Oberst Rolf Maempel

Mark V. · Post by **Mark V.** » 22 Jul 2005 16:44

I'm looking for more info on another mysterious Knight's holder. Rolf Maempel was a very successful commander of several different kampfgruppen carrying his name during the difficult winter 1942/43 battles at Tschertkowo but oddly enough he received the KC for his actions with the Pz.Gren.Rgt.125 - the unit still in proccess of formation.

Also I had some troubles in identifying some of his awards. Is that KVK I m.Schw. above PAB? What about the badge bellow EK I.?

Here's what I managed to find so far:

Oberst Rolf Maempel

(??? - ???)

Promotions
Hptm.:
Major: 5/6 1941
Oberstlt.: 1942
Oberst: 1.7.1943

Assignments
--
Kdr. II./Schtz.Rgt.8 (November ?? 1940 - spring/summer 1942)
Kdr. (?) Fahrtruppenschule Hanover (spring/summer 1942 - 1 October 1942)
Kdr. Pz.Gren.Rgt.140 (1 October 1942 - March 1943)
Fhr. Pz.KG 27.Pz.Div. (20 October 1942 - November 1942)
Fhr. KG I (also known as KG Maempel (1.)/ 27.Pz.Div. (9 December 1942 - December 1942)
Fhr. 298.Inf.Div. (19 December 1942 - 20 December 1942)
Fhr. KG Maempel (2.)/ 298.Inf.Div. (22 December 1942 - 18 January 1943)
Fhr. KG Maempel (3.)/ 27.Pz.Div.&19.Pz.Div. (19 January 1943 – February 1943)
Hospitalized ??
Kdr. Pz.Gren.Rgt.125 (fall 1943 - ??)
--
Awards:
1939 Spange zum 1914 EK II:
1939 Spange zum 1914 EK I:
DKiG: 3 March 1942 as Major and Kdr. II./Schtz.Rgt.8
RK: 5 December 1943 as Oberst and Kdr. Pz.Gren.Rgt.125
Verwundetenabzeichen in Silber
Panzerkampfabzeichen in Bronze
KVK I m. Schw.????

Stauffenberg II · Post by **Stauffenberg II** » 22 Jul 2005 17:40

Hi!

Maempel was a Reichsheer pro. In the 01.05.1932 Rangliste he is listed being Hauptmann/Rittmeister with RDA 01.02.1929 (32) within the 16. Reiterregiment. His awards include not only the EK 1 (1914) and the wound badge in black (1914) but also some awards from Thuringian countries:

Sächsische Herzogtümer, Hausorden, Ritterkreuz 2. Klasse mit Schwertern
Herzogtum Sachsen-Meiningen, Ehrenkreuz für Verdienst im Kriege
Herzogtum Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha, Karl Eduard Kriegskreuz (pin back cross)
Fürstentum Schwarzburg, Ehrenkreuz 3. Klasse mit Schwertern

I enclose a pic of the Karl Eduard Cross. Moreover I guess I see a Hungarian or a Bulgarian pin back cross with swords (Offizierskreuz), but not deriving from WWI.

http://www.das-ritterkreuz.de/index_sea ... rd=Maempel

herbert · Post by **herbert** » 22 Jul 2005 18:35

Rolf Maempel

Spange zum EK II 28.5.1940
Spange zum EK I 30.6.1940

25.1.1944 Kdr. Pz.Gren.Rgt. 125
24.7.1944 Lehrg.Leiter an der Pz.Tr.Schule Bergen
1.1.1945 Komdt.Ortskdtr. Groß-Kopenhagen

Gruß

USAF1986 · Post by **USAF1986** » 23 Jul 2005 01:39

Hello! Great photo of Maempel! The pin-back decoration worn above his PAB is the Hungarian Order of Merit in the grade of Officer with the Swords and “War Decoration” embellishments. You can just spot the "war decoration" in the photo: green laurel leaves between the lower arms of the cross (see attached scan).

