Fritz von Scholz
Encyclopedia
Fritz von Scholz, Edler von Rerancze, (December 9, 1896 - July 28, 1944) known as Fritz von Scholz was an Austria
n Austro-Hungarian Army
and later German
Waffen SS officer who served in both the First
and Second World Wars
.
, Scholz was called up for service in the Austro-Hungarian Army
during the mobilisation of July 1914. He served as an artillery
officer, first with k.u.k. Feld-Artillerie Regiment 22, seeing action in the East
. In May 1915 Scholz was promoted to the rank of Leutnant and transferred to the k.u.k. Feldhaubitzenregiment 3, also fighting in the East. In 1917, Scholz was transferred to k.u.k. Feldartillerieregiment 40, serving on the Italian front. During his time here, he acted as a telegraph officer.
Scholz's father, Generalmajor Ferdinand Scholz, had also been serving in the East. In the fighting near Rerancze, northeast of Czernowitz in the Bukovina
, his actions against the Russians had drawn the attention of Kaiser Franz Josef I
. As a result of this, he was ennobled and granted the title Knight
of Rerancze (Edler von Rerancze).
In November 1917, von Scholz was promoted to Oberleutnant
and again transferred, this time to Feld Artillerie Regiment 125, which he remained with until April 1919. During the course of the war von Scholz had received several high decorations, including the Austro-Hungarian Bravery Medal in gold, and the Austro-Hungarian Distinguished Service Cross
in silver and bronze.
, Munich
, Leipzig
and Tyrol. In 1921, he joined the Freikorps Oberland
and was involved in fighting against communist dissidents in the province of Silesia
. In the early 1920s, von Scholz was first exposed to the philosophy of the NSDAP, and soon became a supporter, joining the Austrian branch of the party on 9 October 1932 (Nr.1304071). He soon joined the Austrian SA
as a Platoon leader, and was again involved in street fights with communists at Lützow
and Munich. His formation was merged into a part of SA Gruppe Nordwest in June 1933. His actions soon landed him in trouble with the Austrian authorities and forced him to flee to Nazi Germany
in late 1933 to avoid arrest.
He joined the Schutzstaffel
in 1937 (Nr.135638) serving with the Austrian SS Legion based at Linz
soon after arriving in Germany. By 1934 he had been was promoted to SS-Untersturmführer
and placed in command of the fifth company of II./SS-Standarte 1. By the outbreak of World War II
, von Scholz was an SS-Sturmbannführer
in command of II./Battalion, SS-Regiment Der Führer, part of the SS-VT Division.
first and second class. He was also awarded the 1914-1918 Iron cross clasp with swords due to his service in World War I. After the campaign, von Scholz was ordered to take command of the Danish
-Norwegian
volunteer formation SS-Infanterie-Regiment Nordland, now forming in Klagenfurt
in Austria
. On 30 January 1941, von Scholz was promoted to SS-Standartenführer
. It was decided that the regiment would form a part of a new volunteer division, based on the SS Division (mot) Das Reich Germania Regiment. The new division was to be called the SS-Division (mot) Wiking.
The division was not ready for the launch of Operation Barbarossa
, and first saw combat as a part of Army Group South
fighting for Tarnopol in Galicia in late June, 1941. Throughout the next months, von Scholz led the Nordland regiment in fighting along the Dnieper river
, Dnepropetrovsk. In October 1941, von Scholz received a promotion to SS-Oberführer
, and continued leading the Nordland, which finished the year in heavy fighting for Rostov-on-Don
. In December, the division was ordered to abandon Rostov and fall back to the Mius River
line. For his actions in commanding the Nordland, von Scholz was awarded the German Cross
in Gold in November, a newly instated award for bravery which ranked between the Iron Cross first class and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
. Less than a month after receiving this award, von Scholz received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
for his actions near Rostov.
With the launch of Case Blue and Army Group South's advance towards Stalingrad, the Wiking was to once more capture Rostov and then to advance into the Caucasus
. The division spent the year fighting its way into the Caucasus mountains. Despite heavy resistance, the Wiking managed to advance almost to the Turkish
border and was involved in the southernmost advance of the Wehrmacht in the USSR. Von Scholz received a promotion to SS-Brigadeführer
in December 1942 for his actions in leading the Nordland during this advance. On 10 January 1943, von Scholz was ordered back to Germany to take command of a volunteer division now under formation at Grafenwöhr
.
, attached to Army Group Centre
then 2 SS Infantry Brigade
composed of mostly Estonia
n volunteers and in action under Army Group North
. On 20 April, von Scholz was ordered back to Grafenwöhr to take command of the Division, now titled 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland
. Fritz's old command, the Nordland regiment had been dissolved and used to form the basis for the new division.
