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Schulze, Heinrich Herbert "Vati" (Waffen SS)

Date of birth:
April 1st, 1914 (Waldheim/Saxony, Germany)
Date of death:
February 2nd, 1992 (Borken/Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany)
Service number:
SS-Nr.: 121.397 // NSDAP-Nr.: 2.981.452
Nationality:
German

Biography

00.00.1934: Freiwilliger, Unteroffizier, Infanterie-Regiment 101
00.00.1937: joined the SS-VT
00.00.1938: SS-Junker, SS-Junkerschule
00.00.1939: promoted to SS-Untersturmführer
00.00.1939: SS-Ustuf, Adjutant, SS-Standarte 'Der Führer', SS-VT
00.05.1940: SS-Ustuf, Führer, 2. Kompanie, SS-Regiment 'Der Führer', SS-VT - campaign in the West
01.07.1940: promoted to SS-Obersturmführer
00.03.1941: SS-Ostuf, Führer, Panzerspähzug, SS-Regiment 'Der Führer' - campaign in the Balkans
00.06.1941: SS-Ostuf, Chef, 6. Kompanie, SS-Infanterie-Regiment 'Der Führer', SS-Division 'Reich' - campaign in Russia
00.08.1941: fightings at Oretschewo, Snigiri
00.01.1942: fightings in Cholm-Velikje Luki
00.01.1942: WIA for the 3rd time and evacuated to a Lazarett in Germany
21.04.1942: promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer
00.04.1942: IIa, Adjutant, SS-Infanterie-Regiment 'Der Führer', 2. SS-Division 'Das Reich', II. SS-Panzer-Korps - Kharkov
00.03.1943: SS-Hstuf, Führer, II. Bataillon, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment.4 (mot) « Der Führer », 2. SS-Panzer-Division 'Das Reich' - Pavlograd Bridgehead, Ochotschaje, Kursk, Bjelgorod, Dnjepr, Kasaverovsk
17.11.1943: promoted to SS-Sturmbannführer
00.11.1943-01.07.1944: SS-Stubaf, Kdr, II. Bataillon, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment.4 (mot) « Der Führer », 2. SS-Panzer-Division 'Das Reich'
01.07.1944: SS-Stubaf, WIA
00.00.1944: SS-Stubaf, Lehrer, SS-Panzergrenadierschule Prag
00.01.1945: SS-Stubaf, Kdr, Lehr-Abteilung, SS-Panzergrenadierschule Prosetschnitz-Kienschlag
00.04.1945: SS-Stubaf, Kdr, SS-Regiment 'Schulze', SS-Kampfgruppe „Böhmen - Mähren", SS-Kampfgruppe 'Trabandt'
00.04.1945: deployed to defned the oil fields at Zistersdorf, Austria
06.05.1945: capitulated in Austria - US POW

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Ehrendegen des Reichsführers-SS
SS-Ehrenring
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
SS-Untersturmführer (2nd Lieutenant)
Unit:
Führer, 2. Kompanie, SS-Regiment 'Der Führer', SS-VT
Awarded on:
June 10th, 1940
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
1941
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Schwarz
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
SS-Obersturmführer (Lieutenant)
Unit:
Chef, 6. Kompanie, SS-Infanterie-Regiment 'Der Führer', SS-Division (mot.) 'Reich'
Awarded on:
August 26th, 1941
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
SS-Obersturmführer (Lieutenant)
Unit:
Chef, 6. Kompanie, SS-Infanterie-Regiment 'Der Führer', SS-Division (mot.) 'Reich'
Awarded on:
1941
Infanterie-Sturmabzeichen in Bronze
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
SS-Obersturmführer (Lieutenant)
Unit:
Chef, 6. Kompanie, SS-Infanterie-Regiment 'Der Führer', SS-Division (mot.) 'Reich'
Awarded on:
January 1942
Verwundetenabzeichen 1939 in Silber
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
SS-Obersturmführer (Lieutenant)
Unit:
Chef, 6. Kompanie, SS-Infanterie-Regiment 'Der Führer', SS-Division (mot.) 'Reich'
Awarded on:
1942
Medaille
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)
Unit:
Chef, 6. Kompanie, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Der Führer", 2. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 'Das Reich'
Awarded on:
May 29th, 1943
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain)
Awarded on:
July 1943
Nahkampfspange in Silber
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
SS-Sturmbannführer der Reserve (Major of Reserves)
Unit:
Kommandeur, II. Bataillon, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 4 'Der Führer', 2. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 'Das Reich'
Awarded on:
November 9th, 1943
Nahkampfspange in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
SS-Sturmbannführer (Major)
Unit:
Kommandeur, II. Bataillon, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 4 “Der Führer”, 2. SS-Panzer-Division “Das Reich”, 4. Panzer-Armee, Heeresgruppe Süd
Awarded on:
December 16th, 1943
Schulze's Knight's Cross recommendation reads as follows...
"SS-Sturmbannführer Schulze has already been characterized by outstanding bravery and prudent leadership of his Kompanie during the winter campaign of 1943 while serving in the role of Kompanie-Chef.
The award of the Knight's Cross has already been put forward for SS-Sturmbannführer Schulze.
When strong Russian forces pushed out from the area around Kiev towards the south in all directions, starting on 07.11.1943, they encountered our own defenses in this area. Battalion Schulze received the order to first develop a security line north of Grebenki, then hold the bridge in this place, and finally to stop and divide the advancing enemy.
Schulze made it possible for his Battalion to be forward in the early evening hours, in order to offer the protection they were ordered to. He met up with one Kradspahtrupp from the 15./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Der Führer", who told him that the a locality just up ahead (Kssaverovka) as well as the area south of it were still free from the enemy.
He decided to advance in the night with a Kompanie of 32 men to this place and found that it was, in fact, occupied by the enemy. He realized the advantage he held by the enemy being unaware of his presence, and with his company he launched a surprise attack, engaging in close combat. They fought house to house and were able to not only reach the northern edge of the village but also 3 kilometres further ahead, after the rest of the battalion had joined the battle. In the course of this battle an enemy FlaK battalion was completely destroyed.
Without any losses to themselves, they had captured fourteen guns and twenty trucks.
As a result of this action, he brought a crucial resolution to the overall situation as follows: The enemy's advance was checked for the first time, after they had stretched themselves thin. Their raid came to a halt, and it was thus possible for our own divisions to halt their retreat and once again develop a main battle line.
SS-Sturmbannführer Schulze and his battalion (who formed a part of this new line) proved themselves repeatedly in the coming clashes and halted the attempted enemy advances. With only 35 men he held 6km of frontline, his battalion being hit by six strong enemy armoured attacks. Himself being in the thick of the fighting, he led his men into multiple counterattacks against the broken-in enemy units and repeatedly pushed them back in close combat.
These achievements of SS-Sturmbannführer Schulze are unique. He endured for our sake in this fighting and it is owed to him that the enemy did not succeed in winning further ground to the south and thus roll up our own front along the southward stretches of the Dnieper."
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

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