SS-Unterscharfuhrer Paul Neumann
Awards:
Promotions:
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Infantry Assault Badge in Silver: 18. Aug. 1940
Tank Destruction Badge in Silver: 23. Mar. 1942 SS-Mann: 10. Mai 1938
SS-Oberschutze: 29 Mar. 1939 SS-Sturmmann: 1. Jun. 1939 SS-Rottenfuhrer: 18. Jul. 1941 SS-Unterscharfuhrer: 2. Mai 1942 |
Early Life
Paul Neumann was born on the sixth of August in 1920 in the city of Breslau. However grew up in the town of Krappitz in the Oppeln region of Germany. Born into a family of 5 kids. Paul was right in the middle. He grew up with his father constantly telling stories to the kids about the First World War in which he served in the 1st East Prussian Grenadiers. Paul was completely fascinated by anything military related. He started to craft wooden soldiers with his father and as he grew up studied tactics and strategy with his father. Paul was very close to his father as he grew up. Growing up along side his two sisters Katherine and Thea. As well as two brothers Christian and Siegfried. Christian would later be commissioned into the Luftwaffe as a pilot for Ju-52s. Siegfried would eventually lie about his age and joined up in the Waffen SS with Paul.
Paul’s fascination with the military grew as soon as his father told him about the Panzer which first made its appearance at the end of the war. There was something about a beast unkillable on the battlefield that called to him. For Paul he knew that his fate was to command one of these beasts.
Paul, like many other youth at the time, as soon as he turned 14 in 1934 joined up in the Hitler youth. Persuaded that he was becoming a better person in his country. In 1938 despite the high expectations of his father to become a Feldwebel and command an infantry regiment, Paul was convinced at one of his meetings by an SS officer that the SS was for him. He immediately went and enlisted as a SS-Schütze in Breslau. Believing his father would be very proud of him for serving, he ran home from the train to tell him. His father was crushed as he was not fond of this new military arm of Germany. Furthermore that his son was to be enlisted and not an officer. However the papers were already signed and Paul was to be trained. However the dream to be in the Panzerwaffe was crushed as he found out he was to be infantry and furthermore that the SS did not even have Panzers. It was all a trick.
Paul Neumann was born on the sixth of August in 1920 in the city of Breslau. However grew up in the town of Krappitz in the Oppeln region of Germany. Born into a family of 5 kids. Paul was right in the middle. He grew up with his father constantly telling stories to the kids about the First World War in which he served in the 1st East Prussian Grenadiers. Paul was completely fascinated by anything military related. He started to craft wooden soldiers with his father and as he grew up studied tactics and strategy with his father. Paul was very close to his father as he grew up. Growing up along side his two sisters Katherine and Thea. As well as two brothers Christian and Siegfried. Christian would later be commissioned into the Luftwaffe as a pilot for Ju-52s. Siegfried would eventually lie about his age and joined up in the Waffen SS with Paul.
Paul’s fascination with the military grew as soon as his father told him about the Panzer which first made its appearance at the end of the war. There was something about a beast unkillable on the battlefield that called to him. For Paul he knew that his fate was to command one of these beasts.
Paul, like many other youth at the time, as soon as he turned 14 in 1934 joined up in the Hitler youth. Persuaded that he was becoming a better person in his country. In 1938 despite the high expectations of his father to become a Feldwebel and command an infantry regiment, Paul was convinced at one of his meetings by an SS officer that the SS was for him. He immediately went and enlisted as a SS-Schütze in Breslau. Believing his father would be very proud of him for serving, he ran home from the train to tell him. His father was crushed as he was not fond of this new military arm of Germany. Furthermore that his son was to be enlisted and not an officer. However the papers were already signed and Paul was to be trained. However the dream to be in the Panzerwaffe was crushed as he found out he was to be infantry and furthermore that the SS did not even have Panzers. It was all a trick.
Paul was assigned to the formed SS-Totenkopfstandarte 2. ‘Brandenburg’. He would participate in the march into the Sudetenland.
On 29. March 1939 shortly before his campaign through Poland, Paul was promoted to SS-Oberschütze due to excellent performance in his assigned duties. During the invasion of Poland he was promoted in the field to SS-Sturmmann due to his level headedness after a brief engagement with Polish forces while conducting ‘security operations’. Paul would serve with Brandenburg division until it was used to form the SS-Totenkopfdivision. Which was formed at the end of 1939. He was transferred to 2. Kompanie/SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 1. He was immediately given the position of Truppenführer due to his ability to command. He would serve in this capacity until the Campaign in France. |
On the 18th of February 1940 Paul was given leave to return home, in which he at this time proposed to his girlfriend at the time, Annemarie Kühn. His father had finally come around on his pride and was proud to see how far Paul had come in the ranks despite his short amount of time in the service. He also found out at this time that his younger brother Siegfried had also enlisted into the Waffen-SS and that he was in the same division except he was assigned to SS-Totenkopf-Infanterie-Regiment 2.. As soon as he returned, Paul pleaded with his unit commander to transfer his brother over to his unit. Fortunately for Paul, his request was accepted.
