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Hauptmann Walter Scherf
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 4:35 am
by Wolfkin
Hello!
I am curious as to what Hauptmann Walter Scherf did after he left sPzAbt 503 in September 1944. Would anyone have any information regarding this matter? Thanks in advance!
Cheers,
Wolfkin
Hptm. Scherfs post-503 career.
Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:14 pm
by John Nelson
Hello,
Toward the end of Oct. '44 he was sent to Inspektion 6 (Panzers) of the OKH in Bergen. After a few days he was sent to meet with the Chef.d.In.6, Gen. Bollbrinker in Berlin. There he learned that he was to led a panzer unit on a special mission and was sent to meet with Skorzeny.
After meeting with Skorzeny, he went to the Pz.Ers.Abt.500, and 1 in Erfurt to look for officer's and men to form his unit, and after a few days he set up the HQ for Kampfgruppe Y (II./Pz.Brig.150) which was formerly the Stab. of Pz.Brig.113. The panzer unit under his command came from a Kommando formed from the sHPz.Jg.Abt.655 under RK-Traeger Albert Ernst, and had several StuG III modified to look "somewhat" like American vehicles.
Pz.Brig. 150 went into action in the Ardennes Offensive, and was later pulled out in late Dec. '44. By Jan.24.'45, the remnants of Pz.Brig.150 were located at Grafenwoehr, and were due to go on vacation until mid-Feb.'45, and then return to their home units.
Apparently, in Jan.'45 before the formation of the sHPz.Jg.Abt.512 was ordered on Feb.6.45, he was appointed as the Abteilung Kdr. of the unit, however; he could have been apointed as the Kdr. of the long-forming sHPz.Abt.511, (not the former 502!) which was ordered to form in Aug '44, but never achieved authorized strength. This sPz.Abt.511 as a PE (Personal Einheiten) personnel unit, was used alongside the remnants of the sPz.Abt.424 (ex-501) to form the sHPz.Jg.Abt.512, and Major Scherf took along his ex-Pz.Brig.150 comrade Albert Ersnt who led the 1.Kp./512. Major Scherf was trapped with the 512, in the Ruhr pocket, and apparently surrendered alongside Otto Carius in Ergeste on Apr.15.'45.
After the war he was charged with the same charges that Skorzeny faced with the use of American uniforms in combat, however; he was aquitted along with the other because the former members of Pz.Brig.150 were not caught on the battlefield wearing American uniforms, and they could not be charged with that after the fact.
Scherfs role in Pz.Brig.150 can be seen in Michael Schadewitz's book "First the Meuse, Then Antwerp", and his role in the 512 can be seen in Otto Carius's book and Andrew Devey's book Jagdtiger Operational History Vol.2
John Nelson
Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2005 10:55 pm
by Wolfkin
Hello John!
Thank you very much for a very excellent response! Your answer indeed answers my question plus some! Thank you again!
Cheers,
Wolfkin
Posted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:20 am
by Jan-Hendrik