Roberts Ancāns

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Roberts Ancāns
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Roberts Ancāns in 1945
Born (1919-11-11)11 November 1919
Tilža parish, Latvia
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Tannersville, New York, United States
Allegiance  Latvia
 Nazi Germany
Service/branch Flag of the Schutzstaffel.svg Waffen SS
Years of service 1939–40
1942–45
Rank Obersturmführer
Unit 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian)
Commands held 19th Reserve Battalion (Kampfschule)
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Iron Cross I Class
Iron Cross II Class
Close Combat Clasp in Silver
Infantry Assault Badge in Silver
Wound Badge in Gold
Tank Destruction Badge
Eastern Front Medal
Demyansk Shield

Roberts Ancāns (11 November 1919 – 1 January 1982) was an Obersturmführer in the Waffen SS during World War II. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, which was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership by Nazi Germany during World War II.

Early life

Roberts Ancāns was born on 11 November 1919, in Tilža parish, Latvia. In 1938 he started law studies in Latvian university. In the autumn 1939 he volunteered in Latvian army. Ancāns was member of Latvian student fraternity Lacuania.

World War

Ancāns was in the Latvian Army in 1940, and during the German invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa) he volunteered to join the first Latvian units in July 1941 and the Waffen SS in February 1942.[1] He was among those Latvian soldiers who were trapped in Kholm Pocket in early 1942. There he was wounded and after treatment served in the Latvian Legion near Leningrad, in the Volchov marshes and at the Velikaya river.

After the 19th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS (2nd Latvian) was formed, he became part of the 19th Reserve Battalion.[1] In the fighting of the Courland pocket on 24 December 1944, with his company of 180 men, they destroyed a Soviet attack aimed at the point where the 19th SS and the 21st Luftwaffe Field Division met, and they also destroyed 12 tanks in the process.[1] After the 19th SS and the 21st Luftwaffe divisions had been withdrawn, Ancāns' company had been reduced to 38 men, most of them seriously wounded. For his bravery and leadership in the battle he was awarded the Knight's Cross. In May 1945, he was seriously wounded and evacuated from the pocket.[1][2]

Post war

Ancāns survived the war and until 1955 lived in West Germany, but then emigrated to the United States. He died in New York on 1 January 1982.[1][2]

Awards

Notes

  1. According to Scherzer as leader of the Divisionskampfschule (divisions combat school) of the 19. Waffen-Grenadier-Division of the SS (lettische Nr. 2).[6] According to Krätschmer as Waffen-Obersturmführer as leader of the Divisionskampfschule (divisions combat school) of the 19. Waffen-Grenadier-Division of the SS (lettische Nr. 2).[7]

References

Citations

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Thomas & Wegmann 1987, p. 68.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Thomas & Wegmann 1987, p. 69.
  5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 116.
  6. Scherzer 2007, p. 192.
  7. Krätschmer 1999, p. 833.

Bibliography

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