Rudolf Lehmann (SS officer)

Rudolf Lehmann
Born	30 January 1914 Heidelberg, Grand Duchy of Baden, German Empire
Died	13 September 1983 (aged 69) Ettlingen, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Waffen SS
Years of service	1933–45
Rank	Standartenführer
Service number	NSDAP #3,143,188 SS #111,883
Unit	1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich 1st SS Panzer Corps
Commands held	Panzerspähzug platoon Germania 14th Company SS Germania 2nd SS Panzer Division
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knights Cross with Oakleaves Iron Cross 1st Class Iron Cross 2nd Class German Cross in Gold

Rudolf Lehmann (30 January 1914 – 13 September 1983) was a Standartenführer (colonel) in the Waffen-SS who was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oakleaves, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.

Early life

Rudolf Lehmann was born on 30 January 1914 in Heidelberg, Germany. He joined the Waffen-SS, attending officers training school in Bad Tölz in April 1935. He was then posted to the Germania Regiment as a platoon commander.

World War II

While serving with the Germania, Lehmann became the commander of the armored car platoon. He was transferred to the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler in October 1940.

In late 1944, Lehmann moved to the 1st SS Panzer Corps as chief of staff. He remained in this position until March 1945, when he was made divisional commander of the Das Reich. He led the division through Operation Spring Awakening, the battles around Lake Balaton and Vienna. He was awarded the Oakleaves to his Knight's Cross.

Later life

After the war, Lehmann authored volumes I and III of the apologetic unit history of the Leibstandarte produced under the auspices of HIAG, a lobby group and a revisionist veteran's organisation established by former high-ranking Waffen-SS personnel. The works were published in 1977–1982 by the right-wing publishing house Munin-Verlag.

Lehmann died on 13 September 1983, in Ettlingen.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (15 November 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (29 May 1940)^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 1 November 1943 as SS-Sturmbannführer in the SS-Panzergrenadier-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knights Cross on 23 February 1944 as SS-Obersturmbannführer and Ia (operations officer) of the 1. SS-Panzer-Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler"^[3][4]
  • 862nd Oak Leaves on 6 May 1945 as SS-Standartenführer and leader of the 2. SS-Panzer-Division "Das Reich"^{[5][Notes 1]}

References in the Wehrmachtbericht

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
13 March 1944	In den schweren Abwehrkämpfen der letzten Tage haben sich im Raumöstlich von Tarnopol die 1. SS-Panzerdivision "Leibstandarte SS AdolfHitler" unter der stellvertretenden Führung des Obersturmbannführers Lehmann und die thüringische 7.Panzerdivision unter Oberst Dr. Mauß hervorragend bewährt.[7]	During the heavy defensive battles of the past few days in the area east of Tarnopol, the first SS Panzer Division "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" under the deputy leadership of Obersturmbannführer Lehmann and the Thuringian 7.Panzerdivision under Colonel Dr. Mauss have proved themselves to be excellent.

Notes

1. No credible evidence of the award can be found in the German Federal Archives. The award was unlawfully presented by SS-Oberstgruppenführer Sepp Dietrich. The date is taken from the announcement made by the 6. SS-Panzerarmee. The sequential number "862" was assigned by the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients (AKCR). Lehmann was member of the AKCR.^[6]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 17.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 273.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 287.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 499.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 103.
6. Scherzer 2007, p. 184.
7. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 56.

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.
• 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.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
• 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.