Germany, Heer. The Soldbuch of Oberwachtmeister Herbert Friedel, Knight’s Cross Recipient

(Heer Soldbuch für Ritterkreuzträger). A scarce Sturmgeschütz Soldbuch issues to Oberwachtmeister Herbert Friedel, an assault gun platoon commander who received the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross for heroism on the Eastern Front, constructed of a brown card stock binding with 24 paginated interior pages full of handwritten entries, the cover page bearing a handwritten inscription of “ERSATZAUSFERTIGUNG” indicating that it is a replacement for Friedel’s original Soldbuch (with issue dated 23 May 1944), measuring 108 mm (w) x 148 mm (h), with extensive material fatigue including the loss of Friedel’s photo and detachment of all interior pages from their binding consistent with wartime secretion on Friedel’s person in the field, a fascinating Soldbuch from a noted assault gun commander in fair condition.

Footnote: Herbert Friedel was born on 10 June 1917 in Bayreuth, Germany. During the Second World War, the majority of his recorded service time was spent in command of a platoon of StuG III assault guns on the Eastern Front, where he was assigned to Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 232. As reflect in the entries contained within his Soldbuch, he was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Black Grade Wound Badge (30 June 1942), the Iron Cross II Class (20 July 1942), the Eastern Front Medal (12 September 1942), the General Assault Badge (10 June 1943), the Iron Cross I Class (20 September 1943), the Silver Grade Wound Badge (21 August 1944) and, most notably, the Knight’s Cross (recorded as 24 August 1944 in the Soldbuch, but also credited on 23 August in records). The latter was awarded for heroic actions on the Eastern Front, where Friedel, at the helm of the last remaining StuG supporting troops of 212. Infanterie-Division near the Lithuanian/Soviet broder, single-handedly annihilated a company of Soviet armour which was in the process of overrunning a German position, prompting Red Army forces to flee. Friedel subsequently helped to hold the position until the arrival of reinforcements. Records also indicate that Friedel received the German Cross in Gold (19 July 1944), but no entry for the decoration is found in the Soldbuch offered. Friedel survived that war and died in Gräfelfing, Germany, on 22 July 1990.