Fritz Darges (8 February 1913 – 25 October 2009) was a German Schutzstaffel- Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel) in the Waffen-SS during World War II where he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He served as an adjutant to Martin Bormann and later was a personal adjutant to Adolf Hitler.
Early life
He was born in Dülseberg near
Salzwedel. After attending school, Darges volunteered to join the SS in April 1933.
[SS #722220] By 1934, he had been selected to become an officer and attended the
SS-Junkerschule at Bad Tölz. After graduation in April 1935, he was promoted to SS-
Untersturmführer (second lieutenant). In 1936, he was named
Adjutant to
Reichsleiter Martin Bormann. In May 1937, he joined the
Nazi Party, and in September of that same year he was promoted to SS-
Obersturmführer (first lieutenant).
[NSDAP #4166963]
World War II
In October 1939, he returned to the
Waffen-SS as a company commander in the
Deutschland and
Der Führer Regiments in the
SS-VT. He fought in the Battle of France and was awarded the
Iron Cross 2nd class in July 1940 and promoted to SS-
Hauptsturmführer (captain).
Darges was then posted to the newly formed SS Division Wiking, took part in Operation Barbarossa and was awarded the Iron Cross 1st class in August 1942. In March 1943, he became a personal adjutant to Adolf Hitler. He was assigned to the Führerbegleitkommando, an SS bodyguard unit that provided personal security for Hitler. He was promoted to SS- Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel) in January 1944.
Dismissal
On 18 or 19 July 1944, just before the 20 July plot, during a strategy conference at the
Wolfsschanze a fly began buzzing around the room, allegedly landing on Hitler's shoulder and on the surface of a map several times, irritating Hitler. One version of the story states that Hitler ordered Darges to dispatch the nuisance; Darges suggested that, as it was an airborne pest, the job should go to the
Luftwaffe adjutant Nicolaus von Below.
Others, including
Rochus Misch, state that Hitler noticed Darges snickering when he looked up from the map, Darges himself claims it was due to his inattention to Hitler's original order to drive flies out of the room.
All versions agree that Hitler immediately took Darges aside, dismissed him, and had him transferred to the Eastern Front.
Service on the Eastern Front
In August 1944, Darges returned to the SS Division
Wiking to replace Johannes Mühlenkamp as the commander of the 5th SS Panzer Regiment. It was in command of this unit that Darges was awarded the Knight's Cross for his actions on the night of 4 January 1945. The division was advancing towards
Bicske when it was stopped by the 41st Guards Rifle Division of the Soviet 4th Guards Army. Darges initially probed the Soviet line with a mixed Panzer and Panzer Grenadier
Kampfgruppe and succeeded in breaking through the line at dawn. Subsequently, he ambushed and destroyed a Soviet task force, knocking out four 122mm guns, four 76mm anti-tank guns, twelve trucks and a number of supply vehicles. He then attacked
Regis Castle, forcing the garrison to retreat. Darges then found himself surrounded by Soviet reinforcements and was forced to repel several attacks. Three days later when they were relieved by another
Kampfgruppe from SS
Wiking, they left behind more than thirty destroyed Soviet tanks.
Post-war
After the war, Darges was interned by U.S. military authorities. He was released in 1948.
[Samuel W. Mitcham, Crumbling empire: the German defeat in the East, 1944, London 2001, S. 260.] Not much is known about his activities after Germany's surrender. He had a career as a car salesman after the war. He appeared in the 2000 documentary
Hitlers Krieg im Osten, credited as himself.
Shortly before his death, Darges stated that he found Hitler to be a genius and that "I served him and would do it all again now."
He died on 25 October 2009 at his home in Celle and was buried there.
Notes
Further reading
External links
