Rudolf von Ribbentrop

xausa · Post by **xausa** » Wed Dec 22, 2004 10:15 am

Interesting person when you consider who his was oldman and how Rudolf conducted himself in action (wounded five times + being highly decorated for bravery) when he could easily have had a cosy job some where safe behind the front line..

Jost Schneider's book "their honor was their loyalty" does'nt have much info on the details how Rudolf von Ribbentrop won his KC, does anyone here happen to know anything about these events or what happened to him after the war?

Thanks + merry christmas

LEIBSTANDARTE · Post by **LEIBSTANDARTE** » Thu Dec 23, 2004 4:32 pm

Rudolf Von Ribbentrop was a very interesting and brave man. I think there is a section on him in a book called Panzer Aces, either 1 or 2 , can't remember which one, author Franz somebody, can't remember his name either. Hope this helps a little.
LS

MD650 · Post by **MD650** » Fri Dec 24, 2004 12:47 am

LEIBSTANDARTE wrote:Rudolf Von Ribbentrop was a very interesting and brave man. I think there is a section on him in a book called Panzer Aces, either 1 or 2 , can't remember which one, author Franz somebody, can't remember his name either. Hope this helps a little.
LS

Franz Kurowski?!
:)

M.Wittmann · Post by **M.Wittmann** » Fri Dec 24, 2004 2:03 am

Hauptsturmführer Ribbentrop v., Rudolf
* 11.05.1921 Wiesbaden

Ritterkreuz am: 15.07.1943 als Obersturmführer und Führer 6./SS-PzRgt 1 "LSSAH"

At 9th July 1943, north of Bjelgorod near Teterewino he drove ahead of his unit when he noticed in a gully a collum of 40 T34's. Quickly taking positions his unit destroyed 6 of them without own losses and a surprise attack was avoided.
12th July, he and 7 other were ready for action again, supporting infantry. Just there a russian tank attack was on its way starting with 2 collums of 150 T34's in a front of only 500m! The company lost 4 panzer immediatly at ranges down to 200m. The massive russian attack broke through the lines and penetated about 1000m deep into german lines were the remaining panzers drove through the russian "tank-packs", firing at distances of 10-30m

For his brave actions (and the remaining panzers of his company), and after his company found its way back to the Abteilung, it already was advancing in an counter-attack almost completely destroying the russians.

For his actions and destroying 14 T34's Ostuf Rudolf von Ribbentrop was awarded the RK at 15th July 1943.

+ Joined the SS-Verfügungstruppe and took part at the western campaign in the 11./Rgt 'Deutschland' and was awarded EK2 and promoted to SS-Sturmmann.

+ SS-Junkerschüle Braunschweig and promoted to SS-Standartenoberjunker and late to SS-Untersturmführer at 20.4.41.

+ Service as Zugführer A.A. SS-Kampfgruppe 'Nord' in Finland where he was wounded again.

+ Transferred in February 1942 to the new panzerabteilung 'LAH'.

+ During the battle of Charkow in Feb/March '43 served as Zugführer in the 6. and 7./PzAbt he recieved his 3rd wound and EK1.

+ Before the battle of Kursk he took command over the 6th company. After the battle he was transferred to the Pz.Rgt. 12 'Hitlerjugend' in France.

+ He commanded 3./ during the invasion battles, sustained his 4th injury and was awarded the Deutschen Kreuz in Gold. In September became Regiments Adjutant SS-Pz.Rgt. 12.

+ After the death of Stubaf. Jürgensen (CO I. Abteilung Pz.Rgt. 12) during the Battle of the Bulge, he took over I. Abt. Pz.Rgt. 12 where he was wounded again and recieved the Verwundetenabzeichen in Gold.

+ During 1945 he commanded I. Abt. Pz.Rgt. 12 in Hungary and eventually surrendering 8th May.

+ Son of the Reichsaussenministers of Germany.

Source:
Ritterkreuzträger der Waffen-SS, E.G. Krätschmer
http://www.das-ritterkreuz.de/index_sea ... wert1=5156

Mark C Yerger · Post by **Mark C Yerger** » Fri Dec 24, 2004 9:13 am

He was also the primary author (or primary contributor) to a history of the 3./Pz Rgt LAH

Mark C. Yerger

Wolfkin · Post by **Wolfkin** » Sat Dec 25, 2004 6:36 pm

Hello!

I would just like to correct a common mistake that I have seen regarding Rudolf von Ribbentrop and the 6th Panzerkompanie:

Rudolf von Ribbentrop was never a Zugfuhrer in the 6./SS Pz Rgt Leibstandarte. He was a Zugfuhrer in the 3./SS Pz Rgt Leibstandarte and then the 3rd became the 7th when the II Panzer Abteilung was created for SS Panzer Regiment Leibstandarte. He was a Zugfuhrer in the 7th Panzerkompanie all through the Kharkov fighting until in early March when he became the Kompaniefuhrer of the 7th. It was before the Kursk fighting when he became the Kompaniechef of the 6th Panzerkompanie, but during the Kharkov fighting he never was in the 6th Panzerkompanie.

