Vol. 5 German Cross in Gold, SS-Police

[Mark C. Yerger]

Managed to get all done, in, designed, proofed, etc and now out of my hands for volume 5 before two new surgeries I must deal with soon. So I'll be "out of the loop" again while dealing with those medical issues. A big problem for the volume 5 delay was incompatibility with publisher's design software, both initially and an unusual amount of design corrections that needed to be done. I'm never behind in my own self imposed schedule and deadline.

An October/November 2010 release, Polizei Division was always a high interest unit for me. The book covers in detail development of the division's elements, probably the most complicated of the major Waffen-SS divisions. A very complex history of a very historically overlooked formation. Honor Clasp and Close Combat Clasp in Gold holders, Feldpost lists, and an addendum of new data and images for the previous volumes continues as established in the series. 315 pages and 140 illustrations.
I'd see a lot less fake documents and signed photos if collectors also read books like this instead of limiting themselves to picture catalog type publications. Those who have save a lot of money and my thanks for their comments and support with items from their collections.

Of course as always, publisher's are behind me and I'm half way through the next manuscript. 250 volume 5 copies will be signed and numbered, those wishing those can get on Bender Publishing's mail list here:
http://www.bender-publishing.com/Join.html

Mark C. Yerger

[Mark C. Yerger]

a couple vol. 5 bits, see document below.

document caption:

Wound Badge document signed by Edmund Frosch while commanding the Pionier Bataillon of the Polizei Division. (Document courtesy Derek Crouch)

caption for Frosch's photo.

Born in Ludwigshaufen on June 7, 1896, Edmund Frosch (SS# 247 065) served throughout WWI as an engineer NCO with Pionier Regiment 24. Joining the SA in September 1931, he served as an engineer SA-Sturmführer with SA-Standarte 153 until joining the SS as a Hauptsturmführer effective May 1, 1935. There Frosch first served as the initial 1.Kompanie Chef of the 1./Pioniersturmbann SS/VT from its initial forming during April 1935 to the end of that year. Commanding the II./47.SS-Standarte from April 1936, he was promoted to Allgemeine-SS Obersturmbannführer on January 30, 1939. After attending SS-Führerschule "Dachau" in January and February 1939, Frosch was given command of the 83.SS-Standarte "Oberhessen" in Giessen, succeeding Sturmbannführer Georg Müller. Frosch held that command formally until the end of the war, deputies later taking command while he served in other posts. He joined the Polizei Division on October 23, 1939, as the initial Hauptmann beim Stabe of the Pionier Bataillon with the rank of Hauptsturmführer d.R., having been an Allgemeine-SS Standartenführer since September 10, 1939. Promoted to Sturmbannführer d.R. on April 20, 1940, Frosch won both classes of the Iron Cross (June 15 and July 1) for actions in the 1940 Western campaign. He succeeded Alfred Karrasch (see Combat Elements section) as commander of the Pionier Bataillon on October 22, 1940, and was promoted to Obersturmbannführer d.R. on September 15, 1941. Reassigned to the SS-Führungshauptamt as Inspekteur für Pionierwesen, there he again succeeded Alfred Karrasch who'd been reassigned. Turning over battalion command to Hans Deschner on February 25, 1942, Frosch left for Berlin the next day with his driver, Oberscharführer Maurer. One of Frosch's first major tasks was establishing the SS-Pionierschule "Hradischko" at SS-Truppenübungsplatz "Beneschau." Promoted to Standartenführer d.R. on January 30, 1943, and to active Waffen-SS Oberführer on June 21, 1944, Frosch held his Inspekteur post with the Führungshauptamt to the end of the war. Edmund Frosch died in Munich on December 2, 1973, after heart surgery, and is buried in the Waldenfriedhof cemetery.

from division commander Alfred Wünnenberg's biography:


Wünnenberg's command fought mixed with Army elements, designated as Gruppe "Wünnenberg," starting on March 20, 1942, during the intense Wolchow fighting that lasted until late June. (1)



1) See biographies for Fritz Freitag and Alfred Borchert for the two elements of the Gruppe led by officers from the Polizei Division, Borchert's group being subordinated to Regimentsgruppe "Beukemann." Wünneberg also had Army Regimentsgruppe "Arning" under its operational control. Led by Army Oberstleutnant Karl Arning, the commander of Infanterie Regiment 24, it was centered around elements of Infanterie Regimenter 44, 161, 284, 287, 271, 161, and Pionier Bataillone 161 and 655, with a total strength of some 2,000 men in late March. Part of the 3./Panzerjäger Abteilung 193 provided heavy support. Arning won the German Cross in Gold on October 11, 1943, as an Oberst commanding Infanterie Regiment 24. Regimentsgruppe "von Holwede" was led by Oberst Wolfgang von Holwede and grouped primarily around the majority of his own Infanterie Regiment 90 command, the II./Infanterie Regiment 320, and Pionier Kompanien from the Polizei Division, Army Pionier Bataillon 21, Bau Bataillon 257, with some 900 men in total initially. Heavy fire support came from a mixed artillery group led by Army Oberst Harald-Christ Rose, the commander of Artillerie Regiment 609. He controlled Artillerie Abteilung 809, the I./Artillerie Abteilung 291, II./Artillerie Abteilung 47, I./Artillerie Abteilung 106, I./Artillerie Regiment 207, and the I./Artillerie Regiment 20. It also included survey, ranging and other necessary artillery technical support along with two Flak Kompanien for protection. Engineer related support for Gruppe "Wünnenberg" came from mixed Pionier units attached to Regimentsgruppen "Freitag" and "Beukemann." Numerically stronger elements were controlled by the staff of Pionier Bataillon 161 led by Major Hans Oehlmann, the commander of Pionier Bataillon 21, with portions of Bau Bataillone 100, 257, 677, 502, and the staff of Pionier Bataillion 161. "Kräftegliederung der Gruppe Wünnenberg," Stand: 1.4.1942. Rose won the German Cross in Gold on September 19, 1942, for his command of Artillerie Regiment 609 and Oehlmann won the same award on July 7, 1942, for leading Pionier Bataillon 21. The units not incorporated into Gruppe "Wünnenberg" were attached to Army units, primarily for the Leningrad fighting. The Artillerie Regiment was divided between and assigned directly to the I. and L.Armeekorps with individual Batterien attached to the 254. and 291.Infanterie Divisionen. By the second week of June 1942, most of the remaining operational infantry battalions of Wünnenberg's Gruppe were fighting attached to the 291.Infanterie Division (Generalleutnant Werner Göritz.

