Christian Frederik von Schalburg
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| Christian Frederik von Schalburg | |
|---|---|
| 15 April 1906 – 2 June 1942 | |
| Place of birth | Zmeinogorsk, Russian Empire |
| Place of death | Demjansk |
| Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
| Years of service | 1939–1942 |
| Rank | Obersturmbannführer |
| Commands held | Frikorps Danmark, Mar–Jun 1942 |
| Awards | Iron Cross First Class Iron Cross Second Class |
Christian Frederik von Schalburg (15 April 1906 – 2 June 1942) was a Danish officer and the second commander of Frikorps Danmark.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Christian Frederik von Schalburg was born in Zmeinogorsk, Russian Empire (now Kazakhstan). His father, August Theodor Schalburg, was Danish and his mother, Elena Vasiljevna, came from a Russian noble family and was born Starizki von Siemianowska. Still a boy von Schalburg received a military education in the Tsar's cadet corps and lived in Russia until the October Revolution of 1917 where he fled with his family to Denmark. These dramatic events caused him to long for feudal Russia and to feel a burning hate of communists and jews[1].
Von Schalburg served as a captain-lieutenant in Den Kongelige Livgarde, where he was eventually described as 'unstable and for the army possibly a dangerous man'. In a letter to the king he defended himself as a victim of Jewish slander[1].
From 1939 von Schalburg headed the youth branch (NSU) of the National Socialist Workers' Party of Denmark (DNSAP), where he became very popular. That same year he and a group of NSU members called 'bloddrengene' (the blood boys) were among the Danish volunteers for the Finnish Winter War against the USSR in 1939–1940[1]. He was thus not at home when Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany 9 April 1940. Despite his national socialist beliefs he was deeply distressed that Denmark had surrendered almost without fighting[citation needed].
In September 1940 von Schalburg joined Waffen-SS[1] and served with 5th SS Panzergrenadier Division Wiking as a Hauptsturmführer.
In February 1941 von Schalburg suggested to his friend, head of DNSAP Frits Clausen the formation of a Danish SS unit 'Regiment Dannebrog', to be commanded by himself[1].
During Operation Barbarossa von Schalburg served on the divisional staff of Division Wiking[1]. He was awarded the Iron Cross of 1st and 2nd class while serving in Division Wiking.
On 27 February 1942 von Schalburg arrived at Frikorps Danmark in Treskau[1] and on March 1 he was given command of the corps now ranked Sturmbannführer.
The SS gave von Schalburg this command mostly because of his political reliability and willingness to provide his corps with the required ideological training and also because he enjoyed good relations with his subordinates, all qualities that his predecessor C.P. Kryssing lacked[1].
As part of his responsiblity for the units training, he introduced lessons in German and Russian, a 1/2 hour of PE every morning and extended duty from 5 to 20[1].
On 8 May 1942 von Schalburg was flown by Junkers Ju 52 with parts of the corps into the Demyansk Pocket[2].
On 2 June 1942 von Schalburg initiated the first offensive operation of Frikorps Danmark. In an attempt to monitor the progress of the battle, von Schalburg advanced towards the front line, but stepped on a mine and was moments later killed by shrapnel from a Russian artillery shell. The subsequent rescue of his corpse, which caused a casualty, revealed extensive injuries including a leg torn off at the hip and a missing foot[3].
[edit] After his death
On 3 June 1942, von Schalburg's body was transported in a coffin draped in Dannebrog to the cemetery of the corps located in the small village Biakovo in the Demjansk area. Regimental commander Becker from Division Totenkopf spoke at the funeral[3].
On the same day (but effective June 1) Reichsführer Heinrich Himmler posthumously promoted von Schalburg to Obersturmbannführer.
In Denmark the newspaper of the DNSAP 'Fædrelandet' (the Fatherland) cleared the front page with the news of the fallen commander, while a memorial service for von Schalburg was disturbed by insults shouted by a student[3].
A Danish medal, the Schalburg Cross and the Danish SS regiment Schalburg Corps was named after von Schalburg. His widow founded Schalburgs mindefond (memorial fund), which sent packages to Danish volunteers on the Eastern Front[1].
The fact that von Schalburg advanced (against the advice of a company commander) towards the front line and thus jeopardized not only his own life but the entire corps could indicate that he may not have been a competent commander. It must, however, be noted that in the SS this behaviour was not uncommon and that the losses of commanders in the SS were exceptionally high, including von Schalburg's successor who fell just two days after arriving at the corps[3][4].
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Christensen, C. B.; Poulsen, N. B.; Smith, P. S., Under hagekors og Dannebrog : danskere i Waffen SS 1940–45, Aschehoug, 2006 (Hardcover, ISBN 978-87-11-11843-6, p. 139-142). (Danish)
- ^ Christensen, C. B.; Poulsen, N. B.; Smith, P. S., Under hagekors og Dannebrog : danskere i Waffen SS 1940–45, Aschehoug, 2006 (Hardcover, ISBN 978-87-11-11843-6, p.152). (Danish)
- ^ a b c d Christensen, C. B.; Poulsen, N. B.; Smith, P. S., Under hagekors og Dannebrog : danskere i Waffen SS 1940–45, Aschehoug, 2006 (Hardcover, ISBN 978-87-11-11843-6, p.155-158). (Danish)
- ^ Christensen, C. B.; Poulsen, N. B.; Smith, P. S., Under hagekors og Dannebrog : danskere i Waffen SS 1940–45, Aschehoug, 2006 (Hardcover, ISBN 978-87-11-11843-6, p.164). (Danish)
