Was Arno Giesen a Das Reich Panzer ace?

[Miles Krogfus]

"The Defense of the Vienna Bridgehead" by 1st Lt. Peter R. Mansoor, pages 26-32 of the journal Armor, January-February 1986 says so. However, the two following statements in this story are wrong. (1) Panther ace Ernst Barkman (that is Barkmann) was killed 12 April 1945 fighting in Vienna.
(2) Ostuf. Giesen, 19 years old and a Panther tank commander, received the Knight's Cross "For his heroic efforts in resupplying and defending the Vienna Bridgehead." The article also states that Giesen had 94 kills by 12 April, scoring 14 on the next day giving him a total of 111.
There is no document, no record giving him a position as a gunner in Das Reich's Tiger company, nor is there any document or comments from Das Reich Tiger and Panther vets that I wrote to that mention him as anything: gunner, panzer commander or . . . Perhaps he was an obscure warrior doing deeds in the shadows, or perhaps his kill career is a tall tale.

[EugE]

www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15135
Varnike and Gasenave mention him in book. Also they used the war memories from some veterans.

[Miles Krogfus]

Their Heimdal book on Das Reich 102/502 SS Tigers lists a Heinz Giesen as a SS Pz.Schtz. on March 5,1943 (see page 123). This Giesen wouldn't have been an Ostuf. in 1945.

[EugE]

I think him confused with other Giesen, also tankman from Wermacht

[Miles Krogfus]

The article states that Giesen had 97, not 94 kills by April 12th . . .

[DougENash]

A generation ago, the name "Arno Giesen" would have been instantly recognizable to anyone studying the Waffen-SS in the early 1980s. A man who touted himself as the commander of the "last SS tank in Vienna," Giesen convinced many of us (including junior armor officers such as myself) that he was the real deal. He was a popular speaker on the US Army Professional Development circuit until he was finally exposed for what he was - a fraud, but not after maligning a number of genuine Waffen SS veterans, such as Fritz Langanke and Ernst Barkmann. Here's a very recent article by his son, Bo Friesen, like me a West Point graduate, who wrote about his father's colorful career as a storyteller and a textbook example of German "Stolen Valor."
http://fathercodersoldierspy.com/?page_id=9