western campaign in 1940 receiving the Iron Cross First Class on 15 June 1940 and the Infantry Assault Badge in bronze on 3 October 1940. Transferred to the SS-Totenkopf Division in March 1941 he took over the third battalion of SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 3 in June 1941 and participated in Operation Barbarossa the invasion of the Soviet Union. His battalion fought in heavy engagements across the Eastern Front and by late 1941 he had been promoted to SS-Sturmbannführer on 21 June 1941 while also earning the German Cross in Gold on 26 December 1941 for sustained combat leadership.

The action that earned Baum the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 8 May 1942 occurred during the desperate winter defense inside the Demjansk Pocket. As commander of the third battalion his unit held a vital sector near the villages of Salutschje and Schumilkino against repeated Soviet assaults. On the night of 7 February 1942 following a massive artillery and mortar barrage elements of several Soviet regiments and brigades supported by tanks launched a pincer attack that overran parts of the German positions threatening the only supply road for the encircled forces. With his battalion stretched thin Baum gathered a small assault group and personally led a counterattack through deep snow and darkness in close-quarters fighting that restored the line by dawn inflicting over three hundred enemy casualties and preventing a breakthrough that could have collapsed the entire pocket. Division commander Theodor Eicke personally presented the decoration to him in a frontline ceremony shortly afterward praising his initiative and bravery.

By early 1943 after recovering from wounds sustained in earlier fighting Baum had been promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer and given command of SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 5 Thule within the Totenkopf Division. His leadership during the German counteroffensive that recaptured Kharkov in February and March 1943 earned him the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross as the 277th recipient on 22 August 1943. On the night of 23 February his regiment seized key river crossings and bridgeheads north of Pawlograd advancing through bitter cold to cut off Soviet escape routes and link up with other SS divisions. In subsequent days he pushed armored elements across the Berestowaja River linking with the Leibstandarte and encircling large Soviet forces while capturing dozens of tanks and hundreds of artillery pieces. Later in the fighting around Kharkov and during the Kursk offensive his regiment repeatedly broke through enemy lines under heavy fire with Baum leading from the front refusing evacuation after being wounded again and becoming the driving force in repulsing multiple Soviet counterattacks.

In 1944 Baum advanced to higher commands first taking charge of the 17th SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Götz von Berlichingen on 18 June 1944 during the Normandy campaign where his division fought fierce defensive battles around Saint-Lô. He was then tasked with leading the 2nd SS-Panzer-Division Das Reich from 28 July to 23 October 1944 amid the chaos of Operation Cobra and the Falaise Pocket. Under relentless Allied air attacks and against overwhelming odds his forces conducted aggressive counterthrusts and rearguard actions that opened escape corridors allowing thousands of encircled German troops vehicles and equipment to break out before the pocket closed. For these achievements he received the Swords as the 95th recipient on 2 September 1944 while still holding the rank of SS-Standartenführer. Promoted to SS-Oberführer on 17 September 1944 he assumed command of the 16th SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Reichsführer-SS on 24 October 1944 leading it through defensive operations in Italy before the division transferred to Hungary in early 1945 where it continued fighting until the final days of the war. Baum surrendered with his forces at Völkermarkt in Carinthia on 8 May 1945 and remained in British captivity until December 1948.

Following his release Baum returned to civilian life in Germany and worked in the textile industry for the remainder of his years avoiding public attention. He lived quietly in his birthplace region until his death at the age of eighty-six. His military record remains a subject of historical study particularly for the combination of tactical skill and personal courage that marked his progression from company commander to division leader across multiple theaters of the Second World War.

SS-Mann Otto Baum.



SS-Mann Otto Baum.



SS-Junker Otto Baum during the course at SS-Junkerschule Braunschweig (1935-1936).



SS-Untersturmführer Otto Baum.



SS-Hauptsturmführer Otto Baum (Kommandeur III.Bataillon / SS-Totenkopf-infanterie-Regiment 3 / SS-Division "Totenkopf") with SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Theodor Eicke (Kommandeur SS-Division "Totenkopf")) in a war exercise ahead of the German invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa), spring 1941. This photo was taken shortly after Baum was transferred from Leibstandarte to Totenkopf (5 March 1941). Eicke - known for being stingy with praise and hard to impress - was always a tough commander and suspicious of newcomers assigned to his unit. He preferred to rely on direct judgment with his own eyes rather than on evaluations from other commanders. Therefore, it is the greatest pride when he considers Baum as one of his best commanders in terms of bravery and leadership!

SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Baum riding a horse.



SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Baum.

SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Baum.



SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Baum.



SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Baum.



Otto Baum wounded.

SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Baum.



SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Baum.



SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Baum.


The visit of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Chef der SS und Deutschen Polizei) to the headquarters of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf" near Kharkov, Ukraine, 24 April 1943. To the left of Himmler is SS-Oberführer Hermann Prieß (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf"), while to his right is SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Baum (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Totenkopf"). On the far left is SS-Sturmbannführer Otto Kron (Kommandeur SS-Flak-Abteilung "Totenkopf"), while second from the right is likely SS-Hauptsturmführer Anton "Toni" Laackmann (Kommandeur SS-Panzerjäger Abteilung 3 "Totenkopf"). Other pictures from this visit can be seen HERE.



The visit of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Chef der SS und Deutschen Polizei) to the headquarters of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf" near Kharkov, Ukraine, 24 April 1943. From left to right: SS-Oberführer Hermann Prieß (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf"), Himmler, and SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Baum (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Totenkopf").



The visit of Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (Chef der SS und Deutschen Polizei) to the headquarters of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf" near Kharkov, Ukraine, 24 April 1943. From left to right: SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Baum (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Totenkopf"), SS-Hauptsturmführer Josef Kiermaier (persönlicher leibwächter bei Heinrich Himmler), and Himmler.



SS-Obersturmbannführer Otto Baum.



SS-Standartenführer Otto Baum.



SS-Oberführer Otto Baum in Italy.

Mugshot of Otto Baum.

Source:
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_Baum_(SS-Mitglied)
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/
https://www.geni.com/
https://books.google.com/
Additional: https://www.ritterkreuztraeger.info/ and related Ritterkreuzträger documentation.

Paul Hausser Visited SS Totenkopf Division

From left to right: SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Paul Hausser (Kommandierender General II. SS-Panzerkorps), SS-Oberführer Hermann Prieß (Kommandeur SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Totenkopf"), and SS-Standartenführer Heinz Lammerding (Chef des Stabes II. SS-Panzerkorps). The photo was taken in early summer 1943 during Hausser's visit to the SS Totenkopf Division which were under his command.

SS-Standartenführer Heinz Lammerding (Chef des Stabes II. SS-Panzerkorps) and SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Paul Hausser (Kommandierender General II. SS-Panzerkorps).

Source :
https://alifrafikkhan.blogspot.com/2018/06/foto-paul-hausser.html

Bio of SS-Gruppenführer Hermann Priess (1901-1985)

Full name: Hermann August Fredrich Priess
Nickname: No information

Date of Birth: 24 May 1901 - Marnitz, Mecklenburg (German Empire)
Date of Death: 22 February 1985 - Ahrensburg, Schleswig-Holstein (West Germany)

Battles and Operations: Estonian War of Independence (1919), Eastern Front (1941-1943, including Demyansk Pocket and Kharkov), Ardennes Offensive (1944), Operation Southwind (1945), Operation Spring Awakening (1945)

NSDAP-Number: 1,472,296 (joined 1 December 1933)
SS-Number: 113,258 (joined 10 July 1934)
Religion: Protestant
Parents: Ernst Priess (butcher) and Dorothea Thiede
Siblings: No information
Spouse: Hildegard Schmidt (married, born 22 April 1913, died 26 December 1989)
Children: Three children (born 27 November 1937, 21 April 1939, and one with no date available)

Promotions:
26 February 1935 SS-Untersturmfûhrer
15 September 1935 SS-Obersturmfûhrer
13 September 1936 SS-Hauptsturmfûhrer
20 April 1939 SS-Sturmbannfûhrer
1 August 1940 SS-Obersturmbannfûhrer
21 June 1941 SS-Standartenfûhrer
13 July 1942 SS-Oberfûhrer
15 July 1943 SS-Brigadefûhrer und Generalmajor der Waffen-SS
20 April 1944 SS-Gruppenfûhrer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS

Career:
January 1919 Volunteered for service in the Reichsheer
1919-1920 Served in Freikorps von Brandis in the Baltikum
1920-1931 Service in the Reichswehr, discharged as Oberfeldwebel
10 July 1934 Joined the SS-Verfuegungstruppe
1935-1939 Various artillery training and command roles in SS units
1939-1941 Commander of artillery battery and regiment in SS-Division Totenkopf
1941-1943 Commander of SS-Artillerie-Regiment Totenkopf during Eastern Front operations
26 February 1943-21 June 1944 Commander of 3. SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf
7 August 1944-24 October 1944 Commander of XIII. SS-Armeekorps
30 October 1944-8 May 1945 Commander of I. SS-Panzerkorps Leibstandarte