The division was soon moved to Croatia
where it saw action fighting against Tito's communist partisans
. During this period, von Scholz's new division conducted itself well. In January 1944, orders were received to move the division to the Oranienbaum
front near Leningrad
, under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model's
Army Group North.
Von Scholz commanded the division during the ensuing retreat to Narva
and during the battles for the Narva bridgehead
. During this campaign he worked under his old commander, SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner
, now in command of the III. (germanisches) SS-Panzerkorps
, the Nordland's parent formation.
During the intense combat for the Narva, von Scholz's leadership had a strong impact on the spirit of his men. His jovial, caring attitude towards his troops resulted in him being granted the affectionate nickname Papa Scholz. Scholz was frequently at the front line, visiting his men and ensuring that they were as comfortable as possible. The Nordland together with the rest of Steiner's corps, held the line against overwhelming odds for nearly five months. For his actions, von Scholz was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross on 12 March 1944, as well as the Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty
(2nd class) with Swords. On 20 April, von Scholz was promoted to SS-Obergruppenführer
.
In late July, the launch of the Soviet Operation Bagration and the impending collapse of Army Group Centre
meant that Steiner's corps had to fall back to secondary positions behind the Narva river
. On 27 July, while visiting the front line on Lastekodumägi (Orphanage Hill), von Scholz was caught in an artillery barrage and struck in the head by a shell splinter. Despite the best efforts of the medics and field hospital staff, von Scholz died on July 28, 1944. He was posthumously awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Austro-Hungarian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
and later German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Waffen SS officer who served in both the First
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and Second World Wars
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...
.
First World War - Freikorps
Born Fritz Scholz in Pilsen, BohemiaBohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, Scholz was called up for service in the Austro-Hungarian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
during the mobilisation of July 1914. He served as an artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
officer, first with k.u.k. Feld-Artillerie Regiment 22, seeing action in the East
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
. In May 1915 Scholz was promoted to the rank of Leutnant and transferred to the k.u.k. Feldhaubitzenregiment 3, also fighting in the East. In 1917, Scholz was transferred to k.u.k. Feldartillerieregiment 40, serving on the Italian front. During his time here, he acted as a telegraph officer.
Scholz's father, Generalmajor Ferdinand Scholz, had also been serving in the East. In the fighting near Rerancze, northeast of Czernowitz in the Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
, his actions against the Russians had drawn the attention of Kaiser Franz Josef I
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
. As a result of this, he was ennobled and granted the title Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
of Rerancze (Edler von Rerancze).
In November 1917, von Scholz was promoted to Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
and again transferred, this time to Feld Artillerie Regiment 125, which he remained with until April 1919. During the course of the war von Scholz had received several high decorations, including the Austro-Hungarian Bravery Medal in gold, and the Austro-Hungarian Distinguished Service Cross
Military Merit Cross (Austria-Hungary)
The Military Merit Cross was a decoration of the Empire of Austria and, after the establishment of the Dual Monarchy in 1867, the Empire of Austria-Hungary. It was first established on October 22, 1849 and underwent several revisions to its design and award criteria over the years of its existence...
in silver and bronze.
Between the wars
After he was discharged from the army in 1919, von Scholz sought work, finding sporadic employment in KlagenfurtKlagenfurt
-Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters...
, Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
and Tyrol. In 1921, he joined the Freikorps Oberland
Freikorps Oberland
The Freikorps Oberland was a free corps in the early years of the Weimar Republic, fighting against Communist and Polish insurgents...
and was involved in fighting against communist dissidents in the province of Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
. In the early 1920s, von Scholz was first exposed to the philosophy of the NSDAP, and soon became a supporter, joining the Austrian branch of the party on 9 October 1932 (Nr.1304071). He soon joined the Austrian SA
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
as a Platoon leader, and was again involved in street fights with communists at Lützow
Lützow
Lützow can refer to:* Ludwig Adolf Wilhelm von Lützow , a Prussian lieutenant general** The Lützow Free Corps, a Prussian volunteer force during the Napoleonic wars commanded by Ludwig von Lützow...
and Munich. His formation was merged into a part of SA Gruppe Nordwest in June 1933. His actions soon landed him in trouble with the Austrian authorities and forced him to flee to Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
in late 1933 to avoid arrest.
