Helmut Kämpfe

Helmut Kämpfe
Born	31 July 1909 Jena, German Empire
Died	10 June 1944 (aged 34) France
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS
Years of service	1939–44
Rank	Sturmbannführer
Unit	2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross 1st Class Iron Cross 2nd Class German Cross in Gold Close Combat Clasp in Gold Wound Badge in Silver General Assault Badge

Helmut Kämpfe (1909-1944) was a Sturmbannführer (Major), in the Waffen SS during World War II. He was awarded 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. He was also one of only 631 men to be awarded the rare Close Combat Clasp in Gold.^[1]

Kämpfe, the commander of the III. Battalion, 4th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Der Führer, 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich, was captured by the French Resistance on 9 June 1944 by a group headed by Jean Canou. Canou then placed him in the custody of Georges Guingouin. The following day Kämpfe was executed on the orders of Guingouin or killed during an attempt to escape.^[2]

When it was clear that Kämpfe had been kidnapped, the Germans sent out forces to try to locate him. Among these was a unit under the command of Adolf Diekmann, I. Battalion, 4th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment, which on 10 June committed the Oradour massacre.

References

Notes

1. Berger 2004, p. 6.
2. Guy Penaud, La Das Reich, p.264

Bibliography

• Berger, Florian (2004). Ritterkreuzträger mit Nahkampfspange in Gold [Knight's Cross Bearers with the Close Combat Clasp in Gold] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-3-7.
• 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.
• Penaud, Guy. Oradour-sur-Glane - Un jour de juin 1944 en enfer, Geste éditions, mars 2014, ISBN 2 367 46171 6.
• 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.