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235:. Klingenberg disobeyed orders, and decided to reconnoiter Belgrade, with his units far ahead of the main German army. Finding a boat, he crossed the river, with the intention of ferrying a sizable force across; however, the boat sank, and he was left with just six men. Klingenberg then encountered some Yugoslav troops who had captured a drunken German tourist, and captured them.
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At this point a few more of
Klingenberg's men arrived the same way he had, and made a show of their presence, pretending that there was more of them than there were. The German army eventually arrived, dumbfounded at the situation, having made a complex plan to take the city that was no longer
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On the 11th April, after a number of firefights the six
Germans, having sustained no casualties but capturing a number of Yugoslav soldiers, made it to the centre of Belgrade with the tourist and their prisoners. There they raised a German flag.
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needed, and was expected to cost thousands of lives. A few days later
Yugoslavia surrendered. Klingenberg was awarded the Knight’s Cross for capturing the city, in effect capturing Belgrade with just himself, his six soldiers and the tourist.
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Die
Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des
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The Knight's Cross
Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal
247:, came out to meet them, after Klingenberg bluffed, telling him there was an incoming artillery barrage and an impending Luftwaffe attack. Tomić and some garrison troops surrendered the city to them on 12 April.
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Die
Sturmflut und das Ende – Band 3, Mit dem Rücken zur Wand – Geschichte der 17.SS-Panzergrenadierdivision "Götz von Berlichingen"
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223:, where a small group in the vanguard accepted the surrender of the city on 13 April. A few days later, Yugoslavia surrendered.
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431:"Invasion of Yugoslavia: Waffen SS Captain Fritz Klingenberg and the Capture of Belgrade During World War II - HistoryNet"
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By Robert J. Edwards "Tip of the Spear: German
Armored Reconnaissance in Action in World War II" p 172
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285:. On 23 March 1945, Klingenberg was killed by a tank shell during a firefight on the western edge of
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219:. Klingenberg, a company commander in the Das Reich division, led his unit to the capital,
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Plowman, Jeffrey "War in the
Balkans: The Battle for Greece and Crete 1940-1941" p 24
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and chief of the 2./SS-Kradschützen-Bataillon of the SS-Division "Reich".
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and two weeks later (on 12 January 1945) was appointed to command the
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534:] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall.
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In April 1941, Klingenberg was with SS troops taking part in the
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Military personnel from the Grand Duchy of
Mecklenburg-Schwerin
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184:(17 December 1912 – 23 March 1945) was a German officer in the
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559:] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag.
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Das
Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II
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The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2
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On 21 December 1944, Fritz Klingenberg was promoted to SS-
196:. He was best known for his role in the capture of the
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Military personnel from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
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526:Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001).
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182:Fritz Paul Heinrich Otto Klingenberg
682:Recipients of the Gold German Cross
315:Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
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255:European theatre against US forces
14:
718:
576:Army of Evil: A History of the SS
313:and other SS officers on tour of
267:SS Division Götz von Berlichingen
194:SS Division Götz von Berlichingen
154:SS Division Götz von Berlichingen
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323:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
206:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
174:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
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337:in Gold on 28 April 1944 as SS-
269:. The division was attached to
211:In April 1941, the German Army
204:, for which he was awarded the
672:People from Rostock (district)
578:. New York: Caliber Printing.
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472:Patzwall & Scherzer 2001
309:Klingenberg (far left) with
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507:Günther, Helmut (1991).
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490:The Third Reich: The SS
574:Weale, Adrian (2012).
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233:invasion of Yugoslavia
325:on 14 May 1941 as SS-
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190:SS Division Das Reich
144:SS Division Das Reich
122:Years of service
367:, pp. 162, 163.
188:who served with the
677:SS-Standartenführer
340:Obersturmbannführer
227:Capture of Belgrade
134:SS-Standartenführer
35:Klingenberg in 1943
435:www.historynet.com
417:www.historynet.com
319:
213:invaded Yugoslavia
621:Fritz Klingenberg
585:978-0-451-23791-0
566:978-3-938845-17-2
541:978-3-931533-45-8
511:. Schild Verlag.
245:Mayor of Belgrade
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164:World War II
160:Battles/wars
97:Nazi Germany
79:Nazi Germany
70:(1945-03-23)
667:1945 deaths
662:1912 births
301:Decorations
275:Saarbrücken
198:Yugoslavian
55:Rövershagen
44:Ball Hunter
41:Nickname(s)
656:Categories
382:Weale 2012
348:References
85:Allegiance
16:SS officer
613:Biography
215:and then
200:capital,
186:Waffen-SS
125:1935–1945
116:Waffen-SS
557:Archives
287:Herxheim
279:XV Corps
221:Belgrade
202:Belgrade
150:Commands
103:Service/
75:Herxheim
481:Sources
291:Andilly
281:of the
599:Portal
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295:France
243:, the
217:Greece
170:Awards
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554:[
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