Best regards,
Shawn

Mark V. · Post by **Mark V.** » 23 Jul 2005 13:23

Super! Thank you all very much!!

Jan-Hendrik · Post by **Jan-Hendrik** » 12 Apr 2007 08:56

Sorry to correct that, but Maempel received his KC for actions with PGR 140, he was Kdr. of this Rgt. from 1.10.42 till 15.02.43.
http://www.das-ritterkreuz is defintly wrong here!

Jan-Hendrik

Mark V. · Post by **Mark V.** » 12 Apr 2007 11:13

Thanks, J-H! I suspect your friend Veit is the source

.

Jan-Hendrik · Post by **Jan-Hendrik** » 12 Apr 2007 11:34

Qui, mon Ami

Just stumbled over this olde thread as I was putting togehter the awards for 27.PD and thought it would to correct it here too

Jan-Hendrik

Bernd R · Post by **Bernd R** » 12 Apr 2007 15:18

small addition from Veit Scherzer, "Ritterkreuzträger..."

* 23.05.1895 Greußen / Sondershausen
+ 15.02.1955 Braunschweig

regarding the Knight's Cross :
das-ritterkreuz.de is relying on Fellgiebel and obviously Fellgiebel is wrong here.
In cases like this when Scherzer has other data I will rely on him and will correct the data I formerly compiled from Fellgiebel. (will correct Maempel in the "awardholders/unit" thread) And if there are some errors by Scherzer or any doubts on his data we should also re-check him.

regards, Bernd

Charles Steiner · Post by **Charles Steiner** » 26 Apr 2007 12:55

Hi all, just to add...

Maempel went on home leave somewhere end april - early may 1944 for health reasons. Von Luck was appointed as acting commander of Pz.-Gren.-Regt. 125 until his official appointemant as Kommandeur of the Regiment.

Cheers,

Charles

Jan-Hendrik · Post by **Jan-Hendrik** » 26 Apr 2007 16:36

I have the following data for Maempel with PGR 125:

Kdr. 15.07.43 - 30.11.43

Kdr. 25.01.44- 05.06.44

Between those dates an Oberstleutnant Rudolph Zorzi was Führer of the Rgt.

Jan-Hendrik

Charles Steiner · Post by **Charles Steiner** » 27 Apr 2007 10:31

Jan-Hendrik,

strange that he is left in command until 05.06.1944... In Von Luck's memoirs, it appears that von Luck took over command as acting commander somewhere end of april - beginning of may 1944. In his memoirs is written that he got familiarized with his regiment (not like von Lauchert who took over command of the 2. Pz.-Div. on the verge of the Ardennes' Offensive and who didn't have the time to visit all his regimental commanders before the offensive...) and on the eve of the invasion, his 5th company was having an night exercise... Normally, an acting commander would also be registered, not?

Cheers,

Charles

Jan-Hendrik · Post by **Jan-Hendrik** » 27 Apr 2007 10:36

In my opinion if von Luck already acted as RgtsFhr. before this would have been noted

Jan-Hendrik

Charles Steiner · Post by **Charles Steiner** » 27 Apr 2007 10:42

I believe so too... although I think regimental commands and acting regimental commands are not always clearly noted down in Soldbücher... I've always wanted to check von Luck's military assignements, I guess this is one way to solve this mystery...

Cheers,

Charles

Glenn2438 · Post by **Glenn2438** » 28 Apr 2007 08:36

Rolf Maempel was originally commissioned into the 6. Thüringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 95. On acceptance into the Reichsheer he was transfered to the cavalry branch with assignment to Reiter-Regiment 10. It would appear that he left the army sometime in the mid thirties as he was not listed as an active officer in the October 1938 Stellenbesetzungen

Fähnrich: 27.1.14
Leutnant (ohne Patent): 7.8.14
Leutnant: 24.12.14 P (Reichswehr Patent: 24.12.14 (1))
Oberleutnant: 1.6.24 (1)
Rittmeister: 1.2.29 (32)

Regards
Glenn