Herbert Schulze

Herbert Schulze
Born	1 April 1914 Waldheim, Saxony, Germany
Died	2 February 1992 (aged 77) Borken, Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen-SS
Years of service	1937–45
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 German Cross in Gold Close Combat Clasp in Gold

Herbert Schulze (1 April 1914 – 2 February 1992) 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 men awarded the very rare Close Combat Clasp in Gold.^[1]

Herbert Schulze was born on the 1 April 1914, at Waldheim, Saxony.

He volunteered to join the SS and was posted to the Das Reich. He was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class in June 1940 and the 1st class award in August 1941.

By 1943 he had been promoted to Hauptsturmführer (Captain) and was given command of the 6th Company, SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Der Führer, (2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich). It was while in command of this Regiment that he was awarded the German Cross in Gold for bravery in May.

He was the commander of the II. Battalion, 4th SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Der Führer when he was awarded the Close Combat Clasp in Gold in November 1943.

He was awarded the Knight's Cross in December 1943.

Herbert Schulze ended the war in command of SS Panzer Grenadier Regiment Schulze which was part of the SS-Kampfgruppe Trabandt (Battle Group Trabandt)

Herbert Schulze survived the war and died on the 2 February 1992 at Borken in Germany.

Awards

• German Cross in Gold on 29 May 1943 as SS-Hauptsturmführer in the 6./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment "Der Führer"^[2]
• Close Combat Clasp in Gold (9 November 1943)^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 December 1943 as SS-Sturmbannführer and commander of the II./SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 4 "Der Führer"^[4][5]

References

Citations

1. Berger 2004, p. 6.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 430.
3. Berger 2004, p. 447.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 393.
5. Scherzer 2007, p. 692.

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.
• Henschler, Henri; Fey, Willi (2003). Armor Battles of the Waffen-SS, 1943–45. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-2905-5.
• Kurowski, Franz (2005). Infantry Aces. Stackpole Books. ISBN 0-8117-3202-9.
• Mattson, Gregory Louis (2002). SS—Das Reich: The History of the Second SS division, 1939–45. Spellmount. ISBN 1-86227-144-5.
• 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.
• 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.