Rudolf von Ribbentrop

Rudolf von Ribbentrop

Rudolf von Ribbentrop wearing a uniform of a Obersturmführer
Born (1921-05-11) 11 May 1921
Wiesbaden, Prussia, Weimar Republic
Allegiance  Germany
Service/branch Waffen-SS
Years of service 1939–45
Rank Hauptsturmführer
Unit

SS Panzer Regiment 1

1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler

12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend

Commands held

1. Kompanie, Battalion "Nord"

6. Kompanie, II./SS-PzRgt 1

7. Kompanie, II./SS-PzRgt 1

3. Kompanie, I./SS-PzRgt 12

I./SS-PzRgt 12

Battles/wars

World War II

Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
German Cross in Gold
Relations Joachim von Ribbentrop (father)

Rudolf von Ribbentrop (born 11 May 1921) is a former German wine merchant and a former Waffen-SS Captain who served in World War II. He is the son of the German diplomat and Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop.

Early life

Ribbentrop spent a year at Westminster School, London, while his father was Ambassador to Britain. The British diplomat Brian Urquhart, a pupil at the same school during Ribbentrop's time there, in his autobiography "A Life in Peace and War" (1987), describes the latter as being "doltish, surly and arrogant". Urquhart recalls that Ribbentrop, much to the dismay of his schoolmates, "arrived each morning in one of two plum-coloured Mercedes-Benz limousines". Urquhart further recalls, "On arrival in Dean's Yard, both chauffeurs would spring out, give the Nazi salute and shout "Heil Hitler!"

World War II

On 1 September 1939, when the Second World War started, Ribbentrop joined as a recruit in the SS-Infantry Regiment Deutschland,[1] with which he served during the Western Campaign, receiving the Iron Cross second class.

He was commissioned on 20 April 1941 as a Untersturmführer and given command of a platoon in Reconnaissance Battalion "Nord".[2] Upon the invasion of the Soviet Union, SS Kampfgruppe Nord was sent to Finland where Ribbentrop was awarded the Finnish Freedom Cross, fourth class. He was wounded and was in the hospital until February 1942. He was reassigned to the Panzer Regiment of the SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler (LSSAH).

Eastern Front

Ribbentrop was transferred to 3rd Company and given command of 1st Platoon. Ribbentrop arrived in Kharkov in February 1943. Soon, the SS Panzer Corps, commanded by Paul Hausser, was threatened to be surrounded by the Red Army. Hausser ordered a southward attack to break the encirclement. Kurt Meyer led his regiment towards Alexeyevka. During that time, Ribbentrop was an armoured vehicle commander. Light Soviet forces were driven back by evening.[3]

Hausser's rescue plan was launched in morning, two days after, while Ribbentrop was with his company in Merefa.[4] Meyer received an order to hit the Soviet encircling ring at its weakest point in Nowaja Vololaga. His goal was to establish a connection with Fritz Witt's battle group. Ribbentrop received an order to replace a fallen platoon commander. After he took command of the 2nd Platoon, Ribbentrop ordered an advance at high speed. Just before dark, they reached Yefremowka, a village near Alexeyevka, which was their goal for the day.[5] Alexeyevka was captured on 13 February. In order to liberate Alexeyevska, the Soviets launched a fierce attack. The Germans succeeded in holding the town, however, with heavy losses.[6] Ribbentrop was awarded the Iron Cross first class for bravery in these battles. On 20 July 1943, he was awarded the Knight's Cross.[1]

Western Front

On 1 August he was transferred to the newly formed 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend as a training officer and company commander. During battles in Normandy, Ribbentrop was awarded the German Cross in Gold. Following the breakout from Falaise, he saw action during Operation Wacht Am Rhein. He surrendered with the division to the U.S. Army on 8 May 1945.

Later life

In the 1950s, he was involved in a legal battle with his cousin Otto Henkell over the control of the family firm, the wine producer Henkell & Co., and eventually became a partner in the firm. His brother Adolf Henkell-von Ribbentrop also joined the firm's partnership, and is the stepfather of former defence minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. 1960, Rudolf von Ribbentrop married Baroness Ilse-Marie von Münchhausen. In 2008 Ribbentrop published a biography of his father, the foreign minister called Joachim von Ribbentrop: Mein Vater: Erlebnisse und Erinnerungen.

Awards

Commissioned ranks

Wounds

Surrender

See also

External links

Notes

  1. ↑ According to Scherzer on 17 July 1943.[8]

References

Citations

Bibliography

  • Ailsby, Christopher (1998). SS: Hell on the Eastern Front: The Waffen-SS War in Russia, 1941-1945. Zenith Imprint. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5. .
  • 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. 
  • Kurowski, Franz (2004). Panzer Aces: German Tank Commanders in World War II. Stackpole Books. ISBN 9780811731737. 
  • 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. 
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, March 17, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.