Kerner, Erwin (Hrsg.) Rudolf v. Ribbentrop. Das Kriegstagebuch. Hauptsturmführer und Ritterkreuzträger im Zweiten Weltkrieg

With Rudolf von Ribbentrop, the last Knight's Cross holder of the Waffen-SS passed away on 20 May 2019.Born into a family of manufacturers in 1921, von Ribbentrop enjoyed an excellent education, including at Westminster Boarding School in London, where his father Joachim von Ribbentrop served as German ambassador. At the outbreak of war, he joined the SS Verfügungstruppe. He went on the Western campaign with the SS Regiment "Deutschland", where he earned the EK II.

After attending the Junkerschule in Braunschweig, he became an SS-Untersturmführer in April 1941. This was followed by service with the SS-Kampfgruppe "Nord" in Finland. After recovering from a wound, he was transferred to the newly formed tank division of the "Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler" in February 1942. As platoon leader in the 6th Company and leader of the 7th Company he took part in the Battle of Kharkov in February/March 1943. In the operation "Citadel" in the summer of 1943, he completed his masterpiece: Alone with his Panzer IV, he penetrated a Russian tank unit attacking near Prokhorovka and, riding in it, shot down 14 enemy tanks of the type T-34. For this he was awarded the Knight's Cross. He participated in the formation of the 12th SS Panzer Division "Hitler Youth", led the 3rd Company in the battles with the Western Allies in Normandy and the I. Division of the Panzer Regiment 12 during the Battle of the Bulge. Awarded the German Cross in Gold, he then fought in Hungary and participated in the retreat to the Enns. After his release from captivity, von Ribbentrop had a successful career in industry. The exciting military biography of this exceptional soldier is based on von Ribbentrop's own notes, is worked from original sources and is richly illustrated.