Narva
As the division was still nowhere near formed, von Scholz was sent back to the front to take command of first 1 SS Infantry Brigade, attached to Army Group Centre then 2 SS Infantry Brigade composed of mostly Estonian volunteers and in action under Army Group North. On 20 April, von Scholz was ordered back to Grafenwöhr to take command of the Division, now titled 11th SS Panzergrenadier Division Nordland. Fritz's old command, the Nordland regiment had been dissolved and used to form the basis for the new division.
The division was soon moved to Croatia where it saw action fighting against Tito's communist partisans. During this period, von Scholz's new division conducted itself well. In January 1944, orders were received to move the division to the Oranienbaum front near Leningrad, under the command of Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model's Army Group North.
Von Scholz commanded the division during the ensuing retreat to Narva and during the battles for the Narva bridgehead. During this campaign he worked under his old commander, SS-Obergruppenführer Felix Steiner, now in command of the III (Germanic) SS Panzer Corps, the Nordland's parent formation.
During the intense combat for the Narva, von Scholz's leadership had a strong impact on the spirit of his men. His jovial, caring attitude towards his troops resulted in him being granted the affectionate nickname Papa Scholz. Scholz was frequently at the front line, visiting his men and ensuring that they were as comfortable as possible. The Nordland together with the rest of Steiner's corps, held the line against overwhelming odds for nearly five months. For his actions, von Scholz was awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross on 12 March 1944, as well as the Finnish Order of the Cross of Liberty (2nd class) with Swords. On 20 April 1944, von Scholz was promoted to Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS.
In late July, the launch of the Soviet Operation Bagration and the impending collapse of Army Group Centre meant that Steiner's corps had to fall back to secondary positions behind the Narva river. On 27 July, while visiting the front line on Lastekodumägi (Orphanage Hill), von Scholz was caught in an artillery barrage and struck in the head by a shell splinter. Despite the best efforts of the medics and field hospital staff, von Scholz died on 28 July 1944. He was posthumously awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross on 8 August 1944.
Read more about this topic: Fritz Von Scholz, Nordland Division