Karlis Aperats - World War II

World War II

After the Soviet invasion of Latvia, in 1940, Aperāts was recruited into the Red Army but left soon after to start an underground unit of 1700 men, to fight against the Red Army until June 1941, when they retreated from the advancing Germans. He joined the Waffen SS in August 1942 first in the SS Reserve Battalion, then in command of the 19th Schuma Battalion, the 26th Schumacher Battalion and from March 1943, the 19th Schumacher Battalion. He was involved in operations in Belarus and on the Leningrad front from February 1943, and in March he was given command of the II.Battalion, 1st Battalion Latvian, SS Volunteer Regiment. He was promoted to Obersturmbannführer in April 1943, and temporarily given command of the SS Volunteer Regiment 39 in May 1943, until June 1944 when he was moved to command the Waffen Grenadier Regiment of the SS 32 (Latvian No. 1), 15th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (Latvian No. 1), the regiment served in the north of the Eastern Front. Here Aperats formed a Kampfgruppe based on the SS Volunteer Grenadier Regiment 32. The approximately 850 strong unit, with two anti tank guns were engaged by two Partisan battalions, which suffered significant losses and were destroyed. The Kampfgruppe was then selected to form the Division rearguard at the Ssinaja Bridge over the Mosuli, which was under attack by a Soviet division and 30 to 40 tanks, of which the Kampfgruppe destroyed eight. During the fighting Aperāts was severely wounded in the head and according to the regimental doctor only had about 30 minutes to live. The soldiers of his Regiment wanted to carry him back to safety but he insisted that he was left behind with a pistol. As the Kampfgruppe withdrew from the bridgehead they heard a shot and it is presumed that Aperāts shot himself.> For his personal bravery from the 11 July 1944 south of Lake Kubenskoye and the following battles in Welikja, Aperāts was awarded a posthumous Knight's Cross.