Karl Brommann

Karl Brommann
Born	20 July 1920 Neumünster, Germany
Died	30 June 2011 (aged 90)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS
Years of service	1937–1945
Rank	Untersturmführer
Unit	6th SS Gebirgs Division Nord 11th SS Panzergrenadier Division Nordland 103 SS Heavy Panzer Battalion
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Iron Cross I Class Iron Cross II Class Wound Badge Panzer Badge in Silver Infantry Assault Badge in Silver Sudetenland Medal Anschluss Medal

Karl Brommann (20 July 1920 – 30 June 2011)^[1] was a Untersturmführer (Storm Leader/Second Lieutenant) in the Waffen SS during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for the destruction of 66 tanks along with 44 anti tank guns and 15 vehicles in the battle for Danzig.^[2] The Knight's Cross was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.

Career

Brommann was born on 20 July 1920 in Neumünster in Holstein. In 1937 he volunteered to join the SS at the age of seventeen and was posted to the 2nd Brandenburg Standarte, SS Totenkopf (SS service number 316479). In 1938 he took part in the Anschluss of Austria ^[3] and the occupation of the Sudetenland.^[3]

Brommann was posted to the 6th SS Mountain Division Nord and fought in Finland. He was posted to the 11th SS Panzergrenadier Division Nordland in May 1943 and fought on the Eastern Front. In October 1943, he was transferred to the 103 SS Heavy Panzer Battalion and trained on the Tiger I tank.

In October 1944 the Battalion received their first Tiger II tanks and on 27 January 1945 was transferred to the Eastern Front in East Prussia. He was awarded the Knight's Cross. Brommann was mentioned in the daily OKW propaganda report, Wehrmachtbericht, on 10 April 1945.^[4]

He was captured by the British on 21 May 1945. Brommann remained in captivity until November 1947.

Awards

• Anschluss Commemorative Medal 13 March 1938 (26 October 1939)^[3]
• The Sudetenland Commemorative Medal (19 September 1939)^[3]
• War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (1 December 1941)^[5]
  • 1st Class
• Infantry Assault Badge in Silver (31 December 1941)^[5]
• Wound Badge in Black (15 January 1942)^[5]
• Panzer Badge in Silver (24 February 1945)^[5]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (29 April 1945)^[6]

References

Citations

1. Karl Brommann's obituary (Portuguese)
2. Henschler & Fey 2003, pp. 242-245.
3. Huß & Viohl 2003, p. 53.
4. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, p. 529.
5. Huß & Viohl 2003, p. 52.
6. Scherzer 2007, p. 246.

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.
• Henschler, Henri; Fey, Willi (2003). Armor Battles of the Waffen-SS, 1943–45. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-2905-5.
• Huß, Jürgen; Viohl, Armin (2003). Die Ritterkreuzträger des Eisernen Kreuzes der preußischen Provinz Schleswig-Holstein und der Freien und Hansestadt Lübeck 1939–1945 [The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Bearers of the Prussian Province of Schleswig-Holstein and the Free and Hanseatic City of Lübeck 1939–1945] (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-925480-79-9.
• 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.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.