Awards and Decorations:
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse (22 September 1939)
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse (15 October 1939)
Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (6 January 1942 as SS-Standartenfuehrer in the SS-Artillerie-Regiment Totenkopf)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes (28 April 1943) as SS-Oberfûhrer and commander of Artillerie-Regiment of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf. The award recognized Priess's outstanding leadership in artillery command during critical defensive operations on the Eastern Front. Specifically, it was for his actions in the Demjansk Pocket from February to April 1942, where the "Totenkopf" Division was encircled by Soviet forces. As artillery commander, Priess effectively coordinated the combined batteries of Group Eicke, repelling week-long Soviet attacks and destroying enemy concentrations without losing ground along a 41 km front. His efforts were crucial in holding "Fortress Demjansk" until relief arrived. Additionally, sources highlight his role in the Third Battle of Kharkov (February-March 1943), where, after assuming division command following Theodor Eicke's death on 26 February 1943, he led the division in bitter fighting that contributed to the destruction of the Soviet 3rd Tank Army and the recapture of Kharkov. The official recommendation emphasized his experience and tactical acumen in these encirclement battles, preventing collapse and enabling the division's survival.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #297 (9 September 1943) as SS-Brigadefûhrer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS and commander of SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf. This higher grade honored Priess's continued exemplary command during intense summer combats on the Eastern Front following the Third Battle of Kharkov. Key actions included the division's heavy involvement in Operation Citadel (the Battle of Kursk) in July 1943, particularly in the southern sector of the salient, where the "Totenkopf" Panzer regiment engaged in massive tank battles around Prokhorovka against overwhelming Soviet armor. Despite high casualties, Priess's leadership maintained cohesion and inflicted significant losses. After Kursk's failure, the division repelled a Soviet counteroffensive on the Mius River in late July-early August 1943, before retreating to defensive positions around Kharkov. In the Fourth Battle of Kharkov (August 1943), Priess orchestrated delaying actions that covered the German withdrawal, though the city fell to the Red Army on 22 August. His ability to rally the division under relentless pressure, preserving its combat effectiveness, was cited as pivotal.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #65 (24 April 1944) as SS-Brigadefûhrer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS and commander of the 3. SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf. The award acknowledged Priess's sustained leadership in defensive and counteroffensive operations on the Eastern Front from late 1943 into early 1944, amid the German retreat after the Dnieper-Carpathian Offensive. Following the loss of Kharkov, the division fought rearguard actions during the retreat to the Dnieper River in September-October 1943, holding bridgeheads and disrupting Soviet advances. In November-December 1943, Priess led counterattacks in the Krivoi Rog area, stabilizing lines against superior Soviet forces. During the winter of 1943-1944, the "Totenkopf" participated in relief efforts for encircled German units in the Korsun Pocket (January-February 1944), breaking through to evacuate survivors despite harsh conditions and heavy losses. The division's repeated successes in crisis situations, earning praise from Wehrmacht commanders for its reliability and combat prowess, underscored Priess's strategic and motivational skills. He relinquished divisional command in July 1944.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hermann August Fredrich Priess (24 May 1901 - 2 February 1985) was a German general in the Waffen-SS and a convicted war criminal during World War II. He commanded the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf following the death of Theodor Eicke in February 1943 and later led the I SS Panzer Corps from October 1944 until the end of the war. Priess was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords for his leadership on the Eastern Front. During the Ardennes Offensive, units under his command were involved in the Malmedy massacre, leading to his postwar conviction and imprisonment. He served in various artillery and divisional roles throughout the conflict, rising to the rank of SS-Gruppenfuhrer and Generalleutnant of the Waffen-SS.

Priess was born on 24 May 1901 in Marnitz, a small town in Mecklenburg, German Empire, to Ernst Priess, a butcher, and Dorothea Thiede. Raised in a Protestant family, he completed his schooling and worked on his family's farm until January 1919, when he volunteered for service in the German army amid the chaos following World War I. Although the war on the Western Front had ended, threats persisted on Germany's eastern borders. His initial unit was disbanded due to the Treaty of Versailles restrictions, prompting him to join the Freikorps von Brandis, where he fought in the Estonian War of Independence from 1919 to 1920. Returning to the Reichswehr in 1920, Priess served a 12-year term, advancing to the rank of Oberfeldwebel before being discharged in June 1931 due to military downsizing. During this interwar period, he maintained a low profile, but his early military experience laid the foundation for his later career in the SS.

