Panzer, Knights Cross wearers signed photos

Otto Carius, Otto is credited with 150 tanks destroyed and he is known as one of the top Tiger tank aces of the war. In 1943, Carius transferred to the 502 heavy tank battalion. This unit fought at the Leningrad front and then in the area of Narva, Estonia. Carius was severely wounded on July 24, 1944 while reconnoitering a village on a motorcycle ahead of his tanks. Until that day, he was unofficially running the 2nd company of 502nd, however, he officially became the commander of 2nd company on the same day he got shot through the leg, arm, 4 bullets in the back and one through the neck. He subsequently became the commander of a Jagdtiger company of the 512th Heavy Antitank Battalion in the West at the beginning of 1945



Ernst Barkmann, April 1st of 1936, Ernst Barkmann joined SS-Standarte Germania as a volunteer and after three months of training joined the III Battalion of the Standarte at Radolfszell. Barkmann took part in Polish Campaign of 1939 serving with 9th Kompanie of SS Standarte Germania.
With the outbreak of war on 1 September 1939, Barkmann saw action with this formation in the Invasion of Poland, serving as a machine gunner with the 9./III.Battalion. He fought well during the campaign, receiving a promotion to Rottenfuhrer.
In October 1939, the Germania was used to form a part of the SS division Verfugungstruppe. In May 1940, Barkmann took part in the invasion of France. In late 1940, the Germania was detached from the division to form a cadre for a new division, the SS Division (mot) Germania. The division was to comprise a large number of European Volunteers.
Barkmann served with the division during Operation Barbarossa, before being seriously wounded near Dnipropetrovsk in July, 1941. He spent the remainder of 1941 convalescing, and received the Wound Badge in silver. In early 1942, Barkmann was posted as an instructor to a unit in The Netherlands where he was responsible for training European SS volunteers.
Barkmann requested a transfer to the newly formed Waffen-SS panzer arm. In winter 1942/43 he was sent back to the Eastern Front to join the second company of I./SS-Panzer-Regiment Das Reich.
The Das Reich was attached to the SS-Panzerkorps which was to form the vanguard of Manstein's efforts to halt the Soviet advance near Kharkov. In July 1943, his division next took part in Operation Citadel, the operation to destroy the Kursk Salient. The Das Reich division remained on the Eastern front until January 1944. Early in February, the division was ordered to France to refit and to form a part of Panzergruppe West. Barkmann, along with the rest of the I Battalion of the panzer regiment, was equipped with new model Panthers. The division finally reached the front in early July and was thrown into action against the American forces near Saint-Lo. Barkmann, in his Panther Ausf A (Nr. 424) saw heavy fighting against American M4 Shermans in the bocage.
On the morning of July 27, Barkmann found himself in his Panther cut off from the rest of his company. While attempting to reach his unit, he was stopped near the village of Le Lorey where he was told by German infantrymen that the Americans were closing in with a large armoured column. Barkmann positioned his Panther under a stand of oak trees near the crossroads where the American tanks would have to pass.
As the column came into sight, Barkmann knocked out the two lead Shermans and a fuel tanker truck. Next, he destroyed two Shermans which had attempted to bypass the burning tanker. The Americans called in fighter bombers, which damaged Barkmann's Panther and wounded two of his crewmen. Barkmann's next victims were two Shermans that had used the noise of the fighter-bombers as cover to sneak up on the damaged Panther's flank. As Barkmann's crew repaired the Panther, two more Shermans were knocked out. Finally, before leaving, Barkmann destroyed one last Sherman.
During the engagement, which has come to be known as Barkmann's Corner, it has been claimed Barkmann knocked out nine Shermans and several other American vehicles and halted an American armoured attack. For his actions, he was awarded the Knight's Cross.



Otto Weidinger, Otto Weidinger volunteered for the SS-Verfügungstruppe in April 1934. He was commissioned as an SS-untersturmfuhrer (Second Lieutenant) in April 1936. His first command was the 3. Kompanie of the SS-Standarte "Deutschland", 2nd SS division Das Reich. Shortly after he underwent training as a combat engineer with the SS-Pioniere Battalion. He became the commander of SS-PzGrenRgt 4 "Der Fuhrer" of the 2nd SS division Das Reich.
By the end of the war he held the rank of SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer (Lieutenant Colonel). He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oakleaves and swords

(additional information compliments of Paul Errass)
Otto Weidinger received the Ritterkreuz for command of SS Panzer Gren Regt " Das Reich " whilst part of kampfgruppe Das Reich in Southern Russia during the fighting in winter 1943 / 1944 including the Kamenets -Podolsk travelling pocket.

The Oakleaves and Swords were for the command of SS Panzer Gren Regt 4 Der Fuhrer during the Normandy and Ardennes fighting and early 1945 fighting in Hungary including the withdrawal to the Reich borders.

 

Otto Weidinger received the Ritterkreuz for command of SS Panzer Gren Regt " Das Reich " whilst part of kampfgruppe Das Reich in Southern Russia during the fighting in winter 1943 / 1944 including the Kamenets -Podolsk travelling pocket.

The Oakleaves and Swords were for the command of SS Panzer Gren Regt 4 Der Fuhrer during the Normandy and Ardennes fighting and early 1945 fighting in Hungary including the withdrawal to the Reich borders.

regards

paul

 

Paul

thank you for the info, I hope you don't mind if I add it to the post

thanks and regards

 

Of course not mate , only glad to help with photos and bios !!

 

More photos of Otto Carius

 

One more of Otto today !!

 

that is a great photo of him today, he still looks pretty good and still has that smile, thanks for posting the photos

 

Greast sigs here and, ive always wanted one from Otto Carius. I keep losing his address :-( I have one from Barkmann was well-actually had two but gave one away years ago.