Helmuth Schreiber

Helmuth Schreiber
Helmuth Schreiber
Born	25 March 1917 Giessen, Germany
Died	6 December 2008 (aged 91)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen-SS
Years of service	1939–45
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 Wound Badge Close Combat Clasp in Gold Eastern Front Medal German Cross in Gold Anschluss Medal Sudetenland Medal Wound Badge

Helmuth Schreiber (25 March 1917 – 6 December 2008) was a Sturmbannführer (Major), in the Waffen-SS during World War II who 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 members of the German Armed forces to be awarded the Close Combat Clasp in Gold^[1]

Helmuth Schreiber was born in Giessen, Hessen on the 25 March 1917. He joined the Waffen SS and as part of the SS Standarte Deutschland participated in the Anschluss of Austria and the occupation of the Sudetenland in 1938. He was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class in December 1941. He served as the Company commander of the 10th Company, 3rd SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Deutschland, 2nd SS Panzer Grenadier Division Das Reich. He was also awarded the Knight's Cross in July 1943, while in command of the 10th Company. He was promoted to Sturmbannführer and assumed command of the Deutschland Regiment when he was awarded the Close Combat Clasp in Gold, in May 1944.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold as 9 April 1943 as SS-Obersturmführer in the 10./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Deutschland"^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 30 July 1943 as SS-Hauptsturmführer and chief of the 10./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Deutschland"^[3][4]
• Close Combat Clasp
  • in Silber (5 November 1943)^[5]
  • in Gold (24 May 1944)^[5]

References

Citations

1. Berger 2004, p. 6.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 424.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 683.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 389, 503.
5. Berger 2004, p. 440.

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.
• Krätschmer, Ernst-Günther (1999). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Waffen-SS [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Waffen-SS]. Coburg, Germany: Nation Europa Verlag. ISBN 978-3-920677-43-9.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• 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.