[Ilse]

Vol 5

Mark Yerger’s latest book represents an in depth and comprehensive analysis of the Police division and its German Cross in Gold, Honor Clasp, and Close Combat Clasp Holders in Gold. The 315 page book with 140 illustrations is an authoritative text, thoroughly documented.

Mark is the premier researcher of the Waffen-SS; this volume will be a great addition to anyone interested in the Police division. I know Mark personally and can honestly comment on his lifetime dedication to writing complete and accurate historical texts and this is one of them.

[markus]

German Cross

Mark,

I just noticed the new volume will be out soon….Wasn’t volume 4 published only recently? At the speed you are going, there will not be any Waffen-SS units left for you to cover soon!

But seriously, your German Cross series is a huge undertaking and fills a long existing information-gap. I am sure other historians and writers would not have attacked this topic in a million years. Too complex to handle for many writers. Too frustrating to get adequate material in order to cover these many times lesser known individuals, in case they did not earn the Knight’s Cross before or after the German Cross.

The depth, exactness and detail of your work will never be reached. Historians and collectors (not necessarily the same) around the world will honor your efforts for many, many decades to come.

Even if the “Polizei” is not my main area of interest, I will surely order the book. It’s a “must” for every serious militaria collector and historian alike to have on his bookshelf.

And fellow collectors, let’s be serious: What is the price for such a thoroughly researched book containing years of research, compared to what we spend on a common EK 2 or mint KvK 2nd Class?!

A fraction of our collection budget simply MUST go into literature. Even if it hurts sometimes. (I know the feeling…) But knowledge is power and many times far more impressive and important than the items we keep in our collections.

Mark, congratulations on this new volume. All the best for the surgery!

Markus

[Mark C. Yerger]

Mark,

I just noticed the new volume will be out soon….Wasn’t volume 4 published only recently? At the speed you are going, there will not be any Waffen-SS units left for you to cover soon!

But seriously, your German Cross series is a huge undertaking and fills a long existing information-gap. I am sure other historians and writers would not have attacked this topic in a million years. Too complex to handle for many writers. Too frustrating to get adequate material in order to cover these many times lesser known individuals, in case they did not earn the Knight’s Cross before or after the German Cross.

The depth, exactness and detail of your work will never be reached. Historians and collectors (not necessarily the same) around the world will honor your efforts for many, many decades to come.

Even if the “Polizei” is not my main area of interest, I will surely order the book. It’s a “must” for every serious militaria collector and historian alike to have on his bookshelf.

And fellow collectors, let’s be serious: What is the price for such a thoroughly researched book containing years of research, compared to what we spend on a common EK 2 or mint KvK 2nd Class?!

A fraction of our collection budget simply MUST go into literature. Even if it hurts sometimes. (I know the feeling…) But knowledge is power and many times far more impressive and important than the items we keep in our collections.

Mark, congratulations on this new volume. All the best for the surgery!

Markus

Thanks for the comment. Had at least 3 ask me for research for items that were bad, and proof of that was already published in one of the GC books.

But 1 got his money back for a 5 figures costing item from material that is in volume 1.

Some learn, some obviously don't.

[Oberbootsmann]

Hello gentlemen. I just ran into that nice thread while doing some research on my recently purchased SS Police lot, especially on SS Police Commander Alfred Wünnenberg who signed the award left in the picture shown below.
It is a huge lot of a soldier of a bakery unit who fought with the SS Police. Also the Wehrpass has nice SS Police entries.

I hope that someone might help me identifying the signature of the SS Sturmbannführer in the middle.

Regards, Matthias

[Mark C. Yerger]

middle one is signed by Hans Oltermann (SS# 455 296), he also commanded
Wi.Btl.4 of Polizei Division aside from being Divisionsintendant on the divisional staff

Document on right can't I read stamp, poor image

[markus]

As always, great info Mark!

Matthias: Now go buy the book! 'Wissen ist Macht!'

[Mark C. Yerger]

Oltermann's photo and biography is in my book "German Cross in Silver Holders of the SS and Police," Bender Publishing, pages 132-133. The volume covers all Silver GC holders of the SS and Police.

Mark

[Oberbootsmann]

Thank you very much for the quick reply, Mark. Regards, Matthias

[markus]

Thank you very much for the quick reply, Mark. Regards, Matthias

Matthias! Have all your questions been answered to your full satisfaction, so that you no longer have to buy the book and can spend more money on militaria?

Buy the books and you will see how moch more fun collecting can be.

A whole new world opens up once you really understand the history, individuals, units, battles, etc.

Just some food for thought....

[Ilse]

book

I was at Marks house this past weekend and he showed me the final draft for Vol. 5 German Cross in Gold, SS-Police. Most impressive! You guys are going to be very impressed when you read this book.

[pimberg]

Could not agree more with the last comment by Ilse. I too have been fortunate to see the draft - it really is a must have book