Final Engagements
In March 1945, Barkmann was once again fighting with Soviets, near Stuhlweissenburg, where he knocked out four T-34s and brought the total score of the Das Reich Division for the war so far to 3000 enemy tanks destroyed. At the time, Das Reich was exhausted by non-stop fighting and lack of replacement tanks. Barkmann's unit had only nine fully operational vehicles, of which three were soon lost to Soviet Josef Stalin tanks. The remaining six Panthers were ordered to link up with the remnants of the Panzer Regiment of the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler commanded by Standartenführer Jochen Peiper. By April 1945, Barkmann saw action south of Vienna, Austria. There his Panther was hit by mistake from friendly fire and Barkmann along with most of his crew members were wounded. Later on, his Panther became disabled in a huge bomb crater and was destroyed by its crew. Ernst Barkmann was able to reach British zone of operation where he was made a prisoner of war.
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