Fritz Biegi

Fritz Biegi
Born	18 January 1918 Bechtheim, Germany
Died	16 March 1945 (aged 27) Leobschütz, Poland
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS
Years of service	1939–45
Rank	Standartenoberjunker
Unit	5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross 1st Class Iron Cross 2nd Class Close Combat Clasp in Bronze Infantry Assault Badge Eastern Front Medal 1941/42

Fritz Biegi (18 January 1918 – 16 March 1945) was a Standartenoberjunker in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, an award for extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.

Career

Fritz Biegi was born on 8 January 1918, in Bechtheim in Hesse-Nassau. He volunteered to join the SS-VT in April 1938 and was posted to SS Standarte Germania.

In 1939 Biegi took part in the Polish Campaign and the Battle of France and was promoted to Unterscharführer in July 1941. He took part in Operation Barbarossa the invasion of the Soviet Union and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class in July 1941, the Iron Cross 1st class in October 1942. In October 1943 he was posted the 9th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Germania.

Biegi was awarded the Knight's Cross for his actions in February 1944. In March 1945 he was promoted to Standartenoberjunker and posted to the staff of the 18th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division "Horst Wessel". He was killed in action on 16 March 1945.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (14 July 1941)^[1]
  • 1st Class (16 October 1942)^[1]
• Infantry Assault Badge (18 February 1942)^[1]
• Close Combat Clasp in Bronze (1 April 1943)^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 June 1944 as SS-Oberscharführer and Zugführer (platoon leader) in the 5./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 9 "Germania"^[2][3]

References

Citations

1. Thomas & Wegmann 1992, p. 22.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 132.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 221.

Bibliography

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Thomas, Franz; Wegmann, Günter (1992). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil III: Infanterie Band 2: Bi–Bo [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part III: Infantry Volume 2: Bi–Bo] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-1734-3.