He joined the Schutzstaffel
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
in 1937 (Nr.135638) serving with the Austrian SS Legion based at Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
soon after arriving in Germany. By 1934 he had been was promoted to SS-Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer
Untersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
and placed in command of the fifth company of II./SS-Standarte 1. By the outbreak of 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...
, von Scholz was an SS-Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer
Sturmbannführer was a paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party equivalent to major, used both in the Sturmabteilung and the Schutzstaffel...
in command of II./Battalion, SS-Regiment Der Führer, part of the SS-VT Division.
Second World War - SS-VT - Regiment Nordland
As Commander of Der Führer's II./Battalion, von Scholz saw action in the Western campaign of 1940. During this time he was awarded the Iron CrossIron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
first and second class. He was also awarded the 1914-1918 Iron cross clasp with swords due to his service in World War I. After the campaign, von Scholz was ordered to take command of the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
-Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
volunteer formation SS-Infanterie-Regiment Nordland, now forming in Klagenfurt
Klagenfurt
-Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. On 30 January 1941, von Scholz was promoted to SS-Standartenführer
Standartenführer
Standartenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was used in the so-called Nazi combat-organisations: SA, SS, NSKK and the NSFK...
. It was decided that the regiment would form a part of a new volunteer division, based on the SS Division (mot) Das Reich Germania Regiment. The new division was to be called the SS-Division (mot) Wiking.
The division was not ready for the launch of 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...
, and first saw combat as a part of Army Group South
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
fighting for Tarnopol in Galicia in late June, 1941. Throughout the next months, von Scholz led the Nordland regiment in fighting along the Dnieper river
Dnieper River
The Dnieper River is one of the major rivers of Europe that flows from Russia, through Belarus and Ukraine, to the Black Sea.The total length is and has a drainage basin of .The river is noted for its dams and hydroelectric stations...
, Dnepropetrovsk. In October 1941, von Scholz received a promotion to SS-Oberführer
Oberführer
Oberführer was an early paramilitary rank of the Nazi Party dating back to 1921. Translated as “Senior Leader”, an Oberführer was typically a Nazi Party member in charge of a group of paramilitary units in a particular geographical region...
, and continued leading the Nordland, which finished the year in heavy fighting for Rostov-on-Don
Rostov-on-Don
-History:The mouth of the Don River has been of great commercial and cultural importance since the ancient times. It was the site of the Greek colony Tanais, of the Genoese fort Tana, and of the Turkish fortress Azak...
. In December, the division was ordered to abandon Rostov and fall back to the Mius River
Mius River
Mius is a river in Eastern Europe that flows through Ukraine and Russia. It starts in the Donets Range of Donetsk Oblast and flows through Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine and Rostov Oblast, Russia into the Mius Firth of the Sea of Azov, west of Taganrog...
line. For his actions in commanding the Nordland, von Scholz was awarded the German Cross
German Cross
The German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold in November, a newly instated award for bravery which ranked between the Iron Cross first class and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
. Less than a month after receiving this award, von Scholz received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
for his actions near Rostov.
With the launch of Case Blue and Army Group South's advance towards Stalingrad, the Wiking was to once more capture Rostov and then to advance into the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. The division spent the year fighting its way into the Caucasus mountains. Despite heavy resistance, the Wiking managed to advance almost to the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
border and was involved in the southernmost advance of the Wehrmacht in the USSR. Von Scholz received a promotion to SS-Brigadeführer
Brigadeführer
SS-Brigadeführer was an SS rank that was used in Nazi Germany between the years of 1932 and 1945. Brigadeführer was also an SA rank....
in December 1942 for his actions in leading the Nordland during this advance. On 10 January 1943, von Scholz was ordered back to Germany to take command of a volunteer division now under formation at Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr
Grafenwöhr is a town in the district Neustadt , in the region of the Upper Palatinate in eastern Bavaria, Germany. It is widely known for the United States Army military installation and training area, called Grafenwöhr Training Area, located directly south and west of the town.- Early History:The...
.
Nordland Division - Narva
As the division was still nowhere near formed, von Scholz was sent back to the front to take command of first 1 SS Infantry Brigade1 SS Infantry Brigade
The 1 SS Infantry Brigade was a unit of the German Waffen SS formed from former concentration camp guards for service in the Soviet Union behind the main front line during the Second World War. They conducted anti-partisan operations in the rear of the advancing German army and were involved in...
, attached to Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
then 2 SS Infantry Brigade
2 SS Infantry Brigade
The 2 SS Infantry Brigade was formed on the 15 May 1941, under the command of Karl Fischer von Treuenfeld with the 4th and 5th SS Infantry Regiments and began its operational service in September in the rear area of Army Group North, under which command it would spend its entire existence...
composed of mostly Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n volunteers and in action under Army Group North
Army Group North
Army Group North was a German strategic echelon formation commanding a grouping of Field Armies subordinated to the OKH during World War II. The army group coordinated the operations of attached separate army corps, reserve formations, rear services and logistics.- Formation :The Army Group North...
