Erwin Bachmann

Erwin Bachmann
Born	5 May 1921 Reinhausen, Göttingen
Died	18 February 2010 (aged 88)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS
Years of service	1938–45
Rank	Obersturmführer
Unit	SS-VT 2nd SS Division Das Reich 5th SS Division Wiking 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross I Class Iron Cross II Class Wound Badge in Silver Panzer Badge in Silver

Erwin Bachmann (5 May 1921 – 18 February 2010) was an Obersturmführer (senior storm leader/first lieutenant) in the Waffen-SS during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.

Early life

Bachmann was born on the 5 May 1921 in Reinhausen Göttingen. He was educated at home until 1927 when he attended the local school in Reinhausen.^[1][2]

After leaving school in April 1935, he started an apprenticeship with a local firm, passing his trade tests in 1938 he was given a position as an administrative assistant.^[1]

World War II

In August 1939 he volunteered for the SS-VT and was assigned to the 2nd Company, SS Training and Reserve Battalion Germania stationed in Hamburg.^[1]

At the end of the Polish Campaign, he was posted as a machine gunner to the 11th Company SS Regiment Germania and took part in the Battle of France. He was promoted to Rottenführer (corporal) in August 1941 and in September 1941 he was involved in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union until November 1941 when he returned to the SS Training and Reserve Battalion Germania.^[1]

He was then selected to become an officer and from February to June 1942 he was posted to the SS-Junkerschule (Officer Candidate School) in Bad Tölz and after graduation his first duties were in the SS Training and Reserve Battalion Germania which at the time was stationed in Arnhem in the Netherlands and he was promoted to Oberscharführer (senior squad leader) in May 1942.^[1]

In September 1942 he volunteered for a posting with the SS Division Wiking until January 1943 and the formation of the new SS Division Frundsberg he was posted in as the Adjutant of the II. Battalion, 10th SS Panzer Regiment with the rank of Untersturmführer (second lieutenant).^[1]

In October 1943 he was given his first command which was a platoon in the 3rd Company, 10th SS Panzer Regiment, Frundsberg. After a short retraining course on Sturmgeschütz (assault guns/StuG) he was given command of the 5th Company, Sturmgeschütz Battalion and also promoted to Obersturmführer (senior storm leader/first lieutenant) in November 1944.^[1][2]

After the defeat in the Ardennes offensive the Frundsberg Division in January 1945, was part of Army Group G and involved in Operation Nordwind together with the 6th SS Gebirgs Division Nord over the night of the 16–17 January they were tasked with making a breakthrough of the Allied line and forming a bridgehead at Hagenau for the following attack.^[1]

The attack was to be led by the 3rd Company, 10th SS Panzer Regiment with Obersturmführer Bachmann now the Battalion Adjutant in command. Mounted on a motorcycle, he attacked and destroyed a Sherman tank with a Panzerfaust in Herrlisheim, more Allied tanks were destroyed by the accompanying Panther tanks and in the following fighting 60 prisoners were taken and 20 Germans that had been captured by the Americans were released and rearmed, also 12 Sherman tanks were captured intact.^[1]

The attack continued from Herrlisheim towards Drusenheim and a further 9 tanks were destroyed. The captured Sherman tanks were formed into the 13th Company, 10th SS Panzer Regiment until the end of the war.^[1]

For theses actions Erwin Bachmann was awarded the Knight's Cross in February 1945.^[1][2]

Bachman was next in combat in Pomerania with the 1st Company at Christinenberg destroying a number of T-34 tanks. In May 1945 they moved west and in the area Göttingen, Sandbostel were captured by the British.^[1]

Bachmann died on 18 February 2010 and was buried in Göttingen.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (27 September 1941)^[3][4]
  • 1st Class (18 January 1945)^[3][4]
• Infantry Assault Badge (18 February 1942)^[4]
• Tank Destruction Badge (30 January 1945)^[4]
• Panzer Badge (January 1945)^[4]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 10 February 1945 as SS-Obersturmfüher and adjutant in the I./SS-Panzer-Regiment 10^{[5][Note 1]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as SS-Obersturmführer of the Reserves.^[6]

References

Citations

1. "Ritterkreuzträger Erwin Bachmann SS".
2. "SS-Obersturmführer Erwin Bachmann - Frontkjempere: Nordmenn i Waffen-SS / Norwegian SS Volunteers 41-45".
3. Federl 2000, p. 20.
4. Wegmann 2004, p. 27.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 119.
6. Scherzer 2007, p. 197.

Bibliography

• Federl, Christian (2000). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Panzerdivisionen 1939–1945 Die Panzertruppe [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Panzer Divisions 1939–1945 The Panzer Force] (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-925480-43-0.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Mitcham, Samuel W (2007). Retreat to the Reich : the German defeat in France, 1944. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3384-7.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Fey, Will; Henschler, Henri (2003). Armor Battles of the Waffen-SS. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-2905-5.
• Mitcham, Samuel W (2007). The German Defeat in the East, 1944–45. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3371-7.
• Wegmann, Günter (2004). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil VIIIa: Panzertruppe Band 1: A–E [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part VIIIa: Panzer Force Volume 1: A–E] (in German). Bissendorf, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2322-1.