Kārlis Sensbergs

Kārlis Sensbergs
Born	27 May 1926 (disputed) Latvia
Died	May 1945 (aged 18) Berlin, Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS
Years of service	?–1945
Rank	Waffen-Unterscharführer
Unit	19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian)
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross I Class Iron Cross II Class

Kārlis Sensbergs (alternate spelling Šenbergs or Senburgs; 27 May 1926 – May 1945) was a Waffen-Unterscharführer 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.

There is not much known about Waffen Unterscharführer Karlis Sensbergs it's believed he was born in 1925 or 1926 in Latvia. As a member of the 43rd Waffen Grenadier Regiment, 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian), he was awarded the Knight's Cross during the Battle of Berlin in May 1945.^{[Notes 1]} It is also believed he was killed during the battle and nothing has been heard of him since.^[2][3]

Notes

1. According to Scherzer Kārlis Sensbergs' last name is spelled Senbergs. His nomination to the Knight's Cross by the troop was received by teleprinter on 5 April 1945. According to the file card it was immediately forwarded for further processing. The file card of the Heerespersonalamt (HPA—Army Staff Office) was not retained and remained unfinished by the end of the war. Mr Meentz of the German Federal Archives stated on 20 July 2004 that it cannot be verified that Senbergs received the Knight's Cross. The order commission of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR) processed the case in 1981 and decided: "Knight's Cross yes, 9 May 1945". While Krätschmer also states the 9 May 1945, Fellgiebel changed this again later.^[1]

References

1. Scherzer 2007, p. 174.
2. "frontkjemper".
3. "axis.history.factbook".

Further reading

• 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.
• Krätschmer, Ernst-Günther (2000). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Waffen-SS (in German). Nation Europa-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-920677-43-9.
• Mitcham, Samuel W (2007). Retreat to the Reich : the German defeat in France, 1944. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3384-7.
• 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.