Siegfried Amerkamp

Siegfried Amerkamp
Born 20 March 1920
Duisburg-Hochfeld
Died 1 September 1995(1995-09-01) (aged 75)
Duisburg
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Heer
Years of service 1934–45
Rank SS-Oberscharführer
Unit Grenadier-Regiment 459
SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 37
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Siegfried Amerkamp (20 March 1920 – 1 September 1995) was a German Obergefreiter in the Wehrmacht and later in the Waffen-SS during World War II.

Early life

Amerkamp was born on March 20, 1920, in Duisburg Hochfeld. His father was a carpenter, and after Amerkamp completed elementary school, he finished an apprenticeship as a milling cutter.

Military career

Early military career

A year after the war began, he was sent to serve in Kompanie, an infantry replacement battalion, before he was convened to Kassel. After recruit training, he was transferred to the Eastern Front, where he served in infantry regiment 451 as a scorer. Here, he was promoted on 1 August 1941 to the top shooters. After he distinguished himself in battle, Amerkamp was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class on 25 January 1942. Next, he was promoted to corporal on 1 February 1942. He was transferred to the Division Fusilier Battalion 86 on 5 May 1942 and received several awards for his bravery in battle, including the Iron Cross 1st class on 3 September 1943, the Golden Wound Badge on 16 September 1943, and on 5 October 1943, the bronze Close Combat Clasp for fifteen days of intense combat. Lastly, he received the infantry assault badge. After he obtained these awards, Amerkamp was transferred to the assault company of the Grenadier Regiment 459 and was employed as a gunner and deputy group leader.

Knight's Cross award

On October 1943, Amerkamp's company was in Auffangstellung, the central section of the eastern front. After the enemy attacked the line of the two companies at night, the HKL moved two hundred meters back. A planned counterattack of storm company failed, but the squad leader, Abdulla, told the old HVAC to break through. Abdulla divided two soldiers as the connection bracket to the company and two to hold the previous position. He and Bach secured the moat with a light machine gun, hand grenades, and melee to follow up. After firing the ammunition, they attacked the men with spades and flare guns, and they restored the connection to the neighboring company. Again of his own accord, Amerkamp covered the entire company from the old position. For this feat, he was awarded the Knight's Cross on 22 November 1943, and he was promoted on 1 October 1943. He received the award on 3 December 1943 from the Division Commander while in Mozyr.

1944

In July 1944, he suffered his eighth war wound at the Battle of Brześć Litewski and was taken to the reserve hospital Bydgoszcz, where he remained until 22 August 1944. Siegfried was awarded the close combat clasp in Silver (for 30 days of close combat) on 28 September 1944, and was promoted to the rank of sergeant on 1 February 1945.

Capture

In March 1945, Amerkamp was captured in Frankfurt as an American prisoner of war, but he escaped and was rescued by a unit of the Waffen-SS. After the escape, he transferred to the Waffen-SS and served in the SS Panzergrenadier Regiment 37 as an Oberscharführer (Sergeant) and platoon commander until his second capture by the Americans in Tegernsee. He was released from captivity in October 1946.

Later life

After the war, Amerkamp worked in his hometown of Duisburg as a grinder in a steel plant until his retirement. Siegfried Amerkamp died on 1 September 1995, at the age of 75.

Awards

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Thomas & Wegmann 1987, p. 58.
  2. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 115.
  3. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 191.

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. 
  • 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; Wegmann, Günter (1987). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil III: Infanterie Band 1: A–Be [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part III: Infantry Volume 1: A–Be] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-1153-2. 

External links

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