Capelle, Jacques

Date of birth:: May 24th, 1914 (Menin, Belgium)
Date of death:: February 17th, 1945 (near Lindenberg, south of Stargard, Pommerania)
Nationality:: Belgian (1830-present, Constitutional Monarchy)

Biography

Other sources give Cappelle

08.08.1941: entered the Legion Wallonien - Kaukasus campaign
1942: promoted to Feldwebel
06.09.1943-11.03.1944: 11. Kriegs-Junker-lehrgang - SS-Junkerschule Bad Tölz 06.09.1943: promoted to SS-Junker
10.12.1943: promoted to SS-Standartenjunker
10.03.1944: promoted to SS-Standartenoberjunker
03.1944: 11. Oberjunkerlehrgang - SS-Panzergrenadierschule Kienschlag
05.1944: SS-Sturmbrigade „Wallonien" - Truppenübungsplatz Heidelager - Debica
21.06.1944: promoted to SS-Untersturmführer - RDA 20.04.1944
16.07.1944: Führer, 1. Kompanie, Kampfgruppe 'Ruelle', SS Brigade "Wallonien", one of his Zugführer was SS-Oberscharführer Pol Chenut
16.08.1944: fightings region Dorpat in Estonia
12.09.1944: awarded both EK
10.1944: Brigade "Wallonien" was reorganized to form the 28. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadierdivision „Wallonien"
09.11.1944: promoted to SS-Obersturmführer and Führer 7. Kompanie / SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Regiment 69
02.1945: engaged with a Kampfgruppe of the 28. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadier-Division „Wallonien" in Pommerania
16.02.1945: advanced from Kollin over the Faule Ihna in the direction of Lindenberg and occupy the height with the task of maintaining the position for 24 hours and preventing the Soviets from counter-attacks on the recently liberated Arnswalde. Capelle recognized the Soviet preparations for attack and reports this by radio and soon faced with two Soviet battalions with several tanks.
The Soviet tanks fire into their own positions without getting within range of the bazookas, so that the Walloons' losses were extremely high.
The already seriously WIA platoon leader SS-Untersturmführer Jacques Poels tries to destroy an enemy tank with the bazooka in view of his impending death, whereby he was KIA .
Without artillery support, Capelle and his men defend themselves with the courage of desperation.
SS-Obersturmführer Capelle still had 77 men.
17.02.1945: between dawn and 15h00 they were gutted on the spot. Capelle kept informed of the final stages of the agony over the radio. Soviet tanks were everywhere.
The men fought on their battle islands. After all, all that was left was the command post.
Version 1 : As the fight neared its end, the seriously wounded Obersturmführer Capelle, who was still firing from his revolver as best he could, raised himself in front of the attacking Russians. Two meters in front of them he put a bullet through his head.
Only four men managed to get through the swamps to Strebelow that night.
Version 2: SS-Ostuf Cappelle most likely surrendered with the last of his men, was separated from his men with other officers and brought to a Lazarett in Posen - he probably DOW in a Lazarett or a POW camp

Leon Degrelle submitted SS-Obersturmführer Jacques Capelle to be awarded the Knight's Cross. Although there is no record of this in the OKH's suggestion book, there is a note about Capelle in the files of the Foreign Army East / Fremden Heere Ost with the addition: "Knight's Cross on March 1, 1945."
27.02.1945: named in the Wehrmachtsbericht

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Wehrmachtbericht

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: SS-Obersturmführer (Lieutenant)
Unit:: 28. SS-Freiwilligen-Grenadierdivision "Wallonien"
Awarded on:: February 27th, 1945

"In Pomerania, a combat group of the SS Volunteer Grenadier Division" Wallonie ", under the leadership of SS-Obersturmführer Capelle, fought with tentative steadfastness and fanatical will to fight."