Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

June 4th, 1918

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

1917

with war decoration

Period:

First World War (1914-1918)

Awarded on:

1934

Awarded on:

1936

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

February 5th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

March 6th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

August 20th, 1942

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Standartenführer (Colonel)

Unit:

Polizei-Schutzen-Regiment 2, SS-Polizei-Division, Waffen-SS

Awarded on:

April 30th, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

August 11th, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

SS-Brigadeführer / Generalmajor der Waffen-SS (Brigadier)

Unit:

Kommandeur, 14. Waffen-Grenadier-Division der SS (gal. Nr. 1), Waffen-SS

Awarded on:

September 30th, 1944

Reccomendation (translated from official German 'Vorschlag':
“SS-Brigadeführer Freitag has demonstrated exemplary personal readiness for duty amidst singularly difficult combat conditions during the command of his Division in the Brody pocket.
At this time his Division did not consist of German soldiers that were ready to perform their duties to the utmost. Instead they were Ukrainians from Galicia, who were internally soft and fickle, and deprived of all manly and soldierly German virtues.
In maintaining command and control of these men (who were unaccustomed to war and lacking steadfastness) during the execution of difficult orders, specifically during the combat in the Brody pocket, their responsible leader brought about high and exceptional achievements.
Deployed at the decisive location of the fighting in the pocket starting on the 12.07.1944 due to the circumstances thrust upon it, the Division’s first impressions of the fighting came from fleeing German elements. When the reinforced Gren.Rgt. 30 threatened to be swept away by this retreat movement, the Divisional commander and the Regimental commander were able to firm up their troops across their assigned sector and thereby prevent the breakthrough that threatened to take place.
In the further course of the battle numerous volunteers from the Division were led to flee on account of their ingrained cowardice, and some even took up arms against their own officers and NCOs. Once again it was largely the Divisional commander who restored the situation through his ruthless actions all over his sector, a time in which he carried out the necessary brutal measures against every weakling.
Under the hardest of conditions the Division managed to complete its assigned mission up to the 19.07.1944. This was achieved with Ukrainians no less, who were with few exceptions not fighting men due to their inner weakness. They were supported only by a minimal number of German personnel.
The fact that the Division was able to notch up this success even when deployed at the focal point of the battle is solely thanks to the merits of its German officers, of which the Divisional commander was the most important. He influenced the fighting where it was most critical through his ruthless devotion to duty.
The tragedy of the Division was that, despite the exemplary behaviour of its divisional commander, it was unable to bring about a decisive victory in battle.
After the shattering of the Division in the Brody pocket the divisional commander joined the side of the commander of the rearguard, Generalmajor Lindemann. After the latter died a heroes’ death as the last general in the pocket, the divisional commander (himself wounded) took over all the remnants in the pocket and led them through the first encirclement ring with prudence and confidence. On the late afternoon of the 22.07.1944 the divisional commander assembled about 4000 men from all divisions of the XIII. Armee-Korps, and on his own initiative he moved out towards the southwest through the enemy’s rebuilt encirclement ring. In contrast to other Kampfgruppen that tried breaking out to the west and south and consequently fell victim to the bulk of the enemy near Zaskow and Przemyslany, he led his Kampfgruppe through the renewed encirclement to friendly territory despite the total exhaustion of his troops.
SS-Brigadeführer Freitag has served on the frontline since the beginning of the war, and almost uninterruptedly on the Eastern front starting from the end of 1941. He has distinguished himself as a leader of men as a regimental and Division-Kampfgruppe commander on the middle sector of the Eastern front, near Volkhov and before Leningrad.”

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)