In the early 1930s, Priess aligned himself with the rising Nazi regime, joining the NSDAP on 1 December 1933 with membership number 1,472,296, and the SS on 10 July 1934 with number 113,258. He entered the SS-Verfugungstruppe as an SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer and took command of the 13th Company of SS-Standarte Germania. By June 1939, he was involved in establishing an artillery department for the new SS-Verfugungsdivision, earning promotion to SS-Sturmbannfuhrer on 20 April 1939. Priess led this unit during the invasion of Poland in September 1939, followed by participation in the Western Campaign in 1940. Promoted to SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer on 1 August 1940, he assumed command of the SS-Artillerie-Regiment Totenkopf, which he led into the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. His rapid promotions continued, reaching SS-Standartenfuhrer on 21 June 1941, reflecting his specialization in artillery tactics and his integration into the Waffen-SS elite.

On the Eastern Front, Priess's artillery regiment played a crucial role in the brutal campaigns of 1941-1943. During the defense of the Demyansk Pocket from February to April 1942, his coordinated fire support repelled sustained Soviet assaults along a 41-kilometer front, earning him the German Cross in Gold on 6 January 1942. Following Theodor Eicke's death on 26 February 1943, Priess took command of the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf, redesignated as the 3rd SS Panzer Division. He led it through the Third Battle of Kharkov in March 1943, contributing to the destruction of the Soviet 3rd Tank Army and the recapture of the city. Promoted to SS-Oberfuhrer and later SS-Brigadefuhrer and Generalmajor of the Waffen-SS on 15 July 1943, Priess commanded during Operation Citadel (Battle of Kursk) in July 1943, engaging in fierce tank battles around Prokhorovka. Despite heavy losses, his leadership maintained divisional cohesion against superior Soviet forces.

Priess's command extended into the defensive retreats of late 1943 and early 1944. After Kursk, the division held against Soviet counteroffensives on the Mius River and during the Fourth Battle of Kharkov in August 1943, facilitating German withdrawals to the Dnieper River. In November-December 1943, he orchestrated counterattacks in the Krivoi Rog sector, stabilizing lines amid the Dnieper-Carpathian Offensive. During the Korsun Pocket relief in January-February 1944, Priess's forces broke through to evacuate survivors under harsh winter conditions. Relieved of divisional command on 21 June 1944, he briefly led the XIII SS Army Corps from 7 August to 24 October 1944 before taking over the I SS Panzer Corps on 30 October 1944. Promoted to SS-Gruppenfuhrer and Generalleutnant on 20 April 1944, he commanded this corps during the Ardennes Offensive in December 1944, where subordinated units like Kampfgruppe Peiper committed the Malmedy massacre, murdering 84 American POWs.

In early 1945, the I SS Panzer Corps was redeployed to Hungary, participating in Operation Southwind in February, which destroyed the Soviet Hron Bridgehead near Esztergom. Priess then led the corps in Operation Spring Awakening, the last major German offensive, centered around Lake Balaton from 6 to 16 March 1945, ending in defeat and retreat toward Vienna. Surrendering to American forces in May 1945, Priess was initially held at Camp King, where he contributed to U.S. Army historical studies. From May to July 1946, he stood trial in the Malmedy massacre proceedings at Dachau, one of 73 defendants charged with the deaths of over 300 American POWs and 100 Belgian civilians. Convicted for issuing orders that encouraged "reckless brutality" and terror tactics, he received a 20-year sentence on 16 July 1946 but was released early from Landsberg Prison in October 1954. Priess lived quietly in Ahrensburg until his death on 2 February 1985 at age 83, married to Hildegard Schmidt with three children.

Priess's military decorations highlighted his combat effectiveness, particularly on the Eastern Front. He received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 22 September 1939 and 1st Class on 15 October 1939, followed by the Wound Badge in Black and Demyansk Shield. The Knight's Cross was awarded on 28 April 1943 for his artillery leadership in the Demyansk Pocket and early Kharkov battles. The Oak Leaves (297th recipient) came on 9 September 1943 for successes during Kursk and the Mius River defenses. The Swords (65th recipient) were granted on 24 April 1944 for defensive actions in the Korsun Pocket and Krivoi Rog. These honors underscored his tactical acumen but were overshadowed by his association with SS atrocities, including the Totenkopf Division's origins in concentration camp guards and the war crimes under his corps command. Post-release, Priess avoided public life, with no further notable activities recorded before his passing.

Source:
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/
https://www.tracesofwar.com/
https://grokipedia.com/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.bundesarchiv.de/en/
https://www.geni.com/
https://books.google.com/
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/priess-hermann
Books: "Waffen-SS Knights and their Battles" by Peter Mooney (Schiffer Publishing, 2010); "The Waffen-SS: A European History" edited by Jochen Boehler and Robert Gerwarth (Oxford University Press, 2017); "Totenkopf: The Structure, Development and Personalities of the 3.SS-Panzer-Division" by Mark C. Yerger (Bender Publishing, 2000)