12 SS Pz Regt June/July Assistance Please

[Allan B]

Hi All,

I would very much appreciate assistance with the following research, regarding Kmp Chefs for the whole of June and July 1944.

Kind Regards

Allan

SS Panzerregiment 12
Obersturmbannführer Max Wünsche

I/SS Panzerregiment 12 (PANTHERS)
Sturmbannführer Arnold Jürgensen
1. Pz Kmp, Hauptsturmführer Kurt-Anton Berlin
2. Pz Kmp, Obersturmführer Helmut Gaede
3. Pz Kmp, Hauptsturmführer Karl Brödel
4. Pz Kmp, Leutnant Erich Pöhl*

II/SS Panzerregiment 12 (MkIVs)
Sturmbannführer Karl-Heinz Prinz
5. Pz Kmp, Obersturmführer Helmut Bando(+27/6), then Obersturmführer Karl-Heinz Porsch, then Hauptsturmführer Wolf Büttner**
6. Pz Kmp, Hauptsturmführer Ludwig Ruckdeschel (WIA 26/6), then Untersturführer Helmut Buchwald (+28/6.... so Pz Kmp Chef for about a day…), then Hauptsturmführer Hermann Tirschler
7. Pz Kmp, Hauptsturmführer Heinz Bräcker (+17/7), then Obersturmführer Albert Gasch
8. Pz Kmp, Hauptsturmführer Hans Siegel ((WIA 27/6), then Obersturmführer Hans Höfler
9. Pz Kmp, Hauptsturmführer Wolf Büttner***

* Lt Erich Pohl was given an SS rank in August, by which time he was Oberleutnant as he became Obersturmführer.
** How long Karl-Heinz Porsch was Pz Kmp Chef.
*** When Büttner took over was there was some amalgamation of 9. Pz Kmp with 5. Pz Kmp.

[Eelst]

3. Pz Kmp, Hauptsturmführer Karl Brödel

The Chef of 3.Kompanie was Obersturmführer Rudolf von Ribbentrop, until few days before the D-Day when he was injured due to an air attack. Then, Hauptmann Karl Heinz Lüdemann took over the 3.Kompanie for just a few days, because on 9.6.1944 the Ko. suffered severe losses in panzers and men in a failed attack; it was then withdrawn from the front, the Panthers sent to others Kompanien of I.Abteilung and the men went back to Germany. They were back to the front fully-equipped and with von Ribbentrop in charge in the early days of July 1944.

4. Pz Kmp, Leutnant Erich Pöhl*

Chef der Kompanie was Hauptsturmführer Hans Pfeiffer, until his death on 11.6.1944. Then Leutnant Pöhl became the new Kompanieführer, I think until September.

[Allan B]

Hi Eelst,

Thank you very much for your reply.

Yes Ribbentrop is seen in the side car of Wünsche's motorcycle. So the action in which 3 Pz Kmp took heavy losses would be crossing the fields towards Bretteville on the 9th June.

Once gain thank you very much.

Kind Regards

Allan