Fritz Vogt
Encyclopedia
Fritz Vogt was a Sturmbannführer
(Major) in the Waffen SS during World War II
who was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves
.
Vogt volunteered for the SS in April 1935 and was posted to the Germania Regiment. In 1938 he was selected as an officer candidate and sent to the SS Officer school at Braunschweig
.
After passing the commanding officer training course 20 April 1939 he was posted to the SS Das Reich
division as a platoon leader in the 2nd SS Reconnaissance Battalion. In September 1939 he took part in the Polish Campaign, and in 1940 the Battle of France
. He was promoted to Obersturmführer
(First Lieutenant) for his leadership and his units performance, which also resulted in his award of the Knight's Cross on the 4 September 1940. During Operation Marita in the Balkans
,
while commanding the 2nd Company in SS Reconnaissance Battalion 2, 2nd SS Division Das Reich
, during Operation Barbarossa
he caught typhoid and fell seriously ill. After recovering he was posted as a training officer to the SS Officer school's at Bad Tölz
and Lauenburg, until May 1943 when he was promoted and sent to the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf
, replacement Regiment.
At the end of October 1943, he took over command of the 1st Battalion, 23rd Panzer Grenadier Regiment Norge, 11th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nordland at Leningrad
. His Battalion was forced to retreat to Narva
, during the Soviet winter offensive suffering such heavy losses, that the Battalion was withdrawn to Germany to refit.
At the end of 1944 the new I./23rd Panzer Grenadier Regiment was relocated to Hungary
to reinforce the 5th SS Panzergrenadier Division Wiking and in January 1945 Vogt was promoted to Sturmbannführer
(Major) and distinguished himself during the tank battle at Pettend
. In March 1945 he took over as the Commander of the 5th SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion. It was during this command that he was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross.
Vogt was killed in action when he was seriously wounded during an air raid, and died on 3 April 1945.
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
(Major) in the Waffen SS during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
who was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves
Knight's Cross
Knight's Cross refers to a distinguishing grade or level of various orders that denotes bravery and leadership on the battlefield....
.
Vogt volunteered for the SS in April 1935 and was posted to the Germania Regiment. In 1938 he was selected as an officer candidate and sent to the SS Officer school at Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
.
After passing the commanding officer training course 20 April 1939 he was posted to the SS Das Reich
Das Reich
Das Reich is the name of:* a German SS-division, see 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich* a national socialist newspaper, see Das Reich * the main work of German right-wing intellectual Friedrich Hielscher...
division as a platoon leader in the 2nd SS Reconnaissance Battalion. In September 1939 he took part in the Polish Campaign, and in 1940 the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
. He was promoted to Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer
Obersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi party that was used by the SS and also as a rank of the SA. Translated as “Senior Assault Leader”, the rank of Obersturmführer was first created in 1932 as the result of an expansion of the Sturmabteilung and the need for an additional rank in...
(First Lieutenant) for his leadership and his units performance, which also resulted in his award of the Knight's Cross on the 4 September 1940. During Operation Marita in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
,
while commanding the 2nd Company in SS Reconnaissance Battalion 2, 2nd SS Division Das Reich
Das Reich
Das Reich is the name of:* a German SS-division, see 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich* a national socialist newspaper, see Das Reich * the main work of German right-wing intellectual Friedrich Hielscher...
, during Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
he caught typhoid and fell seriously ill. After recovering he was posted as a training officer to the SS Officer school's at Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.- History :Since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age, archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz...
and Lauenburg, until May 1943 when he was promoted and sent to the 3rd SS Division Totenkopf
3rd SS Division Totenkopf
The SS Division Totenkopf , also known as 3. SS-Panzergrenadier-Division Totenkopf and 3. SS-Panzer-Division Totenkopf, was one of the 38 divisions fielded by the Waffen-SS during World War II. Prior to achieving division status, the formation was known as Kampfgruppe Eicke...
, replacement Regiment.
At the end of October 1943, he took over command of the 1st Battalion, 23rd Panzer Grenadier Regiment Norge, 11th SS Volunteer Panzer Grenadier Division Nordland at Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
. His Battalion was forced to retreat to Narva
Narva
Narva is the third largest city in Estonia. It is located at the eastern extreme point of Estonia, by the Russian border, on the Narva River which drains Lake Peipus.-Early history:...
, during the Soviet winter offensive suffering such heavy losses, that the Battalion was withdrawn to Germany to refit.
At the end of 1944 the new I./23rd Panzer Grenadier Regiment was relocated to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
to reinforce the 5th SS Panzergrenadier Division Wiking and in January 1945 Vogt was promoted to Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
(Major) and distinguished himself during the tank battle at Pettend
Pettend
- External links :*...
. In March 1945 he took over as the Commander of the 5th SS Panzer Reconnaissance Battalion. It was during this command that he was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross.
Vogt was killed in action when he was seriously wounded during an air raid, and died on 3 April 1945.
Literature
- Ulateig, Egil (2002). Veien mot undergangen - Historien om de norske frontkjemperne Vega Forlag. ISBN 978-82-8211-139-3 (Contains first hand accounts of his courageous leadership by the Norwegian volunteers he led in combat)