(image posted by Graham Clayton)
/Marcus
Chess master Klaus Junge
Chess master Klaus Junge
Does anyone know in which unit chess master Klaus Junge served at the time of his death age 21 on 17 April 1945 on Lüneburger Heide? As I understand it he was a Leutnant of the artillery but I have seen one unconfirmed reference to a "12th SS battalion" which I doubt.
(image posted by Graham Clayton)
/Marcus
(image posted by Graham Clayton)
/Marcus
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Heimatschuss
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Re: Chess master Klaus Junge
Hello Marcus,
"12th SS battalion" most likely is SS-Panzergrenadier Ausbildungs- und Ersatzbataillon 12 which was stationed in Nienburg on the river Weser in winter 1944/1945. It was used to defend the Weser line and then the Aller line against advancing British forces in early April 1945. The major part of the battalion was captured near Soltau on April 18th, 1945.
http://www.kultur.uni-hamburg.de/volksk ... khaus.html
http://www.denkmalprojekt.org/dkm_deuts ... hof_ns.htm
According to German Wikipedia ( http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Junge ) Junge was killed in the village Welle on April 18th, 1945 which is about 30 km north of Soltau. According to http://web.archive.org/web/200709270006 ... sjunge.htm he had collected about a dozen stragglers from various units there that day. Junge and two other soldiers died when they tried to stop the attacking tanks with Panzerfausts.
As it seems this was an ad hoc unit and it's hard to tell if Junge (or any other man of this troop) ever belonged to SS-PzGren. A.u.E. Bln 12. Parts of the battallion (Stamm-Kompanie, 4. and especially 7. Co.) must have escaped capture at Soltau because they were involved in the counterattack at Vahrendorf (south of Hamburg) on April 26th, 1945.
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... g#p1202817
http://www.kultur.uni-hamburg.de/volksk ... khaus.html
Best regards
Torsten
"12th SS battalion" most likely is SS-Panzergrenadier Ausbildungs- und Ersatzbataillon 12 which was stationed in Nienburg on the river Weser in winter 1944/1945. It was used to defend the Weser line and then the Aller line against advancing British forces in early April 1945. The major part of the battalion was captured near Soltau on April 18th, 1945.
http://www.kultur.uni-hamburg.de/volksk ... khaus.html
http://www.denkmalprojekt.org/dkm_deuts ... hof_ns.htm
According to German Wikipedia ( http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klaus_Junge ) Junge was killed in the village Welle on April 18th, 1945 which is about 30 km north of Soltau. According to http://web.archive.org/web/200709270006 ... sjunge.htm he had collected about a dozen stragglers from various units there that day. Junge and two other soldiers died when they tried to stop the attacking tanks with Panzerfausts.
As it seems this was an ad hoc unit and it's hard to tell if Junge (or any other man of this troop) ever belonged to SS-PzGren. A.u.E. Bln 12. Parts of the battallion (Stamm-Kompanie, 4. and especially 7. Co.) must have escaped capture at Soltau because they were involved in the counterattack at Vahrendorf (south of Hamburg) on April 26th, 1945.
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... g#p1202817
http://www.kultur.uni-hamburg.de/volksk ... khaus.html
Best regards
Torsten