Erich Eberhardt

Erich Eberhardt was an Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel), in the Waffen SS during World War II who was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. This was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.

Early life
Erich Eberhardt was born in Wiesbaden on the 1 October 1913. In 1931 he joined the Hamburg police force. He then was one of the early members of the SS, which he joined in 1934 and was given the SS service number 272 747, Nazi Party Number 4 178 022. His first unit was the 8th Company, SS Standarte Germania. In 1936 he was selected to become an officer and sent to the SS-Junkerschule at Braunschweig, being promoted to Untersturmführer (Second Lieutenant) upon graduation.

World War II
At the start of World War II Eberhardt was a Hauptsturmführer (Captain) and company commander of the 12th Company, 9th SS Grenadier Regiment, SS Division Wiking. During the invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa), he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class in July 1941 and the 1st class award in September 1941.

Eberhardt was posted to the 7th SS Mountain Division Prinz Eugen between March 1942 to June 1943, as an officer of the General Staff. He was then posted as IA to the General Staff of the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf in October 1943 and was promoted to Obersturmbannführer (Major) in April 1944.

Erich Eberhardt was awarded the Knight's Cross for his actions in July 1944, when the 3rd SS Panzer Division Totenkopf was called forward by Field Marshal Model after the Russians had broken the German front and the army was in retreat.

As the Divisional commander had not yet arrived, Eberhardt as the Divisions IA, deployed the Division which succeeded in holding the line and while reconnaissance had revealed a strong Russian Armoured and Cavalry Corps advancing and threatening Grodno which would leave the south open to any assault.

The next morning Eberhardt decided to act independently, and ordered the Totenkopf to advance. In the area west of Grodno they managed to infiltrate the Russian lines and attacked the Russian flank, which forced the Armour and Cavalry units they were facing to contract and break up.

The Army Group now ordered a general push north and five Russian divisions were cut off and destroyed and the front stabilised. For his part in this action Eberhardt was awarded the Knight's Cross on the 23 August 1944.

The Totenkopf was in action until the last days of the war, when Eberhardt gave an instruction for the Division to move to the west to surrender to the American forces, rather than enter Soviet captivity.

Post war
After the war Erich Eberhardt was a spokesman for the HIAG for the Rhineland and was on the 27 April 1963, adopted as the successor to Kurt Panzer Meyer Meyer.

Eberhardt died at Lohrheim on the 1 July 1965, from heart failure.