Günther Anhalt

Günther Otto Friedrich Anhalt
Born	23 January 1906 Breslau, Germany
Died	27 April 1945 (1945-04-28) (aged 39) Berlin, Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Schutzstaffel
Years of service	1933–45
Rank	SS-Standartenführer
Commands held	IV Battalion, LSSAH III Battalion, 2nd Regiment (Mot), LSSAH 2nd Regiment, Combat Group "von Gottberg" SS Police Brigade "Anhalt" Armed Infantry Regiment S (Bulgarian No. 1) Volunteer Infantry Regiment 87 SS Police Regiment 98
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Berlin
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Close Combat Clasp Iron Cross 2nd Class Iron Cross 1st Class Anti-Partisan Guerrilla Warfare Badge Infantry Assault Badge Gold German Cross (16 June 1944) Distinguished for actions in the Winter Campaign in Russia 1941-42

Günther Anhalt (23 January 1906 – 27 April 1945) was a high-ranking German officer in the Waffen-SS (military wing of the Schutzstaffel) during World War II.

Military career

Early career

Anhalt was born as Günther Otto Friedrich Anhalt in Breslau (Wrocław), Prussian Silesia on 23 January 1906. He joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP) on 1 July 1932, and in 1933 he was one of the first soldiers to join the SS Stabswache "Berlin", 240 hand-picked men forming a bodyguard division for the NSDAP. He was sent to Jüterbog for three months of military training on 27 July 1934, and was assigned to the 2nd Training Company under SS-Hauptsturmführer Sator. On 17 October 1934, he was promoted to SS-Hauptscharführer of the 7th Company of the newly renamed Leibstandarte SS "Adolf Hitler" (LSSAH).

Anhalt was promoted to SS-Untersturmführer on 10 April 1935, and to SS-Obersturmführer on 9 November 1936, becoming acting commander of the 7th Company. On 22 May 1939, the 7th Company was the military honor guard for the meeting of Italy's Count Ciano and Germany's foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop in Berlin for the signing of the German-Italian friendship and alliance pact, the Pact of Steel.

World War II

On 28 August 1939, Anhalt became a platoon leader of the 5th Company of the LSSAH, under battalion commander Wilhelm Mohnke. Anhalt went to war against Poland with this company, where he was wounded, together with his commander Mohnke, on 7 September 1939.

His next promotion came on 30 January 1940, when he was promoted to SS-Hauptsturmführer, and on 10 May 1940, Anhalt took command of the 6th Company, II Battalion of the LSSAH. During this time, 12 members of the bataillon were involved in the Wormhoudt massacre, a war crime in which eighty British POW's were killed in retaliation for the supposed death of Sepp Dietrich. Involvement of his unit or himself is not documented. On 6 April 1941, he was given command of the 1st Engineer Company of the LSSAH.

On 9 July 1941, Anhalt took over the IV Battalion of the LSSAH after the invasion of Russia, and was then promoted again on 1 September 1941 to SS-Sturmbannführer. On 5 July 1942, the LSSAH was transformed into a motorized division, and Anhalt was given command of the III Battalion of the 2nd LSSAH Infantry Regiment (Motorized).

According to Simon Wisenthal Center late summer 1943 he served as an officer in the 2nd SS - Police Regiment at the time when it exterminated the Ghetto of Glebokie in Belarus on 20 August 1943, where 3,000 Jews were murdered. He also participated in many so called "anti Partisan operations" in Belarus in 1943 and 1944 as commander of this unit.

Anhalt was next transferred to the SS Military Police and promoted to SS-Obersturmbannführer on 22 November 1943. He took command of the 2nd Regiment, "Combat Group von Gottberg." On 1 July 1944, Anhalt was transferred and promoted to SS-Standartenführer, the highest possible field officer rank, becoming the commander of the SS Police Brigade "Anhalt". For his distinguished part in the fighting on the Russian Front, Anhalt received the Knight's Cross on 12 August 1944.

Final Days

On 13 November 1944, Anhalt took command of the SS Armed Infantry Regiment S (Bulgarian No. 1), to become the highest-ranking member of the SS Military Police, then was promoted on 26 January 1945, to take command of the SS Volunteer Infantry Regiment 87. In March 1945, he took command of SS Police Regiment 98, which fought in the Battle of Berlin, where he was killed on 27 April 1945.

Awards

• German Cross in Gold on 16 June 1944 as SS-Obersturmbannführer in SS-Polizei-Regiment 2
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 12 August 1944 as SS-Standartenführer and Oberst of the Schupo, and commander of SS-Polizei-Regiment 2

References

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Krätschmer, Ernst-Günther (1999). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Waffen-SS. Coburg, Germany: Nation Europa Verlag. ISBN 978-3-920677-43-9. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)