Paul knew the invasion into France would not be too much longer and having his brother by his side during that would mean the world to him. During the invasion of France Paul had to take over the Gruppe’s Zb-26 as the gunner had taken a wound to the head from shrapnel.
Noticed by his Gruppenführer as very calm under stress and an efficient machine gunner, Paul was withheld from the numerous promotions due to the high casualty rates in the fighting in France. He was to remain a machine gunner. This hurt Paul’s ambition significantly.
He would have to wait until the campaign in Russia to finally be noticed again for any type of promotion.
Paul knew the invasion into France would not be too much longer and having his brother by his side during that would mean the world to him. During the invasion of France Paul had to take over the Gruppe’s Zb-26 as the gunner had taken a wound to the head from shrapnel.
Noticed by his Gruppenführer as very calm under stress and an efficient machine gunner, Paul was withheld from the numerous promotions due to the high casualty rates in the fighting in France. He was to remain a machine gunner. This hurt Paul’s ambition significantly.
He would have to wait until the campaign in Russia to finally be noticed again for any type of promotion.
Operation Barbarossa
In April 1941 Paul joined his kameraden in the push east against the Russians. It was during the assault on the the Stalin Line that his squad lost the Gruppenführer. Seeing his opportunity to get out of his machine gun role and lead once more, Paul took command of his Gruppe. Assaulting the Russian position and taking it. Finally in July after new leadership came in. Paul was awarded the rank of SS-Rottenführer on the 18th of July 1941. As well as awarded the infantry assault badge in silver. He was then placed in command of 2. Gruppe of Erste Zug. One of his most trying times was to come at the pocket of Demjansk. Demjansk Kessel SS-Rottenführer Neumann’s Gruppe had to just approached the village of Lushno when the Russians launched a counter attack. Where his Zug was then cut off from the rest of his company and division. Holding their ground for a day, Neumann watched man after man shot dead. His Gruppe was now only 4 strong. Despite being low on manpower and ammunition, his Zug pushed out of the encirclement to regroup with 2. Kompanie. |
By the winter months Neumann’s division had dug in. Neumann had a knack for being able to infiltrate the Russian positions and was constantly chosen to go and capture Russian prisoners. In the time from December to February, Neumann had successfully captured 41 Russian prisoners. Neumann's time in Poland left him ruthless and he personally carried out the execution of the prisoners as no food could be spared during these months to feed prisoners. To most of the new replacements this left them with fear of their Gruppeführer. Even Siegfried was taken back from this.
However on the 8th of February the Russians launched a major counter offensive which cut off the SS-Totenkopfdivision from the rest of the German line.
On the morning of the 8th, Totenkopf was assaulted by soviet artillery and armor as they would be for the next four months.
During one of the Soviet attacks, Neumann noticed a lone T-34 alone with little to no infantry support. Taking a tellermine and dropping field gear, Neumann took one other from his Gruppe and snuck around to the tank. Neumann saw his chance when the tank directed its fire towards another position. Running up to the tank Neumann threw the mine onto the back engine compartment. Exploding the tank into a blaze of fire.
Neumann’s luck through the campaigns had run out unfortunately. On the 21st of March 1942, Neumann took a shot to the right side of his abdomen. Immediately taken to the field hospital, Neumann luckily pulled through and survived his wound. He was out of action for two months before returning to his Kompanie.
While in the hospital, he was awarded with the Tank Destruction Badge in Silver for his actions in destroying the T-34 near Demjansk.
On the 2. May for his actions in Demjansk, Paul was promoted to SS-Unterscharführer. No longer did he have so much ambition. All he cared about was getting him and his brother out of the war alive.
However on the 8th of February the Russians launched a major counter offensive which cut off the SS-Totenkopfdivision from the rest of the German line.
On the morning of the 8th, Totenkopf was assaulted by soviet artillery and armor as they would be for the next four months.
During one of the Soviet attacks, Neumann noticed a lone T-34 alone with little to no infantry support. Taking a tellermine and dropping field gear, Neumann took one other from his Gruppe and snuck around to the tank. Neumann saw his chance when the tank directed its fire towards another position. Running up to the tank Neumann threw the mine onto the back engine compartment. Exploding the tank into a blaze of fire.
Neumann’s luck through the campaigns had run out unfortunately. On the 21st of March 1942, Neumann took a shot to the right side of his abdomen. Immediately taken to the field hospital, Neumann luckily pulled through and survived his wound. He was out of action for two months before returning to his Kompanie.
While in the hospital, he was awarded with the Tank Destruction Badge in Silver for his actions in destroying the T-34 near Demjansk.
On the 2. May for his actions in Demjansk, Paul was promoted to SS-Unterscharführer. No longer did he have so much ambition. All he cared about was getting him and his brother out of the war alive.
Post Demjansk
The SS-Totenkopfdivision was sent to France in late 1942 to refit. The division received a battalion of armor thus making it a Panzerdivision. Neumann's dream to command Panzers was still not yet acheived despite the addition. His skills as infantry was too valuable. Orders did come through in early 1943 that 'Totenkopf' was to be sent back to Russia. Paul, now an Unterscharfuhrer feared this to be a death sentence, after seeing the chaos that unfolded the throughout 1941 and 1942. |