Georg Eberhardt

Georg Eberhardt
Born 27 February 1914
Bad Frankenhausen, Germany
Died 21 July 1943(1943-07-21) (aged 29)
Kharkov, Soviet Union
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Waffen-SS
Years of service 1932–45
Rank Sturmbannführer
Unit SS-VT
5th SS Panzer Division Wiking
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Iron Cross 1st Class
Iron Cross 2nd Class
Eastern Front Medal 1941/42

Georg Eberhardt (27 February 1914 — 21 July 1943) was a Sturmbannführer (Major) in the Waffen-SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. This was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.

Early life

Georg Eberhardt was born on the 27 February 1914, in Bad Frankenhausen. He volunteered to join the Allgemeine SS in November 1932 and transferred to the SS-VT in 1934.

He was selected to become an officer and posted to the SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tölz and after graduation he was promoted to Untersturmführer (Second Lieutenant) in April 1936. He remained on the staff at the SS-Junkerschule as a platoon commander, later teaching tactics at the SS-Junkerschule at Braunschweig. His promotion to Obersturmführer (First Lieutenant) came in September 1938.

World War II

Eberhardt was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st class during Operation Barbarossa the invasion of the Soviet Union in August and September 1941.

In October 1942, he was promoted to Hauptsturmführer (Captain) and given command of the Estonian SS Panzer Grenadier Battalion Narwa and promoted to Sturmbannführer (Major) in May 1943.

Eberhardt was awarded the Knight's Cross for his actions at Kharkov on 19 to 21 July 1943. Eberhard was killed in action on 21 July 1943.

Further reading

  • 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. 
  • Mitcham, Samuel W (2007). Retreat to the Reich : the German defeat in France, 1944. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3384-7. 
  • Mitcham, Samuel W (2007). The German Defeat in the East, 1944–45. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-3371-7. 


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