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)[1]
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.

From Kharkov to Kursk

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.[2]

In winter 1942/43 he was sent back to the Eastern Front posted to a SS Regiment Das Reich, a part of SS Division Das Reich.[2] Upon arrival at the front, Barkmann was posted as gunner in a Panzer III tank crew. Das Reich was attached to Paul Hausser's II SS Panzer Corps, under the overall command of 'Manstein's Army Group South. The SS Panzer Corps was to form the vanguard of Manstein's efforts to halt the Soviet advance near Kharkov. Barkmann served with the regiment during the large-scale operations against the Soviet forces' mobile spearhead named after Markian Popov. Promoted to Unterscharführer and given command of a Panzer III, he took part in the Third Battle of Kharkov.

In July 1943, his division took part in Operation Citadel, the operation to destroy the Kursk salient. Barkmann saw action during the tank battles around Prokhorovka. During the offensive, the Wehrmacht Grossdeutschland Panzer Division had been equipped with the new Panther Tank tanks. Their performance was poor, with many vehicles suffering mechanical problems before entering combat. After the failure of the offensive, the division was transferred to the Mius river line, where it fought alongside SS Division Totenkopf. In August, Barkmann was transferred to a company equipped with the new Panthers. In the course of these operations, he was awarded both classes of the Iron Cross.

Normandy

The Das Reich division remained on the Eastern Front until January 1944. In February, the division was ordered to France to refit and to form a part of Panzergruppe West, the armoured reserve for the expected Allied invasion. Das Reich was posted to the Bordeaux region, where it saw several skirmishes with partisans. Barkmann was equipped with new model Panthers.

Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion, was launched on 6 June 1944. The division was placed on high alert and remained in southern France in case of secondary invasions. When it became clear that the Normandy invasion was the major Allied effort, the division was ordered north. The division's transit to the front came under ground attack aircraft raids and partisan attacks. Barkmann and the panzer regiment were not involved with the massacre of Oradour-sur-Glane, perpetrated by a Panzergrenadier unit of the division.

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, Das Reich avoided encirclement in the Falaise Pocket and, 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 seriously wounded.

Final engagements

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. By April 1945, Barkmann saw action south of Vienna. Later, Barkmann surrendered to the British forces.

Post-war

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

Awards and decorations

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

Notes

  1. ↑ According to Scherzer as panzer commander in the 4./SS-Panzer-Regiment 2.[5]

References

Citations

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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Panzer Divisions 1939–1945 The Panzer Force] (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-925480-43-0. 
  • 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. 
  • Mattson, Gregory L. (2002). SS-Das Reich: The History of the Second SS Division, 1944–45. Amber Books. ISBN 0-7603-1255-9. 
  • 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 [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. 
  • Wegmann, Günter (2004). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Teil VIIIa: Panzertruppe Band 1: A–E [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the German Wehrmacht 1939–1945 Part VIIIa: Panzer Force Volume 1: A–E] (in German). Bissendorf, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2322-1. 
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