Ernst Barkmann

Ernst Barkmann
Ritterkreuzträger SS-Oberscharführer Ernst Barkmann
Born	25 August 1919 Kisdorf, Segeberg, Holstein, Germany
Died	27 June 2009(2009-06-27) (aged 89) Kisdorf, Segeberg, Holstein, Germany
Allegiance	Germany
Service/branch	Waffen-SS
Years of service	1936–45
Rank	Oberscharführer
Battles/wars	Operation Barbarossa Operation Citadel Ardennes Offensive
Awards	Full list
Other work	Fire Chief, Mayor
Signature

Ernst Barkmann (later Ernst Schmuck-Barkmann) (25 August 1919 – 27 June 2009) was a German tank commander in the Waffen-SS of Nazi Germany during World War II. He is known for the "Barkmann legend": he claimed to have halted a major U.S. Army armoured advance in Normandy on 27 July 1944 (at so-called Barkmann's corner), for which action he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The myth, "popularized by propaganda efforts of the Waffen-SS", was subsequently proven to be false.

Career

Barkmann was drafted in 1939. He joined the SS-Standarte 2 Germania regiment, a unit of the SS-Verfügungstruppe, and served during the occupation of Poland and Soviet Union. He was posted for a time as an instructor of SS volunteers in the Netherlands. In winter 1942/43 he was posted to SS Regiment Das Reich, part of SS Division Das Reich on the Eastern Front. Das Reich was attached to II SS Panzer Corps, under Army Group South. Barkmann served with the regiment during the large-scale operations against the Soviet forces' mobile spearhead under command of Markian Popov and took part in the Third Battle of Kharkov. In July 1943, his division took part in Operation Citadel, the operation to eliminate the Kursk salient, later being transferred to the Mius river line. In the course of these operations, Barkmann was awarded both classes of the Iron Cross.

In February 1944, Das Reich was ordered to France to form a part of the 5th Panzer Army, the armoured reserve for the expected Allied invasion. Following Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion, the division reached the front in early July and fought against the American forces near Saint-Lô. Barkmann's Panther saw heavy fighting against American M4 Shermans and M5A1 Stuarts in the bocage. Barkmann was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

After the launch of Operation Cobra, alongside the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen, fought to hold open an escape route for the trapped German forces. After the collapse of the pocket, Das Reich fell back towards the West Wall. Promoted to Oberscharführer, Barkmann took part in the Ardennes Offensive in December 1944, where on December 25 he was wounded.

In March 1945, Barkmann was once again fighting against the Soviet forces, near Stuhlweissenburg. By then, Das Reich was understrength and lacked replacement tanks. Barkmann's unit had only nine fully operational vehicles, of which three were soon lost to Soviet Josef Stalin tanks. The remaining six Panthers were ordered to link up with the remnants of the Panzer Regiment of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler commanded by Standartenführer Jochen Peiper. Barkmann surrendered to the British forces south of Vienna.

Following the war, Barkmann settled in Kisdorf, Germany, where he was the long-time fire chief. Barkmann also served as the town's mayor.

Summary of SS career

Dates of rank

• SS-Sturmmann (1 June 1940)
• SS-Rottenführer (1 July 1941)
• SS-Standartenjunker (?)
• SS-Scharführer (?)
• SS-Unterscharführer (1 September 1943)
• SS-Oberscharführer (31 August 1944) effective as of 1 August 1944

Awards and decorations

At the time of his capture in 1945, Barkmann was authorized the following awards:

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (14 July 1941)
  • 1st Class (1 August 1944)
• Eastern Front Medal (?)
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black (1 September 1941)
  • in Silver (15 September 1944)
  • in Gold (25 January 1945)
• Infantry Assault Badge (18 February 1942)
• Panzer Badge "25"
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 August 1944 as SS-Unterscharführer and Panzer commander in the 4./SS-Panzer-Regiment 2 "Das Reich"
• Honour Chevron of the Old Guard (?) Member of the Hitler youth in 1933

References

Bibliography

• Alman, Karl (2008). Panzer vor – Die dramtische Geschichte der deutschen Panzerwaffe und ihre tapferen Soldaten. Würzburg, Germany: Flechsig Verlag. ISBN 978-3-88189-638-2.
• Federl, Christian (2000). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Panzerdivisionen 1939–1945 Die Panzertruppe (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-925480-43-0. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Mattson, Gregory L. (2002). SS-Das Reich: The History of the Second SS Division, 1944–45. Amber Books. ISBN 0-7603-1255-9. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)
• Ripley, Tom (2001) SS Steel Rain: Waffen-SS Panzer – Battles in the West 1944–45. Zenith Imprint. ISBN 0-7603-1168-4, ISBN 978-0-7603-1168-4.
• 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Wegmann, Günter (2004). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil VIIIa: Panzertruppe Band 1: A–E (in German). Bissendorf, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2322-1. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Zaloga, Steven (2015). Armored Champion: The Top Tanks of World War II. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-1437-2. {{cite book}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)