I am not really sure where this misinformation comes from but I have seen it in a few books. Panzer Aces has this mistake. It must be a figment of Kurowski's imagination. The funny thing is, in the text in Panzer Aces, it mentions quotes from Ribbentrop during the Kharkov fighting in February and March where he mentions officers like Janke, Alt, Sternebeck, Eckhardt and others. These are all men that were in the 7th Panzerkompanie, even though the author treats some of them as if they are in the 6th.

Also, one quote from Ribbentrop is from when he had just taken command of the 7th and he says that he knew all of the company officers well because he had been a platoon commander, of the 1st Platoon, since the formation of the company. No mention is made of the 6th. This 6th Panzerkompanie business is nonsense.

I hope this helps!

Cheers,

Wolfkin

Emil · Post by **Emil** » Sat Jan 01, 2005 1:36 pm

But if 6th company was with Kurt Meyer at Kharkov and Ribbentrop was too, how can he have been with 7th company at that time? See the book "Grenadiers" by Kurt Meyer and vol. III of "The Leibstandarte" by Rudolf Lehmann as my sources.

Wolfkin · Post by **Wolfkin** » Sun Jan 02, 2005 10:18 pm

Hello Emil!

The simple answer: Because the 5th, 6th, and 7th Panzerkompanie were all a part of the II./SS Panzerregiment Leibstandarte which was fighting with Meyer in Kharkov.

Also, Wunsche of I./SS Panzerregiment Leibstandarte and Peiper of III./SS Panzergrenadierregiment 2 (Gepanzert) Leibstandarte were with Meyer in Kharkov as well, would that make them a part of 6th Panzerkompanie? Of course not, so why would that make Ribbentrop part of 6th Panzerkompanie?

There is a photo published in many books that shows Ribbentrop directing the actions of several 7th Panzerkompanie PzKpfw IV's in Kharkov. Doesn't one think this is strange if he was in the 6th Panzerkompanie? Even the books that say he was in the 6th have this photo, yet they still say he was in the 6th! Also, what about the Chronicle Of The 7th Panzerkompanie, why would they say he was in the 7th if he was really in the 6th?

My sources:

The Leibstandarte Volume III by Lehmann (Read it more closely please)
Chronicle Of The 7th Panzerkompanie Leibstandarte by Tiemann (Good Kompanie history)
Kharkov by Restayn (Much photographic evidence)
Operation Citadel by Restayn (Covers Ribbentrop's move to 6th Panzerkompanie)
Jochen Peiper Commander Panzerregiment Leibstandarte by Agte
1st SS Panzer Division by Walther
Platz Der Leibstandarte by Nipe/Spezzano (Incorrect on 6/7 Kompanie)
Panzer Aces by Kurowski (Incorrect on 6/7 Kompanie)

I hope this helps!

Cheers,

Wolfkin

Wolfkin · Post by **Wolfkin** » Wed Jan 05, 2005 10:01 pm

Hello!

I just thought that I would add some more information that I have gathered just to help out in this case. Please allow me to demonstrate the researching system that I utilize, which allows for a study that compares, contrasts and analyzes the available material.

The big question: Was Ribbentrop in the 6th Panzerkompanie or the 7th Panzerkompanie during the Kharkov battles? My answer is that he was in the 7th Panzerkompanie. He would become the commander of the 6th Panzerkompanie shortly before the Kursk Offensive.

Now, let us examine this subject:

This is what The Leibstandarte Volume III tells us:

-Page 89 mentions Astheger as commander of 6th Panzerkompanie. Dated February 10, 1943.

-Page 90 mentions Ribbentrop as a Platoon Leader in the 6th Panzerkompanie. Dated February 11, 1943.

-Page 133 mentions an attack by two Panzers of 7th Panzerkompanie. Dated March 1, 1943.

-Page 137 mentions Zug Stollmayer and Zug Janke a part of the 7th Panzerkompanie. Dated February 28, 1943

-Page 161 mentions Ribbentrop as in 6th Panzerkompanie, yet mentions Stollmayer who is in the 7th Panzerkompanie. Dated March 10, 1943.

-Page 178 mentions Ribbentrop as in 7th Panzerkompanie. Dated March 17, 1943.

-Page 179 mentions Ribbentrop as in 7th Panzerkompanie. Dated March 18, 1943.

This is what Chronicle Of The 7th Panzerkompanie tells us:

-Page 14 mentions Ribbentrop leader of 1st Platoon of 3rd Panzerkompanie, Janke leader of 2nd Platoon of 3rd Panzerkompanie. Dated February 10, 1942.