. On 20 April, von Scholz was ordered back to Grafenwöhr to take command of the Division, now titled 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland
11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland
The 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, also known as Kampfverband Waräger, Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 or 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland, was a Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers...
. Fritz's old command, the Nordland regiment had been dissolved and used to form the basis for the new division.
The division was soon moved to Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
where it saw action fighting against Tito's communist partisans
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
. During this period, von Scholz's new division conducted itself well. In January 1944, orders were received to move the division to the Oranienbaum
Oranienbaum
Oranienbaum may refer to:Germany:* Oranienbaum, Germany, a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany* Oranienbaum-WörlitzRussia:* Oranienbaum, Russia , a Russian royal residence* Lomonosov , the former name of the adjacent town...
front near Leningrad
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model's
Walter Model
Otto Moritz Walter Model was a German general and later field marshal during World War II. He is noted for his defensive battles in the latter half of the war, mostly on the Eastern Front but also in the west, and for his close association with Adolf Hitler and Nazism...
Army Group North.
Von Scholz commanded the division during the ensuing 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:...
and during the battles for the Narva bridgehead
Battle of Narva (1944)
The Battle of Narva was a military campaign between the German Army Detachment "Narwa" and the Soviet Leningrad Front fought for possession of the strategically important Narva Isthmus on 2 February – 10 August 1944 during World War II....
. During this campaign he worked under his old commander, SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner
Felix Steiner
Felix Martin Julius Steiner was a German Reichswehr and Waffen-SS officer who served in both World War I and World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
, now in command of the III. (germanisches) SS-Panzerkorps
III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps
The III SS Panzer Corps was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II. The The III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps (III. (germanische) SS-Panzerkorps) was a German Waffen-SS armoured corps which saw action on the Eastern Front during World War II. The...
, the Nordland's parent formation.
During the intense combat for the Narva, von Scholz's leadership had a strong impact on the spirit of his men. His jovial, caring attitude towards his troops resulted in him being granted the affectionate nickname Papa Scholz. Scholz was frequently at the front line, visiting his men and ensuring that they were as comfortable as possible. The Nordland together with the rest of Steiner's corps, held the line against overwhelming odds for nearly five months. For his actions, von Scholz was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross on 12 March 1944, as well as the Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty
Order of the Cross of Liberty
There are three official orders in Finland: the Order of the Cross of Liberty , the Order of the White Rose of Finland and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of the two orders, and usually of the Order of the Cross of Liberty as well, Grand Mastership of...
(2nd class) with Swords. On 20 April, von Scholz was promoted to SS-Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer
Obergruppenführer was a Nazi Party paramilitary rank that was first created in 1932 as a rank of the SA and until 1942 it was the highest SS rank inferior only to Reichsführer-SS...
.
In late July, the launch of the Soviet Operation Bagration and the impending collapse of Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre
Army Group Centre was the name of two distinct German strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union...
meant that Steiner's corps had to fall back to secondary positions behind the Narva river
Narva River
The Narva is a river flowing into the Baltic Sea, the largest river in Estonia. Draining Lake Peipsi, the river forms the border of Estonia and Russia and flows through the towns of Narva/Ivangorod and Narva-Jõesuu into Narva Bay. Though the river is only 77 km long, in terms of volume...
. On 27 July, while visiting the front line on Lastekodumägi (Orphanage Hill), von Scholz was caught in an artillery barrage and struck in the head by a shell splinter. Despite the best efforts of the medics and field hospital staff, von Scholz died on July 28, 1944. He was posthumously awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross.
See also
- 11.SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division NordlandThe 11th SS Volunteer Panzergrenadier Division Nordland, also known as Kampfverband Waräger, Germanische-Freiwilligen-Division, SS-Panzergrenadier-Division 11 or 11. SS-Freiwilligen-Panzergrenadier-Division Nordland, was a Waffen SS, Panzergrenadier division recruited from foreign volunteers...
- Waffen SS,
- Battle of Narva (1944)Battle of Narva (1944)The Battle of Narva was a military campaign between the German Army Detachment "Narwa" and the Soviet Leningrad Front fought for possession of the strategically important Narva Isthmus on 2 February – 10 August 1944 during World War II....
- SS Division (mot) Wiking
- List of SS Personnel