Günther Anhalt
| Günther Otto Friedrich Anhalt | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 January 1906 Breslau Germany |
| Died | 27 April 1945 (aged 39) Berlin, Germany |
| Allegiance | German |
| Service/branch | Schutzstaffel (Nazi SS) |
| Years of service | 1933 - 1945 |
| Rank | SS-Standartenführer |
| Commands held |
IV Battalion |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Günther Anhalt (23 January 1906 – 27 April 1945) was a high-ranking German officer in the Waffen-SS (military wing of the Schutzstaffel) during World War II. An early officer in the SS, he was possibly[clarification needed] involved in the Wormhoudt massacre in 1940.
Contents |
[edit] Military career
[edit] Early career
Anhalt was born as Günther Otto Friedrich Anhalt[1] in Breslau (Wrocław), Prussian Silesia on 23 January 1906. He joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP) on July 1, 1932, and in 1933 he was one of the first soldiers to join the SS Stabswache "Berlin", 240 hand-picked men forming a bodyguard division for the NSDAP. He was sent to Jüterbog for three months of military training on 27 July 1934, and was assigned to the 2nd training company under SS-Hauptsturmführer Sator. On 17 October 1934, he was promoted to SS-Hauptscharführer of the 7th Company of the newly renamed Leibstandarte SS "Adolf Hitler", (LSSAH).
[edit] Rapid rise
Anhalt was promoted to SS-Untersturmführer on 10 April 1935, and to SS-Obersturmführer on 9 November 1936, taking command of the 7th Company. On 22 May 1939, the 7th Company was the military honor guard for the meeting of Italy's Count Ciano and Germany's foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop in Berlin for the signing of the German Italian friendship and alliance pact, the Pact of Steel.
On 28 August 1939, Anhalt became the platoon leader of the 5th Company of the LSSAH, under battalion commander Wilhelm Mohnke. Anhalt went to war against Poland with this company, where he was wounded, together with his commander Mohnke, on September 7, 1939.
His next promotion came on 30 January 1940, when he was promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer, and on 10 May 1940, Anhalt ascended to the command of the 6th Company. During this time, it is possible[clarification needed] that his company was involved in the Wormhoudt massacre, a war crime in which eighty British POW's were killed in retaliation for the supposed death of Sepp Dietrich.[clarification needed] On 6 April 1941, he was given command of the 1st Engineer Company of Leibstandarte "Adolf Hitler".
On 9 July 1941, Anhalt took over the IV Battalion after the invasion of Russia, and was then promoted again on September 1, 1941, to SS-Sturmbannführer. On July 5, 1942, the LSSAH was transformed into a motorized division (Grenadier), and Anhalt was given command of the III Battalion of the infantry regiment (mot.) 2 LSSAH.
Anhalt was next transferred to the SS Military Police and promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer on November 22, 1943. He took command of the 2nd Regiment "combat team from Gottberg". On July 1, 1944 Anhalt was transferred and promoted to SS-Standartenführer, the highest possible field officer rank, becoming the commander of the SS police brigade "Anhalt". For his part in the distinguished fighting on the Russian front, Anhalt received the Knight's Cross on August 12, 1944.
[edit] Final Days
On November 13, 1944, Anhalt took over the post of commander of the Weapon Infantry Regiment S (Bulgarian No. 1), to become the highest-ranked member of the SS Military Police, then was promoted on January 26, 1945, to take command of the SS regiment Freiwilligen infantry regiment 87. In March 1945, he took command of the SS police regiment 98, which fought in the Battle of Berlin, where he was killed on 27 April 1945.
[edit] References
- Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