-Page 24 mentions that the 3rd Panzerkompanie becomes the 7th Panzerkompanie and that the leaders of all the Platoons remains unchanged except the addition of Sternebeck as a Halb-Zug Fuhrer in the 1st Platoon. Dated October 14, 1942.

-Page 35 mentions that Alt, company commander of the 7th Panzerkompanie, is killed. Dated February 24, 1943.

-Page 38 mentions that Janke takes command of the 7th Panzerkompanie. Dated February 25, 1943.

-Page 39-40 mentions the same attack as above, by two Panzers, of 7th Panzerkompanie. Also mentions “for the time being only two of the Panzer”. Only it is dated February 28, 1943.

-Page 40 mentions Janke’s Panzer being hit during combat. Dated February 28, 1943.

-Page 42 mentions that Ribbentrop takes command of the 7th Panzerkompanie. Dated March 3, 1943.

Jochen Peiper, Commander Panzerregiment Leibstandarte tells us:

-Page 112 Ribbentrop is the leader of the 7th Panzerkompanie. Dated March 18, 1943.

This is what Panzer Aces tells us:

-Page 157-158 mentions that Ribbentrop is the 1st Platoon leader in the 6th Panzerkompanie. In a quote from Ribbentrop’s diary Ribbentrop himself mentions a company-comrade by the name of Janke. This does not make sense because Janke is a member of the 7th Panzerkompanie and not the 6th Panzerkompanie.

-Page 159 mentions that the commander of the 6th Panzerkompanie, Alt, has been wounded and that Ribbentrop is to take command. This can not be because Alt is the commander of the 7th Panzerkompanie and not the 6th Panzerkompanie.

-Page 160 mentions Eckhardt as the leader of the 2nd Platoon of the 6th Panzerkompanie. This is incorrect, Eckhardt is actually a Halb-Zug Fuhrer of the 2nd Platoon of the 7th Panzerkompanie.

-Page 168 now it is mentioned that Alt, commander of the 7th Panzerkompanie, is killed and that Ribbentrop is to take command of the 7th Panzerkompanie. I don’t think even Kurowski himself understands what he is writing!

-Page 169 in a quote taken from Ribbentrop’s own diary soon after taking command of the 7th Panzerkompanie, he says “My two company officers were Stollmayer and Sternebeck. Both were outstanding soldiers and experienced officers whom I knew well, as I had been leader of the company’s 1st Platoon since the formation of the unit.” Now, how could he have known these guys so well if he was in the 6th Panzerkompanie, these guys were all from the 7th Panzerkompanie!

One should realize the obvious mistake here, Ribbentrop was actually the leader of the 1st Platoon of the 7th Panzerkompanie and not the 6th Panzerkompanie!

It is quite amusing to me that Kurowski actually had access to Ribbentrop’s diary to get the quotes but obviously he did not understand any of it. I have no idea how someone could assume that he was in the 6th Panzerkompanie. Not one person from the 6th Panzerkompanie is mentioned, only men from the 7th Panzerkompanie.

My conclusion:

Ribbentrop was in the 7th Panzerkompanie. He would become the commander of the 6th Panzerkompanie shortly before the Kursk Offensive. He first served as the 1st Platoon leader in the 3rd Panzerkompanie. The 3rd Panzerkompanie then became the 7th Panzerkompanie. Ribbentrop served as the 1st Platoon leader in the 7th Panzerkompanie during the Kharkov battles until he took command of the 7th Panzerkompanie. Shortly before the Kursk Offensive he would take command of the 6th Panzerkompanie. This is where many sources make their mistake. They mistake Kursk for Kharkov.

I hope this helps!

Cheers,

Wolfkin

Panzerass · Post by **Panzerass** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 1:44 pm

Does anyone know if there are copies of that book about 3./SS-PzRgt. 12 still around?
How many pages has it?

Simon V. · Post by **Simon V.** » Sun Sep 18, 2005 1:02 pm

If you keep your eyes open, maybe you'll still be able to find a copy. Book has 152 pages.

smaug · Post by **smaug** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 5:23 am

Simon, what is the titel and verlag of this book you mentioned??

Simon V. · Post by **Simon V.** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 12:59 pm

Kompanie-Kameradschaft. Die 3.Kompanie. SS-Panzer-Regiment 12. 12.SS-Panzerdivision "Hitlerjugend. Eigenverlag-Kameradschaft. 1978. 152p.

smaug · Post by **smaug** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 1:43 pm

Yep , thats on the top of my list, how is it?

Simon V. · Post by **Simon V.** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 3:55 pm

I quite like it, small little book with nice information on 'Der Dritten'. Well only thing you have to keep in mind while reading is that most of it was written from memory by the veterans.