Helmut Scholz
Encyclopedia
Helmut Scholz was a Hauptsturmführer
(Captain) in the Waffen SS during World War II
who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves
.
Scholz was born on the 12 July 1920, at Grottkau, Upper Silesia
.
He volunteered to join the SS in December 1937 and was assigned to the 3rd Company, SS Standarte Germania, and transferred to the SS Standarte Der Führer, in 1938.
He was selected for officer training and sent to the SS-Junkerschule, at Braunschweig
being promoted in September 1939 to Unterscharführer
(Sergeant).
He took part in the Battle of France
in 1940 and was then transferred to the 1st Company, SS-Regiment Wiking and from June 1941 was involved in the invasion of Russia
, Operation Barbarossa
.
On 1 November 1941 he returned to the SS-Junkerschule and on 20 April 1942 made an SS-Oberjunker until June 1942 when he was promoted to Untersturmführer
and given command of a platoon in the III.Btn/SS Regiment Nordland which was serving in Russia.
In 1943 he joined the 49th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment De Ruyter and in March 1944 was the commander of the 7th Company, 49th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment De Ruyter, 23rd SS Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland
.
It was while in command of the 7th Company that he took part in the Battle for Narva Bridgehead defending the bridgehead against Russian attacks, that he was awarded the Knight's Cross
.
In August 1944 he was given command of the Regiments II Battalion which was located to the northwest of Peipussees and for the Battalion's actions was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross on 21 September 1944.
He was next made the Adjutant of the 48th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment and promoted to Hauptsturmführer
in January 1945.
Scholz survived the war and died on the 12 November 1997, at Herne
. His daughter moved to South Africa and later migrated to Australia.
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...
(Captain) in the Waffen SS 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...
who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
.
Scholz was born on the 12 July 1920, at Grottkau, Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
.
He volunteered to join the SS in December 1937 and was assigned to the 3rd Company, SS Standarte Germania, and transferred to the SS Standarte Der Führer, in 1938.
He was selected for officer training and sent to the SS-Junkerschule, at Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
being promoted in September 1939 to Unterscharführer
Unterscharführer
Unterscharführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party used by the Schutzstaffel between 1934 and 1945. The SS rank was created after the Night of the Long Knives...
(Sergeant).
He took part in the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
in 1940 and was then transferred to the 1st Company, SS-Regiment Wiking and from June 1941 was involved in the invasion of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, 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...
.
On 1 November 1941 he returned to the SS-Junkerschule and on 20 April 1942 made an SS-Oberjunker until June 1942 when he was promoted to 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...
and given command of a platoon in the III.Btn/SS Regiment Nordland which was serving in Russia.
In 1943 he joined the 49th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment De Ruyter and in March 1944 was the commander of the 7th Company, 49th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment De Ruyter, 23rd SS Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland
4th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Brigade Netherlands
The 23rd SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nederland. was a German Waffen SS volunteer division comprising volunteers of Dutch background...
.
It was while in command of the 7th Company that he took part in the Battle for Narva Bridgehead defending the bridgehead against Russian attacks, that he was awarded the Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
.
In August 1944 he was given command of the Regiments II Battalion which was located to the northwest of Peipussees and for the Battalion's actions was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross on 21 September 1944.
He was next made the Adjutant of the 48th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment and promoted to 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...
in January 1945.
Scholz survived the war and died on the 12 November 1997, at Herne
Herne, Germany
Herne is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area directly between the cities of Bochum and Gelsenkirchen.- History :Like most other cities in the region Herne was a tiny village until the 19th century...
. His daughter moved to South Africa and later migrated to Australia.