Early War Campaigns
The outbreak of war found him serving back with the Oberbayern, now expanded to an SS Totenkopf Standarte. The Oberbayern was involved in police and security measures during the Invasion of Poland.
After the Polish campaign, Oberbayern was absorbed into the newly formed SS Division Totenkopf. Deisenhofer, now an SS-Sturmbannführer (Major), was placed in command of the II Battalion of SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 1. He led this formation through the initial phase of the Campaign in the West, receiving the Iron Cross First Class for his bravery in combat. Deisenhofer was pulled out of the line in late May and placed in charge of II Battalion of the newly formed Dutch and Belgian volunteer formation SS-Freiwilligen-Standarte Nordwest. After commanding the II./Nordwest during its training and formation, Deisenhofer was transferred to the SS-Ersatz-Bataillon Ost, a replacement and training unit based in Berlin.
In August 1941, Deisenhofer was transferred to the command of the I./SS-Infanterie-Regiment 9 Germania, one of the Infantry regiments of the SS-Division(mot) Wiking, currently serving on the Eastern Front. Deisenhofer commanded the Battalion during the winter, before being sent back to the Totenkopf division in February 1942, this time to serve as commander of I./SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 1.
The Totenkopf was attached to Army Group North, advancing on Leningrad. The division saw very heavy fighting near Demjansk and during the battle was completely surrounded (Demyansk Pocket). Deisenhofer led his men well, acting bravely and showing courage under fire. When his badly depleted Battalion was formed into part of a larger Kampfgruppe, Deisenhofer was given command, leading the Kampfgruppe during the breakout from the pocket, and engaging in more than 35 days of hand-to-hand combat, qualifying him for the Close Combat Clasp in silver. On 20 April 1942, he was promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer (Lieutenant Colonel). On 17 May 1942, Deisenhofer was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his actions in the Demyansk Pocket. The tattered remnants of the Totenkopf were pulled back to France to be rebuilt. Deisenhofer was ordered to Berlin for reassignment.
Read more about this topic: Eduard Deisenhofer
Famous quotes containing the words early, war and/or campaigns:
“No doubt they rose up early to observe
The rite of May.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“The idea that information can be stored in a changing world without an overwhelming depreciation of its value is false. It is scarcely less false than the more plausible claim that after a war we may take our existing weapons, fill their barrels with cylinder oil, and coat their outsides with sprayed rubber film, and let them statically await the next emergency.”
—Norbert Wiener (1894–1964)
“That food has always been, and will continue to be, the basis for one of our greater snobbisms does not explain the fact that the attitude toward the food choice of others is becoming more and more heatedly exclusive until it may well turn into one of those forms of bigotry against which gallant little committees are constantly planning campaigns in the cause of justice and decency.”
—Cornelia Otis Skinner (1901–1979)